Max Judd vs. Albert Hodges Match
January 16-23, 1888

  • Max Judd, a Saint Louis judge, defeated future US Champion Albert Beauregard Hodges in a match by a 5-2 score, and claimed the National Title because of it. Since Captain Mackenzie (who had won three National Congresses as well as beaten Judd in an 1880 match) was still alive and active, no one took the claim seriously. However, see also Judd's brushes with the title in 1890 and 1904.

  • Each player got $125. There was no time control. Play was conducted at the St. Louis Chess, Checkers and Whist Club, in the Emily Building, at the southwest corner of Ninth and Olive streets.

    [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.16"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "1"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Max Judd"] [Black "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [ECO "C45"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, 1888.01.17, p8"] [PlyCount "108"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Qd2 Nxd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 d6 10.Bc4 Nc6 11.Nd5 Qg6 12.f3 Bd7 13.O-O O-O 14.b4 Rfe8 15.a4 a5 16.b5 Ne7 17.Nxb6 cxb6 18.d5 Nc8 19.Bd3 f5 20.Qf2 Ne7 21.Bxb6 Kh8 22.Rac1 fxe4 23.Bxe4 Bf5 24.Rfe1 Ng8 {Adjourned} 25.Bxf5 Rxe1+ 26.Qxe1 Qxf5 27.Qe4 Qxe4 28.fxe4 Nf6 29.Rc7 Re8 30.Bxa5 Rxe4 31.Bc3 Rxa4 32.Rxb7 Rc4 33.Bxf6 gxf6 34.Rd7 Rb4 35.Rb7 Rd4 36.b6 Rb4 37. Kf2 Kg8 38.Ke3 Kf8 39.Kd3 Ke8 40.h3 h5 41.Ke3 h4 42.Kf3 Kd8 43.Rh7 Rxb6 44.Rxh4 Rb5 45.Rh8+ Ke7 46.Rh7+ Kf8 47.Ke4 f5+ 48.Kxf5 Rxd5+ 49.Kf6 Kg8 50.Rd7 Rd2 51.g4 Rh2 52.g5 Rf2+ 53.Kg6 Kf8 54.Rxd6 {And after seven more moves Black resigned.} 1-0 [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.16"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "2"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [Black "Max Judd"] [ECO "C45"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1888.01.17, p3"] [PlyCount "106"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Qd2 Bxd4 8. cxd4 d5 9.Bd3 dxe4 10.Bxe4 Bf5 11.Nc3 Bxe4 12.Nxe4 Qg6 13.Ng3 O-O 14.O-O Rad8 15.Rac1 Nf5 16.Nxf5 Qxf5 17.Rfd1 Rd5 18.Qc3 Rfd8 19.Rd2 R8d7 20.Rcd1 Nd8 21.f3 Ne6 22.Bf2 c5 23.h3 Qf6 24.b4 cxd4 25.Qc8+ Qd8 26.Qxd8+ Rxd8 27. Kf1 a6 28.g3 Kf8 29.Rd3 Ke8 30.Ke2 R8d6 31.f4 g6 32.Kf3 a5 33.bxa5 Rxa5 34.a3 Rda6 35.Bxd4 Rxa3 36.Bf6 b5 37.g4 Nc5 38.Re1+ Kf8 39.Be7+ Kg7 40. Rxa3 Rxa3+ 41.Ke2 Ra2+ 42.Ke3 Nd7 43.Rd1 Ra7 44.g5 f5 45.Kd4 Kf7 46.Bb4 Nf8 47.Kc5 Ne6+ 48.Kb6 Rc7 49.Ra1 Rd7 50.Kc6 Rc7+ 51.Kd6 Re7 52.Ke5 Rd7 53.Ra8 Nc7 0-1 [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.17"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "3"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Max Judd"] [Black "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [ECO "B73"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, 1888.01.18, p5"] [PlyCount "142"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 Nf6 8.O-O O-O 9.f4 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.Bf3 Qd7 13.Rad1 b5 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.e5 Bxf3 16.Rxf3 Bg7 17.exd6 exd6 18.Qxd6 Qf5 19.Rfd3 Kh8 20.g3 Rac8 21. Re1 Qc5+ 22.Qxc5 Rxc5 23.Re2 Rfc8 24.Nd1 b4 25.a3 bxa3 26.bxa3 Bf8 27.Ne3 Ra5 28.Kg2 Bxa3 29.Rd7 Kg7 30.Ng4 Bb2 31.Ne5 Bxe5 32.fxe5 Kg8 33.Rf2 Rxe5 34.Rdxf7 a5 35.Ra7 Rcc5 36.g4 h5 37.Rd2 Rcd5 38.Rxd5 Rxd5 39.gxh5 Rxh5 40. c3 Rc5 41.Kf2 Kf8 42.Ke1 Rh5 43.h4 Rxh4 44.Rxa5 Kf7 45.Rc5 Rh2 46.Kf1 Kf6 47.c4 g5 48.Rc8 Rc2 49.Kg1 Ke5 50.c5 Kf4 51.c6 Kg3 52.Kf1 g4 53.Ke1 Kg2 54.Kd1 Rc5 55.c7 g3 56.Ke2 Re5+ 57.Kd3 Re7 58.Kd2 Rf7 59.Ke2 Rg7 60.Ke1 Kg1 61.Ke2 g2 62.Ke1 Re7+ 63.Kd2 Rh7 64.Ke2 Kh2 65.Rg8 Rxc7 66.Rh8+ Kg1 67.Rg8 Rf7 68.Ra8 Rh7 69.Rg8 Kh1 70.Kf2 Rf7+ 71.Ke2 g1=Q 0-1 [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.18"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "4"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [Black "Max Judd"] [ECO "C60"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, 1888.01.21, p9"] [PlyCount "72"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 Bg7 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 d5 7.Qc2 Ne7 8.exd5 Qxd5 9.Nc3 Qd6 10.Bg5 O-O 11.O-O Bf5 12.Qd2 a6 13.Bxc6 Nxc6 14.Bf4 Qd7 15. d5 Na5 16.b3 b6 17.Rac1 Nb7 18.Na4 Nd6 {Adjourned} 19.Rc6 Nb5 20.Rfc1 Be4 21.Bxc7 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Nd4 23.Nxb6 Qxc6 24.dxc6 Nxf3+ 25.Kg2 Nxd2 26.Nxa8 Rxa8 27.Ba5 Ne4 28.c7 Nd6 29.Bb4 Nc8 30.Rd1 Be5 31. Rd8+ Kg7 32.Ba5 Kf6 33.a4 Ke6 34.b4 Bd6 35.Bb6 Bxb4 36.Ba7 Rxa7 0-1 [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.19"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "5"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Max Judd"] [Black "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [ECO "C02"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, 1888.01.28, p11"] [PlyCount "92"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Be2 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 f6 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3 fxe5 11.dxe5 Qc7 12.Qa4 Ne7 13.Bd3 Bd7 14.Bf4 O-O 15. Bg3 Nf5 16.Qg4 Nce7 17.Rac1 b5 18.Rfe1 Rac8 19.h4 Qa5 20.Bf4 Qa4 21.g3 Ng6 {Adjourned} 22.Bxf5 Rxf5 23.Nd4 Rf7 24.h5 Nxf4 25.gxf4 Rcf8 26.Ne2 Bc8 27.Qg3 Qxa2 28. Kh2 Qc4 29.Rcd1 Qc7 30.Rd4 Rf5 31.Qd3 Rxh5+ 32.Kg2 a6 33.Ng3 Rh4 34.f5 Rxd4 35.Qxd4 Qc4 36.Qb6 exf5 37.e6 Qxc3 38.e7 Re8 39.Qd8 Qc6 40.Rc1 Qd7 41.Rxc8 Qxc8 42.Qxd5+ Kh8 43.Nxf5 Qa8 44.Qxa8 Rxa8 45.Nd6 b4 46.Nb7 Re8 0-1 [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.20"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "6"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [Black "Max Judd"] [ECO "C65"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, 1888.01.28, p11"] [PlyCount "102"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.Nbd2 g6 6.Nf1 Bg7 7.c3 Bd7 8.Ba4 Qe7 9.Be3 Nh5 10.h3 Nd8 11.g4 Nf4 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.Qd2 Ne6 15.d4 O-O-O 16.O-O-O Rhe8 17.Qd3 Qa4 18.Qb1 c5 19.d5 Nc7 20.N1d2 b5 21.Rhe1 Kd7 22.Nb3 Na6 23.Kd2 c4 24.Nbd4 b4 {Adjourned} 25.Qc2 Qxc2+ 26.Kxc2 Nc5 27.Nc6 Rc8 28.Nxb4 Nxe4 29.Re2 Nf6 30.Rde1 Rxe2+ 31.Rxe2 a5 32.g5 axb4 33.gxf6 Bxf6 34.cxb4 c3 35.b3 g5 36.Re4 h6 37.Nd4 Re8 {Adjourned} 38.Rxe8 Bxd4 39.Re4 Bxf2 40.Kxc3 f5 41.Re2 Ba7 42.Kd3 h5 43.Rh2 f3 44.Kd2 g4 45.hxg4 fxg4 46.Rxh5 g3 47.Rh7+ Kc8 48.Rxa7 g2 49.Ra8+ Kc7 50.Ke3 g1=Q+ 51.Kxf3 {And Judd wins.} 0-1 [Event "Judd - Hodges"] [Site "St. Louis, MO USA"] [Date "1888.01.23"] [EventDate "1888.01.16"] [Round "7"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Max Judd"] [Black "Albert Beauregard Hodges"] [ECO "C13"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1888.01.23, p1"] [PlyCount "124"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.Nf3 dxe4 7.Nxe4 O-O 8.c3 b6 9.Bd3 Bb7 10.O-O Nd7 11.Qc2 g6 12.Rfe1 Qe7 13.Re2 Rfe8 14.Rae1 c5 15. Bb5 Red8 16.Bxd7 Rxd7 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Ne5 Rc7 19.dxc5 Qg5 20.c6 Bxc6 21. Nxc6 Rxc6 22.Re5 Qd8 23.Qe4 Rac8 24.h3 Rd6 25.h4 Rd2 26.Re2 Rxe2 27.Qxe2 Rc6 28.h5 Rd6 29.g3 Rd1+ 30.Kg2 Qa8+ 31.Qe4 Qxe4+ 32.Rxe4 Rd2 33.hxg6 hxg6 34.Rb4 Kf8 35.Kf3 Ke7 36.Ke3 Rd7 37.a4 e5 38.a5 Rd6 39.Rb5 Ke6 40.c4 f5 41.b4 g5 42.c5 bxc5 43.Rxc5 a6 44.Rc8 f4+ 45.gxf4 gxf4+ 46.Kf3 Rd4 47.Ra8 Rxb4 48.Rxa6+ Kf5 49.Ra8 e4+ 50.Kg2 Rb2 51.a6 e3 52.a7 Rxf2+ 53.Kg1 Ra2 54.Rf8+ Ke4 55.a8=Q+ Rxa8 56.Rxa8 f3 57.Kf1 Kd3 58.Re8 Kd2 59.Rd8+ Kc3 60. Ke1 f2+ 61.Ke2 Kc4 62.Rd1 1-0

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