...to describe a chess tournament? Or just simply due to tradition?

Thanks

fc

I think the first usage might have been for the first American chess congress of 1857. I can't find any usage of "congress" in contemporary accounts of the earlier London tournament of 1851.

The 1857 American congress was not just a chess tournament, it was also supposed to be a meeting of representatives of chess clubs throughout America to discuss the development of chess and any revisions the rules. In this sense it was truly a "congress", i.e. an assembly of representatives to discuss issues and problems.

See https://archive.org/details/bookoffirstameri00fisk for a digitized version of Fiske's famous book about the first American chess congress

I think you are correct Fat LAdy.

BTW

This evening (Wednesday 15th January) British Chess Champion David
Howell will be talking to Simon Mayo on his Drivetime radio programme from
5.00pm on BBC Radio 2. David is scheduled to crop up at 5.20pm or
thereabouts, discussing chess in a live interview.

Just about to tune in.

There was a political meme going around for a while:
http://bootthis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/baboons.jpg

Evidently this isn't true and was invented online for memes.
It would explain both congress and a chess tournament though.

Originally posted by Fat Lady
I think the first usage might have been for the first American chess congress of 1857. I can't find any usage of "congress" in contemporary accounts of the earlier London tournament of 1851.

The 1857 American congress was not just a chess tournament, it was also supposed to be a meeting of representatives of chess clubs throughout America to discuss the ...[text shortened]... eri00fisk for a digitized version of Fiske's famous book about the first American chess congress

78 percent of all professional and semirpofessional chess players are secret agents, working mostly for the government, some of them being free lancers.

At the time fat lady mentioned, it was reign of Pinkerton (*National Detective) agency. Hence - congress, because thez considered themselves governmenet employees.

Today there is another term in use - Literary symposium.

Not sure when referring to things of chess.

Sincerely understand and appreciate the term when describing a group of politicians - Group of Baboons!