John G. White

     John Griswold White (August 10, 1845 – August 27, 1928) was a prominent Cleveland, Ohio attorney, a chess connoisseur, and a bibliophile. 
     White was born in Cleveland (his parents were originally from Massachusetts) and his birthplace was located on what was then Lake Street (probably today’s Lakeside Avenue), near the present-day City Hall. 
     White was born near-sighted but was not diagnosed until he was a teenager. Although fitted with glasses eventually, White usually read without them, preferring (according to his contemporaries) to hold the books close to his face.
     His parents valued education and White received early education in Little Red School House of Northford, Connecticut, at Home, and Canandaigua Academy. According to his long-time friend, it was in Connecticut that White gained his ability to read fast, where books and money were scarce. White made a friend in the nearby town with the bookseller, who allowed him to read any book while his mother did her weekly shopping. 
     Further education took place in Cleveland and Western Reserve College in Hudson, Ohio, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was class salutatorian at his 1865 graduation; his speech was delivered in Latin. White played chess in college and he and one of his professors played every Wednesday evening, often into the early hours of the morning. 
     After graduation, he studied law under his father. In 1868, White was admitted to the Ohio Bar and in 1903, he was admitted to the Court of Appeals and to the Supreme Court in 1910, receiving the degree of Doctor of Laws from Western Reserve in 1919. White also was the attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Northern Ohio under three bishops, though White himself was not Catholic.
     White practiced law in 1870, partnering with Robert E. Mix and Judge Conway W. Noble. The law firm had various names due to partners either dying, retiring, or through consolidation. The law firm remains in existence today.
     White was elected to the Cleveland Public Library's Board of Directors in 1884 and served as Library Board President from 1910 until his death in 1928. In 1884, Cleveland Public Library was thought to be mismanaged and White began a survey to discover how other libraries were being managed and it was White who instituted numerous changes as well as establishing one of the earliest staff annuity plans for public employees. 
     When taking walks, White and his father would engage in intellectual activities such as only speaking Latin one day, Greek another, and having a "Chess Day" where they would play blindfold games. 
     White loved romantic novels and stories of the Wild West, in which reading was his primary relaxation. His house on 1871 East 89th Street was filled with novels and hundreds of books on chess. Today that address is a parking lot next to the University Church of Christ. 
     White wore a beard long after it became unfashionable. He never owned an automobile, and often rode streetcars between his home and his office downtown. He was a life-long bachelor. White began donating books to the Cleveland Public Library in 1885. 
     His fascination with chess was lifelong, from the walks with his father to his collecting chess-related books, information, and materials. Over a period of some fifty years he conducted a determined quest, throughout the world, for desirable additions to his library. 
     After White left the Library Board in 1886, the library began purchasing cheaper, popular books, which prompted him to donate scholarly books to the library. His donations also included books on folklore and Orientalia. White's goal was to collect everything published on chess as well as chess manuscripts and any other texts that mentioned or were related to chess. 
     At the time of White's death in 1928, the collection numbered 60,000 volumes. The library has since split the collection into three sections: chess, folklore and Orientalia including materials on Asia, the Near and Middle East, Africa, Australia and Oceania. 
     White left Cleveland for a fishing trip at his favorite mountain resort in Jackson Lake, Wyoming with his friend and former law associate and four weeks into his vacation, he passed away from pneumonia.  I was unable to turn up any of White’s games except the following one which he won against Orestes Augustus Brownson.
     Brownson was a problemist and published The Dubuque Chess Journal, a widely respected publication that was published in the offices of the Dubuque Herald from August, 1870 until it was sold in 1876. At the time The Journal was one of two internationally which was exclusively dedicated to chess. After the publication was sold, it was  published in Hannibal, Missouri until June, 1892.

     The Journal had 160 issues and was well known by problem composers and players around the world.  It contained short stories with chess themes, chess poetry, news from chess clubs in the United States, Europe and Australia and obituaries of prominent players.
     This game appeared in the January-August 1873 edition. In most games published in the magazine Brownson gave only the city in which they were played (e.g. Chess in New Orleans, Louisiana, Chess in New York City, etc.), but in his game against John G. White he gave no city, so it was most likely a postal game. As you will see, White was quite a strong player!  

Play Online Chess

[Event "Postal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1873.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "O.A. Brownson"]
[Black "John G. White"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteELO "?"]
[BlackELO "?"]

%Created by Caissa's Web PGN Editor
{Evans Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5
6. d4 exd4 7. O-O {A note says Zukertort thinks black should play 7...dxc3
after which white can hardly hope for a draw, but Anderssen disagreed. These
days Zukertort's suggestion of 7...dxc3 is way down the list on preferred
moves and white scores very well against it. Although black has tried many
moves here, the preferred moves are 7...Nge7 and 7...d6.} 7... Bb6 8. cxd4 d6
9. d5 Na5 10. Bb2 {These days white almost always plays 10.Bd3, but in those
days that was not the case. This move was the on that was in vogue.} 10...
Ne7 {Black zero compensation for the exchange after 10...Nxc4 11.Bbg7} 11.
Bd3 O-O {last book move} 12. Nc3 Ng6 {Both players were following analysis of
the day, but white should now continue with 13.Na4 with equality.} 13. Ne2
{More logical was 13. Na4} 13... c5 14. Rc1 {Here the opening theory split
into two branches. German analysis recommended 14...Bc7 followed by ...Rb8 and
then advancing the Q-side Pawns. The system adapted by black here is on
designed to return the N on a5 back into the game and then advance his Q-side
Pawns as the situation allows.} 14... Bd7 15. Qd2 {German master and
theoretician Johannes Minckwitz said black's next move should never be played
before ...Qd7, but Lowenthal considered that nothing more than a mere
refinement. Engines don't like the idea of placing the Q on d7 at all because
of the maneuver Ne2-g3-f5 is to white's advantage.} 15... f6 {Theory of the
day gives another branching here, both of which were considered of nearly
equal merit. The one chosen here of Ne1 (or g1) followed by the advance of the
f-Pawn or the slightly better Ne2-g3-f5. In fact, white's best line is
probably 16.Nf4 Nxf4 17.Qxf4 followed by Qh4 hoping to build up an attack
against black's somewhat denuded King.} 16. Kh1 a6 17. Nfg1 Bb5 {Black
prepares the advance c4} 18. f4 {Capturing on b5 would be a mistake that would
give black a mass of Ps and the open a-file on the Q-side.} 18... c4 19. Bb1
c3 {A note says this beautiful move was first played by Pillsbury. While it
can be considered beautiful it confers no advantage to black and after the
best reply 20.Bxc3 Nc4 the chances would be even.} 20. Rxc3 {This recapture
leaves black slightly better.} 20... Nc4 21. Qc1 Rc8 {After a plethora of
exchanges that occur after 21...Nxb2+ black would have come out a P ahead.}
22. Rff3 { This turns oput not to be as dangerous as it looks and so he would
have done better with 22.a4} 22... Ba5 {Black has the initiative.} 23. Nd4 {A
good move... white can't afford to sit idly by so he heads for e6 even at the
cost of the exchange.} 23... Bxc3 24. Bxc3 {Here analyst of the day debated
the wisdom of black's next move thinking it would have been better to let the
N establish itself on e6. By the way, in those days they used the German name
Springer for the Knight and in the descriptive notation of the day the N was
designated with the letter S.} 24... Bd7 {This has the approval of Stockfish.
There is a totally mistaken note that says after white's next move the passed
P that results is a thorn in black's flesh to the end. It also adds that
"25.f5 is a better move, then 26.Ne6 and if 26...Bxe6 27.fxe6 whence those
passed Pawns might ultimately cost defense a Rook should he desire to get rid
of them." To capture the spirit of the day...that's pure bunkum. 25.f5 Nge5
leaves black very much better. 26.Rg3 b5 27.Ne6 Bxe6 28.fxe6} 25. Ne6
{Brownson has failed to realize that his opponent has rendered this move
impotent. He could have kept his disadvantage at a minimum with 25.Nge2.
Perhaps the N could reach e6 later under more favorable circumstances.} 25...
Bxe6 26. dxe6 d5 27. Ne2 Qd6 {Now 28.f5 and 29.Rg3 look promising, but after
28.f5 Nge5 29.Rg3 dxe4 and ...b5 black has adequate defensive resources and
his extra material a nd Q-side Ps will assure the win.} 28. exd5 Qxd5 29.
Qe1 {To prevent ...Nh4} 29... b5 30. f5 Nge5 {A note in the magazine says,
"Black seeks to keep the hostile Bishops out of the game with his Springers
while advancing his Q-side Pawns, supported if necessary by the Queen and
Rooks." Concerning white's next move a note says that much better was 31.Rh3
opening the diagonal for the Q and threatening the h-Pawn which is weak.
That's nothing more than wishful thinking on white's part! 31.Rh3 a5 32.Qh4
Qd1+ 33.Ng1 h6 34.Be4 b4 35.Be1 Rfd8 and black is winning easily.} 31. Rg3 a5
{White can't win a P with 32.Bxa5 Nxa5 33.Qxa5 because of 33...Rc1+} 32. Nf4
Qc5 {Black intends b4} 33. Be4 Kh8 {"Fearing 34. Bd5" says the magazine. It's
a safety precaution, not a move made out of fear.} 34. Ng6+ {Hoping for 34...
hxg6 when black gets mated.} 34... Nxg6 35. fxg6 b4 36. Rh3 h6 {Of course he
couldn't take the B because 37.Rxh7+ does him in.} 37. e7 Qxe7 38. Qc1 {Of
course not now 38...bxc3 39.Rxh6+ winning.} 38... Qxe4 39. Bxf6 Rxf6 {Not that
it matters, but 39...Ne3 mates in 7.} 40. (39 Ne3 41. Qxe3 Qxe3 42. Rxh6+
Qxh6 43. Bxg7+ Kxg7 44. h3 Rc1+ 45. Kh2 Qf4+ 46. g3 Qd2#) 47. Rxh6+ { Black
announced mate in 10 moves though it's actually mate in 8 moves.. . . .}
47... *