After that the irrepressible Prof. Carlo Alberto
Pagni (*1931!) presented the results of his latest "finds" (acquired
with the help of Tony Gillam):
A short history of chess games by telephone - As early as 1877 chess games
were for the first time played by phone, probably above all to "popularize"
this new means of communication. Owing to Carlo Pagni’s superior
skill as a speaker we were able to make up a lot of time; it is particularly
satisfying that by this contribution Tony Gillam was at least indirectly
in our midst as well. The high EURO exchange rate and his decision to
invest the money better in chess books have finally prevented the intended
visit from "The Chess Player" from Nottingham.
Carlo
Alberto Pagni |
Game
played in the vicinity of New York by means of the telephone. The
contestants were about a mile distant from each other.
Allies (Dr. White , Mr. Treadwell) vs Mr. A. Douglas.
From Turf, Field and Farm
5 October 1877
(Archives Andy Ansel) |
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Two articles on early correspondence
chess tournaments in Italy from the pen of Carlo Alberto Pagni appeared
2006 in Scacchi e Scienze Applicate - here the first page of
each contribution: SSA,
Fasc. 25, p. 3 and SSA,
Fasc. 25, p. 12 (as jpg-files).
Hans
Ellinger and Toni Preziuso |
|
It is always a difficult situation to give the final talk – my friend
Toni Preziuso let all others go ahead and presented us very impressively
his Rubinstein biography project. His argumentation why at all an additional
Rubinstein treatise seems to be necessary and how he intends "to
interpret" it has caused a stir till long after midday – at
the farewell dinner, naturally at "Diana".
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Ups
and downs - the lifeline of Akiba Rubinstein. |
Before Alessandro Sanvito had generously left it
to Luca D’Ambrosio, so to the "next generation", to find
the closing words for our event, he mastered this task with style.
All that remains to be written is: Arrivederci Venezia 2008 – Arriba
Valéncia 2009. (Meanwhile Miquel Artigas has promised his support
for a regional meeting in Spain in spring 2009.)
From my personal communication still
a later reflection by Luca D'Ambrosio:
Being an eager reader of Italian and German chess literature I had very
often the impression that these two chess worlds – geographically
in such close proximity – hardly know each other. Of course with
the exception of a few gifted researchers. The hurdle is clearly the language:
Italians are predominantly monolingual, and if anyone is familiar with
a foreign language it is mostly French or English. In consequence a large
part of the German chess literature, the old but also the new one is unknown
to Italians.
Vice versa nearly the same applies: Who in Germany
knows Italian so well to understand correctly the works of a Chicco, to
give only one example.
What pleased me in Venice is that these two worlds
(my worlds!) approached a little. For instance I think it’s good
to show the progress of the Lasker biography in Italy, to present the
commemorative publications, but also to mention vice versa what people
are just working on in these parts.
Perhaps I am wrong in these thoughts, I like to
be taught otherwise, but anyhow I have felt this way.
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