Fond memories in Chess

[Neil Frarey]

I played a human chess set!!!

Hosted by then Chapters down on Rideau here in Ottawa, I was asked to organize a chess event. So naturally I went big ... suggested a human chess set.

White pieces were the Air Cadets.
Black pieces were the Navy Cadets.

By move 3 or so I began to freak out. These chess pieces are human. WTF! This is surreal!

I was conducting the white pieces ... the Air Cadets won the game, ha!

Kudos to Chapters for creating the chess board! and for printing out piece characterizations for each piece on the spot! The energy of this chess event was simply electric!

Insane time!!!

Still ... humbled.

[Ffen Liv]

This is a fun thread! It's not every day I eagerly read through the entirety of a multi-page post. It's particularly interesting to see stories from well before my chess time. Though I'm in my 40s now, my late arrival to the rated chess scene means everything prior to 2016 is an curious trip back in time, so thanks to everyone who gave me such a fun read.

For my own memories...

My best memory I think is from my first-ever tournament, in early 2017. I'd started going out to Hal Bond's club in Guelph about a month before, not having really played since I was 14 - a gap of more than 20 years (and I was never good to begin with). He told me they had a weekend tournament coming up, and I love competitive play in anything, so I registered.

In my first game, I won in 10 or 12 moves over an opponent that I think had only a passing familiarity with the rules of chess - or was having an off-day, because checking their history, it was far from their first event, though they were young-ish. That first opponent eventually progressed into the mid-1500s, which was nice to see.

In my second game, I lost to a Guelph Chess Club friend who I should have beaten (and whose chess career sort of went the wrong way, going down to the 'once you pass it' rating floor of 800), and in my third game I lost to a girl so young that she was taller sitting than she was standing - she was so small that her hips were no taller than the seat of the chair. And afterwards she ran the game backwards out of her head, with no reference to her scoresheet, to show me where I lost the game.

I went from feeling like newcomer-chess-god to losing to a friend, to losing to someone I wasn't sure was old enough to go to school. But it was enough to keep me hooked. That, and Hal's endless well of stories from a life spent in local, national, and international chess...

My second-best memory is probably from the first tournament I hosted out of the club I run after we left Guelph, this was in 2019. That was when I learned that many players register late for events. I was losing my mind about not getting enough people up until the last few days, when a small flood (relative to our slightly out-of-the-way location) of registrations came in. The club ended up profiting $1 dollar, good enough to try again.

[Frank Dixon]

I'm offering my tribute to IA John Schleinich for his impressive work as an organizer and TD in southern Alberta during my years there, in the 1980s. John made things happen in chess in Alberta, and he always kept a strict but kind hand in his enormous contributions. He was and is an inspiration to me.

One memory which stands out is Robert Hawkes making his NM rating at the Calgary Chess Club, circa 1980, in an event John organized. Club members were really pleased for Rob!! Rob had improved rapidly during this era, and won the Alberta Closed to make it into the 1981 Zonal, finishing ahead of 1978 champion NM Robert South, my Calgary work colleague from 1980 onwards.

[Neil Frarey]

that would be great Neil, I would appreciate that.

Hey yo Hanzy ... I finally got around to transferring that inaugural C4C event I organized from DVD on to a few sticks, ha!

Actually, it was the good folks over at the Trailing Edge here in Ottawa kind enuff to provide that service.

Sorry it took awhile.

Still want?

[Frank Dixon]

Perhaps my fondest memory in 50+ years of chess is the first time I met Dr. Dilip Panjwani and his 9-year-old son, Raja, at the Kingston Chess Club, January 2000. The Panjwani family had just moved to Kingston from Newfoundland, and they were getting familiar with the chess scene in their new home.

Dilip, rated in the 1500s, and a medical doctor by profession, asked me to coach Raja, then rated 1210, and we got together within a few days for our first lesson. I didn't seek out students at that time, and had a policy of not charging for the first lesson.

I prepared enough material for a one-hour session, with Dilip sitting in, as he was to do on most sessions!! I was quite astonished when the Panjwani's wished to keep going after that time elapsed! If my time was available, Dilip courteously inquired! We took a short break for a glass of milk and a cookie, and resumed. I asked Raja to mate me with a Queen and King against King; this he accomplished very easily; as he did with Rook and King against King! No false moves! Then, the second hour wound down, and they wished to continue further! Another cookie and milk! I agreed, and then we played a couple of rounds of G/15' with a clock. Raja was sacrificing pieces, trying to mate me!! He didn't succeed, but after the session I agreed to coach him. My reasoning: How many 9-year-olds can concentrate on anything for three hours at a time!? I doubted I would ever again have the chance to work with a young player who had so much potential. And the family was, and is, very friendly!!

My own rating had reached 2090, but I mostly put my own chess hopes on the sidelines, while coaching Raja for the next few years. The 2090 level would prove my peak.

I could not take the smile off my face for weeks afterwards, especially when Raja made a performance rating of 1600+ in the 2000 Kingston Open, February, which I directed. This was his first tournament with me as his coach. In his first WYCC later that year, following a very good second place showing in the B10 CYCC, Raja tied for the best score by any Canadian.

Speaking with Dilip shortly afterwards, I told him that I thought Raja would make National Master within four years, and win the overall championship of Kingston within that time, barring the arrival of any established Masters (Kingston has had quite a few over the years!). Both predictions came true. He defeated me in a key game to win the 2002 Kingston Whig-Standard title at the age of 12 years, 8 months; Raja took advantage of an astonishing last-round blunder by tournament leader Wayne Coppin, to win by half a point, defeating veteran Brian MacDonald (rating in the 1700s) in the last round, whom Wayne had also lost to in round 7, after Wayne had posted a perfect 6-0 to start. Raja won the Kingston Championship in spring 2003 with an unbeaten score, as he turned 13.

When the Panjwani's left Kingston in early May, 2004, to move to Kitchener, Raja's rating had crested 2200, he had just turned 14, and he played in his first Zonal that August in Toronto, making a 50 per cent score.

Now, some 20 years later, we find Raja with the IM title, the required three GM norms, and a FIDE rating near 2500, which, if and when he surpasses that threshold, will qualify him to become a GM!! He is also a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, the University of Oxford, and Yale University, while now working on his doctorate in economics at New York University. When Raja and I got together in Kingston for lunch, just after the 2022 Zonal, where he made an unbeaten 6-3, I noted that he had managed his non-chess life in a Triple Exclam fashion!!! I think he liked that! I had had a minor role at the event, serving as a member of the Appeals Committee, which was not tasked to meet, under the masterful organization of IA / IO Aris Marghetis.

I did lend Raja quite a few of my chess books when we were working together. Our deal is that when he becomes a GM, he returns the books to me! I am looking forward to both!!

[Darryl O]

I did lend Raja quite a few of my chess books when we were working together. Our deal is that when he becomes a GM, he returns the books to me! I am looking forward to both!!

Impressive story from beginning to end. But for now, this story is not over. And your books will surely come back to you. I firmly believe that the love for the subject of teaching (in this case, chess) is instilled by the teacher. If you hadn't been a pleasant teacher, Raja wouldn't have loved chess.

[Brad Thomson]

I firmly believe that the love for the subject of teaching (in this case, chess) is instilled by the teacher...

This is most certainly the case.

[Hans Jung]

Hey yo Hanzy ... I finally got around to transferring that inaugural C4C event I organized from DVD on to a few sticks, ha!

Actually, it was the good folks over at the Trailing Edge here in Ottawa kind enuff to provide that service.

Sorry it took awhile.

Still want?

Sure Neil - lets make arrangements. Much appreciated.

[Hans Jung]

Hey Frank. Great anecdote about Raja. Hadnt heard the details before. Thanks for sharing.

[Frank Dixon]

Thanks for the compliments from Darryl and Hans.
Responding to Darryl's comment, Raja and his father Dilip were already very sincere lovers of chess when they met me, also a very sincere lover of chess. I believe I enhanced that affection, and inspired both Raja and Dilip to improve dramatically; Dilip raised his rating about 300 points from when he met me, through joining my lessons, and an intensive tournament program. I sensed what Raja needed, and we emphasized that, discussing with Dilip periodically on progress.
I truly think the heart of the 'genius' of the Panjwani's success is that Raja played more competitive chess, at high levels of event, than any Canadian had previously, and he earned those opportunities with his talent, facilitated by very hard work, his father's enormous interest in his performance, and through his parents' significant financial means. BUT -- at the end of his high school years, Raja knew that his years of travel, around Canada and the world, usually with his father, to play multiple important events, were ending, and he would have to focus on his academics and his future career development, WHILE keeping his hand in with chess, but with many fewer events. And that is exactly what he did.
I believe Raja would have become a GM by age 20-22, ten or more years ago, had he focused on chess to the same extent as he had before. But he also became an outstanding scholar in a range of academic fields, excelling at several of the world's top universities, while at the same time he was raising his chess strength. This had been their plan all along. It is somewhat like the path followed by GM Yanofsky (1925-2000), but with some important differences: GM Yanofsky had many fewer events while a young player than did Raja (there was much less competitive chess overall), and the Yanofsky family also lacked the financial means to bring more chess to him, from what I have read. GM Yanofsky was an outstanding scholar, was probably GM strength by his mid-20s, around 1950, but he had so few tournaments played that his GM title was not actually earned until 1964, when he was 39. That makes his success all the more impressive, in my view, since in those years he was building an outstanding legal career, later expanding into municipal politics, with success.

[Tony Ficzere]

The second post in this thread by Brad brought back some memories. Pease forgive any name spelling errors.

Gordon Taylor was ED at the time. He got a call from Gata Kamsky's dad asking him if Canada would be a good place for Gata. Gord answered in true Gordon Taylor form and said no in so many words. He was correct! I later got to meet Gata an a Calgary International. Cool guy.

A while later, a man and his son came into the CFC office (Gladwin). It turned out to be Jeff Sawrer and his father. The dad had a few parts dangling as he walked around the office in his shorts. Sorry to say, this is a true story. Gord, back me up here. In any event, shortly after, Jeff and Julia gave a demonstration outside of the Rideau Centre and the Chateau Laurier. Quite a scene. Jeff moved onto bigger and better things.

[Fred Henderson]

Some amusing to me now...

Playing through game 7 of Fischer - Spassky, 1972 from the newspaper article, and wondering why oh why does Fischer play 6...P-QR3? Why doesn't he develop a piece or try to control the center?

Playing the white side of the Opera House game, till my opponent played 14...Qc5 instead of 14...Qe6, after which I played the same Queen sac, in a cfc rated game back in the '80s. I played it straight, thinking long and hard on 10.Nxb5 especially. After the game I accepted my opponent's praise graciously. I wonder if he ever caught on.

Breaking the news to Mr Pelts, at the beginning of a chess lesson, of Viktor Korchnoi's 2001 cat 16 Biel Chess Tournament victory, at age 70. Such a smile that spread over his face. "This is chess knowledge!" he said, then he told me a little story about how Korchnoi always hated him after one of his students, Tukmakov I believe, defeated Korchnoi way back when, when Pelts was present. R.I.P.

[Tony Ficzere]

Back in the mid 1980's, the contractor I was working for took me to the Supreme Court of Canada on Wellington Street in Ottawa. They were doing renovations to the building and I was the foreman for the work to be performed on the ventilation shafts throughout the building. I had convinced my boss to hire a friend of mine, Jeff Groot-Lipman, to help do the work. I was able to set up my office in Judge LeDain's quarters, quite spacious, and opulent. The job would last 3 weeks or so. Of course, lunch would be with Jeff and we would play speed chess until it was time to go back to work. One day, after our lunch, Jeff went back to work and I packed my pieces and clock back into my briefcase. Off I went to do my duties. While in another part of the building, an announcement was made which asked all workers to evacuate the building, no reason was given. I made sure all my workers were out of the building and we met at the muster point. When we got to the muster point, a Commissionaire was there and I asked him why we had all been evacuated. He told me that there was a bomb threat and the bomb squad was en route to take care of the matter. So, we waited. The bomb squad arrived. They entered to building and about 40 minutes later, they came out of the building with what they thought was the bomb in question. From a distance, I could see the package they had removed. Apparently, it was ticking. It was my brief case. It was ticking. I explained to the Commissionaire that the package did not contain a bomb and was in fact my chess clock. He made a radio call to the Commissionaire nearest the bomb squad and told them what I had said. The head dude of the bomb squad made his way to me and asked me if I could positively identify the package in question and he also asked me if it contained any explosive material. Of course, it did not and I was able to identify the package in question. After another hour of back and forth, my Alpha clock was saved from demolition and we were able to return to work. I left work that day with a story that I would tell over and over again. That was fun!

[Hugh Brodie]

I saw an obit in the paper today for John Addison. He taught first-year Physics at McGill in the 60s and 70s.

His son, Robin, age about 10 in 1968, was being pushed by Dudley LeDain as the next Bobby Fischer. The last rating I could find for him was 1575 in 1974.

I would often visit John in his office and ask about Robin. He gave up chess, and I think he joined the military. He's married and living in Ottawa now.

[Fred Henderson]

Yes. Vlad was very old school. Could run any swiss by shuffling the pairing cards. Did as good a job as Dutton's laptop (sorry Mark). I remember an epic Toronto Closed he ran at the Bayview Games Club late 90's I think.. The place was packed. I did a pretty good website of the event in basic HTML, crosstables and everything. I'm sure Hugh has the games in his database. bayviewgamesclub.com is long gone and sitting unclaimed. I own The Bayview Games Club "club" on chess.com.

:)