A comment about Falkbeer in a chess book made me wonder. In discussing his role
as a chess journalist in England and Germany, a modern writer says that he brought
"mehr schlecht als Recht" into his column. Anyone know what gave rise to this
negative view of Falkbeer? I know he had a column in The Sunday Times, and that
Staunton resented this as he resented all foreigners having columns, but know
little about what he actually wrote.

Jerry Spinrad

Jeremy Spinrad wrote:

negative view of Falkbeer? I know he had a column in The Sunday Times, and that
Staunton resented this as he resented all foreigners having columns, but know
little about what he actually wrote.

Falkbeer also conducted columns in

Neue Illustrierte Zeitung, Vienna
period of office: 1877-10-22 -- 1885-12

über Land und Meer, Vienna
1877[?] -- 1885

(He died in 1885).

The Sunday Times period was long before that (1857 -- 1859).

I can't recall having seen any similar opinion expressed about
his column in contemporary sources.

--
Anders Thulin http://www.algonet.se/~ath

Subject: Falkbeer as chess journalist

On 2 February 2004 Anders Thulin replied in
Message-id:

Jeremy Spinrad wrote:

negative view of Falkbeer? I know he had a column in The Sunday Times, and
that
Staunton resented this as he resented all foreigners having columns, but
know
little about what he actually wrote.

Falkbeer also conducted columns in

Neue Illustrierte Zeitung, Vienna
period of office: 1877-10-22 -- 1885-12

über Land und Meer, Vienna
1877[?] -- 1885

(He died in 1885).

The Sunday Times period was long before that (1857 -- 1859).

I can't recall having seen any similar opinion expressed about
his column in contemporary sources.

--
Anders Thulin http://www.algonet.se/~ath


Is it possible that Staunton - a conservative, Tory? - resented Falkbeer as a
journalist because of Falkbeer's liberal leanings? It is reported that Falkbeer
contributed to many liberal journals? Did he not leave Vienna in 1848 for
political reasons? He lived in Germany from 1848 to 1852, when he returned to
Vienna. After he founded Austria's first chess magazine, Wiener Schachzeitung,
in January 1855, he went a few months later to live in London, where he resided
until 1864. He edited the chess column in the Sunday Times from April 1857 to
November 1859 and also edited The Chess Players' Magazine, which appeared for
the first time in January 1863. [Note: The name of the first editor of The
Chess Players' Magazine never appeared in print, but it is believed to have
been Falkbeer.] Falkbeer returned to Vienna in 1864 to continue his
journalistic career by editing the chess column in Neue Illustrierte Zeitung
from 22 October 1877 until his death in December 1885.

George Mirijanian

Anders Thulin wrote:

Falkbeer also conducted columns in

Neue Illustrierte Zeitung, Vienna
period of office: 1877-10-22 -- 1885-12

über Land und Meer, Vienna
1877[?] -- 1885

I find I also have a note about a column in Wiener Hausfrauenzeitung
(based on International Chess Magazine 1886 p 42). The two columns already
mentioned are from Whyld's book Chess Columns, which does not mention
Falkbeer in association with the column in Wiener Hausfrauenzeitung.

--
Anders Thulin http://www.algonet.se/~ath

Subject: Falkbeer as chess journalist

On 2 February 2004 (Jeremy Spinrad) wrote in
Message-id:

A comment about Falkbeer in a chess book made me wonder. In discussing his
role
as a chess journalist in England and Germany, a modern writer says that he
brought
"mehr schlecht als Recht" into his column. Anyone know what gave rise to
this
negative view of Falkbeer? I know he had a column in The Sunday Times, and
that
Staunton resented this as he resented all foreigners having columns, but know
little about what he actually wrote.

Jerry Spinrad


According to the late Ken Whyld, Falkbeer wrote of Staunton the following:
"The man has a rich and varied past behind him. In his younger days he was an
actor. They say that he led a very adventurous life, that he made a wild,
romantic marriage which he afterwards dissolved."

This quote appeared in the May 1881 edition of Brentano's Chess Monthly, page 5
- nearly seven years after Staunton's death. It first appeared in Neue
Illustrierte Zeitung, published in Vienna. Brentano's Chess Monthly, by the
way, was a lavishly produced magazine that was published in New York for only
16 months in 1881-1882. Anyone who has copies of this defunct publication has a
valuable chess asset.

George Mirijanian

I doubt that Falkbeer's being a liberal bothered Staunton; he was happy to assist
Loewenthal who took part in the 1848 revolution in Hungary. Of course, Loewenthal
was not vocal about politics after he left, while Falkbeer was.

Staunton's complaint was far more sweeping. In an 1858 letter to Tomlinson
encouraging him to take the Family herald column, he wrote (sou A Century of
British Chess, taken from BCM Sept 1891)

That preposterous custom of engaging an ignorant foreigner to edit Chess in an
English newspaper makes us ridiculous wherever the game is known ... Indeed the
practice if not checked would shortly have given some half-dozen refugees a
complete monopoly of English periodical Chess. You have no conception of the
exertions these fellows have been making to get Chess in their hands.

Tomlinson passed, and Loewenthal got the column.

Jerry Spinrad

In article , (Miriling) writes:
| Subject: Falkbeer as chess journalist
|
| On 2 February 2004 Anders Thulin replied in
| Message-id:
|
| Jeremy Spinrad wrote:
|
| negative view of Falkbeer? I know he had a column in The Sunday Times, and
| that
| Staunton resented this as he resented all foreigners having columns, but
| know
| little about what he actually wrote.
|
| Falkbeer also conducted columns in
|
| Neue Illustrierte Zeitung, Vienna
| period of office: 1877-10-22 -- 1885-12
|
| über Land und Meer, Vienna
| 1877[?] -- 1885
|
| (He died in 1885).
|
| The Sunday Times period was long before that (1857 -- 1859).
|
| I can't recall having seen any similar opinion expressed about
| his column in contemporary sources.
|
| --
| Anders Thulin http://www.algonet.se/~ath
|
|
| Is it possible that Staunton - a conservative, Tory? - resented Falkbeer as a
| journalist because of Falkbeer's liberal leanings? It is reported that Falkbeer
| contributed to many liberal journals? Did he not leave Vienna in 1848 for
| political reasons? He lived in Germany from 1848 to 1852, when he returned to
| Vienna. After he founded Austria's first chess magazine, Wiener Schachzeitung,
| in January 1855, he went a few months later to live in London, where he resided
| until 1864. He edited the chess column in the Sunday Times from April 1857 to
| November 1859 and also edited The Chess Players' Magazine, which appeared for
| the first time in January 1863. [Note: The name of the first editor of The
| Chess Players' Magazine never appeared in print, but it is believed to have
| been Falkbeer.] Falkbeer returned to Vienna in 1864 to continue his
| journalistic career by editing the chess column in Neue Illustrierte Zeitung
| from 22 October 1877 until his death in December 1885.
|
| George Mirijanian
|
|
|
|
|
|