In 1858, Staunton offered to play Morphy by the new transatlantic cable. However, the transatlantic cable failed and was not successfully replaced until 1866.
The first chess cable match (moves transmitted by telegraph) occurred between Dublin and Liverpool in 1861.
On March 9, 1895, the Manhattan Chess Club played the British Chess Club by cable. Only about 22 moves were played in each of thge 10 games. One game was agreed drawn. All the othe games were adjudicated as drawn by Emanuel Lasker.
The first cable chess match between Great Britain and the United States began on March 13, 1896. USA won 4.5 to 3.5.
USA UK
Pillsbury 0 Blackburne 1
Showalter 1 Burn, Amos 0
Burille 1 Bird, Henry 0
Barry, John 1 Tinsley 0
Hymes, Ed = Locock =
Hodges = Mills =
Delmar = Atkins =
Baird 0 Jackson, E 1
4.5 3.5
The second cable match began on February 12, 1897. UK won 5.5 to 4.5.
UK USA
Blackburne = Pillsbury =
Locock 0 Showlater 1
Atkins 1 Burille 0
Lawrence 0 Barry, John 1
Mills, Dan = Hymes, Ed =
Bellingham = Hodges =
Blake 0 Delmar 1
Jackson, Ed 1 Helms 0
Cole, Henry 1 Teed 0
Jacobs 1 McCutcheon 0
5.5 4.5
In May-June, 1897, a cable match was arranged between five members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC, and five members of the British House of Commons in London. The match lasted seven days and ended in a draw, 2.5 to 2.5. This match was arranged by Richmond Pearson, ambassador to England. In this match, a record of time in cable matches was established. Twenty moves were cabled in 21.5 minutes, one move going to and from Washington in 40 seconds.
The third cable match began on March 18, 1898. UK won 5.5 to 4.5.
UK USA
Blackburne = Pillsbury =
Burn, Amos 0 Showalter 1
Caro 0 Barry, John 1
Atkins = Hymes, Ed =
Bellingham 0 Hodges 1
Mills, Dan 1 Delmar 0
Locock = Baird =
Jackson, Ed 1 Young =
Jacobs 1 Robinson 0
Trenchard 1 Galbreath 0
5.5 4.5
The fourth cable match began on March 10, 1899. USA won 6 to 4.
USA UK
Pillsbury 0 Blackburne 1
Showalter 1 Atkins 0
Barry, John 1 Lawrence 0
Hodges 1 Jackson, Ed 0
Hymes, Ed = Mills, Dan =
Voight = Jacobs, H. =
Johnston, S = Locock =
Marshall, F = Wainwright =
Newman = Bellingham =
Baird = Trenchard =
6 4
In March, 1899, the British universities of Cambridge and Oxford defeated the American universities (Harvard, Columbia, Yale, and Princeton) by one point in a cable match (3.5 to 2.5). The winning team took posession of the Rice Trophy, donated by Isaac Rice of New York.
The fifth cable match began on March 23, 1900. USA won 6 to 4.
USA UK
Pillsbury = Blackburne =
Showalter = Lee, Francis =
Barry, John 1 Atkins 0
Hodges 1 Bellingham 0
Hymes, Ed = Mills, Dan =
Voight 1 Lawrence 0
Marshall, F 0 Jackson, Ed 1
Bampton 0 Jacobs, H. 1
Newman = Ward, W =
Delmar 1 Trenchard 0
6 4
In April, 1900, a cable match took place between the British universities and the American universities. The British players were Tattersall, Softlaw, and Wiles from Cambridge, and A. George, G. Ellis, and Soddy from Oxford. The American players were C. Rice and F. Hopkins from Harvard; A. Cook and Austell from Yale; Sewall from Columbia; and J. Hunt from Princeton. The British team won 4.5 to 1.5.
The 6th cable match began on April 19, 1901. UK and USA tied 5-5.
UK USA
Blackburne 0 Pillsbury 1
Mason 1 Showalter 0
Lee, F. = Barry, John =
Mills, Dan = Hodges =
Atkins 0 Hymes, Ed 1
Bellingham = Voight =
Ward, W 1 Marshall, F 0
Jackson, Ed = Bampton =
Jacobs, H 0 Newman 1
Michell 1 Howell 0
5 5
On March 15, 1902, USA won the 7th cable match with a 5.5 to 4.5 score. The Americans played at the Brooklyn Chess Club and the English team played at the International Hall, Cafe Monaco in London. The telegraphic communications was provided by the Commercial Cable Company.
On March 27-28, 1903, the British universities defeated the American univerisities in their 5th annual cable match by the score of 3.5 to 2.5.
In April, 1903, USA won the 8th cable match with a 5.5 to 4.5 score. The USA was represented by Pillsbury, Barry, Hodges, Marshall, Hymes, Voigt, Newman, Delmar, Howell, and Hellms. The UK was represented by Lawrence, Blackburne, Mills, Atkins, Bellingham, Trenchard, Michell, Jacobs, Gunston, and Hooke.
From 1904 to 1906, cable matches were halted due to the Russo-Japanese war, which made arrangements for the cabling too difficult.
In 1907, UK won the 9th cable match with a 5.5 to 4.5 score.
In 1908, USA won the 10th cable match with a 6.5 to 3.5 score.
In 1909, UK won the 11th cable match with a 6 to 4 score.
In 1910, UK won the 12th cable match with a 6.5 to 3.5 score.
In 1911, UK won the 13th cable match with a 6 to 4 score. Britain, having won three matches in succession, took permanent possession of the silver Newnes Cup, offered in competition by Sir George Newnes (1851-1910) several years earlier.
Of the 13 US-UK cable matches, Blackburne played in 11 matches, winning 2, losing 4, and drawing 5. Pillsbury played in 8 matches, winning 1, losing 2, and drawing 5. Albert Hodges played in all 13 cable matches without losing a game.
In 13 matches, the USA won 6, UK won 6, and one draw. The total points were 64 to 64. Each country won 39 games, lost 39 games, and drew 50 games. UK won the Newnes trophy for winning in 3 times in a row.
From 1899 to 1903, there were Anglo-American University cable matches between Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia Univerisity. A second series of University matches was held from 1906 to 1910. The last in a series of cable matches between the universities occured in 1924. In 11 matches, the British universities won 4, the American universities won 4, and they drew 3 times. In 1907, Capablanca played for Columbia University and drew his game on board 1 against H. Rose of Oxford.
In March, 1924, the Western Union Telegraph Company opened the first direct cable between London and Chicago. On November 6, 1926, a cable chess match between London and Chicago was held.
Between 1926 and 1931, London played 5 cable matches against 4 US cities. This series of cable matches was known as the Insull Trophy series.
In 1926, London beat Chicago by 4-2.
In 1927, London beat New York by 4-2.
In 1928, London was leading Washington, DC by 3-2, but there was a dispute about the bottom board. The matter was referred to FIDE and the match was annulled.
In 1930, London drew with Washington DC, with the score of 3-3.
In 1931, London beat Philadelphia by 3.5 to 2.5.