The Gift of Chess

Notice to commercial publishers seeking use of images from this collection of chess-related archive blogs. For use of the many large color restorations, two conditions must be met: 1) It is YOUR responsibility to obtain written permissions for use from the current holders of rights over the original b/w photo. Then, 2) make a tax-deductible donation to The Gift of Chess in honor of Robert J. Fischer-Newspaper Archives. A donation in the amount of $250 USD or greater is requested for images above 2000 pixels and other special request items. For small images, such as for fair use on personal blogs, all credits must remain intact and a donation is still requested but negotiable. Please direct any photographs for restoration and special request (for best results, scanned and submitted at their highest possible resolution), including any additional questions to S. Mooney, at bobbynewspaperblogs•gmail. As highlighted in the ABC News feature, chess has numerous benefits for individuals, including enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, improving concentration and memory, and promoting social interaction and community building. Initiatives like The Gift of Chess have the potential to bring these benefits to a wider audience, particularly in areas where access to educational and recreational resources is limited.

Best of Chess Fischer Newspaper Archives
• Robert J. Fischer, 1955 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1956 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1957 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1958 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1959 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1960 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1961 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1962 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1963 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1964 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1965 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1966 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1967 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1968 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1969 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1970 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1971 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1972 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1973 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1974 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1975 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1976 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1977 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1978 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1979 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1980 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1981 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1982 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1983 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1984 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1985 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1986 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1987 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1988 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1989 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1990 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1991 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1992 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1993 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1994 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1995 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1996 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1997 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1998 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1999 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2000 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2001 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2002 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2003 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2004 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2005 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2006 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2007 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2008 bio + additional games
Chess Columns Additional Archives/Social Media

Donald Byrne, 2010

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February 21 2010

Centre Daily Times, State College, Pennsylvania, Sunday, February 21, 2010

Madge Coleman Byrne

Madge Coleman Byrne
September 28, 1925—January 26, 2010.
Madge Coleman Byrne died peacefully in her home on Jan. 26, 2010.
Born Madge Ellen Coleman to William Noble Coleman and Desse Lee Austin Coleman in Detroit, Mich., Sept. 28, 1925, she lived a long and rich life, full of both great sorrow and great joy. She came from a wealthy family that lost their fortune in the Great Depression, so she raised rabbits in the backyard for food as a child. She sang professionally with big bands in Detroit and Chicago during high school and college, which she paid for herself. She graduated summa cum laude from University of Michigan in English, stayed at Michigan on a graduate assistantship in philosophy and studied in Paris on a Fulbright scholarship.
At Michigan, she met Donald Byrne and on Feb. 6, 1954, they married. Madge and Donald taught at Olivet College and at Valparaiso University where they had two sons, Jonathan, born June 21, 1958, and Christopher, born Dec. 14, 1960. Madge had finished nearly all of her doctoral thesis when her advisor died and Donald contracted a terminal disease. Donald beat his prognoses by 10 years and lived until 1976, serving as English teacher and chess coach for Penn State and competing internationally on the U.S. chess team. After several years grieving death, Madge blossomed as an independent woman who was happy living alone in the College Heights home in which she had raised her family.
Despite excellent references from her prior teaching, Penn philosophy department refused to hire her and discouraged her from finishing her Ph.D. because “a woman has no business teaching philosophy.” When Donald's death was imminent, she took a minimum wage labor job at Pattee Library and worked her way up to be a supervisor in the cataloging department, where her knowledge of French, German and Latin enabled her to invent some of the cataloging protocols in use today. She retired in 1990 after 16 years of full-time service to the library.
In her retirement, she traveled the world and energetically volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Centre Volunteers in Medicine, the Palmer Museum Docents and many other organizations. She was a life-long learner and took Penn State courses in history and art history throughout her retirement and also took in dozens of lectures on video and cassette. She invested much of her time and energy in her grandchildren. Nurturing her granddaughters' pursuit of music and dance was especially close to her heart.
She stayed active in music herself, singing for many years with the State College Choral Society and was a patron of our local orchestras. She occasionally sang jazz with her son Chris' bands, which in recent years included one or more of her grand- daughters. Madge's last public performance was with the Jackson-Byrne Band at Big Easy while celebrating her 80th birthday with the rest of her family on the dance floor.
She took great pride in compiling an encyclopedic scrapbook of chess tournaments, which brought his brilliant but tragically short career renewed attention. Along with the wonderful advocacy of former Penn State team member Dan Heisman, the book resulted in Donald being posthumously inducted into the U.S Chess Hall of Fame in 2003. Madge was given the “Chess Mate of the Year” award by the U.S. Chess Federation.
Madge's son, Jonathan, died in October 2009, a blow she endured with characteristic strength. She spent her last months at home under the care of her son, Chris, and his family, not really ill but rapidly winding down. Strong-willed to the end, when Madge made up her mind it was time to die, she did with grace, humor and a brave acceptance of the unknown she was facing.
Madge is survived by her son, Christopher, his wife, Caryl, and their daughters, Keely, Adrienne, Grace; and her son Jonathan's son, Jonathan Michael Byrne, of Burke, Va.
Memorial contributions can be made to Centre Volunteers in Medicine. Friends will be received in home from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010.


'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains:

Bobby Fischer, First Amendment, Freedom of Speech
What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy.
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace.
Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws --
https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos
After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks.

This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.

Robert J. Fischer, Kid Chess Wizard 1956March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008

The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.

Special Thanks