better reporting

PS: Here is a picture of the not so-sore loser after all (above), the winner (Steiniz) below.  Reading Winter's article from start to finish is very interesting BTW, he's a very accurate & meticulous chess historian.

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/steinitzvonbardeleben.html

Whoa! Look at the foreheads on those guys! If only mine were half so prominent!

Here's a forehead I'd find intimidating staring back across the board . . . 

Oh, that's a fine one!

OK,since we're into chess history, what about Pillsbury's syphilis. Most books on Pillsbury say he contracted the desease in St Pete 95'/96'. How was this information discovered. Did he tell a fellow chessmaster and it was leaked to the public? Has anyone ever seen his death certificate printed in a book?. I should think the family would not release such information to the public. When was Pillsbury's disease first referred to as syphilis? Was it a year after his death, five years, twenty years? Was his last years typical of syphilis patients? There are a lot of unanswered questions about Pillsbury and I think most people really dont care, and thats probably why they remain unaswered.

Interesting quote that about the "unlimited confidence in the inability of his opponent."  A suicide solves a temporary problem--permanently.  A woman is as good a reason as any.  But, that is strictly from the male viewpoint.

C.N. = Chess Notes by Edward Winter, a very careful & meticulous chess historian

In C.N. 342 a correspondent, W.D. Rubinstein, quoted from page 42 of A Catalog of USA Chess Personalia by Jeremy Gaige (Worcester, 1980) the following comments regarding Pillsbury:

‘... it should be noted that his death certificate said he died of “general paresis”, i.e. syphilis. I have found many other indications in Philadelphia that this was in fact the case, e.g. the scrapbooks of Walter Penn Shipley contained a typewritten obituary (presumably by Shipley himself) that said Pillsbury died of “general paresis”.’

In that same C.N. item W.D. Rubinstein quoted from a letter to him from Jeremy Gaige dated 27 October 1982:

‘I have no documentation on where he contracted syphilis. Interestingly, Friends Asylum still has the day-by-day log and medical records of Pillsbury, but strictly forbids any inspection of same. Tantalizingly, a hospital official read me a few innocuous sentences from the records, but that is all. I did have two indirect accounts that he did in fact contract the disease in St Petersburg (from Bill Ruth 1886-1975 and J. Edmund Peckover 1896-1982). Peckover said he was told that version by A.B. Hodges, who said he was told that by Pillsbury himself.’

When the word ‘syphilis’ was first used in connection with Pillsbury’s death we do not know. ‘Paresis’ appeared in his obituary on page 290 of the July 1906 BCM, but the context should be noted:

‘On his return to Philadelphia he was examined by the best medical experts, one of whom, Dr Charles K. Mills, a noted specialist of great repute in the United States, expressed the opinion that Mr Pillsbury’s affliction was not caused by his chessplaying, and this testimony was supported by Dr Chase, also an expert on the subject of paresis. The probability is that the real cause of the breakdown was irregularity in time of eating and sleeping, and the neglect of out-door exercise, together with excessive smoking.’

Readers are invited to submit further citations.

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter33.html

of some interest:

    New York Times, June 18, 1906.

       HARRY N. PILLSBURY,
           CHESS GENIUS, DEAD
                _____________
      Attack of Apoplexy Ends His
       Long Ilness in Philadephia.
                 _____________
    ASTONISHING MENTAL FEATS
                 _____________
    Twice Played Twenty-two Games
     Simultaneously Without Sight of
               Boards or Pieces
                  _____________
PHILADELPHIA, June 17.-- Harry Nelson
Pillsbury,  the chess master, died here to-
day of apoplexy,   after an illness  of many
months,  in the  course of  which  his mind
had become affected. He was born Dec. 5,
1872, at Somerville, Mass. where the body
will be taken,  the funeral to be held there
next Tuesday.
                _____________

Somehow the NYT article doesn't strike me as being as convincing as the death certificate, but then again I'm not a Dr. Apoplexy is defined as

1. Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage; a stroke.

2. A sudden effusion of blood into an organ or tissue  

 http://www.answers.com/topic/apoplexy#ixzz1EFhukbXS

and I suppose it could lead to death as the result of VD and/or other disease(s). Also I seriously doubt if anyone told the NYT or anyone else that a friend or relative died of VD back then...The NYT does refer to "an illness of several months, in the course of which his mind had become affected" I believe VD can cause mental illness/impairment & some sources claim he tried to kill himself while hospitalized.

I used to examine death certificates at work and there are usually 2 or 3 causes of death: immediate, underlying & something else, it's been awhile since I've seen one. For instance, if you're killed by lightning the death certificate lists the immediate cause of death as what you actually died from (stroke, heart attack, whatever); the lightning is the secondary/underlying cause of death that resulted in a stroke or heart attack.

 http://www.answers.com/topic/apoplexy#ixzz1EFhukbXS

It wasn't intended to be convincing. It was intended to be interesting.

The NYT may have known of the actual cause but in those Victorian times declined to be specific.  Maybe illness of several months, in the course of which his mind had become affected was polite codespeak where everyone knew what it meant but no one actually had to say it.

I think it would be pretty clearly understood back then.

Point well taken!

In reference to the Pillsbury death certificate, you have a lot of- this guy said that- and that guy said this. Why hasn't the certificate been published so the public can read it for themselves? I believe he died of syphilis but occasionally I come across differing view points. In "America's Chess Heritage" Walter Korn documents numerous symptoms that would indicate Pillsbury actually was suffering from aneurysm, which would have caused erratic, sometimes suicidal behavior.  

Also, if syphilis is a disease that makes an immediate impact on your being then I could understand how Pillsbury could pinpoint St Pete 1895. But if it is a disease that takes time (years) before it becomes full blown, how would he know when and where he acquired the disease. 

Chessmasters were men of the world. Many were in their prime, travelling from city to city, pollinating every flower they saw. Not much different from sailors with a girl in every port. I cant think of another master who was cut down by syphilis, can you?

The primary symptoms (skin ulcer) can show up in less than a week.

You forgot to add, "or so they say."

 Cystem_Phailure wrote---

"The primary symptoms (skin ulcer) can show up in less than a week."

If these ulcers show up on your hands and face (visible body parts), and they do, so I've been told, Why would someone play chess with them?

Remember when Magic Johnson came down with AIDS. He was still able to play super basketball but none of the other players wanted to play with him so he gave it up. Would you want to play chess with someone who had an ulcerated hand or face?  No way Jose!

Since we're on a history kick here---let's explore Teichmann. Looking at the victory photo at Hastings 95', he is seated on the extreme right. Slim and trim and looking toward the camera with two healthy eyes. I say victory photo because they have Pillsbury front and center (in the winners chair) and they have Maroczy directly behind him (winner of the minor tournament) and of course,  no Bardeleben,  he didn't stick around for the picture!. Getting back to Teichmann, some years later he loses an eye. That seems like a terrible handicap for a chessplayer. I've heard of seeing the board in 3D and 2D but Teichmann was now seeing the board, in maybe 1D. And yet, he had his greatest tournament success after he lost an eye.

comments?

Eh maybe people were less prejudiced back then. Syphilis could hardly be contracted through playing a chess game. It wouldn't be likely to happen with AIDS in a basketball game either, but maybe in "close encounters".