Collective Nouns - Fischer v Spassky

[Hans Jung]

Summer of 1974 was great anticipation for me. The previous summer the Canadian Open happened in Ottawa. Ted Durrant went and did very well and finally achieved a masters rating (which was hard to do in those years.) Ray Ebisuzaki was my age and did well, in fact it was his coming out tournament. Of course he came back and told me all about it and I was envious. Ray and his brother Wesley (two years older but more importantly in those days two hundred points less in rating) lived in a gorgeous Victorian home with their front lawn the lush never ending grounds of Kings College. Actually it was just across the street but perfect for frisbee, tennis, and touch football. That was my introduction to Kings College and I fell in love with the grounds and the various rooms of King College and spent quite a bit of time there over the next twenty years. Anyways, I saved my shekels and in 1974 the trip to Montreal was much better organised and three car loads of players went down. (I cant remember all of the names now, I think there were twelve players all told.)

[Hans Jung]

There were other teams. We had teams that were grouped around particular players. A Dave Jackson group. Dr. Theodor Ackerman and Carl Ehrman. Strong team. I nicknamed that team the Jewish connection. A team from Fanshawe College. High school teams, one from Central, one from Beal, one from Banting. We even had a team from Tim Hortons. and then there was the Dutch Club. It had existed for years on its own on Clarke Road in the south east. I went there as part of the team. The waitresses served in traditional Dutch costumes. More Dutch was spoken than English. Henry Van Weeren (Hank to those who new him) was in charge of the Dutch team. He was soft spoken and very deliberate about everything he did. When you talked to him he would always deliberate about the answer. Always think before speaking. This was my introduction to Henry Van Weeren and the Dutch club. Good people. Once they knew us they started playing in tournaments regularly. They loved tournament chess - the whole atmosphere of rules and quiet thinking. The best of them was Bill Van der Velde about 2000 at his best. He was Jay Zendrowski's professor at Fanshawe College.
The reason I mention all this was Henry Van Weeren was the first clock tinkerer I knew in London. I wish Id gotten to know him alot sooner.

[Hans Jung]

In 1984 I established (with Bob Edwards help) a London Chess League. It was ambitious. I wanted teams of at least 4 players but those who would analyse together and stay together as a team.
There were 16 teams (great for pairings). Bob Edwards had established a new club on Dundas Street just west of Colborne and that club had an A and B team. The German Canadians had an A and B team. The university had 4 teams. We had a Yugoslav club team. Dan Surlan on top board, Dan Sudar on second board. Do you remember Dan Sudar? Always wore tweed jackets and smoked a pipe and had a gravelly voice. He was a professor of librarian science at Western and was an A player and played in several London Championships. Anyways he had a charming little cottage off a side street off Hamilton Road down by the river. The outside was a riot of flowers, grape vines and old trees and the inside a perfect picture of old Europe (or old Yugoslavia). The match games were at Dan Sudar's cottage (just the team that was playing his team) and Dan served Turkish coffee in little cups and beer or wine. Smoking was allowed. Dan absolutely insisted on analysis of all the games, the more participation the merrier and we analysed to the wee hours and many left tipsy.

[Hans Jung]

Peter you were lucky with your clock - just think 50 years with the same clock - not many players can say that. I was searching my memory for clock tinkerers. I remember Ted Durrant tinkering with a clock and getting frustrated. To make matters worse I kept asking him interested questions about how he was repairing. Finally he blew up and said I havent a clue why dont you take over but my understanding was worse. London didnt have any tinkerers in those days. For me there were these old clock makers, one on Wharncliffe, one on Oxford West at the 301 plaza, and finally one in the old market downtown. The first two died or retired - the other at the market was forced out of business because he couldnt afford the rents when the new market opened. These guys understood chess players and didnt charge jewellers rates, rather something reasonable.

[Erik Malmsten]

In the 1950s several chess clubs were in ethnic community centres like the Estonians, Scandinavians, or Hungarians. The Harmonie Club, also known as the German Club, was first at 70 Lombard in 1932, 519 Church, then in 1954 they bought 410 Sherbourne (which became the Phoenix nightclub in 1984). It was known for it's dances. In the 1950s contact was Henry O. Herbst. Fuster won the 1956 Toronto Speed Championship held at the Harmonie CC. Zoltan Sarosy won three club championships until Rudy Draxl came along and won in 1957, 59?, 61, 64, 65. H. Stadt was another Expert. Mrs. Freda Ullrich scored 6.5-3.5 in the annual weekend open in 1957. The Ontario Open was held in the club in 1965. Later tournaments were held in the Austrian club on Beverley.

[Peter McKillop]

Thats an interesting topic that Hugh raised. That was a vital field at the time. Clock sellers, clock exchange, clock repair, clock tinkerers. In Toronto we had the legendary Zoltan Sarosy. Seems like everyone knew of him. The ones mosr valued (in my estimation) were the clock tinkerers. Why? because they would do it for the love of it and because it needed to be done - and they were cheap. In Kitchener we had Albert Den Otter and we didnt value him until he was gone. I remember Gordon Taylor tinkering with clocks. In London Bob Edwards used to sell them but I cant remember who tinkered with them (and its going to drive me crazy until I remember). Do you remember Peter? Now it doesnt matter anymore. We have electronic clocks. The art of clock tinkering. Does it still go on?

First, I remember Mr. Schmitt. At one time I must have played a tournament or team game against him because I remember having a score sheet with his signature on it - a tiny, neat, European-looking hand.

Don't remember who tinkered with clocks back in the day in London. I was one of the lucky ones who never had a problem with his analog chess clock. At some point in the early 70s I purchased a clock from the USCF. On each clock face was printed "USCF" and "Made in West Germany." The body of the clock was light brown plastic. These clocks were ubiquitous back in the 70s and 80s. I used it for decades for tournament and speed chess. Never had a problem with it and that was despite encountering several morons at tournaments who insisted on trying to wind the clocks after being told that they were properly wound. One idiot must have thought his arm was a 75 pound torque wrench. I had to tell him to put the clock down or I'd put him down (seriously!). And of course all the idiots had the same jackass smarmy reply: "Teehee. Sorry man. I was just making sure man. Teehee. I wouldn't have broke your clock man because I know what I'm doing man. Teehee." Anyway, I still have that clock and it's still working!!

[Hans Jung]

Thats an interesting topic that Hugh raised. That was a vital field at the time. Clock sellers, clock exchange, clock repair, clock tinkerers. In Toronto we had the legendary Zoltan Sarosy. Seems like everyone knew of him. The ones mosr valued (in my estimation) were the clock tinkerers. Why? because they would do it for the love of it and because it needed to be done - and they were cheap. In Kitchener we had Albert Den Otter and we didnt value him until he was gone. I remember Gordon Taylor tinkering with clocks. In London Bob Edwards used to sell them but I cant remember who tinkered with them (and its going to drive me crazy until I remember). Do you remember Peter? Now it doesnt matter anymore. We have electronic clocks. The art of clock tinkering. Does it still go on?

[Hugh Brodie]

Montreal also had a German-Canadian chess club (aka the "Kraut Haus"). Its large hall was used for e few tournaments - including the 104-player Montreal Open in 1972. The competing Alekhine Open - a few blocks away - had over 150 players, but some dispute caused Kevin Spraggett to leave it and join the Montreal Open. I believe this was the tournament interrupted by a power failure - actually the games continued, since there was sufficient light. As evening approached, large candles were placed on every table - again, providing sufficient light.

One of the German-Canadian (actually Austrian) was Fritz Niederegger. He worked in clock and watch repairs at Eaton's downtown store in Montreal. He had close contact with German chess clock suppliers, and was able to order a dozen or so Jerger clocks at a time (which I would sell at a small profit).

[Hans Jung]

Bernhard Schmitt was the real force behind the the German Canadian chess club, it was "his" club. When I first met him (in 1975) he was quite old (he had strong lenses in his glasses and it made his eyes appear as though through a mist and he always wore a suit with a vest and always greeted you with a handshake) He had been running the club continuously (week to week - setting up and closing) since about 1950. The board pretty much let him do what he wanted. They had meetings the old fashioned way. You stepped up to the bar, ordered a drink, and met with one or two representatives of the board at a table face to face. The deal was sealed with a handshake. In the beginning there were six German clubs in southwestern Ontario that had a chess presence. Hamilton (on Main Street but I forget the name) Kitchener Concordia, Kitchener Transylvania, Kitchener Schwaben, St. Catherines, and London. On Sunday afternoons you took a car load and visited one of the clubs and there were drinks and dinner, sometimes dancing and definitely live music - after the chess of course. That continued for years until the early 60's when it became competitive and the clubs started "drafting" stronger players and eventually masters. The high point of the competitive leagues was in the years of 1964 to 1978 with the best years from 1970 - 1975. (according to Manfred Schmitt - Bernhard Schmitt's son)

[Hans Jung]

I have a ton of personal stories but I had better stick to the overall subject matter - chess. When I first went to the German Canadian chess club I had to smile. It was held in a side room in the old concrete shell bunker of a building (definitely reminded one of World War 2) I think it is still there - still in use. The whole complex is on Cove Road. (which comes directly off Wharncliffe). Its a huge property basically like an inner valley with two large ponds that used to connect directly with the Thames River (about a half mile north). Springbank Ave is a major thoroughfare running east- west and at one point all the property south of Springbank was part of the cove. So we are talking about a half mile of property north south and about the same east west. All of it undeveloped (by normal subdivisions) and owned by German board members. There are large fields behind the club where alot of soccer gets played and there is also a fruit farm. At one point there was a working farm and there were horses until the end of the 60's. (all in the middle of the city of London!) We as school kids used to go out on break down to the pond and one day tremendous excitement! The kids had been throwing stones at a rattlesnake! Two of the older kids were trying to catch it but it got away.
I dont know if you remember the Kosza family? Anton Kosza was the father and he brought all his four sons to play at the club. He was a former olympic star in soccer for Hungary and a 1400 CFC player. His sons Moses, Nandor, Tony and I forget the name of the fourth now were all tournament players. I think Moses was the best and got to 1700. Years later Moses runs a business supplying oxygen for medical needs and his wife was a custodian with me at city hall in Kitchener until she retired. I occasionally bump into them.
Anyways getting back to the side room of the club that made me smile - it had all these children size tables and chairs and small wooden chess pieces and boards. The pieces were hand turned and could unscrew into three pieces. It was my former classroom! - the exact one! The problem was sitting in those chairs would make my back ache (I'm tall) and so I didnt go back too often in the early years (1975 until about 1981)
However just a block away (behind the horse field) lived Endel Tooming (on the first street of an older subdivision) Endel was a big booming man (also with a Hitlerian moustache, apparently they were very popular in the war generation.) - but there the German similarity ended. Endel was Estonian and he spoke Canadian with all the interesting colloquialisms and sayings that we have and he was sharp as a tack and would call you on anything if he didnt believe you were accurate on your facts. My father was curious about him and went to meet him once and forever after when I saw Endel he would ask after my father. Endel was a 1900 player CFC but he mostly had to remain home to look after his ailing wife and disabled son so he didnt play much but he was a brilliant organizer and loved CFC politics and knew everything about the major players of those times.

[Hans Jung]

He may have been but unfortunately I dont recall. My grade 4 teacher was Herr Leffelman. (Mr. Spoonman). He had a Hitlerian moustache but the rest of him was like a big Bavarian farmer. He was older, probably about 60. He had us all stand at attention, he was first and foremost, back rigid, and slam our right feet down in rhythm to the song. I will never forget. Heute am bord, morgen gehts fort, Schiff am hoher See, Links um uns her nur Wellen und Meer ist alles was ich seh. Hell die Glaser klingen Ein frohes Lied wir singen. Maedel schenke ein, wir lieben Lieb und Wein, Leb wohl, auf wiedersehen. - and other songs, some of them illegal like Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles, ueber alles in der Welt (the German national anthem during the war) I understood Herr Lefelmann, he was probably raised that way and was enjoying himself but I knew something was wrong so I told my father. My father told me to stay in the car and went to talk with Herr Leffelman. I knew my father knew what to say when he needed to. Needless ro say for the rest of the year Herr Leffelmann was serious, sober, and stuck to the lessons, (excerpt from my memories called "My Fathers Family" that Im writing for my family)

[Peter McKillop]

Bob Kaczmarek sure had some great stories. The best part of his years in the French Foreign Legion was not in Africa but in French Indo-China when he was fighting the Japanese. They used to use elephants as a main part of fighting. - not directly as the Japanese would just shoot the elephants but as decoys and causing disturbances in the jungle and the troops would attack from the other side. After one skirmish Bob helped with the wounded elephants - plugging bullet holes with riverside mud and washing the elephants. One particular elephant was really taken with Bob and was very grateful for what he was doing and when he had recovered would follow Bob around when he could and was always looking for him and calling for him. Bob used to feed it jackfruit which it couldnt get enough of and having such a relationship - imagine having an elephant as a pet! - was the highlight of his time there.

Great recall on that one and an interesting story!! For some reason I thought Bob was in the residential construction/renovation business but I must be confusing him with someone else from the London chess scene.
Hans, in another post (somewhere) you mentioned taking German lessons at the German Club when you were a child/teen. Just curious, was Herr Toews one of your instructors? He was my German professor at Western in 1969/70. He was a kindly older man and it would fit with my recollection of him if he had donated some of his time to teach German to kids.

[Hans Jung]

Bob Kaczmarek sure had some great stories. The best part of his years in the French Foreign Legion was not in Africa but in French Indo-China when he was fighting the Japanese. They used to use elephants as a main part of fighting. - not directly as the Japanese would just shoot the elephants but as decoys and causing disturbances in the jungle and the troops would attack from the other side. After one skirmish Bob helped with the wounded elephants - plugging bullet holes with riverside mud and washing the elephants. One particular elephant was really taken with Bob and was very grateful for what he was doing and when he had recovered would follow Bob around when he could and was always looking for him and calling for him. Bob used to feed it jackfruit which it couldnt get enough of and having such a relationship - imagine having an elephant as a pet! - was the highlight of his time there.

[Hans Jung]

Yes exactly Peter - that was Bill Szabo and thats the type of guy he was. I have so much more to share - but in what order? The hardest is dredging them out of my mind and choosing which ones to share. - and finding the time to post. Glad you are enjoying the memories.

[Peter McKillop]

This memory is for you Peter. I have mentioned the other clubs in London but the one I started with and was very fond of was the downtown Y. .......

One evening I was at the club playing a tournament game and Bill Szabo came in. .......

Hans, these are incredible memories!!! I don't think I've ever enjoyed a chesstalk thread as much as this one. Can't get this image out of my head of Ted Durrant, four feet in the air, hitting a 360° backhand. :)
Bill Szabo, this name doesn't ring a bell but from the 1970s I do remember a tall, rangy, wild-looking guy, 40 something (?), with a thick Euro accent of some type, who would drop into the club five or six times a year, make a lot of noise for a few minutes and then leave. I assume this was Szabo. His only mode of transportation was a bike. I recall one night he came into the club in rough shape. He was very upset because a bunch of teenagers had beaten the crap out of him and stolen his bike. I felt kind of sorry for him but Bob K. told Szabo that he had created his own problem because that was the kind of trouble he was going to attract by pretending to be crazy.