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I would like to recognize the following players who have made a good contribution for a number of years for both their solid chess playing and for their social (kibitzing) skillset that they bring to the Chess Park located at Church and Queen in Toronto. Apologizies to those that I know who I may have missed.
Many park players have wondered who started the four playing rotation (ie four man shoe) for the five minute blitz games. I believe that Big John knows that answer.
And whatever became of Sunshine, John from Los Angeles and Junior from the Phillipines?
Here's an 8-year-old Mig Greengard column, 'Places To Play Chess', that mentions the Toronto Church & Queen venue in the Comments section (scroll down circa 2/3).
I have heard many stories about Josef Smolij. Big John from the chess park loves to tell Josef Smolij stories. I don't know John's last name, but many park players would know who I am talking about. During his chess game he will provide kibitzing commentary by saying " Shi saw" and during the game if he is in a bad position he will say to his opponent that "you are really slicing the flesh" You can generally tell that John's chess day at the park has come to end when he girlfriend arrives on the scence to signal that it time for them to go home to dinner.
Don Cherry has written two book of hockey stories, I know that John could write two books of Josef Smolij stories.
Josef Smolij was definitely a living chess landmark in the city. He even evidently made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest chess player in the world.
While out for a lunchtime stroll in the early 1970's I stopped by the chess tables near Yonge St. Joe was working the crowd to get a speed chess game for $2. I accepted and won. He immediately accused me of cheating because I must be a ... (ready for this) club player! Of course he was right (I played at the SCC) but I always wondered why he thought this was cheating!
While out for a lunchtime stroll in the early 1970's I stopped by the chess tables near Yonge St. Joe was working the crowd to get a speed chess game for $2. I accepted and won. He immediately accused me of cheating because I must be a ... (ready for this) club player! Of course he was right (I played at the SCC) but I always wondered why he thought this was cheating!
He was quite a character.
Joe's defeats were evidently few and far between. Of course, he didn't likely face many CFC rated experts like yourself (2045). From an August 7, 2010 post by Kevin Spraggett:
CHESS ON YONGE STREET
I remember walking down Yonge Street in Toronto during the '80s, right beside Sam The Record Man, and watching a small crowd kibitz the games being played. I even met Vlad Dobrich there once! The city removed the chess tables some years back.
''Besides the canopy, chess tables were added to the sidewalk along Gould. The corner became a mecca for chess players partly due to the reputation of Josef Smolij. The Polish native earned himself a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest chess player, often destroying hopefuls who paid fifty cents to take him on within fifteen minutes. After being fired from a machinist job because he wasn’t allowed to set up a board next to his post, Smolij set up his board on the streets of downtown. His initial hangout was Allan Gardens, where he quickly drew crowds entertained by his skill and antics. As a 1978 profile in The Canadian noted:
''Seldom does he lose (maybe once a week, more likely once every two weeks) and with each gambit and eventual checkmate that occurs, he unleashes a barrage of Polish-accented bravado that infuriates his opponent and entertains those who have stopped to watch. When the opposition makes a particularly bad blunder, Smolij lets him have it. "In Russia," he will boldly state, "they send you to Siberia for that one. Yes, is true. Player scared to make bad moof [sic] in Russia."
Joe "Kill as you Go!" Smolij at work, hustling bystanders for a couple of dollars on a one minute game of chess at the corner of Yonge and Gould Streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo taken in 1979 with the Olympus XA camera, using Kodak Tri-X 35 mm film.
Josef Smolij was definitely a living chess landmark in the city. He even evidently made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest chess player in the world.
Hmmmm, I would love to play someone like him in a time scramble over the board. So far, Haizhou's the only one who's even remotely fast enough to flag me :D
While out for a lunchtime stroll in the early 1970's I stopped by the chess tables near Yonge St. Joe was working the crowd to get a speed chess game for $2. I accepted and won. He immediately accused me of cheating because I must be a ... (ready for this) club player! Of course he was right (I played at the SCC) but I always wondered why he thought this was cheating!
He was quite a character.
You may have even have bested the Ontario champion 0f 1959 if this 2006 blog entry from 'Sarah's Chess Journal' is accepted as the gospel.
"The Man Who Screamed When He Lost." Warner, Glen. Saturday Night (May
1980), p. 50-53.
Every night, Josef Smolij sets up his chessboard on Yonge Street in
downtown Toronto and takes on all comers for fifty cents a game, winner
takes all. Playing speed chess with Smolij is to engage in psychological
warfare. The 59-year-old man with an 8-inch beard shouts insults when
opponents make bad moves: "In Russia, you would be sent to Siberia for that.
Is true. Players scared to make bad moof in Russia." Smolij was Ontario
champion in 1959, but was kicked out of his last tournament for screaming
at opponents. Most local experts acknowledge that he is a great speed player who rarely loses. "I sleep maybe four hours a day. The rest, I play chess."
You may have even have bested the Ontario champion 0f 1959 if this 2006 blog entry from 'Sarah's Chess Journal' is accepted as the gospel.
"The Man Who Screamed When He Lost." Warner, Glen. Saturday Night (May
1980), p. 50-53.
Every night, Josef Smolij sets up his chessboard on Yonge Street in
downtown Toronto and takes on all comers for fifty cents a game, winner
takes all. Playing speed chess with Smolij is to engage in psychological
warfare. The 59-year-old man with an 8-inch beard shouts insults when
opponents make bad moves: "In Russia, you would be sent to Siberia for that.
Is true. Players scared to make bad moof in Russia." Smolij was Ontario
champion in 1959, but was kicked out of his last tournament for screaming
at opponents. Most local experts acknowledge that he is a great speed player who rarely loses. "I sleep maybe four hours a day. The rest, I play chess."
He wasn't a top player in the late 1950s when he tried slow chess, maybe 1900? He wasn't a great speed player as he refused to play club players, couldn't play at master level and didn't know recent opening theory. He needed to win as a source of income and would pick up the clock if you quickly played bookish stuff like the Sicilian. He was great at destroying average players with his Crash-Smash Gambit and tactics. He was dedicated, being there every day, and very entertaining to watch.
He wasn't a top player in the late 1950s when he tried slow chess, maybe 1900? He wasn't a great speed player as he refused to play club players, couldn't play at master level and didn't know recent opening theory. He needed to win as a source of income and would pick up the clock if you quickly played bookish stuff like the Sicilian. He was great at destroying average players with his Crash-Smash Gambit and tactics. He was dedicated, being there every day, and very entertaining to watch.
You would know better than I, Eric, but perhaps you're shortchanging Josef a tad. I would think him at least expert status and Hans Jung would seem to concur, judging from his post 2 years ago.
09/08/2010, 18h08
Hans Jung
Kevin Spraggett's blog has an interesting piece on Joe Smolij - king of the chess hustlers in Toronto in the 70's and 80's. He sure was an interesting character. What a lot of people may not know is that every once in a while he would "escape" to a weekend Swiss tournament in the United States to try and win some class section money. My first encounter with Joe was on my way to a tournament in Ann Arbour Michigan in the spring of 1976. After a long ride on the Greyhound I ended up at the sleazy old Greyhound terminal in Detroit Michigan. While waiting in line for a bus to Ann Arbour and whiling away time with a pocket chess set I was appoached by what seemed like a bag man and bag lady but turned out to be Joe Smolij and his third wife. I dont remember much of the stories he told on the ride to Ann Arbour but in the last round of the tournament we ended up playing for first prize in the "B" section. Ours was the last game to finish and for a while the most interesting judging by the amount of spectators crowding the board. It was also my introduction to Jude Acers who spent some time analysing the game afterwards and who was also an interesting personality with great stories (Jude Acers became king of New Orleans street chess and has had his famous table there for about 30 years now - but back in the 60's and 70's toured the States trying to win prizes in tournaments) Here is the game: White: Joe Smolij Black: Hans Jung 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.g4 Be6 10.h4 Rc8 11.h5 Ne5 12.hxg6 fxg6 13.Nxe6 Nxf3+ 14.Ke2 Nxd2 15.Nxd8 Nxf1 16.Raxf1 Kxd8 17.Bd4 Rg8 18.Rhg1 b5 19.a3 Rc4 20.Kd3 Nd7 21.Bxg7 Rxg7 22.g5 Ne5+ 23.Kd2 Rf7 24.Ke3 Rc5 25.Kd4 Nf3+ 26.Ke3 Nxg5 27.Rxf7 Nxf7 28.Rf1 Ne5 29.Kd2 Nc4+ 30.Kc1 Nxa3 31.Rf8+ Kd7 32.Ra8 Nxc2 33.Rxa6 Nd4 34.Kd1 h5 35.Nd5 Nc6 36.Ra8 Ke6 37.Rf8 Rc4 38.Nf4+ Kd7 39.Nxg6 Rxe4 40.Rh8 Rg4 41.Nf8+ Ke8 42.Ne6+ Kf7 43.Nc7 Rg5 44.Kd2 Re5 45.Ne8 Nd4 46.Nc7 Ne6 47.Rh7+ Kg6 48.Rxe7 Nxc7 49.Rxc7 h4 50.Rd7 h3 51.Rxd6+ Kg5 52.Rd8 Kg4 53.Rg8+ Rg5 54.Rh8 Rh5 55.Rg8+ Kh4 56.Rg1 h2 57.Rh1 Kg3 0-1 Looking at this game in the light of day more than 30 years later it doesnt seem that great but at the time it caused a lot of excitement.
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