Chess for the People

 

source: see below

A frequent correspondent notes the above long article from Al Ha'mishmar. It starts with quoting a letter by Ya'akov Gavish, from Haderah, writing to Al Ha'mishmar, and published by Eliahu Shahaf on 27 October, 1950, p. 4. Gavish notes that much activity had been done by individuals in the country, while the center - the Emanuel Lasker club in Tel Aviv - had been rather inactive. Gavish also adds that this is done mostly by worker's unions and the Histadrut as a whole. 

Shahaf agrees, and notes that only by such government or public action can chess be improved in Israel, in particular by the creation (or rather revival) of a national sports organization, as it was in the USSR, under the motto: "chess - for the people!" It adds that the Lasker club always saw all criticism as a personal attack and only did internal reforms, which amounted to nothing. 

In fact, just what Shahaf says was done. Chess in the early state was taken over, in effect, by the Histadrut (through its sports section, Ha'poel) all over the country, leading to a great rise in the quality and quantity of chess in the country.