| I was looking over some old issues of Michigan Chess magazine and I
thought some of our members might like to know how organized chess in Michigan
developed. Who started our organized chess body? When?
What’s the story behind it? Who worked so hard for years to improve
it? Well, I did some research and managed to dig up some stuff.
Some of the photos had to be scanned in from old issues so the image quality
is not up to our usual standard, but they are still worth displaying.
I’d like to thank our current historian, Nick Pope, and previous editors
David Moody and Van Vandenburg for their assistance. You can see
more historical pictures and records by logging on to the Michigan Chess
web site at: http://www.michess.org. |
Andrew Hansen Palmi
1888 – 1962
|
| Andrew Palmi is the person who started up the Michigan Chess Association
in 1931. Chess Life asked Andrew H. Palmi to write a short chess
biography that was published in 1959, and again in Michigan Chess in 1988.
The following article is reprinted from Michigan Chess magazine,
August 1988, page 13. |
| I was born in Iceland, land of the Midnight Sun, in 1888, not with
the traditional silver spoon, but with a chess knight on which I proceeded
to cut my teeth, including the wisdoms. Icelanders are considered
the most literary people on earth, and every home has, besides a well-filled
book shelf, chess sets. Hence, my love for the Royal Game started
early in life. |
| Since coming to this country in 1917, I have devoted a great deal of
money and time to the promotion of chess. In 1920, I started the
Jackson Chess Club, and during it’s 39 years existance, I held the championship
for 36 years. In 1949, the club honored me with an Honorary Life
Presidency! In 1929, I made the first attempt to form a state organization
of the chess clubs and groups in Michigan. This undertaking was most
difficult and discouraging, but perseverance won out. L. T. Maener,
President of the Western Chess Association sent the following telegram
in 1931, quote, “Western Chess Association sanctions the Michigan Chess
Association and their’ Tournament.” This telegram put the stamp of
approval on the First Michigan State Championship Tournament, which was
held in Jackson, July 1931. |
| I have served on the Board of Directors for the Western Chess Association,
the American Chess Federation and the U.S.C.F. During the ‘depression’
years, with the aid of Mrs. Palmi, we taught chess in the various schools
around Jackson. In 1933 under the U. S. Recreation Program, we taught
chess in the Vocational School and our number grew to 128 with ages from
7 to 70. The chess sets were furnished by the government. I
firmly believe, that with teaching the Youth chess, delinquency would be
a thing of the past. |
| I think it was in 1935, that I lost the North American Correspondence
Championship Tournament only by ½ point. In counting up my
score on chess, I rate myself, first: as a Chess Philanthropist for the
time, money and efforts spent in the promotion of chess, which has not
been in vain. Second: for being a “fair” woodpusher. |
| At the present time, I am the Founder, a Past-President and Honorary
Vice-President of the Michigan Chess Association, and a life member of
the U.S.C.F. |
| Besides chess, I write poetry and short stories in the Icelandic language.
This winter I hope to put the final touches on my MS, and see my poetry
in book form. |
| Due to ill-health, I have taken a back seat and am retired on our farms
in Springport, Michigan. Let me point out to you the well-beaten
path made by old and new chess friends, who always find the latch-string
and the welcome mat out at our home. |
| I feel that the happiest years of my life were spent promoting chess,
and probably the saddest one when, on account of my health, I retired.
While I am not in the “Master’s Chess” class, I leave behind me “Foot Prints
on the Sands of Time”. |
| Andrew and his wife Fjola worked together to teach and promote chess
in Michigan. In the late 1940’s the couple met another chess promoter.
That man is V. E. Vandenburg, otherwise known to Michigan chessplayers
as “Van”. Van, born in 1904, was elected president of the Michigan Chess
Association in 1948 and served in that capacity until 1971. |
| In 1948 the MCA had around 15-20 members. Their membership was
$5.00 per year, which I find amazing because wages have soared 5000% since
then, but MCA dues only increased 300%. Van recalls what it was like
back then; he remembers that he had an idea for a ‘new type of tournament’.
Up till then all the big, ‘important tournaments’ were Round Robins.
But Van wanted to change that… |
| When Van told the Board of Directors he wanted to hold a new, different
type of pairing system for the state championship they were horrified!
“It took a lot of arm twisting”, he says, “but eventually they began to
see the benefits to the SWISS SYSTEM”. And so it was that the first
Michigan Open to use the Swiss System was in 1949, and only because Van
“twisted some arms”. |
| In May of 1949 Grant Turnblom produced the 1st Michigan Chess Bulletin.
Van took over as editor the next month and remained as the editor from
June 1949 thru June 1971. There was a gap between 1968 and 1971 where
no issues of the Michigan Chess Bulletin were published, and in
fact the Michigan Chess Association was in turmoil. During this period
David Whitehouse published several bulletins for a chess organization called
The Michigan Chess Service. Stan Beckwith resumed production of the
Michigan
Chess Bulletin in July of to May of 1972, followed by Don Thackery
from June 1972 – Dec. In Jan of 1973 the Michigan Chess Bulletin
was renamed to “Michigan Chess”, and it grew from a bulletin to
a magazine. (Some people mistakenly attribute the beginning of Michigan
Chess to a magazine entitled “Michigan Chess Magazine”, which
lasted three issues and was edited by Ben Crane). |
| Don Thackery continued as editor of Michigan Chess through November
of 1975. Then David Whitehouse was appointed editor but quit after
producing only one issue. Les Smith took over as a temporary editor
beginning with an issue dated Jan-April 1976 and serving through Nov 1976.
Then Van resumed the job of editor in Dec 1976. |
| Van was recruiting writers for the magazine and solicited myself as
the Games Editor in 1978. I served as the Games Editor for two years,
and also wrote a humorous column for Michigan Chess called “Strange
But True”. The column was a big hit about crazy things that happened
at Chess events. |
| Anyone looking at a copy of the Jan – Feb 1980 issue of Michigan
Chess will see these names listed under “EDITORIAL and PRODUCTION STAFF”:
Mike Duweck, Tom Kukla, Felix Kaufman, Jim Kulbacki, Jim Marfia, R.L. Richardson,
Mike Tanner, Fjola Vandenburg, and Don Vandivier. Bob Ciaffone was
a specialist writer on OPENING THEORY. Jeremy Barth, David Whitehouse
and David Moody were other contributing writers. |
Van and his wife Virginia
|
| I had the pleasure of working with Van back in 1978. He asked
me to take over as “Games Editor”, which I did. I also wrote a column for
our magazine called, “Strange But True”, which were crazy things that happened
to Michigan Chess Players. Here are a few samples of the column: |
| *** I was at a tournament in Chicago which had allowed spectators to
watch the players. There was so much noise that several top players
threatened to withdraw if they didn’t stop allowing the spectators in.
The TD was very worried, so he gave specific orders NOT to allow spectators
in the room. The 2nd round started on time, but Naum Zacks from Michigan
was late. After about ½ hour I saw Naum outside the room arguing
with one of the custodians. Apparently Naum’s clock was running but
the custodian would not let him into the room, saying “NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED!”
I AM A CHESSPLAYER!”, Naum replied, but they never let him in and
his opponent won on time! |
| *** Fred Lindsay tells about a tournament where an assistant
TD was called to a game concerning time forfeit. Both players’ flags
were hanging and player A was not keeping score but player B was.
Player B’s flag fell and so player A, assuming he hadn’t missed too many
moves, claimed a win on time. The TD told player A that he had to
have an accurate scoresheet to claim a win, and that his clock must continue
to run until he updated it. Player A glanced at his hanging flag,
looked at the hopeless scoresheet and asked, “What happens if my scoresheet
is wrong and my flag falls?”, to which the TD replied, “Then you lose!” |
| *** I was watching a time scramble at the Michigan Open between
Morgan Everett and his opponent. Morgan had mate in about 3 moves,
and he had a good two minutes on the clock. However, Morgan had just
captured a piece with his last move and used it to hit the clock.
But the piece had a faulty bottom and his clock was still running!
Several of us kept looking at each other nervously while Morgan waited
for his opponent to move so he could deliver the mate…and waited… and waited…
and then he lost when the flag fell. |
| In 1980 I quit playing chess and Jeremy Barth took over as Games Editor;
then when he moved to New York in November 1981, David Moody took the column
over. Dave writes, “I remember telling Van that I didn’t want the
job permanently, and would only substitute until he could find somebody
else. Well, that’s true. I didn’t do the job permanently.” |
| David Moody and Van continued to be the main writers until 1989, when
Dave took over as the Production Editor. For the next 10 years Dave
wrote as Games Editor and Production Editor. Someone once wrote:
“When the Michigan Chess Magazine was due, David Moody would take a week
off work to write it.” There is no doubt in my mind that Van and
Dave were the two main people who kept the magazine going for years and
years. |
| Dave continued as the main Editor until February 1998 when Paul Grams
started assisting. I believe Paul took over as Production Editor
and David continued as Games and Column Editor until May of 2000. |
| After nearly 20 years of writing for Michigan Chess, Dave decided to
pursue something different. I became re-involved with the magazine
in July of 2000 and suggested a different way to write the magazine to
the MCA. I suggested that the magazine needed to change its form
and take advantage of the new communications network. I asked Paul
if I could take over as the Editor and implement the new features.
Paul thought it was a good idea, so I took over as editor and immediately
set up a system based on email. I also recruited some very talented
writers: Bob Ciaffone was still writing for the MCA after all these years.
Jeff Aldrich called me to see if he could help and became my assistant
editor. Sean C. Stidd became a columnist writer for our new article,
“Chess Advice”. Mike Skidmore is still the clearing house coordinator,
and Paul Kane writes the “Top 100” plus the “Top Rating Point Gainers”
articles. |
| Michigan is very lucky to have all these talented people in their state.
I set my job as Editor up so that we can receive all material thru email,
and I just “cut & paste” the stuff I receive. It’s my job to
determine what to publish and how to fit it in… this is much easier than
trying to pick out which games to publish! J
Since I have taken over as Editor not one magazine issue has been late,
and every tournament has received coverage in a prompt manner. I
owe my success as your editor to the terrific people who write the material
for the magazine. Among the writers listed above we also get help
from annotators Phil Roe, Ariel Levy and others. We can always use
help from people willing to transfer scoresheets to text files. Anyone
interested in helping should email me at: mca-editor@home.com. |
| The job of writing a good magazine takes much work from many people.
I can’t imagine how Van and David managed to do such a fine job for so
long… without the advantages of email and computerized word processors.
But now that we have a system the workload is much easier to split up.
It is my wish that the next editor will be able to step into my shoes and
take over with the existing support system I created. |
