Jan-01-05
 | | Benzol: Gunnar Gundersen
Born 11th March 1882 in Bordeaux
Died 9th February 1943 in Melbourne
He was New Zealand champion in 1929-30 and 1931-32. |
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Sep-30-08
 | | GrahamClayton: Gundersen was raised in Melbourne, where his Norwegian father was the Scandinavian consul. Gundersen started to play chess at his first year of study at Melbourne University in 1902. He would eventually become Professor of Mathematics at the same university. Victorian State champion 1907, 1908, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 and 1922. Gundersen also competed in the 1914 Mannheim candidate masters event, scoring 2.5/11 before the outbreak of World War 1 stopped the tournament. Sources:
Anthony Wright "Australian Chess to 1914", Melbourne 1995
John van Manen "The Records of Australian Chess - Tournament and Match Tables - Volumes I & II", Modbury Heights, 1987 |
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Mar-11-14 | | waustad: <Scandinavian consul> That explains how somebody with his name was born in France. At that time the title makes sense since the personal union between Norway and Sweden was still in effect for about 20 more years. |
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Mar-11-15 | | Eastfrisian: Any photo of him ?? |
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Mar-11-15
 | | whiteshark: "The legendary Gunnar Gundersen, born in France of Norwegian parents in 1882, spent most of his life in Melbourne, where he lectured in Mathematics. Renowned for his quick play and smooth and stately style, he won the Victorian championship 12 times between 1907 and 1929 and was twice champion of New Zealand; the Australian title eluded him. The outbreak of the first world war found Gundersen in Germany, where he was competing in the Hauptturnier at the Mannheim congress. Many of those present who were not Germans or Austrians were arrested, including Alekhine, who later escaped and returned home to join the Russian army. Others, including Rubinstein and Bogoljubov, were interned for the duration. Gundersen himself got out through Denmark, using a false passport, which he later had framed. The club's records say little of the great war. Tournaments were organised for the Red Cross and the Wounded Soldiers fund. There has not come down to us the Honour Roll that hung in the clubroom of members and their sons who had enlisted. Gundersen wrote the Australasian's column from 1910 to 1938, when he retired from active play. His chess library was extensive and his authority as a chess historian was unquestionable. (There is in the Anderson collection a copy of Walker's Chess Studies, from Gundersen's library. Published in 1844, it was bought by Sir George Stephen, and came to Gundersen via Louis Goldsmith. The book contains some games played by Stephen in 1850, one with notes by Staunton.) Gundersen and his wife were much given to entertaining visiting players at their home "Tristan" in Mathoura Rd, Toorak, where dinner was followed by Kriegspiel, cricket and song. <Cecil Purdy once described Gundersen as the soul of the club.>" Source: http://www.melbournechessclub.org/m... |
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Mar-11-15 | | zanzibar: And also:
<[H.E. Grant's] work for the club was marked by various presentations.: the purse of sovereigns in 1912: the book of problems composed in his honour in 1914; <the case of pipes at the dinner given by the Gundersens in 1925.>> |
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Mar-11-15
 | | Tabanus: The Argus (Melbourne) 11 Feb. 1943 p. 11:
<The death occurred yesterday of Mr Gunnar Gundersen, BSc, of 88 Mathoura rd, Toorak. Mr Gundersen's father was Scandinavian Consul for some years before appointment of separate Consuls for Norway and Sweden. A Wyselaskie
scholarship winner, Mr Gundersen in 1920 was appointed to the staff of Melbourne University, and from 1923 was senior lecturer in mathematics
until 1942, when ill-health compelled him to relinquish the post. In this
period he also acted as professor in Professor Mitchell's absence abroad.
For many years Mr Gundersen edited the weekly chess column in The Australasian. He was a life member of Melbourne Chess Club, and was 12 times holder of the Victorian chess championship title. He leaves a widow (who is a sister of John Amadio, flautist) and one son. His sister, Dr Sara Gundersen, is senior lecturer in bacteriology at Mellbourne University. The funeral will leave A. A. Sleight's chapel at 3.30 tomorrow for Springvale Crematorium.> http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/f... |
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