Emil Kemeny: A Life in Chess

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Emil Kemeny appeared on the American chess scene in 1890, a Hungarian chess player on the Lower East Side who had difficulty with English. Within a decade he was considered one of the country’s finest chess players and writers. He dominated chess in both Philadelphia and Chicago, where he lived between 1893 and early 1906. Congenial and modest, he was appreciated for his chess play and valued for the strong friendships he formed during his years in the United States. A tenacious competitor despite poor health, he fought Showalter for the national title, ran his own chess magazine, and provided detailed coverage of Monte Carlo 1903, although rarely given recognition for doing so.

His chess career as player and writer is covered in detail. Common databases rarely include more than 35 of his games. Over 225, including over 60 against Halpern, Hanham, Voigt, Showalter and Pillsbury, many with annotations, appear in this collection. 40 additional period games, tournament and match record, crosstables, player and general indexes complete this homage to a forgotten player. 361 diagrams.