Sherlock Holmes and the Mysteries of the Chess World

About the Author\nLenny Cavallaro is an accomplished musician, composer, and author. He earned his B.A. at the University of Connecticut and later earned his Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from West Virginia University. He has served on the English and/or music faculties of several colleges in New England. A hapless woodpusher, he has nevertheless written about chess on numerous occasions and co-authored Superstition and Sabotage with Viktor Korchnoi. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.\nA Strange Enigma Is the Chess World\nThe origins of the Royal Game go back centuries. And throughout its diverse and multi-faceted history, controversies and mysteries have arisen. Some have been resolved; many have not.\nDid Alekhine really succumb to a piece of meat that was stuck in his throat? And Paul Morphy passed after a walk on a hot New Orleans afternoon? What if the great Sherlock Holmes – and his successors – applied ironclad logic to these and other instances of Caissa’s conundrums? Might we be closer to sorting out the truth?\nYou are invited to join Holmes, Watson and their descendants as they focus their investigative skills on seven decidedly curious cases from the chess world. Premature deaths. Strange games and match results. And more...\nAuthor Lenny Cavallaro has channeled his creative passion for chess into this wonderfully entertaining collection of short stories featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. And if you have not already realized it, you may discover that the chess world is indeed a strange enigma.\nExcerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.\nChapter 4\n“Here’s What We Do Know, Mr. Holmes.”\n“I suppose I should begin with the family connection. I’m not exactly sure, but it seems the late Herr Schlechter was some sort of very distant relative―fourth cousin, twice-removed, or maybe fifth cousin, once-removed. In our family the designations were simple: children of the same parents were brothers and sisters; their children were cousins, and after that one was simply ein Verwandter.”
Holmes turned to me abruptly. “That’s ‘a kinsman,’ Watson,” he explained.
“I never met him, of course, and I heard about him only in December 1909, when my father mentioned that back in ‘the Old Country’ a distant relative of ours would play a match for the world chess championship the following month.
“I played a little chess, which is to say that I had learned how to move the pieces, though not very much more than that. Nevertheless, I felt the excitement, and I wanted him to win.
“We got news as it became available, and eventually we learned that the match had ended in a tie, 5-5. Herr Schlechter did not become champion, and he died shortly after the Great War ended. “Meanwhile, we had already moved to the United States in May 1909. I was thirteen years old. I enrolled in the public school, and did quite well in English and history, though not so well with the mathematics.
“I never enjoyed the American sports, but I did become more interested in the chess, at which I improved. My real passion was reading, and after the War I learned much more about the match my kinsman had contested.”
“Schlechter was still a young man, only in his mid-forties when he died in 1918. Did he succumb to the influenza?” I asked.
“The official cause was given as pneumonia,” replied Holmes, “but from what I have heard, either the influenza or tuberculosis might instead have been to blame, and outright starvation may have been a factor, also. He was in abysmal financial straits toward the end of his short life.” Turning to Wiedermeyer, he continued, “Please resume!”
“Well, I don’t really know where to begin, but perhaps the first question is whether this was in fact a match for the championship at all. It seems that conditions changed notably before the first move could be played.
“Lasker had prevailed in some matches that required either ten victories or eight, with dr