<The death is announced of John W. Brunnemer, a former champion of the Brooklyn Chess Club, who was widely known in correspondence chess circles. Since leaving Brooklyn he had lived at Nyack and only recently moved into a new home at Oradell, N.J. He was a musician and, in business, was connected with the coffee trade. His age was 51.>

Robert N. Bernard (Anntlantic Chess News 2017, Annual Edition, pp. 3-4):

<John W. Brunnemer, New Jersey Champion 1921-1932>

We finally found a story on the mysterious John Brunnemer that we mentioned in listing past NJ champions in a prior Atlantic Chess News annual. Unfortunately, it was his obituary in Chess Review, January, 1949. We quote from the article and give examples of his play:

“One of our outstanding postalites, John W. Brunnemer of South Nyack, New York, died December 24, 1948.

Born in Brooklyn, 1895, and a rabid Dodger rooter all his life, he had played for the old Brooklyn Chess Club in its heyday, won the American Correspondence Cham-pionship in 1919, and, in New Jersey, was President of the North Jersey Chess League—held the state championship there from 1921 to 1932, five years without loss of a game. In Postal Chess, he scored notably, was currently eighth in the 1944 Postal Chess Championship and had a Postal Master rating of 1526.

Brunnemer favored the classical style in chess, with 1.P-K4 [1.e4] and an open game. He was well versed in the latest theory of opening play, performed brilliantly both with and against 1.P-K4, in forth-right fashion, rare in these days of hypermodern chess.”

His aggressive style, even in postal chess, is evident in this brilliant game:

[Event "Correspondence (circa 1945)"] [Date "1945.??.??"] [White "Marschner, A W."] [Black "Brunnemer, John William"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C79"] [PlyCount "38"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. d4 Nxe4 8. Re1 f5 9. dxe5 d5 10. Nd4 Qh4 11. g3 Qh3 12. Nc3 g5 14. f3 f4 15. Nxf4 gxf4 16. Bxf4 O-O 17. c3 Rxf4 18. gxf4 Kh8 19. Kh1 Nf2+ 0-1

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The following blazing attack’s 14th and 15th moves must have leap off the postal cards when they arrived at their destination:

[Event "CCLA Event (circa 1940)"] [Date "1940.??.??"] [White "Brunnemer, John William"] [Black "Failing, W H."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B45"] [PlyCount "35"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 Bb4 7. O-O Bxc3 8. bxc3 Nxe4 9. Bf3 Nxc3 $6 10. Qd3 Nd5 11. Bxd5 exd5 12. Re1+ Kf8 13. Nf5 d6 14. Nxg7 Ne5 15. Nh5 Be6 16. Rxe5 dxe5 17. Ba3+ Ke8 18. Qb5+ 1-0 (MegaCorr4: Brunnemer v Falling, circa 1931)

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Source: http://njscf.org/wp-content/uploads...

John William Brunnemer
January 13, 1898 - December 24, 1948
Birth: Brooklyn, Kings, New York
Residence(s):
(1919) Brooklyn, New York;
(1921) Hillsdale, New Jersey;
[...]
(1948) Nyack, New York;
(1948) 446 Bergen Boulevard, Oradell, New Jersey; (d.) Post Graduate Hospital, New York City;
(b.) Westwood Cemetery and Mausoleum, Westwood, Bergen County, New Jersey

The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey, Monday, December 27, 1948

J. W. BRUNNEMER
Services For Former Nyack Man At Westwood Today
Funeral services conducted by the Rev. L. A. C. Pitcaithly of Grace Episcopal Church, Westwood, were scheduled to be held at Halsey Funeral Home, Westwood, this afternoon for John W. Brunnemer of 446 Bergen Boulevard, Oradell. Burial was to follow at Westwood Cemetery. Mr. Brunnemer, who would have been 51 January 13, died Christmas Eve during surgery at Post Graduate Hospital, New York City where he had been a patient one day. He was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., son of William H. and Katherine Paasch Brunnemer, and was secretary-treasurer of Shoefer and Klaussmann, coffee merchants, New York City. Until he became a resident of Oradell 4 months ago he had lived in Nyack, N. Y. Surviving is his wife, Mrs. Genevieve Doremus Brunnemer.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, New York, Monday, November 16, 1914

DROPS DEAD WHILE PLAYING BASEBALL
W. H. Brunnemer, Extra Club Pitcher, Dies Suddenly at Highland Playground. William Henry Brunnemer, one of the prominent members of the Etna Club and widely known throughout East New York as a baseball player, died very suddenly Saturday afternoon on Jamaica avenue, near the Highland Playground baseball diamond, at the head of Dresden street. Mr. Brunnemer was the pitcher for the Etna nine and he was playing a practice game with some of the members of the club and others, including his son, John W. Brunnemer, when he complained of having pains around the heart and stomach. He tossed the ball to one of the players and had walked to the entrance of the playground when he was seen to stagger and fall. The ball players at once ran to Mr. Brunnemer's side and Dr. Rose, who was passing, went to his assistance. It was too late, as the man was dead. An ambulance surgeon from the Bradford street hospital was called up by someone and he insisted on taking the body of Mr. Brunnemer to the police station on Liberty avenue, half a mile away, although young Brunnemer asked to have the remains conveyed to the Etna street house. Mr. Brunnemer lived opposite the Etna clubhouse and he was one of the leaders in its social life. He was a crack baseball pitcher and played with the old Howard team before the Etna team was organized. He was entered for the coming pool tournament of the club and was one of the committee for the annual reception to be held in two weeks. He was born in Brooklyn January 19, forty-four years ago, and was a bookkeeper for the Consolidated Telegraph and Electrical Subway Company of Manhattan. He was a member of Fraternity Council, Royal Arcanum, and the Michael J. Tighe Association, and leaves a widow, Catherine Speckmann, and one son. The funeral services will be held tomorrow night at 8 o'clock, with the Rev. Dr. Francis G. Howell, pastor of the Andrews M. E. Church, officiating. The interment will be made Wednesday in Evergreens Cemetery. The Etna Club's baseball team will attend the funeral in a body."