cultural and historical knowledge of chess and chess players

[Hans Jung]

It was probably 1971. Sounds like a great game against a strong IM. Donald Byrne had an auto immune disease and his life was cut short at age 45. A great tragedy.

[Hans Jung]

https://en.chessbase.com/post/european-ch-2026-r11

Have to add IM Roman Dehtiarov to this cultural segment. Previously unknown strong player from Kharkiv in the Ukraine. When the war broke out he could have gone to England but chose to remain in Kharkiv with his father and amongst the fighting and terrors of war continued on his path to GM and now we see the fruits of his strife and labour. What a story!

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=3126626 This should be titled: "Taking care of the F-pawn".

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=3126400 Delightful pawn play!

[Frank Dixon]

IM Donald Byrne (1930-1976) died of lupus; at that time there was no cure for this, although in more modern times, scientists and medical professionals have made some progress with it. I had a high school classmate who suffered from it for years, and she eventually recovered significantly, and has gone on to a near-normal life, being able to become pregnant and to deliver her healthy baby.

Donald, two years younger than his brother, GM Robert Byrne, was for a time the stronger chess player of the brothers. He, his brother, Raymond Weinstein, and Bobby Fischer, among others, were students of the legendary Master John Collins, a most deserving member of the USA Chess Hall of Fame.

According to the chessmetrics data, Donald was at his peak strength, #38 in the world, right around the time of the 1954 match with the Soviets in New York, where he made the best American score, 3/4.

[Hans Jung]

https://en.chessbase.com/post/vincen...l-vienna-opera A blend of culture in the Keymer family!

[Hans Jung]

Titas Stremavicius, now playing in the 2026 Canadian Open in Ottawa is a young Lithuanian grandmaster and a great defender as well as good tactician. For those not knowing Lithuania is one of three neighbouring countries (the most southern one) on the eastern shore of the Baltic sea. The other two are Latvia (known for GM Misha Tal and more recently GM Alexei Shirov ) and Estonia (known for GM Paul Keres).

My mother who was born in Lithuania didnt really know of chess but she knew only one chessplayer, GM Vladis Mikenas, who was much talked about in Lithuania at the time. Ive made an effort to somewhat keep up with Lithuanian chess. GM Rozenthalis, for many years the strongest Lithuanian GM, played many times in Canada. Egidijus Zeromskis, a frequent poster on this board, is another Lithuanian master strength player.

Perhaps GM Titas Stremavicius most famous game is this: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2998319 Nice defence against GM Wesley So.

[Erik Malmsten]

Titas Stremavicius, now playing in the 2026 Canadian Open in Ottawa is a young Lithuanian grandmaster and a great defender as well as good tactician. For those not knowing Lithuania is one of three neighbouring countries (the most southern one) on the eastern shore of the Baltic sea. The other two are Latvia (known for GM Misha Tal and more recently GM Alexei Shirov ) and Estonia (known for GM Paul Keres).

My mother who was born in Lithuania didnt really know of chess but she knew only one chessplayer, GM Vladis Mikenas, who was much talked about in Lithuania at the time. Ive made an effort to somewhat keep up with Lithuanian chess. GM Rozenthalis, for many years the strongest Lithuanian GM, played many times in Canada. Egidijus Zeromskis, a frequent poster on this board, is another Lithuanian master strength player.

Perhaps GM Titas Stremavicius most famous game is this: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2998319 Nice defence against GM Wesley So.

Hans, did you ever met IM Paul Vsitonis of Hamilton? He had played matches with Mikenas, won 4 Lithuanian Chamoionships and 2 Canadian. He also wrote a chess column in the Hamilton Spectator.

Back in the early 1980s Iin the Lithuanian Hall on Bloor I directed the World Lithuanian Championship (for players outside of Lithuania). Players from US, Sweden, and Australia. I had to settle an international dispute on who chooses which clock to use. I don't remember if Vaitonis was first or second.

[Hans Jung]

Thanks Erik for the reminder. I should have included IM Paul Vaitonis ( a rare slip of memory). IM Vaitonis was an Olympian and two time Canadian Champion. I met him as an old man in Hamilton. IM Brian Hartman knew him well.

[Hans Jung]

https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-sw...-dieter-keller Dieter Keller - what a story! an amateur who was so strong he beat several legendary grandmasters!