Greatest Chess Photos

Arturo Pomar, a forgotten prodigy. The first sequence of four photos are from the Axis run tournaments of WW2. In the first he faces Lupi, a Portuguese master that Alekhine hung out with in his very last days. The last of the first sequence he plays Alekhine.

The second sequence if from 1946 and his appearance in the London Victory tournament. The last pic is Arturito and his father.

Though he later became a GM, Pomar's days as a sensation were over.

"I'd better take it easy on this little girl. I don't want to make her cry," thought her first opponent?

Reshevsky watches Pinkus, his girl on his lap, during the 1946 US Championships.

Blitz: How they used to do it.

They called it Lightning Chess, and it was fast chess without clocks. A bell or buzzer would sound every 10 seconds (typically) and everyone had to move--or forfeit. There was someone to enforce the rules for each table.

In the days when clocks were few and expensive, and people relatively poor, Lightning was the only way to run a tourney at quick time limits.

Arturo Pomar is not quite forgotten in Spain and Portugal, tough is true that he is best remembered for his performances as a child.

As for Lupi, he was the last serious opponent Alekhine had and was also one of his last (and few) friends...

"Yoko Ono and White Chess Set "play it by Trust"    Mickey Ono

Yoko Ono playing chess

I have to confess I'm having assistance during my games...

He's not very talkative though...

Karpov on ice

Josh Waitzkin no longer searching for Bobby Fischer

i love these old tournament photos

i Marshall looks comfortable

What a lovely series of photos of Pomar!

Do you remember the venue of the lightning chess tournament? 
I like the chess-board fabric used on the chairs.
No clocks, huh?  I didn't know that. Thanks.

 The event was the 1946 US Speed Championship. The Chess Review article does not state the venue, though it apparently took place in NYC. It was held on the heels of the just completed US Championships.

Another view of San Sebastian 1911 (where Marshall looks comfortable). This tournament was one of the strongest of that time and is notable as Capablanca's first international competition. Invited on the strength of his match victory over Marshall, and objected to by some participants as too inexperienced, Capa beat his critics and won his first international tourney, a feat rarely done. Pillsbury turned the trick in Hastings 1895 and Kasparov in Banja Luka 1979.

The second pic is the next year's event. The venue looks warm and comfortable.

"The event was the 1946 US Speed Championship."

Thanks.

Fine was the usual winner of the US speed championships during that era, but I think the former champion of Cuba won in 1946.  When I was researching the beginnings of the US Women's Championship, 1946 turned out to be a very dry year, yeilding little information other than N. May Karff winning, followed by Mary Bain and Gisela Gresser.

"i love these old tournament photos."

Can you caption the photos with the name of the tournaments?

Chico & Harpo

 It was also called rapid transit chess back in the 1950's.

 Yup Fine owned speed chess in those days. Gonzales was also a doctor and he got a cover shot on Chess Review in his whites working a chess board. The caption: Prescription for speed.

The 1946 Women's Championship was barely covered in Chess Review. A picture of Bain v. Weissenstein with Gresser watching, and the top three: Karff, Bain, and Gresser, and their scores.