HERMANN HELMS 1870·1963 (Phoro by l-'obian Bac;hrocll) UNITED STATES Volume XVIII Num~r 2 February, 1953 EDITOR: J . F. Reinhardt Leonard Barden. Peter Berlo\\', Arthur Biscuier. R. E. Braine, Dr. Richard Cantwell, John W. Collins, Fred Cramer, Edward A. Dickerson, Major E. B. Edmondson, Arpad CHESS FEDERATION Elo, Larry Evans, Eliot Hearst. Edward Lasker, William Lombardy, Erich Marchand, Jerry Spann, Gary Sperling, Raymond Weinstein, Fred Wren. PRESIOENT Fred Cramer VICE PRESIDENT Major Edmund B. Edmondson, Jr. U. S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP - 1963 SECRETARY Marshall Rohland A la·round Swiss tournament open to any player in the world. REGIONAL VICE·PRESIDENTS NEW ENGLAND William C. Newberry WHERE: Chicago, DUnois Jamu Bur,ell Ell Bourdon The Hotel Belmont (S heridan Road at Belmont) EASTERN David Hoffmanll Chnlu A. Kene r Allen Kaurmann WHEN: August 11·23, 1963 MID_ATLANTIC JOhD D. M atheson Mordeca' TYeblolll Wuu.m S. 8yland PRIZES: At least $1,000 Cor fi rst place; others to be announced. SOUTHERN Dr. Stuart Noblin Jerry SullLVin I ,nDUIi Fostu ENTRY FEE: $20 Cor USCF members; non·members must pay additional $5 Cor GREAT LAKI!S Jaek O'Kede Jo'. Wm. Bauer USCF dues. Dr. H _ard aab_ NORTH CENTRAL Dr. Ceo. Vl n Dy keTlers FrUlk Siloef Eva AroD.fOn Make checks or money orders payable to the "U. S. Chess Federation" and send to the Entries Chairman at any time. SOUTHWESTERN Juan J . ReId C. aarold Bone Jonn BeltUn& Richard Verber. Entries Chairman PACIFIC 2725 W. 84th St., I Chicago 52, Dlinois NATIONAL CHAIRMEN AND OFFICERS Frank Skoff, General Chairman (Gompers Park Chess Club) AFFILIATE STATUS .. M ......S pencer Van Gelder Norbert Leopoldi, Advertising Chairman (C hicago Chess Cl ub) ARMED FORCES CHesS.... ............ Ro~rt Kar<:h BUSINESS MANAGER ...... M ••• M • • • J . F. Reinhardt Mrs. Eva Aronson, Holel Chairman (Gompers Park Chess Club) COLLEGE CHES ................................. Petcr Berlow Pctcr Wolf, Finance Chai rman (Gompc.rs Park Chess Club) INDUSTRIAL CHI!SS ............ Stanlcy W. D. Kine INSTITUTIONS CHESS .. .......... Or. R.lph Kuhn" J ohn Turns, Treasurer (Latvian Chess Club) INTERNATIDNAL AFFAIRS ...... Jerry G. Sp.nn JUNIOR CHI!SS._.MM M.. .... .Morde e.' D. Tre blow MEMIERSHII". ___ ...•.•.MM Ec!IOo·ud A . Dickerson NOMINA TIONS_.MM._ .M .. M. __ M.. ._ . Peter Lahd... JOIN THE UNITEO STATES CHESS FEDERATION RATING STATISTICIANMM._M_.M.G.ry Sperllne USC, 11 I non-profit democ:raUe or,anl..llUon. the offld.1 .o,·ernln. body I nd FlOE unit RATING SVSTEMM_M. __ .. M"'M,_",M-Arpad E. Eto for cbest lD lbe USA_ An,roDe Intere.w4 In .dv_do. AmerteaD eheu 11 ell.lble for m.mb.nhlp. SWISS SYSTEM METHOD5.M.M_ .. .Arpad E. £10 TAX DEDUCTIIILITV_.M __... _ O.vld lIoClmann Ml:lTlbenhlp. Indudln. CHESS un: Alba.crtptioa., .1I"bWty for USCY·r.UI1l, .nd aU TOURNAMENT ADM.M.MM.MGeor,e Kolt.nowlid pnvUeeel; 1 yr.; $1.00; 2 yra.: $9-"': S Jlrl.: tl2.5O; SuataJnln.: $10 .00 (beeomu Ilfe MembenbJp TOURNAMiNT RULIS._M.M ... M... .J.mu Sberwin alter 10 Pa)'lllenc..): Llfe; $100.00. Flmllr MlmM""I" (two or more bmUy D\em~n at laDle TREASURI! It. •__ .M.M ___.M._ MUton Rusllin addreu, only one CHESS LIFE AlbecnpUon); ratu .. above for fir$t "./nily lDem~ r, plu. IU . S. CHAMI",ONSHII"_. _____ Maurlc. Kuper foUowinC tor tech additional meltlbu: I yr.: P.SO: 1 yrl.: $-/0.7$; 3 Yrl.: $6.72. WOMI!N'S CHI!SS ....... M.M __ .M.M ... M.M.Eva Aronson CH!SS LIFE " publlsbed monthly by uscr and entered U M!oond-e1lu mltter .t Dubuque, low•. Non-member 1.yr. subKrtpUon: M.OO (ts.OO oUWde USA); Iin,le eopy: fOe (50(: outalde WORLD CHESS FEDERATION USA). Chlnga of addreu: Allow four wukJI notice; pleue .Ive UI botb the new addleU and (F.I.D.E.) the old addleu, Indu~ !be numbe... and date. on tbe top line of your Ilencil. Jerry G. Spann Addrell all communle.tlolU, .nd mike all checkl pay.ble to: Vice-President. Zone 5 (u.S.A.) UNITED STATES CHEll I'I!DrRATION, 10 .ad 11th Streat, NEW YORIC 3, N.V. 30 CHESS LIFE - BENKO TAKES IN MEMORIAM MEMORIAL TOURNEY With deep son'ow I learned of the Whenever I made one of theSe visits Grandmaster Pal Benko led a quartet passing of the Chess world's most loved or he visited the clubs, !'Itr. Helms invari­ of players with 5~·1h scores to take figure, The Dean of American Chess, ably would invite me for a bite, to chat !irst place in the Abe TUfTIer Memorial Hermann Helms. The loss of such a Over some coHee as he would put it. dedicated and vigorous worker, a tt'u ly This pl'ivilege I shall always cherish as Tournament on J anuary 25·27. Tied with generous soul, is one, I'm sure, that a si ngular honor. We talked of the 'old' Benko, but behind him on median points, comes as a heavy blow to all of us. This days, for me the ancient days. We spoke were Asa HoUman n, Arthur Feuerstein, is more fittingly expressed in the words of the difficulties existing in American and L. Russell Chauvencl. 135 players of his devoted secretary, Miss C. Sulli· Chess, for the Chess· master and organizer took part in the event, held in New vall. alike. He always had a pertinent sug· gestion to o((er. York's Park·Sheraton Hotel, and all " Arter many years association .... lIh a man profits were donated to the Olympic .... ho WaS an Inspiration, the blow hurts I suppose Mr. Helms never fully devel­ ~ery mu<:h. I'm sure he ""'mt str.lgM to fund. More than $500 was raised toward oped his own Chess talent because, lieave n, be<:ause I d on't think he ever through his writings - Tire .. \ mcri(;on paying off the user's Varna deficit. did a wrong thing In his IIf<:." Clw$$ Bllifetin and columns in the ,Yew Close behind the four leaders, with I feel honored and privileged in say­ York Time$ and The World Tc/egrom ond Sun, 1'lIe lJrooklvn Engle - scores of 5·1, wcre Bernard Zuckerman, ing that of those players in my genera­ he was too busy trying to nurture the talent of Brian Owens, Ariel Mcngarini, James tion, 1 got to know Mr. Helms best Not to have known him at all would of course others. while he also provided enjoy­ Sherwin, and Stanley Tomchin. Tomchin, be the greatest loss. In the course of a ment for those of lesser ability. Thus, who won the junior prize, forfeited in fourteen year acquaintance, I took every though he was never recognized an round one and then mowed down his opportunity to visit him at his office on INTERNATIONAL GRANDMASTER, he opponents in the next five rounds, The Nassau Street or to speak with him when­ was truly THE GRAND MASTER of them tournament's biggest upset was scored ever he came to the Marshall or Man­ hattan Chess elubs for the rapid transit all. by Charles E. Gersch (pre·tournament tournaments, in which, incidentally, he The tireless, dedicated, generous, the rating: 2158) who defeated Senior Mas· frequently captured a high prize. In fact, tel' James T. Sherwin. I can still remember being the victim of great·hearted spirit of Mr. Hermann one of his brilliancies on the Black side Helms will long be remembered in the Other prizes: Class "A"; Hy Wallach of the French Defense. That particular annals of Chess. Rest in Eternal Peace. (4lh); Class "8": J. Goldsmith (31,02); game was played as recenUy as 1956. -William Lombardy Class "C": R. Keevers (31h); Unrated, K. Collins (4); Top Woman, Greta Fuchs. The tournament was directed by user \ Business Manager J . F. Reinhard t wi th the assistance of Gerald O'Flaherty. Rat· ing Statisticia n Ga ry Sperling broke the \ ties. $150 was generously donated toward the prize fund by the Manhattan Chess Club in memory of the late Abe Turner. Weldon Wins Glass City Charles Weldon of Milwaukee, Wiscon­ sin walked off with first prize in the Glass City Open played in Toledo, Ohio on January 26 and 27. Weldon's five straight wins put him a half point ahead of second·place Paul Posehel of Ann Arbor, Mich. and third-place James Hor­ vath of ToLedo, Ohio. Last year's winner, Ronald Finegold of Detroit, 1\1ich. posted a 4·1 score and edged out Chicago's Richard Verber for fourth. - ' The biggest surprise of the tour nament was Horvath's third· place finish. Going I , into the event with a Class A rating of , 1864, he reeled off four straight wins , k (including one over uscr Master Rich· No doubt because he was modes-t and reserv ed by nature, I have rarely seen a ard Verber) and drew with USCF Master picture of Mr. Helms. For this reason this photograph is one of my most cherished Paul Posehel in the last round. Horvath possessions; but I nevertheless thought that I should share it wi th the rest of the is a junior at the University of Toledo. Chess World. An added feature of the 67-player The picture was taken at the home of J ack and Ethel Collins in the wi nter of event was the fact that of the 163 games 1957. I had my new camera with me; so r jumped at the opportunity of taking a played only one required adjudication. picture of so famous a personality.