Samuel Factor: 1921-1923

In July 1921, Factor tied for 5-7th in Atlantic City (8thAmerican Chess Congress). The tournament held  on Young’s Million Dollar Pier from  July 6 to 20 inclusive. The event was won by Dawid Janowski of Paris, next were Whitaker, Jaffe and Hago. He won his games against Sharp of Philadelphia, Mlotkowski of Los Angeles, Harvey of Fenelon Falls, Ont. and Jackson of Philadelphia, drew with Janowski, Hago of Washington, Marshall US champion and Turover of Washington, lost to Whitaker of Washington, Jaffe of New York and Sournin of Washington.

Factor started off with great promise and, ahfter three rounds, was leading with 2.5 points. Hago also acquintted himself exceptionally well in the opening rounds and was not defeated until the sixth. Marshall received his first setback in the fourth round at Janowski’s hands, and lost to Whitaker and Sharp in the seventh and eighth. Jaffe, after losing to Marshall on the second day, was leading up to the opening of the eighth round with score of 6-1. Then he lost to Mlotkowski, Janowski and Sournin in successive rounds, thereby blasting his hopes of first prize. Janowski lost only one game, to Whitaker in the third round, but was let off by Jackson in the seventh. He was still half a point behind Jaffe when they sat down for their game it to the end.  The prize winners were: First prize, David Janowski, $500; second prize, Norman T. Whitaker, $300; third prize, Charles Jaffe, $200; Martin D.Hago, $100; fifth prize, Samuel Factor, Frank J.Marshall and Vladimir Sournin, $50 (divided)

The second rapid transit tournament, with 11 entries, was won by Marshall, 9.5-0.5, with Janowski, 9-1, second. Neither of them had competed in the first lightning tourney. Factor, 6.5-3.5, was placed third; H.Helms, 6-4, fourth, and J.F.Barry, 5-5, fifth.

Ten players took part in the first rapid transit tournament on the pier (time limit, 10 seconds a move). Samuel Factor, 7.5-1.5, was the winner. John F.Barry, the only one to win from Factor, tied at 6-3 with M.D.Hago and I.S.Turover, followed by E.S.Jackson, 5.5-3.5, and S.T.Sharp, 5-4. Dr H.H.Morris, Wilmington, Del. Was timekeeper.

Samuel Factor was awarded special Brilliancy Prize offered by Wiliam M.Vance of Colorado Springs for his game against S.Mlotkowski.  ACB 1921

In October (5-13) 1921, Samuel Factor took 2nd (9-2p), behind Edward Lasker, in Cleveland, Ohio (22nd WCA). Tournament held at the City Club  in the Hotel Hollenden.

After him were Hahlbohm of Chicago, Whitaker of Washington, Stolcenberg of Detroit. Factor again lost to Whitaker, drew with Ed. Lasker of Chicago and Stolzenberg but won remaining games.

An examination of the table discloses the fact that, next to the champion, Factor was the hardest man to beat, for he lost only one – to Whitaker in the third round. His two drawn games were with Lasker  and with Stolzenberg in the foutth. After  the fourth round, no one seemed able to stop him, for he then won game after game until he had placed seven straight to his credit, increasing his total from 2 to 9 without a break or letup. This performance stamps him as a player of very high rank and who, as a prize winner in his two first tournaments in this country, is a man who has to be reckoned with in future contests of this kind. Should the national congress come to Cleveland, next year, he expects to attend. (ACB1921)

10-11 was Bruno Czaikowski, Polish-American chess player, president Chicago City Chess League.

In 1922 Factor won championship of Chicago. In August/September (28.08-5.09) 1922, he won in Louisville, Kentucky (23rd WCA). He lost to Spero of Cleveland, drew with Hahlbohn and won remaining games.

Norman T. Whitaker (from  Shady Side: The Life and Crimes of Norman Tweed Whitaker byJohn Hilbert) writing about Western Chess Association 1922 in Louisville :" My closest chess friend was Samuel Factor...he arrived from Poland in March 1921, knowing little Englisch but a top player. In the Eight American Chess Congress, July 1921, at Atlantic City, I first met him. As a Europen Master he expected to win first prize. He was upset when he failed. I loaned him fifty dollars to return to Chicago. We become very close...

Sam  and I played in many tournaments...we had a strange finish in the Western Chess Association  in 1922 in Louisville, Kentucky. I had finished my final game. Sam was playing Edward  Lasker and how they disliked each other! If they drew we had a three way tie. The winner of their game would be Western Champion..Then I would finish second. The loser of their  game would finish third! What a finish. Well Factor smashed Lasker!”. And so the Polish immigrant took the Western title.”[p70]

In July/August (28.08-5.09) 1923, he took 3rd (8-3p) in San Francisco, California (24 WCA), behind Norman T.Whitaker and Stasch Mlotkowski. Factor lost to Mlotkowski and Lovergrove, drew with Gruer and Mugridge. He again won against Whitaker.

For the first time of the history of the Western Chess Association, the annual meeting was held in San Francisco, at the rooms of the Mechanics Institute Chess Club, July 28 to August 4. Twelve entered the championship tournament and, after eleven rounds of eventful play and with a finish that was fittingly exciting, Stasch Mlotkowski of Los Angeles, title holder of 1904, and Norman T. Whitaker of Washington, D.C., emerged as leaders on an equal footing. Both made scores of 9-2 and divided the first and second prizes of a total value of $300.

   Samuel Factor of Chicago, the winner of Louisville, last year, was placed third with 8-3, winning a prize of $75. A.J. Fink of San Francisco, with 7-4, captured the fourth prize of $50. Two other San Francisco players, E.W. Gruer and Dr. W.R. Lovegrove, scored 6.5-4.5 each and divided the fifth prize of $25. ( ACB Sept.-Oct. 1923)