Franz Vaughan Siedeberg
Colonist 24 February 1891
A noteworthy exhibition of chess playing was given at the Institute last evening, when M. Siedeberg, the celebrated Danedin player, engaged in a niatoh blindfo'ded against Messrs Morrish and Merrick. two members of the Nelson Chess Club. The game commenced at eight o'clock, and at quarter to twelve, M. Siedeberg having made bis 34th move, it was decided to end in a draw. On either side the play was careful, and the feat performed by the Dunedin player in carrying on the game without a g an oe at the board, retaining in his mind every orange in the conop ex game, was a very remarkable one. The game was witnessed by a good number of chess players, who took a lively interest in the play, and Mr Siedtberg's performance was greatly appreciated.
Weekly Times, Melbourne, Sat 11 Mar 1893
He played a blindfold exhibition at ? on 4 boards winning 3 and drawing the other. Nelson
Evening Star 1 August 1887
Otago and Timaru Club , TELEGRAPH
0-1 Taylor
Otago Witness 4 July 1889
The following game was played in the tournament now taking place at the Otago Chess Club.
Siedeberg, F. V. vs. Mr. -, Otago CC Tournament, 1889
ECO "C52" Evans Gambit
Annotator "??i"
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. O-O Nf6 7. d4 exd4 {The authorities give 7...O-O as Black's best move at this stage, and if White follows by: 8. Nxe5, Black plays also 8... Nxe4, having slightly the advantage in position.} 8. Ba3 d6 9. e5 dxe5 {Taking this pawn renders Black's position hopeless. The position, however, is one of great difficulty, and probably 9... d5 would have enabled Black to make a better fight.} 10. Qb3 Qd7 11. Re1 {The game is very well played on the part of White. All this could not be improved on.} 11... Bxc3 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Rxe5+ Kd8 14. Be7+ {The attack is kept up with great spirit. This is quite decisive.} 14... Qxe7 15. Rxe7 Kxe7 16. Nxc3 dxc3 17. Qb4+ Ke8 18. Re1+ Be6 19. Qxb7 Rd8 20. Qc6+ Kf8 21. Qxc7 Rd7 22. Qc8+ Ke7 23. Qxh8 c2 24. Bb3 Rd2 25. Qc8 Kd6 26. Qb7 {and wins} 1-0
Otago Witness 15 August 1889
Otago Chess Club, Secretary— F. Siedeberg, Dunedin
Evening Star 14 July 1890
1891 Otago Chess Club, Secretary— F. Siedeberg, Dunedin
Otago Daily Times 1 December 1890
telegraphic chess match between the Canterbury and Otago Clubs
About 830 p.m. the first victory was obtained by Me F. Siecieberg, jun., at board No. 2, At tho end of the first evening's play Mr Siedeberg had obtained a very strong attack, and on Saturday evening Me Ollivior was forced to resign on the 21st move.
Otago Witness 25 February 1892
Blindfold Chess Dr R. H. Bakewell forwards
the following instance, of F. V. Siedeberg's powers of mental concentration while taking part iv a game without Sight of the board :— "Last week I went into the club room to see my son, who was one of the representatives of tho Wellington Chess Club. Not seeing him, but observing that Mr Siedeberg was sitting apart from the other players in the room, and that he was apparently unoccupied, I went up to him and gave him a message for my son* \ then went over to a group who were engapjed over a chessboard, watching a game, as I thought. -Tuht as I came to them one of them announced a ,move in a loud tone of voice,' After a moment's pause Mr Siqdeberg said, 'You can't move there, your Queen is on that square.' The other persons then saw that they had made a mistake. I was horrified at finding that I had been speaking to a player who was engaged in a blindfold game, and stupidly apologised, thus making a second interruption. But the remarkable thing was that Mr Siedeb'erg, although he had just been spoken -to by me, had such a clear impression of the state of the board that he could correct a mistake made by his antagonists. The interruption or the mistake would have been sufficient to disconcert any ordinary player; how much more then the two combined ? " — Auckland Herald,
Siedeberg left Christchurch on the 22nd February onboard the SS Manapouri via Australia for Germany, where he was to study elecytical engineering... [y]
He only stayed for a few days in Sydney and Melbourne, and couldn't play any chess, but in Adelaide he got to play Charlick (South Australian Champion) two games. [v]
Charlick, H. vs. Siedeberg, F. V,, Adelaide, Australia, 1893
ECO "C39" King's Gambit Accepted, Allgaier, Thorold Variation
Annotator "Charlick, H."
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ng5 h6 6. Nxf7 Kxf7 7. d4 {This constitutes Thorold's variation of the Algaier.} 7... d5 {Undoubtedly the best defence.} 8. Bxf4 dxe4 9. Bc4+ Kg7 10. Be5+ Nf6 11. O-O Be7 12. Nc3 Nc6 13. Ne2 {White has no attack to compensate for the piece sacrificed; if now 13. Nxe4, Black replies with 13...Nxe5} 13... Rf8 14. Nf4 Kh7 15. h5 Nxh5 {An excellent move, which wins speedily.} 16. Nxh5 Nxe5 17. Rxf8 Bxf8 18. dxe5 Bc5+ 19.Kf1 Qh4 20. Nf6+ Kg6 21. Qe1 Qh1+ 22. Ke2 Qxg2+ 23. Kd1 Bf5 24. Qh4 Rd8+ {24... e3 at once is the quickest way to win. for if 25. Qh5+ Kg7 26. Qf7+ Kh8 and White cannot escape the mate.} 25. Nd5 Qf3+ 26. Ke1 Rf8 27. Ne7+ Bxe7 28. Qxe7 e3 {Quite conclusive.} 29. Qh4 Bxc2 30. {And White resigns.} 0-1
Siedeberg, F. V. vs. Charlick, H., Adelaide, Australia, 1893
ECO "C43" Petrov's Defence, Modern (Steinitz) attack
Annotator "Charlick, H."
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Qe2 d5 5. Nxe5 Be7 6. f3 Nf6 7. Be3 O-O 8. Nd2 c5 9. dxc5 d4 10. Bf2 Bxc5 11. O-O-O Qa5 {11... Re8 here seems stronger.} 12. Nb3 Qxa2 13. Qc4 Be6 {In these games Charlick is too fond of sacrifices, which against a strong opponentseldom succeed; the correct play is 13... b6, which would have given him a good game, e.g. 13... b6 14. Nxc5 (Black threatens the deadly move, 14... Ba6 15. Nxd4 Qa1+ 16. Kd2 Qa5+ 17. Kc1 Bb4 and wins.) 14... Qxc4 15. Bxc4 bxc5 with a pawn ahead, and no disadvantage in position.} 14. Qxc5 Rc8 15. Qxd4 Na6 {15... Nbd7 16. Bc4 Nxe5 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Qxe5 Qxb3) 16. Bc4 Nb4 17. Be1 Nxc2 {This second sacrifice is more desperation; 17... Nfd5 would have prolonged the game, though it could not have saved it.} 18. Kxc2 Bf5+ 19. Kc3 Qa4 {Of course, compulsory.} 20. Ra1 Qe8 21. Nc5 Rc7 22. Qd6 Rac8 23. Bf2 b6 24. Nxf7 {Well played.} 24... Rxf7 25. Rxa7 {White can now win as he likes, and plays the rest of the game with unerring precision.} Nd7 26. Re1 Qf8 27. Re7 Nxc5 28. Bxc5 Rxc5 29. Qxc5 bxc5 30. Bxf7+ (30. Rxf7) 30... Kh8 31. Re8 1-0
When in Germany he had little time for chess due to his studies, however he did manage to play in 4 tourneys as follows: [x]
.
[t] New Zealand Herald 25 November 1902
Siedeberg arrived in London from the Continent yesterday (24th) morning. He had been assiduously studying engineering and music in Germany, and has made himself proficient in both professions. He has come to London to practice engineering, and will probably remain hero for some little time, but he contemplates paying a visit to Dunedin in the course of a year or two. He had done little in the way of chess, his time and mental energies having boon engrossed by his arduous courso of study, [t]
Nothing further has been found except his obituary in 1950:
OBITUARY [m]
Mr F. V. Siedeberg The death occurred in London on December 3 of Mr Frank Vaughan Siedeberg at the age of 81. Mr Seideberg, who was born at Clyde, Central Otago, was educated 'at the Otago Boys’ High School, being dux in 1888. He graduated B.A. at the University of Otago in 1892 and gained his M.A. with first class honours in mathematics the following year. He studied electrical engineering in Berlin and some years later went to England and then to America. He returned to England and was living in retirement there at the time of his death. Mr Siedeberg was a keen chess player and while still a student twice won the championship of New Zealand. Older chess enthusiasts still remember his feat in 1893 when he played four games simultaneously while blindfolded. He won three and the fourth was held to be drawn because one of his pawns had been placed on the wrong square by the person making his moves. Mr Siedeberg was predeceased by his wife. There were no children.
NZ Chess Championships Results
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References:
[1] Wikitree - Franz Vaughan Siedeberg (1869 - 1950)
[y] Auckland Star, 23 February 1893
[v] The Inquirer and Commercial News, Perth, Fri 19 May 1893
[x] Golombek's Encyclopedia
[i] New Zealand Herald 17 February 1903
[g] Museum of Electric Lamp Technology (http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Documents/Factory%20-%20UK%20-%20Rugby.htm)
[k] Otago Daily Times 7 August 1903
[l] TRAFFORD PARK (http://www.the-lawrences.com/tl-traffordpark)
[m] Obituary - Otago Daily Times, 6 December 1950