Players Ignore the Heat and Mosquitoes

    You have probably never heard of Charles Moehle (1859-1898). He was an American master and a strong on at that. Chess metrics estimates the 20-yer old Moehle’s rating in 1880 to have been 2592 which placed him at number 10 on the rating list. 

     Unfortunately not much is known of Charles Adolphus Moehle, the eldest son of Adolph Moehle who acted as Zukertort's umpire and second during the New York portion of the Steinitz - Zukertort World Championship Match in1886.

     Charles operated one of the touring Ajeeb automatons of the 1880s, most famously at the Cincinnati Centennial of 1888. 

     He was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on November 26, 1859 and began to play chess at the age of 16. He soon became master and distinguished himself in a number of tournaments. 

     Considered the best blindfold player in this country, in 1888 he played at the St. Paul (Minnesota) Chess, Checker and Whist Club ten games simultaneous blindfold games, winning eight and losing two. On occasion he played a game of chess, a game of checkers and a game of cards simultaneously. 

     He finished 3rd in the American Chess Congress at New York in 1880 and shared second in the American Chess Association Tournament at Cincinnati in 1888. Moehle played several matches. 

     In 1879 he won two matches. He defeated David G. Baird by a score of 6.5–4.5 and Nicolai Gedalia by a score of 5-1. 

     The virtually unknown Nicolai Gedalia of Denmark was a tragic figure. On the morning of November 13, 1880, his brother heard a gunshot and rushed to find him dead. 

     It was believed that he had not committed suicide because he had purchased a pistol for protection against burglars. It was claimed that he was planning on taking the gun to a gunsmith that day and he was possibly examine it when he accidentally shot himself. 

     David G. Baird (1854-1913) was an American master whose brother, John W. Baird, was also a master. 

     Then in 1890, Moehle lost a match to William H.K. Pollock by a score of 6-7, the single draw not counting. He passed away in Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 38 on March 27, 1890 shortly after his match with Pollock.

     William H. K. Pollock (1859-1896, 37 years old), the Irish Champion in 1885. He died of what in those days was called consumption, now known as tuberculosis. 

     The match was played in Cincinnati, Ohio, in June of 1890. The winner was the first to win 7 games and draws not counting and the games were “to be played at the rate of not less than two games a day.” 

 

     Cincinnati is at the southern limit of the humid continental climate zone , bordering the humid subtropical climate zone. Summers are hot and humid with significant rainfall in the summer and highs reaching 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) or above on 21 days per year, often with high humidity. 

     It was hot in Cincinnati during the match..some days the temperature was 100 degrees and the room over Katntnaron's saloon was not air conditioned...it wasn't until 1914 that the first residential air conditioner was installed. This groundbreaking unit was an enormous 20 feet long and 7 feet high. It cost half a million dollars in today's money. In 1931, a comparatively more affordable option was introduced in the form of a window unit. 

     Besides being hot, mosquitoes were a problem. Players had to remove their coats and vests and they were provided with ice water and melons. Under the circumstances let’s not be too critical of their moves! 

[Event "Match, Cincinnati"] [Site "?"] [Date "1890.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "William H.K. Pollock"] [Black "Charles Moehle"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A00"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "72"] [EventDate "1890.??.??"] {C59: Two Knights Defense} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 {This remains the most common move in the Two Knights.} (5... b5 {was played in the famous Yakov Estrin-Hans Berliner ICCF 1965} 6. Bf1 Nd4 7. c3 Nxd5 8. Ne4 Qh4 9. Ng3 Bg4 10. f3 e4 11. cxd4 Bd6 {White is better, but black went on to win.}) 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Be2 h6 9. Nh3 Bxh3 (9... Be7 10. d3 O-O 11. Nc3 Rb8 {is equal. Sermek,D (2590)-Romanishin,O (2562) Solin/Spilt 2002}) 10. gxh3 Qd5 {The Q is not well placed here.} (10... Bc5 {is more precise.} 11. d3 O-O {Black has also tried 11...Rb8 and 11...Qb6} 12. O-O Qc7 {with equal chances. Krupa,M (2219)-Galojan,L (2326) Ohrid MKD 2009}) 11. Bf3 e4 {Much better would have been 11...Qe6} 12. Bg2 (12. Nc3 {secures a significant advantage after} Qe6 13. O-O Qxh3 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Bxe4 {Black's psoition has too many weaknesses.}) 12... Qe5 13. Qe2 Bd6 14. Nc3 O-O 15. b3 ({Weaker is} 15. Bxe4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 Qxe4+ 17. Nxe4 Rae8 {with a decisive advantage.}) (15. d3 $1 {remains equal.} Rfe8 16. Nxe4 Nxe4 17. dxe4) 15... Nd5 {[%mdl 3072]} 16. Bb2 Nf4 17. Qf1 f5 18. O-O-O Qe7 19. Rg1 Ba3 20. Qa6 Qc5 (20... Qb4 {was better.} 21. Kb1 Bxb2 22. Kxb2 Rab8 23. a3 Qc5 24. Ka2 Rb6 25. b4 Rxa6 26. bxc5 Nc4 {and black is clearly better.}) 21. Bf1 (21. Na4 {was the only way to keep the balance.} Bxb2+ 22. Kxb2 Qe5+ 23. Kb1 {with equal chances.}) 21... Rfb8 22. Na4 Qe5 {Better was 22...Bxb2+} 23. c3 (23. d4 {was a healthy choice..} Bxb2+ 24. Kxb2 Qc7 25. Nc5 {with a satisfactory position.}) 23... Bxb2+ 24. Kxb2 Qd5 25. c4 {[%mdl 8192] This move leaves his K wide open.} (25. b4 {was correct.} Nd3+ 26. Bxd3 exd3 27. Ka1 Nc4 {with equal chances. Oddly, there is no way for black to take advantage of the seemingly precarious position of white's Q.}) 25... Qe5+ 26. Ka3 (26. Kb1 {runs into a pretty attack...} Nxb3 27. axb3 Rxb3+ 28. Ka2 Rab8 29. Nc3 Rb2+ 30. Ka1 {and now...} Rxd2 31. Rc1 Qc5 32. Qa4 Rxf2 { Black is mopping up.}) 26... Ne6 27. c5 {This position is not quite so clear cut as it may look...black has only one move that keeps the advantage.} Nd4 { The threat os ...Nc2#} (27... Nxc5 {loses outright after} 28. Qxa5 Nd7 29. Qxe5 Nxe5) 28. Rc1 Nb5+ $1 29. Bxb5 Rxb5 30. b4 Qd4 31. Qxa5 {Resigns was more precise.} Rxa5 32. bxa5 Rb8 33. Rb1 Rb5 34. a6 Ra5 35. Rb4 Qxd2 36. Rb8+ Kh7 { Black resigned. A strong finish by Miehle.} 0-1