Cover Story / Harold Dondis
back around 1960 when I had him on the ropes only to get tricked into a threefold repetition. All-in-all, I'd guess we were about 50-50 (OK, maybe he had a small edge—but I refuse to count that swindle!).” —LARRY ELDRIDGE, CHESS
COLUMNIST AND MAINSTREAM JOURNALIST
Dondis with his wife Claire.
“It is because of Harold Dondis that the US Trust was born, existed through good times and bad, and still exists. Harold’s dedication to chess in Massachusetts and nationally has helped develop many others to have the same enthusiasm. His publications may continue to do the same in the future. Our condolences to his family.” —MYRON LIEBERMAN, TREASURER, US CHESS TRUST; RACHEL
LIEBERMAN, FORMER US CHESS SECRETARY
“Harold wrote some very touching words in the Boston Globe when I married Carolyn and inherited one chess player (Asuka) and one future player (Hikaru). My sincere condolences to the family.” —FM SUNIL WEERAMANTRY,
STEPFATHER OF U.S. CHAMPION HIKARU NAKAMURA AND VICE
PRESIDENT FOR SCHOLASTIC CHESS, US CHESS TRUST
His final game took place an hour’s drive and a half a century away from what was certainly one of the high points in Dondis’ life, his 19-move defeat of Bobby Fischer in a Fitchburg simultaneous exhibition given by the future chess world champion.
“Harold was a very modest person. He never bragged or boasted about his chess accomplish ments. The New England chess community will miss him very much. … Harold was the most generous chess player/patron I ever knew. Over the decades, ever since he was president of the Massachusetts State Chess Association in the early 1960s, now (MACA), he contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the US Chess
www.uschess.org 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76