Some Canadian history - Dr. Bogatyrchuk

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bogatyrchuk

Dr Bogatyrchuk came to Ottawa where he became a fixture at the R.A. Lawrence Day knew him very well and the two spent considerable time together on trips out of town as well as across the board. My over the board experience was limited to two simuls in which I was very pleased to register two draws but this was in the early 60s when the master was perhaps passed his prime. He struck me as a real gentleman and a wicked chessplayer.

[Dan Scoones]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bogatyrchuk

Here is an excerpt from an article on Alexander Alekhine by Hans Kmoch. It was published on the website of The Chess Cafe on November 29, 2005. Contrary to the article, the identity of Dr B isn't all that mysterious!

...When it became obvious that Germany was losing the war, Alekhine fled to
Spain on the pretext of participating in a tournament there. But when he arrived,
instead of entering the tournament he claimed he was ill, and he remained ill
even later, thus avoiding having to return to Germany. He was not eager to
return to Nazi-controlled France either, since his service as a French officer
during the war might have counted heavily against him. He was now having to
deal with the consequences of the politically dangerous path he had chosen (a
path similar to but not quite so dangerous as that of the Soviet chess master Dr.
B., now living in North America, who had accepted a high rank in the pro-Nazi
Russian army of General Vlassov.) [Footnote 3: Only the initial is given in both
the German and English manuscripts of Kmoch’s book. Who “Dr. B.” might be
is anybody’s guess. B.H.] He was not welcome in England, either. Although the
organizers of the London 1946 tournament would have been delighted with the
participation of the world champion, they refrained from inviting Alekhine
because of his wartime activities. Alekhine never again left the neutral territory
beyond the Pyrenees...

[Ernest Klubis]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bohatyrchuk

status of Righteous Among the Nations in Israel for his heroic efforts to save Jews in September 1941.

Yakov, I hope you can find Averbach book "Meteors" (2005) in Russian. On page 119, in the story about talented chess player Alex Evanson, Yuri Averbach writes (my translation):" M. Botwinnik told me about a death of Alexander Evanson which his nephew Igor informed him about as follows: " In 1919, Kiev for another time was occupied by white army (red army left the city). Immediately in Kiev white army started pogroms (killing and beating people of Jewish nationality vividly described in movie "Fiddler on the Roof"). Alex Evanson came to Bogatyrchuk home and asked to hide him until pogroms subside. Bogatyrchuk DENIED. Evanson was hiding in the streets of Kiev but eventually was grabbed and executed." To me (Yuri Averbach) Kiev chess players told me different version: seems that Alex was hiding in Bogaturchuk house, but when he left he was caught on the street and executed."

If you have anything contradictory to the above story, please let me know.

By the way.......... Alex Evanson daughter lives in Moscow.

[Yakov Zusmanovich]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bogatyrchuk

Dr Bogatyrchuk came to Ottawa where he became a fixture at the R.A. Lawrence Day knew him very well and the two spent considerable time together on trips out of town as well as across the board. My over the board experience was limited to two simuls in which I was very pleased to register two draws but this was in the early 60s when the master was perhaps passed his prime. He struck me as a real gentleman and a wicked chessplayer.

Dear Gordon,

Your information is very important for Sergey Voronkov and me. There are not too many games played by Dr. Bohatirchuk are avaialble. We have about 350, and each previously unknown Dr. Bohatirchuk's game (even from simuls) is a huge source of joy for us. Do you have scores of those 2 draws? We would be happy to include them in our book devoted to chess career of Dr. Bohatirchuk (another volume will be devoted to his political struggle, scientific achievements, etc.). You may contact me directly: sashulyaz@hotmail.com, (925) 413-4237.

[Yakov Zusmanovich]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bohatyrchuk

Yakov, I hope you can find Averbach book "Meteors" (2005) in Russian. On page 119, in the story about talented chess player Alex Evanson, Yuri Averbach writes (my translation):" M. Botwinnik told me about a death of Alexander Evanson which his nephew Igor informed him about as follows: " In 1919, Kiev for another time was occupied by white army (red army left the city). Immediately in Kiev white army started pogroms (killing and beating people of Jewish nationality vividly described in movie "Fiddler on the Roof"). Alex Evanson came to Bogatyrchuk home and asked to hide him until pogroms subside. Bogatyrchuk DENIED. Evanson was hiding in the streets of Kiev but eventually was grabbed and executed." To me (Yuri Averbach) Kiev chess players told me different version: seems that Alex was hiding in Bogaturchuk house, but when he left he was caught on the street and executed."

If you have anything contradictory to the above story, please let me know.

By the way.......... Alex Evanson daughter lives in Moscow.

Ernest,

I have one of the biggest in the world collection of biographical chess books (more than 1300 published in more than 40 countries) and certainly, I have the book “Meteors”. First, I would not trust a single word of devoted communist and Stalinist Mikhail Botvinnik, the person who once said to Boris Spassky that he would personally hang Dr. Bohatirchuk at the Read Square in Moscow (Botvinnik, as a real communist had to possess many occupations including executioner!).
The truth is what GM Yuri Averbach told about Evenson and Bohatirchuk: Dr. Bohatirchuk tried to save Evenson even with huge risk to his own life. Evenson joined White Army, which enlisted no Jews at all. Soon he was cowardly killed by anti-Semites who served in that army.
GM Averbach is one of the most honest personalities of the Soviet and Russian chess, as well as a great historian and researcher (needs no introduction). He was Sergey Voronkov’s boss when they both worked for magazine “Chess in USSR”. He has been his friend and mentor. It is not a secret that GM Yury Averbach helps us a lot in our project on Dr. Bohatirchuk.
Igor Botvinnik that was mentioned by you is not a Mikhail Botvinnik’s nephew. Mikhail Botvinnik had only one sibling – brother Isaac, who was killed during WWII. Isaac had a daughter. Igor is a Mikhail Botvinnik’s distant relative who makes some income by creating a brand “Mikhail Botvinnik”. He compiled several untalented books devoted to Botvinnik’s matches for the world championship.

I will be happy to answer any question related to the tragic fate of Alexander Evenson.

[Yakov Zusmanovich]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bogatyrchuk

I have observed quite many -honorary awarded GM titles. Does this case falls into that category to be fixed somehow or still has to wait for "better times"?
:)

Interesting fact: in 1949 Wade and Pachman attacked Dr. Bohatirchuk defending Soviet Union and Soviet Chess School to start that famous discussion. After that it was a big fight to grant DR. Bohatirchuk a titel of IM.
But what did Pachman himself think about level of Bohatirchuk play?
In 1944 he wrote a book "8 Games of Grandmaster Bohatirchuk" (Prague, 1944, in Czech).

[David McTavish]

Re: Some Canadian history - Dr. Bohatirchuk

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/pachman.html

Bob Wade got himself into a vicious controversy with Canadian players and officials in the early 1950's, when as acting Vice President of FIDE, he questioned the value of a separate Zone for Canada and failed to support the Canadian application for the International Master title for the recent immigrant, Fedor Bohatirchuk.

He, too honest for his own good, wrote openly about the affair in his column in Canadian Chess Chat:


Canadian Chess Chat, October 1952, pp. 22-23 wrote:
THE F.I.D.E. CONGRESS (By Robert G. Wade)

There were distinct hints of trouble over Canada's nomination of Bohatyrchuk for the title of international master. There is no issue on the question of his strength, but his actual international results are not impressive due to his not being a prize-winner in events that were colossally strong like Moscow, 1925, when the top players were Bogoljubow, Lasker and Capablanca. However, there is an underlying political issue as the U.S.S.R. regard Bohatirchuk as a renegade. It must be realized that a vote on the issue as to whether Bohatyrchuk is to be granted the title will resolve itself as follows:- against - all the Stalinist Communist countries plus those of the countries who are (a) unwilling to offend personal friends who are delegates from the above Communist countries, and (b) genuinely uncertain about the merits of the case, either politically or on strength as a chess player. It is quite impossible to have an objective discussion on this question. Your Federation must decide whether to split the F.I.D.E., without probable gain of principle, I personally judge him worthy of the title on the grounds of strength and do not wish to consider any political question. I would be in a minority. Is it worth fighting? There was no decision this year.


After much wrangling and many bitter personal attacks, Bob pointed out to the Canadians how FB might qualify for the title:

Chess, Vol. 18 No. 211, April 1953, p. 132 wrote:
Canada had nominated Bohatyrchuk for the title of International Master. This nomination was discussed by the F.I.D.E. qualifications commission twice. Ragozin, representing the U.S.S.R., objected to the granting of the title, pointing out that Bohatyrchuk was regarded as a traitor to his country and to the war-time allies. That is one side of the case. Personally I think that it is irrelevant and outside the jurisdiction of an international organisation concerned with chess. If Bohatyrchuk had a clear claim to the title of international master, the Soviet Union’s objections would have to be overruled. There cannot be the least doubt that Bohatyrchuk is far stronger than many who have been granted the title of international master. The weakness of Canada’s case is that the title is granted for international results. Bohatyrchuk participated in only two genuine international events and did not have impressive results due to the fact that these two events were colossally strong. For instance, if my memory serves me right, Bohatyrchuk was 11th at Moscow, 1925—but what a field above him!

There is a resolution passed at the last F.I.D.E. meeting that claims for the master titles based entirely on pre-war record will not be considered after the next congress at Zurich early this September. Canada has to decide this year whether Bohatyrchuk’s record internationally warrants the F.I.D.E. taking a vote on the question in which the voters will be split into three groups—politically against, technically against and technically for. I hope that no one votes for Bohatyrchuk’s claim simply on political grounds.

I have few records with me as I meander around various Scottish clubs, so I cannot consult Bohatyrchuk’s in the U.S.S.R. But if he participated in three U.S.S.R. championship finals prior to the F.I.D.E. 1950 Congress, he automatically is entitled to the title of international master.


Canada duly re-applied for FB's title, as his record in the Soviet championship more than met the required standard of participating in three finals:

3= (from 13), 2nd championship, Petrograd 1923
3= (from 18), 3rd championship, Moscow 1924
1= (from 21), 5th championship, Moscow 1927
3= (from 18), 7th championship, Moscow 1931
8th (from 20), 8th championship, Leningrad 1933
3= (from 20), Leningrad 1935

The application was rejected at the FIDÉ Congress at Schaffhausen, August 1953. The application was pursued further and, in 1954, Nathan Divinsky was happy to report:

Canadian Chess Chat, August-September 1954, p. 22 wrote:
I am extremely happy to be able to report that Dr. F. Bohatirchuk is now an International Master. The Qualification committee had met on Sunday morning, Aug. 29, and I arrived in the afternoon to discover that Dr. Bohatirchuk had been turned down because his strength was considered insufficient. There was no disagreement over his right to be considered on his past record. I reopened his case under the heading 'New Business' and claimed that his record was better than that of either Goglidze or Verlinsky. Flohr denied this. Najdorf, who had previously spoken against Dr. Bohatirchuk, admitted that he knew nothing about Moscow 1925, or about Dr. Bohatirchuk's record prior to 1949. I proposed that Dr. Bohatirchuk be admitted now on condition that his record proves to be stronger than that of either Goglidze or Verlinsky. A special meeting of the qualification committee was called, in which Dr. Bohatirchuk was admitted, unanimously, with Russia abstaining from voting.


I have been helped a great deal by a number of people with an interest in Bohatirchuk.

[email quote deleted at request of sender]

The reference to a large pile of correspondence at FIDÉ is actually:

Bernard Freeman, excerpt from his report as FIDE Representative at the CFC AGM, pub. Canadian Chess Chat, October 1953, p. 8 wrote:

F. Bohatirchuk: his right to the title of International Chess Master has been presented, with all the required evidence, and will be decided upon at the Annual Meeting being held in Switzerland at the end of August. There is quite a large file on the subject. Over 40 letters sent and received to members of the qualification Committee and the Vice-Presidents, Marcel Berman (France), V. Ragozin (USSR), Ari Ilmakunna (Finland), Harold M. Phillips (New York), Dr. Acosta Silva (Venezuela), Dr. Juan Carlos Laurens (Argentina), J.L. Beale (Australia), F. Rogard (Sweden), Joseph Louma (Prague), etc.


Can anyone help my correspondents and myself track down this FIDÉ correspondence?

I asked several FIDÉ officials, but their answers seemed to me to be couldn't be bothered brush-offs. Stewart Reuben, you visit FIDÉ in an official capacity, don't you? I couldn't trouble you to intervene on my behalf, could I? I would be very grateful. Indeed, I would be grateful if anyone, at all, could help me lay hands on FIDÉ papers from 1949 to 1953 dealing with Bob Wade's work at FIDÉ.

Thanks.

Best Regards,
Paul McKeown