[imagefield_assist|fid=17335|preset=fullsize|title=Jim Davies (right) is the first-ever inductee into the Missouri Chess Hall of Fame.|desc=|link=none|origsize=|align=left|width=700|height=498]
This article was originally published on stl.publicradio.org on February 19.
By Mike Wilmering
Obviously the most recent developments at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center and the World Chess Hall of Fame have firmly planted Saint Louis as a major player in the chess world, but countless organizers and enthusiasts have helped maintain the interest in Saint Louis over the years.
World's Fair and Wolbrecht
The 1904 World’s Fair featured some of the country’s best players at the invitation-only 7th American Chess Congress, but in conjunction with that event, the Missouri Athletic Club also played host to the U.S. Open. This marked the first time this event (second only to the U.S. Championships in terms of prestige) was held in Saint Louis.
The U.S. Open, originally referred to as the Western Chess Association Championship, has been held in Saint Louis four times: 1904, 1929, 1941 and 1960. A Saint Louisan named George H. Wolbrecht captured the Western Chess Association title in 1906. Wolbrecht studied civil engineering at Washington University.
According to an article from the Pittsburgh Gazette Times dated Sept. 18, 1910, Wolbrecht didn’t start playing chess until he was 26. He worked on the Panama Canal in 1908, conducting simultaneous exhibitions and teaching many of the workers how to play chess.
Wolbrecht also played in the Western in 1907 and 1909 and won the event again in 1910 at the age of 39.
Missouri Hall of Fame
One of the most prominent names in Saint Louis chess was Robert Steinmeyer. Born in 1927, Steinmeyer dominated the St. Louis Chess scene from the 1940s through the 1970s. ...
Click here to read the column in its entirety on stlpublicradio.org.
