Hart House Chess Club

[Jack Maguire]

'The Varsity' has a short feature on the Hart House Chess Club.

http://thevarsity.ca/2013/10/21/ches...-paper-cranes/

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I have often regretted not having recorded in photos with captions some of the historic chess events during my years (1965 – 1969) at the Hart House chess club. Regretfully there were also unrecorded events prior to my taking up tournament chess – the R J Fischer simul (1962?) for example.
But in my first year there, our chess team won the North American Intercollegiate championships in Hoboken, NJ (a NY city suburb) ahead of teams from Harvard, Yale, MIT and UCLA, to name a few.
Then there was the double simul by World Champion Boris Spassky (40 boards) and Paul Keres (30 boards) as well as some 300plus spectators. With no internet then, you had to come out to be a part of it.
Also, a Bent Larsen simul (year?)
And a huge Toronto Open in the Great Hall (year?) with 347 players!
The list goes on and on……
…..with regrets,
Vlad Dobrich

[Ken Kurkowski]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

Unlike today, people had to rely mostly on their (brain's) memory banks for images of those bygone events.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

Yes, I can't recall if cameras had been invented yet. If they had been then someone would surely have taken pics of the Fischer simul. Were any ChessTalkers there?

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I was there and reported the event for B.H. Wood’s CHESS magazine with photos. Unfortunately, I sent him my negatives and he kept them.

I am intending to write up the event in the near future for ChessTalk.

The date of the Fischer Simul was February 27, 1964 and my article appeared in the March 28, 1964 issue of the magazine, page 223.

There are five small photos with it, that we would call “thumbnails” today.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I was there and reported the event for B.H. Wood’s CHESS magazine with photos. Unfortunately, I sent him my negatives and he kept them.

I am intending to write up the event in the near future for ChessTalk.

The date of the Fischer Simul was February 27, 1964 and my article appeared in the March 28, 1964 issue of the magazine, page 223.

There are five small photos with it, that we would call “thumbnails” today.

Perhaps a high quality scan of the page would be valuable? (I am presuming you have a copy of the page!?)

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I have a scan of the page. Because it is of historical interest now, I would be willing to post it in this forum, if someone could tell me how!

It is in jpg form, a couple of hundred kb and was scanned at 150 dpi - and is not photoshopped. It contains a description of the simultaneous and Fischer's talk before, a position from his game with Benko, the score of Professor Lister's win against Bobby and the five thumbnail photos.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I have a scan of the page. Because it is of historical interest now, I would be willing to post it in this forum, if someone could tell me how!

It is in jpg form, a couple of hundred kb and was scanned at 150 dpi - and is not photoshopped. It contains a description of the simultaneous and Fischer's talk before, a position from his game with Benko, the score of Professor Lister's win against Bobby and the five thumbnail photos.

If you have troubles send me files, I'll do. The chesstalks accepts only upto 100 kb pictures (as I remember)
Otherwise you may put them in Picasa (or smth similar)

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I have just posted the scan of the article on the Fischer simul as a separate thread. It was not as hard to do as I thought but I wish there was more contrast. Thank you for your offer of help Egidijus.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

I wish there was more contrast.

Try to scan with a higher resolution - 600 dpi and go from there with pictures. The text is not a problem.

[Ken Kurkowski]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

Regarding my earlier wisecrack, yes there were cameras in the old days ('60s) but people were a lot less likely to record anything and everything for posterity back then. Typical film had maybe 24 exposures, some of which would not turn out (blurred shots, double exposures etc.). Digital photography has changed things a lot...

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

'The Varsity' has a short feature on the Hart House Chess Club.

http://thevarsity.ca/2013/10/21/ches...-paper-cranes/

The important info is that the HH CC has a new website (a very new design) at http://vur.ca/harthousechess. With information of several lectures like with a new-GM-norm holder - IM Raja Panjwani :)

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

The important info is that the HH CC has a new website (a very new design) at http://vur.ca/harthousechess. With information of several lectures like with a new-GM-norm holder - IM Raja Panjwani :)

Very nice website. Fascinating history and photos too.

[Alex Ferreira]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

Hi all,


It's been discovered :)

The Hart House Chess Club (official University of Toronto chess club) has been quietly taking huge steps forward in the past 3-6 months. Under the leadership Sanja Vukosavljevic who has been elected as this year's club secretary, the club is breaking ground within University of Toronto and Hart House. The club took a huge initiative in marketing over the Summer, reaping the benefits in having doubled last year's student membership (only at the end of October, too!).

Hart House Chess Club has also caught up with the age of technology and Internet. The previous very deficient website has been replaced by what Egis & Kerry already peaked at:
http://vur.ca/harthousechess/
We also can be followed in a more organized fashion on facebook and twitter! The website was created by Sophia Park, Hart House Chess Club's new Director of Communications, who has a background in web design.

As for the history of Hart House and the Chess Club in the website, we welcome everyone to plow through the ton of information that has been gathered. The history component is the product of what has been the laborious research of Andrew McMillan and Ben Hahn's assistance in editing, alumni and hardcore aficionados of the best chess club in the world!
If you've been at UT and/or have something to add to our history, please contact us! hhchess (at) utoronto (dot) ca


Alex Ferreira

[Morgon Mills]

Re: Hart House Chess Club

The website is snazzy, and the history is incredible. Thanks for omitting a reference to the Dark Ages of 2003-2006! :-) Some of the best fun of my life has been at that club...