I have just received a report of the death of Mr Abram Bernfield at the age of 72 in the Bethnal Green Hospital on 27th December 1982. Mr Bernfield joined the GLC Staff Chess Club in 1947 and will be remembered in the CS League for his friendly personality and playing strength. Elected a Vice-President in 1972, he also won the GLC Staff Chess Club Championship seven times. He was a great enthusiast and played in virtually all the London weekend tournaments.

Kevin J Thurlow, Bulletin Editor, August 1983

I am sure all who knew Abram Bernfield (retired 1976) will be saddened as were members of GLC Chess Club to learn of his death, at the age of 72, in the Bethnal Green Hospital on 27th December 1982. He was buried in the Jewish Community Cemetery at Bushey Green on 3rd January 1983. Regrettably, I learned of this only after several telephone calls to try to establish why ‘Bernie’ had not attended a Chess Club committee meeting on 11th January 1983. Her had always been punctilious in presenting his apologies in advance if unable to attend a meeting or Club event.

Bernie was one of the real characters in our Club, someone I came to know, respect and warmly regard over the past twenty years. He was an inveterate chain smoker, a strict vegetarian and an avid chess player all of which, to a greater or lesser degree, doubtless accounted for his slightly emaciated appearance. He invariably carried a large, heavy briefcase which contained, among other things, packets of cigarettes, chess books and a small chess set. I marvelled that he could go around thus laden when he weighed only some seven stones. He was generous to a fault. An endearing habit he had in the pub was meticulously to write down a drinks order in Pitman’s shorthand on an old envelope or odd scrap of paper. He was of the generation that had had to learn shorthand and typing within two years of entering the old general grade in order to remain in the Service!

In his time Bernie played against some of the great British chess masters such as C H O’D Alexander, Sir P S Milner-Barry and Sir George Thomas, and had some of his games published. He participated in chess congresses up and down the country over many years and had intended to play in the Lambeth congress organised by the Club in February. He always acquitted himself well in these events but failed to win a major prize. However, he fared better in the Club and won the Championship seven times. I have not been able to establish the exact date on which he joined the Club, but assume it was before the 1939-1945 War. He was appointed to the Committee in 1947 and was elected a Vice-President at the 1972 AGM to mark his 25 years’ committee service.

Bernie’s close relatives predeceased him and he died a bachelor. Typically, he has bequeathed £100 and his not inconsiderable library of books on chess to the Club. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

G P Ashelford, November 1983

I was sorry to learn of the demise of A Bernfield. He joined the LCC at the time of our Association’s resurrection after the 1939-1945 War. He always played readily and cheerily on board 2 although he was a stronger player than John Foley who as doyen of the Club and pioneer of social welfare in LCC regarded Board 1 as his prescriptive right. We remember Bernfield as unobtrusively courteous and friendly, a gentleman it was always a pleasure to meet.