Idaho Chess History
Chess Biography of Charles Herbert Stewart
By Richard S (Dick) Vandenburg
Charles Herbert Stewart as an old man
Charles H. (Charlie) Stewart was born in Marshalltown, Iowa on September 26, 1877 and died June 10, 1965 at the age of 87 in Boise, Idaho. His chess career began in Iowa in the year 1893 when his brother and several other local stalwarts began playing the "Queen's Gambit Declined" opening without the aid of books or instruction and proceeded almost exactly similar to today's "book".
He came to Idaho in 1903 but, in that early day, local players were scattered and most of his play was through correspondence, chiefly The Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA). For many years he was one of the top players in that organization and he won the 8th North American Championship as well as placing second in that annual event on four different occasions. He played (and won) correspondence games against Fred Reinfeld, as well as Harry Borochow, Los Angeles chess Master. In simultaneous play against top players, he has a win vs. George Koltanowsky and has drawn Newell Banks on several occasions. In Chicago, in 1915, he had the opportunity of playing the great Frank Marshall in a simultaneous exhibition.
In 1937, he played in the first Utah State Tournament and placed second, the victory going to Louis N. Page. Since that time he consistently placed high in Utah tournaments but that particular title eluded him. He entered numerous Nevada championships and was champion of that state twice in the early 1930s. He won the first Idaho State Tournament, held in 1947, and also won in 1949. He won the Boise City Championship many times.
When you consider Mr. Stewart's age of 70 years, when chess in Idaho started to develop with our first state tournament, his talent for the game was truly outstanding. Traveling to regional tournaments at the age of 80 plus, he scored 3½-1½ in the 1957 Oregon Open, was third in the 1957 Montana Open, placed 14th in both the 1957 and 1958 Idaho Opens, was second in the 1959 Idaho State Championship and, at the age of 82, tied for first in the 1960 state event but lost out on tie break for the title!
Mr. Stewart was a bookkeeper, banker, orchardist and land owner throughout a long career and was an old friend of world blindfold champion, George Koltanowski, and brought George to Boise in the 40s and 50s as he passed through on his way to visit relatives in Montana. Mr. Koltanowski would play two or three blindfold games with our players at one time, then playa simultaneous exhibition against all comers, followed by a lecture and promotion of his book on regular and blindfold play. I remember acting as "moderator" once when I was in school, calling off the moves by Kolty's three opponents as they showed them to me. I believe his world record was something like 33 games simultaneously blindfolded, losing only one or two and drawing a small number! Charlie was a real gentleman of the old school and never had a cross word to or about anyone. He was a real champion, on and off the board!
The following game, played in the 1959 state championship against one of Idaho's all-time strong players, shows how Mr. Stewart could win, even late in life, when given the opportunity.
