American Chess Association
Encyclopedia
The American Chess Association was a chess
organization founded in New York
in 1857. The organization organized the first major chess tournament, the First American Chess Congress
, in the United States on October 6, 1857. On November 11, 1857, Paul Morphy
, who had defeated Louis Paulsen
in the tournament, was presented with a silver service at the prize giving by Colonel Charles D. Mead, President of the ACA. On behalf of Paul Morphy, the American Chess Association offered a $5,000 challenge to any player in Europe to contest a match with the recently crowned ACA champion.
The ACA published a monthly magazine, American Chess Monthly
, founded in January 1857 by Willard Fiske
, who had helped organize the First American Chess Congress. Fiske edited American Chess Monthly from 1857 until 1860, four months before it ceased publication. Morphy was credited as co-editor, though he had little actual involvement. Another magazine called Chess Monthly published in 1879-96 had no connection with this one.
The organization ceased to function within a few years, and should not be confused with others of the same name founded in 1871 and 1874 (which organized the Third American Chess Congress), or the later American Chess Federation (a successor to the Western Chess Association), which merged with the National Chess Federation in 1939 to form the current United States Chess Federation
.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
organization founded in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1857. The organization organized the first major chess tournament, the First American Chess Congress
American Chess Congress
The American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship. It had nine editions, the first played in 1857 and the last in 1923.-First American Chess Congress :...
, in the United States on October 6, 1857. On November 11, 1857, Paul Morphy
Paul Morphy
Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
, who had defeated Louis Paulsen
Louis Paulsen
Louis Paulsen was a German chess player.In 1860s and 1870s, he was among the top five players in the world. He was a younger brother of Wilfried Paulsen....
in the tournament, was presented with a silver service at the prize giving by Colonel Charles D. Mead, President of the ACA. On behalf of Paul Morphy, the American Chess Association offered a $5,000 challenge to any player in Europe to contest a match with the recently crowned ACA champion.
The ACA published a monthly magazine, American Chess Monthly
The Chess Monthly
The Chess Monthly was a short-lived chess magazine produced from 1857–1861 in the United States. Edited by professional diplomat and linguistics professor Daniel Willard Fiske, it was co-edited for a time by Paul Morphy. Eugene B. Cook and Sam Loyd edited the chess problems section...
, founded in January 1857 by Willard Fiske
Willard Fiske
Daniel Willard Fiske was an American librarian and scholar, born on November 11, 1831, at Ellisburg, New York.Fiske studied at Cazenovia Seminary and started his collegiate studies at Hamilton College in 1847. He joined the Psi Upsilon but was suspended for a student prank at the end of his...
, who had helped organize the First American Chess Congress. Fiske edited American Chess Monthly from 1857 until 1860, four months before it ceased publication. Morphy was credited as co-editor, though he had little actual involvement. Another magazine called Chess Monthly published in 1879-96 had no connection with this one.
The organization ceased to function within a few years, and should not be confused with others of the same name founded in 1871 and 1874 (which organized the Third American Chess Congress), or the later American Chess Federation (a successor to the Western Chess Association), which merged with the National Chess Federation in 1939 to form the current United States Chess Federation
United States Chess Federation
The United States Chess Federation is a non-profit organization, the governing chess organization within the United States, and one of the federations of the FIDE. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership...
.