„Der Schach-Verein Bitterfeld“ and much more!
by Siegfried Schönle [Original article in German is here. Translation with DeepL.com (free version)]
Bitterfeld - who doesn't know this place name in East and West Germany and associate it above all with brown coal, the chemical industry, the so-called “Bitterfeld Way” in literature, environmental pollution and now also
- chess on 358 pages!
I would like to contradict a possible reaction to the name Schach-Verein Bitterfeld (Bitterfeld Chess Club) right at the beginning and point out what the reader of this book can expect in terms of “much more”. But first things first!
A wealth and variety of problem chess from the Bitterfelder Tageblatt, expertly explained by Dr. Ralf Jürgen Binnewirtz in his foreword. Ralf J. Binnewirtz also checked the individual “lightweights” for their coherence. In the appendix, p. 333ff, he provides a “historical excursus on the Chinese family” in order to gain “clarity on the development of the Chinese pieces in problem chess”. The reason for his reflections was the discovery of the “Paoma” article by Prof. Dr. P. Seyferth from Bitterfeld in 1936.
Problem chess fans should be delighted.
I would like to emphasize two things from the foreword by the author, Konrad Reiß. He has rightly worked through the life and chess history of the Jewish merchant Max Nussbaum in this chronology (pp. 169-177 and others) and, this should also be emphasized, he has formulated it in an appropriate and source-oriented manner in terms of chess and history. As Konrad Reiß's research has shown, Max Nussbaum was a co-founder of the Bitterfeld chess club, was excluded from the board in 1933 like thousands of other Jews and was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944.
The reader will be interested!
Anniversary book on the founding of the DSB after 150 years
In 2027, the German Chess Federation will celebrate its 150th anniversary. As in the previous anniversary years, an anniversary book is to be published. Herbert Bastian reports on the preparations for this:
Jubiläumsbuch zur Gründung des DSB nach 150 Jahren (German language)
René Wukits 20.5.1972 – 20.7.2024
From Austria we have received the sad news that our friend and fellow CH&LS member René Wukits passed away on July 20th, only 52 years old.
See also: Wiener Schachverband
The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - Epilogue (4/4)
by Jean Oliver Leconte
Fourth and last article dedicated to the 1st Chess Olympiad and the creation of the FI(D)E.
Part one: The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The first steps (1/4)
Part two: The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - Getting organized (2/4)
Part three: The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The Chess Tournament (3/4)
To begin with, here is a photo of the participants in the first Chess Olympiad, which appeared in the Belgian magazine L'Échiquier in 1925.
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L'Échiquier -
L'Échiquier
Read more … The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - Epilogue (4/4)
The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The Chess Tournament (3/4)
by Jean Oliver Leconte
Third part of the articles dedicated to the 1st Chess Olympiad and the creation of the FI(D)E.
Part one: The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The first steps (1/4)
Part two: The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - Getting organized (2/4)
I would particularly like to thank Mr Guy Gignac, who sent me an exceptional document. It is the programme for the "International Amateur Chess Tournament", photos of which you have on the left and below.
Read more … The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The Chess Tournament (3/4)
The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - Getting organized (2/4)
by Jean Oliver Leconte
Second part of the articles devoted to the 1st Chess Olympiad and the creation of the FI(D)E.
Part one: The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The first steps (1/4)
While the organisation of the grand tournament starts moving forward, the newspaper le Figaro ironises.
Chess and the Olympic Games
There will even be a chess tournament during the Olympic Games!
It is being organised under the patronage of Mr Fernand Gavarry, Minister Plenipotentiary, Commander of the Legion of Honour, and will take place from 12 to 20 July in the salons of a grand hotel in the Étoile district.
Most of the major chess federations will be taking part.
After the Muscle Festival, it will be a small gala for the Brain.
Read more … The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - Getting organized (2/4)
The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The first steps (1/4)
by Jean Oliver Leconte
The year 2024 corresponds to the centenary of the creation of FIDE - Fédération Internationale Des Échecs. More precisely, it was in Paris on 20 July 1924 that FIDE was created (originally called FIE - The current acronym FIDE would be adopted at the 2nd FIDE Congress in Zurich, Switzerland in 1925, but the meaning did not vary: Fédération Internationale Des Échecs).
I propose to retrace this creation of FIDE, as well as the first Chess Olympiad via several articles. These two events are closely linked. Moreover, as we shall see, the idea of an International Chess Federation came after the launch of the organization of the international chess tournament alongside the Olympic Games.
This first part is devoted to the beginnings of the first Chess Olympiad.
To date, the FFE has said very little about this FIDE centenary event. You can find an article on its website here. But these events seem to me to be very meager (reconstruction of the act of signing the creation of FIDE and giant simultaneous).
There is no mention in these events, for example, of Pierre Vincent, the driving force behind the creation of FIDE. His grave is in the Montmartre cemetery.
Read more … The 1st Chess Olympiad and creation of the FI(D)E - The first steps (1/4)
Update on the Invitation to this year's General Assembly in Budapest (Hungary)
Dear members of the society!
This is to update you about our General Assembly on 13.-14. September 2024 in Budapest. For the time being we already have 20 participants, and we hope to convene in a building from the Hungarian Chess Federation (H-1055 Budapest, Falk Miksa u. 10). The FIDE organizing committee for the Olympiad will stay in the Intercontinental Hotel. You are kindly invited to organize your own accommodation. The current program stands as follows.
Read more ... (You must be logged in to read)
Chess, China, Ding Liren, Psychology and Technology
Ricardo Guerra, a new member of our association, (see New Member: Ricardo Guerra), conducted an interview with Croatian International Grandmaster Davorin Kuljašević, biographer of Ding Liren, the current World Chess Champion.
Here is a very interesting interview:
New Member: Marc Ghannoum
Our new member, Marc Ghannoum from Canada, introduces himself in the members area (you must be logged in to read).