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  • Ramirez Simul Sept 17, 2021

A Bit of History and Commentary

12/17/2017

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(This website was created and is maintained by Roger Pagel, a member of the SPBCC (name changed August 2020 to Springfield Chess Club) since 1973-1974, and what follows represents his views and opinions and does not represent the Club as a whole or in part, nor does it represent any other interested parties). The blog is opened to anyone who wishes to contribute, but of course after editorial review.

The chess blog is intended as a place for commentary on the state of Chess in general, in Missouri, and in SW Missouri. The website was created in 2010, 38 years into the establishment of the Club (SPBCC) to communicate with the public, but mainly to preserve the rich chess history in SW Missouri. The site is not professionally created nor maintained as such. That is the main mission of this website and why I created it. It should also be noted we do not run the Club for profit, we do not require dues from anyone, and we are open to anyone in the community who has an interest in chess. Of course, to rate games and to provide sets and materials there is an associated cost and we offer club membership ($10/yr) to anyone who wishes to play on our Ladder or to contribute to our expenses which also includes donations to the Southside Senior Center for use of the space. We are not a 501c, but we operate as a non-profit without that legal status. We do maintain a bank account with a local bank and this dates back to the 1970s, and we periodically notify those interested of our revenues and expenditures on our Facebook site

Anyone who is interested should note the growth and history of the Club. In the early 70s the growth was such that the Club formed teams which competed against one another and were reported in the local newspaper--The News-Leader. Later, in the 80s a new group came together and the Chess Ladder was established and thrived for ten plus years. In all this time, the Club mainly met at Springfield-Greene County Park Board facilities by a "hand-shake" agreement. In the early 2000s, the Ladder began to fade, players moved away, officers fell off, but the Club still remained with few in number. In all that time we've maintained our affiliation with the USCF and we can be found on their website. In effect, the Club was run on an ad hoc basis and continues to operate in that vein. Those who want to do, do and those who just want to come and play chess, play chess. In 2012, the 40th anniversary, a large tournament was held at the Club to disburse the Club's treasury back into the Chess Community to those who played in the event. It appeared at that time, with few coming to the Club, that it was time to scale back and/or even close the Club. Again, another reason to start the website to at least archive what memorabilia the Club created--the main mission.


Then, around 2014, a new interest emerged. It seemed what was lacking was organized chess--another Ladder, small blitz tournaments and other events to bring the chess community back to the Club--though we are still not large in number--we continue to offer chess in various forms: both casual and rated play. For instance, in 2017 close to 300 rated games were played. Three newsletters reporting on these games have been made available to those interested. During this time, old members returned; some with a rich history with the Club dating back decades and some who played at the Club while in high school and rediscovered our existence and new members who have moved to the area. Some longed for the "old" glory days of the 1990s, some just wanted to play chess now and then, and still others envisioned something else for the Club--to move the Club towards a "legal" status with tax liabilities and perhaps a more pro-active reach into the community. (If they won't come to us, we will go to them attitude.) We applaud those efforts and fine value in doing so. This, of course, requires commitment that some wished to give and others did not. As a result, a fission occured which seemed to create personal animosity. And from this a membership was revoked from organized activities (the first ever in 47 years), but not from playing chess at the Club.

It should be noted, a splitter group has formed using essentially the same name as SPBCC. This group created a 501c, its own website, and Facebook page: Springfield-Greene County Park Board Chess Club. At this time, that group is offering classes around Springfield at various library locations and is promoting chess in SW Missouri. Springfield Park Board Chess Club applauds these efforts and we hope they are able to provide other chess venues and opportunities for the chess community. As we understand it, they are working with the Park Board to achieve just that and we hope anyone interested will support their efforts. 

As to our existence, we hope to remain where we have been for the past 47 years; we hope to still offer Ladder competition to anyone in the Community and we hope those in the chess community will support what we have to offer to the Community--we see no conflict with any other group in the area that provides chess opportunity whether it be Missouri State's Chess Club, the Joplin Chess Club, or the Drury Universtity Chess Club or any other Club we might not be aware. 

As a past member of the Club used to say, "Never too much chess!"





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When to Resign

8/20/2017

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For the novice player often times he/she does not fully understand a chess position or that the position he/she is in on the board is not winnable. However, the novice plays it out while the more experienced player gets frustrated and wants to move on to another game. The novice either has not played many games or somehow feels every game must be played to the bitter end.  Everyone is in his/her right to continue but one hopes that in time the novice begins to realize the futility and resigns. One can resign by simply saying so or tipping the King, but whatever one does, if in a serious game of Chess for money, make sure your intentions are known by your opponent.
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Donation Letter to Southside Senior Center

9/5/2016

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30 August 2016
Southside Senior Center
2215 South Fremont
Springfield, Missouri 65804

Dear Officers of the Southside Senior Center:

Thank you for the many ways in which you make our community a better place to live and work. The members of the Springfield Park Board Chess Club appreciates all that you do for the community and the necessary services you provide on a daily basis to not only Springfield, but the surrounding area by providing meals, activities, and a gathering place for our Seniors, some of which are members of our Club, to experience fellowship among those that share common interests.

As a long time organization ourselves, since 1972, founded by members of the News-Leader Newspaper and other community members, the Springfield Park Board Chess Club provides an activity to those who have a passion for chess not only in our community, but the surrounding area. Just last month, for instance, an older woman traveling from Texas to the east coast found our Club on the web and dropped by to play a few games. Often we have students from Drury, Missouri State, Southwest Baptist, and Evangel, as well as high school students, coming from as far away as Branson, who play at our Club. Such drop-ins happen several times a year and help promote our Club and the city's hospitality.

Over the years the Chess Club has met in various places in our community: Meador Park's Swim House, the YMCA, the Jenny Lind Center, Tom Watkins Center, Fassnight Park, and finally in the mid-1980's found its home at the Ray Kelly Park. With the development and building of the Southside Senior Center we were honored and humbled to be included in the use of the facility by the developer upon its expansion from the small Police sub-station it once was.

Recently, Ozarks Public Broadcasting recognized the value the Chess Club offers the community and ran public service announcements on KSMU and OPT during the months of May and June with a total value of $1,940. These announcements were provided free of charge to our small organization and for that we are most grateful. This not only promoted our Club, but also promoted the Southside Senior Center as a facility for the public good.

As a result of our long time association with the Park Board and the Southside Senior Center, we would like to take this opportunity to invest in the work you do by offering this cash donation in the amount of $250 (please find our check enclosed) and hope your organization can make good use of our investment in the Center.

Thank you again for all the good work you do and we look forward to many more years of us all working together to make our community a better place to live.

Sincerely,

Springfield Park Board Chess Club and it members
cc Springfield—Greene County Park Board—Miles Park
KSMU--Ozarks Public Broadcasting—Tammy Wiley


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Letter of Appreciation

9/5/2016

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30 August 2016

Springfield-Greene County Park Board
Attention: Miles Park
1923 North Weller Avenue
Springfield, MO 65803
Dear Mr. Park,
Please find enclosed a donation letter to the Southside Senior Center from the Springfield-Greene County Park Board Chess Club. Our Club dates back to 1972 and sometime in the 1970's we adopted the Park Board name as several venues run by the Park Board were made available to us in a variety of locations.

Since the mid-1980's we found our home at the Ray Kelly Park and upon the expansion of the building there we were included in its use and for that we are most grateful. Recognizing that, we recently ran a chess tournament to raise funds for the Senior Center and enclosed please find that donation letter to them. In addition, in May-June of this year, Ozarks Public Broadcasting ran several PSA's promoting our Club and for that, too, we are honored.

This letter is to acknowledge our gratitude to the Park Board, the Southside Senior Center and our local public broadcasting station and how working together makes our community a better place to live and thrive. Put simply, thank you.
Sincerely,
Roger Pagel
Springfield-Greene County Park Board Chess Club
Webmaster




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Letter of Appreciation

9/5/2016

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30 August 2016


Ozarks Public Broadcasting
KSMU
Attention: Tammy Wiley
901 S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897

Dear Ms. Wiley,

Thank you for your letter of July 8, 2016 and the PSA's the station ran in May and June for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board Chess Club. The Club recognizes the contributions Ozarks Public Broadcasting provides the community and also recognizes the work done at the Southside Senior Center where our Club has met since the mid-1980's.

As a result of your station promoting our Club and in essence promoting the Southside Senior Center, we ran a chess tournament to raise funds for the Senior Center. Enclosed find our cover letter to them noting their value and the $250 we were able to raise. In addition, our Club, through our website, our Facebook page and at our meetings has encouraged everyone to become sustaining members of your station and I personally became a member a few weeks ago.

Again, thank you for the PSA's and I plan to continue my pledge and encourage others to pledge in the future.

Sincerely,

Roger Pagel
Springfield-Greene County Park Board Chess Club
Webmaster




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What They Built

1/11/2015

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 I know who hatched the chess club in Springfield, Missouri in 1972, though I am not sure what those founders envisioned beyond a structure for competitive, local chess. Like so many clubs formed in the early 1970's, Fischer's run for the world title surely spawned the idea. Perhaps, like so many who are drawn by the romantic lure of chess, our local players saw themselves as world champions in the making, if only their talents could be schooled among other fish in the sixty-four square pool. Four years after its formation, the first club champion was anointed. Every year since, forty-three years now, the club displays a new name on its championship plaque.

While the club's attendance may dwindled to a handful of fry, the structure remains and those who have graced our doors are remembered via the Springfield Park Board Chess Club website and Facebook page with archival games, photos, and treasured analysis done by our founders. We honor those, too, who created the active ladder play of the 80's and 90's.

What I think keeps the hatchery going might be found in a saying from a former club President, “Never Too Much Chess.”   

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 “I like the moment when I break a man's ego.”--Fischer

3/6/2012

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We are in the midst of the club's annual chess tournament to determine the 2012 champion.  The player who earns that title is not necessarily the best player in the area, but he or she is the best player in the tournament. But like any sport, sometimes the "best" player is also the luckiest player.  In this year's tournament, for instance, one game saw an illegal move made, but neither player saw that the piece was placed on the wrong square.  Per the rules of chess, if neither player "sees" this move within two moves of play or ten moves of play, then the move stands and play continues.  It isn't necessarily the case in this game that the outcome was determined by this illegal move, but, of course the entire course of the game would have been altered.  The player who made the illegal move also happened to be the player who won the game.  Thus, "luck" played a part in who won or lost that game.  In another game, a draw was envitable as both players had blocked pawns and opposite colour bishops and in this case one player offered a draw and the other player continued to play because there were two pawns both protected by the bishops but on separate files. The hope had to be that his opponent would make a fatal error and a fatal error is just what happened.  The player that lost, moved his bishop to the only square that would lose the game and as his hand hovered over the piece realized this would lose the game and immediately moved it to another square.  The other player claimed the move was final as he believed the hand had come off the piece.  The player that moved the piece acquiesced and went on to lose the game.  Luck? or sophisticated cunning--who knows?  And finally, so far, anyway, another game was declared a draw by another via three-move repetition.  During play that was denied and it was later discoverd that in fact there was a three-move repetition.  The error being found and acknowledge by the winning player.  This isn't luck, but rather a display of sportsmanship.  So, why did I use a quote from Fischer to discuss "luck" and "sportsmanship", because the players at our club and in our tournament are not Fischers, but perhaps some play to "break a man's ego".  I don't know, but I do know I do not play to break anyone's ego, though I would be the first to admit winning and losing affects my ego and it is an ugly thing to see (if you are unfortunate to have to view it) and feel (if you happen to lose for whatever reason it can affect you for days after) and (if you happen to win--that, too, affects you but creates an arrogance and self-worth that is not justified).  For Fischer and others like him, chess is their life and it provides them meaning and dignity.  For others, chess is a recreation to get away from the anxieties of the world and the funny thing is, the game ends up creating anxieties all of its own making.
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Reshevsky

11/16/2011

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This month Chess Life published a wonderful article on Sammy Reshevsky. Becoming aware of chess in the early 1970's and all eyes focused on Fischer, I did not discover the power of Reshevsky until recently.  Of course, in my youth the chess bible was IA Horowitz's "Chess Openings: Theory and Practice" and I was unaware of Reshevsky or Rueben Fine or any of what essentially made up American Chess. And while the major intent of this website is dedicated to the historical existence of the Chess Club in Springfield, it is also dedicated to the historical context that lead up to the formation of the Club and those who played an intregal part in its founding. 

 With that said, I would like to make a brief comment on the Chess Life article or at least a comment about the incident that lead to Reshevsky claiming the US Championship in 1942.  Apparently, in a game against Arnold Denker in round six, Reshevsky's time had expired but the referee some how turned the clock in the wrong direction and declared a time forfeit on Denker.  Amongst protests and the like the decision stood.  Quoting Chess Life, "Reshevsky remained notably aloof from the debate. 'Sammy took what he could get,' as Arthur Bisguier told me."

It is this "aloofness" that somewhat disturbs me.  Of course, this was/is high level chess on a level most of us will never experience so it is hard to say how we would have behaved under the circumstances.  If Reshevsky had lost this game then our 1942 champion most likely would have been Isaac Kashdan as there would not have been a tie for first and there would not have been a playoff between Kashdan and Reshevsky.  But why did Reshevsky remain aloof?  Surely Reshevsky knew his time had expired and it is not clear if Denker had made a claim of a win based on time as the article in Chess Life indicates that Stephens, the Tournament Director, grabbed the clock and turned it around so as to misread the faces.  And Bisguier's comment that Sammy took what he could get does not suggest a fondness for the man, but does suggest winning supercedes moral or ethical behavior.

The following link will take you to this game on Chessgames.com:
Reshevsky v Denker US Championship 1942 Round 6

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Clarence Townsend Obituary

10/10/2011

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Clarence C. Townsend, age 72, of Springfield, was welcomed home to heaven, by his parents and Jesus on Monday, September 19, 2011. He was born January 21, 1939 in Lane Oklahoma, the sixth of eleven children of Argene and Ruby Juanita (Cason) Townsend. He served his country in the Army National Guard. He attended Okmulgee State Technical College and Electronics School in St. Louis. He retired as an accountant for O’Reilly Automotive. In 1955 Clarence was involved in an accident putting him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, however his spirit for life endured. He wholeheartedly believed that everyone should live and enjoy life to the fullest. This is reflected in the legacy he has left behind for his family and friends. Clarence enjoyed basketball, tennis, chess club, traveling, and above all his family and friends. He was patient and kind, a rock to his family, and will be remembered and missed by each one. He was a member of Riverdale Baptist Church. Survivors include: Two sisters, Carolyn Sipes and husband Darryl, Billings, and Jimmie Lou Townsend, Springfield; a brother, Clinton Edge and wife Mae, Austin, Texas; three nieces Clarence loved as his own daughters, Ruby, Lisa and Amber; many other loving nieces and nephews, a host of other relatives and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, five sisters, Mary Jo, Maureen, Juanita, Evelyn, and Helen, and two brothers, Ralph and Edmond. A memorial service will be 2:00 PM Friday, September 23, at Riverdale Baptist Church with Pastor Jamie Bilyeu officiating. Burial will be in Glenn Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Adams Funeral Home, Nixa.


Clarence is featured throughout the website and was a driving force for the success of the Springfield Park Board Chess Club for many years.  He served as treasurer for endless years and made the Chess Club ladder a major success for the club by calling every member every week for years which made members want to participate.  Clarence was also known as a "giant killer" with his many victories over much higher rated opponents throughout the years.   The above obit was sadly received by the club and is posted here in memoriam.
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St Louis Scholastic Center and Chess Club

9/14/2011

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This past spring, due to my employer, I found myself in St Louis and having a Sunday off I was able to drive to 4657 Maryland Avenue St Louis, MO 63108 to visit this fabulous chess club.
The club for lack of a better word is world class and if you play 

chess or are interested in the game you owe it to yourself to visit this fantastic 
place or at least visit their website to get a feel for the facility.  And now across the 
street from the club is the Chess Museum.  Enough can not be said for the 
contribution of Rex Sinquefield and his wife Jeanne for not only chess in the St Louis
area but for chess in American and the world.  Thank you. 
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