Alton Evening Telegraph Alton, Illinois Friday, July 14, 1972 - Page 3
SIU Professor Tackles 21 Chess Players by Pat St. Clair. Telegraph Staff Writer
Dr. Cameron Meredith, a psychology professor at Southern Illinois University, played 21 games of chess simultaneously for five hours Wednesday evening at Hayner Public Library and managed to win about half.
It may not have been the Bobby Fischer - Boris Spassky contest for the world chess championship now going on in Iceland, but some experienced chess players came for the contest.
“I decided to take on the challenge to increase the interest in the new chess books offered at the library,” Cameron said.
“I never expected such a crowd to show for the event. There are some very excellent chess players in the area.”
Dr. Cameron played for five hours without a break and without sitting down. All of his 21 opponents had a lot of time to think about each move and determine their strategies while Cameron move from game to game.
After about 2½ hours Cameron began to tire and lost his first game to Rodney Bowie. The first person to checkmate Dr. Cameron was Stephen Jianakoplis.
His opponents ranged from a 7th grade student to several middle-aged men.
With the current interest in the game of chess, thanks to the Spassky-Fischer match, the library is planning a chess club which can meet at the library, according to Robert Black, coordinator of adult services at the library.
“The only chess club in Alton is the one at Alton High School, but it is only for their students,” he said.
Most of the books on chess have been checked out of the library since the Wednesday evening contest.
SIU Professor Tackles 21 Chess Players 14 Jul 1972, Fri Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, Illinois) Newspapers.com
