Robert S . Scrivener
Well-liked as a young man and universally loved as an old man , Bob Scrivener , who came to be known as “ Uncle Bob ,” managed to carve out a unique niche in the annals of amateur chess . With an active career in both the banking and airlines industries , he still found time to serve as President of the Western Chess Association three times , write a chess column for the Memphis News Scimitar , and assume major responsibility for the “ overwhelming success ” ( in the words of Rosa B . Jefferson ) of the 1914 Western Chess Association Championship that was held in Memphis .
A Charter Member of the Tennessee Chess Hall of Fame , Scrivener won the state championships of Alabama , Florida , Louisiana , and Mississippi — the last at the age of 80 ! – and at the relatively young age of 76 , he won the Southern Open . He was featured in the Chess Life issue of May 20 , 1959 , and was later awarded the title of Master Emeritus by the U . S . Chess Federation .
On to Glory — and Memphis !
As it turned out , B . B . squeaked by , ½ point ahead of Elliott , the twotime champion . His performance had enormous ramifications , as Harry F . Lee foresaw in the Chicago Tribune : “ In Chicago was held the most successful meeting the Western Chess association ever had . Eighteen strong players from the west , the northwest , and the south entered the lists , and for the first time in the history of the association , the chief honor was earned by a southern player . B . B . Jefferson of Memphis , for years recognized as the champion of the south , won first prize and championship of the association … The most important step taken by the association at this meeting was the selection of Memphis as the meeting place next year . So great an interest in the work of the association has been manifested by the chess players of Memphis that the game is certain to be benefited by this enlargement of the field .”
The choice of Memphis for the 1914 championship was not left to chance as far as the Memphis contingent was concerned . Certainly , the personal popularity of the three Memphians must have helped . “ His [ B . B . ʼs ] victory was a popular one ,” wrote Lee , “ as his style of play was much admired . He and his associates from Memphis added much to the success of the meeting .” But Memphis wasnʼt selected without a struggle .
“ Memphis , besides sending a strong trio of players to represent Tennessee in the tournament , swamped the chess headquarters with requests for the 1914 tournament today , and after a hot battle the southern city was chosen as the next meeting place .”
Unfortunately , we donʼt know who orchestrated the flood of telegrams from Memphis players pledging their support should Memphis be chosen , but itʼs easy to assume it was Rosa Jefferson on the home front coordinating with Dave Cummings , who had unexpected time on his hands , in Chicago .
For Memphis , it was an all-around triumph . “ The participation of players from the south in the recent meeting of the Western Chess Association led to important results . Memphis , Tenn ., secured the championship , the presidency of the association [ Scrivener was elected president ], and the honor of holding the next meeting .”
Out of the Shadows
For B . B ., it was the height of his chessic glory — until the next year , when he won the championship again , this time on his home turf . No one had ever won back-toback . As the first one to accomplish the feat , B . B . got to present his club – the Memphis Chess Club – with the associationʼs Cornell Trophy . It is still the clubʼs most revered relic .
After his 1914 victory , B . B . didnʼt play again in the Western Championship until 1920 , where he finished second to Edward Lasker . It was 14 more years before he again challenged the best of the West . But it was a new world of chess he found in Chicago in 1934 , a realm no
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