Hermann Helms
Encyclopedia
Helms, Hermann was an American chess
player, writer, and promoter.
, Germany and in Halifax
, Canada, where a schoolmate taught him chess. He returned to live in Brooklyn at age 17, and settled in Brooklyn. His first notable chess achievement was as a member of the Brooklyn Chess Club team which won the New York Metropolitan League of 1894-95, with Harry Nelson Pillsbury
as captain. As a player, Helms twice won the New York State Championship, and was of national Master
strength, with an emphasis on sharp attacking play. During his chess career, he defeated such powers as Pillsbury and Frank Marshall. Helms won the New York State Championship in 1925. Helms also represented the United States in five cable matches against England, in the early part of the 20th century. He retired from most serious chess competition while in his forties, but remained active in blitz tournaments at the Frank Marshall Chess Club until his late eighties.
Helms served as the chess reporter for The New York Times
for over fifty years, until 1962. Helms founded the American Chess Bulletin in 1904, and would publish and edit this journal until his death in 1963. Helms wrote chess columns for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper from 1893 until the paper folded in 1955. Helms also wrote chess columns for the New York World
for 15 years, for the New York Post
for ten years, and for the New York World and Telegram for ten years.
Helms helped to organize the great international grandmaster events of New York 1924 (won by Emanuel Lasker
) and New York 1927 (won by José Raúl Capablanca
), which are among the most important tournaments ever staged. He edited the tournament books for those two events, which were written by Alexander Alekhine
. Helms also organized and promoted national chess tours for top players such as Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, Géza Maróczy
, and Frank Marshall.
Helms was formally recognized in 1943 by the United States Chess Federation
as the 'Dean of American Chess', and held this designation until his death at age 93 in 1963. Helms was called "the most important journalist in American chess history" by Arnold Denker
and Larry Parr, in their well-respected 1995 book The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories (p. 329), which is the major source for this article.
Helms assisted Bobby Fischer
in 1951 with his move into organized chess, when he responded to a letter from Bobby's mother Regina Fischer, who was seeking opponents in Brooklyn for her eight-year-old son. Helms encouraged and stimulated the young Fischer, who would develop very rapidly, and become U.S. Champion by age 14 in 1957, later going on to win the World Chess Championship
in 1972.
There is a small file of ten of his games at chessgames.com. This includes several wins over Frank Marshall
, one of the world's top players, as well as Helms' 'Immortal Game', a well-known stunning tactical win over James Smyth in 1915.
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...
player, writer, and promoter.
Biography
Helms was born in Brooklyn, but spent much of his childhood in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany and in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Canada, where a schoolmate taught him chess. He returned to live in Brooklyn at age 17, and settled in Brooklyn. His first notable chess achievement was as a member of the Brooklyn Chess Club team which won the New York Metropolitan League of 1894-95, with Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Harry Nelson Pillsbury , was a leading chess player. At age 22, he won one of the strongest tournaments of the time , but his illness and early death prevented him from challenging for the World Chess Championship.- Early life :Pillsbury was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, moved to New York City...
as captain. As a player, Helms twice won the New York State Championship, and was of national Master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
strength, with an emphasis on sharp attacking play. During his chess career, he defeated such powers as Pillsbury and Frank Marshall. Helms won the New York State Championship in 1925. Helms also represented the United States in five cable matches against England, in the early part of the 20th century. He retired from most serious chess competition while in his forties, but remained active in blitz tournaments at the Frank Marshall Chess Club until his late eighties.
Helms served as the chess reporter for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
for over fifty years, until 1962. Helms founded the American Chess Bulletin in 1904, and would publish and edit this journal until his death in 1963. Helms wrote chess columns for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper from 1893 until the paper folded in 1955. Helms also wrote chess columns for the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
for 15 years, for the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
for ten years, and for the New York World and Telegram for ten years.
Helms helped to organize the great international grandmaster events of New York 1924 (won by Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years...
) and New York 1927 (won by José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...
), which are among the most important tournaments ever staged. He edited the tournament books for those two events, which were written by Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
. Helms also organized and promoted national chess tours for top players such as Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, Géza Maróczy
Géza Maróczy
Géza Maróczy was a leading Hungarian chess Grandmaster, one of the best players in the world in his time. He was also a practicing engineer.-Early career:...
, and Frank Marshall.
Helms was formally recognized in 1943 by the 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...
as the 'Dean of American Chess', and held this designation until his death at age 93 in 1963. Helms was called "the most important journalist in American chess history" by Arnold Denker
Arnold Denker
Arnold Sheldon Denker was an American chess player, Grandmaster, and chess author. He was U.S. Chess Champion in 1945 and 1946....
and Larry Parr, in their well-respected 1995 book The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories (p. 329), which is the major source for this article.
Helms assisted Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
in 1951 with his move into organized chess, when he responded to a letter from Bobby's mother Regina Fischer, who was seeking opponents in Brooklyn for her eight-year-old son. Helms encouraged and stimulated the young Fischer, who would develop very rapidly, and become U.S. Champion by age 14 in 1957, later going on to win the World Chess Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
in 1972.
There is a small file of ten of his games at chessgames.com. This includes several wins over Frank Marshall
Frank Marshall
Frank James Marshall , was the U.S. Chess Champion from 1909–1936, and was one of the world's strongest chess players in the early part of the 20th century.-Chess career:...
, one of the world's top players, as well as Helms' 'Immortal Game', a well-known stunning tactical win over James Smyth in 1915.