Manfred Mädler 80!
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!
Quite a lot has been written about Manfred and his chess house in the course of time, and some of our readers may still remember my birthday greetings on the occasion of his 70th birthday (in English / German), as well as the KWA meeting in Dresden 2008 in the run-up to the Chess Olympiad when Manfred helped to organize the former, but was then also in the focus of the chess media, see The KWA met in Dresden General Meeting 08-09/11/2008 (there is still linked a beautifully illustrated ChessBase report Besuch bei Mädlers in Dresden by André Schulz, as well as the scans of an article from the Elbhang-Kurier 1-11-2008 - Die Olympia-Schach-Uhr tickt auch in Blasewitz - the latter includes a photo of Manfred from 1975, playing a game in a Lübeck cup elimination contest).
Today I can still add from my archive a full-page article taken from the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, 2-3 August 1997, so published in the year after the Mädlers had moved from Düsseldorf to Dresden: "Einer, der nie ganz weg war" [Someone who was never completely away] provides some more biographical details, anecdotes and photos:
Moreover I remind once more of the articles in KARL magazine based on interviews with Manfred Mädler:
Harry Schaack: DIE VERMESSUNG DES DENKENS. Manfred Mädlers Schachuhren und die Geschichte der Bedenkzeitmessung. (KARL 2/01, p. 16-23)
Harry Schaack: PSST-SCHILDER FÜHRE ICH NICHT! Der Schachhändler Manfred Mädler. (KARL 1/02, p. 36f.)
Harry Schaack [im Gespräch mit Manfred Mädler]: EINE GROSSE FAMILIE. Dr. Dyckhoff, von Massow und die Fernschachtreffen. (KARL 4/11, p. 26-29)
Below another photo from Calle Erlandsson's chess train tour in 2012, when during the stopover in Dresden Calle took the opportunity to pay a visit to Mädlers' Chess House:
When I called Monika and Manfred last week, I was glad to hear that Manfred is still in the best of health and also quite active in chess affairs, for instance he has cooperated in organizing a tournament for children to take place in Schneverdingen in November (1. Kinder & Jugend Heide Open, starting 22-11-2014). Traditionally he visits each year the "Deutsche Ärztemeisterschaft" (German Championship of Physicians) - in April 2014 in Bad Neuenahr it was the 22nd championship, and he also plans to attend our Weimar meeting in November, so there is a good chance (not only) for me to see him again after some time.
Moreover Manfred furthers the chess development of young people: some time ago he has founded a chess club for children and youngsters Schach bei Mädler, meanwhile 20 members have joined who meet three times per week in Blasewitz. Sometimes even the parents are attracted (who don't like to lag behind their children), and the Winkelmann sisters appear regularly as well. (Elena Winkelmann currently studies for the bar, and her younger sister Elise, aged 16, is still at school, a German "Gymnasium".) From last year's member list you can derive that different pairs of siblings have joined this club which has been registered at the Chess Federation Schleswig-Holstein.
Unquestionably a commendable initiative to get children excited about chess.
Dear Manfred, keep at it, and AD MULTOS ANNOS!
Ralf Binnewirtz
Photographs courtesy of Calle Erlandsson.