The story goes that Capablanca and another player were walking in the city. Upon encountering Franklin Young, the second player introduced Capa to Young. Capa told him how much he enjoyed his books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=3C...

<Always deploy so that the right oblique can be readily established in case the objective plane remains open or becomes permanently located on the centre or on the King's wing, or that the crochet aligned may readily be established if the objective plane becomes permanently located otherwise than at the extremity of the strategic front.>

-- Franklin Young

In his column for February 2, 1901 (http://fultonhistory.com/Process%20...), Hazeltine printed this game:

Traxler, Karel - Jahn, J
Simultaneous Prague, 1901

<1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e5 Nh5 5.d4 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Bg4 9.Ne2 Qd7 10.Bxf4 Bxf3 11.Rxf3 c5 12.c3>

click for larger view

At this point, Hazeltine writes: <We don't know by which name Bro. Young would call this array of White pawns, but do know that, if he sees it, it will delight his heart.">

The mind does boggle at the thought of what F.K. could do with it, but here's what Traxler did. A typical bit of pushing the simulee around until he falls into it.

<12...c4 13.Bc2 Ba5 14.Rh3 Qg4 15.Qe1 Nxf4 16.Nxf4 Qxf4 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.Qe2 Bd8 19.Rf1 Qg5 20.Rh5 Qe7> 1-0

"Given a geometric symbol positive or combinations of geometric symbols positive that is coincident to the objective plane; then, if the prime tactical factor can be posted at the point of command, the adverse King may be checkmated."

I'm pretty sure I saw that quote in Irving Chernev's *Chess Companion* (1968).

However, I can't guarantee that he could have got them on the objective plane while they did so; knights have a known aversion to marching while airborne.

OK, there are inaccuracies in some of the analysis - but then, those are everywhere ... including such howling gaffes as Tartakower's commentary on G MacDonnell vs Anderssen, 1862 (where he repeatedly spoke of Black hoping to play ... O-O-O, even though the game is an Allgaier where Black had of course moved the king earlier! Unless that wasn't a bar to castling in 1862 as long as the king had returned to e1/e8?) or the infamous mention in The Fireside Book of Chess of an openings manual where the masters writing the book had said, "Black has the superior position" when White had a mate in one!

OK, Young can be somewhat dogmatic, but that's always been a fault of chess writers, especially in that general era - Tarrasch comes to mind in particular.

The heavyweight analysis of pawn structure as a strategic basis in particular seems not to have significant fault; if anything, combined with the flowery old-timey military language, it reminded me somewhat of Nimzowitsch's writings (also to some degree Tarrasch, and it is notable that all three authors placed emphasis upon the nature of chess as being symbolic of warfare). Kmoch, who like Nimzowitsch and Young also made a heavy attempt at systematising pawn-structure based strategy, also comes to mind. (Then again, I see someone in this kibitz also being critical of Kmoch, and it's not like Nimzowitsch didn't have his share of mockery, e.g. Nimzowitsch vs Systemsson, 1927 ...) Even as early as Philidor, it was being noted that pawns were the soul of chess, after all;

The Late Franklin K. Young

It becomes our sad duty to record the death of Franklin K. Young on December 10 at the age of 74 at home in Winthrop, Mass. Mr. Young was well known to the present generation in the chess world through the books (six) which he wrote dealing with the theories of chess as one of the sciences. To the previous generation, however, he was more of a personality. In the middle ‘80’s, contemporary with George Hammond, Preston Ware, C. F. Burrille and Charles B. Snow, he was one of the finest chess players in America.

Mr. Young had a kindly manner and always was popular with younger players. These he inspired by this example, pointing out to them the beauties of chess as demonstrated by the theory of the game. Such celebrities as Harry N. Pillsbury and John F. Barry received some of their earliest impressions of the game through his kindly assistance.

Mr. Young excelled in other branches of arts and science and it may be news to many to learn that he gave much of his life in his youth to the study of military science and that during the Boer War his newspaper articles attracted nation-wide attention for their accurate forecasts of military events. Mr. Young also was a successful inventor of guns and other mechanical devices…

* * *

Books by Franklin K. Young
freely downloadable on books.google.com

The Minor Tactics of Chess
A Treatise on the Deployment of the Forces in Obedience to the Strategic Principle by Franklin K. Young and Edwin C. Howell
© 1894; Sixth Edition; Little, Brown, and Company; 1906

The Major Tactics of Chess
A Treatise on Evolutions
The Proper Employment of the Forces in Strategic, Tactical, and Logistic Planes by Franklin K. Young
© 1898; Second Edition; Little, Brown, and Company; 1904

The Grand Tactics of Chess
An Exposition of The Laws and Principles of Chess Strategetics The Practical Application of These Laws and Principles to the Movement of Forces: Mobilization Development, Manoeuvre, and Operation by Franklin K. Young
Little, Brown, and Company; 1905
© 1897; Second Edition; Little, Brown, and Company; 1905

Chess Strategetics Illustrated
Military Art and Science Adapted to The Chessboard Positions and Examples from Morphy's Games
by Franklin K. Young
© 1900; Little, Brown, and Company' 1919