"Mona May Karff won her first U.S. Women's Chess Champion title against Adele Rivero in 1938." is inaccurate for several reasons. First, Karff won the title in tournament play, not match play (scoring 9½-½).
[Mary Bain came in second; Adele Rivero, third; Edith Weart, fourth; followed by: 5.Mrs. Raphael McCready, 6. Mathilda Harmath,
7. Adele Reattig, 8. Edna Harrison, 9. Helen Kashdan, 10. Mrs. W. E. Jackson and 11. Elizabeth Wray.]
If the idea behind the statement was the misconception that Adele Rivero held the U.S. Women's Championship title in 1937 and lost it when Karff won it in 1938, this seems to also be inaccurate. Nowhere was it ever stated that Rivero won the title of U.S. Women's Chess Champion in 1937. In fact, it had been explicitly stated that she won the woman's championship of the National Chess Federation. Mrs. Jean Grau had won the championship of the American Chess Federation the same year.
It wouldn't be until 1938 that there was an announced tournament for the U.S. Women's Chess Champion title - which is the one above that Karff won. Grau, as ACF Champion was invited to attend but couldn't make the trip. The conclusion is the Mona May Karff became the first officially recognized U.S. Women's Chess Champion through tournament play.
see:
http://sbchess.sinfree.net/Women_in_Chess_2.html and associated links for some documention.
Batgirl (
talk) 18:18, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
(edit)
