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MatPlus.Net Forum General Obituaries
 
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(1) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Thursday, Nov 29, 2007 10:54]

Obituaries


MV has allowed me to post an obituary about Hubert Bednorz to the forum so here it is.

Hubert Bednorz of Cologne, Germany (born February 4th, 1936) has died recently, on November 2nd, 2007, as I was told by Gerd W. Hörning. Bednorz only very late began composing studies and only a few of them are known (maybe around 10). His wife is in possession of his estate, I was told.

Below you'll find one of his best studies (with Michael Roxlau), it appeared as no. 11813.

(= 6+8 )

Hubert Bednorz and Michael Roxlau
Die Schwalbe, 2003
Dedicated to Dr. Weißauer
2nd commendation

White to move and draw

=====
Solution:
1.cxb4! f3! 2.Kb3 f2 3.Rh1! g2 4.Ka4 f1Q 5.Rxf1 gxf1Q 6.b3 Qc4! 7.bxc4 Kf6! 8.c5 Ke7 9.cxb6 Kd8 10.Ka5! Kc8 11.Ka6 Kb8 12.b7 d4 13.b6 d3 14.b5 d2 15.a4 d1Q 16.a5 g5 stalemate
=====
 
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(2) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 19:13]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [08-01-22]

Sadly, two more composers have died recently. Rainer Staudte told me, that my friend Klaus-Peter Zuncke has died. It is very sad. Zuncke helped me looking for predecessors of my #11 in MatPlus 2007. Also, I called him when he was in clinic last year. When it seemed to be better he called me and wanted to send me some books when he would move house. It was the last time we spoke. Only yesterday I sent a mail to him but now... I don't know what to say. Please leave me alone with that.

Also, Harry Fougiaxis told of the death of Byron Zappas of Greece (06.xii.1927 - 05.i.2008). There was an obituary in an e-mail he wrote. Zappas was grand master of chess composition, a title that was awarded only to 57 persons until now.

PS, January 19th:
Rainer Staudte told me, Klaus-Peter Zuncke died on November 15th 2007

PS, January 22nd:
I found, I sent an e-mail to him at 14th November, 13:00h to which he didn't reply.
 
 
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(3) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Friday, Jan 18, 2008 23:42]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [08-01-24]

It is my very sad duty to tell you about the death of the hero Bobby Fischer. He, who was born on 9th of March 1943, has died on January 17th 2008 in Reykjavik, Iceland, at the age of 64, after being hunted by anti-chess organizations of the United States since 1992. Official reports says, he died on renal failure.

While not being a chess composer, he could be considered the best chess player ever, and some of his games came near to art. Ever imagined a 13-year old boy to let a leading grandmaster look like an absolute beginner? That's how Fischer became famous. At the age of 18 he wrote about how he became world champion. Sadly, it took 11 more years for him to become 11th world champion. In 1972 he beat the east, the soviet armada, represented by Boris Spasski. 20 years later at the rematch 1992, he beat the west, again while playing against Boris Spasski who was symbolic for the capitalism of the United States. There was an embargo against Yugoslavia at that time but Fischer went there nonetheless to beat Spasski again. From this moment on, the United States wanted to kill Fischer so he decided to hide. When he was imprisoned in Japan, we wanted him to become free. When Fischer became free again, he went to Reykjavik, the town of his greatest victory. It may just be coincidence but he died at the age of 64 as a hero of chess, a modern Judas (who was told by Jesus to become the most hated man in history but fullfill the plans of God - well, Jesus is said to have died and been reborn by christian mythology, as Fischer was in 1992. Others say he survived - which Fischer also did to win against Spasski again.), the only one to beat East and West. As long as chess exists, Fischer shall not be forgotten!

A more complete biography of Fischer can be seen at Wikipedia.


(= 12+13 )

Donald Byrne (chess grandmaster) - Bobby Fischer (13 year old boy)
Rosenwald memorial tourney, New York 1956
17...Be6!! 18.Bxb6 Bxc4+ 19.Kg1 Se2+ 20.Kf1 Sxd4+ 21.Kg1 Se2+ 22.Kg1 Sc3+ 23.Kf1 axb6 and Fischer won


PS, January 23rd: Bobby was buried at the cemetery next to Laugadalur church in Selfoss, UK Press says.

PS, January 24th: Bobby seemingly has a daughter! In Davao (Baguio City) Fischer met a 22 year old woman named Justine Ong. They have a daughter named Jinky Ong, born at Saint Louis University Sacred Heart Hospital. If that's true, there may be another Bobby Fischer one day.
Sounds like the evaluation of a game between Bobby Fischer and God: God is God, but Bobby Fischer is Bobby Fischer! (ok, this was a little blasphemic but who knows... maybe he's up in Heaven and we can expect to see him again in less than a century)
 
   
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(4) Posted by Ian Shanahan [Tuesday, Feb 5, 2008 02:03]

It is a melancholy duty to report that the elderly American helpmate composer Martin Moskowitz passed away during January. The following message was e-mailed to a number of his colleagues by his daughter, Phyllis Frakt:

"Over the past few years, I have been corresponding on behalf of my father, Martin Moskowitz. I am sorry to report that my father passed away on January 25, at the age of 91, after a few days' illness. He was alert and active even in his last week of life, and still spoke of plans to send correspondence to some of you.

For your information, below is a brief obituary that appeared locally:

Martin Moskowitz, 91, of Boca Raton, Florida, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, at Boca Raton Community Hospital in Boca Raton. Mr. Moskowitz was born in Newark, New Jersey, where he lived for 51 years. He later lived in Livingston, New Jersey, for 10 years and Monroe Township, New Jersey, for 28 years before moving to Boca Raton two years ago. He worked for the Newark Board of Education for 37 years before retiring in 1976. He was a math teacher at Weequahic High School and department chairman at Vailsburg High School. Mr. Moskowitz was an avid chess player and composed chess problems for publication in international chess journals. Mr. Moskowitz was predeceased by his wife, Martha, who passed away in 1987. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sylvia; son, Warren Moskowitz; daughter, Phyllis Frakt; step-children, David, Daniel, and Joshua Barras; grandchildren, Benjamin Moskowitz and Austin Frakt; and great-grandchildren, Olivia and Maizie Frakt.

I know that my father has some helpmate problems in the pipeline at several chess journals that will appear later this year. When I go through his papers in Florida, I may find some additional helpmate problems that he was preparing for submission. If they seem suitable for submission -- to the best of my ability and my brother's (better) ability to tell! -- we may even submit them posthumously.

My father was a lifelong chess player, but a latecomer to helpmates. They occupied his very active and curious mind, and he was grateful for comments from all of you. In his final few weeks of his life, he was poring with tremendous enthusiasm over Christopher Feather's 1994 book, Black to Play. It was remarkable that an elderly man found such deep satisfaction and challenge in something so new to him and remained eager for the advice of experts like you, who are much younger. He was very pleased to have published about a dozen helpmate problems in the past two years. I am personally comforted to have been the "devoted daughter" so often mentioned in times like these, but also his dedicated scribe and correspondence "secretary" to chess friends around the world. Thank you very much for your kindness toward my father during his final years.

Best wishes,

Phyllis Frakt"
 
   
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(5) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Friday, Feb 29, 2008 16:05]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [08-03-02]

Wolfgang A. Bruder wrote to Gerhard Josten:
 QUOTE 
Nun ist auch noch Manfred Seidel verstorben und damit wird es keine Studien Abteilung im PF mehr geben.


My free translation:
It's my sad duty to tell you that Manfred Seidel has died and the study column in Problem Forum will be stopped without him.

-----

It's especially bad when someone dies who one knows. Manfred Seidel was the man who published my first study back in 2003 and he always was not only gentle but also helpful. For some reason I called him a few weeks ago and we talked a while. He told me he some operations were done on his chest or legs (if I remember correctly). However, he wanted me to send some studies for Problem Forum. It was very nice to talk to him - sadly it was the last time.

Manfred Seidel - I don't know much about him else than that - had the will to go on, no matter how bad everything was. He seemed to be a little sad about some things regarding the Europa Rochade, a magazine he worked in with great effort.

Other than working on two columns, he always was helpful if someone had a question regarding fairy or other compositions. It is a great loss for chess composition in Germany.


PS: Wolfgang Bruder says, he was informed by Dr. Hermann Weißauer, that Manfred Seidel has died yesterday around 7:40 AM.

PPS: Dr. Weißauer tells, Seidel died in the hospital in Moers.

PPPS: I got an official e-mail:
 QUOTE 
English message below

Leider müssen wir Ihnen mitteilen, dass unser Ehemann und Vater Manfred Seidel am 28.02.2008 verstorben ist.

Wenn Sie in Sachen Rochade Europa an diese Adresse schreiben, wenden Sie sich bitte an fpa.levinho@web.de

Wenn Sie in Sachen Problem-Forum an diese Adresse schreiben, wenden Sie sich bitte an wolfgang.a.bruder@t-online.de

Wenn Sie in anderen Schach-Angelegenheiten an diese Adresse schreiben, können wir Ihnen leider nicht sagen, an wen Sie sich alternativ wenden können.

Diese E-Mail-Adresse wird in Kürze aufgelöst.

Wir bitten um Ihr Verständnis.

Ihre
Familie Seidel


We regret to inform you that our husband and father Manfred Seidel is deceased on February 28th, 2008.

If your e-mail is related to the Rochade Europa, please contact fpa.levinho@web.de

If your e-mail is related to the Problem-Forum, please contact wolfgang.a.bruder@t-online.de

If you are writing to this address with regards to other chess matters, we unfortunately cannot tell you who you can contact alternatively.

This e-mail address will be disactivated in the near future.

Thank you for your understanding

Yours sincerely
Seidel family

 
   
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(6) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Saturday, Mar 8, 2008 22:57]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [08-03-11]

Here's a wonderful tribute to Bobby Fischer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGKnUHSwGQw


I guess his death at the age of 64 perfectly fits him. He left earth as he came, as he always was - the number one, the best player in chess history and the greatest mysterium, too. It's like he was the personification of chess itself. Without him, the world would have missed one of the strangest man in this strange world.

Someone wrote, maybe there are Fischer and Tal playing in a better place.

For me, it is still very sad. I cried when watching this video and even more when reading that. Chess will never be the same again.
 
   
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(7) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 10:26]

The prominent German (hobby?) solver Jürgen Bischoff has died on June 4th 2008 after a long illness. His comments will be missed by readers of German magazines.

Also, the German composer Klaus-Dieter Wagner all of a sudden died of a heart attack on June 21st 2008
 
   
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(8) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 23:57]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [08-12-16]

Boris Nikolaevich Sidorov, the study composer, has died after a road accident. Let me quote Shakhmatnaya poesiya (with online translator) article by Eduard Frantsevich Kudelich:

 QUOTE 
The sad message has come from Апшеронска. 18.08.2008 Boris Nikolaevich Sidorov has got in road and transport incident and, not coming to consciousness, has died 6.08.2008г. Boris Nikolaevich was the fine person. We knew it as remarkable этюдиста. Boris Nikolaevich 31.08.1937г was born. In Prokopevsk. Has received a средне-technical education as the mechanic on adjustment of sewing machines. The childhood was heavy. Parents subjected to repression, long безпризорничал, and then has got in children's home where has learned to play a chess. In 1958г. Boris Nikolaevich from Omsk area has moved in Апшеронск. Playing a chess, became the champion of city, has executed norm of the candidate for the master. But everything, the main hobby became not practical game, and a chess composition in which Boris Nikolaevich has achieved not small successes. It has published the first etude in 1963г. And now on its account more than 300 etudes and the problems which have received tens of prizes and differences. In structure of modular Russia became the world champion in VI command superiority. It would be desirable to mention, that it until recently conducted an active way of life, was cheerful and hospitable, always generously shared the creative plans with others этюдистами. Therefore at it so it is a lot of co-authors: F.Bondarenko, V.Dolgov, An. Kuznetsov, V.Maksaev and others. From O.Pervakovym worked above an etude for last World championship, it was extremely proud of it, that in co-authors it will have a grand master. Boris Nikolaevich was the author of set of clauses, plaid about эпиграммами, незлобливыми and funny. Memory of it as about the fine person and этюдисте it will be kept in our hearts. And now we shall look Boris Nikolaevicha's creations. I think, that experts on an etude, and is simple fans of a chess composition will estimate both original ideas, and sharp game which was loved by Boris Nikolaevich.


Original article here: http://www.selivanov.ru/download/Magazins/Poezia/ShP44.pdf
 
   
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(9) Posted by Neal Turner [Tuesday, Feb 17, 2009 09:51]

Here: http://www.selivanov.ru/newss/?act=show_news&id=160
is the sad news that Viktor Melnichenko passed away on February 11, 2009.
 
   
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(10) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Sunday, Jul 19, 2009 20:34]

Armenian master Albert Grigorjan has died recently.

http://www.popovgl.narod.ru/probl_v/V_Grigorian.html
 
   
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(11) Posted by Joost de Heer [Tuesday, Nov 3, 2009 16:01]

Today, I received an obituary of Ruud Beugelsdijk, who passed away on november 1st.
 
   
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(12) Posted by Jacques Rotenberg [Tuesday, Nov 3, 2009 21:39]; edited by Jacques Rotenberg [09-11-04]

Very sad news,

Ruud was a very nice person.

A picture found on the net - Stephenson's BDS Web site -
http://www.bstephen.me.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=187:beugelsdijk-ruud&catid=84:people&Itemid=85

An example of his problems :

Ruud Beugelsdijk
The Problemist 1981
(= 6+3 )

h2# 2 sols

1.b×a1=B e8=B 2.B×g7 Bf7‡
1.b×a1=S e8=S 2.Sc2 Se7‡
 
   
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(13) Posted by Michael McDowell [Wednesday, Nov 4, 2009 18:11]

Brian has added a very nice personal memoir of Ruud.

http://www.bstephen.me.uk/
 
   
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(14) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 15:42]

Today in harmonie 100 I read that the great Theodor Steudel has passed away at 81 on November 10 2009.
 
   
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(15) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 02:54]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [10-01-16]

A hero has left us and an era has ended.

The great master Francisco Benkö, honorary Schwalbe member, to us a hero whom is no other to be found again, who had to leave his home nation Germany in 1936 after the national socialistic terrorism against jewish citizens became worse and worse, but still always treasured his memories about all the people he met in Berlin, like Dr. Ado Kraemer and Erich Zepler, Dr. Birgfeld, Carl Ahues, Kurt Richter, Willi Schlage, Fritz Sämisch, has died at the age of 99 years on January 11th. His death is a very sad surprise, seeing how vital he always was. Sadly I did not get to know or correspond with him personally, but he corresponded with several Schwalbe officials.

I don't think it is an exaggeration to say the world has become a worse place without him. Memories are lost, and the joy as well that he brought to many people. A treasure of information about chess in the Weimar Republic's Berlin is lost.

Benkö also was a strong player. Even this year he was playing a duel against Aaron Schwartzman, the duel of two centuries. In 2004 he still participated in the Argentinian championship - not an open but a tourney that needs a qualification to participate.

Words are difficult to find. I can point instead to the article about him two years ago in Die Schwalbe and the news message:
http://www.dieschwalbe.de/personalia226.htm [link was fixed due to website relaunch, partial translation available at my entry of November 25 2009 on http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=16238 - SH 2010-01-16]
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1220895 or http://www.canchallena.com/1220904
http://reinodecaissa.blogspot.com/2010/01/morre-francisco-benko.html


Here is an early composition:
(= 8+6 )

Die Schwalbe 18 (June 1929)
Mate in 3

1.O-O-O Sb5 2.Ra4!
1... Kxa2 2.Qxc4+ Ka1 3.Kc2 mate


PS: There is an obituary (in Spanish) with several photos at the ChessBase website: http://www.chessbase.com/espanola/newsdetail2.asp?id=7943
PS2: The Berliner Schachverband now also has written an obituary:
http://berlinerschachverband.de/news/index.html?nwaction=shownews&nwmode=archiv&showtopic=BSV&newsmonth=201001#1263402163
 
   
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(16) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Sunday, Jan 31, 2010 14:49]

Rainer Staudte sent me the following link with a short obituary of Sonomun Chimedtseren (1932-2009):
http://www.popovgl.narod.ru/probl_v/V_Chimedtseren.html
 
   
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(17) Posted by Arpad Rusz [Friday, Feb 5, 2010 12:12]

I sadly inform you that the Hungarian composer Attila Benedek past away on 02.02.2010.
During more than half a century, he has published close to 800 problems. In 2007 a book ("That's all...") with his selected works was published.

Rest in peace!
 
   
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(18) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Thursday, Feb 11, 2010 13:32]

Although it might be inappropriate in this thread, here is the link to his book.
http://www.magyarsakkszerzok.com/Attila%20Benedek_That-s%20all.pdf
 
   
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(19) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 17:47]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [10-02-18]

Mirko Degenkolbe says that Gennadi Zgerski has died. More about this soon.

EDIT, February 18: Degenkolbe points to this article on the website of Andrei Selivanov:
http://www.selivanov.ru/newss/?act=show_news&id=202

Translation, with help of an online translator:
 QUOTE 
Gennady Zgersky has died

The Moscow commission on chess composition has informed me about a sad message.

On the 46th year of his life Gennady Bronislavovich Zgersky (10/13/1964 - 2/10/2010) has suddenly died. Gennady was an active chess composer and solver, he spent much work in the Moscow commission of chess composition and also was engaged in the distribution of the magazine "Shakhmatnaya kompositziya".

 
   
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(20) Posted by Sarah Hornecker [Wednesday, Mar 31, 2010 00:49]; edited by Sarah Hornecker [10-03-31]

The great Vasily Smyslov, OTB World Champion 1957-1958, composer of (I think) almost 100 studies - anyone can confirm with "Moi Etyudakh" where 48 are published? -, has died on the night of March 27th 2010, only three days after his 89th birthday.

One of his most famous studies, containing a good deal of humor, showed the power of the pair of bishops... of the same color.

(= 9+7 )

Vasily Smyslov
64 1937
White to move and win

1.Bb1! a1Q+ 2.Kb5 Bg3 3.g7 Bb8 4.g8B!! Bf4 5.Bga2! Bxd2 6.f6 Bf4 7.f7 Bd6 8.Kc6 Bf8 9.Kc7 and mate to follow.


Here is an obituary with short video from vesti.ru:
http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/7th-world-champion-vasily-smyslov-dies-at-89/
 
   
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