Harry Nelson Pillsbury

by Bill Wall

After Paul Morphy

(1837-1884), the next
great chess player was
Harry Nelson Pillsbury
(1872-1906).

Henry (better known as

Harry) Nelson Pillsbury
was born on December
5, 1872 in Somerville,
Middlesex County,
Massachusetts, located Bill Wall
just north of Boston. His
father, Luther
Batchelder Pillsbury
(1832-1905), was a
Harry Pillsbury (1872-
teacher at the Prescott
1906)
Grammar School and Chess is a sad waste of
later the Assistant brains. —Sir Walter Scott
Principal of Somerville (1771-1832)
High School where
Harry attended. He also
owned a stationary store.
He later became a
successful dealer in real
estate and was in the
insurance business.
Harry's mother was
Mary A. (Leathe)
Pillsbury (1838-1888), a
teacher and writer.
Harry had two older
brothers (Edwin and
Ernest) and an older
sister (May).

Harry grew up on
Sargent Avenue on the
edge of Winter Hill in
Somerville.

He learned chess on
Thanksgiving Day in
1888 at the age of 15.
Harry enrolled in the
Somerville high school
to prepare for Harvard,
but the death of his
mother on November
20, 1888, forced his
withdrawal from school.
After the death of his
mother, Harry was
encouraged by his
family to study chess in
the hopes that it would
ease the loss.

In 1889 he was a
member of the
Somerville Chess and
Checker Club. His first
chess teacher was
Addison Smith, a
member of the Boston
Chess Club who lived in
Somerville.

In 1889, Pillsbury left

Somerville for Boston
and found work in the
sales department at
Filene's Department
Store in Boston. He later
became an advertising
representative.

In 1890 he was a
member of the
Deschapelles Chess
Club in Boston (founded
in January, 1889). That
club later folded and he
joined another Boston
chess club. Pillsbury
received chess lessons
from Jonathan Hall, a
noted Boston
problemist, and Henry
Nathan Stone (1823-
1909), a veteran
Baltimore expert.

In April, 1890, (age 17)

Pillsbury competed in
his first chess
tournament, in the 4th
annual Massachusetts
Chess Association
tournament.

In 1891, Pillsbury
defeated Constant
Ferdinand Burille (1866-
1914) of Boston in a
match.

In 1892, Pillsbury began

giving "blindfold"
simultaneous
exhibitions. This really
did not involve a
blindfold. Pillsbury
usually sat in a separate
room away from his
opponents and had
another person come
explain to him the move
each opponent made,
and then he would
respond to that move.

As a youth he went to
Boston and spent much
of his time playing
chess. By the end of
1892 he was the best
player in Boston and
was called the "Boston
Wonder."

In March-April 1892,
Pillsbury defeated John
Finan Barry (1873-
1940), the strongest
player in New England
at the time, scoring 5
wins, 4 losses, and 1
draw.

In April 1892, Pillsbury

won the handicap
tournament at the
Boston Chess Club
(founded in 1857),
winning 31 and losing
6.

In April, 1892, he
played a match against
world champion
Wilhelm (William)
Steinitz in Boston.
Steinitz gave Pillsbury
pawn and move.
Pillsbury won two
games and lost one.
Steinitz then played 21
members of the Boston
Chess Club
simultaneously. He won
18, lost 2, and drew 1.
His losses were to
Pillsbury and C.B.
Snow.

In November 1892, he
defeated E. L. Dresel
with 4 wins and 1 loss.
The games were played
at the Boston Chess
Club.

In November 1892,
Pillsbury played 8
members of the Boston
Chess Club blindfolded,
winning 7. He then
visited the Harvard
Chess Club and played 8
blindfold games,
winning 3, losing 3, and
drawing 2.

In December 1892, he
played 8 players at the
Boston Press Club,
winning 7 and losing 1.

In 1893, he beat Henry

Nathan Stone in a
match, winning 5, losing
2, and drawing 2. The
match was held in
Boston.

In April 1893, at the

Boston Chess Club,
Pillsbury defeated Carl
August Walbrodt (1871-
1902) with 2 wins and a
draw. Walbrodt was a
German chess master.

Pillsbury then defeated

the visiting German
master Arnold
Schottlaender (1854-
1909) with 2 wins and a
draw.

In May 1893, he was in

Philadelphia playing
chess as a professional.
In Philadelphia, he was
a member of the
Franklin Chess Club. He
gave his first blindfold
exhibition in
Philadelphia at the
Franklin Chess Club,
playing 4 games
blindfolded, winning
three and losing one.
Pillsbury was also a
checkers expert, being
classed among the 20
foremost checkers
players in America. He
soon added playing
checkers to his chess
simultaneous and
blindfold exhibitions.

In September-October,
1893, he played in the
first Masters'
Tournament in New
York. He took 7th place
with 7 wins and 6 losses
(won by Emanuel
Lasker with a perfect
13-0 score). One of his
wins was against U.S.
Champion Jackson
Whipps Showalter
(1860-1935) who tied
for 3rd place.

In late December 1893,

Pillsbury, who just
turned 21, came in clear
first (7 wins, 2 losses) at
the "Masters' Manhattan
Cafe Chess
Tournament" in
Manhattan at the New
York City Chess Club.
He lost to Albert
Beauregard Hodges
(1861-1944) and Alfred
Ettlinger (1854-1919),
and won all the rest of
his games, defeating
Showalter, Albin, the
Baird brothers, Halpern,
Hanham, and Delmar.
Pillsbury was now being
called the Morphy of the
North.

Pillsbury was also a

master checkers player
at this time, considered
one of the best in the
country. Pillsbury
combined chess and
checkers in his
simultaneous
exhibitions, a feat which
was very difficult and
rarely attempted. He
gave several of this
exhibitions in Brooklyn.

In January 1894,
Pillsbury gave a 10-
board simultaneous
checkers exhibition and
a 10-board simultaneous
chess exhibition at the
same time at the
Brooklyn YMCA. The
boards were alternately
arranged so that a game
of chess was followed
by one of checkers. In
chess, he won 6 and
drew 4. In checkers, he
won 1, lost 2, and drew
7 games. The next
evening, Pillsbury gave
an 8-board simultaneous
blindfold exhibition at
the Brooklyn Chess
Club. He won 5, lost 1,
and drew 2. (source:
Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
Jan 10, 1894)

In early 1894, Pillsbury

moved to New York
City from Boston and
became a member and
chess coach at the
Brooklyn Chess Club.
He played first board for
the Brooklyn Chess
Club in the club's
matches in the
Metropolitan League.

In March 1894,
Pillsbury played board 1
for the Brooklyn CC
against Jackson
Showalter of the
Manhattan CC.
Showalter won his game
against Pillsbury, but the
Brooklyn CC defeated
the Manhattan CC
across the 12 boards that
were played. Brooklyn
won 6 games, lost 2, and
drew 3.

In March-June 1894,
Pillsbury reported for
the press in the Steinitz-
Lasker world
championship match. In
Montreal, while
covering the Steinitz-
Lasker match, he gave a
10-board blindfold
simultaneous exhibition,
winning 9 games and
losing 1 game.

In June 1894, Pillsbury

stopped giving
simultaneous blindfold
exhibitions because it
was giving him
insomnia. He had found
that for several hours
after a blindfold display,
his mind was so
occupied with unplayed
variations that he could
not sleep.

On August 18, 1894, he

took 2nd, behind
Jackson Showalter, at
the New York State
Chess Association Rice
Trophy Competition (for
the Staats-Zeitung cup),
held in Buffalo.
Pillsbury represented the
Brooklyn Chess Club
and scored 3.5 points.
Showalter represented
the Manhattan Chess
Club and scored 4
points. The two other
players were Albin,
representing the New
York Metropolitan
Chess Club, and
Farnsworth, representing
the Buffalo Chess Club.

In October-November
1894, Pillsbury played
in the second masters
chess tournament at the
Union Square Hotel,
New York, sponsored by
the City Chess Club.
The event was won by
William Steinitz (1st
prize was $125), who
had not played in a
chess tournament since
1883. Pillsbury tied for
5th-6th place and out of
the prize money.

In 1895, he won the

Brooklyn Chess Club
championship.

In June, 1895, the

Brooklyn Chess Club
selected him as its
representative to the
Hastings Chess
Congress after raising
$300. Pillsbury sailed to
England on July 24,
1895.

When Pillsbury arrived

in Hastings, he refused
to stay at a hotel that had
any of the other players
in the Hastings Chess
Congress. He said, "I
want to be quiet; I mean
to win this tournament."
And he did.

In August-September,
1895, he played at the
Brassery's Institute in
Hastings and won the
event at the age of 22.
He won 15 games, drew
3 and lost 3. After losing
to Chigorin in round 1,
he won 9 games in a
row. At the time, no
player had ever won
their first major
tournament the first time
playing it. He finished
ahead of reigning world
champion Emanuel
Lasker, former world
champion William
Steinitz, and world chess
challengers Mikhail
Chigorin, Isidor
Gunsberg, Siegbert
Tarrasch, Carl
Schlechter, and Dawid
Janowski. First place for
Pillsbury was $1,000
(about $26,000 in
today's currency).

On September 5, 1895,
Pillsbury was at the
London Metropolitan
Club and gave a
simultaneous exhibition
with 15 women, giving
all of them odds of a
knight. Pillsbury won 11
games, lost 2 games,
drew 1 game, and one
game was unfinished.
(source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Sep 6, 1895)

Pillsbury returned to the

United States and
received a hero's
welcome. He was called
the "Hero of Hastings"
at a famous dinner in his
honor at Pouch Gallery
in Brooklyn. The menu
cards were decorated
with diagrams of
Pillsbury's most notable
games at Hastings.

Of the Hastings event,

Pillsbury remarked, "Of
course Chigorin was
much the strongest
opponent I had. I lost to
him at first and if I may
offer an excuse for
defeat I should say that
it was partially due to
the stage fright, if you
like, of a young player
competing with a
veteran....By the way,
some English
newspapers published
rather erroneous but not
ill meant references to
me. One said I was tall
and sallow and smoked
green cigars and another
stated that I had been an
infant phenomenon and
played chess at the
tender age of 6."
(source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Sep 28, 1895)

On October 15, 1895,

Pillsbury was honored
by a reception and
banquet at the Pouch
mansion. He was
presented with a fine
gold watch by the mayor
of Brooklyn and Mr.
Marean, president of the
Brooklyn Chess Club.

In Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, the
Milwaukee Chess Club
was reorganized and
named their new chess
club after Pillsbury. A
huge national
correspondence chess
club was formed and
named after him.

Pillsbury traveled to
Russia in December
1895, to play in the St.
Petersburg match-
tournament, a six-round
round-robin tournament.
He arrived in St.
Petersburg on December
6, 1895, a week before
that start of the
tournament. During this
time in Russia, he may
have contracted syphilis
from a prostitute just
before the tournament,
which was scandalous at
the time and not very
curable. Pillsbury not
only had to prepare for
each world class
opponent, but he had to
send back to the USA
journalistic reports of
the event. These reports
were expected in return
for financial patronage.

At the half way point at

St. Petersburg, Pillsbury
was the leader, having
one more point than
Lasker. In the second
half of the tournament, it
was reported that
Pillsbury was suffering
from a severe attack of
influenza.
In an interview, Jackson
Showalter said that
Harry Pillsbury had
gone into some wild
scheme with William
Steinitz to copyright the
games played in the
tournament outside of
St. Petersburg. Steinitz
has no head for
business, and Pillsbury
is a young man who
cannot afford to lose
much money. Yet
Steinitz persuaded
Pillsbury to enter into an
arrangement which was
wild and foolish on its
face. The scheme was
one by which Pillsbury
was to buy from the St.
Petersburg Chess club
the exclusive rights to
publish outside of St.
Petersburg, the full
reports of the games
played in the club. It
was the plan to secure
copyrights of the game,
but the whole scheme
naturally fell through,
because in a club like St.
Petersburg Chess club,
where the games are
semipublic, it is
impossible to keep
things out of the hands
of other people.
Pillsbury lost $600. His
recent failure to win
games is due, in part at
least, to his unfortunate
and unbusinesslike
venture. Pillsbury is
paying his own way in
the present venture.
(source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Jan 18, 1896)

In December 1895 to
January 1896, Pillsbury
took 3rd place at St.
Petersburg in a four-
master match
tournament (Lasker,
Chigorin, Steinitz,
Pillsbury). They played
6 games against each
other. Pillsbury was in
the lead in the first half
of the tournament
(Pillsbury had 6.5 points
out of 9. Lasker had 5.5
points, Steinitz had 4.5
points, and Chigorin had
1.5 points), but then was
affected by severe
headaches, sleeplessness
and neurosis. He only
scored 1.5 points out of
9 in the second half of
the tournament. He
defeated Lasker twice
and Chigorin 3 times,
but lost to Steinitz 4
times, with 2 draws.
Pillsbury finished in 3rd
place with 8 points out
of 18. Lasker won the
event with 11.5 points.
Steinitz had 9.5 points
and Chigorin had 7
points. The St.
Petersburg event was the
first super-elite
competition in history. It
was a prototype of the
world championship
match-tournament of
1948.

In 1896, before starting

another blindfold
exhibition, Pillsbury was
asked by Dr. H.
Threlkeld-Edwards, a
surgeon from
Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania, and civil
engineering professor
Mansfield Merriman
(1848-1925) of Lehigh
University, to study a
list of 29 words (actually
33 total words).
Pillsbury had offered
that he could memorize
any list of 30 words.
After a minute of study,
Pillsbury was able to
recite all the words in
the same order. At the
end of a 4 hour blindfold
exhibition, he was able
to repeat all the words.
The next day, he was
asked if he remembered
all the words, and
Pillsbury was able to
repeat all the words
forwards or backwards.

The list of words were:

ANTIPHLOGISTINE
(medication for relieving
inflammation),
PERIOSTEUM
(membrane that lines the
outer surface of bones),
TAKADIASTASE
(group of enzymes
which results from the
growth of a fungus —
named after Jokichi
Takamine), PLASMON
(genetic type of
cytoplasm or quantum
of plasma oscillation),
AMBROSIA food or
drink of the Greek
gods), THRELKELD
(from Dr. Threlkeld),
STREPTOCOCCUS
(bacteria),
STAPHYLOCOCCUS
(bacteria),
MICROCOCCUS
(bacteria),
PLASMODIUM
(microorganism),
MISSISSIPPI,
FREIHEIT German
word for freedom and
liberty),
PHILADELPHIA,
CINCINNATI,
ATHLETICS, NO
WAR, ETCHENBERG
(perhaps a German
name or place),
AMERICAN,
RUSSIAN,
PHILOSOPHY, PIET
POTGLETER'S ROST
(derived from
Potgietersrust, a town in
South Africa),
SALMAGUNDI (salad
dish or art center in New
York),
OOMISILLECOOTSI
(Zulu general),
BANGMANVATE
(settlement in
Zimbabwe),
SCHLECHTER'S NEK
(settlement in Africa
that rebelled in the Boer
War), MANZINYAMA
(lake in South Africa),
THEOSOPHY (spiritual
movement),
CATECHISM
(summary of Christian
doctrine), and
MADJESCOMALOPS
(garbled form of
matjesrollmops, a
Netherlandd dish of
herrings and pickles).

The list was later used

and repeated by Harry
Lorayne and Jerry Lucas
in their memory books.
They showed how this
list could be memorized
by linking and
substituting words.

In 1896, Pillsbury was

vice president of the
Brooklyn Chess Club.

In March 1896,
Pillsbury played board 1
in the USA vs. Great
Britain cable match for
the Newnes Trophy, but
lost to Blackburne. The
USA team won by the
score of 4.5 to 3.5.

On July 1, 1896,
Pillsbury resigned from
the Manhattan Chess
Club following the
Club's refusal to
discipline a member
who had taken
Pillsbury's umbrella.
Pillsbury did not return
to the Manhattan Chess
Club until the summer
of 1904.

In July-August 1896,
Pillsbury shared 3rd
place with Siegbert
Tarrasch at Nuremberg.
First and second place
went to Lasker and
Maroczy. Pillsbury
defeated three of the
greatest players in the
world in succession,
Lasker, Tarrasch, and
Chigorin in the 8th, 9th,
and 10th round. He also
defeated Steinitz in the
19th round. Pillsbury
was awarded the
brilliancy prize (300
marks) donated by
Baron Albert de
Rothschild, for his win
against Lasker. Pillsbury
was in ill health during
this tournament, being
under medical treatment
the whole time.

In 1896, Pillsbury
played Berthold
Englisch in a match in
Vienna. The match was
drawn after 5 draws.

In October 1896, he
took 3rd place at
Budapest, behind
Chigorin and
Charousek.
In February 1897,
Pillsbury played board 1
in the 2nd USA vs Great
Britain cable match. He
drew his game with
Blackburne.

Pillsbury won the U.S.

Championship in April
1897, defeating Jackson
Whipps Showalter. They
played at the Hamilton
Club in Brooklyn from
February 10 to April 4,
1897. The stakes were
$1,000 a side. Pillsbury
won the match 10 to 8
with 3 games drawn.
When Pillsbury won, he
refused the title of
American Champion, so
Showalter remained US
Champion. Pillsbury did
not want the title.
However, public opinion
recognized Pillsbury as
U.S. champion until his
death in 1906.

In 1897, Pillsbury
played 30 chess players
and 6 checkers players
simultaneously. He won
27 games of chess, drew
3 games of chess, won 4
games of checkers, drew
1 and lost one game of
checkers in this
exhibition. Pillsbury
said the hardest part of a
blindfold performance
was not to mix up the
games.
On June 6, 1897,
Pillsbury played 8
games blindfolded
simultaneously at the
Brooklyn Chess Club,
winning 6 and drawing
2. One of his opponents
was Frank Marshall,
which Pillsbury won.

In August 1897,
Pillsbury played board 1
for New York against
Pennsylvania, winning 6
and drawing 1 game, for
the best score in the
match.

Around 1898, Pillsbury

operated inside the
automaton called Ajeeb,
which was displayed at
the Eden Musee in New
York. Albert Hodges, a
former US chess
champion, introduced
Pillsbury to Ajeeb. He
did this on and off from
1898 to 1904. He was
paid $70 a week for his
efforts and may have
been part owner during
those years.

In February-April 1898,
Pillsbury defeated
Showalter again, with 7
wins, 3 losses, and 2
draws. This time it was
an official US
Championship match.
Pillsbury held the U.S.
championship title until
his death in 1906.

In March 1898,
Pillsbury played board 1
for the USA in the 3
cable match with Great
Britain. He drew his
game with Blackburne.

In May-June, 1898,
Pillsbury tied for 1st
place with Tarrasch at
Vienna (the Kaiser
Jubilee). This
tournament was in honor
of Emperor Francis
Joseph. It was a two-
round tourney of 19
players, where every
player had to play 37
games. Tarrasch won the
play-off with 2 wins, 1
draw, and one loss,
earning 6,000 Kronen.
Pillsbury's prize was
4,000 Kronen. Pillsbury
returned to the United
States is August.

In August 1898, he
moved to Philadelphia
and began giving
simultaneous blindfold
exhibitions more often.
He claimed that he
solved his insomnia
problem when playing
blindfold games by
concentrating on having
a good meal, or playing
cards, or other
recreation. He also
studied various
mnemonic techniques
for playing blindfold
chess and memorizing
long lists of difficult
words. Pillsbury smoked
Havana cigars and
sometimes drank alcohol
(usually whiskey) while
giving his exhibitions.

In 1898, Pillsbury met

Mary Ellen Bush during
one of his exhibitions in
Philadelphia and starting
courting her.

In 1899, Pillsbury
defeated Max Judd in a
match with 4 wins and 1
loss, held in St. Louis.

In March 1899,
Pillsbury played board 1
on the USA team against
Great Britain in the 4th
cable match. He lost to
Blackburne. The USA
team won the match, 6
to 4. Pillsbury was the
only American to lose a
game.

In May-August 1899, he
tied for 2nd place with
Maroczy and Janowski
at London. Emanuel
Lasker won the event.

In 1899, during a 12-

board blindfold display,
Pillsbury suggested a
short rest for the players
after over 2 hours of
play. He then asked the
players to write down 30
words on a slip of paper.
The words were read to
him and he was able to
repeat the words in any
order, forward or
backward. No list of
words, it seemed, was
too difficult to
memorize instantly.

After his return from

London, he organized a
tour of North America.
From October 1899 to
April 1900, he toured
the US, Canada, and
Cuba. He gave over 150
exhibitions, mostly
blindfold, and travelled
over 40,000 miles.

On October 7, 1899,
Pillsbury began his
chess tour at the
Franklin Chess Club in
Philadelphia. He gave a
simultaneous exhibition
of 18 boards, winning
15, losing 2, and
drawing 1.

On February 10, 1900,

in Chicago, Pillsbury
equalized Zukertort's
world record of 16
simultaneous blindfold
games (played in 1876).
He won 11, lost 1, and
drew 4 games in 5 hours
and 15 minutes. A few
weeks later, he repeated
his task of playing 16
simultaneous blindfold
games.
On March 6, 1900, in
New Orleans, he broke
his own record and
played 17 simultaneous
blindfold games. He
won 10, lost 2, and drew
5 games in 7 hours and
45 minutes.

In March 1900,
Pillsbury played board 1
for the USA team in
their 5th cable match
with Great Britain. He
drew with Blackburne.
The USA won the
match. Scoring 6 to 4,
and secured permanent
possession of the
Newnes Trophy.

In April 1900, Pillsbury

wrote "The Chess
Player's Mind" for The
Independent magazine.
It described how he
played blindfold chess
and the thinking of a
chess master.

On April 28, 1900

Pillsbury set another
world record blindfold
play of 20 opponents at
the Franklin Chess Club
in Philadelphia.
Pillsbury played White
on all boards and the
display took 6 hours and
30 minutes to complete.
He won 14, lost 1 (to
Landreth), and drew 5
games. After the
exhibition, he was able
to recall all of the moves
in all of the games. He
helped some of his
opponents correct their
scoresheets and he
furnished all the moves
of two players who did
not write down the
moves. Pillsbury went
over everyone's
scoresheet, without the
aid of a chess board, and
correct or filled in
missing moves on every
scoresheet.

In May-June 1900, he
took 2nd at Paris
(behind Lasker).

In July-August 1900, he
tied for 1st at Munich
with Schlechter and
Maroczy. Maroczy
dropped out of the
tiebreak games due to
illness. Pillsbury tied
with Schlechter in the
play-off match with 1
win, 1 loss, and 2
draws.

In 1900, Pillsbury
played 16 members of
the Columbia College
Chess Club blindfolded,
winning 14 after 7 hours
and 30 minutes. He
remembered nearly
1,000 moves without
making an error. James
Cattell, professor of
psychology at
Columbia, tested
Pillsbury's mental
powers and compared
them to the average
Columbia student. His
tests showed that, with
the exception of chess,
Pillsbury's mental
development was not
abnormal.

On January 17,1901, in
Chicago, Pillsbury
married Mary Ellen
Bush of Monticello,
New York (some
sources say
Philadelphia). She was
the daughter of Judge
Albert J. Bush of
Sullivan County in New
York. They had no
children.

In 1901, Pillsbury tried

to negotiate a match
with Lasker for the
world championship, but
nothing ever came of it.

In April 1901, he played

board 1 for the USA in
their 6th cable match
with Great Britain. He
finally defeated
Blackburne.

In August, 1901, he took

1st at the American
Masters tournament in
Buffalo (14th New York
State Chess
Association). He won 9
games and drew 1,
losing no games.

In September 1901,
Pillsbury announced that
he was retiring from
chess in 18 months to
practice law in
Philadelphia. Pillsbury
challenged Lasker one
final match for the chess
championship of the
world.

In 1901/1902 he again
toured the US. In one
16-game blindfold
exhibition in Buffalo, he
successfully announced
a mate in 8 moves
against one opponent.
Pillsbury often
performed the knight's
tour blindfolded. In
Toledo, he played 12
games of chess and 4
games of checkers
blindfolded, while
simultaneously playing a
duplicate whist card
game. He could take out
a shuffled deck of cards,
look at it once, and
remember every card in
order.

In January-March 1902,
he took 2nd at Monte
Carlo, 1/4th point
behind Maroczy. Initial
games were 1/4th point
when drawn.

In 1902, Pillsbury
played Board 1 for the
USA team in the 7th
cable match with Great
Britain. He drew against
Thomas Lawrence.
Pillsbury was in London
at the time and played
his game over-the-board
instead of by cable.

In March-May, 1902, he
toured Great Britain,
giving exhibitions.

In July-August 1902, he
took 2nd at Hanover,
behind Janowski.
Pillsbury won 11 games
and lost 5 games.

On August 2, 1902 in
Hanover (a rest day
from the main
tournament), Pillsbury
broke a new world
record by playing 21
chess players
blindfolded
simultaneously. He only
won 3, drew 11, and lost
7, but against very
strong opposition after
11 hours and 30
minutes. All players
were expert (18 players)
or master strength (3
players, including future
GM Ossip Bernstein).
His opposition is
considered to be the
strongest ever
encountered by a
blindfold simultaneous
player.
In December 1902, in
Moscow, Pillsbury again
broke the world record
and played 22 players
blindfolded
simultaneously. The
exhibition lasted 10
hours. He won 17, lost
1, and drew 4.
According to Alexander
Alekhine, one of the
Moscow players was
Alexei Alekhine, his
older brother. Alexei
supposedly drew with
Pillsbury, but there is no
evidence that Pillsbury
played either Alekhine.
At the time, Alexander
Alekhine, who watched
the exhibition, was 10
year old, and the
blindfold exhibition
motivated Alekhine to
also try to play blindfold
simultaneous chess.

In February-March,
1903, he took 3rd at
Monte Carlo, behind
Tarrasch and Maroczy.

In April 1903, he played

Board 1 for the USA in
the 8th cable match with
Great Britain. He drew
with Thomas Lawrence.
The USA team won,
scoring 5.5 to 4.5.

In May 1903, he went to

Vienna to take part in a
King's Gambit Accepted
tournament. He took 4th
place behind Chigorin,
Marshall, and Marco. At
the close of the
tournament in Vienna,
he was medically treated
in Germany by Dr.
Tarrasch, who applied
hypnotic treatment. But
was not sure that he
succeeded. In late 1903
he went on his final
American chess tour. In
Philadelphia, one of his
organizers, William
Ruth, sat with Pillsbury
at a railroad crossing.
Ruth wrote down a
fairly long list of passing
boxcar numbers.
Pillsbury was able to
memorize all the
numbers in the correct
order. After his final
tour, he decided to settle
down in Philadelphia.

In January 1904,
Pillsbury played 16
members of the New
York Athletic Club
blindfolded. There were
at least 300 spectators at
the event. He won 10
and drew 6.

On 1904, he visited the

Mechanics' Institute
Chess Club in San
Francisco. He played 16
chess games blindfolded
while playing 4 games
of checkers and 6 hands
of whist. He won all his
games of chess and
checkers except for 2
chess games.

His last tournament was

Cambridge Springs, in
April-May, 1904 (won
by Marshall). He took
9th place, but defeated
Lasker. This was the
first time that Pillsbury
was not among the prize
winners. During the
tournament he suffered
from insomnia and
restlessness. He was in
poor health and close
friends tried to get him
to withdraw because of
his health.

After Cambridge
Springs, he played only
2 more serious games in
the annual matches
between the Franklin
and Manhattan Chess
Clubs. He had given up
blindfold chess and was
arranging for an
exhibition of chess and
checkers at the Boston
Chess Club.

During the summer

months of 1904, he
vacationed in Atlantic
City to regain his
physical strength back.
He returned to
Philadelphia to
recuperate and rest.

In September 1904, the

7th American Chess
Congress Committee
questioned Pillsbury's
right to the U.S. chess
championship title. The
committee announced
that the next U.S. chess
champion would be the
winner of the masters
tournament at St. Louis.

On December 11, 1904,

Pillsbury began a chess
column in the
Philadelphia Inquirer. At
the time, Pillsbury was
very poor and needed
financial assistance and
a job. He was no longer
giving chess tours across
the United States.

On March 1, 1905, he
was taken to a hospital
and attempted to throw
himself out the window.

On March 7, 1905, he
suffered a stroke.

On March 27, 1905 he

was operated on at the
Presbyterian Hospital in
Philadelphia. A few
days later, while in a
high fever, he tried to
jump out of a 4th story
hospital window.

It was reported that

Harry N. Pillsbury, the
United States chess
champion, attempted
suicide at the
Philadelphia
Presbyterian Hospital,
Thursday night, while
temporarily deranged.
Later, it was reported
that it was merely a case
of delirium consequent
upon his feverish state
following a delicate
operation earlier in the
week. While his mind
was wandering,
Pillsbury acted
strangely, much after the
manner of this class of
patients, and wound up
by making a bee line for
one of the windows on
the 4th floor. The
presumption was that he
contemplated hurling
himself to destruction
below, but the timely
arrival of Mrs. Pillsbury
served to quiet him, and
he returned to his room
to obtain much needed
rest. (source: Brooklyn
Daily Eagle, Apr 1,
1905)

Walter Penn Shipley

declared that Pillsbury's
mishap was overblown
and that there is no
cause whatever for
alarm as to Pillsbury's
condition. Shipley
wrote: The statements in
the papers in reference
to Mr. Pillsbury's
condition have been
grossly exaggerated.
Pillsbury enter the
hospital for a slight
operation for a trouble
from which he has been
suffering for the past
two years. Pillsbury is
expected to be around
again in about a week.
As a result of the lack of
nourishment and the
effects of ether, Mr.
Pillsbury had a delusion
Thursday night that he
must be present at an
entertainment given for
him in Philadelphia, and
that he must be on hand
promptly. Pillsbury got
up and dressed himself
and started to leave the
hospital when he was
interfered with by the
nurses. He attempted to
force his way out of the
hospital. He was,
however, aroused in the
course of about half an
hour, realized where he
was and retired
peacefully to bed. His
wife was not at the
hospital at the time.
(source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Apr 3, 1905)

On May 13, 1905, he

gave a simultaneous
exhibition against the
strongest players in
Boston. He won 16, lost
5, and drew 5.

Pillsbury played his

final serious game on
May 31, 1905 during the
annual Franklin and
Manhattan chess club
match.

On November 8, 1905
he and his wife went to
Bermuda in an attempt
to improve his failing
health. He did not play
any chess and devoted
his time to outdoor life.
While in Bermuda, he
suffered his 2nd stroke.
He described his pains
as similar to those he
suffered in Nuremberg
in 1896.

He returned home to
Philadelphia in January,
1906 and was seen by
Dr. Charles K. Mills, a
noted specialist on the
subject of paresis. He
told the public that
Pillsbury had a
breakdown due to
irregularity in time of
eating and sleeping,
neglect of exercise, and
excessive smoking.

On January 24, 1906 he

had gone to Pasadena
for special medical
treatment.

In March 1906, he had

another stroke which
caused partial paralysis.

In March 1906, it was

reported that Pillsbury
was near death. Beset by
apoplexy and paralysis,
his case was considered
hopeless. Pillsbury lied
at the point of death in a
hospital in the Quaker
City. A report stated that
he had suffered a stroke
of apoplexy and that this
was followed by partial
paralysis, making his
case practically a
hopeless one. He was
given at most but a few
more weeks to live.
(source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Mar 15, 1906)

In May 1906, he wrote

to the American Chess
Bulletin, saying he "was
very much alive." He
died a month later.

Pillsbury died of general

paresis (syphilis) at 4
a.m. on June 17, 1906 at
Frankford Hospital
(Friends Asylum) in
Frankford (now a
borough of
Philadelphia),
Pennsylvania at the age
of 33.

On June 18, 1906, his

obituary appeared in the
New York Times. It
stated that he died from
an "illness contracted
through overexertion of
his memory cells."

On June 19, 1906,

funeral services for
Harry Nelson Pillsbury
were held at the home of
his physician brother,
Dr. E. D. Pillsbury, in
West Sommerville.
Besides the family and
numerous friends and
relatives, there were
present a number of
chess followers,
including several
members of the Boston
Chess Club, of which
Pillsbury was an
honorary member.

Pillsbury is buried in
their family plot in
Laurel Hill Cemetery,
Reading, Massachusetts.
The inscription on his
grave says Harry Nelson
Pillsbury, Dec 5 1872 —
June 17 1906, U. S.
Chess Champion 1897
— 1906, Winner of the
1895 Hastings
Tournament.

Pillsbury's family denied

a report that his brain
was willed to any
institution or scientists
for any purpose of
scientific investigation.
(source: Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Jun 19, 1906)

In 1906, Emanuel
Lasker wrote the
following about
Pillsbury, which
appeared in the New
York Times:
"Pillsbury, the American
chess champion, died
last Sunday (June 17,
1906). The cause of his
premature departure was
a stroke of apoplexy.
The mechanism of his
brain had become
defective. With the
examples of Morphy
and Steinitz in their
minds, many writers
have commented on the
tendency of famous
chess players to insanity.
A general belief has
consequently been
engendered that chess
playing, or any very
intensive purely mental
occupation disorganizes
the intellect. But this
belief is entirely
unfounded. It is in the
highest degree
mischievous.

Physiologically it is
clear why the man who
cares most for the
development of his
physique and the senses
should suffer. He puts a
load on the heart that the
brain is not allowed to
share. Thus both organs
deteriorate, the one from
overexertion, the other
one from lack of use.

The man whose critical

faculty is developed will
never strain any more of
his organs beyond the
power of endurance. The
uncritical mind, in the
quest for pleasure, often
oversteps this limit.
Happiness is entirely a
state of mind.

Chess has an important

function to fulfill.
Opportunities for
enjoying works of art or
for studying scientific
books are afforded in
plenty. But the spirit of
fight — calling into
being so many faculties
of man — in modern
society rarely finds
occasion for
manifestation and
practice. The ancient
game of chess fills out
this gap. While the two
armies of 16 pieces each
contend with each other
in mimic warfare
according to
acknowledged rules, the
brain of the player is in
constant agitation. Here
he must foresee the
result of a hostile
maneuver, analyzing its
outcome sharply to find
out whether it is time for
defense or whether he
should make his
opponent press him still
harder before he
parries.

Chess requires courage

thus to expose one's self
to the certainty of
danger, yet his strategic
convictions tell him that
the offered sacrifice is
unsound, that if he only
finds the right replies he
should win. But he
anxiously asks himself
whether he is not
mistaken. His moral
courage struggles in
him. The struggle on the
board has a counterpoint
in the soul of the man.

A long series of such

experiences must
develop in the chess
player certain portions
of his mind that, unless
circumstances are very
favorable, are usually
dwarfed. A belief in the
logic of events, not
alone in the chessboard,
must take hold of him.

For these and many

other reasons it cannot
be doubted that the brain
considerably gains in
force by the practice of
chess play. And
therefore, according to
our thesis, we must
conclude that in modern
society the ideal man
would be a chess
player.

But here I hear some

interpose, What about
Morphy, Steinitz, and
Pillsbury, the three
greatest American chess
players, having fallen
victims to insanity?
Does not observation
disprove your theory?
So they may ask. My
reply is a decided No!

Morphy did not go

insane on account of
chess. During the last 30
years of his life he never
touched the pieces, nor
did he show any signs of
insanity except perhaps
10 years before his
death. Is it likely that the
troubles should have
arisen from chess
playing, which he by no
means played
excessively, or is it not
rather more probable
that something else,
such as war unfavorable
to his side, or another
ailment somehow
contracted, was the
cause?

Steinitz went insane in

spite of chess. Modern
science has located the
various mental faculties
in the brain, and so it
has been found that
Steinitz was born with a
defect in his motional
brain cells. The part of
the brain where
chesswork was
performed was, on the
contrary, strong and
sound. The blood supply
of the weaker part
became irregular, and
there was a hemorrhage,
a catastrophe, that would
have occurred much
earlier (Steinitz was 62
years old when he died)
had he not strengthened
his brain by the use of
his other faculties.

Pillsbury's case is
different. He died from
an illness, contracted
through overexertion of
his memory cells. But
chess has only very
indirectly to do with
that. Memory has the
least value for a chess
player who in its stead
has to make use of
invention, original
thinking, and logic.
Only in blindfold chess
does memory find a
place. Unfortunately
Pillsbury made it his
business to give
blindfolded
performances. The chess
clubs made him play as
many games as he
possible could stand.
During the trying hours
of his exhibitions, in
which he often gave also
feats of memory and
played checkers and
whist, Pillsbury would
smoke and partake of
whisky. Thus little by
little his health was
undermined. Many
friends, seeing him lose
in strength, warned him
of the peril. But the
chess world is
wretchedly organized,
and much as it owed to
Pillsbury it never
allowed him a living
except on condition that
he gave his exhibitions.
So the vicious circle was
complete, and now we
stand mourning at his
grave.
In life scores, Pillsbury
beat Schlechter (+8=9-
2), Janowski (+6=2-4),
and Maroczy (+4=7-3).
He was even with
Lasker (+5=4-5),
Steinitz (+5=3-5), and
Tarrasch (+5=2-5). He
lost to Chigorin (+7=6-
8) and Blackburne
(+3=4-5).

He played over a
thousand blindfold
games around the world
in more than 70
displays.

In the early part of the

20th century, Dr. Elmer
Southard (1876-1920),
Professor of Psychology
at Harvard University,
and a strong chess
player himself, studied
Pillsbury's brain. Dr.
Southard studied the
brain of Pillsbury in an
attempt to decide
whether a genius for
chess tends to
deteriorate the mind. He
found no difference
between a chess player's
brain and anyone else's
brain.

In 1986, Pillsbury was

inducted in the U.S.
Chess Hall of Fame.

References:

Bachmann, Pillsbury
und Charousek, 1914
Bachmann,
Schachmeister Pillsbury,
1908 and 1930
ChessBase, Harry
Nelson Pillsbury, the
American tragedy,
ChessBase online, Jun
17, 2006
Cherniaev, Harry
Nelson Pillsbury: A
Genius Ahead of His
Time, 2006
Cherniaev, Uroki
Pillsbury
Henrici, Harry Nelson
Pillsbury. 200 partier
Kasparov, My Great
Predecessors, Vol 1, pp.
126-138
Long, Harry Nelson
Pilsbury, The Fencer,
2011
Mansurov, Sled
meteora, 1966 and 2016
Moran, Pillsbury, el
genio del ataque, 1973
Petrovic, Harry Nelson
Pillsbury, 1971
Pickard, Hastings 1895:
The Centennial Edition
Pope, Harry Nelson
Pillsbury American
Chess Champion, 1996
Ramirez, Pillsbury
lecture on YouTube
Sergeant and Watts,
Pillsbury's Chess Career,
1923
Smith and Soltis,
Pillsbury the
Extraordinary, 1990
Wenman, Great
American Chess-
Players, II. H.N.
Pillsbury
Winter, Pillsbury's
Torment, 2002 and 2005

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