Deaths of Chess Players

[Tim Harding]

Leonard Barden previously corrected me on that in another thread......

Bagirov had his ultimately fatal heart attack whilst playing, but did not actually die until a while afterwards.

Something similar happened to Latvian grandmaster Aivars Gipslis who collapsed at the board while playing an open tournament in Germany and I believe died shortly afterwards in hospital.

[John Saunders]

I recall reading that Prof. Bernard Scott died at the board.

Not so. Bernard Cafferty tells me Prof. Scott had some form of seizure while playing John Dodgson at the Hastings CC. He was given local hospital treatment and then transferred to a Brighton clinic where he died some 5-6 days later, without ever having regained consciousness.

[Gordon Cadden]

A.S. Fish, a former member of Hampstead CC, was reported to have "died in harness", at the Brighton CC, on December 23rd. 1931 (BCM 1932).

During the 1968 Welsh Chess Congress, held at Aberystwyth, D.Li. Jones, of the Barry Chess Club, collapsed at the chess board, and died of a heart attack within minutes. I can confirm his death at the board, because I was just several feet away. The Congress Controller suspended play, until his body was removed from the Congress floor. A difficult decision for any controller to make, but I felt very uncomfortable, with play continuing immediately after his death.

[Tim Harding]

http://www.chessville.com/BillWall/Deat ... layers.htm

1) I see that (as of late May 2013) the link which began this thread no longer works and just goes to a general Chessville page.
Does anyone know what, if anything, has become of Bill Wall?

2) While going through some old volumes of The Field lately, I noted that J. H. White (co-author of 'Modern Chess Openings') was killed when the bicycle he was riding was in collision with a lorry. (The Field vol 136, 27 Nov. 1920, page 772). I suppose that this type of accident was far less common in those days that it would be in recent times.

[David Williams]

While going through some old volumes of The Field lately, I noted that J. H. White (co-author of 'Modern Chess Openings') was killed when the bicycle he was riding was in collision with a lorry. (The Field vol 136, 27 Nov. 1920, page 772). I suppose that this type of accident was far less common in those days that it would be in recent times.

Maybe, maybe not. (First table.)
http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/2002glos.pdf

[MJMcCready]

The Russian Evenson was shot by the white army around 1919.

Here's a game of his.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1267127

[Gordon Cadden]

http://www.chessville.com/BillWall/Deat ... layers.htm

1) I see that (as of late May 2013) the link which began this thread no longer works and just goes to a general Chessville page.
Does anyone know what, if anything, has become of Bill Wall?

2) While going through some old volumes of The Field lately, I noted that J. H. White (co-author of 'Modern Chess Openings') was killed when the bicycle he was riding was in collision with a lorry. (The Field vol 136, 27 Nov. 1920, page 772). I suppose that this type of accident was far less common in those days that it would be in recent times.

John Herbert White died on the 18th. November, 1920, from the result of a bicycle accident. The BCM for 1920, devoted the whole of the front page to his death. He was an important figure in the chess world, Secretary of the Hampstead Chess Club, and co-author with Richard Clewin Griffith, of "Modern Chess Openings". He also achieved recognition as an organiser. Jose Raoul Capablanca presented him with a gold fountain pen, and gold pencil case, for his work in arranging the itinerary for his United Kingdom Tour.

In January, 1919, the members of the Hampstead Chess Club, presented him with an 18 carat Gold Swiss Hunter Chronometer Pocket Watch, in recognition of his 10 years service, as secretary of the club. The inner case was inscribed as follows: "Presented to J. H. White by the members of the Hampstead Chess Club, in recognition of 10 years service as Hon. Secretary, January, 1919".
That pocket watch was recently placed on the open market, priced at £2, 000.

Life was particularly hazardous for cyclists, until 1st. June, 1935, when the United Kingdom Driving Test became compulsory.

[Tim Harding]

Thanks for the update on White, Gordon.