John Washington Baird
Encyclopedia
John Washington Baird was a minor American chess
master
, who played in a number of American and international chess tournament
s between 1880 and 1906. He was the brother of David Graham Baird
, who was also an American chess master.
A writer in the New York Times, describing the players in the Sixth American Chess Congress (1889), portrayed Baird and his brother as follows:
The date and place of Baird's death are unknown.
s between 1880 and 1906. He scored 9/13, finished tied for 4th-5th place, in the Minor Section of the Fifth American Chess Congress. He finished 4th in the Fifth Manhattan Chess Club
championship (1883). Baird finished 3rd with 6.15/12 in the Eighth Manhattan Chess Club championship (1883).
At the Sixth American Chess Congress at New York 1889, a double round robin
that was one of the longest tournaments in history, Baird scored 7/38, finishing 19th out of 20 players. Baird's brother David Graham Baird
scored 16/38, finishing 14th; Mikhail Chigorin
and Max Weiss
tied for first with 29 points, edging out Isidor Gunsberg
(28.5).
Baird played in the 1892 Hauptturnier in Dresden
, scoring 4/6 (2nd-3rd place of 7 players) and qualifying for the final, where he scored 4/8, finishing tied 4th-6th of 9 players. At a strong tournament at New York 1893, Baird finished with 4.5/9 (a half point more than his brother), tying for 5th-6th. Harry Nelson Pillsbury
won with 7/9.) Baird played in the very strong Meisterturnier (Master Tournament) at Leipzig 1894, scoring a respectable 7.5/17 (12th place out of 18 players); Siegbert Tarrasch
won. Baird also competed in international tournaments at Barmen
1905 and Nuremberg
1906.
Chessmetrics
concludes that Baird's highest world ranking was 30th in June and July 1887.
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 master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
, who played in a number of American and international chess tournament
Chess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard form of chess competition among serious players.Today, the most recognized chess...
s between 1880 and 1906. He was the brother of David Graham Baird
David Graham Baird
David Graham Baird was an American chess master. He was the brother of John Washington Baird, who was also an American chess master. A writer in the New York Times, describing the players in the Sixth American Chess Congress , portrayed Baird and his brother as follows:Of the Baird brothers, David G...
, who was also an American chess master.
A writer in the New York Times, describing the players in the Sixth American Chess Congress (1889), portrayed Baird and his brother as follows:
Of the Baird brothers, David G. is the better player by far. He plays with characteristic Scotch carefulness, for he is of Scotch descent. Of medium height, he is inclined to stoutness, and is of light complexion. His brother John W. is very thin, although he looks like his brother in the face. He was one of the slowest players in the tournament.
The date and place of Baird's death are unknown.
Chess career
Baird played in a number of American and international chess tournamentChess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard form of chess competition among serious players.Today, the most recognized chess...
s between 1880 and 1906. He scored 9/13, finished tied for 4th-5th place, in the Minor Section of the Fifth American Chess Congress. He finished 4th in the Fifth Manhattan Chess Club
Manhattan Chess Club
The Manhattan Chess Club in Manhattan was the second-oldest chess club in the United States . The club was founded in 1877 and started with three dozen players; membership later reached into the hundreds before the club ended its existence in 2002...
championship (1883). Baird finished 3rd with 6.15/12 in the Eighth Manhattan Chess Club championship (1883).
At the Sixth American Chess Congress at New York 1889, a double round robin
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
that was one of the longest tournaments in history, Baird scored 7/38, finishing 19th out of 20 players. Baird's brother David Graham Baird
David Graham Baird
David Graham Baird was an American chess master. He was the brother of John Washington Baird, who was also an American chess master. A writer in the New York Times, describing the players in the Sixth American Chess Congress , portrayed Baird and his brother as follows:Of the Baird brothers, David G...
scored 16/38, finishing 14th; Mikhail Chigorin
Mikhail Chigorin
Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin also was a leading Russian chess player...
and Max Weiss
Max Weiss
Miksa Weisz was an Austrian chess player born in the Kingdom of Hungary.Weiss was born in Sereď. Moving to Vienna, he studied mathematics and physics at the university, and later taught those subjects....
tied for first with 29 points, edging out Isidor Gunsberg
Isidor Gunsberg
Isidor Arthur Gunsberg began his career as the player operating the remote-controlled chess automaton Mephisto, but later became a chess professional....
(28.5).
Baird played in the 1892 Hauptturnier in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, scoring 4/6 (2nd-3rd place of 7 players) and qualifying for the final, where he scored 4/8, finishing tied 4th-6th of 9 players. At a strong tournament at New York 1893, Baird finished with 4.5/9 (a half point more than his brother), tying for 5th-6th. 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...
won with 7/9.) Baird played in the very strong Meisterturnier (Master Tournament) at Leipzig 1894, scoring a respectable 7.5/17 (12th place out of 18 players); Siegbert Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch was one of the strongest chess players and most influential chess teachers of the late 19th century and early 20th century....
won. Baird also competed in international tournaments at Barmen
Barmen
Barmen is a former industrial metropolis of the region of Bergisches Land, Germany, which in 1929 with four other towns was merged with the city of Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. Barmen was the birth-place of Friedrich Engels and together with the neighbouring town of Elberfeld founded the...
1905 and Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
1906.
Chessmetrics
Chessmetrics
Chessmetrics is a system for rating chess players devised by Jeff Sonas. It is intended as an improvement over the Elo rating system.-Implementation:...
concludes that Baird's highest world ranking was 30th in June and July 1887.