| Dec-02-08 | | whiteshark: I should have Dondis a long time ago. |
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Apr-25-09
 | | Tabanus: Harold Dondis was born on October 1, 1922 in Rockland, Maine. He has been a writer for the Boston Globe’s chess column for over 40 years, first appearing in 1964. On March 2, 1964, he defeated Bobby Fischer is a simultaneous exhibition. He is considered the Dean of New England Chess Journalists. He is a former president of the Massachusetts State Chess Association (MSCA). In 1967, he co-founded the U.S. chess Trust with Ed Edmondson. He is a lawyer, graduating from Harvard Law School in 1945 http://www.geocities.com/siliconval... |
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Jul-29-10
 | | GrahamClayton: Harvard Law School article:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/bul... |
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Sep-29-10
| | GrahamClayton: Photo and more details:
http://www.richmaylaw.com/hbd_bio |
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| Sep-15-11 | | Cemoblanca: Dondis eats Goliath! ;0) >>> Fischer vs H Dondis, 1964 |
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Sep-15-11
 | | perfidious: In the 1980s, I played numerous tournaments with Harold and his close friend John A Curdo. They were vastly different in playing strength, but in personality had far more in common: two decent men, quiet, unpretentious, so that there was nothing on the face of things to call attention to their being to play at all well. The second article <Graham> posted tells me more than I ever knew, at least to hear Harold tell it, because he wasn't much for talking about himself, same as this man who also contributed greatly to chess in Boston: Harry Lyman. |
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| Oct-13-14 | | zanzibar: Dear biographers:
Could someone please add to the bio that Harold is a long time writer of <Chess Notes>, the weekly (or more) chess column of the Boston Globe. More bio info:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/bul... Online weekly column:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl... |
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| Oct-13-14 | | zanzibar: (Actually, most of <Tabanus> 2009 comment should go in his "official" bio) |
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| Apr-28-15 | | MoonlitKnight: And he just won a tournament!
https://chessdailynews.com/92-year-... |
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Apr-28-15
| | perfidious: WTG Harold! |
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| May-23-15 | | TheFocus: <Chess involves great energy, computational ability, knowledge and steady care. I find it esthetically pleasing, instructive, and by the way very helpful in keeping active in one’s old age> - Harold Dondis. |
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| Dec-13-15 | | zanzibar: RIP - Harold Dondis, long time writer of the chess column in the Boston Globe. It's nice that they manage to petition its continuation this year, so the column could outlast him. It's one of the last chess columns published in a US newspaper. From his obit:
<Mr. Dondis had a great interest in the game of chess and founded the U.S. Chess Trust. This Trust became the charitable arm of the U.S. Chess Federation. He wrote the chess column for the Boston Globe for 50 years.> A celebration of his life will be held 3-7pm, Dec 16 at Brasco & Sons Memorial Chapel in Belmont. More details: www.BrascoFuneralHome.com
As a lawyer, he argued several cases in front of the US Supreme Court. http://www.richmaylaw.com/?t=3&A=50...
(includes a picture) |
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| Dec-13-15 | | RookFile: I heard he died while playing in a Thursday night swiss event at the Boylston chess club. |
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| Dec-13-15 | | zanzibar: Yes, <RookFile>, as relayed on the Bolyston CC weblog. I think I'll just copy it over in its entirety: <Many of us at the club learned about his passing from Andrew Hoy's email. December 11, 2015
Hi Everyone,
I'm sad to share the news that Harold Dondis passed away last night after playing in the Thursday Night Swiss. He had chest pains and thought he had had a heart attack, and he collapsed shortly after Cambridge Fire Department was called. Harold received CPR on the scene, and the paramedics arrived very quickly and tried everything they could possibly try but Harold never regained consciousness. The wake will be at some point next week, and I will share more information about the arrangements once I have it. I take a small measure of comfort in the fact that Harold was with friends and playing the game that we all love. Please keep Harold, his family, and his friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Andrew Hoy
A dozen years ago Harold was quoted:
I’m not an impressive player, but I love the game. I’m 81. I still play it. I love it. I even had a heart attack during one game. It doesn’t bother me. I love it so much ~ Harold Dondis> Boylston Chess Club
40 Norris St.
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140
(617) 714-3022
http://boylston-chess-club.blogspot... |
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Dec-13-15
| | perfidious: RIP to another of the stalwarts of the BCC.
Harold was a fine man indeed, whom it was my privilege to know through the 1980s. |
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| Dec-14-15 | | zanzibar: Strange to see his column in the Globe today with no mention, no matter how brief, of his death. |
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| Dec-15-15 | | Granny O Doul: Maybe he didn't know in time. |
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| Dec-15-15 | | zanzibar: <Granny> The article was by Dondis himself (and Chase), and was posthumously published. My criticism is that the editors didn't see fit to add a short postscript. |
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| Dec-16-15 | | RookFile: I played him once. He asked me if I would be offended if he read some book during play, I said it was fine with me. I opened with 1. e4 and the game went to a Petroff. At some point I became uncomfortable with his pressure against my f2 point. I worked really hard in the middlegame, he was reading. At some point, both sides were just attacking, and John Curdo had a smile on his face watching this game. I managed to win, probably because the game meant more to me than it did him. Dondis was an attorney and editor of the chess column of the Boston Globe. He had good manners and seemed really smart. In short, he lived a long, successful life. |
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Dec-16-15
 | | chancho: Yup, very successful and on top of that he defeated Bobby Fischer in a simul. Extremely nice man.
RIP. |
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Dec-16-15
 | | WannaBe: Sad to hear of his passing, went out while doing/playing something he loved. That's how I would want it, too. |
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| Dec-17-15 | | zanzibar: The reference (1) in his bio above seems a little, er, "off". Or a bit random, should we say? |
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| Dec-19-15 | | zanzibar: BTW- we had one close call with the Globe discontinuing the chess column when Dondis was alive, just about a year ago: http://boylston-chess-club.blogspot... Let's hope it continues for a good while into the future. |
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| Jan-02-16 | | epistle: This article belongs here--
http://www.jweekly.com/article/full... |
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Kibitzing
