1888 ORIGINAL PROBLEMS AND POSITIONS, Manuscript by Taylor
Listing # 25276

1888 "ORIGINAL PROBLEMS AND POSITIONS"

Manuscript by I. O. Howard Taylor

 

Taylor, I. O. Howard: "ORIGINAL PROBLEMS AND POSITIONS". Manuscript of Taylor, with his problems between the years 1859 and 1878, as well as 2 Positions of 1888.

Thorpe (Norwich), self edition, (1888?). Private linen binding, without prints. Book with a diagram for each sheet (approximately 300, perhaps), with 29 problems and 2 positions, with interesting annotations in some of them. The first 27 problems on the first 27 sheets, written in ink, and the other 2 problems and the 2 positions, on the last 4 sheets, written with a pencil. All problems and positions are photographed. See end of description. 20,2 x 13,4 cm. In English.

 

Fair to good: Binding worn in the corners, and covers almost entirely stained (except on the back cover) by water and humidity, slightly affecting inside the upper outer corner and the lower inner corner of the first and last pages. Only the first and last pages (few) are somewhat cracked in the spine with some foxing, although the book is perfectly solid. The top outside corner of the first sheet is missing.

 

JOHN ODIN HOWARD TAYLOR

(born Mar-02-1837, died May-15-1890) United Kingdom

 

John Odin Howard Taylor was a Victorian chess player and direct mate composer, a key contributor to the Norfolk & Norwich Chess Club, and is credited with the origination of the brilliancy prize in chess tournaments. He was a solicitor in London and financial supporter of chess. He is given partial credit for the idea of a Brilliancy Prize. An illness forced his retirement and he died in Norwich.

"For upwards of forty years he was an enthusiastic supporter of local and national chess; he founded, in conjunction with the late Mr. F. H. Lewis, the brilliancy prize now established in connection with all important tourneys, and he regularly contributed to the principal tournaments in this country. His liberality was not by any means, however, confined to chess, and many other societies—religious, charitable, literary, and scientific—in his own neighbourhood have acknowledged ready help from him. Privately, his purse and pen were constantly in requisition for the benefit of those overtaken by misfortune." - The British chess magazine, Volume 10, page 229.

He was the author of two well known chess books: Chess Brilliants: One Hundred Games (1869), and Chess Skirmishes (1889).

 

Interesting link on Taylor's chess composer side:

http://chesscomposers.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-2nd.html

 

In the following link it is possible to see the complete content of the book:

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn51yt&view=1up&seq=22

 

DETAILED BIOGRAPHY:

 

The foresight shown by Rainger and Howard Taylor in their inspired choice as their next invited master is something of which the club can be proud. Joseph Henry Blackburne (1841-1924), possibly the greatest of all British chess players, was becoming nationally known through his blindfold exploits in Manchester and at the London 1862 Congress. On 3rd December, 1862, the Norfolk amateurs gave the blindfold player a stern test for he achieved only a minus score of +2 =5 -3. Blackburne was to visit Norwich on numerous subsequent occasions and before almost every display he remarked how pleased he was to return to the city that had given him his first professional engagement.

 

In May, 1866, Rainger made his last great contribution to Norwich chess when he organised a successful double event. On the first day Blackburne entertained with one of his celebrated blindfold exhibitions (+8 =2 -0) and on the next day the distinguished veteran Lowenthal gave a conventional simultaneous display.

 

Unquestionably, the club’s most influential member was the previously mentioned local solicitor, John Odin Howard Taylor (1836-1890). He was an originator of the concept of awarding a ‘best game prize’ in tournaments. His book Chess Brilliants (1869) contained the best games of great players many of whom he was to entertain at his house ‘Pinebanks’ at Thorpe, near Norwich. His later Chess Skirmishes (1889), also published in Norwich, contains invaluable information about early Norfolk chess.

 

A great stalwart, both as a player and a club official in those early days, was W.G.Crook, who died aged 66, in 1895. His son, Dr.A.Crook, similarly gave the club yeoman service.

 

Howard Taylor conducted an excellent chess column in the Eastern Daily Press from September 1871 to the end of 1872. Zukertort arrived in Britain in 1872 and Howard Taylor wasted no time in inviting him to give simultaneous exhibitions in Norwich. A brilliant account of Zukertort’s visit appeared in the Eastern Daily Press on 29th September, 1872. The same column featured Howard Taylor’s fascinating interview with Zukertort entitled “The Chess Crichton”. It was from this article that all the fanciful stories of Zukertort’s prowess in fields other than chess emanated.

 

It is known that the eminent English player Samuel Boden was Howard Taylor’s house-guest in 1872, 1873 and 1875 and although he is reputed to have given displays at the Norwich club on all those occasions no record of them has survived. However, it is reported that whilst in Norwich Boden delivered a chess joke. Apparently, a Norfolk opponent remarked to him “I don’t like your style” to which Boden replied “Ah! but it’s a stile you can’t get over!

 

Following a further display by Blackburne in 1876 (blindfold +7 =1 -0), Howard Taylor persuaded William Steiniz to visit in both 1877 and 1879. Steinitz had already defeated in matches Anderssen, Zukertort and Blackburne, and was regarded as the world’s leading player though he was not officially acclaimed as Champion of the World until his further victory over Zukertort in 1886.

 

Steinitz’s first visit on 19th April, 1877 was also notable for two other reasons. On that occasion a chess board and men were presented to the club in memory of the Rev. Horatio Bolton by his widow and it was also the night that John Keeble joined the club.

 

It was reported that at the annual general meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Chess Club on September 24th 1886, with the president, Mr. J. O. Howard Taylor, in the chair, the following gentlemen, Baron Kolisch, Herr Steinitz, Herr Zukertort and Mr.Blackburne were all elected as honorary members!

 

Zukertort in 1883 and Blackburne in December, 1888 gave large conventional displays (Blackburne played 29 games of which he won 26 and drew 3).

 

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Item weight 596g

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