I was surprised to find a chess column on a Star Journal sports page, tucked under a Big Ten basketball story. The weekly feature was written by Willmar’s own O.A. Holt (gender unknown, but based on my extremely limited tournament experience I’ll guess that O.A. was a man). Why can’t Minnesota’s metro newspapers find room for a weekly chess column today? It’s a niche, certainly, but with a far richer history than, say, Sudoku.

SPOILER ALERT: I can’t guarantee that the notation in the story is 100 percent accurate. The tiny type and the dark, scratched microfilm are difficult to read. Holt appears to have used a variation of today’s standard algebraic approach. At the end of the entry, my 18-year-old son has provided a translation for today’s chess players.

The Pawn Pusher

By O.A. Holt, Willmar, Minn.

1943! A new and fighting year.

Let us start the new cycle with a brief editorial dedicated to the artists, masters, experts, and just plain players, responsible for the technical portion, which, let us emphasize, is the heart and soul of the column. It is prompted by the return to the problem arena of perhaps the greatest composer of 3ers the northwest has ever produced – Mr. O. Aarhus of St. Paul.

The technical portion in fine print below, is but a jumble of meaningless figures, symbols, and characters to the casual reader or non-player. This is natural. One cannot appreciate what one does not understand.

How then can there be any fascination or interest to the technical games, problems and endings depicted from the chess and checker board? That is a popular question. One answer: If the most fascinating or interesting novel you have read had been printed in Hebrew, or some language you did not understand, it naturally would have carried no interest or fascination. The same applies to the chess and checker language.

Various phases of either game (chess or checkers) have a special interest or fascination depending upon a particular individual’s taste or talent. Games are classified into openings, mid-game, and endings. They are played over-the-board, by mail, telephone, telegraph, radio, or blindfold. The type of play varies in social, tournament, match, and exhibition games. Generally, they are comparable to miniature war, featuring attack, defense, and strategy.

Problems (chess and checker poetry) feature beauty and artistry in a huge array of thematic art. They are comparable to a symphony or opera. Endings (End Games) are another separate phase where Mr. W. C. Nolting can furnish the superlatives.

The Pawn Pusher sends thanks and well wishes to the many individuals responsible for a high standard of technical sustenance included in our feature.

[Here is given the solution to the previous problem]

O. Aarhus!! To those who know this name in problem composition, no introduction is needed. To those who are not familiar with his works, well … You will see a good specimen below.

Today’s 3er was sent your operative as a Christmas gift. I am glad to share it. Why? It really starts 1943 off with a Bang! Note the main theme of the problem. I will not call it by name, for it might give away the key. But note also how the defense of the Bl B on a5 adds another major theme – a fine Grimshaw!

Aarhus writes: “I am glad to see that you now have so many fine composers in your territory. The Christmas 3er is a blend of themes, a modern feature of thematic problems.”

Aarhus was given a good “send-off” in the editorial above, but a deserved one. Think I could write pages on this modest genius. Well do I remember his baptism into the composing field and his meteoric rise thereafter. One of his 3ers had the whole of Canada stumped – and this was after they had the key move!! Couldn’t believe it, could you? Aarhus’ chief characteristics in the composing field are originality, difficulty, depth, beauty, artistry, cleanness, strategy, of which the first two are predominant. Glad to see you back, my friend.

Problem No. 764

ORIGINAL FOR THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR JOURNAL BY O. AARHUS, ST. PAUL.

Black 9 Pieces

White 10 Pieces

White to play and mate in three (3) moves.

[Holt, awaiting reader solutions and comments sent by mail, published this solution three weeks later:]

As tough as he makes them! I am pleased no end at the return of Aarhus. As of yore, he is up to his old tricks of multitudinous play, close tries, and the second move the usual Aarhus Will-o-the Wisp. – W.C. Nolting. Glad to see another fine Aarhus problem. First solution I sent in was the grand 3er, No. 617 by Aarhus. It so fascinated me that I resolved to try composing. No. 622 was of pleasing variety. – J.T. Wing. Welcome back, even if I can’t solve your 3er. – Joe Youngs.

The solution in standard algebraic:

Key:		R1c6		1. … Bxc6	2. Rc7
		“		1. … Bd8	2. Ne7+
		“		1. … Kxg6	2. Qb1+

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