English Chess Forum

From the Leicester Evening Mail - Wednesday 24 August 1960, page 11.

A neat move by the chess controller

GENIAL LANCASTRIAN, MR. S. ROBERTS OF SOUTHPORT, LIVENED THE RATHER STAID ATMOSPHERE AT THE BRITISH CHESS FEDERATION'S CONGRESS NOW IN ITS SECOND WEEK AT LEICESTER UNIVERSITY.

He presented the controller. Mr. G H. Simmons. with a knotty problem.

"As an orthodox Jew, I am not permitted to work on Saturdays said Mr. Roberts. "I can use my brain to place my moves but not my hands to make and record them. Neither can I operate the clock, so may I transfer my game to another day?" he asked.

Mr Simmons had the situation under control. "I shall treat you as a physically handicapped player," he replied "You must play your game on Saturday, but I will provide a boy steward's hands for you."

A DOUBLE TIP

Delighted, Mr. Roberts tipped the steward at the start of the game. promising further reward if he won. He did so everyone was happy, except Mr. Roberts' opponent. The Southport player has now scored four and a half points and is among the leaders in the first class tournament.

http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/196 ... iewer.html - complete with some interesting press cuttings - including from Len Barden - 4th (equal) in the Championship

Reshevsky rarely missed a trick, ever. He had the help of such a steward in Great Yarmouth 1935 when he beat BH Wood. (See The Great Reshevsky on the Forward Chess platform.)

It is interesting that Roberts claimed chess to be "work" as if he were a professional, although playing in a lower section.

MSoszynski wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:04 am

It is interesting that Roberts claimed chess to be "work" as if he were a professional

He would have been using the term as it is defined in Rabbinic law.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:25 am

MSoszynski wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:04 am

It is interesting that Roberts claimed chess to be "work" as if he were a professional

He would have been using the term as it is defined in Rabbinic law.

Just pressing the clock would count as work.

The use of a 'Shabbos goy' is controversial too...

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_ ... os-Goy.htm

When I lived in an ultra-orthodox area, even pressing a button on the Pelican crossing was avoided. I noticed that Jewish men on the way to the Synagogue would wait for me to do it - I suppose the rationale was that I was doing it for myself not for them. Although I would have been only too willing to help, I was never asked.