Albert Hodges
Encyclopedia
Albert Beauregard Hodges (July 21, 1861 – February 3, 1944) was an American
chess
master.
In 1894 he lost a match to Jackson Whipps Showalter
(8 : 9), and won a rematch (5.5 : 3.5), both in New York. Hodges became U.S. Champion
, but announced that his ambitions in chess had been fulfilled, and that he was retiring to pursue a career in business. In addition to his reign as U.S. Champion, Hodges main claim to fame was playing inside Ajeeb
, the 19th-century chess automaton.
At the beginning of his career he lost a match to Max Judd
(3 : 6) at St. Louis 1887, won at Chittenango
1890, shared second place, behind Hanham, at Skaneateles 1891, won a match against Eugene Delmar
(5 : 0) at Skaneateles
1892, drew a match with Adolf Albin
(4 : 4) at New York 1893, won at New York 1893, took second place, behind Harry Nelson Pillsbury
, at New York 1893, took third place at Skaneateles 1895 (Quadrangular), took second place at Thousand Islands 1897 (Pillsbury won), took third place at New York 1900 (S. Lipschütz won), and tied for 14–15th at Cambridge Springs 1904 (Frank James Marshall won).
Hodges participated in all thirteen cable matches between the USA and England (1896–1903; 1907–11; matches were not held in 1904–06), scoring +5 −0 =8), and played several times for Manhattan
Chess Club in friendly matches against Chicago
Chess Club and Franklin Chess Club of Pennsylvania
in the early 20th century.
He tied for ninth/tenth at New York 1911 (Marshall won), tied for fifth/sixth at New York 1914 (Edward Lasker
won), tied for seventh/eighth at New York 1915 (José Raúl Capablanca
, tied for 10–11th at New York 1916 (Capablanca won), took fourth at New York 1921 (Quadrangular), and took 11th at Lake Hopatcong 1923 (the ninth American Chess Congress
, Marshall and Abraham Kupchik
won).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
master.
Chess career
As one of the most well known American chess players of the late 19th century, Hodges played an important role in transforming chess from a pleasant pastime into a social institution.Jackson Showalter
Jackson Whipps Showalter was a five-time U.S. Chess Champion: 1890, 1892, 1892–1894, 1895-1896 and 1906–1909.-Chess career:...
(8 : 9), and won a rematch (5.5 : 3.5), both in New York. Hodges became U.S. Champion
U.S. Chess Championship
The U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
, but announced that his ambitions in chess had been fulfilled, and that he was retiring to pursue a career in business. In addition to his reign as U.S. Champion, Hodges main claim to fame was playing inside Ajeeb
Ajeeb
Ajeeb was a chess-playing "automaton", created by Charles Hooper , first presented at the Royal Polytechnical Institute in 1868...
, the 19th-century chess automaton.
At the beginning of his career he lost a match to Max Judd
Max Judd
Max Judd was an American chess master....
(3 : 6) at St. Louis 1887, won at Chittenango
Chittenango, New York
Chittenango is a village located in Madison County, New York, in the United States. The village is in the south part of the Town of Sullivan. The population was 5,081 at the 2010 census.- History :...
1890, shared second place, behind Hanham, at Skaneateles 1891, won a match against Eugene Delmar
Eugene Delmar
Eugene Delmar , was one of the leading US chess masters of 19th century and the four-time New York State champion in 1890, 1891, 1895 and 1897. He won a match against Robert Henry Barnes with only a single draw .-External links:...
(5 : 0) at Skaneateles
Skaneateles (town), New York
Skaneateles is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 7,323 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Iroquois "Indian" tribe term for the adjacent lake: "long lake." The town is on the western border of the county and includes a village, also called Skaneateles...
1892, drew a match with Adolf Albin
Adolf Albin
right|thumb|Adolf AlbinAdolf Albin was a Romanian chess player, especially known for the countergambit that bears his name, and for the first chess book written in Romanian.- Life :...
(4 : 4) at New York 1893, won at New York 1893, took second place, behind Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Harry Nelson Pillsbury , was a leading chess player. At age 22, he won one of the strongest tournaments of the time , but his illness and early death prevented him from challenging for the World Chess Championship.- Early life :Pillsbury was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, moved to New York City...
, at New York 1893, took third place at Skaneateles 1895 (Quadrangular), took second place at Thousand Islands 1897 (Pillsbury won), took third place at New York 1900 (S. Lipschütz won), and tied for 14–15th at Cambridge Springs 1904 (Frank James Marshall won).
Hodges participated in all thirteen cable matches between the USA and England (1896–1903; 1907–11; matches were not held in 1904–06), scoring +5 −0 =8), and played several times for Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
Chess Club in friendly matches against Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Chess Club and Franklin Chess Club of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the early 20th century.
He tied for ninth/tenth at New York 1911 (Marshall won), tied for fifth/sixth at New York 1914 (Edward Lasker
Edward Lasker
Edward Lasker was a leading German-American chess and Go player. He was awarded the title of International Master of chess by FIDE. Lasker was an engineer by profession, and an author.-Background:...
won), tied for seventh/eighth at New York 1915 (José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...
, tied for 10–11th at New York 1916 (Capablanca won), took fourth at New York 1921 (Quadrangular), and took 11th at Lake Hopatcong 1923 (the ninth American Chess Congress
American Chess Congress
The American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship. It had nine editions, the first played in 1857 and the last in 1923.-First American Chess Congress :...
, Marshall and Abraham Kupchik
Abraham Kupchik
Abraham Kupchik was an American chess master.Abraham Kupchik was born into a Jewish family in Brest . His family emigrated to the USA in 1903....
won).