THE PARMA CHESS CLUB: FIFTY Chess Association, a group already in YEARS OF HISTORY existence since 1943. Perhaps this is where the four canonical founders come Compiled by Bob Basalla into the story. Another interesting item: to show how things evolve, at this early stage the club was originally known as Introduction the Parma Chess and Checker Club. It is not known when the devotees of that In human terms, fifty years is a long other board game took their leave. In time. In our disposable age most things any case, only the chess folk proved are not even meant to last that long. their staying power over the long haul. Think of items around most homes. The very first meeting was held at Parma Other than antiques and a maybe a few Schaaf Junior High School at West 54th keepsakes, what stuff there has been Street and Redfern Avenue and drew a around more than half a century? The turnout of twenty-three, many of them same goes for businesses and other chess players from the Cleveland Chess social institutions. The vast majority of Association sponsored Industrial them come into existence, run their League. Vic Ravas and Henry Ostroske course and disappear in a span of less were there along with two “Old Timers,” than fifty years. This is especially true Charles Bielecki and William B. Szabo, of volunteer organizations such as clubs. the latter being elected the club’s first Most of the time the inertia of even a President. Other officers included A. R. promising beginning eventually wanes, Fretcher as Vice President, and Harry F. only to be kept going by one or a few Ross as Treasurer. zealots until they, too, peter out. Then it From this standing start the club was off is crash and burn for the club. Rare and running. And I do mean running. indeed are organizations that can survive By December 1st it was reported the and thrive through several generations. Parma Club already had a membership One of these rare birds we are numbering fifty. It was then that celebrating here in 2004: the Parma Fortune intervened to give the fledgling Chess Club, now in its 50th year. group a tremendous additional boost. The Cleveland Chess Association was in Beginnings the process of planning a “Chess Week” schedule of events for January 9th to Oral tradition (and some early records) January 15th 1955. The big draw they has it that the Parma Club was founded hoped to bring to these landmark by four intrepid individuals, Justin festivities was none other than Dr. Niemira, Albert Plack, John Hoit, and Machgielis “Max” Euwe, a doctor of Emerich Roth, in the late fall of 1954. A mathematics and World Chess notice in The Cleveland Chess Bulletin Champion from 1935-37. Dr. Euwe of the time (11/16/54) pinpoints the date would visit for several days, affording as Thursday, November 4th. It only the opportunity for a couple of credits two members of the Parma appearances. Amazingly, the Parma Recreation Board, Leslie A Morgan and Chess and Checker Club, barely a month Robert Kane, with its formation, along old, was chosen as the site for Dr. with the assistance of the Cleveland Euwe’s first appearance and lecture! PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com What other brand new club, anywhere, Parma Chess Club history can be anytime, could boast of such a coup? sectioned into eras roughly And on January 13th, 1955, that is just corresponding to decades. After the what happened. After a very laudatory formative years of the 50’s the 1960’s introduction by President Szabo, Dr. clubs survived and persisted due to a Euwe took the stage, so to speak, before smallish cadre of committed players. If a mixed crowd of juniors and adults. the club was ever in danger of folding The gracious Euwe immediately took this would have been the period. Next stock of the situation and adapted his came the transition times of the 1970’s. presentation accordingly. He lectured in After Parma Schaaf Jr. High School, the what was described as “typical school club had taken up residence in the master fashion,” inviting questions downstairs of the Brooklyn YMCA on especially from the eager juniors. West 25th over by the Denison Bridge. Reportedly, the youngsters were When that was no longer viable the now anything but shy. Still, their brash somewhat nomadic club secured space queries were rewarded with patient and downstairs at the old Ukrainian Chess direct answers from the gentlemanly Club, 4440 State Road next to Downing Grandmaster. After 8:30 PM, with most School. Thanks go to Dr. Zenon of the young ‘uns off to bed, Dr. Euwe Wynnytsky of the Ukrainians and CCA and what must have been a Club League Director, for those digs. demonstration board regaled the crowd Then, through the efforts of student (and with examples of strategy and tactics, soon to be Parma C. C. President) James endgames, and entire contests, along Synk, the club moved to and met in a with a great number of personal Padua Franciscan High School (6740 anecdotes from his international State Road, Parma) classroom (Room experience. All in all the evening was a 120, West Wing) for a couple of great success for everyone involved, but seasons. This period of wandering most of all for the host Parma Club. ended, perhaps forever, when in By the fall of 1955 the Parma Club was September of 1978 the Parma Chess ready to field a team of its own in the Club moved into the great site it still Western Division of the Cleveland enjoys at the German Central Chess Association’s Club League 1955- Organization, 7863 York Road in Parma. 56 season. The line-up for this first Dynamic leadership from club Activities foray into team chess included R. Coordinator (and active member since Becker, W. Szabo, A. Plack, J. Niemira, 1972) Immanuel “Jim” Halm and V. Ravas, E. Aring, and E. Nitschke. newcomer President David Kowalczyk The cellar dwelling outcome must have parlayed this new site into a “Golden been disappointing, but all involved Age” for the club. (More about this agreed it was jolly good fun. So a Parma later.) Finally, due to the demise of the presence in the Club League was here to Cleveland Chess Association and its stay -- and they would not always Club League in the mid-90’s and the rise remain also-rans. of the Internet chess option, attendance to outside chess clubs, including the Parma Club Eras Parma Club, fell off somewhat from the heights of the 1980’s. Still, to this day a solid core of players continues to meet PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com and compete every Tuesday evening. Michels and Club President Richard The stable set of officers for the Modern Gedeon. The next year two Parma based Era: Club Coordinator Jim Halm, teams in Division I battled to the finish Treasurer Ludvig Barta, Tournament with the no-star Parma Granites Director William B. Wright, Assistant prevailing 3-2 in a thrilling last round Tournament Director Robert W. Basalla, match to snatch the title from the Parma Secretary Tamara Halm, Sergeant at Panzers despite the latter team adding Large Dale Johnson, Sergeants at Arms International Master Dumitru Ghizdavu Karol Jaremko and Konstantine “Gus” to Wozney et. al. for this final contest. Dimitrov. (By now the Parma Club was fielding so many teams in the various divisions old Club League Success style designations such as Parma I and Parma II did not sufficiently delineate As mentioned previously, the Parma which was which. Teams began Club’s forays into the Cleveland Chess adopting more distinctive, even playful, Association’s Club League were not monikers such as the Parma Knights, initially too successful. The guys were Parma Bad Bishops, Parma Lakers, having fun though, so teams continued Parma Executioners, Parma Paladins, to be fielded, sometimes just one team, Parma Cro-Magnons, Parma White Sox other times a team for each of the (a take off on the long time association League’s divisions. In 1959, persistence of Parma with ethnic Poles), Parma paid off when a Parma squad broke Woodpushers, Parma Misfits, Parma through big time and won First Place in Whozits, Parma No Names, Another Division II. A Third Place in Division II Parma Team, Seward’s Folly – Parma, followed in 1961. It wasn’t until 1968 Parma Busters, Parma Panthers, Parma before another Parma team struck pay Survivors, and my biased personal dirt, a Third Place in the recently formed favorite, the punny Parma Granites.) Division III. 1970 was the first season From then on it was a constant battle for that two Parma teams took honors in the Division I top honors between one of the same season, seconds in both Division II Parma teams and a strong core squad and III. Three teams broke through in based out of the East Side club meeting 1973 when the League expanded to four out of John Carroll University, the divisions. Only one mountain remained results being about a 50-50 split. Within unclimbed: a medal in Division I where this span the 1993 Parma Survivors the big boys played. achieved an unprecedented feat by Early in the “Golden Era” this final posting a perfect match record in barrier, too, fell by the wayside. In the Division I (10-0-0). A likely individual 1981 season the Division I team, performance record was also set during captained by club co-founder and long this period when Robert Basalla played time treasurer Emerich Roth, reached the 24 consecutive matches over several summit of Cleveland team chess, seasons without losing.