Boys in the black stuff
QUESTION Did the All Blacks acquire their nickname because of a printing error?
THAT the new Zealand rugby team came to be known as the All Blacks as the result of a printer’s error is one explanation. A reporter referred to the first team to tour Britain, in 1905-06, as the ‘ all backs’ because of the way they played and the printer, so the tale goes, inserted an ‘l’.
Billy Wallace, one of the 1905 All Blacks, insisted that was how the team acquired its name, and as he was the last of ‘the Originals’ to die ( in 1972), the story received wide circulation.
Wallace’s theory was that the name first appeared in the Daily Mail after the Originals’ 11th match, against combined Hartlepool side. in fact, the name ‘All Blacks’ had appeared in print before then.
The Originals played the first game of their tour against Devon at Exeter and won 55-4. The following day, a local paper, the Express and Echo, recorded: ‘The All Blacks, as they are styled by reason of their sable and unrelieved costume, were under the guidance of their captain, Mr Gallaher, and their f i ne physiques favourably impressed the spectators.’
Far from being coined by a British reporter, the name travelled with the All Blacks: i t was common i n the 19th century for teams to be known by their jersey colours. The first All Blacks were the Wellington team, who played in an all-black strip. They changed to white shorts in 1893 after the new Zealand union adopted the black kit f or the national team.
Henry De Silva, Andreas, Isle of Man.
QUESTION Further to the earlier answer that described The Immortal Game, which other chess games have been deemed worthy of a title?
IMMORTAL is generally used to denote a player’s best game, and perhaps the most famous is the Game of the Century, at rosenwald Memorial Tournament, in new York, on October 17, 1956.
it was between the then 13-year- old robert J. Fischer who was practically unknown before scoring this win against U.S. champion Donald Byrne.
it was dubbed the Game of the Century by Hans Koch in Chess review magazine. The game is notable for an audacious queen sacrifice which many strong players would probably not have considered.
Some experts have claimed the game is overrated and that Byrne had not taken it seriously. ill-health stopped him reaching the heights he should have.
Fischer also beat Donald’s brother robert in another Game of the Century. it was clear from this game that Fischer (playing black) was way ahead of most other players as few watching players, including Byrne, had black on top.
Another named game is Spassky’s Blue Bird. Boris Spassky, best known to nonplayers as ‘the russian who lost to Bobby Fischer in 1972’, was chess world champion from 1969 to 1972.
With Spassky playing white against David Bronstein’s black during the USSR Championship at leningrad, Spassky played the king’s gambit and won with a brilliant sacrificial attack. His generous opponent described Spassky’s play as ‘a blue bird soaring in the clouds’.
There is also The Opera Game of 1858. Paul Morphy, the greatest master of his era, was asked to play both the Duke of Brunswick and Count isouard in the Duke’s box at the italian Opera House i n Paris during a performance of Bellini’s norma.
As the game progressed, the opponents conferred so loudly with each other that i t disturbed the performers. Madame Penco, playing t he Druidic priestess, kept looking into the Duke’s box whil e s he was performing. Morphy, meanwhile, i s said to have played while trying to overcome his blocked view of the opera. instructors still use the game to teach the value of sacrifice.
C. Ellis, Northampton.
QUESTION Which British regiment likes to boast it is ‘the first in the field and the last to leave?
FURTHER to earlier answers, there is also a case for the royal Signals.
My late father, myself and my eldest son between us gave 83 years service to the royal Corps of Signals, which, until the advent of satellite communications and mobile phones, provided communications for virtually every Army operation.
A signaller was always among the first in — to enable the commander to report back — and inevitably the last out, having reported a successful withdrawal.
royal Signals personnel always formed (and probably still do) a considerable proportion of the SAS.
W. Lombard, Northallerton, N. Yorks.