AThe Signal Santa Clarita, California Wednesday, February 09, 1972 - Page 1
Chess Comes To Valencia Valley: If You're Not a Grand Master Play Barefoot by Signal Staff Writer
For decades the Soviet Union has thoroughly dominated the world of chess.
It is quite far to say that chess in Russia is what drag racing is to Los Angeles county.
But, this year, a remarkable event will take place in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. A young American genius, Bobby Fischer by name, has challenged the Soviet's current world champion, Boris Spassky, to a series of matches to be played in April. Very possibly after the final critical game has been played the United States can claim the greatest of all living chess players in the world — if not of all time.
Thus the ancient, but seemingly eternal game of chess, is entering into a Renaissance in American. And without question it will become an important element in the cultural life of Valencia Valley.
And as its part in the attempt to turn the valley into at least the Paris of the chess world in the United States, the Signal has arranged to bring to its readers the magnificent column and game problems especially prepared by one of history's greatest International Chess Master, George Koltanowski. He is the world's champion blindfold player, a onetime Belgian diamond-cutter who, at the venerable age of 17 became the national champion of his country.
The Signal's new chess feature will be carefully prepared for both beginners and advanced players. There will be clear, concise explanations of the basic moves of the different chess men and most widely used openings and defenses. In addition Koltanowski will present sophisticated chess problems each Wednesday, with the solutions appearing in the following issue of Friday (so no one can cheat, at least through Thursday night.)
In the field of news coverage of the chess world, the Signal is prepared to bring its readers up-to-the-moment coverage of the historic Fischer-Spassky matches in Belgrade via wire service reports and special correspondents.
And in the area of special community events, the Signal right now is organizing a series of local matches wherein Koltanowski will play simultaneous and blindfold games against the best opponents Southern California has to offer.
But most of all, the Signal is endeavoring to introduce more and more chess into the homes of Valencia Valley, simply because the game is both a fascinating exercise of skill and logic and is just plain fun.
For centuries chess has often been equated with bearded sages, sitting motionless over the board, moving a piece of wood somewhere every hour or so. It is a game for people to enjoy — certainly more fascinating than the commercials on anyone's favorite TV soap opera. It is a game for the young as well as the old, for women as well as men, for the handicapped, the student and the occasional dabbler.
Koltanowski has often said: “Chess is really the only game worthy of man's talents. It is a peaceful battlefield of 64 squares peopled with opposing forces of pawns, knights, bishops, castles, and, of course the nobility.”
If anyone wants to capture a King these days, all he has to do is play a game of chess — and win it.
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Chess Comes To Valencia Valley: If You're Not a Grand Master Play Barefoot Wed, Feb 9, 1972 – 1 · The Signal (Santa Clarita, California) · Newspapers.com
Chess Is A Game For All Wed, Feb 9, 1972 – 12 · The Signal (Santa Clarita, California) · Newspapers.com
