Bogart's MCO

Although it's fairly well known that Humphrey Bogart played chess -- he even has a page on Chessgames.com, Humphrey Bogart -- he has never been mentioned on this blog. Thanks to this ongoing series on Top eBay Chess Items by Price, that's about to change.

The item below was titled 'Chess book signed by Humphrey Bogart'. It sold for US $666.00 after four bids from two bidders. The first bidder entered the auction with an unknown maximum bid and a few days later the second bidder placed three bids, finally giving up at US $656.

The description said only,

This is a chess book presumably owned by Humphrey Bogart, who was a 2100 ranked player. (Google it.) The book is in tattered shape but the collectible value to the right individual is "priceless".

Under Bogart's signature are two phrases. Taking a clue from the 'p' in his signature, the first phrase appears to be 'Comparative Chess' (no clue what that means), while the second is 'Chess Fundamentals'. The title page says something like,

Modern Chess Openings By Griffith and White Completely revised by P.W.Sergeant (Author of Morphy's Games of Chess, etc.) R.C.Griffith (Editor, British Chess Magazine; British Chess Champion, 1912-13) and M.E.Goldstein, B.Sc. (Middlesex Champion, 1924-25) Specially Compiled for Match and Tournament Players Fifth Edition Leeds: Whitehead & Miller Ltd. Elmwood Lane

 

This appears to be the 1932 edition. (Project for a rainy day: sort out the various editions of MCO.)