Details of Charles Kalme's death in Latvia
Miriling
In the just released April 2003 issue of Chess Life (page 64), IM Anthony Saidy
reports on the passing of Charles Kalme and wrote that he died last year in
Latvia, but details are unknown.
As far as I have been able to learn, Kalme died on March 20, 2002. It has taken
Chess Life nearly a year to report his death.
Saidy's tribute to him contains a couple of errors. He writes that Kalme won
the U.S. Junior title twice, in 1954 and 1955. First of all, the event was the
U.S. Junior Open, not the U.S. Junior Championship. [The U.S. Junior
Championship did not come about until 1966.] Kalme won the 10th Junior Open
title in 1955 in Lincoln, Nebraska, but he did not win it the previous year.
The 9th U.S. Open Junior title winner was Ross E. Siemms, a native of Toronto,
Ontario, Canada, who won the title in 1954 in Long Beach, California. The
King's Indian Defense game given between James Cross and Kalme was not played
in the 1959 U.S. Championship. Does anybody know in what event that was? Cross,
by the way, won the 1950 U.S. Junior Open Championship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
As Saidy writes, Kalme tied for first place in the North Central Open in 1957,
in which he defeated 14-year-old Bobby Fischer, the country's top player. For
the record, that tournament was a 7-round Swiss played Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in
Milwaukee, where Kalme defeated Fischer in the fifth round. Kalme tied for
first at 6-1 with Stephan A. Popel. Fischer tied for 6th place at 5-2. Here's
Fischer's loss to Kalme:
Kalme-Fischer
King's Indian Defense
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. 0-0 0-0 5. d4 d6 6. c4 Nc6 7. d5 Na5 8. Nfd2
c5 9. Qc2 a6 10. Nc3 Rb8 11. b3 b5 12. Bb2 e6 13. dxe6 Bxe6 14. cxb5 axb5 15.
Nce4 Bf5 16. Rfd1 Nc6 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Ne4 Bxe4 19. Bxe4 Nd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4
21. Rac1 Rb6 22. Qd3 Qe7 23. e3 Be5 24. h4 Qa7 25. Rc2 b4 26. Bd5 Ra6 27. h5
Kg7 28. f4 Bf6 29. Rdd2 Re8 30. Bc4 Rb6 31. g4 Qe7 32. g5 Bc3 33. Re2 Qe4 34.
h6+ Kf8 35. Qxe4 Rxe4 36. a4 Rxc4?! 37. bxc4 Bh8 38. Kf2 b3 39. Rc1 d5 40. cxd5
c4 41. Rxc4 b2 42. Re1 b1=Q 43. Rxb1 Rxb1 44. Rc8+ Ke7 45. Rxh8 (1-0)
Fischer got his revenge the following year, when he defeated Kalme in the
second round of the 11th U.S. Championship in December 1958 in New York City.
The two played again in the third round of the 13th U.S. Championship in New
York City on Dec. 20, 1960. That game ended in a 27-move draw.
Kalme, a mathematician, was the one who wrote a lengthy article in the November
1975 issue of Chess Life & Review, providing mathematical proof that Fischer's
conditions for a 1975 title match (against Karpov) gave the challenger a better
break than the old system of a fixed 24-game match. Kalme agreed that champions
deserve an edge and that "after a long struggle the outcome of a single game is
irrelevant in determining the better player."
Once again, any details of Charles Kalme's death last year in Latvia would be
greatly appreciated by this writer.
George Mirijanian
P.S. For the record, Charles Ivars Kalme was born on Nov. 15, 1939.
Sam Sloan
>Saidy's tribute to him contains a couple of errors. He writes that Kalme won
>the U.S. Junior title twice, in 1954 and 1955. First of all, the event was the
>U.S. Junior Open, not the U.S. Junior Championship. [The U.S. Junior
>Championship did not come about until 1966.]
You are mistaken. The tournament Kalme won was the 1955 US Junior
Championship. Bobby Fischer won the US Junior Championship in 1956 and
1957.
In 1966, the tournament which had previously been called the US Junior
Championship was renamed the US Junior Open.
By the way, I played in the US Junior Championship in 1958, 1963 and
1964.
Sam Sloan
Miriling
>From: sl...@ishipress.com (Sam Sloan)
>Date: 3/7/03 11:56 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <3e697650...@ca.news.verio.net>
According to the late Kennth Harkness, When the invitational U.S. Junior
Championship was inaugurated in 1966. The older annual contest, known as the
U.S. Junior Championship, was renamed the U.S. Junior Open Championship.
Knowing you, Sam, you were probably at the first U.S. Junior Championship, held
June 20-26, 1966, at the Henry Hudson Hotel in New York. There were eight
players. They contested a round robin. Walter Browne, at the time 17 years old
and a senior at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn [Fischer's school, which he
quit]], won the championship with a score of 5-2.
Do you remember, Sam, how Browne had to come from behind to win the title? He
failed to show up for the second round against Jeff Harris of Philadelphia and
was forfeited. Then in the fourth round he lost to Robert Wachtel of New
Jersey. Only by winning his last three games was Walter able to take the title.
You're right that the event Fischer won in 1956 was called the U.S. Junior
Championship, but, as stated above, it was renamed, according to Harkness, so
that Fischer is listed as the U.S. Junior Open champion for that year in
reference books. That was a 10-round Swiss with 28 players.
The question is whether Harkness, a former USCF business manager and rating
statistician, is correct about the renaming of the U.S. Junior championship
events in 1966.
George Mirijanian
>
>
Miriling
>Date: 3/8/03 12:33 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <20030308003307...@mb-fg.aol.com>
1956 and 1957 U.S. Junior Open.
Browne is listed as the winner of the first U.S. Junior Invitational in 1966.
Do you see how history is rewritten?
What started out as the U.S. Junior Championship in Chicago in 1946 gets
renamed in 1966, because the USCF wanted to inaugurate a new invitational
junior event, which was held in cooperation with the Piatigorsky Foundation.
George Mirijanian
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Miriling
well-known players of Latvian heritage. Both were born in Riga and both died in
their early 60s.
Edmar John Mednis, born March 22, 1937; died Feb. 13, 2002
Charles Ivars Kalme, born Nov. 15, 1939; died March 20, 2002
Another great Latvian who died young was Mikhail Tal (Nov. 9, 1936-June 28,
1992).
Is there something about those who grew up in Riga that tends to make them die
young?
George Mirijanian
Miriling
>Message-id: <20030308010753...@mb-fg.aol.com>
native of Riga, who died in his early 60s in Berlin, Germany.
>
>All four were born in the 1930s.
Is there a connection?
George Mirijanian
>
>
>
>
Miriling
>Message-id: <20030308012057...@mb-fg.aol.com>
>>
>>I almost forgot about Aivars Giplis (Feb. 8, 1937-April 13, 2000), another
>native of Riga, who died in his early 60s in Berlin, Germany.
Oops! The name is spelled Gipslis.
michael adams
> Edmar John Mednis, born March 22, 1937; died Feb. 13, 2002
>
> Charles Ivars Kalme, born Nov. 15, 1939; died March 20, 2002
>
> Another great Latvian who died young was Mikhail Tal (Nov. 9, 1936-June 28,
> 1992).
>
> Is there something about those who grew up in Riga that tends to make them die
> young?
I doubt it, beetroot soup HAS to be good for you, who was it said - the
good die young - My friend Peter's father died here last year, he was
90+ and came from Latvia, during the last big war, he was proud to wear
the black shirt with attached swastika, sheesh.....hth..
King Leopold
Ken Blake
> Saidy's tribute to him contains a couple of errors. He writes
that
> Kalme won the U.S. Junior title twice, in 1954 and 1955. First
of
> all, the event was the U.S. Junior Open, not the U.S. Junior
> Championship. [The U.S. Junior Championship did not come about
until
> 1966.]
No, this isn't correct. There was no tournament called the U.S.
Junior Open in those years. The event was called the U.S. Junior
Championship. I played in it in 1956, and remember it well.
--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup
Mark Houlsby
George
With respect, this seems to be a most unreasonable question to put to Sam.
Almost without fail, Sam goes to *considerable* lengths to *ensure* that he
has his facts *utterly wrong*.
Quite often, he'll even deny it, afterwards...
Best
Mark
Miriling
>Date: 3/8/03 11:11 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <v6k5hco...@corp.supernews.com>
You are absolutely correct. There was no tournament called the U.S. Junior Open
in those years. BUT the USCF changed the name of those events when the first
U.S. Junior Invitational was inaugurated in 1966. All the U.S. Junior
Championships from 1946 in Chicago through 1966 in Minneapolis were changed to
U.S. Junior Opens.
When you played in 1956 in Philadelphia, where Fischer won with 8.5-1.5, how
did you finish in the field of 28 players? Didn't you play Fischer in the 9th
round? Didn't you resign prematurely against him?
George Mirijanian
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Ken Blake
>> Subject: Re: Details of Charles Kalme's death in Latvia
>> From: "Ken Blake" kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com
>> Date: 3/8/03 11:11 AM Eastern Standard Time
>> Message-id: v6k5hco...@corp.supernews.com
>> No, this isn't correct. There was no tournament called the
U.S.
>> Junior Open in those years. The event was called the U.S.
Junior
>> Championship. I played in it in 1956, and remember it well.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake
>
>
> You are absolutely correct. There was no tournament called the
U.S.
> Junior Open in those years. BUT the USCF changed the name of
those
> events when the first U.S. Junior Invitational was inaugurated
in
> 1966. All the U.S. Junior Championships from 1946 in Chicago
through
> 1966 in Minneapolis were changed to U.S. Junior Opens.
So I've sunsequently read in other messages posted here since
mine. I question somebody's ability to retroactively change the
name of something, but so be it.
> When you played in 1956 in Philadelphia, where Fischer won with
> 8.5-1.5, how did you finish in the field of 28 players?
Tied for fifth with Sandy Greene; sixth using tiebreaking.
> Didn't you
> play Fischer in the 9th round? Didn't you resign prematurely
against
> him?
Yup! Indeed I did. He played ...Ng4 threatening Nf2 mate and also
Bxg5. In a state of blindness I overlooked the move h4 defending
both threats.
I reached across across the table, extended my hand, and said
"OK, Bobby." He stood up to his full four feet (or so) height (he
was a short kid) and screamed "WHAT?"
That position is indelibly engraved on my mind. If I had played
h4 and gone on to win, or even draw, that game, I might possibly
have even won the tournament (a slim possibility, but not a zero
one).
Miriling
>From: "Ken Blake" kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com
>Date: 3/8/03 4:56 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <v6kpnqs...@corp.supernews.com>
>
>In 20030308154054...@mb-fg.aol.com, Miriling wrote:
>
>>> Subject: Re: Details of Charles Kalme's death in Latvia
>>> From: "Ken Blake" kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com
>>> Date: 3/8/03 11:11 AM Eastern Standard Time
>>> Message-id: v6k5hco...@corp.supernews.com
>
>>> No, this isn't correct. There was no tournament called the U.S. Junior Open
in those years. The event was called the U.S.
Junior Championship. I played in it in 1956, and remember it well.
>>> Ken Blake
>>
>>
>> You are absolutely correct. There was no tournament called the U.S. Junior
Open in those years. BUT the USCF changed the name of those events when the
first U.S. Junior Invitational was inaugurated
in 1966. All the U.S. Junior Championships from 1946 in Chicago through 1966
in Minneapolis were changed to U.S. Junior Opens.
>
>
>So I've subsequently read in other messages posted here since
>mine. I question somebody's ability to retroactively change the
>name of something, but so be it.
>
>
>> When you played in 1956 in Philadelphia, where Fischer won with
>> 8.5-1.5, how did you finish in the field of 28 players?
>
>
>Tied for fifth with Sandy Greene; sixth using tiebreaking.
>
>
>> Didn't you
>> play Fischer in the 9th round? Didn't you resign prematurely
>against
>> him?
>
>
>Yup! Indeed I did. He played ...Ng4 threatening Nf2 mate and also
>Bxg5. In a state of blindness I overlooked the move h4 defending
>both threats.
>
>I reached across across the table, extended my hand, and said
>"OK, Bobby." He stood up to his full four feet (or so) height (he
>was a short kid) and screamed "WHAT?"
>
>That position is indelibly engraved on my mind. If I had played
>h4 and gone on to win, or even draw, that game, I might possibly
>have even won the tournament (a slim possibility, but not a zero
>one).
>
>Ken Blake
Ken, thanks for the account of your 9th-round encounter with Fischer. For those
on this newsgroup not familiar with that game, played on July 6, 1956, here it
is:
Ken Blake-Robert Fischer
Sicilian Defense
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8.
0-0 0-0 9. f4 a5 10. a4 Be6 11. f5 Bxb3 12. cxb3 Nb4 13. Bg5 Re8 14. Bf3 Qb6+
15. Kh1 Rac8 16. Rg1 Qf2 17. Qe2 Qxe2 18. Bxe2 Nc2 19. Rac1 Nd4 20. Bc4 Ng4
(0-1)
>
>
>You said you tied for fifth with Sandy Greene; sixth, using tiebreaking
(points). But I thought that George Baylor and ? Levine tied for 5th-6th at
6-4.
I know that Charles Henin and Arthur Feuerstein tied for 2nd-3rd with 8-2 and
Sidney Geller took clear fourth with 7-3.
Do you remember who else, besides Charles Weldon, William Whisler, Carl
Grossguth, Steven Friedman and David Kerman, played?
George Mirijanian
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Ken Blake
news:20030308215420...@mb-bj.aol.com...
> Ken, thanks for the account of your 9th-round encounter with
Fischer. For those
> on this newsgroup not familiar with that game, played on July
6, 1956, here it
> is:
You're welcome. I'm not sure why anyone here would be familiar
with it, nor why anyone might be interested, but I don't mind
your posting it.
>You said you tied for fifth with Sandy Greene; sixth, using
tiebreaking
> (points). But I thought that George Baylor and ? Levine tied
for 5th-6th at
> 6-4.
No, I'm sure I was Greene and me. I can't remember the score for
sure, but 6-4 sounds about right. I remember losing to Henin and
Fischer and drawing with Feuerstein, Greene, and two others.
I barely remember the name Baylor, and don't remember a Levine at
all.
> I know that Charles Henin and Arthur Feuerstein tied for
> 2nd-3rd with 8-2 and
Yes, they were 2-3, although I don't remember the score.
> Sidney Geller took clear fourth with 7-3.
Another name I barely remember.
> Do you remember who else, besides Charles Weldon, William
Whisler, Carl
> Grossguth, Steven Friedman and David Kerman, played?
Sorry, no. I don't even remember any those names except for
Whisler, and I barely remember that one--we must have played.
Where do you get your information about this? My records
(scoresheets, etc.) are all long gone, and I have nothing left
but my memory.
Miriling
>From: "Ken Blake" kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com
>Message-id: <v6mp894...@corp.supernews.com>
Information about the 1956 U.S. Junior Championship in Philadelphia can be
found in several books, including
(1) "Bobby Fischer's Chess Games," edited by Robert G. Wade and Kevin J.
O'Connell
(2) "Bobby Fischer: Complete Games of the American World Chess Champion"
In Hays book, Baylor and Levine are listed as tying for 5th-6th place with 6-4.
You and Sandy Greene are not listed at all.
Between the two books, I could only come up with 13 of the 28 participants.
Is the Sandy Greene you mention the same Sanford I. Greene, a USCF life member
in New York?
George W. Baylor is a USCF life member in Canada. I still do not know the first
name of Levine.
I wonder if Sidney Geller is the same Sidney Geller who lives in Massachusetts.
Charles Weldon died in August 1993.
William Whisler is a expired USCF member, last living in California.
David Kerman is a USCF life member living in California.
Arthur Feuerstein is still in New Jersey and I don't know the status of Charles
Henin, Carl Grossgruth and Steven Friedman.
I don't know the names of the 15 other players in the tournament.
Do you whether the USCF printed a crosstable of the event in Chess Life, which
back then was a newspaper?
>
>George Mirijanian
>
>
>
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>
>
Ken Blake
> In Hays book, Baylor and Levine are listed as tying for 5th-6th
> place with 6-4. You and Sandy Greene are not listed at all.
My memory is very clear about this. I can assure you that Hays is
wrong.
> Between the two books, I could only come up with 13 of the 28
participants.
> Is the Sandy Greene you mention the same Sanford I. Greene, a
USCF life member
> in New York?
He was a New Yorker and his name was Sanford. I never knew his
middle initial, and I haven't seen him in at least 25 years.
Whether he's the same Greene or not, I can't say for sure, but I
would guess so.
What's his current rating?
> George W. Baylor is a USCF life member in Canada. I still do
not know the first
> name of Levine.
> I wonder if Sidney Geller is the same Sidney Geller who lives
in Massachusetts.
> Charles Weldon died in August 1993.
> William Whisler is a expired USCF member, last living in
California.
My USCF membership has expired too, but I'd prefer not to be
called an "expired USCF member." ;-)
> David Kerman is a USCF life member living in California.
> Arthur Feuerstein is still in New Jersey and I don't know the
status of Charles
> Henin, Carl Grossgruth and Steven Friedman.
The only one of those people I've had any contact with over the
years is Feuerstein--and not a lot of that--it's been at least 12
years since I've seen him.
> I don't know the names of the 15 other players in the
tournament.
> Do you whether the USCF printed a crosstable of the event in
Chess Life, which
> back then was a newspaper?
Sorry, I don't remember. But let me know if you find out.
Robert Musicant
"Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:v6kpnqs...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> I reached across across the table, extended my hand, and said
> "OK, Bobby." He stood up to his full four feet (or so) height (he
> was a short kid) and screamed "WHAT?"
On the printed screen, the precise shade of Fischer's meaning is difficult
to determine. Did you take this to mean that he thought you were trying to
offer a draw, that he thought you were nuts for resigning in a playable
position, or something else?
Bob Musicant
Norwalk CT
Miriling
>From: "Ken Blake" kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com
>Message-id: <v6ntm99...@corp.supernews.com>
>
>"Miriling" <miri...@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:20030309205128...@mb-cd.aol.com...
>
>
>> In Hays book, Baylor and Levine are listed as tying for 5th-6th
>> place with 6-4. You and Sandy Greene are not listed at all.
>
>
>My memory is very clear about this. I can assure you that Hays is
>wrong.
>
>
>> Between the two books, I could only come up with 13 of the 28
>participants.
>> Is the Sandy Greene you mention the same Sanford I. Greene, a
>USCF life member
>> in New York?
>
>
>He was a New Yorker and his name was Sanford. I never knew his
>middle initial, and I haven't seen him in at least 25 years.
>Whether he's the same Greene or not, I can't say for sure, but I
>would guess so.
>
>What's his current rating?
[snip]
>Ken Blake
>
>Sanford I. Greene's last-published rating (from the June 1997 list) is 2112.
He had a quick rating of 2154 based on 15 games.
I would expect that the USCF would have in its archives a crosstable of the
1956 U.S. Junior Championship.
I don't know how Lou Hays got information about Baylor and Levine tying for
5th-6th place in that event, when you say that you and Greene tied for that
position.
George Mirijanian
>
>
>
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>
>
Robert Musicant
"Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:v6kpnqs...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> I reached across across the table, extended my hand, and said
> "OK, Bobby." He stood up to his full four feet (or so) height (he
> was a short kid) and screamed "WHAT?"
"Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:v6kpnqs...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> I reached across across the table, extended my hand, and said
> "OK, Bobby." He stood up to his full four feet (or so) height (he
> was a short kid) and screamed "WHAT?"
On the printed screen, the precise shade of Fischer's meaning is difficult
David Ames
Alex Dunne and David Ames each played in the 1956 U.S. Junior
Championship in Philadelphia in 1956. David Ames recollects the names
of Quimby and Wilkinson among his opponents. David Ames played
against Fischer in the 1955 U.S. Junior Championship in Lincoln,
Nebraska in 1955. David Ames has a box of old Chess Life issues,
probably including the tournament announcements and the tournament
crosstables. If David Ames were a betting man, he would probably bet
five dollars that the tournaments were announced and reported as "U.S.
Junior Chess Championship." Referring to them as "U.S. Junior Open
Chess Championship" is the sort of dishonest revisionist history
practiced in George Orwell's novel _1984_. Similarly, the renumbering
of U.S. Correspondence Chess Championships so that the first one began
the series under ICCF-US control. I have always felt that CCLA made a
bad move when ceding that name event to ICCF-US; that CCLA should only
have licensed the event instead. For a substantive reason (instead of
a feeling) one may read the recent book on the history of
correspondence chess in America.
David Ames
Ken Blake
Musicant wrote:
Sorry for the confusion. No, he understood (correctly) that I was
resigning. He couldn't believe that I missed the obvious saving
move h4.
I couldn't believe it either, after he pointed it out.
Ken Blake
wrote:
> "Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in
message
> news:<v6mp894...@corp.supernews.com>...
>> Where do you get your information about this? My records
>> (scoresheets, etc.) are all long gone, and I have nothing left
>> but my memory.
>
> Alex Dunne and David Ames each played in the 1956 U.S. Junior
> Championship in Philadelphia in 1956.
I don't remember them at all. How did they do?
> David Ames recollects the names
> of Quimby and Wilkinson among his opponents. David Ames played
> against Fischer in the 1955 U.S. Junior Championship in
Lincoln,
> Nebraska in 1955. David Ames has a box of old Chess Life
issues,
> probably including the tournament announcements and the
tournament
> crosstables. If David Ames were a betting man, he would
probably bet
> five dollars that the tournaments were announced and reported
as "U.S.
> Junior Chess Championship."
As a participant in the 1956 event, I can personally guarantee
that that's correct.
> Referring to them as "U.S. Junior Open
> Chess Championship" is the sort of dishonest revisionist
history
> practiced in George Orwell's novel _1984_.
Yes, that was the point I was trying to make (slightly more
gently) when I said earlier in this thread, "So I've sunsequently
read in other messages posted here since mine. I question
somebody's ability to retroactively change the name of something,
but so be it."
--
alex.dunne
next to last, I forget. 27th and 28th, I believe.
Pax, Alex Dunne
"Ken Blake" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:v6mp894...@corp.supernews.com...