Babies haven’t any hair;    Old men’s heads are just as bare;– Between the cradle and the grave    Lies a haircut and a shave.   –Samuel Hoffenstein

Cecil Purdy…………………….Australia, 1950–53 Viacheslav Ragozin………….USSR, 1956–59 Alberic O’Kelly de Galway……Belgium, 1959–62 Vladimir Zagorovsky………….USSR, 1962–65 Hans Berliner………………….USA, 1965–68 Horst Rittner…………………..East Germany, 1968–71 Jakov Estrin……………………USSR, 1972–76 Jorn Sloth………………………Denmark, 1975–80 Tonu Oim……………………….USSR, 1977–83 Victor Palciauskas……………..USA, 1978–84 Fritz Baumbach………………..East Germany, 1981–87 Grigory Snakoev………………USSR, 1984–90 Mikhail Umansky………………Russia, 1989–98 Tonu Oim………………………..Estonia, 1994–99 Gert Timmerman………………Netherlands, 1996–2002 Tunc Hamarat…………………..Austria, 1999–2004 Ivar Bern………………………..Norway, 2002– Joop [...]

Take up the White Man’s burden—     Send forth the best ye breed— Go, bind your sons to exile     To serve your captives’ need; To wait, in heavy harness,     On fluttered folk and wild— Your new-caught sullen peoples,     Half devil and half child. Take up the White Man’s burden—     In patience to abide, To veil the [...]

  “I like pain.” –Steve McNair, Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens

  Dear Abby: You have often been asked where a single woman can meet a decent, eligible man. I have a suggestion: Join a chess club. Women are always welcome. Furthermore, they will find that men outnumber women 10–1. Not bad odds. Also, from 25% to 40% of the men will be unmarried. Men who [...]

  “My Jesu swet I go to mete His body is my soles delete. Always I rise from the glomby earth When Jesu sucketh me with his swet mouth.”   –attributed to St. Dorothea of Montau, ca. 1390 Dorethea was an ascetic, flagellant, ecstatic visionary, immured alive in the walls of the Marienwerder Cathedral, Danzig [...]

William Steinitz…………1866 Emanuel Lasker………….1894 Jose Raul Capablanca…..1921 Alexander Alekhine……..1927 Max Euwe…………………1935 Alexander Alekhine…….1937-1946–died as champion. Mikhail Botvinnik……….1948–recognized as champion. Vasily Smyslov………….1957 Mikhail Botvinnik……….1958 Mikhail Tal……………….1960 Mikhail Botvinnik……….1961 Tigran Petrosian………..1963 Boris Spassky…………..1969 Robert Fischer………….1972-1975–retired as champion. Anatoly Karpov…………1975–recognized as champion. Garry Kasparov………..1985 Vladimir Kramnik………2000

  Retributive justice is an archaic notion. The penal system in the United States is a national disgrace. Do not confuse humanity with sympathy for criminals. Mercy is the quality that separates man from beast. Chess reduces recidivism. The Isolanis Chess Club urges you to give generously to The Prison Chess Fund.  Send check or [...]

John L. Sullivan………………..1882 James J. Corbett………………1892 Bob Fitzsimmons………………1897 James J. Jeffries……………….1899 Jack Johnson…………………..1910 Jess Willard……………………1915 Jack Dempsey…………………1919 Gene Tunney……………….1926–1928 Retired as champion. Max Schmeling……………….1930–Recognized as champion. Jack Sharkey…………………1932 Primo Carnera……………….1933 Max Baer……………………..1934 James J. Braddock…………..1935 Joe Louis……………………..1937 Ezzard Charles……………….1950 Jersey Joe Walcott…………..1951 Rocky Marciano……………..1952–1956 Retired as champion. Floyd Patterson……………….1956–Recognized as champion. Ingmar Johansson……………1959 Floyd Patterson……………….1960 [...]

“I’m a pawn in a chess game. Whatever I’m told to do, that’s what I’m going to do.” –Lavernaues Coles, Wide Receiver, New York Jets