Hugh Myers (1930-2008) [Chessplayer]

Hugh Myers (1930-2008), opening theoretician 25.12.2008 – The chess world has lost a particularly creative player and prominent exponent of unorthodox openings. Hugh Myers was a true chess lover: an author, theoretician and magazine editor who wrote a gripping autobiography and made a memorable contribution to chess politics. Four of his entertaining games are presented here. In memoriam.

Hugh Myers (1930-2008) With the death of Hugh Edward Myers (Davenport, IA, USA) the chess world has lost a writer and theoretician most noted for specializing in ‘unusual’ openings. From November 1979 to December 1996 he intermittently edited and published The Myers Openings Bulletin, offering a remarkable diet of deeply-researched openings articles (no opening seemed too abstruse for consideration), historical features, book reviews and topical commentary. He included contributions from many writers who later gained prominence in their own right, and the Bulletin built up a loyal, affectionate readership throughout the world.

It was with sadness that I received the current issue of Chess Life and read of the passing of Hugh Myers.

I'm really not much of a chess player; and certainly I wasn't in his league. But we were matched in a postal tournament back in the early 70s. For those who don't know, postal chess is frequently more than sending post cards back and forth with moves. With the extra space on the cards conversations and maybe even friendships develop over the years it takes to complete a game.

And so it was with Myers and me. I'm not sure how I recognized that he was someone known to the chess world, but I saw a description of his Nimzovitch Defence monograph in one of the USCF catalogues. Why I would have looked, or how I connected him with the catalogue entry I'm not sure. They described him as "an inveterate explorer of the openings." I had a lot of fun with that phrase kidding him about how I felt I had no chance against an "inveterate explorer." As I recall we discussed quite a number of issues as we moved along. During the course of our game he decided to move to the Dominican Republic, which he was obviouslsy fond of. So he couldn't really continue our game. He offered me a draw while he had a stronger position than I; and I immediately accepted.

I save everything. I think I still have his post cards somewhere. I'll have to look for them.

RIP Hugh Myers

ML/NJ

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