MEMORIES OF PAUL'S CHESS STUDIO IN HARTFORD by Jamie Chastain
Hi Rob - Paul Glidewell could not have managed the place without his friend Betty Moulton who helped him many years. Great cook, great lady. I lived upstairs. Paul had family in Italy (he married into some sort of royal family during WWII) he visited for about a month each year. He was fully fluent in Italian, many phone calls to Italy. He needed dependable summer help so he hired me. I stayed about a year and a half, great times. Then I returned to Florida. He only and would needle and taunt you nonstop. Never rated, I'd say he was about 2100 or so. When he crushed you he loved to say "Chess is a thinking game!" then laugh like crazy. He always smoked a pipe while playing, and he was constantly shredding cigars for his pipe. The table and the board were literally covered with pieces of cigar leaf, a huge mess and a shrewd distraction. LOL We had gambling in the back with backgammon, a lot of money changed hands there, but we never played. After closing at 11 we often played cards upstairs, and we'd get robbed about every 3 months, we only left pennies downstairs and no thieves wanted chess or backgammon sets, so no big deal except fixing the door. You could hear the door crack open with a crowbar, and we would grin and just keep playing cards, strange feeling for me. Mental patients played chess while institutionalized, and when released the hospitals would give them our address, they'd show up and play like kings for a week or so, then quit their meds and we had a few bizarre situations, though nothing dangerous. Tourneys every Friday night, usually two dozen folks or so, sometimes a NY master might stop in and play. Also 8-man tourneys on Saturdays as well, events run by Nick Stevens, the Hartford Chess Club president. Sometimes Dr. Joseph Platz would stop by and play, a very nice man, very popular. 2 blocks away was a large center for Jews escaping Russia, new arrivals would come by, strong players, until they found jobs and got settled. He briefly let Philip Frenkel and his wife Vera help out, Vera arrived and learned she was the third ranked woman in the U.S., Philip had been a chess instructor in Russia. So many good friends up there. We paired up customers, but if there was an extra I had to play them, and get my brains beat out by some expert while I prayed for another player to arrive. Ha! I often played 50 games of speed in a day. Yes, Paul was a truly good man and a great role model for me. What fun we had there ! Great hearing from you! Wonderful memories of those days. Best, Jamie
Dear Jamie, I also have many fond memories of Paul's Game Store and Studio which I visited at least a dozen times, for both chess and backgammon.
Paul always allowed us to put a stack of Connecticut Chess Newsletters on the counter. I was running tournaments in Waterbury back then.
I am asking all CCM readers to share their memories of Paul's. - Rob Roy
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There was also plenty of soda, water, and other beverages, which were made available to everyone for the entire day. In the words of prominent Chef Emeril Lagasse, these extraordinary chefs “kicked up” the food preparation “to notches unknown to mankind.” I also want to thank Joe Kozlowski, Joseph Mansigian, and Andris Strazdins for purchasing the food the night before the event. Special thanks also go to Roy Beavers, who donated coffee and purchased donuts for the players to enjoy while playing their morning game. In addition to the food crew, the club appreciates the efforts of FM Nelson Castaneda, Doug Fiske, and Robert Fitzpatrick, who assisted the officers with the overall setup and cleanup. Most of the advertising and promotion for the event was through word-of-mouth and e-mail. That is probably why this year’s event attracted so many more players than in previous years, especially from the shoreline and the Simsbury Chess Club directed by member Gert Hilhorst. Thanks to Gert, Derek Meredith, Joe Hricko, and the following state tournament directors (Tom Hartmayer, Rob Roy, and Alan Lasser) for spreading the word to their chess organizations about this event. Thanks also to Randy Shane and Ed Scimia, who drafted the advertising for this event for publication in the July issue of Chess Life. In order to direct a tournament of this size, my team of all-star TDs, Emily Pond and Ed, successfully managed the collection of the entry fees, made the pairings, and were always available in case players had questions or concerns. Thanks also to Randy and Rob, who volunteered to be backup directors. The winners of the first major club tournament with three sections were member and USCF NM Dennis Prawira in the open section, Dustin Hugenin in the Under 1700 section, and member Angel Garcia in the Under 1300 section. Of note, that was Angel’s first win in a major club tournament.
We are only going back three years in our NBCC traveling time machine this time, when FM Nelson Castaneda CREATED, ORGANIZED, AND DIRECTED the FIRST NBCC KNOCKOUT TOURNAMENT. Details follow. I plan on playing this year, so maybe I will float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Just a little historian levity.
The main attraction at the club in July was a new tournament proposed by FM Nelson Castaneda. The format of his unique event was quite simple. In round one, all players would be assigned a number and placed into a knockout bracket. The winners of the first round would advance in the knockout bracket, and the losers would enter a Swiss-system bracket. In case of a draw, a two-game blitz match would have to be played to determine the winner of the match. If the draw persisted after the blitz match, then the person who played with black in the classical game would advance. This format would continue until only two players remained in the knockout bracket. In the final round, Mark Bourque and Nelson Castaneda were the last two men vying for the top spot. Nelson, who also made his debut as tournament director, emerged victorious. Marcus Komons and Doug Fiske, who were knocked out in prior rounds, shared first place in the Swiss-system bracket. This tournament drew a respectable amount of interest, and we thank Nelson for creating the plans for this exciting activity.
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COVENTRY CHESS CLUB - REPORT by Rob Roy
The Coventry Chess Club is still up and running, even
though a prudent business man would shut down operations.
I have worked very hard to get the club to where it is now.
July 13 is our tournament # 40. It's not easy to give
up something you have poured your heart and soul into.
It's been three years, and I want to continue running
these monthly tournaments, but I can no longer afford to
also be the sponsor. I would like the club to build up it's
own savings account, so it can honor guaranteed prizes,
and deal with the unexpected expenses as they come up.
I am a double-victim of the 2008 financial crash, when
the (1) value of my home, and (2) my paycheck,
took a nosedive. My health is poor. I became unable
to work at Age-62, which is at a reduced benefit.
The chess program needs to be tweeked
so I don't spend any more of my personal funds.
Connecticut State Chess Association
