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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Why US Chess Trust president finds World Chess Hall of Fame 'The Best'

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011


Hi everyone,


Remember the recent opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame? The U.S. Chess Trust (USCT) has been contributing a lot to chess in America. Here is an interesting message from the US Chess Trust president Jim Eade who was right there at the opening of the Hall.



He writes: Growing up my younger brother had a habit of describing every new experience as 'The Best!' So, I tend to regard the use of superlatives with a healthy dose of suspicion. Yet, the only way I can describe my recent trip to Saint Louis is: "The Best!" I love the Marshall Chess Club in New York, and have a special fondness for the Mechanics' Institute in San Francisco, but the Saint Louis Chess Club is the best I've ever seen. 




I should mention that Hall of Fame 2011 inductee Boris Gulko expressed a preference for the old Moscow Club, and perhaps a few others in the former Soviet Union, but I have never been to any of them. The Saint Louis Chess Club sets a standard for North America, that will be very difficult to match.


The reason for my visit to St. Louis was the grand opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame on September 9th, 2011.  What a beautiful facility! The grand opening ceremony was the classiest chess event I have ever attended. (There I go with the superlatives again, but it really cannot be helped.)

U.S. Chess Trust Chairman Harold Winston handled the induction ceremonies with his usual competence and class. The 2011 inductees to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, GM Boris Gulko and GM Andy Soltis, were present, and GM Soltis gave a short, gracious acceptance speech. My wife, Sheri Anderson, had asked Boris, who we both first met in 1995, whether he was going to make a speech, and he indicated he would not. She told him to make it in Russian! 


Boris laughed and said, "If I make it in English they will think it is Russian!"

The 2011 inductee to the World Hall of Fame was Vera Menchik. Harold Winston also handled that induction on behalf of fellow Trustee Beatriz Marinello, who proposed the induction of Vera Menchik in recognition of being the World's First Women's Chess Champion. Beatriz could not attend, because of a family emergency.


I encourage every chess enthusiast to schedule a trip to Saint Louis! 


It's "The Best!"








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2 Comments:

  • At September 22, 2011 at 1:01 AM , Anonymous Amrit Puri Knights Chess Club New Delhi said...

    Very interesting. Chess is a beautiful thing. Warms our hearts and souls. I am definitely booking a ticket to Saint Louis this year. One more reason to go to America though been there several times before. :)

     
  • At September 22, 2011 at 1:16 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Must See surely - Chess Hall of Fame

     

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