Frank Klutymans

[Ian Findlay]

Long time Calgary organizer and player, Frank Klutymans has passed away. Awaiting more details. In the meantime, RIP Frank. When I first came to Alberta in 2015, it seemed like he ran most of the Calgary tournaments.

[Tony Ficzere]

Sad news. Frank was a good guy, very dedicated to chess. I will miss him. RIP Frank.

[Frank Dixon]

Frank Kluytmans was a very keen chess person, who generally played in the 1900-2100 rating range. When I lived in Calgary during the 1980s, I was not so active in tournament play, due to a demanding work schedule, but whenever I did play, Frank was generally there, playing, or organizing, or sometimes both. I played some of my best games of that era against him; he was generally a class higher-rated, but I scored some satisfying wins. The Calgary scene of that era was competitive and strong at the top, with the South brothers -- Fred and Robert -- both Masters; young organizer and Master Roy Yearwood; veteran Masters such as Branimir Brebrich and Kris Kuczaj, an emerging young talent with Robert Hawkes (eventually FM); many veterans who still played very well, such as Wolf Mueller, Bella Szucs, and Jan Kralovic, chess columnist Paul Usselman; and from the next generation, junior Gregory Huber, eventually Alberta champion and FM. John Schleinich was a stalwart organizer and CFC Governor at that time. I enjoyed being a part of it, and Frank Kluytmans stepped up to make things happen, combining chess excellence with a friendly, kind personality; everyone was his friend!

Rest In Peace, my friend Frank.

Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston

[Steve Sklenka]

Very well written article on Frank Kluytmans, Frank Dixon. May I have your permission to re-post it on the Calgary chess club website please? Thank you.

Btw, I know all the players you’ve mentioned Frank. Bob South is currently on the Calgary chess club board along with Gordon Campbell as Treasurer. Paul Usselman keeps donating chess books to our library. Branimir Brebrich, John Schleinich and the recently deceased Peter Zingeler are the first inductees into the Calgary chess club Hall of Fame which I had the privilege to create in 2018. Roy Yearwood is active in the “Chess in the Library” program recruiting young talent into the Calgary chess scene. Branimir, Bob and Fred South all came out of a 20 year retirement in 2019 (after a little bit of coaxing) and helped Calgary tie Edmonton in the 2019 Battle of Alberta! Both Branimir and Fred South scoring 1.5/2 in their individual matches. That feat was incredible considering their prolonged inactivity. Bob South managed to wrestle 1/2 point from one of Edmonton’s top players. After the battle we all went to the restaurant in the hotel and had a great dinner courtesy of the Calgary chess club. Regrettably Jan Kralovič, a dentist by profession and a good friend of mine who attended my wedding, Wolfgang Mueller, Kris Kuczaj who’s widow donated his chess book collection to the CCC and of course John Schleinich are no longer with us. In 2019 I managed to get together many of the best players in Calgary in the past 45 years for a “Tournament of the Legends”. It was well attended. Free entry. Free pizza and pop. $100 to the winner (Greg Huber). Everybody had a great time! Picture enclosed. In the picture from left to right: Greg Huber, Knut Neven, Sean Perron (sitting), Fred South, Robert Hawkes, Christopher Demers, Bob South (leaning), Gordon Campbell, Arthur Odachowski, Ted Wilson, Andrew Lapides, Dale Haessel.

[Frank Dixon]

Hi Steve:
Thanks for your compliments! You can re-post my tribute to Frank Kluytmans on the Calgary Chess Club site! It's no surprise to me that the Calgary Chess Club is still doing great things for chess development! Wonderful event concept and picture; thanks!!
Other key Calgary chess people from that era included WIM Urmila Zdenka Das, strong Master Ante Zaradic, young talent Andrew Zissos (played with FM Hawkes for the strong University of Calgary team at the 1984 PanAms in Waterloo), and Barney Fegyverneki and Vern Taerum from the Black Knight Club. And Sheila Huber put in great work to develop the Calgary Junior Chess Club, in which her son Gregory was soon the star player!!
John Schleinich encouraged my interests in chess organization, which I have pursued ever since.
I found the CCC to be an exceptionally friendly atmosphere!
And when I had a second job interview at the firm I eventually joined, Robert South, already an employee, played me a chess game, as directed by the company president, as part of it, while we talked about the company. He had represented Alberta at the1978 Canadian Zonal; he won the game!! He and I were soon colleagues, but we didn't get in much chess at work!
Now, I have a request: Could I work through you to track down some of my game scores from that era, against certain named players? I had a flooded apartment a few years ago, which wiped out a lot of my archives.
Best, Frank

[Steve Sklenka]

Hi Frank, thank you for your permission to repost the article on Frank Kluytmans on our website. Appreciate it! I knew Ursula Zdeňka Das well. Zdeňka and I have had few conversations at the Calgary chess club back then. She was a strong female player. Zdeňka who like myself, was originally from the then Czechoslovakia, married an East Indian husband.I haven’t seen her for decades. Andrew Zissos went to the same high school as me, William Aberhart. So did Dale Haessel. I talked to Andrew 2-3 times. I talked to Barney Fegyverneki about a week ago. I met Barney at a Hudson’s Bay tournament organized I believe by Branimir Brebrich in 1972. Barney came in 1st. I came in 3rd in our age category. Kris Kuczaj, the Alberta champion did a simultaneous exhibition at that time there. I played Kris but lost.
We have some old games in the storage room Frank. I’ll certainly look for your games and if I can find some and let you know.

[Roger Patterson]

......and the recently deceased Peter Zingeler..... .

I had been unaware that Peter had passed away. He was my very first CFC rated game at some Swiss in Calgary. Typical Sicilian with knights on d4, c6. He played b5 as black leaving the Nc6 hanging which I took but up a piece in my very first game wasn't enough and I eventually lost. Peter eventually strong armed me into being the TD at the Black Knight when I joined which I did until I moved for university.

He had been playing occasionally at Victoria Chess events and bought some clocks a few years ago for his local rec center.

RIP

[Steve Sklenka]

Here’s a link to Peter Zingeler’s obituary as posted on the Calgary chess club’s website.

https://www.calgarychess.com/news?newsid=15#content

[Steve Sklenka]

Here’s a write up on Frank Kluytmans on the Calgary chess club website. If anyone has additional information on Frank please feel free to pass it on to me. I’d be happy to add it to the existing story. Thank you.

https://www.calgarychess.com/news?newsid=24#content