HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

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  • HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

    Hi everyone,

    HCCC is in process of honouring our past City Club Champions. Our previous champions include such names as: FM Dennis Allan, FM Frank Pushkedra, IM Brian Hartman, FM Doug Bailey (win over Bareev at 1980s World Junior Chess Championship :D), IM Paul Vitonis (also Canadian Closed Champion :D) and etc. I don't know if FM Huns Jung was HCCC Champion. I think it's time to honour all of our past champions. We trying to compile a list all the way from 1950s to present our HCCC Champions. Anyone who has relevant information, please contact me at my email: mikhailegorov@gmail.com.

    This list will be presented at our HCCC annual meeting in September.

    Thanks and have a great day. :)


    Mikhail Egorov

  • #2
    Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

    A good place to start would be with Google. You can now search old newspapers and other documents (e.g. search for "Hamilton Chess Club") - but remember that "Hamilton" is also the name of a large city in New Zealand and smaller ones in numerous American states.

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    • #3
      Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

      From early Canadian Chess Chats: at the time the tournament began in January and lasted for several months. The terms Hamilton City Championship and Hamilton Chess Club Championship seem to be used interchangeably for the same event. There was a chess column in the Hamilton Spectator at the time, written by Paul Vaitonis 1953-55 and Frank Anderson 1955-1964.

      1952 - George Berner was leading with a perfect score half way through the event
      1953 - Peter van der Wel
      1954 - Peter van der Wel
      1955 - Paul Vaitonis
      1956 - Paul Vaitonis

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      • #4
        Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

        I did live in Hamilton briefly in 1985 but only showed up at the YMCA club occasionally - I spent most of my time at the Toronto Chess Club on Vaughan Road. If I had to do it all over again I would have competed more in Hamilton. You have a fine set of champions and Ive played most of them. Once you get a complete list I hope you put all the names with respective years on a plaque. Its a project I did in London, Ontario and I believe we now know the champions there going back to the 1950's.

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        • #5
          Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

          Usuing Google, I found references to the HCC in the Feb. 14, 1889 issue of the "Journal of Proceedings of the Hamilton Association"; also references to a "Hamilton Chess Club Correspondence Tournament" from 1882.

          The "Anglo-American Magazine" (Toronto, April 1854) announced the formation of a club in Hamilton (meeting at the Mechanic's Institute) - along with a previously-formed club in St. Catherines. An 8-player knockout event was taking place in Toronto, and several of the games are published in various issues (do the Globe and Mail or Star archives go back that far?)

          (the "first annual meeting" of the TCC took place in late 1854 according to this magazine).

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          • #6
            Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

            http://web.ncf.ca/bw998/CanadianChes...graphiesR.html talks about an Isaac Ryall.

            http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=10471 is 1886 & 1888 Cdn. Champion. Was William D R Macleod (1869-1941) the same http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=99851, also later to beat former champion Lasker in a 1926 USA simul, much like Mr. Cohen reports that Nicholas (apparently he moved from Quebec to Spokane at some point) earlier did (perhaps the MacLeod family had relatives to stay at in Hamilton or south Ont. area during the occasional tournament - only a guess)?

            Scrolling down to John Henderson of http://web.ncf.ca/bw998/CanadianChes...graphiesH.html tells a short story in the city newspaper.

            The Canadian Chess Association met for the 1st time in Hamilton, but the tournament wasn't completed. The year following, Mr. Ensor ( http://www.chesscafe.com/text/spinrad12.pdf ) won the tournament in Toronto. Lee Hendon of nearby Brantford area said at one point to me that they were looking to see whether his friend Tyler or his family might've had much relation to this Albert Ensor. There's also a Morrison family tradition in the Ont. scene, but am not sure of which cities they might've played out of.

            Hamilton hosted the 1924 Cdn. tournament & others. Matching up the Canadian & Ont. Open tournaments that the city hosted may help to weed out their local good players. It could also lead to a suggestion of which of the years to start scanning Mac's good newclippings collections.

            Possibly this could help find some leads...

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            • #7
              Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

              In a case you'll see something about Toronto championships, please make a note at http://torontochess.org/drupal/node/143 or here (chesstalks)

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              • #8
                HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                While doing some research in American Chess Bulletin, I came across the following in the November/1914 issue.

                "J. Edmund Lister has won the championship of the Hamilton (Ont.) Chess Club with a score of 14.5-3.5..." It further says, "Mr. Lister, who is also President of the club...." and finally, the following: "The Secretary of the club is J. W. Moncur, 644 Main Street East...."

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                • #9
                  Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                  Paul Arvaj is someone who probably was champion at some point in the 70's or 80's. It became a much smaller club when it moved from First Place to the YWCA but I'm not sure exactly when that happened.

                  Anthony Black was champion one year sometime in the early 90's.
                  Last edited by Zeljko Kitich; Monday, 29th March, 2010, 01:57 AM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                    Thank Stephen. I did contact Hamilton Spectator and they gave one chess column that was published by Frank Anderson. There was a recent book on this great player that can be ordered from NIC store. They said the didn't archive any chess column, but told me to try either Hamilton Public Library or Toronto Reference Library on Young Street. I will definitely go there. :D

                    Thanks Zeljko,

                    I do remember Paul Arvaji. I also managed to play this great player a lot of quick games. As far as I know he used to play a lot in the 70s. He played in Quebec tourneys and also had few booklets published as well. His name needs to be honoured for sure. I seen a game that Hans Juhg played against Paul as well. I think it was in 1977 HCCC, which Hans won as black. If you remember who won that year, please let me know. Thanks.

                    Thank you very much for your help everyone. :)

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                    • #11
                      Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                      Originally posted by Mikhail Egorov View Post
                      They said the didn't archive any chess column, but told me to try either Hamilton Public Library or Toronto Reference Library on Young Street.
                      I got a CD from Eric with P.Vaitonis articles in a Hamilton newspaper. Unfortunately, after a move CDs&DVDs are not unpacked yet...
                      Maybe Eric could give you a copy too :)

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                      • #12
                        Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                        McMaster has a complete collection of the Spectator on microfilm, any year you want but it would take alot of searching. I have access to an electronic search service as part of my Ryerson university student account but the Spec is only available from 1984 at earliest. I can search on chess but it gives too many results. I think the same service Canadian Newsstand or Factiva is available online if you have a Hamilton Public Library card. You can also get a one day guest account for any day or days and use the same service at McMaster Mills library.

                        Someone out there should have a complete collection of Chess Canada or someone at the CFC may be able to look through the files for you of old ratings if they are still around.

                        If not I know one or two players that were active back then, one was my English teacher & chess coach at Scott Park (2nd team in the city 3 years in a row!). It would be a call out of the blue for him but he may remember a name or two.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                          I find a CD with old P.Vaitonis articles.

                          1955 September 3:
                          "The Harmonie Club of Toronto is bringing a group of players for a match here against the Hamilton Chess Club on September 11"
                          1955 September 10:
                          "Tomorrow at 2 p.m. the Hamilton players are asked to be on hand to face a large contingent of friendly invaders of the Harmonie Chess Cub of Toronto. This will the first informal match preceding the regular provincial league schedule.
                          The match will take place at the Hamilton Chess Club rooms, 561 (sic) Barton (sic) Street East. Chess enthusiasts are welcome to witness the play"
                          etc


                          Mikhail, do you need a copy?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                            Originally posted by Mikhail Egorov View Post
                            Hi everyone,

                            HCCC is in process of honouring our past City Club Champions. Our previous champions include such names as: FM Dennis Allan, FM Frank Pushkedra, IM Brian Hartman, FM Doug Bailey (win over Bareev at 1980s World Junior Chess Championship :D), IM Paul Vitonis (also Canadian Closed Champion :D) and etc. I don't know if FM Huns Jung was HCCC Champion. I think it's time to honour all of our past champions. We trying to compile a list all the way from 1950s to present our HCCC Champions. Anyone who has relevant information, please contact me at my email: mikhailegorov@gmail.com.

                            This list will be presented at our HCCC annual meeting in September.

                            Thanks and have a great day. :)


                            Mikhail Egorov
                            Hi Mikhail,

                            I have put on CDs all the 1950-60s chess columns of Vaitonis and Anderson, but the column still continued for a few more years under Myer Harris. Offhand I think Van der Wel was a frequent champion. I also have mention of matches with Hamilton and Hamilton Championships in Toronto newspapers back to 1860.

                            The Hamilton Chess Club has started up a new website. The old website had my detailed history of chess in Hamilton which mentioned many championships. You should use that as a starting point.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: HCCC CHAMPIONS: Past and Present

                              Hi Egidigus,

                              That would be great. Thanks. You can send it to my email at: mikhailegorov@gmail.com, if size is not to big.

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