Adding Machine Chess

Wow!

Apparently louis Paulsen , in one game against Paul Morphy spent something like thirteen hours thinking over a move . When the ever courteous and patient Paul reached the end of his tether and begged Louis to move , Mr. Paulsen said , " Oh , is it my move ? "

I had posted this in the forums years ago, but for whatever reason, the images disappeared. So, I thought I'd post it again. In the original posting, someone accused me of photoshopping the image. Of course it's real, jst as A.W. Fey was real.

Hazelton "Standard-Sentinel,"  Oct. 26, 1957

Both Arthur and his wife were members of the Hazelton Chess Club. His wife played for the Pa. women's title in 1942.

The state tournament was held in the tiny town of Hazelton. To be honest it seems there were only two women vying for the title, both residents on Hazelton. So opportunity probably played a bigger factor than skill:

"In 1942 In a set match for the Women’s State Championship, MRS. DEBORAH SILVERMAN defeated MRS. A. W. FEY. Both ladies are from Hazleton." -Chess Review," Oct. 1942 

Oh yes, the recroder-

West Virginia Chess Bulletin, March 1946:

U.S. Patent Office:

Application status expired today ?

Not only did it record the moves, it did so in algebraic notation:

"Hazleton, Pa. ---And now we have proof that the new age has arrived: science has come to the aid of chess players. Science arrived in the person of genial Arthur W. Fey, 53-year-old wholesale merchant of 29 West Juniper St., Hazleton, who has invented a device which combines his two hobbles chess and mechanics, a self-recording chess table. The device, when In use, looks like an ordinary inlaid chess table and is, except that mechanism under the board records each move in algebraic chess notation. The chess recorder operate with small inconvenience to the player. He needs give only a slight pressure with the moving piece on two squares the ones from which and to which it moved and the play is indelibly recorded on a tape, similar to those used in adding machines and cash registers. 'Many Ideas had to be discarded and replaced with better one in the year and a half I worked on it," asserted Fey. "I had some trouble finding the time, too, because my war work and my business took up most of my days.'"
"The Bradford Era," January 9, 1946

I suspect the patent site just lists today's date and notes the patent has expired.

Hmmm.... I suspect your suspicion to be on the money batgirl.

Once again , much respect for your time and effort regarding your research.

Do you get out much ? 

lol

That's just an invented story based on this reality:

Paulsen was a notoriously slow player. Morphy, who was an unnaturally quick player found this almost unbearable and many attribute one of the draws and the single loss of a game by Morphy in this match to that fact.

Fiske writing to George Allen November 8, 1857
"Nothing can be more pleasing or graceful than the elegance of his [Morphy's] play - I mean his manner of touching the pieces and moving them and so forth. I have never seen him impatient but once. In his second game with Paulsen, after the German had taken repeatedly thirty, forty-five and fifty minutes (and in some instances over one hour) upon his moves, Morphy became so thoroughly worn out that in his haste he made what should have been his second move first and was only able to draw a won game (a splendid piece of chess that it had been up to that moment). He was so depressed at his failure to score so fine a game (although no one but me knew the effect upon his mind) that he played weakly in the two following contests and lost one of them."

Before the 6th game, the game involving Morphy's most famous queen sacrifice, Morphy and Fuller were dining together and Fuller recounted:
"...His patience was worn out by the great length of time Paulsen took for each move. His usually equable temper was so disturbed, that he clenched his fists and said, "Paulsen shall never win another game from me while he lives." and he never did."

.......... ..and his usually equable temper was sorely disturbed by Daniel Harrwitz , when Herr Harrwitz smugly announced -to the effect- that Paul's pulse rate remained the same whether he ( Paul ) won or lost. This after Harrwitz -suprisingly- went two-nil ahead in their match. Anyway , Fuller said that Paul was so disgusted by Harrwitz that he made the same promise which he made with Paulsen , and as we know , he kept his word and Harrwitz never won another game in their match.  The moral being of course , ....don't p*** off Paul Morphy. 

That would have been Frederick Edge, not WJA Fuller:

"Throughout the first game, Harrwitz displayed the most rollicking contempt for his antagonist, and, at the conclusion, when Morphy resigned, he rose from his seat, stretched across the table, and taking the latter by the hand, he felt his pulse and declared to the crowd—'Well, it is astonishing! His pulse does -not beat any faster than if he had won the game.' Everybody was disgusted at such a contemptuous proceeding, but Morphy took it all as quietly as though it were a part of the match."

"Our hero passed that evening with some friends. Towards eleven o'clock I said to him, "'Now, Morphy, you really must not have a second edition of last night; let us get home in good time,' but he replied, 'Oh, don't be frightened, I've got the move to-morrow;' and, in spite of all I could say or do, we did not get to bed until nearly four o'clock. Well, what was the consequence? After getting a magnificent position in the second game of the match, bodily fatigue came upon him, and Harrwitz was again victor, The Prussian came out in greater glory than ever, rolling about in his seat, talking loudly to persons about the board, and smiling sardonically at his opponent, as much as to say, 'Oh, it takes very little trouble to beat this fellow.' Many leading players in the café, especially De Riviere and Journoud, were very savage at such conduct, but I [Edge] told them—'Mark my words, Mr. Harrwitz will be quiet as a lamb before the end of next week.'"

Yes off course it was Frederick Edge and not WJA Fuller . I had a funny feeling that I should have looked at my copy of The Pride and Sorrow of Chess  ( new edition ) before posting . 

I just consulted "The Exploits and Triumphs, in Europe, of Paul Morphy, the Chess Champion"  by Edge.  Read it if you get the chance. It's delightful.

Or you could check out my website on Paul Morphy: http://www.edochess.ca/batgirl/index.html

Thank you batgirl , I shall most certainly make a point of reading Mr. Edge's account . As for your Paul Morphy website , I checked it out a long time ago . if i may say so , it is some of your finest work . For that , and all your other research , many thanks . You give Historians a good name  and I am sure Caissa looks upon you fondly.

And his invention is pretty simple and clever. The squares of a chessboard act as the keys of a keyboard or a typewriter. Basically many old chess computers (the ones where you had to press the piece at starting and end square) recorded moves that way.

Would be interesting to build his machine.

Sounds like my Kasparov Turbostar 432.  ( pressing the piece etc. )

hola