Stapfer came to the US in 1881 with his parents. Since he was a boy he was in the silk manufacturing business in New York City. When his original employer went out of business in 1906, he accepted a position as bookkeeper for the weaving department of Schwarzenbach Huber & Co.'s branch mill in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
At the age of 15 his father taught him to play chess. In 1893, he had his initial experience in tournament play in the annual handicap of the Hoboken (New Jersey) Chess Club, where he won first prize. After that he rapidly improved.
In 1895, he won the New Jersey championship and in 1898, tied for first and won the playoff.
In correspondence play in 1908, he won the 1905 Pillsbury Correspondence Association's 9th annual tournament, in 1946, he won the 1943 Victory Tournament, and in 1956, when he was in n his late 70s (or early 80s and playing under the name of John Staffer) he won the 1951 Golden Knights Postal Championship with an undefeated score.
[Event "New York"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1923.??.??"]
[Round ""]
[White "John Stapfer"]
[Black "Harry P. Kline"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D46"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1944.??.??"]
[SourceVersionDate "2026.09.25"]
{D46: Semi-Slav} 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 c6 {Black is threatening to capture the P c4 and hold it with ...b5.} 6. e3 {In this heavily analyzed variation both sides have played every reasonable move available.} Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O dxc4 9. Bxc4 Qc7 {The two most common moves here are countering in the center with either 9...b5 and 9...e5, both of which are better than the somewhat passive text.} 10. Rc1 a6 11. e4 e5 12. d5 $1 {Well played as the P cannot be safely taken. While black has not made any errors his position is now pretty much devoid of counterplay and he begins to pay the price.} Nb6 13. Bb3 Bg4 {Defending the N with 13...Be7 would have been more circumspect.} 14. h3 (14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. dxc6 bxc6 (15... Qxc6 16. Nd5 {is winning for white.}) 16. h3 Be6 17. Nh4 {followed by either 18.Qh5 or 18.Qf3 is not a position black woild want to play}) 14... Bd7 (14... Bxf3 {was not very attractive.} 15. Qxf3 Nfd7 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Qg4 {There is no forced winning line, but all the chances belong to white.}) 15. Qd2 Ne8 16. dxc6 bxc6 (16... Bxc6 {White cannot be allowed to play Nd5} 17. Nd5 Nxd5 18. exd5 {wins a piece.}) 17. Rfd1 Kh8 {Played because he had to male a move and this is as good as any.} 18. g4 {This is not an engine top choice, but ot does no harm and even turns out ot be valuable later.} Qb7 19. Na4 {Instructive strategy. With nothing to be done on the K-side for the moment white turns his attention to the other side.} Nxa4 20. Bxa4 f6 21. Be3 Rc8 22. Rc2 Rf7 23. Rdc1 {Black’s position is a passive one and all he can really di is make make a move that does not damage his position. Say, 23...Re7 or 23...c5 or 23...a5. Instead he plays a horrible move that seriously weakens kis K’s position and the move us even worse because black’s chance of counterattacking on the K-side are zero as he gas ni pieces statione there.} h5 $2 24. Bb3 Re7 25. Nh4 Kh7 26. Nf5 Bxf5 (26... Be6 $142 {loses a piece.} 27. Nxd6 Nxd6 28. Qxd6) 27. gxf5 g5 28. Qe2 (28. fxg6+ {is even stronger.} Kxg6 29. Kh2 {and black can only wait for he end.} Rg7 30. Rg1+ Kh7 31. Qd1 Rg5 (31... Rcc7 32. Qxh5#) 32. Bxg5 {is decisive.}) 28... Ng7 29. Kh2 Ree8 {Black has managed to block up the K-side, but white can carry out successful operations on the other side.} 30. Ba4 Qf7 31. Bxc6 Qxa2 (31... Red8 {is met by} 32. Bb6 Rf8 33. Bd5 Rxc2 34. Rxc2 Qe8 35. Rc6 {and wins}) 32. Bxe8 Rxe8 33. Rc6 {[%mdl 32]} Be7 34. Rxa6 Qb3 35. Ra7 Kh6 36. Rcc7 Qb4 37. Rab7 Qxe4 38. Bxg5+ {Black resigned.} 1-0
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