I notice that Wikipedia says it is not known exactly where the term
comes from, or exactly why it is used. I have an 1895 reference in
which Mason uses the term, giving an exact reason for his usage, and
clearly in a context where the reader is not supposed to know it as
any sort of standard term.

Is this well known (Wikipedia not always being reliable), or does
anyone have an older use?

Jerry Spinrad

OXFORD COMPANION TO CHESS

It's usually referred to as the Noah's Ark Trap.

Hooper & Whyld do not cite the origin of this term. They note:

"In the book of the New York tournament 1924, Alekhine carelessly
recommended this variation as a means of obtaining a quick draw;
his advice was followed by E. Steiner who, playing Capablanca in
the Budapest tournament 1229, fell into this ancient trap. Some
suggest that the black pawns on a6, b5, c4, and d6 resemble the
shape of an ark, others that the trap is 'as old as the Ark.'"



wrote:
I notice that Wikipedia says it is not known exactly where the term
comes from, or exactly why it is used. I have an 1895 reference in
which Mason uses the term, giving an exact reason for his usage, and
clearly in a context where the reader is not supposed to know it as
any sort of standard term.

Is this well known (Wikipedia not always being reliable), or does
anyone have an older use?

Jerry Spinrad

Thanks. I think I will save the explanation for my column. My next
article takes on the problem of identifying Colonel Moreau; if I get
it written in time, and I can make a whole article out of it, I will
try to use the column after that to put forth my case on the real
Noah's ark. I believe that neither origin given by Hooper and Whyld is
correct, that the true explanation makes far more sense, and that the
term Noah's Ark does not mean what the originator of the term
intended.

Jerry Spinrad

On Jul 19, 2:33*am, " wrote:
OXFORD COMPANION *TO CHESS

It's usually referred to as the Noah's Ark Trap.

Hooper & Whyld do not cite the origin of this term. They note:

"In the book of the New York tournament 1924, Alekhine carelessly
recommended this variation as a means of obtaining a quick draw;
his advice was followed by E. Steiner who, playing Capablanca in
the Budapest tournament 1229, fell into this ancient trap. Some
suggest that the black pawns on a6, b5, c4, and d6 resemble the
shape of an ark, others that the trap is 'as old as the Ark.'"



wrote:
I notice that Wikipedia says it is not known exactly where the term
comes from, or exactly why it is used. I have an 1895 reference in
which Mason uses the term, giving an exact reason for his usage, and
clearly in a context where the reader is not supposed to know it as
any sort of standard term.

Is this well known (Wikipedia not always being reliable), or does
anyone have an older use?

Jerry Spinrad- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Another question: can someone tell me whether the term is used in
other languages? I will be arguing for English origin, but it is
interesting to know whether the term was transferred to other
languages even though nobody seems to understand where it comes from.

Jerry Spinrad

On Jul 18, 9:30*pm, "
wrote:
I notice that Wikipedia says it is not known exactly where the term
comes from, or exactly why it is used. I have an 1895 reference in
which Mason uses the term, giving an exact reason for his usage, and
clearly in a context where the reader is not supposed to know it as
any sort of standard term.

Is this well known (Wikipedia not always being reliable), or does
anyone have an older use?

Jerry Spinrad

Late night mistake; I must take this back and go back to sleep. I do
have a reference by Mason in BCM 1895 pg 355, but the way I thought it
explained the term is not correct. Somehow, I thought it was a note on
the next move P-QR4 saying simply by way of escape, or reminiscent of
Noah and his ark!

This misreading makes the term make sense; Noah's ark would not be the
trap itself, but instead the move made to escape being engulfed by a
flood of pawns. Much more logical to me than the actual use.

Unfortunately (and after having written much of the article which this
was to be the centerpiece of), I went back to insert the actual quote,
and realized I was doubly wrong - the note was on white's P-QR4 rather
than black's, and read not simply by way of escape, but simply by way
of episode.

Thus, all I have is an 1895 reference to Noah's Ark by Mason. With the
other reading, it would likely be the original use. With this reading,
it is likely not; it instead seems probable that the trap being set in
this game (a giuoco piano) was reminiscent of the known similar trap
in the Ruy Lopez.

So, for my newsgroup opponents, we have scientific proof that I am an
idiot. I am particuarly sad that I now have no place to put in the
amusing stories I know about a bizarre biblical literalist from
Tennessee and his claims to have found the real Noah's Ark. I suppose
it gives me motivation to find the true origin; it seemed so
convincing!

Jerry Spinrad

On Jul 19, 4:27*am, "
wrote:
Thanks. I think I will save the explanation for my column. My next
article takes on the problem of identifying Colonel Moreau; if I get
it written in time, and I can make a whole article out of it, I will
try to use the column after that to put forth my case on the real
Noah's ark. I believe that neither origin given by Hooper and Whyld is
correct, that the true explanation makes far more sense, and that *the
term Noah's Ark does not mean what the originator of the term
intended.

Jerry Spinrad

On Jul 19, 2:33*am, " wrote:



OXFORD COMPANION *TO CHESS

It's usually referred to as the Noah's Ark Trap.

Hooper & Whyld do not cite the origin of this term. They note:

"In the book of the New York tournament 1924, Alekhine carelessly
recommended this variation as a means of obtaining a quick draw;
his advice was followed by E. Steiner who, playing Capablanca in
the Budapest tournament 1229, fell into this ancient trap. Some
suggest that the black pawns on a6, b5, c4, and d6 resemble the
shape of an ark, others that the trap is 'as old as the Ark.'"

wrote:
I notice that Wikipedia says it is not known exactly where the term
comes from, or exactly why it is used. I have an 1895 reference in
which Mason uses the term, giving an exact reason for his usage, and
clearly in a context where the reader is not supposed to know it as
any sort of standard term.

Is this well known (Wikipedia not always being reliable), or does
anyone have an older use?

Jerry Spinrad- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -