A1951
August 31 1951
The Province Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Friday, August 31, 1951
High School Student Leads Chess Chase
(Caption: Canadian Chess championship hung in the balance today in Hotel Vancouver, like the king and queen in the hands of likely titlist Frank Anderson. The Toronto student finished play in the lead Thursday night with a point total of 10. But Dr. Theodore Bohatirchuk, of Ottawa, and Paul Vaitonis, of Hamilton, Ont., had a chance to beat him in their final matches today, ending tourney.)
A 23-year-old Toronto high school student who plans to be an atomic scientist seemed headed today to be Canada's next chess champion.
Frank Anderson, wo learned the game from books while confined to bed with crippling arthritis, finished play Thursday night at Hotel Vancouver with 10 points.
ONE DEFEAT
In his final match of the 13-game tournament he suffered his only defeat.
The match was won in 41 moves by Dr. Feodore Bohatirchuk of Ottawa, a former all-Russian champ and one-time conqueror of World Champion Milkhail Botvinnik.
Dr. Bohatirchuk and Paul Vaitonis of Hamilton, Ont., are tied with 8½ points, and both had a slim chance to beat Anderson by winning their matches today.
Behind them in the standings came Abe Yanofsky. Canada's only chess master, 7½ points; Maurice Fox, defending champ, 5½; Dr. Nathan Divinsky and Walter Jursevskis, 5 each; Jack Taylor and Frank Yerhoff, 4 each; Walter Holowach and R. Hayes, with 3 each; Howard Ridout, 2, and Charles Millar one.
BATTLE TONIGHT
The crucial battle will come tonight, and young Anderson plans to be at the tables to watch closely.
But this morning he slept in. “It was a hard fight last night,” he said, “and I thought I had a little extra sleep coming to me.”
Was he worried about today's matches?
“No, not particularly. There's a possibility they will beat me, but I'm not worried.”
The slim young student, who is still working to complete his matric so he can go to University of Toronto, says he has no special chess ambitions.
WANTS RESEARCH
What he does want to do after high school is major in mathematics and physics and then get a post as a nuclear scientist in an atomic research laboratory.
His education has been delayed because of his long bout with arthritis, started by rheumatic fever, but he reads an average of two non-fiction books a week to make up for this.
Anderson said he has read 150 books on chess and at one time during a two-year period he was confined to bed he had 50 games going by correspondence with opponents all over North and South American.
He is the eldest son in a family of five children which includes two twin brothers. His father is wire chief in the CNR's Toronto telegraph service.
MAGAZINES, TOO
Young Anderson says that in addition to his voluminous non-fiction reading, he also reads five chess magazines and science fiction.
“The magazines keep me up to date on all the latest developments and novelty moves in chess, and the science fiction is relaxing,” he says.
And what's humanity's future in the atomic age?
“That's too big a question for me. I'll pass that one.” he said.
