myschkin: . . .
" .. With Steinitz in the news during the match with Mikhail Chigorin , Dr. Hermann Neustadtl disputed the correct birthdate of Steinitz. Until then Steinitz had given May 18, 1837, to everyone and therefore in most programs and biographies this date was used. But Dr. Neustadtl visited the Jewish City Hall in Prague and found that the correct date was May 14, 1836. Steinitz himself was confused, but as stated before he made several errors on dates. .."
("W. Steinitz, Chess Champion", 2006, p.265, by Kurt Landsberger)
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<Jul-26-05 sneaky pete: <ckr> Yes, that's right. Neustadtl in that 1892 letter (to a chess magazine from the collection of Zinkl, an active player in the 1890íes) claims to have seen that date May 14, 1836, in a birth register of what he calls the "Jewish City Hall" of Prague. Off course this can only be ascertained if that primary source still exists and is available to chess detectives from or visiting Prague.>
see Wilhelm Steinitz
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now for the detectives:
№ 1, Židovská radnice http://www.prague.cz/jewish-city-ha...
№ 2, chess mag ~ "Deutsches Wochenschach" (1893, p.88)
№ 3, Open Prague Jewish Community › info@bejt-praha.cz
№ 4, Wilhelm Steinitz Quote:
".. Mr. Tschigorin's well-deserved victory, or whether it was intended as a congratulation to my birthday, which has been erroneously given in various publications as the 16th of May, 1837, whereas, 1 was born on the 17th of May, 1836. .."
(ICM, 1891, p.119)
№ 5, Evergreens Cemetery: http://wwx2.tripod.com/steinitz.jpg
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