Richard Hopkins (chess player)
Encyclopedia
Richard Hopkins was an American chess
player. Learning the game at an early age, Hopkins enjoyed success in several local tournaments and was considered by some to be a chess prodigy
. Despite his early promise, Hopkins suffered from alcoholism
and manic depression (thought to have been triggered by a head injury), adversely affecting his play and limiting his ability to consistently play at a competitive level. He is best known for discovering the Hopkins Gambit, an aggressive variation of the Ruy Lopez
. In his later years, Hopkins was a writer for his local newspaper.
. Showing remarkable skill, his father placed bets with men in local taverns, challenging them to play a game with his son. Based on his playing ability and the fact that his father was a minister, Hopkins gained the nickname "Jesus
", which Hopkins strongly detested, believing the nickname to be blasphemous.
against Spain
, Hopkins enlisted into the army. He trained in Charleston
in a cavalry unit until he was deployed to Cuba
.
After intense training, Hopkins was assigned to the Rough Riders
under the command of Theodore Roosevelt
. Though not completely verified, Roosevelt was said to have played a game with Hopkins and lost. During the Battle of San Juan Hill
, Hopkins suffered a gunshot wound to both legs and a concussion after receiving a blow to the head by a rifle
. Faced with the possibility of death, Hopkins denied the surgeons permission to amputate his leg. He spent days lying in a hospital bed and, to the surprise of the doctors, survived. It is quite remarkable that he did not suffer from infection or succumb to blood loss.
and depression, he was never able to return to his previous playing ability. Although no one knows for sure, his depression was most likely caused by his head injury, and was exacerbated by the death of his mother in 1901.
In 1901, at the age of 38, he met Elizabeth Norvena, a native of Pennsylvania. After courting her for two months, the couple decided to elope
to Minnesota
. They had two children, Timothy and Samuel.
Hopkins often wrote articles for the Sturbgon Weekly. His topics ranged from utopian idealism to chess problems for the "enhancement of the new generation".
. His body was cremated and, per his son's request, his ashes were subsequently scattered at an undisclosed location.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. c4?!
The rarity of the Hopkins Gambit in modern competitive play is due to the inherent weakness of the d-pawn, which as a backwards pawn becomes a liability should Black take advantage.
. On the other hand, Samuel was considered an "ideal son", but died at the age of 24 from injuries obtained in an automobile accident. During prohibition Timothy was involved in operation of a speakeasy and was arrested twice. After World War II, he opened a bakery in Ohio, which he ran for nearly thirty years. During his last few years, Timothy Hopkins tried to spread the accomplishments of his father to all who would listen. He died violently due to a gang murder at the age of 72 while walking through East Euclid, Ohio
.
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. Learning the game at an early age, Hopkins enjoyed success in several local tournaments and was considered by some to be a chess prodigy
Chess prodigy
Chess prodigies are children who play chess so well that they are able to beat Masters and even Grandmasters, often at a very young age. Chess is one of the few sports where children can compete with adults on equal ground; it is thus one of the few skills in which true child prodigies exist...
. Despite his early promise, Hopkins suffered from alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and manic depression (thought to have been triggered by a head injury), adversely affecting his play and limiting his ability to consistently play at a competitive level. He is best known for discovering the Hopkins Gambit, an aggressive variation of the Ruy Lopez
Ruy Lopez
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
. In his later years, Hopkins was a writer for his local newspaper.
Early life
Richard William Hopkins was born to William and Sarah Hopkins on June 22, 1863 in a rural farm town in Arkansas. His father was a Baptist minister and his mother worked as a shop keeper. At an early age, Hopkins learned how to play chess on an old antique chess board rumored to have once belonged to George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Showing remarkable skill, his father placed bets with men in local taverns, challenging them to play a game with his son. Based on his playing ability and the fact that his father was a minister, Hopkins gained the nickname "Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
", which Hopkins strongly detested, believing the nickname to be blasphemous.
Military service
Drawn to the patriotic call for warSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
against Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Hopkins enlisted into the army. He trained in Charleston
Charleston
Charleston often refers to:*Charleston, South Carolina, a city in South Carolina.*Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital of West VirginiaCharleston may also refer to:- Geography :In Australia:* Charleston, South Australia...
in a cavalry unit until he was deployed to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Battle of San Juan Hill
Rough Riders
The Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action. The United States Army was weakened and left with little manpower after the American Civil War...
under the command of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. Though not completely verified, Roosevelt was said to have played a game with Hopkins and lost. During the Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
, Hopkins suffered a gunshot wound to both legs and a concussion after receiving a blow to the head by a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
. Faced with the possibility of death, Hopkins denied the surgeons permission to amputate his leg. He spent days lying in a hospital bed and, to the surprise of the doctors, survived. It is quite remarkable that he did not suffer from infection or succumb to blood loss.
Return to the United States
After his injury, Hopkins returned to the United States to recuperate. It took roughly 40 weeks in order for him to regain 80% function in his legs. However, due to muscle death, he lived with a slight limp and constant pain in his right leg.Later life
After regaining full mobility, Hopkins returned to playing competitive chess. However, due to the lull of alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and depression, he was never able to return to his previous playing ability. Although no one knows for sure, his depression was most likely caused by his head injury, and was exacerbated by the death of his mother in 1901.
In 1901, at the age of 38, he met Elizabeth Norvena, a native of Pennsylvania. After courting her for two months, the couple decided to elope
Elope
To elope, most literally, merely means to run away with a girl and to not come back to the point of origination. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together...
to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. They had two children, Timothy and Samuel.
Hopkins often wrote articles for the Sturbgon Weekly. His topics ranged from utopian idealism to chess problems for the "enhancement of the new generation".
Death
On July 10, 1924, Hopkins was found dead in his bathtub at the age of 61. It was presumed that while bathing he became unconscious, subsequently drowningDrowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
. His body was cremated and, per his son's request, his ashes were subsequently scattered at an undisclosed location.
Legacy
The life of Richard Hopkins is relatively unknown. The majority of what is known is derived from first-hand accounts of those who knew Hopkins themselves or Hopkins' autobiography, My Life, in which he describes information on his early life and his years in the service.Hopkins Gambit
Richard Hopkins is best known for discovering the Hopkins Gambit, characterized by the moves:1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. c4?!
- The main purpose of 5.c4?! is to solidify the position of the white bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
on a4 by deterring Black from playing 5...b5. In addition, c4 asserts some control over the center, in particular the important d5-square.
The rarity of the Hopkins Gambit in modern competitive play is due to the inherent weakness of the d-pawn, which as a backwards pawn becomes a liability should Black take advantage.
Descendants
Hopkins had two sons, Timothy and Samuel. According to his father, Timothy was considered the "brute of the household", and was known for his frequent use of opiumOpium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
. On the other hand, Samuel was considered an "ideal son", but died at the age of 24 from injuries obtained in an automobile accident. During prohibition Timothy was involved in operation of a speakeasy and was arrested twice. After World War II, he opened a bakery in Ohio, which he ran for nearly thirty years. During his last few years, Timothy Hopkins tried to spread the accomplishments of his father to all who would listen. He died violently due to a gang murder at the age of 72 while walking through East Euclid, Ohio
Euclid
Euclid , fl. 300 BC, also known as Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek mathematician, often referred to as the "Father of Geometry". He was active in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy I...
.
Quotes
Notable games
- Richard Hopkins–Thomas Jewsbury, New York 1894, 1–0. Hopkins' first known usage of the Hopkins Gambit, employing multiple piece sacrifices and culminating in a beautiful checkmate.
- Samuel Braim–Richard Hopkins, Chicago 1913, 0–1. Regarded as one of Hopkins' best postwar games, and is generally free of errors. Many consider the game's tactical play to be virtually flawless.
- Richard Hopkins–Sreich Vukovich, Chicago 1913, 1–0. The aftereffects of Hopkins' wartime injuries are apparent, due to multiple inaccuracies in his play. However, Hopkins was able to take advantage of a mistake and win the game.