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2014

Interview of Rudolf Glenk

Former member Udo Güldner and member Rudolf Glenk have recently published the interview of Rudolf Glenk on the occasion of the latter's 75th birthday in book form.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

New Bank Account

We would like to inform our members that the Ken Whyld Association has a new account number, please see the Imprint for details. We had to switch to a Dutch Bank (ING Bank) because we are now incorporated under Dutch law.

From now on, all member dues should be paid to this account number, and members are urged to delete the former TARGO Bank account number.
According to the decision made in June in Braunschweig, the 2015 membership dues will be increased, that is to say 35 € or $ 45 for those who pay before April 1, 2015, and 45 € or $ 55 for those who pay after that date. First-time members pay 45 € or $ 55.

Wedding Kurt Landsberger

Our US member Kurt Landsberger, who will turn 94 end of December, got married again - it already happened on March 16, as we can learn from this web announcement. Belated congratulations!

Elmars Zemgalis 09/09/1923 - 08/12/2014
An obituary by John Donaldson was published at ChessBase (German pages): Nachruf

MEC Book Market XI 2014

At the book market

On 29 November, the traditional book market was held at the Max Euwe Center (MEC) in Amsterdam. Michael Negele was on the spot and has taken a series of photos.

Read more …

Larry List's Visit

Larry List and yours truly at the Max Ernst chess set

In the middle of November our US friend Larry List was again in Europe, to visit the Man Ray auction in Paris and once more the Düsseldorf artist Takako Saito (see our last year's short report). Michael Negele has provided a summary (with many photos) about his Sunday tour with Larry to the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl (on 16-11-2014).

Read more …

CSQ volume

Title page of CSQ 13 (November 2013)

Guy Van Habberney and Henri Serruys are pleased to announce their new publication which is only available for members of the KWF&A - The first 4 years of our CSQ newsletter in one volume!

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Jonathan Schick has unearthed another interesting document from Akiba Rubinstein's visit to the U.S. in 1928. See Avital Pilpel's blog on Jewish Chess History:
jewishchesshistory.blogspot.be/2014/11/occupation-master-of-chess.html

 

Sanvito's Codici scacchistici

A new book by Alessandro Sanvito has been published by Messaggerie Scacchistiche: I codici scacchistici del Bonus Socius e del Civis Bononiae, see www.messaggeriescacchistiche.it/....
There is also offered an excerpt from the book

Collectors' Meeting in Weimar

This years’ collectors’ meeting of the German CCI section, where also the members of the Ken Whyld Foundation & Association had been invited to, had been painstakingly planned and prepared by Dr. Thomas Thomsen and Prof. Wolfgang Angerstein.

Read more …

Visit to a German Chess Artist

In late summer Andreas Saremba paid a visit to the German chess artist Elke Rehder – here is his short report.

Read more …

The last part of Lasker’s legacy

Yours truly with Emily Allred

In his colorful report of our visit to Saint Louis, and especially of the Sinquefield Cup Tournament Michael Negele announced a separate note from my pen on our activities in the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF).

Read more …

Sinquefield Cup 2014

Again a "Fabulous Fabiano"!

Visit of an Absolute Super Tournament in St. Louis - the Second Sinquefield Cup, August 27 to September 7

This year’s Sinquefield Cup had been announced as the "strongest tournament of all time". Michael Negele and Robert van de Velde were on the spot and also met there 5 other KWF&A members – the "Magnificent Seven" were completed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam (the third member from Europe) and the 4 US members John Donaldson, Larry List, Tony Rich and Michael Utt.

- A short addendum (29-10-2014) - see Addendum!

Read more …

Najdorf x Najdorf

The biography of Miguel Najdorf written by his daughter Liliana, Najdorf x Najdorf (Biblioteca Nacional: Editorial Gran Blanco, Buenos Aires 1999 and 2008. 214 pp.) has been translated into Polish. Our member Tomasz Lissowski has kindly provided scans and photos.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Preview St. Louis

The strongest tournament ever in the history of chess!

End of August our members Michael Negele and Bob van de Velde had travelled to Saint Louis to combine a visit of this year’s Sinquefield Cup (held in the CC&SC = Chess Club and Scholastic Center) with some research on Emanuel Lasker in the WCHoF = World Chess Hall of Fame, in preparation for the English three-volume edition of the Lasker monograph.

Read more …

Books by Gillam and Monté

Two eminent chess publications have been released recently, A.J. Gillam's work on Mannheim 1914 and the Interned Russians and Peter J. Monté's The Classical Era of Modern Chess.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Foundation - Association

As to the difference between the Foundation and the Association we give you this short (but hopefully didactic) explanation (PDF).

Grasemann's Reverend

A long awaited and pre-eminent publication for problem friends has just been released by bernd ellinghoven (Aix-la-Chapelle): it’s the reprint of Grasemann’s "Reverend", commented and extended with most interesting contributions by Hans Peter Rehm and Stephan Eisert.

Read more on our page New Chess Literature.

PS (08-08-2014): Luca D'Ambrosios's tournament book on Meran 1924 & 1926 now included in our KWF&A Publications.

Facsimile Codex Alfonso

Justo Pérez from Sevilla, Spain has informed us about a new (limited) facsimile edition of the Codex Alfonso - the Book of Chess, Dice and Board Games finished in the year 1284. The superb facsimile is printed on natural parchment made of animal skin. Read more in this PDF file (4.1 MB).

Manfred Mädler 80!

Manfred Mädler with his wife Monika in front of their chess clock collection
Manfred Mädler with his wife Monika in front of their chess clock collection

A German chess legend turns 80 – Manfred Mädler, correspondence chess IM, collector, chess teacher, journalist, editor, publisher and dealer of chess literature & material since 1972 (at that time the Schachhaus Mädler was founded in Lübeck) can celebrate a special anniversary today.

Congratulations – also in the name of the KWF&A!

Read more …

Braunschweig VI 2014

This year's summer auction in Braunschweig was again expected to be a most attractive event for chess collectors thanks to the fact that the second part of Lothar Schmid's duplicates should come up for auction. So it is no wonder that the auction hall on Saturday, 28th of June, was completely filled with avid bidders.

Read more …

KARL Schachpreis

The award just given the German magazine KARL by the DSB (German Chess Federation), the Deutsche Schachpreis 2014, was certainly a pleasing surprise.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

PS: English masters Blackburne and Tinsley added to our Chess Graves.

Schicksalsmomente

The recently published book Schicksalsmomente der Schachgeschichte. Dramatische Entscheidungen und historische Wendepunkte by Michael Ehn & Hugo Kastner is a delightful work which we can wholeheartedly recommend to all German speaking readers.

PS (22-06-2014): Two new books by Gerhard Josten announced!

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Machtspiele

The foundation Schach- und Kulturstiftung G.H.S. (Munic), whose founder and chairman is our member Georg Schweiger, has published a catalog on the exhibition "Schach in Wort und Bild" ...

PS (22-06-2014): Guest book of the World Chess Championship 1934 in Germany available!

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Berlin Chess Legends

Michael Dombrowsky’s work on the "Berlin Chess Legends" has now been included in our series Publications of our Members.

Swinemünde 1936

Tournament Swinemünde 1936: Our member Jan Kalendovský has compiled some games from different sources.

For this contribution visit our page Lectures & Articles (in the member section).

Mannheim 1914

Early in August, Tony Gillam will publish a new book on the tournament Mannheim 1914, particularly placing emphasis on the story of what happened after the tournament!

Read more in our column New Chess Literature!

Information by Tim Harding: GM Alexander Baburin hopes in July to break the Irish record for simultaneous blindfold games, see http://www.icu.ie/index.php. Zukertort played 12 in Dublin in 1879: www.chessmail.com/zukertort/dublin-visit.html. Baburin probably intends to play 13.

Bretislav Modr

Břetislav Modr

* 15-04-1946 Praha   † 07-05-2014 Praha

We give a short note on his death.

Read more …

Iván Bottlik turns 80!

Iván Bottlik in Dresden, 2008
Iván Bottlik in Dresden, 2008

Today our Hungarian member Iván Bottlik turns 80!
Congratulations!

Read more …

Meran 1924/26 tournament book

The long-awaited tournament book on Meran 1924 and 1926 by our Italian member Luca D’Ambrosio has been published now!

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

[Updated 23-05-2014]

Belgian meeting

Our chairman Guy Van Habberney has written a short note on the visit of two Dutch KWF&A friends to Belgium:

Read more …

Historical Notes

John Townsend presents his new book on British chess personalities of the 19th century.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Easter greetings

Happy Easter!

"Chess motif with seasonal accessory" like an Easter Bunny

some chocolate eggs in the "rook’s nest"

and a Turkish China egg (unfortuantely not by Fabergé).

And also an Easter Lamb - sorry, I had no lamb at hand, so it is faked by that poodle named Bruna.

Moreover Easter Customs ...

(Michael Negele)

Rubinstein's DOB

Akiwa Rubinstein before WW I (about 1912)
Akiwa Rubinstein before WW I (about 1912)

Our Polish friends Ela and Jan Kusina were successful in their research on Akiwa Rubinstein’s date of birth, they have now confirmed by official documents that the DOB 01-12-1880 given on Rubinstein’s gravestone is correct!

Read more …

Wien 1895

Vienna 1895: The tournament reports by Adolf Zinkl, published in the Znaimer Wochenblatt, have been provided by Jan Kalendovský.

For this contribution visit our page Lectures & Articles (in the member section).

Books by Peter de Jong

Cover
Cover

Our Dutch member Peter de Jong (De Meern) has just informed us that he finished two minor publications last year: 600 Schaakgezichten [600 Chess Faces] and 325 Schaaktoernooien [325 Chess Tournaments], both privately printed and in a small edition only.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Schachgeschichten...

After his first photo book "Lichtbilder und Schachkompositionen" (see our former entry) Bernd Gräfrath has just published a second volume "Schachgeschichten mit Lichtbildern" [Chess Stories with Photographs], again in a very small edition and produced in the same manner.

Read more in our column New Chess Literature.

Membership dues

Many thanks to all those members who have already paid their 2014 membership fees. Your contributions are very welcome and are primarily used towards the cost of approved publications by various members, the maintenance of the website and the cost of holding the annual and regional meetings of the KWA. The latest financial statements are published on the website - see the page Documents in our member section.
We would welcome any ideas or suggestions for future projects.

For those who have yet to pay (over half of the membership) you have the following payment options:
Please note that the basic subscription is €30 or $40 if paid by 31st March after which the amounts increase to €40 or $50.

  1. Payment may be made by bank transfer to our Targobank Account, details are on the 'imprint' page of the website. Your bank may make a small charge for this (although this is not allowed in the Euro zone).
  2. Alternatively you can pay by PayPal using the following email address: .
  3. PayPal’s charges are confusing but if you wish to use this method please add €1.50 or $2.00 to help towards their fees.
  4. If you are paying by PayPal in sterling the amount needs to be £27.00.
  5. In some countries one member collects the subscriptions from all local members and forwards the total to the KWA. This is an excellent arrangement and I will be happy to collect the subscriptions from the GB members who have not yet paid. The amount again needs to be £27.00.

If you need any further information please contact me on the above email address.

Many thanks
Michael Clapham

A mysterious photograph

Our Polish member Paweł Dudziński has provided a fine historical photograph, showing one lady (looking not very happy) surrounded by many gentlemen …

Read more …

Board Game Studies Journal

Wolfgang Angerstein has informed us that the Board Game Studies Journal is back – as an online magazine! You will find the first online issue = Issue 8 at http://bgsj.ludus-opuscula.org/.

Games LaBourdonnais / MacDonnell

Camilo Restrepo Castro (Colombia) has collected the data on the games of La Bourdonnais and MacDonnell not played in their well-known matches, considering all available sources. He has recorded his results in two Excel files which you may find in our member section.
Many thanks to Camilo Restrepo for providing his work!

Wijk aan Zee 2014

The tradition of our January meeting in Wijk aan Zee lives on - Guy Van Habberney has written a short report on the event, and Michael Negele has provided many photographs.

[Updated 24-01-2014: 3 photos added, provided by Andreas Saremba]

Read more …