AMarch 19 1995
The Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, Sunday, March 19, 1995
A Day of Strategy
International Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier moves around a ring of tables at the Akron-Summit County downtown library yesterday, playing 30 chess games at once against members of the Akron Chess Club, Bisguier won 23 of the games.
Dan Schlue holds his head as he ponders his move against chess grandmaster Arthur Bisguier (standing at left, back to camera) yesterday at the library in downtown Akron.
Chess grandmaster Arthur Bisguier (standing) considers a move as he plays one of 30 members of the Akron Chess Club yesterday at the Akron-Summit County Public Library. In the foreground are Stuart Taylor (left) and Dave Walker.
Chess champion takes on all comers
Grandmaster challenges members of Akron Chess Club; five of them now can say they beat a man who beat Bobby Fischer (a long time ago)
By Jim Carney, Beacon Journal staff writer
The silence was overwhelming. Thirty of Akron's finest chess players concentrated on beating one of the world's best yesterday at the main library in downtown Akron. The only noises were the sounds of chess pieces being moved, the scratching of heads and international grandmaster Arthur Bisguier mumbling strategy to himself. Bisguier, 65, of Rock Hill, N.Y., challenged members of the Akron Chess Club for more than 4½ hours. He won 23 matches, lost five and tied two.
“It hasn't sunk in that I beat him,” said Jerry Smith, a 41-year-old Akron truck driver, after getting Bisguier to fall for a trap play. “It was a bad day for me,” Bisguier said. “I make mistakes.”
Bisguier met Robert Moeller, the executive director of the club, on a chess cruise in the Atlantic a few years ago and the two men became friends. Moeller, a retired vice president of Cornwell Tool, invited him to Akron to play some of the club's 70 members. The two men are playing in a Chicago tournament later this month.
“He is a giant—a legend of American chess,” the 63-year-old Moeller said of Bisguier. Bisguier is a member of the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame in New Windsor, N.Y.
He won the U.S. Open in 1950, and beat Bobby Fischer in 1954. Bisguier won or tied for first in 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1969. The second time he played Fischer, the game ended in a draw. The third time, Bisguier said, Fischer beat him.
Thirty chess boards were set up on tables in the library conference room.
At 10:15 a.m., the game began.
“Ready or not, here I come,” Bisguier said. He allowed his opponents to make his first move for him.
“The way to be competitive with a superior-rated player is never to play his game,” Bisguier said.
For the next 270 minutes, Bisguier, wearing black shoes, blue jeans, a blue and white striped shirt and a blue cardigan sweater, moved clockwise from player to player. He was paid $250 to appear at the event.
One of the players he beat was Mercer Mitchell Jr., 33, of Akron.
Mitchell works for United Parcel Service and teaches chess after school at Akron's Erie Island School.
“Chess is life in a nutshell,” Mitchell said. “It teaches you self control, discipline, patience and self-confidence. I teach my kids that you never lose—you learn.”
Stuart Taylor, 42, an executive recruiter from Hudson, tied the grandmaster.
“This will probably be the only opportunity to play an individual of his stature in my life,” Taylor said.
As the games progressed, Tom Lenin, 28, of Kent, found himself at an advantage over Bisguier.
“I must be hallucinating,” he said.
He wasn't. Lenin eventually beat Bisguier.
When Richard Fioravanti, 46, of Bath Township, made his move, Bisguier paused for a few seconds to think about his next move.
“Bless you for stopping and thinking,” Fioravanti said.
Bisguier is semi-retired. He has worked in accounting, computer programming, technical writing and magazine editing. He is a grandmaster-on-staff for the U.S. Chess Federation and technical adviser to the monthly magazine Chess Life. He has played as many as 100 people at a time.
Bisguier said chess is fascinating at all levels, but he particularly enjoys the social aspects of the game.
“I see people who tell me I inspired them 20 years ago,” he said. “That is gratifying.”
Other winners were David Walker of Akron, Xavier Garcia of Canton and Dean Rowe of Wadsworth. Playing to a draw was Joe Yun of North Canton.
The Akron Chess Club meets every Saturday at 10 a.m. at either the main library or the West Hill Library.
