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September 2022

My look back as chairman

Bob van de Velde
Bob van de Velde

At the General Assembly in Marostica, previous chairman Bob van de Velde looked back on his tenure. Here is his speech:

Dear members of our Society,

Today is a special day in many respects. The last member meeting of this kind took place 7 years ago in 2015. The place of performance was the library of the German city of Kiel, which properly accommodated a beautiful chess collection. Its catalog is a well-known work of reference. That meeting was the result of the courageous initiative of our creative and energic member Andreas Saremba. But sadly, he was the last one who had that courage. From then on, seven lean years begun, the years during which I was your chairman.

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The 1974 Nice Chess Olympiad

Dominique Thimognier
Dominique Thimognier

Dominique Thimognier, editor of the excellent site Héritage des Échecs Français, has presented the last conference in Marostica (Italy) on Saturday September 10th. You have below the support of his conference devoted to the 1974 Nice Chess Olympiad.

This is the only Chess Olympiad organized in France, except for the one in 1924, during the Olympic Games in Paris, which was considered as unofficial. Dominique Thimognier benefited from two testimonies of the time, with Michel Benoit, French champion 1973 and member of the French team in Nice, and Louis Risacher, referee during these Olympiads.

A difficult organization: with 10 times fewer volunteers than the previous Olympics, while many more teams took part, the hotel to accommodate the teams was still under construction, etc.

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The 3rd World Junior Chess Championship in Antwerp, Belgium in 1955

Frank Hoffmeister and Henri Serruys
Frank Hoffmeister and Henri Serruys

This is the material of the third lecture given in Marostica on Saturday 10th September 2022 during the general assembly of the international association CH&LS. The 3rd World Junior Chess Championship in Antwerp, Belgium in 1955, by Henri Serruys, treasurer of the association.

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Lasker's difficult journey after the First World War

Frank Hoffmeister, president of the CH&LS, during the GA in Marostica
Frank Hoffmeister, president of the CH&LS, during the GA in Marostica

This is the material for the second lecture given during the general assembly of the CH&LS association.

Frank presented the lecture "Lasker's Difficult Journey after the First World War" by Frank Hoffmeister, of which you have the support below.

Interestingly, one of the audience members added that Lasker had gone broke twice in his life. Firstly, just after the First World War, because he had invested in German government loans to finance the war, and then after the krach of October 1929.

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General Assembly of the CH&LS Association and conferences in Marostica

A worldwide unique show!
A worldwide unique show!

Last Saturday 10th September 2022, the CH&LS "Chess History and Literature Society" met for its general assembly in Marostica, Italy. Marostica is famous for its chess show, which takes place every two years. A small town quite suitable for this General Assembly!

Four conferences on chess history were presented during this general assembly. I will publish the material of these four presentations on this website, as well as on my blog Le Café de la Régence.

Jean Oliver Leconte

Announcement on the exhibition "Schach und Musik"

Logo Schach- und Kulturstiftung G.H.S.

The event organized by Schach und Kulturstiftung G.H.S. "Schach und Musik" in Ebersberg near Munich is brought to our attention by our member Siegfried Schönle (Kassel).

Program for the exhibition "Schach und Musik"

CH&LS General Assembly on YouTube

YouTube Screenshot from 2022-09-06

Dear fellow members of the Chess History and Literature Society,

On Saturday 10 September, the General Assembly of the CH&LS will take place in Marostica, Italy, as of 10am. Thanks to our web editor Jean Olivier Leconte, it will be possible to attend the assembly via this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ874Q2WYKY

The agenda which we posted in May (News for members) on the website is confirmed. We are looking forward to hear four interesting speeches about Chess in the Middle Ages (Björn Reich), Lasker’s difficult journey after 1914 (Frank Hoffmeister), the World Junior Championship 1955 in Antwerp (Henry Serruys) and about the Chess Olympiad 1974 in Nice (Dominique Thimognier). We hope that many of you, who are not able to be present in Marostica, will take the opportunity to follow the proceedings online. See you there!

Best wishes,

Claes Løfgren
Secretary of the CH&LS