Founding Member, Secretary and Treasurer of the Columbia Chess Club
Games among these players still exist. The Club's 1870s History Page exhibits one such game between Orchard and Washington Muller. Below is another game in the Ruy Lopez, as published in the Dubuque Chess Journal, 1873.
"Orchard is a Newspaper Man."
...were the words of the Salt Lake Herald (May 17, 1891 at 2). Early in his newspaper career, Orchard was a chess columnist for the Temperance Advocate, a weekly newspaper in Columbia, S.C. that ran from 1870-1876. Only three issues if this magazine are known to survive in the archives of the South Caroliniana Library, two of which included Orchard's chess column. Full copies of these two columns are presented below, along with digitized versions of the weekly puzzles presented therein. When the Temperance Advocate was discontinued, Orchard moved his chess column to the Columbia Union-Herald from 1876-77. (Dubuque Chess Journal, May 1875 at 256). Orchard was also an editor of the 1875 editions of American Chess Magazine. (Catalogue of Chess Library of Charles Willing, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa. 1916 at 10 (noting edition nos. 1 and 2)).
Later in life, Orchard was a staff writer for the Atlanta Constitution,became a special correspondent for the New York Herald--principally reporting on hangings. Orchard also wrote for musical periodicals such as the Musical Courier, and was editor and publisher of the music lover's magazine "Tone."
[insert other newspaper works]
Blindfold Player
Blindfold Exhibitions
Orchard often played blindfold games, as early as age 15, against opponents, and was so fond of the blindfold format that the Chess Journal saw fit to admonish him. "Mr. Orchard plays blindfold games very readily, but if he will take advice from an older chess-brother, he will eschew this most dangerous, albeit flattering accomplishment.
Orchard often played blindfold games, as early as age 15, against opponents, and was so fond of the blindfold format that the Chess Journal saw fit to admonish him. "Mr. Orchard plays blindfold games very readily, but if he will take advice from an older chess-brother, he will eschew this most dangerous, albeit flattering accomplishment. Very few can indulge in blindfold chess without injury to the mind." (The Chess Journal, May 1872 at 890).
Blindfold Game in Columbia, 1873
Orchard won the above blindfold game against a team of opponents in Columbia. Edward W. Screven [misspelled Scriven above], was a student of Rhetoric at the University of South Carolina (School Catalog, University of South Carolina, 1874 at 27) and later became a federal revenue agent. He was the grandson of General James Screven of the
Orchard won the above blindfold game against a team of opponents in Columbia. Edward W. Screven [misspelled Scriven above], was a student of Rhetoric at the University of South Carolina (School Catalog, University of South Carolina, 1874 at 27) and later became a federal revenue agent. He was the grandson of General James Screven of the Revolutionary War and after whom Fort Screven at Savannah and Screven County, GA were named. (Atlanta Semi Weekly Journal, Feb. 25, 1910 at 5).
"Four Ladies" Blindfold Game, 1876
"Four Ladies" Blindfold Game, 1876
Based on a review of the Columbia City Directory from 1876, "Mrs. A. J. W---" the last name redacted, was likely the wife of South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Ammiel J. Willard.
Founding Member of the American Chess Association of 1874-75
Orchard was one of the 70 members of the American Chess Association from 1874-75 along with other notable players including US Champion from 1871-1891 George H. Mackenzie of New York City. The American Chess Association was founded to organize the Third American Chess Congress to select a US Champion. Orchard himself never participated in the American Chess Congress tournament series, though he did write a letter of assurance to participate in the Fifth American Chess Congress held in 1880, notwithstanding his eventual absence from that event. (Gilberg, Fifth American Chess Congress at 119 (1880)). With Champion George Mackenzie's death in 1891, successor champions were chosen by match play.
Correspondence Game with "The Queen of Chess," 1875
Ellen E. Gilbert (b. 1837 d. 1900) was the daughter of a physician and naturalist who authored several books on birds and flowers. After receiving an education in liberal arts, she taught as the South School of Hartford Connecticut. She and her husband established the "Queen's Chess Club" in Hartford during the 1860s, which was one of the few places allowing members of both sexes to meet to practice chess. She became a strong 19th century chess player and one of the first significant women players in chess history and the most significant in the world during her time. She was the Lady Chess Champion of America for nearly 25 years and hailed as "The Queen of Chess."
She became world-famous for her match victory against George H. D. Gossip. Gossip, who had won the 1873–74 correspondence chess tournament of the Chess-Players Chronicle, "was thought by some to be the strongest correspondence player known". (Hooper, David, and Whyld, Kenneth, The Oxford Companion to Chess (1992) at 152). Gilbert, playing first board for the United States in an 1879 correspondence chess match against England, won all four of her games against Gossip, vaulting the American team to victory by a score of 27–23. (Brennen, Neil R., The Queen of Chess: The Correspondence Chess of Ellen Gilbert (2005)). Her games were analyzed by Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion, who confirmed the accuracy of her analyses.
Here, she defeats Orchard in a correspondence game from 1875:
W. H. Hotchkin v. I. E. Orchard, 1875
The London Chess Magazine recounts a game between William Henry Harrison Hotchkin and Orchard circa 1875. W. H. Hotchkin (b. 1840 d. 1883) was an Assistant Quartermaster for the 8th NY State Militia during the Civil War and served at the Battle of Manassas. From 1862 to 1866 he was employed as a keeper at Auburn State Prison in Cayuga, NY, after which he became a reporter for the World. He studied law in Watertown, NY and was admitted to the bar at age 32--eventually to be admitted to practice before the Supreme Court and elected Justice of the Peace in Watertown. Hotchkin was also the chess editor of the Waterton Re-Union newspaper, and had a notable chess career, including defeating the Iowa College Chess Club, defeating Ellen Gilbert (to whom Orchard himself had lost), and playing for the United States in a famous correspondence match with Canada. Orchard himself held Mr. Hotchkin in high esteem, noting that "[t]he Watertown Re union contains a splendid chess department , under that searching analyist, finished player and accomplished scholar, Mr. W. H. Hotchkin." (Temperance Advocate, April 24, 1874).
In 1883, Mr. Hotchkin went missing, never to be seen again. In November 1883, he boarded a train in Watertown headed for New York City, but never arrived. His ticket had been taken up by the conductor, but no other information could be found. The family visited all the hospitals, notified police, and advertised in newspapers about his disappearance--including the example pictured here from the New York Times.
Orchard's game with Hotchkin is presented below, along with the contemporary and modern analysis.
Victory of at the 1881 Spartanburg Tournament and the Invention of the "Palmetto Gambit"
"We are indebted to Mr. I. E. Orchard, of Columbia, S. C., for an interesting report of the recent chess gathering at Spartanburg, S. C. The first prize in the tournament fell to Mr. Orchard, who scored eight games without losing or drawing one. Messrs. Walker and Thomson came next, the former winning five and losing three, and the latter making an even score of four won to four lost. The tournament was a complete success, and will be repeated next year on a larger scale." (St. Louis Globe Democrat, Aug. 7, 1881 at 7). It is believed that a major and a minor tournament were held at the Merchants' Inn, with the proceedings opening with the mayor, Col. John Sharp Roland Thomson (C.S.A., Palmetto Sharp Shooters), participating in a consultation game allied with Mr. Walker (who finished first and second in the tournament) against Mr. Orchard and a certain Mr. Kirkland. The major tournament continued for a week. At least two games survive, including the inaugural consultation game, and the major tournament game between Mayor Thomson and Orchard wherein Orchard coined the "Palmetto Gambit"--likely as a fond pomp with his lesser competition--as presented below.
1898 Rice Gambit Match Against U.S. Champion Samuel Lipschütz
Salomon "Samuel" Lipschütz (pictured) was the chess champion of the United States from 1892 to 1894 and top-ten player in the world in 1898. At the Manhattan Chess Club (East Room of the Manhattan Chess Club, pictured in 1898), on Saturday, February 19, 1898, Orchard played five games against Samuel Lipschütz, with Lipschütz exclusively playing the Rice Gambit--presumably to test a disagreement between the players as to whether the Rice Gambit was sound. Orchard won 2 of the 5 games, with the only game published being a victory by Orchard following an excellent queen sacrifice. The American Chess Magazine remarked that "[i]t must have been a new sensation to our analytical Lipschütz to be cuffed about in this unceremonious fashion." (American Chess Magazine, April-May, 1898 at 638). For the curious player, the Rice Gambit is not sound, notwithstanding the outcome of the match.