If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Policy / Politique
The fee for tournament organizers advertising on ChessTalk is $20/event or $100/yearly unlimited for the year.
Les frais d'inscription des organisateurs de tournoi sur ChessTalk sont de 20 $/événement ou de 100 $/année illimitée.
You can etransfer to Henry Lam at chesstalkforum at gmail dot com
Transfér à Henry Lam à chesstalkforum@gmail.com
Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
General Guidelines
---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
Some Basics
1. Under Board "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs) there are 3 sections dealing with General Forum Usage, User Profile Features, and Reading and Posting Messages. These deal with everything from Avatars to Your Notifications. Most general technical questions are covered there. Here is a link to the FAQs. https://forum.chesstalk.com/help
2. Consider using the SEARCH button if you are looking for information. You may find your question has already been answered in a previous thread.
3. If you've looked for an answer to a question, and not found one, then you should consider asking your question in a new thread. For example, there have already been questions and discussion regarding: how to do chess diagrams (FENs); crosstables that line up properly; and the numerous little “glitches” that every new site will have.
4. Read pinned or sticky threads, like this one, if they look important. This applies especially to newcomers.
5. Read the thread you're posting in before you post. There are a variety of ways to look at a thread. These are covered under “Display Modes”.
6. Thread titles: please provide some details in your thread title. This is useful for a number of reasons. It helps ChessTalk members to quickly skim the threads. It prevents duplication of threads. And so on.
7. Unnecessary thread proliferation (e.g., deliberately creating a new thread that duplicates existing discussion) is discouraged. Look to see if a thread on your topic may have already been started and, if so, consider adding your contribution to the pre-existing thread. However, starting new threads to explore side-issues that are not relevant to the original subject is strongly encouraged. A single thread on the Canadian Open, with hundreds of posts on multiple sub-topics, is no better than a dozen threads on the Open covering only a few topics. Use your good judgment when starting a new thread.
8. If and/or when sub-forums are created, please make sure to create threads in the proper place.
Debate
9. Give an opinion and back it up with a reason. Throwaway comments such as "Game X pwnz because my friend and I think so!" could be considered pointless at best, and inflammatory at worst.
10. Try to give your own opinions, not simply those copied and pasted from reviews or opinions of your friends.
Unacceptable behavior and warnings
11. In registering here at ChessTalk please note that the same or similar rules apply here as applied at the previous Boardhost message board. In particular, the following content is not permitted to appear in any messages:
* Racism
* Hatred
* Harassment
* Adult content
* Obscene material
* Nudity or pornography
* Material that infringes intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party
* Material the posting of which is tortious or violates a contractual or fiduciary obligation you or we owe to another party
* Piracy, hacking, viruses, worms, or warez
* Spam
* Any illegal content
* unapproved Commercial banner advertisements or revenue-generating links
* Any link to or any images from a site containing any material outlined in these restrictions
* Any material deemed offensive or inappropriate by the Board staff
12. Users are welcome to challenge other points of view and opinions, but should do so respectfully. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. Posts and threads with unacceptable content can be closed or deleted altogether. Furthermore, a range of sanctions are possible - from a simple warning to a temporary or even a permanent banning from ChessTalk.
Helping to Moderate
13. 'Report' links (an exclamation mark inside a triangle) can be found in many places throughout the board. These links allow users to alert the board staff to anything which is offensive, objectionable or illegal. Please consider using this feature if the need arises.
Advice for free
14. You should exercise the same caution with Private Messages as you would with any public posting.
I am sorry to report the passing of Alex Knox, long time organizer, tournament director, founder of the Agincourt chess club and long time speed and tournament player.
Funeral service will be on Friday, January 3rd, 2025 at Highland Funeral Home at 11:00 am, 3280 Sheppard Ave East, Toronto.
Funeral home website is: www.highlandfuneralhome.ca/Scarboroough
He served as Chief Arbiter for the 1992 Kingston Zonal, with myself as Deputy Arbiter and Head Organizer. Alex was somewhat gruff in manner, but ultimately kind. One thing he most assuredly was: talented, prepared, and hard-working.
Alex taught me a lot during the event, which ran quite smoothly, with the exception being some bad behavior from one well-known Canadian IM. We got through it.
Living to age 95, Alex definitely had a great innings, as they say in cricket.
Rest In Peace, Alex. Plenty of chess awaits you in Heaven, both playing and organizing!!!!
I was very fortunate in being a good friend of Alex. He was one of the grand old men of Canadian chess. Alex was a good friend of Bernard Freedman and his wife. He would often go and pick up groceries for them after work. Howard Rideout was another friend. Lynn Stringer was another friend. Being as she was in B.C. they would have long chats on the phone, some of them went on for hours. Alex was a freemason and had no qualms asking for favors for his many projects.
I had first got to know him well at the 1988 Canadian Open in Scarboro that he organized. He was always joking and enjoyed his interactions with me. And he told endless stories. One of those was he was on a garden tractor mowing the lawn and the lawn had a deep slope towards the end. He was cutting along the edge and the tractor rolled and pinned him wrecking both his hips. His hips were already bad from twenty years on police motorcycles but now he had a permanent limp. Alex was as tough as they come, he never complained and always kept a positive outlook.
I organised the Canadian Open in 1993 in London, Ontario. Alex was chief TD and arbiter. All he wanted was a spot to smoke his cigars in peace. In turn he invited a group of newbies to be tournament directors under his guidance. Several started their tournament direction careers with his mentorship. In 1995 I moved to Toronto and Alex insisted I join the Knox, Ignac Vucko, Vojin Vujosevic team of Toronto organisers. I never had it so good learning from the best - and Alex also insisted that I play in all the major tournaments they organised and that they "would hold the fort." Alex gave me the nickname of " Ordinary Joe" as he insisted that I was the most down to earth of any of the masters that he knew.
In 2002 I moved to Kitchener to become chess coordinator there. Alex was instrumental in helping organise that move. He also gave me the old tournament cupboard of the Scarboro Chess Club and it was full of pairing charts, scoresheets, paper boards, cardboard boards, vinyl boards, everything that was needed to run any type of tournament at the time.
Alex founded the Agincourt Chess Club and made me an honorary member. Being grateful I did a ten board blindfold simul at the club where some of the best tournament players in the area took part. Alex was my move messenger and despite his canes and his limp he did an excellent job, totally focused, announcing the moves calmly and clearly.
Despite being in Kitchener I visited Alex regularly in Toronto. He would pick me up from the subway and take me to the nearest coffee shop and we would sit in the car enjoying our coffees and, of course, he would be puffing on his cigar. We would either talk chess or he would point out a person on the street scene outside the car. He was good at observing people and knew what they were up to and what motivated them and he liked to talk about that. We would later go back to his apartment where he could relax, have a few beers, and tell his stories. Alex passed away about a week shy of his 95th birthday.
RIP Alex and keep telling your stories and jokes. I miss you, my friend.
Last edited by Hans Jung; Saturday, 21st December, 2024, 05:35 PM.
I love Alex and we had a wonderful friendship back in my CFC days, 1992-1997. I gave him the nickname "handsome" which he quite enjoyed. Alex took a liking to me when I told him to get his stinking, fucking cigar away from my chess book sales table. Whenever he called the office we would spend several minutes talking about sex before getting down to business. Alex used to brew his own beer and always made sure to bring me one whenever I was in Toronto. Although upon at least one occasion I allowed Nick to quickly enjoy it between moves. One time at a tournament a player, Don Johnson of London, was up about six pawns and a piece against the lone King of old Joe Pockmursky, but stalemated him. Alex quickly moved in and rubbed salt into the wound by asking Don for an autograph. God bless Alex, he is a truly fine man, a beautiful soul, and absolutely one of a kind. What a great life!
Alex organized the 1964 Canadian Open way out in the farmland of Scarborough in 1964 won by Benko and before Toronto hosted a Canadian Open). He and Howard Ridout would also visit prisons to play with the inmates. A regilar when the Scarbirough club was on Macey.
I should also mention that Alex was good friends with Phil Haley and his wife Betty Jane. Alex was connected to many of the organisers across Canada. He was a long time director of the Greater Toronto Chess League and a key figure for many years in the Ontario Chess Association and the Chess Federation of Canada.
Sad news. Alex was a friend of mine and my wife. I worked with him during my time as OCA Treasurer and we spend many hours together working on chess. He worked tirelessly for the cause for years. "Red" as he was known loved chess. When I first met him I asked him why he was called Red? Of course, I did not know him until he was around 60 so was not aware of his red hair. I remember going to his home with my wife and we would chat for hours, he loved joking with my wife. He was a salt of the earth kind of guy. He made some pretty good beer too! He will be missed. Condolences to his family.
It was a very interesting time for me going to Alex's funeral. Friday morning, just after morning rush hour I headed down the 401 to Toronto. Last second impulse I pulled off on Victoria Park and over to Sheppard and Im glad I did. It brought back so many memories. There was Alex's apartment building at the northeast corner of Sheppard and Pharmacy.where he had his comforting apartment for the last twenty-five years. On the south side of Sheppard was the plaza and the variety store where he got his dailies and played the old guy behind the counter chess at the rate of about one move per week. Each game on a pocket set lasted about six months. The side street just beyond led down to Wishing Well park where Alex used to feed the squirrels and enjoy his cigars, coffee, and meditations, and of course passed by Alex's second house where his three daughters were raised.
The funeral home was only two short blocks from Alex on the north side, just before Warden. It was the best funeral I have ever attended. Not only was it held in a luxurious space but the Knox family was especially welcoming. Tara met me at the door and introduced me to her sisters and brother Rand who had changed so much I didnt recognise him.
The first chess player to show up was Glenn Fonseca who had to tell the story to Tara about my sixteen board blindfold exhibition that he'd been a part of back in the day at Agincourt chess club. I didnt want to disillusion him or correct him and only spoke up to tell Alex's part in it.
There was a continuous display of pictures on a big screen of the Knox family and Alex. One highlight was Alex and three other motorcyle officers astride four Harleys in perfect formation as part of a parade. The background vehicles made me judge the picture as being taken in the 50's. Rand provided commentary for the pictures and I was surprised at how much I recognised. There was also a side table of Alex's memoribilia, including an old leather folded over citation book, Alex's medals and awards and other personals(of course many stacked different boxes of his beloved cigars). I'm sure Alex would have liked a smoldering cigar on the table as part of the presentation, unfortunately due to rules and regulations that wasnt possible.
Prominent among the memorabilia was a cherished chess set that had been given to him by a fellow mason. I recalled the story about the set. The particular gentleman who had given him the set had worked at it for over a year. His first career job and later hobby was as a tool and dye worker and he had hand turned each individual piece. The white pieces were made from light rubbed brass and the black pieces from dark rubbed brass. Alex had three sets on display in his apartment living room through all the years that I visited him. They were all precious gifts. Another of the sets was given to him by the library where he did his research when designing the logo for the Agincourt Chess Club. The logo was a symbolic representation of the battle of Agincourt. Alex's meticulous attention to detail didnt allow him to proceed until he had exhaustively researched that historic battle. The library in question had a patron donate the set to them of French and English military figures, including knights and archers of that time period but the set was not being used much so they gave it to Alex.
All told, seven chess players attended the funeral, most of them members and executive of the Agincourt Chess club, and we all sat in one row. A big surprise appearance and a pleasure to me was Maurice Smith. I sat beside him, had a lengthy conversation, and caught up. Maurice is ninety years old now but still mentally sharp, active and agile for his age. When I asked what he was doing with himself he said he was vice president and treasurer of the Scarboro club because nobody else wanted those positions. The big surprise was that he had just finished writing his first book - and wait for this - a murder mystery called The King with an Axe (at least thats what I think he said). Can you imagine! First time writer of a published book at age 90! What an inspiration! Its due out at Amazon in about 4 months. (plug for Maurice)
Maurice started at the Scarboro chess club in 1976 (50 years coming up soon) and first had dealings with Alex at the 1988 Canadian Open in Scarboro, which is where I also got to know Alex. He was talked into joining the executive of the Scarboro chess club that year, and the OCA and the CFC rapidly followed.
Last edited by Hans Jung; Saturday, 4th January, 2025, 06:11 PM.
Another story Maurice shared was of Yuanling Yuan. You could tell this story personally moved him. Yuanling was a young girl when she joined the Scarboro chess club. One day Yuanling's parents came to Maurice and said Yuanling has been invited to the world championships in Siberia and we cant accompany her and she's only fifteen so she cant go on her own. Maurice went paying his own way (but was reimbursed later by the CFC.) Yuanling came to him later and said she would never forget his help. Yuanling later became a great success. Two years ago she got married in China but her parents brought back for Maurice a huge specialty box of chocolates. The way Maurice told the story was much better and colorful then how I have recounted it here.
Last edited by Hans Jung; Saturday, 4th January, 2025, 06:15 PM.
Alex's particular attention to detail showed in the planning of his own funeral. The attending minister was a military chaplain from Kingston, Padre Yves Fournier, who I had much interaction with. He came to me towards the start of the memorial to ask if I had any particular request as to the time for doing my reading of the eulogy. I told him I was totally flexible. Then I introduced him to Maurice Smith and Padre Fournier started asking personal questions of chess. We got so caught up in talking that he was shocked to realise that he was late for starting the memorial. Nobody objected. The entire funeral was conducted according to Alex's plans. Padre Fournier read the entire Ecclesiastes 3 (popularly called A Time for Everything) and made many connections with it and examples in Alex's life. It was eerie to sense Alex's hand in it. He finished the memorial with an interesting Irish Blessing that I had not heard before.
The refreshments afterwards were scheduled for half an hour. Refreshments was an understatement. There were many large platters of hearty sandwiches, very fresh fruit varieties and desserts. The coffee was excellent and there were many choices of other non alcoholic drinks. There was even a hot foaming milk machine so you could make lattes. To me it was a good lunch and with all the talking and sharing that was going on it stretched way passed the half hour. After that half hour it was private interment for family only. However none of the family went instead they stretched the talking and sharing for more than an hour. When I left an hour and a half later most of the family had come up and congratulated me and wanted to talk and were only then slowly making their way out for the interment. My table of chess friends was still busy talking. Tara Knox came around and told everybody to help themselves to extra food portions, take it home she urged - we dont want any of it to go to waste.
While I was signing the guest book a young man came over to me who had an uncanny resemblance to a young Alex. He asked: "Do you know me"? I said: "Sure you are Adam" You sure look like your grandfather." I remember waiting at Kitchener City Hall and a big pickup truck pulled up with all my stuff in the back including the Scarboro Chess Club cupboard which Alex built with his own hands.. It was a mini fortress, virtually indestructible, and contained all that was necessary to run any kind of tournament, pairing charts, crosstables for 4, 8, 12, 16 etc sections, scoresheets, all the paraphernalia including a hundred paper boards for children tournaments, 100 cardboard boards and 50 vinyl boards. Your dad Rand was in the drivers seat, you were in the middle, and Alex was in the passenger seat. It was the only time I'd ever seen Alex in the passenger seat of a vehicle." I asked Adam how old he was then and he answered probably twelve. - and that was twenty two years ago. I wished him all the best in life.
Tweet
Comment