Almost complete chess columns from the weekly Parallèle 50 published in Paris in the years 1946 - 1952 . Language: French. Editors: Martin Godefroy (1946-1951), Cenek Kottnauer and Miroslav Havel (1951-1952). Whyld in his list of chess columns (page 337) states that the chess column there began on 4 April 1947, but in fact it was published from 7 October 1946. The last was published (probably) on 17 July 1952.

The chess column was very extensive, roughly half devoted to problem chess and half to practical chess (games, news, tables, photos, diagrams, caricatures, bibliography, interviews, etc.). Contributors included Tartakower, Soultanbeieff, Cheron, Pachman and many others. Martin Godefroy ran the column until the end of August 1951. By that time, nearly 2,000 problems had been published, including many originals and 447 games. From September 1951 the column was headed by Cenek Kottnauer (Czech and later British international master) with Miroslav Havel (Czech chess problem master) and problems and games were numbered from the beginning. By 17 July 1952, 361 problems and 86 games had been published. Many published games from Czech chess life that I have checked are not in publicly available databases (e.g. ChessBase). Very interesting material from historical and collector's point of view.

Parallèle 50 was a left-wing cultural-political weekly published in French in Paris between 1946 and 1952 under the auspices of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Information. The publisher of the magazine was initially the Czechoslovak colony in Paris with the financial support of the Czechoslovak embassy, in the spring of 1946 it was taken over by the Czechoslovak Information Office (ČTK) in Paris, established by the Czechoslovak Ministry of Information and falling under its authority. However, the method of subsidy and control of the paper was subject to secrecy, for the French public and the French authorities, the publishers of the magazine were Jean-Marc Bouquin and Henri Thimonier. The subtitle of the magazine was "le journal le mieux informé sur les démocraties populaires" ("the best informed newspaper about the people's democracies"). The name of the magazine refers to the 50th parallel, passing through Prague and Paris. – The weekly of a large newspaper format followed the illegal magazine Nové Československo (subtitle: magazine of the Czechoslovak resistance in France), which was published in France in the years 1940–1944 in a Czech-Slovak edition, and from September 1944 in French under the name La Tchécoslovaquie nouvelle. From January 1946, the magazine began to be published officially, from No. 2 under the name Paris–Prague, from No. 17 (October 1946) in a large newspaper format. In 1947, not only was the name changed to Parallèle 50, but the cultural component of the then predominantly politically oriented weekly was also strengthened. (Source)

An overview of the chess columns offered in this auction:

1946 - complete (the columns were published on the following dates: 7.10., 14.10., 21.10., 26.10., 2.11., 9.11., 16.11, 23.11., 30.11., 11.12., 18.12., 25.12., 31.12.)

1947 - complete (18.1., 25.1., 1.2., 8.2., 22.3., 29.3., 5.4., 12.4., 19.4., 26.4., 30.4., 3.5., 10.5., 17.5., 24.5., 7.6., 14.6., 21.6., 28.6., 5.7., 12.7., 19.7., 26.7., 2.8., 9.8., 16.8., 23.8., 30.8., 6.9., 13.9., 20.9., 27.9., 4.10., 11.10., 16.10., 25.10., 1.11., 8.11., 15.11., 22.11., 6.12., 13.12., 20.12., 27.12)

1948 - complete (10.1., 17.1., 21.1., 31.1., 7.2., 14.2., 26.2., 4.3., 11.3., 18.3., 25.3., 2.4., 8.4., 14.4., 21.4., 29.4., 6.5., 13.5., 20.5., 27.5., 3.6., 10.6., 18.6., 25.6., 2.7., 9.7., 16.7., 17.9., 24.9., 1.10., 8.10., 15.10., 22.10., 29.10., 5.11., 12.11., 19.11., 26.11., 3.12., 17.12., 24.12, 31. 12.)

1949 - complete (7.1., 14.1., 21.1., 28.1., 4.2., 11.2., 25.2., 2.3., 18.3., 25.3., 8.4., 15.4., 22.4., 29.4., 6.5., 13.5., 20.5., 27.5., 3.6., 10.6., 17.6., 24.6., 1.7., 8.7., 15.7., 22.7., 29.7., 5.8., 12.8., 19.8., 26.8., 2.9., 9.9., 16.9., 23.9., 30.9., 7.10., 24.10., 21.10., 28.10., 4.11., 11.11., 18.11., 25.11., 2.12., 9.12., 16.12., 23.12., 30.12.)

1950 - missing 2 or 3 columns (6.1., 13.1.? (missing?), 20.1., 3.2., 10.2., 17.2., 24.2., 3.3.? (missing), 10.3., 17.3., 24.3., 31.3., 7.4., 14.4., 21.4., 28.4., 5.5., 12.5., 119.5., 26.5., 2.6., 9.6., 16.6., 23.6., 30.6., 7.7., 14.7., 21.7., 28.7., 4.8., 11.8., 18.8., 25.8., 15.9., 22.9.? (missing), 29.9., 6.10., 13.10., 20.10., 27.10., 3.11., 10.11., 17.11., 24.11., 30.11., 7.12., 14.12., 21.12., 28.12.)

1951 - missing about 13 columns (4.1., 11.1., 18.1., 25.1., 1.2.? (missing), 8.2., 15.2., 22.2., 1.3., 8.3., 15.3.? (missing), 22.3., 5.4., 12.4., 19.4., 26.4., 3.5.? (missing), 10.5.? (missing), 24.5., 31.5., 7.6., 14.6., 21.6., 28.6., 28.6., 5.7., 12.7., 19.7., 26.7., 2.8., 9.8., 17.8.? (missing, 24.8.? (missing), 30.8., 6.9.? (missing), 13.9.? (missing), 20.9.? (missing), 27.9.? (missing), 4.10.? (missing), 11.10.? (missing), 18.10., 25.10., 1.11., 8.11., 15.11., 22.11., 29.11., 6.12., 13.12., 20.12. (missing), 27.12.

1952 - missing 5 columns (3.1., 10.1., 17.1., 24.1., 31.1., 7.2.? (missing), 14.2.? (missing), 21.2., 28.2., 6.3.? (missing), 13.3., 20.3., 27.3., 3.4.? (missing), 10.4., 17.4., 24.4., 2.5., 8.5., 15.5., 22.5., 29.5., 5.6.? (missing), 12.6., 19.6., 26.6., 3.7., 10.7., 17.7.)

Condition - Mostly Good: on loose leaves, mostly folded in half, paper browned with occasional tears and markings, each volume is in a folder by year and everything is put into hard paper folder.