Cosmonauts, Prisoners, and Chess

Source: Chess Life, vol. 19 no. 11, p. 281.

Another item from Mr. Herbert Halsegger, this time - cosmonauts and prisoners both play chess - not against each other, unfortunately - and the prisoners even win their match. 

Henry Wittenberg, from Chess to Swimming to Wrestling

Source: Southern Jewish Weekly, 25 August 1950, p. 6.

The above cutting - from here - was provided to us by Herbert Halsegger. It notes an interesting example of a Jewish sportsman, Henry Wittenberg, who started as a chess player... moved to swimming... and from there to wrestling. While Wittenberg's chess achievements don't seem to go beyond being an amateur player in high school (the text implies that he was not strong enough to make the team at city college, still less in a stronger field), it is interesting that he moved on to, of all sports, wrestling. In particular, he participated in the Maccabiah. 

Fischer not Playing in Tel Aviv, 1964

 

Source Chess Life, vol. 19 no. 9, p. 214

Our frequent correspondent, Herbert Halsegger, had recently sent us a significant number of interesting information relating to chess in Israel. One is above: a detailed discussion of Fischer's famous refusal to play in the Olympiad in 1964.  

Who Says there are no New Chess Clubs?

 

Above are two quick snapshots I made of a chess club which just opened as part of a new youth education center in Herzliya. It is on the second floor of the building, as the Hebrew sign notes, and the entrance also has a large, open-air chess board near the entrance. 

Does anybody ever have pieces of the correct size, or ever plays, on these "boards," or are they just there for decoration?