201211 - Northwest Chess!

National Chess Day in Boise. Photo credit: Frank Niro and
Jeff Roland
ent for all rounds. That is why I have not played a USCF
tournament in almost 10 years, because I can rarely
make all rounds. I hope there will be more like that. I
may even try to conduct my own over the next year if I
had some hand holding through the process.”
So, what’s the point of National Chess Day? Originally,
it was a way of helping members of the public learn
about the benefits of chess. It was done principally by
asking chess clubs and players to stage open houses and
free events on that day to attract new members and expose
casual players to organized chess. The popularity
of National Chess Day has been inconsistent over the
years. For many years, the day was acknowledged only
in certain regions of the country. About ten years ago,
the U.S. Chess Federation renewed its efforts to utilize
National Chess Day as a way of promoting chess to the
masses. Each year since, it seems, more states and local
organizers have opted to participate in National Chess
day activities.
The first National Chess Day, in 1976, was a big deal
since it was the culmination of years of effort by the
USCF delegates to get the President of the United
States to set aside a day to promote the benefits of
chess. Around the same time, a postage stamp depicting
Paul Morphy was submitted to the Postal Service but,
for some reason, it was never adopted.
I was personally involved in the first National Chess
Day when I was sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary in
Kansas to stage a simultaneous chess exhibition for the
prisoners. So, for those who may be interested in the
history, here’s an exclusive excerpt from my upcoming
memoir.
Kendyl Winkler (left) and Justin Siek (right) on front board.
Cody Gorman (left) Noah Peterson (right) on second board at
Boise National Chess Day event in Boise. Photo credit: Jeff
Roland.
First, without getting into too much of the back story, I
grew up in a mafia family and, ultimately, my dad (known
to his friends as ‘Junior’) landed in federal prison for 15
months for ‘uttering’. He was printing and distributing
counterfeit hundred dollar bills. Trust me, none of what
you will read below is fiction.
“Don’t you live in Massachusetts? Why go to Kansas?” Martin
asked.
“My father is living in the area,” I said, not wanting to reveal
his exact location.
Martin Morrison, Technical Director of the
U.S. Chess Federation, was on the phone. I called him
in response to a press release announcing that President
Ford declared October 9, 1976, as “National Chess
Day.” For the first time, a sitting president set aside “a
day to give special recognition to a game that generates
intellectual stimulation and enjoyment for citizens of all
ages.”
The objective of the program was to instigate
growth in the popularity of chess by staging as many
chess events as possible in schools, libraries, prisons and
shopping malls around the country. Leavenworth Penitentiary
was on the list of venues that expressed interest
in hosting an event.
“Well, we still need players and not many others have
expressed interest in visiting prisons. If you can make it at 5:30
pm on the 9 th , the gig is yours,” he said.
“Playing 15 or 20 simultaneous chess games will be
fun,” I said.
From a chess perspective, my credentials for the
Page 6 November 2012 Northwest Chess