ATimes Colonist Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Thursday, July 18, 1957 - Page 10 — Garden Chair Penetrates Defence; Anyone Still for Chess? — London (CP) — Magistrate Frank Milton, a chess enthusiast himself, listened with interest Wednesday to an account of how the Piotrowski gambit was born.
The occasion was a match between Alexander Piotrowski and Kazimierz Osiecki on the lawn of their jointly-owned house in Clapton. Osiecki had just taken Piotrowski's queen.
At this point, Osiecki told the magistrate, Piotrowski penetrated his king's Indian defence by striking him with a garden chair. Piotrowski recalled that his opponent countered by throwing the chess board in his face. The account of subsequent moves was somewhat confused.
The match was adjourned while the players retired for treatment of a fractured rib and assorted cuts and bruises. Each charged the other with assault.
Piotrowski said he originated the gambit when Osiecki captured his queen without saying “guard” when he threatened it on the previous move. The magistrate observed that this was a breach of continental chess etiquette.
Osiecki said he omitted the conventional warning because he anticipated his opponent would exchange queens.
The magistrate, observing that this had been the first chess match in 2,000 years to send both participants to hospital, declared it a draw by dismissing both charges.
Anyone Still for Chess? 18 Jul 1957, Thu Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) Newspapers.com
