RIP - Ted Winick

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Sad news for the Toronto chess scene - today (May 29) an energetic organizer Ted Winick passed away. The funeral will be on Friday. More details at https://www.benjaminsparkmemorialcha...um=135564&fg=0

RIP

[Francis Rodriguez]

RIP Ted.
He was a good guy - heart in the right place, gave his all to chess.
I spent a couple of years re-structuring CIC for him, before CMA.
He was multi-talented, great brass player, lovely pianist.
He called me at Passover, we reminisced for a long while on
the good times - he will be sorely missed. Condolences
to Heidi and his three equally-talented children.

Rest easy, old friend.
Francis

[John Upper]

That's a sad shock.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who was looking forward to seeing Ted again at the Harbourfront Chess Festival this weekend.

[Gary Hua]

Condolences to his family. I salute him for doing so much for chess in Canada.

I am sure he had made a lot of impact in many kids' journey in their chess life....

He will be sorely missed

[Bob Armstrong]

After joining Annex CC, Ted was most welcoming to me, and we talked from time to time in a very direct way. I gave him some business advice from time to time. It was a nice, comfortable relationship.

He has done a lot for chess, and for kid's math education. I am sorry he could not beat the cancer. I considered him a friend. Condolences to his family.

Bob A

[Erik Malmsten]

Ted was an extraordinary organizer who enthusiastically gave of his time and money. He started as a parent supporting his son’s interest in chess at school and their school team went on to win the city championship. He helped out at other schools and expanded teaching chess to inner city schools. His classes sometimes had over 50 students – let them all in. Ted wasn’t interested in creating masters but in kids having fun, leaving with a smile. He saw chess as a tool to teach life skills such as one’s decisions have consequences.

Ted was a force on the team that organized the 2010 Canadian Open at the Harbour Castle. He loved bringing grandmasters to play his chess students. He was the founder and patron of the Annex Chess Club which hosted the 2010 Ontario Open and recent Labour Day opens. Ted set up and took down tables, and was always willing to play newcomers. He regularly set up his giant chess set at school fairs and street festivals. In 2008 he set up a chess camp at the National Music Camp which I thought was a brilliant pairing of his interests.

Ted was an organizer of an 2008 Olympiad fundraiser which had a blitz tournament in the Umbra store. He combined blitz with kids in the annual Chessfest which is on this weekend. In 2014 he got Scotiabank as a sponsor, but to continue he donated his own money. On Sunday afternoon at Harbourfront is the annual Toronto Blitz Championship which he always lost money on, being a dozen players short. I really don’t know why he continued to support adult chess when it was the kids he loved.

[Aris Marghetis]

It is with sadness that I read this announcement. Ted was such a genuine man, whose love for chess and for math for children guided so many of his and his family's initiatives. I also remember admiring his logistical prowess, how he converged meeting different needs to just get things done. One summer I was teaching for him at a summer day camp, before being Arbiter in the evening. Ted asked if I could start an hour earlier than what we had previously discussed. As I was staying in his spare bedroom anyway, I said of course I can. So he had me meet some students at a GO station as it was tremendously helpful to those children's parents. So simple, so effective, win-win-win.

Ted was also always true to his word. I remember at a summer camp that one of the IMs from the evening tournament came in during the day to do a quick simul with about half-a-dozen of the better students. These kids were all around 1000-1400 at most, and Ted asked me "is it safe to offer them $10 if they beat the IM?" - I said "oh yeah, you could offer $100, that IM is almost a GM and will beat them all easily" - well, wouldn't you know it, one of the kids was somehow up a piece in a straightforward position when it was time to adjudicate the remaining games. Ted was so happy for that winning kid when he presented him with a $100 bill. Always generous, what a nice man.

You will be missed Ted. Your life enriched the lives of so many others. Such a wonderful gentleman.

[Vlad Drkulec]

So sorry to hear of Ted's passing. He has had a large impact on Toronto and Canadian chess. He will be greatly missed.

[Joshua Guo]

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of ACC for the past few years I've been playing there.
"Chess for everyone"

RIP Ted

[Hans Jung]

Giving back to chess by mentoring, the value of chess in life and life skills, chess putting a smile on your face, all the different ways of good sportsmanship, chess as a part of the community, teaching chess to the disadvantaged and troubled, in the prisons are all a large part of Ted's life and legacy. I learned so much from him in things that really mattered. Ted will be sorely missed.

[Alex Ferreira]

Big loss for the community at large, chess and otherwise.
I've only known Ted for a few years but I think everyone who knew him took something positive from having known him.
Ted was already at / past retirement age when I met him and it never ceased to amaze me how much life and energy he had. It was contagious.
Either when working, playing chess or socializing around him, it was incredible to see how Ted just juggled so much in life. Work, meetings, family commitments, involvement in organizations and always coming up with new initiatives, his days were non-stop. Somehow Ted still found time to sit down across someone and play the occasional casual chess game, keep up with the kids in the classes and their parents, and chat with everyone. And he still had time to read. I don't think Ted slept. But this lifestyle seemed to fuel him, always living life to the fullest. It was certainly an inspiration. Ted's motto at the Annex Chess Club of "Chess for Everyone" reflected the man himself. Ted was always there for everyone, irrespective of a person's age, background or path of life. It was also enjoyable to see Ted's ability to bring out the good in people, sometimes unexpectedly, and add something positive in our daily routines. Hanging out with Ted and company at the Annex was refreshing, an escape from the real world, while still very much in it. Quite often the eldest at the table, he very much kept up with the times. For many who met him, Ted was an unusual combination of a mentor and a friend. Ted was paramount in making the people around him feel like they are part of a community, contributing to something bigger. Something rare these days in a modern mega city. From a few conversations with Ted I gathered he must have been a Toronto man all his life. It was incredible how much of Toronto's map he had memorized, how if you gave him an address he'd know it was a few doors Southwest of whatever intersection, and sometimes it came with a brief story of how that lot was developed or something that had happened there.
A true role model!

Alex F.

[Frank Dixon]

The news of Ted Winick's passing is indeed very sad.

Not being a Toronto-area resident myself, the only times I encountered Ted would be when I was in Toronto for events, which in recent years have been directing the Ontario HS Championships, six times since 2012, inclusive. I met him first at the Canadian Open 2010 in Toronto, when I was there for that week to study the FIDE Arbiter's Course, taught by IA Hal Bond and IA Stephen Boyd. So, I didn't know Ted that well, but what I did learn very quickly was that Ted was a true chess person who loved to develop and assist it, especially among young people. He had high energy, superb knowledge, and a straightforward, honest, caring way of interacting with everyone he met.

Ted Winick will certainly be missed by all who care about Canadian chess. Rest In Peace, my friend.

Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston

[Erik Malmsten]

There were 1,000 people at his funeral as he was a loving coach and fundraiser in several fields, someone who touched so many. There were a dozen strong chessplayers, but nobody thought of bringing a set. Oh well, they can play each other in the tournament at Harbourfront on Sunday afternoon.

[Rene Preotu]

Rest in peace Ted.

[Hans Jung]

I picked up a cap on the weekend. White ball cap. Annex chess club on the front, chess is for everyone on the back. Reminder of Ted. I'll treasure it.