The chess community as a whole and its die-hard adherents in particular must owe writer-player Ian Ali a special vote of thanks for his anniversary gift, a panoramic account of the history of the game in our country. Ali was commissioned by the TTCA to undertake this much needed task as an 80th anniversary project and, having regard to the research difficulties it presented, he could hardly have done a better, more comprehensive, job.
The onus, of course, is now on the Association to fulfil its promise by printing this absorbing history of the sport of chess in TT for the benefit of all lovers of this unique mind game. As Ali reveals, chess played a notable role in the colonial era connecting sporting ties among Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana. The earliest record of the organised game in the region, in fact, was the Inter-Colonial Tournament held in Trinidad in 1897 with Barbados and British Guyana as the other participants.
"Chess activity blossomed in the 1920s after the first world war," Ali reports. "The chess section of the Royal Victoria Institute (RVI) was formed under the leadership of Dr Arthur Hutton McShine. Two other chess clubs, the Girwood Chess Club in Port-of-Spain founded by C.B. Franklin and the Pan Caissan Chess Club founded in 1922, revealed a vibrant chess culture existing.
"Chess was a popular activity at the YMCA and simultaneous exhibitions were frequently held.
"In 1930 Trinidad contested a cable match with British Guiana and later with Barbados. The British Guiana and the British West Indies Chess Federation was formed in 1938 and the first Inter-Colonial Tournament of this period began. Inter-Caribbean chess activity during this period indicates that chess was a pro-imperialist activity, designed to keep the British colonies together. It was also a middle class activity that prominent persons indulged in."
Whatever Ali says about this early "blossoming" appears to be quite true. But it now seems unfortunate that, with the advent of political independence, the game eventually lost its regional cohesiveness. The British Guiana and British West Indies Chess Federation, formed in 1938, and the Inter-Colonial Tournament it sponsored both died a natural death without any kind of subsequent replacement. Now, with the ex-British Caribbean comprising of independent countries with their own national chess organisations, the possibility of reviving the regional body and its own regional tournament seems sadly remote.
Ali now devotes six full pages to describing what he aptly calls "The Splendour That Was Rome," that is the hegemony over the sport conducted by the RVI Chess Club from the 1920s to the 1970s. During that period, RVI dominated the local chess world largely by the ability and eminence of its leadership, particularly members of the remarkable McShine family.
Three members of the family, A. H. McShine, Hugh McShine and Austen McShine, were among the nine RVI representatives who challenged World Champion Alexander Alekhine in his first simultaneous exhibition held at the Royal Victoria Institute in February 1939. Both A.H. McShine and George Stanford held the world champion to a draw.
Ali proceeds to define the careers of the many RVI stalwarts who created chess history as they maintained the dominance of the club during that 50-year period. Apart from the McShines, he credits the contribution made by D. Campbell-Williams, George Stanford, Dr Maxwell Sturm, Frank Brassington, Fred Sabga, Carl Brown, Faustin DeVerteuil, Arnold Ramon-Fortune, Rudy Mohipp, Arthur Morris, Cecil Lee and Kenneth Phillip. He adds: "The roll call of RVI did not only belong to national champions. Players like McDonald St Hill, Lionel Dechi, Rhonda Wellington and other top players all passed through those hallowed grounds."
Ali's history needs to be complimented for its comprehensiveness as it also deals with the significant contribution made by the Southern Chess Club, Knights Chess Club, Paladins Chess Club, Checkmaters, the GMPS Chess Club and the Promenade Chess Club.
Having regard to the volume and difficulties of his research plus the anniversary deadline he had to meet, Ali must be complimented on the success of his one-man mission. DR now expects that the TTCA will show its appreciation by publishing this informative history before the end of the 80th anniversary year.