Illinois Chess Bulletin Julio - Agosto 2002

Remembering Richard Part II The '80s of his periodic mitzvahs, he taught Richard to drive ("He was all thumbs," Fred recalled. "He hit four parked cars on Cornelia during our first lesson, so I took him to the cemetery and he learned there."). He also bought Richard's first car and got him his first real job, as a messenger. Richard loved the job. Driving gave him a great sense of freedom, and his job took him all over the Chicago metropolitan area. His friends started calling him "Cadillac Jack" because of his willingness to drive anywhere. He made money, but since he didn't allow for depreciation and didn't maintain his own car, not enough to make a real success of it. But his new sense of independence made him happy. Fred started the "Put the Fun Back into Chess" tournaments that he ran at Morgan Park Methodist Church, near his home. In the first event, Richard was in a three-way tie for first. 14-year-old Billy Colias was in a three-way tie for top "A." Fred invited Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier to come to play a simul on October 30, 1980. But first there was a onegame match at Fred's house between Art and Richard for $300. The game ended in a draw. They then played five 5-minute games as a playoff, with Newton Berry and Billy watching. Richard won, 3-2. He never lost his touch, not even at the end. The April 1981 issue of the ICB reported that Richard was the top Illinois player at 2402. A later issue reported on a weight-loss bet between Fred and Richard, with Richard at 380 spotting Fred at 188 3-1 pounds odds. Paul Tautvaisas died in 1980 of alcoholism; Frank Skoff's moving memorial article in the ICB reviewed his career, highlighting his 8-0 sweep of the Illinois Open in 1964, a feat that I believe has never been equaled. Ed Edmondson died October 21, 1982, never coming out of the coma resulting from a massive heart attack on a beach near his home in Hawaii. Years previously, Ed had told me "We're retiring to Hawaii because Nancy's family is there and she'll outlive me." IM Bill Martz died January 17, 1983, from cancer. Knowing the diagnosis, Bill and Norbert Leopoldi organized the Cloverline International in Skokie in which he played before his death. Richard organized the U.S. Class in Chicago in 1982 and 1983. His own Chicago Chess Association sponsored other events as well. Helen Warren and Fred Gruenberg started the Midwest (later the U.S.) Masters, with advice from Richard. A 1984 clock simul by Roman Dzindzihashvili (the everpopular "Grandmaster Alphabet") against eight Chicago masters ended with his beating five, drawing two, and losing to Richard. In the mid-eighties, Richard ran his last event and failed to make good on all the prizes. He did pay everyone eventually, with the help of friends, but his days as an organizer were over. I left Chicago to take a tenure-track teaching position at Ohio State University at Lima in summer of 1985; Richard graciously hosted a farewell party at his apartment. During the remainder of his life, his attention would focus on teaching chess. [The third and concluding part of "Remembering Richard," with an account of his years as a chess teacher and his death, will appear in the next ICB.] Editor’s Note I owe the ICB readers two games submitted earlier by Tim Redman. I will try and include them in the next issue. Rev. Roy Frye officiating at the memorial lunch. Illinois Chess Bulletin 31

Illinois Chess Bulletin Julio - Agosto 2002 | Page 31