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Sadly, I have recently learned of the death of Gerald de Lugt (1928-2025), at age 97, who was a stalwart of Kingston chess for 30 years. I will be informing the Kingston Chess Club of the sad news tomorrow night, at our regular club meeting. Gerry was one of the greatest-ever KCC members.
In the days ahead, I will be writing more about the wonderful 'Gerry', as he was known during his chess years in Kingston, from 1975 until 2004. For now, here are a few key highlights.
Gerry was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, which is about 20 km. west of the capital Amsterdam, close by the site of the famous annual North Sea shore Wijk aan Zee chess festivals; this year's tournament is now in progress; the top sections regularly feature many of the world's top players. Gerry learned chess as a young boy, during the years when the world-class Dutchman Dr. Max Euwe (1901-1981) was making his way toward becoming the Fifth World Champion in 1935. Gerry attended some rounds of the famous AVRO Invitational tournament in the Netherlands in 1938, featuring the world's top eight players. The AVRO was one of the greatest-ever events. He knew Dr. Euwe personally through chess in those young-man years, when Max was a national hero. After surviving the dreadful years of World War II (1939-1945), Gerry graduated from university in Civil Engineering, and worked locally as an engineer for some years, during the exciting post-war era when his home nation was at the forefront of many aspects of environmental engineering, working to build dyke systems to contain flood damage, and to reclaim new land from the North Sea, now known as 'polder'.
In the early 1950s, he immigrated to South Africa, and continued his professional career there.
Gerry, leaving the South African apartheid behind (he did not agree with its racism), arrived in Canada in 1967, working first in Sarnia. He then took a job with the City of Kingston in 1975, eventually rising to Deputy City Engineer, serving until his retirement in the early 1990s. He became certified as a Canadian Professional Engineer.
He joined the Kingston Chess Club soon after he arrived. I first played him competitively in 1976 (50 years ago!), in a KCC vs. Queen's University CC team match, eventually winning after a very hard struggle, and a long endgame. He and I were to contest many more tough battles in the years after that, and he proved on many occasions that he was a dangerous threat over the board against anyone in the region, up to and including National Master. He peaked with a rating in the 1860s, but I would rank him as the toughest non-Master defender I have ever faced, in my 60 years of competitive chess. He was both a fierce competitor at the board and a true gentleman away from it!!
Gerry was a skilled instructor in youth chess in the Kingston YMCA programs headed by Estonian-Canadian chemist Kalev Pugi (1925-1984), Kingston's major organizer for 25+ years, who served as CFC President in the 1970s; Pugi is a member of the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame, who arranged for the 1975 Canadian tour by Estonian super-GM Paul Keres (1916-1975), including a simul in Kingston. One prize student from that era is Dr. Ted Hsu (born 1964), former federal MP, and current Member of Provincial Parliament, both for the Kingston and the Islands; Ted is still active in chess, as his duties allow. Gerry continued to contribute to developing young generations of Kingston players through schools programs headed by people such as Jim Cairns, Chris Hargreaves, and Roman Polywkan. Gerry was a member for decades with the Executive Committee of KCC, and the leadership provided, mainly by Gerry and Jim (1922-2010), made the KCC a well-run organization, which featured keen competition, high-standard chess, excellent sportsmanship, fair play, and a strong community spirit. I certainly learned much from both Gerry and Jim.
Gerry retired to Victoria, B.C. in the mid-1990s, and while he chose to end his competitive chess, he did continue to play recreationally with friends into his 90s. He was also an excellent Contract Bridge player; fittingly, perhaps, in view of his Civil Engineering specialty!! Gerry was a very Civil Engineer in his personal dealings, always honest and reliable!! He did continue as a recreational swimmer, well into his 90s!
I hope to provide more details, along with some 'Gerry' games, moving forward.
Rest In Peace, Gerry!
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston
In the days ahead, I will be writing more about the wonderful 'Gerry', as he was known during his chess years in Kingston, from 1975 until 2004. For now, here are a few key highlights.
Gerry was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, which is about 20 km. west of the capital Amsterdam, close by the site of the famous annual North Sea shore Wijk aan Zee chess festivals; this year's tournament is now in progress; the top sections regularly feature many of the world's top players. Gerry learned chess as a young boy, during the years when the world-class Dutchman Dr. Max Euwe (1901-1981) was making his way toward becoming the Fifth World Champion in 1935. Gerry attended some rounds of the famous AVRO Invitational tournament in the Netherlands in 1938, featuring the world's top eight players. The AVRO was one of the greatest-ever events. He knew Dr. Euwe personally through chess in those young-man years, when Max was a national hero. After surviving the dreadful years of World War II (1939-1945), Gerry graduated from university in Civil Engineering, and worked locally as an engineer for some years, during the exciting post-war era when his home nation was at the forefront of many aspects of environmental engineering, working to build dyke systems to contain flood damage, and to reclaim new land from the North Sea, now known as 'polder'.
In the early 1950s, he immigrated to South Africa, and continued his professional career there.
Gerry, leaving the South African apartheid behind (he did not agree with its racism), arrived in Canada in 1967, working first in Sarnia. He then took a job with the City of Kingston in 1975, eventually rising to Deputy City Engineer, serving until his retirement in the early 1990s. He became certified as a Canadian Professional Engineer.
He joined the Kingston Chess Club soon after he arrived. I first played him competitively in 1976 (50 years ago!), in a KCC vs. Queen's University CC team match, eventually winning after a very hard struggle, and a long endgame. He and I were to contest many more tough battles in the years after that, and he proved on many occasions that he was a dangerous threat over the board against anyone in the region, up to and including National Master. He peaked with a rating in the 1860s, but I would rank him as the toughest non-Master defender I have ever faced, in my 60 years of competitive chess. He was both a fierce competitor at the board and a true gentleman away from it!!
Gerry was a skilled instructor in youth chess in the Kingston YMCA programs headed by Estonian-Canadian chemist Kalev Pugi (1925-1984), Kingston's major organizer for 25+ years, who served as CFC President in the 1970s; Pugi is a member of the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame, who arranged for the 1975 Canadian tour by Estonian super-GM Paul Keres (1916-1975), including a simul in Kingston. One prize student from that era is Dr. Ted Hsu (born 1964), former federal MP, and current Member of Provincial Parliament, both for the Kingston and the Islands; Ted is still active in chess, as his duties allow. Gerry continued to contribute to developing young generations of Kingston players through schools programs headed by people such as Jim Cairns, Chris Hargreaves, and Roman Polywkan. Gerry was a member for decades with the Executive Committee of KCC, and the leadership provided, mainly by Gerry and Jim (1922-2010), made the KCC a well-run organization, which featured keen competition, high-standard chess, excellent sportsmanship, fair play, and a strong community spirit. I certainly learned much from both Gerry and Jim.
Gerry retired to Victoria, B.C. in the mid-1990s, and while he chose to end his competitive chess, he did continue to play recreationally with friends into his 90s. He was also an excellent Contract Bridge player; fittingly, perhaps, in view of his Civil Engineering specialty!! Gerry was a very Civil Engineer in his personal dealings, always honest and reliable!! He did continue as a recreational swimmer, well into his 90s!
I hope to provide more details, along with some 'Gerry' games, moving forward.
Rest In Peace, Gerry!
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston
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