September 26 1947
The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, Friday, September 26, 1947
World Chess Ace Feature Here Today
CHESS, MEMORY CHAMP IN DESPAIR—George Koltanowski, recognized world's champion blindfold chess player and memory wizard, had difficulty concentrating on the game when attractive Misses Bora Laken (left) and Barbara Brown, Santa Rosa's own queen, helped with moves. Koltanowski will demonstrate his unique ability this evening at 8 o'clock in Native Sons' hall, Mendocino avenue. He will play eight games of chess simultaneously while blindfolded, aided only by an assistant calling competitive moves. (Staff Photo).
World Chess Champ Feature Here Today
More Neighboring Communities to Be Feted As Open House Goes Into Sixth Day
A man who has baffled psychologists with his memory and concentration wizardry will be featured here today as Santa Rosa's weeklong Open House program goes into its sixth day.
He is George Koltanowski, world's champion blindfold chess champion and memory expert, who will play eight chess games simultaneously against crack teams from Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Vallejo, Petaluma and San Rafael while blindfolded.
The unique demonstration will be staged tonight at 7:30 o'clock in Native Sons' Hall, Mendocino avenue, and will be open to the public free of charge.
Especially invited to today's festivities will be delegates from Sonoma, Sebastopol, Guerneville, Jenner and Bodega—city and community officials and their beauty queens, who will be honored at a noon program in the courthouse plaza.
Shows Continue
Also in progress will be the weeklong exhibits the art show in Native Sons' Hall, the major appliance exhibit at 507 Fourth street, where visitors are interviewed before a wire recorder and hear their own words played back to them immediately, the industrial exhibit at 524 Fourth street, where scores of articles from gloves to fine wines, made in Santa Rosa, are interestingly displayed.
Throngs of visitors from throughout the northbay streamed into this city yesterday as guests of Santa Rosa.
Open House Lauded
Biggest crowd of the week filled the courthouse plaza for noonday ceremonies, KSRO broadcast and the open-air show. They heard William Deiss, city councilman of Petaluma, who represented that city's Mayor Jasper S. Woodson, declare:
“This Open House Week is a fine gesture of community friendship which should be repeated, in other cities. We are all dependent upon one another and should know one another better. I should like to see events like this all over the country.”
Deiss escorted Miss Jacque Rupe, 18-year-old senior at Petaluma High School, who is “Miss Petaluma.” Mayor Obert Pedersen and Barbara Brown, “Miss Santa Rosa,” greeted them at the courthouse steps. “Queen Barbara” arrived in her victoria, with the color guard of the Sonoma County Driving and Riding Club as escort, and wearing her scarlet Spanish gown and mantilla.
The noonday ceremonies took place in the midst of the Farm Machinery Exhibit which lined the courthouse plaza with bright banners flying over approximately $200,000 worth of newest type tractors, cultivators, spray machines, deep-well and surface pumps, milkers and other agricultural equipment.
Chess Demonstration
In his chess demonstration tonight, Koltanowski will listen to each move of his opponents as announced by an official teller, and will order his own corresponding moves on each board all this while blindfolded.
He also will perform his sensational “Knight's Tour,” a seemingly impossible memory feat.
Playing against Koltanowski tonight on the Santa Rosa teams will be Judge B. C. Jenkins, Thomas Shoemaker, Walter Sherman, Glen Watson, John Boschen; Frank Schneider, Alan Kelly, Mrs. Barbara Summerville and John Vanderkwast.
Other teams playing tonight will be:
Ukiah—Irving Brazier, Lloyd Bittenberger, Bill Bittenberger, Charles Bradford, V. Andrews;
Petaluma—Harold Jaroske, Gus Wollman, Brand Johnson, Lionel Wolfson, A. Eisenstein;
San Rafael—Bob Upham, Bob Allison, Allen Atkins, Bill Knowlton, Frank Sutherland, Wagner de Alessi, William Howe. Vallejo also will send a team.
