Preferential Treatment

[MJMcCready]

Just out of curiosity, at club level, does anyone have any expereince where their club had a player who was the strongest, or perhaps eccentric, and did they get any preferential treatment in any respects? If so, what was it? For example, perhaps a drink being bought cordially for them, or perhaps a favoured seat or playing area/location, perhaps a certain board/clock that they preferred or had set aside for them only? Just curious. I can understand this occuring with titled and professional players but I was thinking more about the comings and goings of club chess and those of us below that level. Any creatures of habit that used to get certain preferences or advantages that you recall from personal experience?

[Jon Mahony]

Back in the old Leeds Chess Club days we had a Strong player, who was a professional dole collector (and truth be told a complete bell-end as well). Our club sectary at the time (who I still am in touch with, he is an occasional poster on here) was keen on having a strong A team and liked to have him around - watching him trying to collect club subs from The Workshy Master was always comical - it would cost Mr Secretary about 3 pints of cider and half a packet of fags to soften the blow of the other, having to open his wallet He probably left the club in profit, every time he had to pay those subs.

[MJMcCready]

Interesting, thanks.

[Joey Stewart]

I'm sure there are loads of clubs all around the country where someone gets special treatment for an eccentricity which should not really be tolerated but they provide enough value elsewhere to not be worth rocking the boat - generally it will either be very strong players or those who provide a vital service like club admin, financial support or maybe even providing a whole venue.

I wouldn't count on too many people publicly naming names though, since the chess world is pretty small it's not usually hard to trace a culprit and unless they are really deserving of the shaming by being obnoxious it's probably best to just let them be.

[MJMcCready]

Yes fair point but it isnt necessary to name names, I was thinking more in terms of what went on rather than who did what.

[John Upham]

Is eccentricity a form of neuro diversity? Any experts out there?

[MJMcCready]

That is very open to interpretation and debate.

[Richard James]

Is eccentricity a form of neuro diversity? Any experts out there?

I consider myself something of an expert on this subject, but it's far too complex to discuss here. I might write much more elsewhere at some point.

[Richard James]

Back in the 1980s, Gene Veglio, the nicest person I've ever met, was our club's social secretary. Every week he'd make coffee for our members and guests. Knowing that I wasn't a coffee drinker, he'd also bring in a bottle of whisky every week and pour me a glass.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Back in the 1980s, Gene Veglio, the nicest person I've ever met, was our club's social secretary. Every week he'd make coffee for our members and guests. Knowing that I wasn't a coffee drinker, he'd also bring in a bottle of whisky every week and pour me a glass.

In 1935 he finished on 10/11 in a tournament at the British Championships, but still finished a point behind the winner!
https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/19 ... iewer.html

[Richard James]

Back in the 1980s, Gene Veglio, the nicest person I've ever met, was our club's social secretary. Every week he'd make coffee for our members and guests. Knowing that I wasn't a coffee drinker, he'd also bring in a bottle of whisky every week and pour me a glass.

In 1935 he finished on 10/11 in a tournament at the British Championships, but still finished a point behind the winner!
https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/19 ... iewer.html

He did indeed. He and the tournament winner, Aird Thomson, were reunited years later at Richmond & Twickenham Chess Club.

[Geoff Chandler]

Played over the deciding game on Britbase between these two. A Symmetrical London System. Looks like White should have played 9.Ba3 but went for a line that looked O.K. (I'd have given it a good look) White's Queen got trapped and had to play on a piece down.

G. Veglio - A.A. Thomson, British Ch,3rd class 1935

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 Bf5 4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 Ne4 6. Nbd2 Bd6 7. Bxe4 dxe4 8. Bxd6 exf3 9. Qxf3 Qxd6 10. Qxb7 Qc6 11. Qc8+ Ke7 12. Qxh8 Qxg2 13. Ke2 Nd7 14. Rhg1 Qxg1 15. Rxg1 Rxh8 16. e4 Bg6 17. Rg5 Rb8 18. b3 a6 19. Ra5 Rb6 20. c4 Nb8 21. d5 f5 22. f3 Nd7 23. c5 Rb5 24. Rxa6 Nxc5 25. Ra7 fxe4 26. Rxc7+ Kf6 27. d6 exf3+ 28. Kxf3 Na6 29. d7 Rd5 30. Ra7 Rxd2 31. Rxa6 Rxd7 32. b4 Bd3 33. Rb6 Ra7 34. Ke3 Bc4 35. Kd4 Bxa2 36. b5 Bd5 0-1

Edit: Just found out Alexander Thomson played Yehudi Menuhin. Yehudi was winning but tripped up. Suggested puns; 'Err on the g-file?' or 'Aird on the G string' (!) I have gone for 'The Fiddler fiddled.'

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1786675

[John Clarke]

The only example I ever came across was during an all-against-all lightning match I took part in. One elderly gentleman at the host club got to play all his games sitting at a particular table right under one of the lights. But, we were told, he had impaired vision, so fair enough.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Back in the 1980s, Gene Veglio, the nicest person I've ever met, was our club's social secretary. Every week he'd make coffee for our members and guests. Knowing that I wasn't a coffee drinker, he'd also bring in a bottle of whisky every week and pour me a glass.

I've just received an email from one of the granddaughters of Gene Veglio. She confirmed my suspicion that he was the Luigi Giovianni Martino Veglio who was born on the 1st August, 1912, and died on the 6th February, 1993. His nickname was Gino - perhaps Gene was a name he used at Richmond Chess Club?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/PSHD-79L

[Richard James]

Back in the 1980s, Gene Veglio, the nicest person I've ever met, was our club's social secretary. Every week he'd make coffee for our members and guests. Knowing that I wasn't a coffee drinker, he'd also bring in a bottle of whisky every week and pour me a glass.

I've just received an email from one of the granddaughters of Gene Veglio. She confirmed my suspicion that he was the Luigi Giovianni Martino Veglio who was born on the 1st August, 1912, and died on the 6th February, 1993. His nickname was Gino - perhaps Gene was a name he used at Richmond Chess Club?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pe ... s/PSHD-79L

He was known as Gene within the chess community, but close friends, such as Aird Thomson, IIRC, called him Gino.

Yes, I'd got that information as well. I'm planning to write a Minor Piece about Gene at some point in the future. His ancestors were Ticinese Swiss who came over in the 19th century to work in the restaurant trade - which is, in itself, an interesting story.