Albert Hodges

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Albert Beauregard Hodges (21 July 1861 - 3 February 1944) was an American chess master.

He is a legend among chess aficionados. As one of the most well-known American chess players of the late 19th centuriy, Hodges played an important role in transforming chess from a pleasant pastime into a social institution.^[1]

In 1894, he lost a match to Jackson Whipps Showalter (8 : 10), and won a rematch (5.5 : 3.5), both in New York. Hodges became U.S. Champion, but announced that his ambitions in chess had been fulfilled, and that he was retiring to pursue a career in business. In addition to his reign as U.S. Champion, Hodges main claim to fame was playing inside Ajeeb, the 19th century chess automaton.^[2]

At the beginning of his career, he lost a match to Max Judd (3 : 6) at St. Louis 1887, won at Chittenango 1890, shared 2nd, behind Hanham, at Skaneateles 1891, won a match against Eugene Delmar (5 : 0) at Skaneateles 1892, drew a match with Adolf Albin (4 : 4) at New York 1893, won at New York 1893, took 2nd, behind Harry Nelson Pillsbury, at New York 1893, took 3rd at Skaneateles 1895 (Quadrangular), took 2nd at Thousand Islands 1897 (Pillsbury won), took 3rd at New York 1900 (Samuel Lipschütz won), and tied for 14-15th at Cambridge Springs 1904 (Frank James Marshall won).^[3]

Hodges participated seven times in cable matches between USA and England (1902-1911), and played several times for Manhattan Chess Club in friendly matches against Chicago CC and Franklin CC of Pennsylvania in the early 20th century.

He tied for 9-10th at New York 1911 (Marshall won), tied for 5-6th at New York 1914 (Edward Lasker won), tied for 7-8th at New York 1915 (José Raúl Capablanca, tied for 10-11th at New York 1916 (Capablanca won), took 4th at New York 1921 (Quadrangular), and took 11th at Lake Hopatcong 1923 (the 9th American Chess Congress, Marshall and Abraham Kupchik won).^[4]