Blindfold Chess - the book

[Hans Jung]

I followed Duncan Suttles progress during the tournament. At the time he was Canada's best and a young grandmaster with a weird style of play. At the last Canadian Open (in Ottawa 1973) Ray Ebisuzaki got to analyse with him and I was envious. This time I wanted to watch him play and, if I got a chance, see an analysis session. The two games that stand out after all these years were Suttles - Larsen and Suttles - Ljubojevic. Larsen had won so many previous Canadian Opens and despite his debacle against Fischer I admired him with his great wit and risky style of play. The first game Suttles-Larsen was a big surprise to me. Suttles played like a normal positional grandmaster all the way and then an amazing endgame shaped up. When Larsen risked all for a passed H-pawn and won White's bishop Suttles was left with four advanced passed pawns and rook vs a lone bishop and rook. This was amazing for me to see played out at the board. Even more amazing was that later I found out that Larsen in the complications around his lone passed H -pawn missed a win. Two lessons for me graphically illustrated - the power of the passed pawn to take the initiative and create complications and the depth of tactics at the grandmaster level.

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1135973 The Suttles-Larsen game mentioned above. Larsen could have won by playing 45...Bh3 according to commentators.

[Hans Jung]

There was alot of excitement with the Suttles - Ljubojevic game. We (the London contingent were all rooting for Suttles of course and the game started to our expectations (the patzers that we were). White built up a strong center but little did we know that Black would soon tear it down.There were so many people watching that I only caught a few glimpses but what was happening was virtually incomprehensible to me. I had brief elation when Suttles made the black pawns ugly on the kingside but right around where I thought he was winning his position was already coming apart. There was big disappointment among the fans when it became evident that Suttles was losing.

I remember watching the analysis by Ljubojevic at the dorm. He happily demonstrated that Black had the advantage all the way after the opening, 11.b4 just gave up a pawn and the way Suttles played it actually lost the C pawn as well. So Black had the permanent advantage of passed A+B pawns. The rest of the analysis was just a workshop of active defending and counterattack. Lessons learned were that the strong center isnt much without active supporting pieces and ugly pawns on the kingside are actually not much of a liability if they cant be gotten to. And also defending actively with pieces. I didn't get my analysis session with Suttles, not then anyway, but surprisingly I did soon and unexpectedly. Stay tuned for that.

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1091446 The Suttles-Ljubojevic game, battle for first place Canadian Open, Montreal 1974.

[Hans Jung]

Suttles loss didn't deter us fans. Just seeing him in action was enough for us to bring on hero worship. On the way home we did more blindfold analysis of the Rat than our own games and the buzz was that we finally had a Canadian opening system and couldn't wait to play it at the club and in tournaments. Everybody was playing the Rat (or so it seemed) I briefly did but scored so miserably with it that out of embarrassment I gave it up and it didn't help my blindfold chess with all those weird positions. It just wasn't my style and was probably detrimental to my chess. However I was happy others were playing it because I was scoring heavily on the White side with my attacks. In the period of 1974-1976, the main years of the club on Richmond Street in London the Rat was the popular opening (well almost as popular as the Sicilian) and Duncan Suttles was the man.

[Hans Jung]

During the years 2003 to 2005 I was editor of Chess Canada Echecs and its funny how memories go. I spent a lot of time looking for the song the Canadian Rat which I had seen in some obscure corner of the internet but just couldn't find and was getting extremely frustrated because I wanted to publish the lyrics in the magazine, and of course that one time I found it, it brought back such memories singing it.

Finally I purchased the three volume set "Chess on the Edge" (I think in 2009) and just the expose by Bruce Harper on the origins of the Rat and the accompanying song "the Canadian Rat" alone is worth the price of admission into Suttlemania. (the book collection of course).

Here are the lyrics: I was up analyzing late one night, When my eyes beheld an eerie sight, I pushed my pawn to King Knight Three and suddenly it came to me. I played the Rat, I played the Canadian Rat. The Canadian Rat, it was a kingside smash. I played the Rat, it caught on in a flash! I played the Rat, I played the Canadian Rat.

From the Class C patzers who castle weak, To the tournament room, where the masters feast, It seemed everyone was hitting the groove to get a jolt from my new move.
They played the Rat, they played the Canadian Rat, The Canadian Rat, it was a kingside smash. They played the Rat, it caught on in a flash. They played the Rat, they played the Canadian Rat.

The players were having fun. The tournament had just begun. The entrants included Bobo, Fullbrook and his son. The scene was rockin, all diggin the sounds. Maddog on chains, backed by his baying hounds. The Siamese players were about to arrive with their vocal group "The Pawn Pushers Five". They played the Rat, they played the Canadian Rat. The Canadian Rat, it was a kingside smash. They played the Rat, it caught on in a flash. They played the Rat, they played the Canadian Rat.

Out of his coffin, Uncle Vik's voice did ring, seems he was troubled by just one thing. He opened the lid and shook his fist and said: "Whatever happened to my Latvian Gambit!?" It's now the Rat, it's now the Canadian Rat. The Canadian Rat, and it's a kingside smash. It's now the Rat, it's caught on in a flash.it's now the Rat. It's now the Canadian Rat.

Now everything's cool, Vik's a part of the band. And my Canadian Rat is the hit of the land. For you the player, this Rat was meant too. When you get to my move, tell them Super sent you. Then you can Rat, then you can Canadian Rat. The Canadian Rat, and do my kingside smash. Then you can Rat, you'll catch on in a flash. Then you can Rat, then you can Canadian Rat.

Sung to the tune: "The Monster Mash". Sung with a rasp, preferably in a low bass. I was singing it as I typed it out, just a thrill and it really gets you in the spirit. Now I have to go and gargle.

Authored by Duane Polich, a well known organizer in the Pacific Northwest, ironically an American. But for those of you that don't know, Duncan Suttles is also American, born in the good old U.S. of A.

[Hans Jung]

Back at the club in London (Ontario) there was a lot going on and I was meeting a lot of people. One day, an elderly gentleman, bald with black thick framed glasses was in the side room looking at Bob's papers and bringing out stacks and photocopying. Bob came over to me, all excited, and asked: Do you know who that is? I thought for a minute and said: Is it Irving Chernev? Bob was floored. How did you know? I said: Well at first I thought it was Reinfeld but then I remembered that he was dead. So my next best guess was Chernev.

I thought some more and then went over to ask Mr. Chernev a question. Of all the questions about chess what do you think I asked him? I said: Mr. Chernev, in your opinion, of all the blindfold masters who do you think was greatest? He replied: Koltanowski was great and Pillsbury was noted for the elegance in his blindfold play, Morphy and Blackburne deserve mention, but the greatest of all, no question, was Alekhine. I was present In New York when he took on 24 and amongst them were several masters and he beat most of them with his usual style. I was again watching in Chicago at the Worlds Fair in 1932 when he set the world record. For sure Alekhine.

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1012164 In my opinion this is Alekhine's Immortal Blindfold Game - the play is astonishing, well worth looking at and appreciating. Saemisch was noted for being able to visualise the whole board and pieces, one of very few that could, but nothing could help him against Alekhine.

[Peter McKillop]

Back at the club in London (Ontario) there was a lot going on and I was meeting a lot of people. One day, an elderly gentleman, bald with black thick framed glasses was in the side room looking at Bob's papers and bringing out stacks and photocopying. .......

My curiosity is hoping for an answer. Hans, what did Bob have that Irving Chernev wanted to photocopy

[Hans Jung]

You're an avid reader and leading me on. (thanks) Bob had started a chess magazine that he was very proud of. Its initials were I.C.C.N. My memory is slipping a bit but I think it stood for International something (it wasnt Canadian) Chess News and he wanted Irving Chernev to contribute and cited him in sources. That started a letter chain between them and Bob must have revealed that he had done a lot of chess research (that's how he started with all those hours while he was minding the store) and had obtained collections of chess papers. That got Irving Chernev (and others) out to visit him to see what he had. I didnt see what all the fuss was about. To me it was just another chess magazine, although he did have some bizarre and interesting games that I couldn't find anywhere else. I think he published four issues before it went under. I do know that Bob had travelled many times to the States and had picked up chess material (papers and books) from auctions and estates but unfortunately I was not interested much in the details.

[Hans Jung]

I shared in a pamphlet I wrote for my 50 years chess celebration called: "My Life in Chess" - "Also there were trips to the Cleveland Public Library, which had the best chess library in the world. Bob bought a former police car at auction and we would drive together at 90 to 100 mph to Cleveland. We would start early in the morning and get there before 10 am, about 300 miles including border crossing. One time Bob was driving and I was napping and I woke up to flashing lights. I looked over to the dash and it showed 90 mph and a police car was pulling alongside. Bob didn't slow and as the policeman looked over Bob saluted. The cop turned off his flashing lights, slowed down and did a U turn. At the library Bob did ardent research for 8 to 10 hours and I learned to properly research chess and then we headed home arriving around midnight, all in the same day."

I think I did five of those trips but for Bob it was a regular happening.

[Hans Jung]

When Bob Edwards died in 2006 his widow sold most of his collection to a used bookstore on Richmond Row. When that used bookstore went out of business the owner of City Lights bought various select chess items and books of Bobs at auction and I do know other collectors were interested.

[Hans Jung]

Bob Edwards didnt play blindfold chess but if he had an opening that captivated him (he wrote several books on various openings) he would quote moves to me and then say what do you think of this move? That gave me plenty to ponder on those trips to pass time, but also at the club he would often do the same. Usually at the club I would say: leave it with me as I was usually in the midst of a session of games or doing other analysis. I would take that move home with me on my long walks home after the club closed (I would often miss the last bus home to get more chess time and Bob was ok with me closing the club). The walk was five miles well after midnight and what else was I going to do with my time but ponder chess.

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1012164 In my opinion this is Alekhine's Immortal Blindfold Game - the play is astonishing, well worth looking at and appreciating. Saemisch was noted for being able to visualise the whole board and pieces, one of very few that could, but nothing could help him against Alekhine.

For other notable Alekhine blindfold games see pgs 11 to 16 in this thread.

For blindfold games of Morphy, Blackburne and Koltanowski see previous and subsequent pages.

[Hans Jung]

Bob Edward's best friend was Ernie Rentz and Ernie ran the book store next door. He was a big burly man but a sharp dresser and wore old fashioned, extra large white silk shirts with the sleeves rolled up, a leather vest, men's dress pants and cowboy boots. He was always shaved immaculately bald but had a tidy moustache and goatee. Ernie had a barbers chair that he installed behind the sales counter and there he would greet you as you came in the door. It was a popular place to hang out for teenagers and young adults as Ernie would have racks of vintage and Victorian postcards along the counter for customers to browse and on the other side magazines of every size and description. Plus Ernie himself was a big attraction with endless jokes and witty repartee. I wasn't much for conversation in a crowd but I would enjoy watching Ernie hold court and also watching as the ash on his cigarette would build up without him ever having to tap it. He had a knack of keeping his cigarette going until, except for the butt, it was all ash curling in the air and rarely did it drop. It was mesmerizing at times.

Ernie had bought the contents of two used bookstores to add to his and he also had a deal with Bob. Ernie would have a good selection of beginner chess books and writers like Chernev and Reinfeld and also basic books of best games of Alekhine, Botvinnik, Capablanca, Euwe, Fischer etc. for the young adults and teenagers to browse and if they wanted more he would tell them to go see Bob next door. As a break from chess I had a passion for Western novels, especially Louis L'Amour, there was nothing cheaper and Ernie had them all. He made me a deal, a quarter per novel or ten for a dollar as long as I brought them back to him for resell.

Ernie also had a large antique barn on Dundas Street (London's main street) in the block just before the Thames River bridge. He called it the British and Greater North American Used Junque Shoppe and Antiquarian Society. It was chock full of antiques. He would buy out the contents of old farmer's barns and the remainders of estate sales. Just inside the cavernous front door was an old brougham with two caricatures of stuffed mules pulling it and an old scoundrel of a driver with a trench coat and slouch hat and a buggy whip. Inside was a Victorian lady with a parasol and dressed in her finest arm in arm with a Victorian gentleman with a top hat, roguish curling moustache, tails, and cane.

Ernie had cards made up of both the bookstore and the Junque Shoppe and they were quite picturesque. The one I remember best was for the young ladies. It had a shadow picture of the Victorian lady and gentleman arm in arm emblazoned at the top with the title: British and Greater North American Used Junque Shoppe and Antiquarian Society and the slogan: Come see the wonders. Guaranteed I will make you a deal. and then on the next line: Show me your (and here a caricature of the upper part of a females anatomy) and get one third off. E. Rentz Proprietor.

Ernie often would get in old and antique chess sets and chess tables. First he would offer them to Bob (Bob took me down there once to check them out) and then he would sell them to the general public. He did great in sales and new lots were constantly flowing in and out of there.