Chess is a scientific game and its literature ought to beplaced on the basis of the strictest truthfulness, which isthe foundation of all scientific research. W. Steinitz

CAISSAS LEGACY: THE GREAT CHESS LIBRARIES

by Allan Savage, M.L.S., CC-IM

This was the lecture given June 13, 1998 by CC-IM Allan Savage at theThinkers Press Chess Festival held in Moline, Illinois.

I am here to tell you that chess databases and playing programs are not theultimate possession! (As if you didnt know!) Chess players and enthusiaststoday are focused on the present the latest international tournaments, up andcoming super GMs, the latest wrinkle in opening theory. But we must not forgetthat the present rapidly becomes the past.

The history of our game is a literary one. More books exist on chess thanall other games combined. These books exist in libraries, both public andprivate. This is the legacy of our game CAISSAS LEGACY. I am here toencourage you to explore it!

Take this statement: The preservation of accumulated knowledge is vital to those who comeafter.

This is not a quote from a librarian or a historian as you might think! It isfrom one Garry Kasparov in his preface to the book Petrosians Legacy. Kasparov was relating how strongly Petrosian had felt about communicating hisknowledge to those who would follow him.

My talk tonight will focus primarily on the three largest chess libraries in theworld, and I will also mention a few others.

The largest and most comprehensive collection is at the Cleveland PublicLibrary in Cleveland, Ohio. The John G. White Collection (chess and checkers)today has over 35,000 volumes and subscribes to 180 periodicals. Roughly 15different researchers visit each month (some local ones visit several times aweek). They receive about 10 inquiries by mail/month.

I submit to you this library is a vastly under-utilized resource! I imploreyou to visit it. The stacks are closed for security reasons (thus you cantbrowse), so you must request your items from the staff. But do not beintimidated by this -- all materials are available for browsing in the reading roomand the staff is very helpful. And Cleveland has many unique items found nowhere else in the world! Some materials are available via interlibrary loan.

How did such a vast collection arise? It arose out of the library of a singlecollector, John G. White (1845-1928). He viewed chess literature as aeducational vehicle where he could learn about other countries, cultures, andtime periods. Through chess he learned to read at least a little in 29 differentlanguages!

He had three major book collections: chess, folklore, and orientalia; but thechess collection was his most prized. He aimed at bibliographic completeness! All editions, all versions, all languages! He inherited a sizeable chess collectionfrom his father and then purchased the famous library of George Walker (intoto). But this was the only complete library he bought, which, as you will see,is highly unusual for a major collector. Then, over many years, he correspondedwith dealers and other collectors worldwide to build his collection piece bypiece.

At his death in 1928, there were nearly 12,000 volumes on chess (5,000titles), appraised at $300,000. Most importantly, he left the rest of his estate($275,000) as a trust fund to maintain and continue the collection. In 1991, thevalue of that fund was $875,000 (which includes a $100,000 donation); at thattime its projected yearly income was in excess of $36,000. This is trulyCAISSAS LEGACY!!

The collection now contains over 1,000 original manuscripts, scrapbooks of about 2000 newspaper columns, thousands of volumes of chess periodicals, 40large boxes of uncataloged chess problems, portrait and autograph collections,57 incunabula (books printed before 1500) and over 100 chess sets. While thetrust fund stipulates no money can be used for acquiring chess sets, the libraryhas obtained many by donation. The recent exhibition of their complete chessset collection is documented in a published catalog.

The chess collection at the Royal Library at the Hague, in theNetherlands, is a very close second in size (some estimates have it larger), butits surely not as comprehensive. It, too, was formed from private collections:those of van der Linde (750 books in 1876) and Niemeijer (nearly 7000 books in1948).

Dr. Niemeijer (1902-1987) started collecting seriously in 1924 (encouragedand supported by a Mr. Oskam, chess promoter). Niemeijer bought booksfrequently at auctions and also acquired many whole libraries, attaining 2400volumes in 9 years! By 1948 he had 7000 volumes and donated his collection tothe Royal Library with the stipulation that they publish a catalog, which they didin 1955. He had acquired about 25 complete libraries, which numbered from afew hundred to 4000 volumes (DeMotta of Brazil). After donating hiscollection, Niemeijer continued to add rare older titles and the Librarycomprehensively acquired modern works.

In an interview in NIC Magazine a year before his death, Niemeijeremphasized the importance of openness and accessibility of significantcollections, a trait he shared with John G. White. He would always welcomevisitors into his home to see his library, when it was still housed there. Thechess collection at the Royal Library receives about 200 visitors a year, roughlythe same as Cleveland.

Niemeijer was always interested in trading with other collectors, especiallythose with major collections. He defined a major collection as one with at leasta few thousand books! In that interview, he did mention another major collectornamed Meissenberg who had 10,000+ volumes; perhaps this is the next largestprivate collector behind Schmid.

Niemeijer was also a problem composer (IM), who published 30 books on thesubject and authored 600 problems. He started the great Netherlands ProblemArchives in1925, which has an excess of 50,000 problems today.

The 3rd largest collection is private: GM Lothar Schmids is recognized byeveryone as the largest personal collection in the world. There is no catalog (!)for this collection housed in 7 rooms on the top 2 floors of his house inBamberg, Germany. The ground floor is taken by his publishing business (KarlMay-Verlag) and his living quarters are on the 1st floor. It is said that thecollection looks chaotic, but Lothar knows where to find everything!

He started collecting in the 1950s, when he was offered the library ofRogmann. Since then he has bought over 50 other collections including that ofTarrasch! His Incunabula is notorious: It includes one of the 10 extant copies ofLucena (1497) and all eight editions of Damiano (1512-64).

For those of you who dont know, Schmid is one of the few double GMs: hewon the great Dyckhoff Memorial CC tourney in 1956 and finished =2nd withOKelly behind Ragosin in the CC world championship of 1958. His strongestOTB years were in the 1960s. Furthermore, he is a famous International Arbiter,officiating at the 1972 Fischer-Spassky match, the 1978 Karpov-Kortchnoimatch, and the 1992 Fischer-Spassky Match (and others).

What is possibly the 4th largest collection in the world is probablyunknown to all of you except our special guests from Australia. The M. V.Anderson Collection, located at the State Library of Victoria in Australiacontains approximately 12,000 volumes and more than 600 periodicals (70current). Started in 1918 and offered to the library in 1956 (1500 volumes).Anderson continued to build the collection and it stood at more than 6000volumes at his death in 1966. The library continues acquire everything on chessin English and major works in other languages.

I would like to mention a few of the more important public collections inthe USA. I have prepared a handout for you on these, which you can pick upafter the lecture. Many of these are so-called Special Collections which arefound in the Rare Book Rooms or separate facilities within larger libraries. TheMay 1998 issue of Biblio has a nice article on some of the unique items in thesecollections.

The Cook and Spackmann Collections at Princeton University E.B. Cook (1830-1915) was the foremost American chess problemist of hisday. The collection is strong on 16th and 17th century books and US chesshistory in the 1800s. It was acquired by Princeton in 1915. The Spackmann Collection is post-1915 and is concerned with chiefly withtournament books and bulletins.

Gladney Collection at Louisiana State University Portion of the personal collection of Frank Gladney, of Baton Rouge acquiredin 1976. It features a deep collection of material on Paul Morphy, which isprobably the best anywhere.

Justice Collection at Colorado College Collection of Alfred Justice; acquired in 1957- gift by his son. Strong on 16thto 19th century works. Includes an 1805 edition of Philidor, which is fromDolly Madisons library.

Willing Collection at the Free Library in Philadelphia Large collection of Charles Willing (1872-1950). A catalog of this collectionexists.

Muir-Hoganauer Collection at the University of Louisville Established in 1971 by CC-IM Walter Muir based on a consignment, afriends collection, and part of his own collection. 500 items, but later willcontain Muirs entire collection. Muir wanted as much public access as possibleso books are split between the circulating collection and rare book room. Yearlycash gift used for new books and general maintence. Not all current items are cataloged; Muir working on catalog of entirecollection. His pride is a complete run of BCM from 1881.

Finally, let me conclude by encouraging you to consider building your owncollection! Most of you probably have a small collection already. Of course,today few can afford to build a general collection that is comprehensive, but youCAN SPECIALIZE. Pick a very small area that interests you and try to buildthat comprehensively! Get on dealers mailing lists, browse used andantiquarian bookstores, get friendly with other collectors.

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