John F. Horr obituary (New York Times, 10 May 1935)

[DrCaesar]

JOHN F. HORR IS DEAD; OFFICIAL OF BUFFALO

Deputy Director of Buildings was National Champion of Checkers in 1920-22

BUFFALO, May 8 - John F. Horr, Deputy Municipal Director of Buildings, died of diabetes here late yesterday after an illness of three months. Mr. Horr, who was 56 years old, was former national checker champion and an expert at chess. He was a leader in Democratic politics here for many years.

For twenty-five years, Mr. Hoff was Buffalo's checker champion. In 1920 he won national honors and held the title of champion in the United States for two years.

He was the chairman of the Democratic committeemen in the Twenty-Seventh Ward at his death. In 1933, he was mentioned for the county chairmanship of his party but stepped aside in favor of William H. Carr.

Born in Lima, Livingston County, on Dec. 6, 1878, he came to Buffalo in 1891. He studied at Canisius College. He engaged in the insurance business.

Mr. Horr was appointed by Mayor Zimmermann as Deputy Director of the Division of Buildings on Jan. 1, 1934.

He was single. Survivors are a brother, Edwin J. Horr, of Buffalo, and a sister, Mrs. John P. Casey of Batavia.

[George Hay]

John Horr was a great champion, and a proponent of the four "banned openings" in the two-move era. Of 49 possible moves in black then white making their first moves, two, 9-14 21-17 and 10-14 21-17, result in a loss of the man with the 14x21 capture. That leaves 47 possible two move openings, but with four openings banned because they were considered uneven. Those four openings ( 9-14 23-18 and 10-14 23-18 and 11-16 23-19 and 12-16 23-19) were sometimes played, and "championed" by John Horr. In 1920 John Horr won the 4th ACA National Tournament at Cedar Point, Ohio. But the four "barred openings" were eliminated in the next National Tournament in 1922, with John Horr walking out in protest. The 1922 ACA National Tournament in Boston was won by Asa Long (age 18), with Alfred Jordan second, and Louis Ginsburg 3rd. In Detroit in 1923 the two National Champions, John Horr and Asa Long played a two-move opening match that included the barred openings. John Horr beat Asa Long 4-1-33. Asa Long went on to a legendary career as the "Iron Man" of Checkers. Evidently young Asa Long learned well from the match with John Horr.

--George Hay

[DrCaesar]

I didn't realize that Horr walked out on the 1922 tourney! I know he was missing his right hand due to a childhood hunting accident. And of course there's the famous story about when Jordan dragged out an end game until Horr blundered.

I always wonder what happened to these guys' manuscripts, notes, and checker libraries after they die. Apparently Newell Banks received Gus Heffner's papers and library, but he left them in a trunk with his brother, whose wife burned them! What an incredible loss.

I was in touch with Sheila Hellman, Walter's daughter, a few years ago. I should have asked her about where her dad's things ended up.