An Exclusive Interview with Harold Dondis by Jim Eade

An Exclusive Interview with Harold Dondis by Jim Eade

C.T. When and where were you born?

H. D. Rockand, Maine Oct.1, 1922.  I was educated in the Rockland Public Schools, Bowdoin, and Harvard Law School.

C. T. How did you learn to play chess, and how old were you?

H. D. I first learned chess in boy’s summer camp in Maine at the age of ten. My camp counselor taught it to me. I lived in Rockland Maine and found one book in the library on chess, by Howard Staunton.

C. T. Where did you play?

H. D. In high school, I finally found an opponent. We played after school at a table at the back of the library set up for us. In college I played some but decided it would take up too much of my time. So I avoided the game at Bowdoin and Harvard Law School. There was very little chess in those days. We had a chess League, consisting of the local and college clubs, and a major tournament every couple of months or so, sometimes having trouble getting ten players. The chess was mostly at chess clubs. Then Bobby Fischer came along, and everything changed.

C. T. When did you suspect that a life long interest in the game was in the works?

H.D. I took it up again as the result of an unusual turn of circumstance. I had a date, who asked me if I would like to attend a modern poetry group in a lower class section of Dorchester. I agreed to go, expecting to encounter a group of amateurs. I prided myself on my knowledge of poetry. The group was organized by one Syd Corman (actually a poet of note according to Tim Redman). When I talked, the group quickly put me in my place, and I became very interested in modern poetry. A member of the group was Jim Burgess, who was writing the Boston Globe chess column with Harry Lyman. Later on, after I was married (not to my date in Dorchester) my wife brought me home a small chess set from Mexico. Now established in a legal career, I decided to take up chess.

I met Harry Lyman at the Boylston Chess Club and played in my first tournament game at the age of 30. I have never been much of a player. My best record was sharing the Class A first prize at the U.S. Open. Coming back to Burgess, we used to meet weekly for lunch. He was an accomplished novelist, a child of the depression, but failed to get his work published because he would not agree to changes. Burgess suddenly passed away in 1964.

At that time I was President of the Massachusetts Chess Association, so since there was no one to write the column, I took it on, after some debate with a law partner, who was counsel for the Boston Daily Record. Later, John Curdo joined me as co-columnist. I stuck with chess, because I love the game and because I have found it is an unusual key to the problem solving process.

C.T. What do you mean when you say that you consider chess to be “an unusual key to the problem solving process?”

H.D. Answering this question is like writing Rousseau’s confessions. Chess was for many years the fruit fly of artificial intelligence. When I started to play seriously at the age of 30, I started to wonder how problems were solved. I began accumulating notes on what I thought was a science of procedure. I then came across G.Polya’s work “How to Solve It” which introduced the word heuristic. This became a buzzword for artificial intelligence or effective methods of problem solving. I felt that this was what I was working on. I continued taking notes, amassed a large bibliography on the psychology of problem solving, and over a 16 year period wrote a book called the “Problem of Problem Solving.” , explaining the process in detail .

Without credentials I could never get it published and there was really no market for the book. DeGroot turned it down cold in no uncertain terms. Though I disagreed with De Groot, I gave up the idea of publication and turned to practical application of my work; I framed a very simple personal routine off problem solving, which I have observed for over twenty years. I like that routine very much, apply it in law and all personal matters but doubt that I can get anyone interested in it. l have nearly finished a second book explaining the routine and the theoretical basis of it. I may or may not self publish it with possibly an Appendix on Chess study. I might add that I never became a great chess player. Some victories, but chess remains an enormous puzzle for me. It involves great energy, computational ability, knowledge and steady care. I find it esthetically pleasing, instructive, and by the way very helpful in keeping active in one’s old age.

C.T. How and why did you found the Trust?

H. D. At that time the U.S. Open was held in Boston, and Ed Edmundson asked me about a charitable organization. I formed the Chess Trust for him. He was the sole trustee and ran into trouble with the IRS because of money laundering to the Lone Pine Chess tourney. Ed asked me to come on the Board and I did, but the IRS pulled the Trust’s exemption. I applied to get it back and succeeded, but Edmundson resigned from the Trust, leaving me with it. The USCF, at the insistence of Eli Wallach of the U.S. Chess Foundation who was worried about the danger to other chess charities, voted to terminate the Trust. I, along with other trustees, refused to do so and managed to keep it alive through the years.

C.T. Who was Eli Wallach, and what position did he have in the chess world? What danger did he think the Trust posed? Who were the early Trustees? Were there other rocky times for the Trust?

I remember only by hearsay that Eli Wallach was the CEO of the American Chess Foundation which I believe still exists and runs Chess-In Schools.- I was many years later told that Wallach was worried that the loss of the Chess Trust exemption might spread to other chess charities. I rejected the idea of liquidation of the Trust, as I felt that the USCF members had to have their own charitable organization. I knew nobody on the USCF board, but turned them down on their vote to liquidate, claiming tax liability problems of the Trustees. Mark you, we had a corpus of only $50,000.

The Board later appointed a young Boston lawyer named Phil Coolidge to report back to them. He reported favorably for the Trust and I applied to the IRS to get the exemption back. This application was granted. At one point a lady named Nearing made a substantial legacy in her will for the USCF, but provided that the gift must be tax free. Accordingly the Trust could accept it, and that proved the worth of the Trust. But most members were contributing to the American Chess Foundation especially, because of the great integrity and standing of Fan Adams who founded Chess-In Schools with Bruce Pandolfini, a wonderful program. Unfortunately Fan Adams passed away and the new donors decided that all funds would be used in the New York program, so all these donations by members over the years were lost. So was Cramer’s gift intended, but not expressed, for journalist awards.

However, the Trust hung on and gradually grew. I refer you to the sketchy minutes to determine the early trustees. Al Boczar was a Trustee with Ed Emondson when I went on, I think in 1977, but both resigned. I am not sure of the other early trustees. Phil Coolidge was a trustee by 1980. The 1982 Minutes show the trustees to be Coolidge, George Cunningham and myself. George was a rock of Gilbraltar, a Professor at the U. of Maine (and incidntally had been principal of Rockport high school next to Rockland, Maine). George served until his death in 1983. Coolidge left the Board in 1985. In that year C. Norman Peacor had come on the Board. Alfred Hansen went on but soon left in 1986. Lee Hyder (an atomic scientist) was a Trustee by 1987, and served until just before his death. Steve Doyle came on in 1989. Gradually other Trustees came on thereafter and made substantial contributions. I will not try to name them all. I would also say that the Executive Directors, Gerry Dullea, Martin Morrison and their successors saw the value of the Trust. We were able to get things done through Barbara De Maro, who had, I believe in the beginning, a part time job with the USCF. I found her very reliable, and worked with her for a good ten years without ever meeting her. She never failed to carry out our wishes. The Trust did grow. We gambled by purchasing the Hall of Fame, moved it to Washington, from whence it moved to Florida. A big advance was getting approval of the CFC. We also received a number of legacies, which fell out of the sky. At various low points, a number of Trustees urged me to merge the Trust with the American Chess Foundation. I considered that seriously but always decided that it would result in loss of membership representation.

C. T. How has the Trust made an impact over the years?

H. D. I think that the Trust has emerged as the charitable source of the USCF, and we channel quite a bit of money for these purposes. The members know that no Trustee profits from the Trust. We have a corpus of about $500,000, not large, but it is possible that this money could have been lost, if it had been contributed to the USCF. The existing Trustees cut off from the USCF for fear of USCF bankruptcy, but, not speaking for other Trustees, I feel the main purpose of the Trust is to carry out USCF charitable activities. I feel, however, that the corpus is still too small. I often scratch my head as to how to improve it. Presently nearly all of the donations are used for current charitable purposes and overhead. I hope that the new Web site will help. I feel that we need to add millionaires, who have a passion for chess to the Trust Board, and we should have a program of soliciting them, either for additions to the Board or to replace present members, including myself. Some trustees contribute no money at all. However, I have been hesitant to alienate members of the Board. One good thing about the Board is that it is managed honestly and there is little or no rancor among Trustees, though often there is disagreement.

C.T. What has been your greatest frustration regarding the Trust? If there was one thing you could change, now or in the past, what would that be?

H. D. One problem was the firing of Barbara De Maro by the USCF in order to cut costs. It actually put us virtually out of business for a year, but we subsequently hired her and she takes care of the myriad details. They are very time consuming. We also spent a lot of money on the Hall of Fame. I do not regret this as it is a fine institution, but we cannot put up any more money. Consider that we are small compared to the America’s Foundation for Chess, which is the Seattle group, and Chess in Schools. We have not enough funds to sponsor school programs. As I have said we need to locate large philanthropists to come on our Board and sorely need to solicit them. We will grow some from legacies, but what makes the other Seattle and New York charities effective are the major donors. Another thing that worries me greatly is the financial condition of the USCF. We rely on the members for charitable contributions. The lack of harmony in USCF politics has been disastrous, and the present law suit must be crippling.  Possibly the USCF was overcome because of the presence of the Internet. I have thought a lot about how the USCF might be saved, but I have not come up with any answers. One possibility is that it might become a 501 (c)(3) organization, though the IRS rejected its application in the 70’s. If it were, it would be competitive with the Trust, and I have opposed such a situation. Also, the USCF might have trouble getting donors. . I have thought that we might identify various charitable programs that the USCF pays for and try a special money raising program for these projects, thus helping the USCF cash problems. Perhaps such a program is completely impracticable.

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2008 U.S. Junior Cadet & Closed Championships

Tyler Hughes Wins 2008 U.S. Junior Closed Championship

National Chess Championships Conclude in Lindsborg

Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess in Lindsborg, Kansas – Twelve of America’s top young players, under 19, competed for the titles of U.S. Junior Chess Champion and U.S. Cadet Chess Champion.

Seven of the twelve players under age 16 competed in the five-day event for the coveted title of U.S. Cadet Chess Champion. The other five older players, ages 16 to 19, competed for the U.S. Junior Champion title.

Conrad Holt, 14, Wichita, Kansas, won the seven-round Cadet tournament that is sanctioned by the United States Chess Federation.

Tyler B. Hughes, 17, Wheat Ridge, Colorado won the U.S. Junior Chess Champion crown. Hughes won the title and the right to represent the United States in the upcoming World Junior Chess Championships which will be held on August 2-16 in Gaziantep, Turkey.

The U.S. Junior and Cadet Championships were jointly sponsored by the U.S. Chess Federation, the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess, and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Junior & Cadet Players: Daniel Yeager, Horsham, PA; Edward Lu, Annandale, VA; Tyler Hughes, Wheat Ridge, CO; Greg Young, San Francisco, CA; Karpov Director Tom Brownscombe; Deepak Aaron, Greenville, NY; Alex Markovits, Cincinnati, OH; Andrew Shvartsman, Medford, NJ; Asst. TD Ron Pasik; Patrick Tae, Oakridge, TN; Conrad Holt, Wichita, KS (Not All Players Shown)

Those competing with Tyler Hughes in the 16 to 19 year-old group were Gregory Young, San Francisco, California; Daniel Yeager, Horsham, Pennsylvania; Edward J. Lu, Annandale, Virginia; and Bradley Sawyer, Spring, Texas.

2008 Cadet — Final Standings

No. – Name – St – Rate - Score

1. Holt, Conrad……………… KS , 2109 , 6.0
2. Yang, Darwin……………… TX , 2227,   5.5
3. Aaron, Deepak…………….. NY , 2068 ,  4.5
4. Shvartsman, Andrew………. NJ,  2101 ,  4.0
5. Markovits, Alex…………. .. OH , 2099 ,  3.0
6. Tuhrim, Richard………… … NY , 2094 ,  3.0
7. Tae, Patrick John……… . TN , 2180 ,  2.0

2008 U.S. Junior Closed — Final Standings

No. , Name , St , Rate , Final Score

1. Hughes, Tyler B…………… CO , 2267,  5.5
2. Young, Gregory……………. CA , 2213 ,  5.5
3. Yeager, Daniel A………….. PA,  2363 , 4.5
4. Lu, Edward J……………… VA , 2213,  3.5
5. Sawyer, Bradley J…………. TX , 2170 , 2.0

Congratulations to all the players !

A Special Thanks to the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess Director FM Tom Brownscombe and Irwin Fisk for providing us with this information and event coverage !

For more on this event Click Here To Visit the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess Website

10 Year Old Claudia Muñoz Seeking International Chess Title

10-year-old Seeking International Chess Title

By Claudia Hill , Del Rio News-Herald , Published June 20, 2008

10-year-old Claudia Muñoz will be representing the United States in the upcoming Pan-American Youth Festival International Championship Chess tournament in Argentina next week.

Competing against talented chess players from dozens of other countries has Muñoz a little worried, although she believes she can bring home another gold medal to add to her existing collection.

Winner of several gold and bronze medals at a national level throughout Mexico and the U.S., Muñoz first began to play chess at the age of six when her father, a chess coach, taught her the game.

At the present time, Muñoz has already been offered college scholarships due to the success she has obtained throughout her chess career.

Muñoz is thrilled to be traveling to Cordoba, Argentina where she will be competing for nine days in the tournament.

The Pan-American Youth Festival International Chess tournament begins June 29 and continues through July 6.

The tournament, a part of the Confederation of Chess for America, will enable Muñoz to compete in her respective category based on gender and age.

The rewards of winning such a prestigious tournament are very valuable, according to Muñoz.

“If I win first place at this tournament, I will receive the ‘Woman FIDE Master’ title,” said young Muñoz. “Also, I will automatically be given the opportunity to compete in the upcoming world-level chess tournament in Vietnam,” she added.

Throughout the month, Muñoz has been preparing to make the journey to Argentina with her mother Claudia, and the community has helped make it possible.

“I have received contributions from Wal-Mart, Ashley Furniture and the 10-minute Oil Change,” said Muñoz.

“I am very excited that the community is supportive of my dreams,” she added.

What caught the heart of Muñoz and her entire family is when Florencio Abrajan, owner of Abrajan’s Mexican Restaurant, decided to help in a large way.

For weeks, Abrajan collected tips and sold burritos specifically to benefit Muñoz’s upcoming trip to Argentina.

“My wife heard about little Claudia Muñoz at Wal-Mart and came home and told me about her upcoming trip to Argentina to play in such a big tournament,” said Abrajan. “I knew I wanted to help. It’s so great to see children do these kinds of things at a young age,” he added.

On Thursday evening, Muñoz, along with her mother and sister, met Abrajan at Abrajan’s Mexican Restaurant, where she was given a monetary contribution collected by the restaurant to assist with her trip.

“I feel very excited because I know God will help me win,” said Muñoz.

For more information on Claudia Muñoz and her journey to Argentina, you may log on to womancandidatemaster.blogspot.com/

Los mejores deseos para Claudia! Best wishes for Claudia!

New Haven Chess Festival (Sunday June 22nd 1-5pm)

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Socrates

Achievement First, CT State Chess Association Proudly Present the New Haven Chess Fest !

When? Sunday June 22nd 1-5pm on the New Haven Green as part of the New Haven Festival of Arts & Ideas.

Simultaneous Exhibition, Speed Chess, Prizes, Puzzles, Much More!

Click Here for the Festivals Flier – New Haven Chess Festival

WonderBoy Magnus Carlsen’s Climb to the Top

Magnus Carlsen at 17 years of age, is rapidly climbing to the top of the FIDE list.

It would not be unrealistic to predict that by age 20, Carlsen may became the youngest World Champion ever.  In the coming years, we will be hearing much more about this young player’s accomplishments and his climb to the top.

Incidentally, GM Simen Agdestein who coached Magnus at the Norwegian High School for Top Athletes wrote the book – Wonderboy: How Magnus Carlsen Became the Youngest Chess Grandmaster in the World

(FIDE.com) – When news broke of the FIDE Grand Prix Series, who could have guessed that wonderboy Magnus Carlsen (17) from Norway would be seeded first? To be honest, we should call him neither wonderboy nor super talent by now, since Carlsen simply belongs to the world elite now, occupying a splendid 5th spot on the April 2008 FIDE rating list.

Magnus Carlsen was born on November 30, 1990 in Tønsberg, Norway. He was coached at the Norwegian high school for top athletes (by the GM Simen Agdestein), which he still visits regularly.

The result that brought him to the attention of the international chess world was his victory in the C group at the Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in 2004 – his first GM norm. Only three months later Carlsen became an international Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 4 months and 27 days, the third youngest GM in history.

In May-June 2007, Carlsen participated in the Candidates Tournament to qualify for the FIDE World Championship Tournament in September in Mexico. Carlsen drew his match with top seed Levon Aronian and after the 4-game rapid playoff was drawn as well, Aronian won both tiebreaker (blitz) games.

In December last year, Carlsen reached the semi-finals of the World Cup tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia), being eliminated by the eventual winner Gata Kamsky.

Carlsen’s results in 2008 have been excellent, winning the Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee together with Levon Aronian, finishing second in Linares, winning Baku (FIDE Grand Prix) together with Gashimov, Wang Yue.

Carlsen is a modest and calm young man, known for using his tournament rest days playing tennis, football or squash. His playing style has matured rapidly. He readily combines sharp attacks with difficult endings, resulting from a wide range of openings.

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For Teachers and Coaches: A Beginners Guide to Coaching Scholastic Chess

A Beginners Guide to Coaching Scholastic Chess by Ralph Bowman

Foreword

I started playing tournament Chess in 1962.  I became an educator and began coaching Scholastic Chess in 1970.  I became a tournament director and organizer in 1982. In 1987 I was appointed to the USCF Scholastic Committee and have served each year since, for seven of those years I served as chairperson or co-chairperson.

With that experience I have had many beginning coaches/parents approach me with questions about coaching this wonderful game. What is contained in this book is a compilation of the answers to those questions.

This book is designed with three types of persons in mind:

1) a teacher who has been asked to sponsor a Chess team, 2) parents who want to start a team at the school
for their child and his/her friends, and 3) a Chess player who wants to help a local school but has no experience in either Scholastic Chess or working with schools.

Much of the book is composed of handouts I have given to students and coaches over the years.

To Read the Complete Guide Book Click Here A Beginners Guide to Coaching Scholastic Chess (Ralph Bowman author)

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Reminder: The XIX Pan American Youth Festival is Coming Up ! (June 29 – July 6, 2008)

XIX Pan American Youth Festival 2008
Villa Carlos Paz, Provincia de Córdoba – Argentina
June 29 – July 6, 2008

The Confederation of Chess for America (CCA), the Federación Argentina de Ajedrez and the Asociación de Ajedrez de la Provincia de Córdoba are pleased to invite all National Federations of the Americas to the XIX Pan American Youth Festival 2008.

This event will be held in the touristic city of, Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba, located in the central region of the Republic of Argentina: from June 29 to July 6, 2008.

The Pan American Youth Festival is a great event that exposes young players to international competitions.

Later this week, we will be running an update with the name of the players representing the United States as well as additional information regarding this event. Stay tuned!

In this blog, I am enclosing the Letter of Invitation from the organizers of the events which has been translated to English.

If you have any further questions, after reading the official documents, please feel free to make a comment on this blog or send me an e-mail at BMarinello@uschesstrust.org .

By the way, you should know that in June and July its winter time in South America. However, the winters are very mild, dropping in temperature in the evenings.

Click Here XIX Pan American Youth Festival 2008 Letter of Invitation for complete details.

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