[blind-chess] Re: History of the USBCA Re: Dear Jim, A question Please: Blind Chess Olympiad Weymouth 1968

  • From: "Roderick Macdonald" <rjmacdonald@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 10:29:17 -1000

A wee correction: The person accompanying our 1968 Olympiad team was T.T. Perry, not T.T. Murphy. 


Rod
----- Original Message ----- From: "Roderick Macdonald" <rjmacdonald@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2013 7:45 PM
Subject: [blind-chess] Re: History of the USBCA Re: Dear Jim, A question Please: Blind Chess Olympiad Weymouth 1968 



Hi Jim,

Memory Lane, huh? OK, here are some random memories from my end:
I do not remember exactly how I was recruited for the 1968 Olympiad team. I do recall receiving a letter where Grant Metcalf asked me to join the team, I believe in late 1967. I had been playing tournament chess for less than three years at the time, but I had placed sixth (of 41 players) in the 1967 New England Collegiate Championship, and had shared a newspaper clipping with Grant. I presume that had something to do with it. I think I had a USCF rating of abotu 1700 at the time.
That 1968 team consisted of Albert Sandrin on board 1, myself on board 2, Jim Slagle on board 3, and Grant Metcalf on board 4. We were also accompanied by George Koltanowsky and T.T. Murphy (not entirely sure of his last name; he was involved in recording chess materials on tape.)
We did not do particularly well. I believe we ended up 16th or 17th. Albert Sandrin did get recognition for his "best played game" against Sean Loftus of Ireland.
I don't think I was the first Secretary - I think Grant was. After the Olympiad Grant asked me to be the USBCA's Tournament Director. Late in 1968 or perhaps early in 1969, Grant resigned as Secretary and asked me to take over that position. Once I became Secretary I never heard from Grant again. I think the first USBCA Treasurer may have been Alan Schlank, who still holds that position today. He was elected to that position about 1973 and may have held it prior to that.
The Piatigorsky Foundation also sponsored our participation in the 1972 Olympiad in Pula, Yugoslavia. Albert Sandrin was again on board 1; E. Schuyler Jackson on board 2; Jim Slagle on board 3; and I was on board 4. The team was accompanied by Denis Barry, Tom Brown (I think) and Donald Stone, who accompanied us as an observer at his own expense. Mrs. Barry also accompanied the group at her own expense. We tied for first (with East Germany) in the preliminary round, and ended up 8th overall.
At that Olympiad I put in a bid for the USBCA to sponsor the 1976 Olympiad. We tought we had a sponsor but that fell through and we had to withdraw the bid.
The 1976 team consisted of Albert Sandrin, John Manetta, Jim Slagle and - I think - Mack Garner. I was in grad school at the time and could not participate, and a year or two later stepped down as Secretary and was inactive for some 25 years.
I think Albert Sandrin represented the USBCA in the 1970 World Championship for the blind, though I am not certain. I believe Johan Manetta represented the USBCA in the 1974 World Championship for the blind. 

Happy New Year!

Rod
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Slagle" <jamesrslagle@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: <braillechess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "ftp-chess yahoogroups" <ftp-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "peeps-talk yahoogroups" <peeps-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <_bca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2013 3:43 PM
Subject: [blind-chess] Re: History of the USBCA Re: Dear Jim, A question Please: Blind Chess Olympiad Weymouth 1968 



Dear Hans and others,

It was great to hear from you again!
I well remember how helpful and useful you were at the Blind Chess Olympiad in Weymouth, England, in 1968.
Jacqueline and Gregor Piatigorsky paid for the air fares of the team and guides from the U.S.A. to England. They did not pay for room and board, which were paid by the host country in those days. 

In the article by John Graham below, note the paragraph beginning,
"I need not have worried.
Hans, the Secretary of the British Blind Chess Association, was a whiz at collecting Funds. As teams ... "
In this paragraph, John Graham clearly states that he did not raise a penny and correctly praises your work. 

Good luck on and off the chess board!

Jim Slagle

--- On Mon, 12/31/12, H <h.cohn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


From: H <h.cohn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: B.C.A. History of the USBCA Re: Dear Jim, A question Please: Blind Chess Olympiad Weymouth 1968 
To: braillechess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Monday, December 31, 2012, 3:13 PM







Dear Jim,
Time for some trumpet blowing. John Graham was certainly instrumental in
making such a success of the Weymouth Olympiad, but he didn't raise a penny towards the costs, and at that time the organiser paid for board and lodging 
of all the teams, guides and officials. I had under a year to do it:
Yugoslavia were supposed to, but pulled out in 1967. What helped was that I was both secretary of the BCA and IBCA. We had twenty teams instead of nine in 1964. Need I say more? I leave it to you to tell your correspondent what 
happened to the V. Olympiad sheduled for 1976.
With all good wishes for 2013, on the board and offit, Hans.
-----Original Message-----
From: braillechess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:braillechess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Jim Slagle
Sent: 26 December 2012 15:41
To: Us_Bca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Alan Dicey; James Slagle
Cc: ftp-chess yahoogroups; peeps-talk yahoogroups;
skype-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; braillechess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
blind-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: B.C.A. History of the USBCA Re: Dear Jim, A question Please:
Blind Chess Olympiad Weymouth 1968

Hi,

Here are some of my recollections.
In 1967, Mr. Grant Metcalf organized a San Francisco chess tournament for
blind players.
He was working on this with George Koltonowski, who was a chess columnist
and memory expert.
There were about ten players.
Grant Metcqalf and I drew our individual game and tied for first in the
tournament.
I won on tie breaks.
George Koltonowski donated a trophy to me.
It read "First Place, Northern California Braille Chess Tournament, 1967."
At the tournament, Grant talked to me about the forthcoming International
Braille Chess Olympiad, to be held in Weymouth, England, in 1968.

The team would be sponsored by Mrs. Jacqueline Piatigorsky.
She was married to Gregor Piatigorsky, so he was a sponsor too.
They are an amazing couple, and I urge you to read about them in
Wikipedia.
Gregor was a world-class cellist, who lived most of his life in Los
Angeles.
He was not a San Diego violinist, as has been incorrectly reported.

Gregor and Jacqueline both played chess and organized and sponsored some
important international tournaments.
Jacqueline represented the United States in the first Women's Chess
Olympiad in 1957.
She scored 7.5 points out of a possible 11 on second board and won a
bronze medal!
In the 1960's, she was rated second among American women chess players.

As for forming the rest of the American braille chess team, Albert Sandrin
was well known by George Koltonowsky and others.
Let's ask Rob MacDonald how he was recruited to complete our four man
team.

In April, 1968, the Braille Chess Olympiad was held in Weymouth, England.
It was wonderfully organized by John Graham.
George Koltonowsky accompanied our team.
Before the first game, I remember appearing in a heavy coat, and everyone
laughed.
I had the last laugh, because everybody else was cold while playing the
game.
It was about 15 Celsius, which is 59 F.

Later in 1968, Grant organized the USBCA.
Rod was the first Secretary.
He had most of the authority and responsibility.
I was the first President.
Albert Sandrin was the first Vice President.
I forget who was the first Treasurer.

If anyone has any questions, just ask.

Best wishes,
Jim Slagle
Skype ID jamesrslagle.
USA Phone 609 945 5415

From: Alan Dicey <adicey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Dear Jim, A question Please: Blind Chess Olympiad Weymouth 1968
To: "Jim Slagle" <jamesrslagle@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, September 3, 2012, 10:23 PM

Dear Jim,
I have a question, if you would kindly help me with it.
In the article below, John Graham writes:
"Meanwhile, I had formed a group of U.S. blind players into a national
team and persuaded George Koltonowski, the San Francisco chess columnist, to 
accompany them. A San Diego violinist's foundation provided the funds once
they knew that Koltonowski was coming. "
Jim, The question, How did he find you 4 gentlemen, and Does this mean the
USBCA was formed after this 1968 Blind Chess Olympiad in Weymouth?
I know you went, along with Rod Macdonald , and Al Sandrin , I do not
know Metcalf's first name.
I have all you 4 gentlemen's games from this event.
I am going to place them with this article in the "History".
Attached is most all the games from this event if you want to see it. It
is of course very long.
With Best Regards,
Alan
Miami, Florida

* * *
/ Written by John Graham /
"It had seemed such a good idea the year before," said the Weymouth
organizer, "now, at one o'clock in the morning, standing on a bare railway
platform in Weymouth and listening to the broken English of a helper
explaining that the interpreter had died on the way from Poland, the idea
was wearing thin."

A year before, a blind friend had asked if I would organize the third
world championship for blind chess teams. It was not an unreasonable
request - I was already editing and producing an international tape-recorded 
chess magazine for the blind - I had the contacts - I was a contributor to
the 'Dorset Evening Echo'. I had a seaside resort for the venue. I was
sighted. I said "O.K. - as long as I don't have to collect the funds."

I need not have worried. Hans, the Secretary of the British Blind Chess
Association, was a whiz at collecting funds. As teams began to respond to
our invitation, he first persuaded Mr. Marks of 'Marks and Spencers' to
sponsor the Israeli team because the Russians were sponsoring a team. Then
he told the Soviet Embassy that the Israelis were fully funded but the
Soviet team couldn't afford to come. We only told one lie. Meanwhile, I had 
formed a group of U.S. blind players into a national team and persuaded
George Koltonowski, the San Francisco chess columnist, to accompany them. A 
San Diego violinist's foundation provided the funds once they knew that
Koltonowski was coming. Funds grew on other funds, with a little persuasion, 
and soon the event was ON. Now it was up to me and Weymouth.

The Fairhaven hotel was being reconstructed and I was able to persuade the
owner of the rambling building on the sea front to add elevators. Since the 
building had been assembled from three older hotels, its corridors and
innumerable staircases invited accidents if you were sighted or not. In the final event, the elevators were unnecessary and the blind visitors rejected 
warning tapes that I had planned for each staircase. They would take their
chances, they said. In the two weeks of the tournament, three players fell
down flights of stairs but no one was injured - if you're blind you relax in 
falling, you don't grasp for a hold that you cannot see.

We invited every blind chess team we knew - those from 20 nations.
Eventually, they all managed support and all turned up. Each brought a team 
of four players with two sighted helpers.
In 1968, Britain did not recognize East Germany and I was warned by the
U.K. Foreign Office that East German nationals would only be allowed to
enter the country as individuals rather than as a team. I had to promise
that they would neither be allowed to wave their flag nor sing their anthem. That was annoying because I had arranged for each table to show the flag of 
its competing nation (and the media would be watching) and we might even
sing to each other in the evenings. So, when the East Germans came and
learnt of the restrictions, they naturally objected - they announced that
they would go home and take the other Soviet block countries with them. How 
strange that now sounds since the Soviet Union is no more but it was a
serious threat in 1968. I found a solution. Since I, the organizer, was the 
only one who had actually made the promise to the British Government, I
offered to leave and they could organize everything between them.
"Well, let's not be hasty." was the unanimous reply.
We worked it out: inside the hotel the East Germans would be allowed to
wave whatever flag they chose (even the Welsh one that I offered), and sing 
whatever anthem they chose. Outside the hotel we asked for more decorum.
However, since play would take place only in hotel rooms they were the only 
places where flags were needed. All was well. My threat, together with a
little diplomacy, worked.

Apart from arranging for two weeks of team play I was also charged with
providing entertainment each evening for 80 blind players, and their 40
sighted helpers. So, the months before the event had been a fury of looking 
for opportunities which entranced senses other than sight - a visit to the
Devenish brewery (which we had to repeat several times), a visit to the
seaside, a concert, a musical get-together, and an international evening
with the local blind of Weymouth.

Apart from a chess magazine for the blind, Weymouth volunteers ran 'The
Sound of Weymouth', a recorded entertainment for the blind, a sort of local radio program of recorded interviews and music before local radio came into 
being. I planned to make a similar tape of entertainment for the
international evening.
Thus, I contacted each of the twenty embassies for a sample of their
nation's music together with, perhaps, a recorded message of welcome to
their national blind team. All save one immediately sent music and recorded 
contributions. 'The U.S. was too busy.' I wrote saying that I
understood their dilemma and that I was simply looking for advice. Should I 
play "Yankee Doodle-Dandy", since it was the only piece of American music
that I had at hand?

A reply telegram appeared by return - 'Do not play the suggested music,
recorded contribution on way.' They eventually did us proud - the ambassador had recorded a resounding cheer for the team with an exhortation to do well. He had also included a musical contribution that would not offend any Civil War sensibilities. After all the arrangements, the joint meeting was a great 
success and the local blind felt they were part of the Olympiad, which, of
course they were. But I get ahead of myself again.

In those days I did not delegate well. I did most things myself. Amongst
other things, I wrote letters, negotiated with the hotel hosts and selected 
the meals. I purchased the medals and flags, arranged for sets and boards,
and wrote to firms, like Wedgwood, for gifts for participants and organized volunteer helpers. In addition, I wrote the newspaper columns for the Dorset 
Evening Echo (weekly before the event but daily during it) for delivery at
1:00 a.m., I laid out the tables for play before 7:00 a.m., calculated
scores, and drove the rented van to meet incoming teams at the railway
station. Now here I was, at one o'clock in the morning, meeting the Polish
team, which had just announced that one of their sighted guides had died on 
the way and they had brought the body with them.

That next morning, amongst all other tasks, I had to move the body to a
mortuary and find a Polish speaker in an English seaside resort - one who
could devote the better part of two weeks to helping four young blind men to 
play chess. Astoundingly, I found one.
Besides the grim reality of a Polish death, each team had its own
problems.

The event was held in April to avoid the summer resort prices. So, the
U.S. team was always cold at night and needed extra blankets. George
Koltonowski, a man who was famous for his photographic memory and
intelligence, rose one morning, too cold to sleep, and in the bathroom,
still dazed from sleep, cleaned his teeth with my hair cream.

The Israeli team had arrived with full security. They had a sighted chess
organizer and a security man from the Hagganah. But the young men of the
team, all North-African Arabs who had suffered more war wounds than simple
blindness, were always eluding their "helpers" and going out on the town
alone. They would walk, single file, each with a hand on the next man's
shoulders, and blunder through the streets, each taking the lead after the
prior lead had been battered enough in knocking into walls and railings. I
rescued them one evening after they blundered into a Chinese restaurant to
find beer and failed to understand Britain's quaint restaurant licensing
laws: 'no food, no drink'. Even today, the picture of a Chinese restaurant
proprietor explaining English law to four blind French-speaking Arab Jews is 
unique. These lively young men did not play strong chess but they were
intent on having a good time. They elected at the end of the tournament to
return to Israel via Paris in order to 'see' the Moulin Rouge nudist
display.
Tournament play was arranged with a preliminary session to grade the
teams, and then a longer final session as the real competition. Each game
had a primary chess set on which the moves were made by helpers and each
player had a smaller set (about 7" square) over which he, or she, could feel the entire span of pieces with their hands. A player would make his move on 
his small board, announce his move aloud in German, and record it in
Braille. The opponent would then make the move on his board and a helper
would make it on the large set for the sake of onlookers. It was a little
more complicated than in a sighted tournament, but it went well. The hall
buzzed with announced moves and the chattering of Braille recorders.

The whole competition went well - there were enough boards and sets, hall
facilities were good, there were plenty of guides and helpers, refreshments 
and meals were on time and well received, and the day's reports were being
printed each day in the local newspaper. I couldn't believe that there could 
be no problems when I had spent the past year running from one crisis to
another.

Evening entertainment - another earlier concern was much less trouble than
I had expected. The visit to the old brewery was the greatest success. Its
creaky wooden stairs and floors, the smell of fermenting grain, malt, and
brew, coupled with a taste of various samples, was such a sensory feast that the visitors were not content with a single visit - they insisted that they return the next day and the next. The coach visit to the beach culminated in 
paddling on the shingle shore was another sensual experience that the
visitors enjoyed. Most had never paddled before. Then the international
evening proved so musically inspiring that the visitors decided to put on
their own musical evening. Overnight, I was asked to find several guitars
and an accordion. A notice in the paper the following morning provided
instruments within hours and we had a real German 'biergarten fest' ready
made.

At the end of two weeks, there was a grand awards evening. After all the
good fellowship of chess and music, the opportunity provided by speeches
brought the old political ambitions to the surface. After all, each team had 
two sighted helpers - a chess expert and an official. The official was
generally political. Certainly, they were for the Soviet Union and Israel.
This was their turn in the sun. Immediately, a dispute broke out - the
Israelis had brought a gift for Weymouth's Mayor so they demanded that they 
speak first to present the gift. However, the Soviet team had won the
tournament so they demanded first spot on the program. Impasse! Everyone
shouted and argued. A decision had to be made. Thank the lord for
international chivalry: I remembered that the Rumanian team alone was lead
by a woman so I announced that she would speak first. The protests ceased
and we had smiles for the remainder of the ceremony.

In my home, there are reminders of that hectic fortnight: a pair of
magnificent black Wedgewood chess pieces and a small white bear. The little bear is in recognition of the difficulties that the East German team brought 
me. I have a memory of the team waving its flag in public at the closing
ceremony in the Town Hall along with everyone else. And so it should be.

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 9.0.930 / Virus Database: 2637.1.1/5494 - Release Date: 12/28/12
21:42:00

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


__._,_.___



Reply via web post
Reply to sender
Reply to group
Start a New Topic
Messages in this topic (2)
Recent Activity:

Visit Your Group
Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the association. To be a participant of the group, the committee demands that you abide by the code of conduct that can be viewed at http://www.braillechess.org.uk/groups/codeofconduct.html if you would like any further clarification of the list's objectives or simply wish to speak to a representative of the association, please email us on 
customerservices@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
We thank you for your understanding and hope that you gain much from our user group list. 
The B.C.A. team
http://www.braillechess.org.uk
Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use • Send us Feedback 


.

__,_._,___




====
The blind-chess mailing list
View list information and change your settings: //www.freelists.org/list/blind-chess 
List archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/blind-chess
===
========== The blind-chess mailing list View list information and change your settings: //www.freelists.org/list/blind-chess List archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/blind-chess =========
========== The blind-chess mailing list View list information and change your settings: //www.freelists.org/list/blind-chess List archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/blind-chess =========

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. blind-chess
  3. Archive
  4. 01-2013