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Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
General Guidelines
---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
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At one time our whole Army Division was at rest at the back of the lines in the Nieuport District, about forty kilometers from Dunkerque. After supper many of us would go to Nieuport and mingle in the cafes with British and French soldiers who were also at rest. There we met some British chess players and I was invited to play - and won easily. They challenged me to come the next day as they would then bring along their strongest player who claimed to be pretty good. He was their Sargeant.
So we each came along with our supporters; the British "Tommies" on one side and our Belgian "Piots" on the other. I must mention that very few knew much about the game. After a very long, drawn-out battle I was fortunate in winning one game and a draw on the other.
You can imagine the rejoicing and fraternizing on both sides after the games were over.
After the war I remained in Antwerp until 1929. I joined the "Antwerp Chess Club".
I improved my game a little, rubbing elbows with some of the strongest players in the National and International Class. Well known names at that time were Soultanbyief, E. Shapiro, Dunkelblum, Horowitz, I. Censer, E. Colle, G. Koltanowski, E. Lancel, Perlmutter, Blaut, etc.
E. Colle had made a study of the Sicilian Defense and at one time assisted Dr. Alhekine in preparing for the World Chess Championship. I used to watch chess players and their mannerisms. Some would lean back and examine the board from a distance. Others would lean over the board and spread their elbows on the table - they would then very delicately lift up a piece and place it more delicately on another square. One player used to move a pawn very slowly, with the back of his fingernail, to the next square. He would take all his time and then would mutter in French, "Le Petit Poucet". Little Tom Thumb. (Poussait, pronounced Poucet, means in French, to push forward).
Another player who had taken off his coat, would sit sideways on his chair and while considering his next move, would get his arms in and out of his braces and become quite tangled up with his arms, his braces and his game. This would go on during the whole game. Some very slow players would place a piece bruskly on a square and give it a twist as if to secure it.
I was, a few years later, elected an officer of the club, and my function was to collect payment of dues by all members. It was no easy task, because a great many of the strong players felt that they should be entitled to be exempt and that we should feel ourselves honored to have them as members.
It was most difficult to organize club tournaments. We would meet in a large cafe, open all day and late at night. Some players who were in the diamond industry would play in the afternoon and then had to rush home for supper with their families. Others were evening players who came after supper and had to quit early in order to have a good night's sleep. Others, again, who would go to the theatre or were actors, musicians or artists, would come after the shows and would remain until they were put out. Even then they would remain on the sidewalk and talk chess. When I, as assistant treasurer, insisted on collecting dues, six or seven of our very strongest players left our club and formed a new club - "The Maccabee Chess Club".
We had to reorganize our 'A' team to play in the Antwerp Chess Team Tournament. The day came when we had to meet the leaders, the very strong Maccabee Club. It was a very important match and I played sixth and last board. Our prestige was at stake. My opponent was M. Schwalbe. After many hours of play, five games were concluded. The score was 2.5 - 2.5. All eyes were fixed on our game. There was a lot of talking which made it difficult to think and concentrate. I had a slight pawn advantage and might eventually have won. I figured every move and counter move over and over again and decided on a rook sacrifice. The onlookers thought that I had gone out of my mind. They started checking and then when they heard me announce on my thirty - fifth move, "Forced mate in five moves", they all breathed a sigh of relief.
This was the game analyzed by Dr. E. Lasker, World Champion. It was published in many newspapers, also in the Dutch magazine "Tydschrift" of March, 1924.
1.P-K4 P-K4 2.N-KB3 N-QB3 3.B-N5 N-B3 4.O-O B-K2 5.R-K1 P-Q3 6.P-KR3 O-O 7.P-QB3 P-QR3 N.B. So far the players played the famous well-known game between Dr.Tarrish - Teichman - tournament Ostend, 1905
1.P-K4 P-K4 2.N-KB3 N-QB3 3.B-N5 N-B3 4.O-O B-K2 5.R-K1 P-Q3 6.P-KR3 O-O 7.P-QB3 P-QR3 N.B. So far the players played the famous well-known game between Dr.Tarrish - Teichman - tournament Ostend, 1905
Thanks Aris and I appreciate that. I have remained completely true to the original typewritten script to the point that I didnt change any spellings of names or anything grammatic. (for example Tarrasch was spelt Tarrish).
Our Antwerp Club was often visited by world known chess masters who gave simultaneous exhibitions.
Max D. Euwe, one of the outstanding International Chess Masters, who was later for a short while World Champion, came to our city for a simultaneous exhibition and lecture. It was rather late when this event was over and most of the players had gone home.
A few however, decided to show Dr. Euwe Antwerp night life. Our secretary, L. Weltjens, E. Shapiro, chess master, and myself, took him to a popular dance hall.
Max Euwe was very tall, very skinny, very serious and a teetotaler, while Shapiro was very short. We coaxed them to dance with some of the girls but they were too bashful. So we said, "Go ahead, the two of you dance together". It was a sight worth seeing.
Here was this tall, serious, Dutch Professor dancing with this very short Shapiro, who could barely get his arms below Euwe's waist, waltzing all around the large hall with everyone stopping to watch.
Our club also invited the Hastings Chess Club to a match of about forty boards. The English team was headed by Yates, one of the best British players at that time. It was a very unusual match - very dignified. Many of the invited team members wore smoking jackets. The ladies were in their finest attire.
There was complete silence in this very large hall. Then suddenly, we heard one of the ladies who had studied her position for some time, lift her head and wave a finger at her opponent and say, "You have robbed me of my combination, sir, but ....." She hesitated and continued, "I still have something on."
(In England 'combination' means underwear).
I returned to Toronto, Canada in 1929, and a year later joined the "Judean Chess Club". There were many strong players but no organization, no funds, no discipline. Players would sit with their hats and coats on.
There were no chess clocks and not sufficient complete chess sets for all. If you had your back turned someone would remove one of your pieces to complete his own set.
One day the landlord threatened to expel us unless we paid our arrears immediately. I suggested to the members that a general meeting be called urgently.
This was done. I was appointed secretary-treasurer, with full power to act. I consulted with some of my business friends and made a deal with the landlord. I gave him $100.00 on account. He was astounded and immediately started decorating the club room. He cleaned up the place - put in new lights and fixtures, supplied coat racks and replaced the broken chairs and tables.
We were once more in business. All members were instructed to pay dues. I collected from every one; if only a quarter a month from some, and twelve dollars per annum in advance from others.
I ordered from "Establissement Durand" in France, two dozen good sized wooden loaded Staunton Chess Sets. I set strict rules - no playing with hats on - no throwing cigarette butts on the floor - closing time, midnight. We bought tournament clocks - we had funds, and acquired prestige.
We organized matches with other clubs, were visited by chess masters and had simultaneous exhibitions and rapid transit tournaments.
A few years later we outgrew our quarters and moved into a new building across the road, in the Gelber Building. We prospered and had over a hundred members.
In order to supplement our funds to meet the increased costs, I started a bridge section which grew and grew. I had become President and decided that the name "Judean Chess Club" was no longer appropriate.
This created quite a lot of opposition.
I also knew that some of the other clubs objected to the continual kibitzing in foreign languages that went on during match games. We put up strict rules to stop this.
I still thought it advisable to have the name of our club changed as chess, in my opinion, is international - it should have no borders and serve no political or religious purpose.
In order to get my views accepted by the members, I called on our Honorary President, the financial backer of our club, Mr.B. Weiss, an elderly gentleman highly respected by all. I outlined my long range plan for chess in Toronto, in Ontario and Canada, and after listening he promised me his fullest support. He was known by all as 'Old Man Weiss'. He loved his daily chess. He was unsteady and had to make a great effort to move the pieces from one square to another. His hands were shaky. One always expected him to drop the piece but he did not; he had courage and determination. While he spoke slowly, in a very low voice, his mind was quite clear.
We had a meeting of our committee in my home for the purpose of choosing a new name, but after a long session and many suggestions, no decision was taken. However, after they had all gone home I started reading all the slips of paper left on the table and the floor. There were dozens of suggested names such as, The Balfour Chess Club, The En-Passant Chess Club, The Lasker Chess Club, etc. I came up with what I thought would be the right name, "The Jordan Chess and Bridge Club".
This was adopted at the following general meeting and we later obtained a club charter.
We had many successful tournaments and every Saturday afternoon the club would be open to young boys and girls, eight to twelve years of age.
Syd Kirk, a great chess enthusiast, and I, would pick up children from their homes, pile them up, six to ten in each car, and drive them to our club. We taught chess, ran tournaments and rewarded them with prizes. If they behaved well, on our way back to their homes we would treat them with ice cream.
It was hard work but very encouraging. I learned to understand and appreciate youth. This practical experience was very valuable to me in my life in dealing with children.
In the meantime, I got the Toronto Chess Clubs together and reorganized the Toronto Chess League. They did a very good job and discovered many good players and good chess workers.
From a nation-wide standpoint there was however, no organized chess at that time. So, in 1932, with the help of Messrs. R.H. Unwin and H.A. Seymour of Haileybury, Ontario, a Dominion Chess Tournament was organized. We had strong representation from Montreal, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Toronto. It was held in Haileybury and we called a meeting of all the chess representatives.
It was unanimously decided that:
The "Canadian Chess Federation" be formed to be ratified by all the clubs when the representatives returned to their home towns. The newly elected President, Mr. R.H. Unwin, and the Secretary, Mr. H.A. Seymour, presented a few months later a constitution which was also ratified. I was the Treasurer.
The name was changed a few years later to Chess Federation of Canada, as the initials "C.C.F." of the previous name conflicted with a large political organization.
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