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Canadian Chess Championship 1951, Vancouver
July 1, 2016
One way to preserve our chess heritage is by recording events in magazines, newspapers and books. Just how we will keep the information now on the Internet forever, puzzles me.
What brought on these reflections was my recent acquisition of the tournament book for the CCC 1951 in Vancouver.
It was published by Canadian Chess Chat in its 8 ½ x 11 typewritten format in 1951.
The tournament (August 24 - September 1, 1951) was won by Paul Vaitonis. The final scores were:
1. Paul Vaitonis 10.5
2. Frank R. Anderson 10.0
3. Dr. Feodore Bohatirchuk 9.0
4. Daniel Abraham Yanofsky 8.0
5. Dr. Nathan Joseph Divinsky 6.5
6. Maurice Fox 6.0
7. Miervaldis Jursevskis 6.0
8. Jack M. Taylor 5.0
9. Frank J. Yerhoff 5.0
10. Rea B. Hayes 4.0
11. Walter Holowach 4.0
12. Howard Ridout 3.0
13. Charles F. Millar 1.0
As I have not seen a copy of the tournament book before and assume that probably is true of the majority of ChessTalk members, I thought I would transcribe some of the biographical and colour material to make it available to all.
_______
Canadian Chess Celebrities (p.9)
Canon Henry L. Roy, President, Emeritus of Chess Federation of Canada, was President of that body for five years, is now Membership Secretary of the British Columbia Chess Federation. A loyal supporter of organized chess and of the Capitation System; although he claims to be living on “borrowed time,” he is still plugging along; often a target for brick-bats, but ever an enthusiastic promoter of Provincial and National Chess Organization.
Osias Bain, C.F.C. Secretary, 23 finished High School at 14, graduated with honors from Laval University at the age of 20. Is doing post-graduate work in physical chemistry at Laval in the field of infrared spectrometry. He has been active in the promotion of chess in the Provincial and National fields.
Maurice Fox, eight times winner of the Canadian title, was born in Poland in 1898. He learned chess when 13. As a youth he developed his skill at chess in and around London, England. He graduated from the University of London as an electrical engineer in 1921, came to Canada in 1923 and located in Montreal in 1926, where he has ever since been the chess star of that metropolis.
_______
Tournament Participants
Povilas (Paul) Vaitonis – The Winner
Born in Lithuania, August 15th, 1911; he learned to play chess when five years old. In 1930 he entered the University of Kaunas, winning the Championship of that institution that year, and the Kaunas City Championship the next year.
In 1932, in a bid for the National Championship, he placed 2nd. In 1934 he won the event ahead of Mikenas, Machtas, Vistaneckis, Luckis etc. In the years 1937-38-42-43-44, he either won outright or shared first place. In 1934 he entered Law School, graduating in 1940, having taken two years out for compulsory military training.
During Russian and German occupations, he served as relations manager of the power station at Vilna. When the Russians returned in 1944, he fled in a small boat to Sweden, remaining five years. He came to Canada in 1949, bringing his wife and two small children, and taking up residence in Hamilton, Ontario.
He played with success, for Lithuania, in the International Team Tournaments at Folkestone, England, 1933; Warsaw, Poland, 1935; Munich, Germany, 1936; Stockholm, Sweden, 1937, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1939.
In 1950 he won the Ontario Provincial title at Toronto, and the Canadian National title at Vancouver, in 1951. He has given of himself, unstintedly, in the promotion of chess interest everywhere.
Frank R. Anderson – Runner-up
Twenty-three years of age, born in Toronto in 1928, he learned to play chess but seven years ago (1944) while confined to bed with arthritis.
Through study of elementary principles, and of opening theory, he has acquired a pronounced mastery of the opening, which has won him title after title: Toronto Championship 1947-48-50 and 51, 1st place; the Ontario Speed ever since 1947. In ‘48 he tied with Arthur Bisguier for 1st in the U.S. Junior Championship at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
In the Canadian Championship, 1946, he made 5th place; in 1949, 3rd place (equal with Yanofsky), and in 1951, 2nd, one-half point behind the winner.
Working to complete his matriculation to enter the University of Toronto; he aspires to the post of a Nuclear Scientist. He has been Secretary of the Ontario Chess Association for two years. Is the eldest son of a family of five children, which includes twin brothers.
Dr. Feodore Bohatirchuk – Russian Master
Born in Kiev, late in ’92, he won the Championship of that city in 1910 (ahead of A. Evenson, 2nd, and Bogoljubow, 3rd). He tied for 3rd and 4th places in his first All-Russian Tournament at Saratow, in 1912 (twenty years old). He tied for 3rd-5th places in this event in ’23, and received his title of Russian Master.
In 1924 he again tied 3rd-4th (with Levenfish). In 1925 he emerged from his first International at Moscow, with 10th prize. In 1927 he tied for 1st and 2nd with Romanovsky, in the All Russian Championship – in ’31 he tied 3rd-5th; in ’33 he took 8th, and in ’34 tied with Riumin for 3rd and 4th places.
In the Moscow International, ’35, he finished 16th, with 35% of possible points. In 1938, in the All Russian, he came 2nd. For five years he was then too busy with scientific work to participate in any chess tournaments.
In 1943 he came 2nd in a German event at Radom. In ’44 he visited Prague, where he played eight prominent Chechian chess masters (L. Pachman, Kottenauer, Prucha, etc) winning seven games and drawing the others. In 1946 he came 1st in the International at Meerbeck, Germany, and later the same year made 1st place in another International at Regensburg.
Early in ’47 he came 3rd in the Kirchheim-Teck International. That summer, at Kassel, he scored 4.5 (out 0f 10), and later, at Stuttgart, finished 6 out of a possible 11) points, being among the prize-winners.
In International Correspondence Tournaments of the B.C.F. he won 4 out of 5 events he participated in, coming 2nd in the other.
In international competitions, he played approximately 144 games, 88 won, 38 drawn, 18 lost.
He has given numerous simultaneous exhibitions, in the effort to develop a greater popularity for chess, since coming to Canada, and achieved 3rd place in the title tournament at Vancouver in 1951. He is living in Ottawa, is Professor of Radiology at the University of Ottawa, and is employed by the government on work in research for the cure of cancer.
(to be continued)
July 1, 2016
One way to preserve our chess heritage is by recording events in magazines, newspapers and books. Just how we will keep the information now on the Internet forever, puzzles me.
What brought on these reflections was my recent acquisition of the tournament book for the CCC 1951 in Vancouver.
It was published by Canadian Chess Chat in its 8 ½ x 11 typewritten format in 1951.
The tournament (August 24 - September 1, 1951) was won by Paul Vaitonis. The final scores were:
1. Paul Vaitonis 10.5
2. Frank R. Anderson 10.0
3. Dr. Feodore Bohatirchuk 9.0
4. Daniel Abraham Yanofsky 8.0
5. Dr. Nathan Joseph Divinsky 6.5
6. Maurice Fox 6.0
7. Miervaldis Jursevskis 6.0
8. Jack M. Taylor 5.0
9. Frank J. Yerhoff 5.0
10. Rea B. Hayes 4.0
11. Walter Holowach 4.0
12. Howard Ridout 3.0
13. Charles F. Millar 1.0
As I have not seen a copy of the tournament book before and assume that probably is true of the majority of ChessTalk members, I thought I would transcribe some of the biographical and colour material to make it available to all.
_______
Canadian Chess Celebrities (p.9)
Canon Henry L. Roy, President, Emeritus of Chess Federation of Canada, was President of that body for five years, is now Membership Secretary of the British Columbia Chess Federation. A loyal supporter of organized chess and of the Capitation System; although he claims to be living on “borrowed time,” he is still plugging along; often a target for brick-bats, but ever an enthusiastic promoter of Provincial and National Chess Organization.
Osias Bain, C.F.C. Secretary, 23 finished High School at 14, graduated with honors from Laval University at the age of 20. Is doing post-graduate work in physical chemistry at Laval in the field of infrared spectrometry. He has been active in the promotion of chess in the Provincial and National fields.
Maurice Fox, eight times winner of the Canadian title, was born in Poland in 1898. He learned chess when 13. As a youth he developed his skill at chess in and around London, England. He graduated from the University of London as an electrical engineer in 1921, came to Canada in 1923 and located in Montreal in 1926, where he has ever since been the chess star of that metropolis.
_______
Tournament Participants
Povilas (Paul) Vaitonis – The Winner
Born in Lithuania, August 15th, 1911; he learned to play chess when five years old. In 1930 he entered the University of Kaunas, winning the Championship of that institution that year, and the Kaunas City Championship the next year.
In 1932, in a bid for the National Championship, he placed 2nd. In 1934 he won the event ahead of Mikenas, Machtas, Vistaneckis, Luckis etc. In the years 1937-38-42-43-44, he either won outright or shared first place. In 1934 he entered Law School, graduating in 1940, having taken two years out for compulsory military training.
During Russian and German occupations, he served as relations manager of the power station at Vilna. When the Russians returned in 1944, he fled in a small boat to Sweden, remaining five years. He came to Canada in 1949, bringing his wife and two small children, and taking up residence in Hamilton, Ontario.
He played with success, for Lithuania, in the International Team Tournaments at Folkestone, England, 1933; Warsaw, Poland, 1935; Munich, Germany, 1936; Stockholm, Sweden, 1937, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1939.
In 1950 he won the Ontario Provincial title at Toronto, and the Canadian National title at Vancouver, in 1951. He has given of himself, unstintedly, in the promotion of chess interest everywhere.
Frank R. Anderson – Runner-up
Twenty-three years of age, born in Toronto in 1928, he learned to play chess but seven years ago (1944) while confined to bed with arthritis.
Through study of elementary principles, and of opening theory, he has acquired a pronounced mastery of the opening, which has won him title after title: Toronto Championship 1947-48-50 and 51, 1st place; the Ontario Speed ever since 1947. In ‘48 he tied with Arthur Bisguier for 1st in the U.S. Junior Championship at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
In the Canadian Championship, 1946, he made 5th place; in 1949, 3rd place (equal with Yanofsky), and in 1951, 2nd, one-half point behind the winner.
Working to complete his matriculation to enter the University of Toronto; he aspires to the post of a Nuclear Scientist. He has been Secretary of the Ontario Chess Association for two years. Is the eldest son of a family of five children, which includes twin brothers.
Dr. Feodore Bohatirchuk – Russian Master
Born in Kiev, late in ’92, he won the Championship of that city in 1910 (ahead of A. Evenson, 2nd, and Bogoljubow, 3rd). He tied for 3rd and 4th places in his first All-Russian Tournament at Saratow, in 1912 (twenty years old). He tied for 3rd-5th places in this event in ’23, and received his title of Russian Master.
In 1924 he again tied 3rd-4th (with Levenfish). In 1925 he emerged from his first International at Moscow, with 10th prize. In 1927 he tied for 1st and 2nd with Romanovsky, in the All Russian Championship – in ’31 he tied 3rd-5th; in ’33 he took 8th, and in ’34 tied with Riumin for 3rd and 4th places.
In the Moscow International, ’35, he finished 16th, with 35% of possible points. In 1938, in the All Russian, he came 2nd. For five years he was then too busy with scientific work to participate in any chess tournaments.
In 1943 he came 2nd in a German event at Radom. In ’44 he visited Prague, where he played eight prominent Chechian chess masters (L. Pachman, Kottenauer, Prucha, etc) winning seven games and drawing the others. In 1946 he came 1st in the International at Meerbeck, Germany, and later the same year made 1st place in another International at Regensburg.
Early in ’47 he came 3rd in the Kirchheim-Teck International. That summer, at Kassel, he scored 4.5 (out 0f 10), and later, at Stuttgart, finished 6 out of a possible 11) points, being among the prize-winners.
In International Correspondence Tournaments of the B.C.F. he won 4 out of 5 events he participated in, coming 2nd in the other.
In international competitions, he played approximately 144 games, 88 won, 38 drawn, 18 lost.
He has given numerous simultaneous exhibitions, in the effort to develop a greater popularity for chess, since coming to Canada, and achieved 3rd place in the title tournament at Vancouver in 1951. He is living in Ottawa, is Professor of Radiology at the University of Ottawa, and is employed by the government on work in research for the cure of cancer.
(to be continued)
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