Chess Dryad California
HALL OF FAME
by Kerry Lawless

Southern California has had a Hall of Fame for many years (See Article in The California Chess Reporter section). Both Guthrie McClain and Martin Morrison have tried (in vain) to create a Northern and Central California Hall of Fame by having their readership vote for inductees. I, on the other hand, have no problem with simply replacing a fair and democratic vote with my own picks. My criteria are simple: 10+ years of extreme service to California Chess or 20+ years of very good service. This list is only a start, some people I would have put in the Hall of Fame never got back to me. In due time, they will be included... As you can see, the list is short on Southern California and Central California worthies: to have your picks included please email me with their biographical data (birth; death (if applicable); what they did; when they did it; and where (city) they did it). Corrections to posted material are gladly accepted.

DR. WALTER ROMAINE LOVEGROVE (1869-1956): The good doctor was the first celebrated California champion from 1891 (When he won a match from Joseph Redding, who claimed the championship of the Pacific Coast, by a score of 7-1.) through the First World War. He was a beacon of Western chess strength in a largely unknown age (with regard to California chess history). All the great players who passed through the area (Dr. Emanuel Lasker, Harry Pillsbury, Frank Marshall, J.W. Showalter, etc.) played this SF Mechanics' Institute champion and were generally astonished by his strength. During his later years, USCF awarded him the title Master Emeritus.

ERNEST J. CLARKE (1877-1948): The Dean of Pacific Coast Chess was a strong amateur player who arrived in San Francisco about 1907. He tied H. Borochow in the 1922 (1st) California Championship, behind E. W. Gruer and S. Mlotkowski. Apart from play, he was the Editor of his weekly chess column in the San Francisco Chronicle from 1921 to 1930. In his later years at the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club, of which he was a member, he used to show a medal he had won, inscribe with 'Pacific Coast Chess Championship' (Mechanics' Institute Medal Tournament) on the front. Then he would chuckle as he turned it over to reveal '1911-1913' on the back.

ADOLPH JAY FINK (1890-1956): One of the strongest of the early SF masters, he took the chess torch from Lovegrove and ran with it. This SF Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Trustee was a USCF Life Master and four time California Champion. As a world-class problemist and Problem Editor of E. J. Clarke's column in the San Francisco Chronicle, his chess problems were highly regarded all over the world. An endgame expert, he served as adjudication judge for all Northern California tournaments and team matches for many years. During his later years, USCF awarded him the title of Master Emeritus.

HARRY BOROCHOW (1898-1993): In the period between the two World Wars he was one of the strongest of the Southern California Masters. He won the California chess championship three years in a row; 1930, 1931, and 1932. In 1932, of course, the championship was held concurrently with the Pasadena Chess Congress and he won because he was the highest scoring Californian. He was USCF California State Membership chairman in 1960. During his later years, besides helping direct both Piatigorsky tournaments, the USCF awarded him the title of Master Emeritus.

IGM GEORGE KOLTANOWSKI (1903-2000): The World Blindfold Chess Champion settled in SF in 1947 and started his California chess career which included: chess columnist for The Press Democrat 1947-1949, syndicated chess columnist for the SF Chronicle 1947-2000 (the only daily chess column in the world), Editor of California Chess News/Chess Digest 1947-1950, Editor of Chess in Action, chess book author, national chess series on educational TV starting in 1964, chess tournament director, lecturer & performer (The Knight's Tour), chess instructor to tens of thousands of kids & adults, founder of the chess organization Chess Friends of Northern California, and Dean of American Chess. 'Kolty' was Mr. Northern California Chess for over 50 years.

IM HERMAN STEINER (1905-1955): Besides being one of the strongest players on the West Coast, he became chess editor of the Los Angeles Times after arriving in California in 1932. He was a tireless chess organizer who organized numerous Southern California tournaments through the auspices of his Hollywood Chess Group. In the United States he alone was instrumental in organizing the 1945 Pan-American International Tournament and the Second Pan-American Chess Congress of 1954. This three time California Champion also became US. Champion in 1948.

IGM ISAAC KASHDAN (1906-1985): Before he settled down in California in 1946, 'Kash' was one of the strongest players in the country, having won the US Championship in 1942. In 1955 he became the Los Angeles Times chess editor. He also served a term as the President of the California State Chess Federation. During the sixty's and seventy's he was the top tournament organizer and director in Southern California: with the 1961 Fischer-Reshevsky match, the two great Piatigorsky Cup tournaments, the 1978 US Championship, and all 11 Lone Pine tournaments.

WALTER KORN (1908-1997): A lifelong passion for chess coupled with great writing talent helped him produce a number of classic chess books, including, The Brilliant Touch in Chess, America’s Chess Heritage, and The Art of Chess Competition. He was a contributing editor to Chess Life, British Chess Magazine, and Encyclopedia Britannica to name a few. Of course, he’ll best be remembered as the editor of Modern Chess Openings (MCO), the “chess bible”, from the 7th through the 12th editions. He moved to California in the mid-1970’s and settled down in San Mateo, and I still remember the numerous times he came to ‘Games of Berkeley’. He was always impeccably dressed, in suit and tie, as he pointed out the best spots to display MCO. He was a gentleman of the old school, in the very best sense.

LOUIS STATHAM (1908-1983): While not a chess player, he became the greatest chess patron California has ever had. From 1971 through 1981 he sponsored the Lone Pine tournaments held in the beautiful Southern California town of Lone Pine. While originally created to give aspiring California experts a chance to play world class players, it soon evolve to a master only tournament, due to the overwhelming number of players drawn to it from all over the world. During the 1970’s, if you were a serious California master, you were there!

GUTHRIE McCLAIN (1910-1991): One of the founding members of the Castle Chess Club, which lasted from 1929 to 1991. Co-founder, Associate Editor (1951-1952), and Editor (1953-1976) of The California Chess Reporter (1951-1976), the most influential California Chess Magazine ever. Twenty-five years of top-notch reporting of Northern and Southern California events, games, analysis, and prose...pure bliss. 'Mac', a National Chess Master, quit competitive chess not merely to direct the California Open or to organize the North-South match but also to be a force for the enhancement of Northern California chess. He was a mentor to most of the talented juniors who grow up in the area, and shanghaied practically all the world class players who wandered into California for countless simultaneous exhibitions in the local clubs. Along with Henry Gross, 'Mac' was largely responsible for bringing the U.S. Open to San Francisco in 1961.

FRITZ LEIBER (1910-1992): World renowned fantasy writer by day, Southern California chess expert by night. Settling in Santa Monica around 1958, he enriched the California chess scene by creating literary masterpieces about it. His chess stories were 'The Dreams of Albert Moreland' (1945), 'The Moriarty Gambit' (1962), ‘Midnight in the Mirror World (1964) and 'The 64-Square Madhouse' (1966). The ’64 Square Madhouse’ has been getting a lot of press lately because it’s about a chess playing computer that wins the World Chess Championship. In 1969 he moved to San Francisco and wrote his most famous chess story, which not surprisingly was set in that fair city, 'Midnight by the Morphy Watch' (1974). (See article about the Paul Morphy’s watch, http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/ep/art_05.htm).

JIM HURT (1917-1999): Founder and director of the Lera Chess Club in Sunnyvale for over 35 years, he organized and was the guiding light behind one of the longest running (1966-2000) and popular SF South Bay tournaments, the Lera Class Tournament. He was also Rating Administrator (1967) and Tournament Director (1968) of the Chess Friends of Northern California. In 1969 and 1970 he was Editor of Chess in Action.

GORDON BARRETT (1921 – present): In Southern California he was called Mr. Chess! A national tournament director, he directed and helped direct, many of the most prestigious Southern California tournaments for over 30 years…from the early 1960’s through the 1980’s, including the North West Open and California Open. A chess expert for most of his adult life, he was (at various times) Vice-President of the USCF, President and Director of the California State Chess Federation, President of the Southern California Chess Association, and Director of the City Terrace CC. He was the editor of the TERRACHESS bulletin (1961 through 1980) which came out every two weeks. He is also a long-time member of the Southern California HALL OF FAME.

VAL ZEMITIS ( 1925 - present): Few individuals have had a longer involvement with Northern California chess than Val Zemitis. Shortly after moving to Berkeley in the early 1950s Zemitis started contributing to the California Chess Reporter. More than thirty years later, in 1986, he helped Hans Poschmann start the California Chess Journal and was a steady contributor for many years. A USCF master, Zemitis achieved his best result at the 1954 California Open in Santa Barbara where he drew with both Kashdan and Steiner while tying for second. Back in 1960 Mr.Zemitis wrote the first book on the new World Champion Mikhail Tal - The Unknown Tal, which was published by the California Chess Reporter. Master Zemitis has been invaluable in helping bring foreign stars to the Bay Area including several top female players. Zsuzsa Polgar made her American tournament debut in the 1986 San Francisco International at Mis Browns restaurant in the Mission thanks to his doing. Latvia's top women player, Dana Reizniece, also made her American debut in San Francisco in 2000 thanks to Mr. Zemitis. He is also a Latvian chess historian and is currently writing a book on the subject.

TED YUDACUFSKI (1930-present): Co-founder (with his first wife Ruby), director, and the in-house chess instructor for the Monterey Chess Club (1966 to 2003), which was one of only two Northern California chess clubs that were open every day. This National Director organized and directed most of the Annual Monterey Fort Ord Chess Championships, and the Monterey Chess Club tournaments (including the Monterey International Open). Outside of Monterey, he has directed the Annual Lera Class tournament in Sunnyvale (1973-2000, taking over from George Koltanowski), the San Mateo US Amateur, many of the Paul Masson tournaments, and was co-chief assistant (to Kashdan) for two or three of the Lone Pine Opens. As he was a Darts Master as well, he invented Darts Chess; in which a throw of the dart decides which chess piece is to move. The first U.S. Open Darts Chess Championship was played in San Mateo at the (chess) U.S. Open at Palo Alto in 1981, which Ted directed. He also taught chess classes at Monterey Peninsula College.

HANS POSCHMAN (1932 - 2006): An ICCF Master, he co-founded (along with Robert Pellerin) the Fremont Chess Club in 1964 and has been its President ever since. He's also organized and directed many SF East Bay tournaments; including the Bay Area Team Championship tournaments, and more recently the Ohlone College tournaments. In 1986 he created the California Chess Journal, and was its Editor through 1988. Hans has been Mr. Fremont Chess for over 35 years.

ELIZABETH SHAUGHNESSY (1937 – present): This former Irish Women's Chess Champion and Women's Olympic Chess Team member started the Berkeley 'Chess in the Schools' project in 1982. Since then her program has grown to hundreds of schools and tens of thousands of alumni. She has the largest such school in Northern California. Such was her success (and her political acumen), that she was elected to the Berkeley School Board and served very successfully as its President. She was also the president of Cal Chess for several years.

ALAN KIRSHNER (1938 – present): A professor at Ohlone College and a USCF Local TD, Dr. Kirshner started teaching chess at Weibel Elementary School in 1989, when his son was a student there. In 1991 when he helped form the famous award winning Blue Knights elementary school chess team (taught by Richard Shorman), he was instrumental in its initial location…the Fremont Public Library. He ran the California Grade Level Championships in 1993 and 1995; and the California State ElementaryHS Championships in 1995 and 2000. Recently, he ran the 2005 California Northern Regionals in San Jose. In 1993 he became a CalChess board member. A few years later he became the CalChess Scholastic Chair, which he sat upon from 1995 through 2004. Most importantly, however, in 2000 he created the non-profit Success Chess School which since its inception has taught thousands of Fremont elementary school children – chess. He stepped down from running the Success Chess School after the 2005 California Northern Regionals ended. He still continues to teach chess at the Weibel Elementary School.

RICHARD SHORMAN: A chess columnist for the Hayward Daily Review for 13 years (1966 – 1980), he also occasionally ghosted several other SF Bay Area chess columns. Co-instigator of that famous SF East Bay legend, the Cherryland Café; Harold James (proprietor and cook) provided the place and a sarcastic wit, Richard provided the chess and a dry wit. His amazing chess classes at Chabot Junior College were very well attended, despite the dense curriculum; Pawn Endings by Maizelis, Masters of the Chessboard by Reti, Chess the Easy Way by Fine, were among the required textbooks. He also was, at various times; Editor of the Oakland YMCA Chess Bulletin (1959-60), Director/Instructor of the Lera late night chess group, Hayward Chess Club Instructor/Lecturer, Hayward Chess Club President, Chess in Action Games Editor, Chess Voice Games Editor, Lera Brilliancy Prize Judge, Tournament Director-Junior Divisions for Chess Friends of Northern California, and teacher to thousands of SF East Bay adults and kids for over 35 years. Also, was the major photo contributor for most of the Northern California chess magazines for the last 30 years. He has added more games to the CalGames Chess Database than anybody else. Recently he consented to become the Senior Advisor to ChessDryad.com.

IGM ROBERT J. FISCHER (1943-present): As a former World Champion (1972-1975) and eight-time US champion, he doesn't need an introduction. But, the USCF annual rating lists for the years 1970-1973 show him to be a California resident and as such, he must be included on this list. Because his sister lived in Pasadena and his 1982 pamphlet "I was tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse!", I believe we can assume that he was living in the area. If even a small percentage of the urban legends surrounding him are true (chessplayers meeting him on BART trains or at IGM Peter Biyiasas's house), then he ranged up and down the state during and after his World Championship days. He didn't play much official chess in California except for the 1957 US Junior Championship (San Francisco), the 1961 Fischer-Reshevsky match (Los Angeles), the 1964 Simultaneous Exhibitions (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Davis, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and Ventura), and the 1966 Piatigorsky Cup (Santa Monica). The excitement, euphoria, and hope created by his winning of the World Chess Championship, started an unprecedented California chess boom that lasted throughout his championship years.

ALAN GLASSCOE (1943-present): Director of the Berkeley Chess Club since 1979, he became an ANTD in 1988. Highlights of his tournament directing include Assistant Director of the 1984 Berkeley US Closed & Women's Championships; Assistant Director of the 1987 American Open in LA; Chief TD/Assistant TD of the Berkeley People's Tournaments for 1985 through 1991, and 1999; and many dozens of other tournaments. He was USCF Regional VP for 1987-1989, President of Cal Chess in 1989, and has been on the Board of Directors of the Berkeley Chess School since 1995. Besides being co-author of the Budapest Defense, Thinkers' Press 1980, he was also associate Editor of the California Chess Journal in 1991. He wrote a famous satirical article comparing himself to Bobby Fischer, because they have the same birthdates (which will someday be reprinted in our article section).

MICHAEL GOODALL (1946-present): This National Tournament Director started directing tournaments in 1965 and so undoubtedly holds the tournament directing record for post-Fischer Northern California, including at least a dozen state championships. He was Chief or Assistant TD at least 20 of the 30 Peoples Tournaments. He organized, promoted and directed the Golden Gate Open, which was the biggest tournament ever in SF (468 players). Mike directed the Bay Area League 1969; organized, promoted and was Chief Director of both the 1984 US Men's and US Women's Closed Championships in Berkeley. As the director of choice at the Mechanics' Institute, he has directed ten Bagby Memorials, at least 20 of the 36 Stamer Memorials, and at least 15 of the 30 Capps Memorials. He also found time to direct a couple of international tournaments organized by Guillermo Rey in SF in 1986 and 1987. In 1987, he was awarded the International Arbiter title. At one time or another he has held every office in Calchess, including President in 1981-82. In 1991 he was awarded the Outstanding Career Achievement Award by the USCF. Recently, he became a patron sponsoring the Frisco Masters in the year 2000.

ALAN BENSON (1947-present): This Intermediate Tournament Director was originally an over-the-board USCF Master (1971), ICCF Master (1975), and simultaneous blindfold chess expert (up to 10 boards). He personified Berkeley tournament chess during the post-Fischer era. Some of the many tournaments he directed were the Annual People's Chess Tournament (starting in 1971 through 1980; the 1st Annual Capps Memorial (1971); (Assistant Director) all eight Paul Masson Chess Tournaments; (Assistant Director) 1975 Lone Pine; and the Calchess Masters Open in 1979 and 1981. He also assisted in the Mechanics' Institute Pan Pacific Grandmaster Chess Tournament (San Francisco 1987) and the Pan Pacific Grandmaster Chess Tournament (San Francisco 1991). Alan ran the SF Bay Area portion of the National Telephone Chess League from 1976-1979 (The Berkeley Riots team were the National Champions from1977-78). He was also the Director of the East Asia Book & Game Center Chess Club during Fischer's rein and the Director of the UC Berkeley Campus Chess Club (under the auspices of SUPERB Productions) from 1976 to 1981. He was Games Bulletin Editor of the Lone Pine tournaments from 1976 to 1979. He was Chess Editor of several East Bay newspaper chess columns: the Berkeley Gazette and the Daily Californian. He started as Treasurer of the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and eventually became its President. He was also the Promotions Coordinator for ProChess from 1979-1980. Recently (2004) he worked for Games of Berkeley and ordered the chess books for them.

MARTIN MORRISON (1947 - present): Became co-Editor (along with Elwin C. Meyers) of the Oakland Chess Club's newsletter En Passant in 1964. Later that same year, he resurrected the Berkeley YMCA Chess Club and was its co-director from 1964 through 1973 (during his tenure, the club roster rose to over 400 members). He was co-Editor of a weekly chess column in the Oakland Tribune. In 1968 he created SCACCHIC VOICE (later renamed CHESS VOICE - official magazine of the CCCA) and was its co-Editor until 1973. In 1968, in was also instrumental in helping create the Central California Chess Association and was elected Secretary at its first meeting. In 1969, he was elected to the post of CCCA Chairman, which he held through 1973. Besides directing most of the official CCCA tournaments from 1968 through 1973; he helped rewrite the USCF Tournament Rules; he was the President of the Association of US Chess Reporters; he was Region VIII Vice-President of the USCF; and in 1972 (through 1975) was elected to the post of USCF National Secretary. In 1976 he was elected Chairman of the World Chess Federation's Permanent Commission for the Rules of Play. In 1977 he was elected as USCF Executive Director. He also found the time to come back to California and was one of the guiding lights behind the Paul Masson tournament and its first Director.

IGM WALTER BROWNE (1949-present): Six-time U.S. Champion has (after his return to California in 1974 as an IGM) probably won more California tournaments than anyone else. Besides being founder and editor of Blitz Chess Magazine (1988) and the founder and director of the World Blitz Chess Association (1988), he's an author, and chess instructor.

RAY ORWIG (1954-present): A teacher at Saint Mark's School in San Rafael since 1980, he started Saint Mark's Chess Club and Team in that same year. Over the years the familiar gold-shirted Knights have won nearly 40 State Team Championships and placed in the top 10 at the Nationals a dozen times, including first in junior high in 1990. Saint Mark's has had three individual National Champions, and 11 individual State Champions. Ray was named CalChess chess teacher of the year in 1990. He is a senior tournament director, was CalChess Scholastic Coordinator from 1985 to 1995, and director of the CalChess Scholastic Championships from 1985 to 1994. Ray was a founding board member of the Greater Richmond Chess Association in 1983. He also directed a series of summer scholastic tournaments at East Bay Public Libraries (including the Hayward Library) starting in 1986. Ray has taught chess at the Chabot College's College for Kids summer program, and the UC Berkeley Summer Program for gifted students. He also helped design the chess software program Chess Mates. Ray continues to teach and coach chess at Saint Mark's Schoo

ERIC HICKS (1969-present): A chess player, award winning writer and highly innovative scholastic chess teacher since his high school days, he first began his official career under the tutelage of Elizabeth Shaughnessy and her ‘Chess in the Schools’ program. Later, in 1994, he hooked up with IM Marc Leski, moved to Southern California and started his ‘Academic Chess’ program. His project, the largest scholastic chess organization in the history of California chess, spans 4 states, 1000 schools, and has created over 100,000 successful beginning chess players. He has also found time to serve on the board of CalChess since 2004, and is the “calchess.org” site webmaster. His own site, “academicchess.com”, is one of the most popular scholastic sites on the web. But, that’s not all. He, together with his wife Liina, is also involved in coaching several super-talented children and has produce more than a couple of young USCF top ten champions