The chess games of John Smythe

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John Smythe

Number of games in database: 2
Years covered: 1901 to 1903

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JOHN SMYTHE
(born Oct-10-1883, died Aug-14-1956, 72 years old) United States of America
[what is this?]

John Henry Smythe, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, USA. He learned the rules of chess at the age of 16. Smythe Jr. attended Philadelphia University and was the elected chess club president for three years. He finished fifth in the Pennsylvania State Championship in 1902, which was won by Walter Penn Shipley.
The end of his chess career is interesting as Emil Kemeny wrote in the August 14, 1903 issue of "American Chess Weekly" that Smythe Jr. had "temporarily succumbed to excessive chess playing."
He is also famous for starting the cheering for President Teddy Roosevelt at the Republican National Congress in Chicago, 1904, with a megaphone.
The later stage of his mental health is not known.

Last updated: 2017-12-30 11:05:05

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Game	Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. Lasker vs J Smythe	½-½	45	1901	Simul, 20b	C45 Scotch Game
2. J Smythe vs S Mlotkowski	1-0	66	1903	Casual game	D08 Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit

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Oct-18-14		ljfyffe: <when he died is not known> He died in 1956.

Oct-18-14		Stonehenge: There's a John Henry Smythe Jr. here: http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/... Probably https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903... but born on the 11th of October.

Oct-18-14		Tabanus: http://interactive.ancestry.com/245... says he was born 10 October, as says his Word War II card: http://interactive.ancestry.com/100....

Oct-18-14		ljfyffe: In his 2012 Writings in Chess History, Hilbert gives Oct. 10, not 16.

Oct-18-14		Tabanus: Also 10 October 1883 in his membership application for "The Sons of the American Revolution": http://interactive.ancestry.com/220...

Oct-18-14		ljfyffe: Hilbert references the Indianapolis Star of Mar., 25, 1911 as giving the 1883 month and day.

Oct-18-14		Tabanus: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstra... If this is him, which I suspect (age and activity fit), he died Tuesday 14 Aug 1956.

Oct-18-14		Stonehenge: Great, next problem: William Nicoll Woodbury :)

Oct-18-14		ljfyffe: well, we can at least assume that he was buried in the wood.

Jun-21-17		zanzibar: <Whitaker vs Smythe> Given the appearance of players the LOC estimate <[between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920]> seems right(). Which means Smythe was playing chess long after Kemeny's comment: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resourc... () the 1943 marking on the photo is not the date it was taken - look at the player's appearance, etc. .

Jun-22-17		crawfb5: The time estimate for the photo is possibly based on the use of a glass plate negative, which began to decline in use around that time.

Jun-22-17		zanzibar: <crawfb5> interesting - you must be a bit of a photographer yourself would be my (rhetorical) summation.

Jun-23-17		offramp: In the UK Smythe is simply the Irish spelling of Smith and is normally pronounced identically to Smith. After all, the name is derived from the occupation and it would be pronounced the same.

Jun-23-17		zanzibar: The myth of Smith explained.

Jun-24-17		Retireborn: Let's not forget the Wodehouse version, Psmith.

Jun-24-17		crawfb5: <z> Yes, my current photography is mostly dogs and birds, although I've done landscapes and flower closeups in the past. It took some time to develop negative substrates for the large-format cameras that would not curl, so glass plates were common, despite their fragile nature (Lincoln's last formal sitting is only with us from a print made from a cracked negative plate that was discarded). After the Civil War, interest in war photographs sharply declined, and many of the glass negatives were sold for use in greenhouses where the images burned off over time in the sun. In any event, here's another photo of Smythe, sitting with his father: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resourc...

Jun-24-17		offramp: <crawfb5: <z> Yes, my current photography is mostly dogs and birds, although I've done landscapes and flower closeups in the past.> Which smartphone gives the best results?

Jun-24-17		crawfb5: <offramp: <crawfb5: <z> Yes, my current photography is mostly dogs and birds, although I've done landscapes and flower closeups in the past.> Which smartphone gives the best results?> Don't know. I hate the things and have never owned one.

Jun-24-17		zanzibar: <offramp> still waiting for the promised link to the facebook page with the photos of Blackburnes handiwork: Joseph Henry Blackburne (kibitz #185) What smartphone did you use? .

Jun-24-17		offramp: <zanzibar: <offramp> still waiting for the promised link to the facebook page with the photos of Blackburnes handiwork: Joseph Henry Blackburne (kibitz #185) What smartphone did you use?> I tore those photos up in a rage. I was using a standard Nokia 6230.

Jun-24-17		zanzibar: <offramp> I hope <crawfb5> doesn't mind my telling - but I've seen some of his photography. It's really quite, quite good. Professional level. He's got the eagle eye, when it comes to composing the shot! .

Oct-24-17		Domdaniel: <offramp> - < In the UK Smythe is simply the Irish spelling of Smith and is normally pronounced identically to Smith.> The Irish (Gaelic) version of Smith, unlikely as it seems, is actually MacGowan - derived from the Irish word for the occupation. Both 'Smith' (rhymes with Sith) and Smythe (rhymes with blithe) are found in Ireland, though Smythe is rarer.

Oct-25-17		offramp: User: Domdaniel I did not know that about MacGowan. It's a true oddity! Ferrari also means Smith, of course. But owning a Smith motor car does not have the right RING to it.

Oct-26-17		Domdaniel: <offramp> And I'd never seen the link to Ferrari ... an Italian Farrier, or maybe a sawn-off Ferrero Rocher ... ?

Oct-26-17		Retireborn: <Domdaniel> Think it's more likely derived from the Italian word for iron.

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