Happy New Year !

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: SCC History

The 1964 Canadian Open was held in Scarborough. Was the club involved in its organization?

In Bob Armstrongs' excellent and free online newsletter, I wrote an article last year on the 1964 Canadian Open in Scarborough, not at the actual SCC, won by GM Benko. The organizing was led by Alex Knox and Howard Ridout. They also had a highly publicized visit to prisons to play chess.

I'm not sure, but I think that the SCC didn't leave Macey Hall until maybe 1977, after the first Scarborough- Indianapolis Peace Games in 1976, but before 1978 when I moved a block away (I used to golf once a week nearby, too). I didn't like the walk from the subway at the new location and spent more time at the Toronto C.C.

In the late 1970s the Scarborough CC and Toronto CC both had over 300 members.

While still on Macey Hall Al MacDonald and I produced an annual newsletter, The Kitibizier, which had all the tournament winners, Unfortunately I lost my two copies. We also started the flyer with the schedule of the annual tournaments.

The club was opened 2 nights and Sunday afternoons and held many weekend and one-day active tournaments. Even strong master events were held. Late business managers, or just club organizers, were Billl Albin, Bill Evans and Mark Dutton.

Frank Tebbs didn't play much in our high school, but future SCC President Doug Gillis was on the B Team. Malvern CI also had 3 CFC rated teachers.

The online newsletter should collect memories from Gord Blackman who has been a member throughout all these years.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: SCC History

Hi Erik:

Thanks for the info.

Today it is hard to imagine over 600 chess club members in Toronto - and this in only 2 clubs ( and there were other active clubs in Toronto in the late '70's as well - Weston CC was one of them I believe . Were there Willowdale CC and Agincourt CC at that time? )

At the time of the 1964 Scarborough Canadian Open, though SCC itself was not the organizer, I believe both Alex Knox and Howard Ridout were SCC members.

I think Gary Ruben puts the demolishing of Macey Hall and the SCC move to Porter Collegiate around September 1974, whereas you put it between late summer 1976 and sometime in 1978. Anyone have further light to shed on this variance? I can't remember. And I am not even sure when I joined SCC, though I believe it had to have been by the late 1970's at the latest ( and perhaps even as early as the late 60's ) - boy, old age must be catching up with me - and I'm not even a senior yet by some standards !

SCC used to be open both Tuesday and Thursday evenings and also Sunday afternoons for slow tournaments, with a blitz tournament at 5:00 PM that used to be open to non-members, many of whom attended.

I remember Al MacDonald as the club business manager early on in my SCC membership.
Besides Albin, Dutton and Evans as club managers later, I think Emmanuel ( ? ) Strauss may also have been one after MacDonald.

Gord Blackman played last in the 2006-7 year I think. I believe he was in his 80's. I'm sure he could fill in lots of the gaps in SCC history.

Bob

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Happy New Year !

I remember paying visits to chess clubs in Toronto during the 70's and 80's when I would travel there a couple of times a year. Wasn't there a club downtown on Adelaide St., and the Central Y on College St., and the club on Vaughan Rd. (not all in existance at the same time) - as well as "Chess Canada" on Wychwood?

I remember going to Macey Hall once, and several times to Porter Collegiate (although I can't date those precisely), and once to the SCC's Lawrence location (probably since 2000).

Montreal has not had a formal, central chess club (lasting for more than a few months) for years - since the 1950's-1960's and the numerous ethnic clubs started up by new immigrants. The Lakeshore CC started in the early 60's (predecessors in the date date back to the late 40's) with a steady membership of 15-20 players. I got it up to over 80 in the early 90's - but it's back to 15-20 again. The Montreal CC (founded in 1844) still exists - but as a formal club is virtually inactive (and has been since the early 1960's). Cafes have always been the lifeblood of Montreal chess - in 1972, Cafe Québéches sold over 1500 annual $3 "memberships" which allowed free use of a set (otherwise there was an hourly fee). "La Presse" newspaper received moves (almost live - 3 or 4 at a time) from Reykjavik during the Fischer-Spassky match, and relayed them to the cafe, which displayed them on a demo board with analysis by masters. The fire marshal wouldn't have been too pleased if he saw the number of people in there watching the analysis.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: SCC History

Hi Erik:

I think Gary Ruben puts the demolishing of Macey Hall and the SCC move to Porter Collegiate around September 1974, whereas you put it between late summer 1976 and sometime in 1978. Anyone have further light to shed on this variance? I can't remember. And I am not even sure when I joined SCC, though I believe it had to have been by the late 1970's at the latest ( and perhaps even as early as the late 60's ) - boy, old age must be catching up with me - and I'm not even a senior yet by some standards !

Hi Bob,

I simply said I finished playing at the Scarborough club around Sept. 1974. I have no idea exactly when the club was given new playing space by the city. I'm sure Erik is right with his dating as he continued to attend and I didn't.

I thought there were Canadian Opens in Scarborough after 1974 with which the club was involved, but maybe not. I don't recall if I was in Toronto at the time of the Canadian Open in 1964.

[Bob Armstrong]

Toronto Chess

Hi Hugh:

I don't know about the club on Adelaide - I know the Toronto CC was in the old Consumers' Gas building somewhere down there for a while, but I don't remember the cross-street. The Toronto CC was located for quite a while in the YMCA on College Street, just west of Yonge St.. And then it did move to an upstairs commercial space on Vaughn Rd., north of St. Clair Ave. ( over an occult shop if I remember ).

Toronto is sort of taking a page out of Montreal's book in that the Bayview Games Club ( Vlad Dobrich ) now is running its 1:30 PM Saturday 5 min. blitz tournaments out of a coffee shop on Danforth Ave., just west of the Donlands subway station ( it is a bar in the other part of the establishment ). He gets about 10-15 players out ( generally very strong at the top - GM Sambuev when he's in town, IM Gerzhoy, IM Samsonkin, Plotkin..... ). I believe that the coffee shop part has applied for a liquor licence as well, and then you'll be able to have a beer while you play!

Other than Scarborough CC running CFC-rated tournaments on Thursday night, I think the only other club doing that in Toronto is the Oriole CC on Sunday afternoons.

Bob

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Scarborough CC History

Hi Gary:

Thanks for the clarification - now I'll try to track down exactly when Scarborough CC moved from Macey Hall to Porter Collegiate between summer 1976 and 1978 ( Erik Malmsten's recollection ).

You are right that there was a Scarborough Can. Open sometime after you left SCC in 1974, and it may have been in the '80's. I remember going to the Scarborough Civic Centre atrium where it was being played ( I didn't play in that one ). Maybe someone can give us the year of that CO. Again, I don't know if SCC itself was at all involved in organizing it.

Bob

[Peter Stockhausen]

Re: Happy New Year !

That Open was held in 1988. The winner, I think, was Lawrence Day and the Organizer was Alex Knox.

Cheers
Peter

[Bob Armstrong]

IM Lawrence Day

Hi Peter:

Thx for the date.

I'm not sure, but I don't believe Alex Knox was still playing at Scarborough CC in the summer of 1988. He may only have been involved in the casual chess club, Agincourt CC.

20 years later, at the 5 round Toronto Hart House Holidays Open ( Dec. 20 -22, 2008 - 86 players ), IM Lawrence Day tied for first in the Open Section ! ( a four-way tie - with GM Bator Sambuev, IM Leonid Gerzhoy, and Igor Divljan ) Still playing good chess, despite the aging ! Congratulations Lawrence.

Bob

[Gary Ruben]

Re: IM Lawrence Day

I'm not sure, but I don't believe Alex Knox was still playing at Scarborough CC in the summer of 1988. He may only have been involved in the casual chess club, Agincourt CC.

I thought there were a few clubs around Scarborough back then. There was the Agincourt Club. I think there was also a club in West Hill. In a collegiate on Lawrence Ave E. around Lawson Rd. I seem to recall a third club but can't remember the guys involved in keeping it going. The names won't come.

Chess in Toronto needs some promotion and a Canadian Open with decent advertising would do that.

[David Bowers]

Re: SCC History

Hi Erik:

Today it is hard to imagine over 600 chess club members in Toronto - and this in only 2 clubs ( and there were other active clubs in Toronto in the late '70's as well - Weston CC was one of them I believe . Were there Willowdale CC and Agincourt CC at that time? )

Bob

can't speak for the agincourt cc. i suspect it didn't exist.

i recall during the fischer-boom(?) playing in the cafeteria of the consumer's gas building just off victoria park, south of sheppard. very well-attended. this was iirc a temp home of the willowdale chess club.

also, i played every thursday evening (early to mid-70s) at the north york chess club in the basement of the (now torn-down) north york public library.

i also recall visiting wychwood as a youngster and being impressed with the sheer number of books, as well as the economy of the setup.

dave bowers

[Bob Armstrong]

Toronto Chess

Hi Gary:

Ernie Mucignat played at Scarborough CC in 1988, as far as I remember, and he was also the organizer I believe of the West Hill CC, which I think later changed its name to the Rouge River CC ( not sure of this ). Don't know about the third club you mention.

It would be great to have the Can. Open in Toronto ( hasn't been here for a while ), but I don't know if we have an organizer willing to take on such a large tournament. With proper media coverage ( which didn't happen with the 2008 CO in Montreal, but I think did with the 2007 Ottawa one ), I agree a CO can do a lot to promote chess regionally.

Bob

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Toronto Chess

Hi Gary:

Ernie Mucignat played at Scarborough CC in 1988, as far as I remember, and he was also the organizer I believe of the West Hill CC, which I think later changed its name to the Rouge River CC ( not sure of this ). Don't know about the third club you mention.

It would be great to have the Can. Open in Toronto ( hasn't been here for a while ), but I don't know if we have an organizer willing to take on such a large tournament. With proper media coverage ( which didn't happen with the 2008 CO in Montreal, but I think did with the 2007 Ottawa one ), I agree a CO can do a lot to promote chess regionally.

Bob

Hi Bob,

David mentioned the club in the Consumers Gas building. I'd forgotten that one even though I worked in that building. They had it in the large cafeteria. I seem to recall the club lasted for years and there was a least one female player who played a decent game. I can't recall her name. I never played at that club.

I have no idea why the club ended. The playing space was probably free or close to it.

[Dave Broughton]

Re: Happy New Year !

Hi everyone - a few of us old farts from the early days (60's - early 70's) of the Scarborough Chess Club still get together for a bbq every year. This includes John Angermann, Bob Bowerman, Kerry Liles, and Peter McSherry and up until a couple of years ago, Don Heeney.

I have fond memories of John Kohlfurst bring in a case of 24 to help keep everyone from getting too serious about their chess. It was a great club for a relatively new player. I was lucky enough to win the club championship once - could never do it now as the club has many more strong players.

Cheers

Dave Broughton

[Bob Armstrong]

Scarborough CC History

Hi Dave:

I have run into Pete a number of times in the last 2 decades, and remember John A., Bob B and Don H. ( though I'm not sure I have memories of Kerry L at the time ). I also remember a Larry Buchan ( ?? ) as being part of that group, I think. Don't know whether I just knew them from weekend tournaments, or coming into Hart House to play, or because I was an SCC member at the time. Makes me think maybe I became an SCC member in the early '70's, not the late '70's as I was beginning to think.

Bob

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Happy New Year !

Hi everyone - a few of us old farts from the early days (60's - early 70's) of the Scarborough Chess Club still get together for a bbq every year. This includes John Angermann, Bob Bowerman, Kerry Liles, and Peter McSherry and up until a couple of years ago, Don Heeney.

I have fond memories of John Kohlfurst bring in a case of 24 to help keep everyone from getting too serious about their chess. It was a great club for a relatively new player. I was lucky enough to win the club championship once - could never do it now as the club has many more strong players.

Cheers

Dave Broughton

Sounds like fun. John used to bring the 24 on Sundays when the weather warmed up. AA would finish their meeting and when they came out we'd sometimes come walking right past them with our case of beer.

I won that club championship one year. Still have the trophy. It says Swiss Champ but neglects to give the year. The big Swiss tournament was the club championship back then.