The November 5, 1946 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle called them "intriguing" and stated that they were in their 40s and arrived in the U.S. from Germany "several years ago."
The article also stated that Wally Henschel was the champion woman player in Germany and that the sisters, who had been taught chess by their father, had played chess since childhood. In the article Kate conceded that Wally was the better player.
Not a lot of information is available on the sisters, but it is known that they were born in Hamburg in 1893. Wally participated in two Women's World Championships. In Hamburg 1930, she placed 3rd out of 5 players, scoring +4 -3 =1, defeating Vera Menchik in one of their two their individual games. Then in Prague 1931, she placed last with a score of +2 -6 =0.
More information seems to be available on Wally than Kate. Wally Henschel attended a high school for girls in Hamburg and began studying music at t at the age of 16. From 1909 to 1914 she studied piano as her first major and singing as her second major.
As part of her exam concerts, she played Beethoven and sang Mozart. According to her diploma, her performance in piano playing was consistently rated "very good."
After her studies, Wally most likely continued her musical education and passed further qualifying exams years later. In 1927 she received state recognition as a singing teacher and in 1929 she passed the aptitude test for the stage profession in the opera genre.
She appeared in public mainly as a singer and when asked about her professional activity and her income before 1933, she stated that she had given a number of recitals in Hamburg.
Wally had a position at the Hamburger Tempel on Oberstrasse. where she sang regularly in church services, at weddings, funerals and on holidays and also conducted the children's choir. She earned her main income giving piano and singing lessons.
Meanwhile, her sister Kathe worked until 1939 in a secretarial position as a secretary at the company Axel Dahlstrom and Co., There, even though she was Jewish, the company not only did not fire her, but even paid her a higher salary.
Facing the growing restrictions of Jews in Nazi Germany, the sisters began planning their escape. In August 1938, a cousin sponsored their immigration to the United States and by the end of December they had all the necessary papers together.
They left Germany on March 25, 1939 with little or no assets. Six days later their passports were blocked because of visa and transport difficulties and it took them several months to get to New York via the Netherlands, England, the West Indies, Central America and Haiti!
After relocating to the United States the sisters still faced immense hardships. Wally found it impossible to establish herself as musician or music teacher and the sisters were reduced to being supported by their cousin for four years.
Kate eventually found secretarial work while Wally opened a boarding house. By 1944 they were somewhat established and found time to explore the New York City chess scene.
Over time Wally had become almost blind in one eye and severely visually impaired in the other and by the mid-1950s she was badly restricted in her ability to work and lived on a disability pension.
In 1986, at the age 93, the sisters moved to Miami, Florida to be close to a nephew. Wally died in 1988 and Kate lived until 1990.
I was unable to locate any of Kate's games and only two of Wally's. Here is her win over Vera Menchik in the 1930 Women's World Championship.
[Event "Women's World Champ, Hamburg"]
[Site "Hamburg GER"]
[Date "1930.07.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wally Henschel"]
[Black "Vera Menchik"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E94"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 14.1"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1930.??.??"]
{King's Indian Defense} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6.
Be2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. Bg5 h6 {This game was played decades before the K-Indian
became popular and so the best book line were unknown tot he players. White's
correct move is 9.Bh4 although 8.Be3 has also been tried on occasion.} 9. dxe5
{This should hav lost a P with no compensation.} dxe5 {White's last move has
resulted in her getting a very slight advantage, but only because black missed
the correct continuation.} (9... hxg5 10. exf6 Bxf6 {Black has won a P and is
now in a position to pile up on white's e-Pawn.} 11. h3 Re8 12. Qc2 Nc5 13.
Rae1 g4 14. hxg4 Bxg4 {and white is under considerable pressure.}) 10. Bh4 c6 {
White won't be placing a N on d5.} 11. Qd2 Re8 12. Rfd1 Qb6 13. Bf1 {Much too
passive. Either 13.Rab1 or 13.Qc2 were better.} Nh5 14. b3 Nf4 {Better was 14..
.g5} 15. Na4 Qc7 16. Rac1 {Better was 16.c5} Ne6 17. Nc3 Nd4 18. Ne1 Nf8 19. f3
Be6 20. Nc2 Kh7 {After this white seizes the initiative.} (20... g5 21. Bg3 Qe7
22. Ne2 Nxc2 23. Qxc2 g4 {Black looks to have the better of it, but at the
same time, white's defensive resources look to be adequate, so the position
must be considered equal.}) 21. Nxd4 exd4 22. Ne2 (22. Nd5 {was also good as
after} cxd5 23. cxd5 {White has a good game.}) 22... c5 {Black has a protected
passed P, but white's position is more active.} 23. Nf4 Be5 24. Bg3 Qd6 25. Bd3
{This B looks very bad and it's hard to believe that in the future it will
play a strong role in white's game!} b6 26. Ne2 Bxg3 {Black had a better
defense with 26...g6 and 27...Ng3} 27. Nxg3 a5 {This is too slow. It would
have been better to tend to the defense of her Q-side with 27...f6} 28. a4 {
White dawdles. The direct 28.f4 was better.} (28. f4 Qe7 29. e5 f5 30. exf6
Qxf6 31. f5 Bxf5 32. Nxf5 gxf5 33. Rf1 {White stands very well.}) 28... Bc8 29.
Rf1 {White dawdles. Better was 29.f4} Ra7 30. Rce1 {White dawdles. Better was
30..f4} Rae7 {SHe still needed to play ...f6 as a precaution against the
advance of white's e-Pawn.} 31. f4 {FInally!} Bb7 {Menchik was unaware of the
lurking danger.} (31... f6 32. e5 {Anyway!} fxe5 33. f5 gxf5 34. Rxf5 Kh8 35.
Ne4 Qd8 36. Rf6 Rh7 37. Ref1 Ne6 38. Nd6 {with a decisive attack.}) (31... Qc6
{offers black new life after} 32. h4 (32. f5 {This move can be met
successfully with} Nd7 33. e5 Nxe5 34. Be4 Qd6 35. Qf4 {with equal chances.})
32... h5 33. f5 Re5 34. Re2 {White has the initiative, but black should be
able to defend his K-side. In Shootouts white scored +1 -0 =4 so black can be
considered to have excellent drawing chances.}) 32. e5 {The beginning of a
decisive onslaught.} Qb8 33. Nh5 {Equally good was 33,f5} Nd7 (33... f5 34.
exf6 Rf7 35. Re7 Rfxe7 36. fxe7 Rxe7 37. f5 gxh5 38. f6+ Re4 39. Re1 {wins.})
34. f5 Rf8 (34... Nxe5 {loses to} 35. fxg6+ fxg6 36. Qf4 {and black is
helpless.}) 35. fxg6+ fxg6 36. e6 (36. Bxg6+ {is crushing.} Kxg6 37. Qd3+ Kxh5
(37... Kg5 38. Nf6 Rxf6 39. exf6 Rxe1 40. Qf5+ Kh4 41. g3+ Qxg3+ 42. hxg3+ Kxg3
43. Qf4+ Kh3 44. Rxe1 {[%emt 0:00:04] mates in}) 38. Rf5+ Kg6 39. Rxf8+) 36...
Ne5 37. Rxf8 Qxf8 38. Rxe5 Bc8 39. Nf4 (39. Bxg6+ Kg8 40. Bf7+ Rxf7 41. exf7+
Kxf7 42. Qd3 Qh8 43. Qf3+ Kg6 44. Qc6+ Kf7 45. Qc7+ Kf8 46. Qxc8+ Kf7 47. Qe6+
Kf8 48. Qe8#) 39... Qf6 40. Nxg6 Rg7 41. Rh5 {Menchik resigned. Nice game by
Henschel.} (41. Rh5 Rxg6 42. Qxh6+ Kg8 43. Bxg6 Bxe6 44. Rg5 d3 45. Bh5+ Qxg5
46. Qxg5+ Kh8 47. Qh6+ Kg8 48. Qxe6+ Kh8 49. Qf6+ Kg8 50. Bf7+ Kf8 51. Bd5+ Ke8
52. Bc6#) 1-0
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