W.H.K. Pollock

Olimpiu G. Urcan is a Singapore-based chess historian. He contributes regularly to Edward Winter’s Chess Notes and is the author of several chess biographies published by McFarland. John S. Hilbert, a retired senior attorney with the Social Security Administration living in Buffalo, New York, has written 16 chess books and over 100 articles on chess biography and history, winning multiple national and international awards.

Table of Contents


Preface and Acknowledgments

Abbreviations and Annotation Symbols

Part One: Life and Chess Career (1859–1896)

 1. The Irish Connection, 1859–1881

 2. Early Chess Play, 1882–1885

 3. In England and Ireland, 1886–1888

 4. Two Months in New York, March 25–May 25, 1889

 5. A Baltimore Man, June 1889–May 1890

 6. Going West, May 1890–June 1891

 7. Six Days in Skaneateles, July 20–25, 1891

 8. In Bluegrass Country, August–December 1891

 9. With the Holy Trinity: Chigorin, Steinitz and Lasker, January–December 1892

10. Moving Up North, January–August 1893

11. An Impromptu Misadventure, September–October 1893

12. In Montreal, May 1894–July 1895

13. At Hastings, July 1895–February 1896

14. Towards an Early Endgame, March–October 1896

Part Two (1882–1896): Games 1–518

Section I (January 1882–October 1885)

Section II (January 1886–March 7, 1889)

Section III (March 25–May 1889)

Section IV (May 31, 1889–March 1890)

Section V (May 1890–April 1891)

Section VI (July 1891)

Section VII (August–December 1891)

Section VIII (January–December 1892)

Section IX (January–August 1893)

Section X (October 1893)

Section XI (May 1894–July 1895)

Section XII (August 1895–September 2, 1895)

Section XIII (September 18, 1895–May 1896)

Part Three: Appendices, Bibliography, Indices

Appendix A.Pollock and the 1890s American Chess Clubs

Appendix B.Pollock Obituaries

Appendix C.Pollock Memories: Inception and Reception

Appendix D.A Pollock Essay on Time Limits

Appendix E.A Question of Originality

Appendix F.Pollock’s Chess Problems

Appendix G.Pollock’s Review of Steinitz

Appendix H.Reviewing Mason

Appendix I.A Call for Original Research

Appendix J.War Whoops

Appendix K.Undated Games (519–530)

Appendix L.Six Pollock Endgames

Appendix M.Pollock’s Tournament and Match Record

Bibliography

Index of Pollock Opponents (by Game Number)

Index of Historical Annotators (by Game Number)

Index of Openings—Traditional Names (by Game Number)

Index of Openings—ECO Codes (by Game Number)

General Index (to Page Numbers)