AAdditional Games
- Chessgames
- Game, Haakon Opsahl vs. Allen G. Pearsall, Correspondence Chess League, 1935.
Team Matches Aid To Chess in Canada 21 Oct 1939, Sat The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
TEAM MATCHES AID TO CHESS IN CANADA
Strong Opposition in Argentine Improved Opsahl Particularly, Yanofsky Says
Toronto, October 20.—(CP)—Most notable result of the recent international chess tournament at Buenos Aires from a Canadian standpoint was the marked improvement in the play of the members of the Canadian team, according to Abie Yanofsky, 15-year-old Winnipeg member of the team that finished second to Iceland in the consolation event.
Yanofsky arrived here today from New York on his way home. He left for Winnipeg tonight.
Perhaps the most-improved player because of experience gained in tournament competition is Haakon Opsahl, of Temiskaming, Ont., who previously, due to lack of class “A” competition in his own district, played most of his chess through correspondence.
Walter Holowach, of Edmonton, also showed progress while Miss Annabelle Lougheed, of Toronto, only Canadian woman in the tournament, improved to such an extent that Yanofsky believes her openings now are as good as those of any class “A” player.
Miss Lougheed took lessons from an Argentine professional as well as competing four hours a day in the women's division.
As for himself, Abie, youngest player in the tournament, said he felt his game had improved to such an extent that he now could “take on anybody.” He lost only one game in the consolation round.
Yanofsky thought the play of Dr. Alexander Alekhine, of France, was “most interesting.” He said he learned “a lot” from the few fleeting chances he had to watch Alekhine, the world champion, in action.
TEMISKAMING CHESS PLAYER REPORTED HURT IN ACTION 29 Sep 1944, Fri North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com
TEMISKAMING CHESS PLAYER REPORTED HURT IN ACTION
At one time one of Canada's most outstanding chess players Private Haakon Opsahl, formerly of Temiskaming, has been reported wounded while in action in France. A member of the famous Northern Ontario fighting unit the Algonquin Regiment Pte. Opsahl represented Canada in the International Chess Tournament held at Buenos Aires in 1938.
Word that Pte. Opsahl had been wounded in France and is now in hospital in England was received through the Canadian Red Cross by Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Alford, North Bay. The young soldier's family lives in Norway.
A former resident of Temiskaming, Pte. Opsahl was widely known in skiing circles in Northern Ontario. In 1938 he was selected as a member of the team which represented the Dominion of Canada in the International Chess Tournament held in Buenos Aires. He also placed third in the all-Canadian chess championship tournament held in Winnipeg before the Algonquins went to Britain in June, 1943.
Praises Blood Donors 15 Nov 1944, Wed North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com
Praises Blood Donors
Now in a hospital in England, Pte. Haakon Opsahl, above, of Temiskaming, suffered 17 wounds while serving with the Algonquin Regiment in France. Writing from his hospital bed to Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Alford, North Bay, Pte. Opsahl said: “I know when I've got my health back I'll give away plenty of blood. Others saved my life by calling at the blood donor clinic.”
Formerly one of Canada's most outstanding chess players Pte. Opsahl anticipates returning to Canada.
Haakon always did 'fine, just fine' 27 Feb 1988, Sat North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com
Haakon always did 'fine, just fine'
Many couldn't even pronounce his name.
But in many ways Haakon Opsahl left his mark on Temiscaming and in some measure as a veteran of the Canadian Army on the nation itself.
He was only an individual in the large Scandinavian colony which was a dominant entity in the Temiscaming population of the early 1930s and which continued into the Second World War years.
He never tried to push himself in the forefront but somehow his personality blazed among the crowd.
I only became fully acquainted with him when we both took lodgings at the same boarding house during my early working years at the pulp mill.
At that time I knew him casually as a nice guy who circulated in many circles, took part in many physical activities but seemed to retain a certain individuality that set him somewhat apart from the rest of us.
For a time I had grave doubts about him. Each day there would be a postcard addressed to him lying on the table in the rotunda of the boarding house. There was never a greeting or a message on the back of the card. But there was always a code and it changed with each card.
“Maybe he's some sort of spy or secret agent,” I mused to myself.
And besides he was very dark-skinned more like a Latin-type than a Scandinavian. Maybe the appearance he presented for general acceptance was just a sham.
Being young and fresh my curiosity finally overcome any sense of protocol and I approached him directly about the cards and their codes.
Simple, he said. He was a chess buff who played games with other similar enthusiasts across the country by correspondence Each card represented a single move. And up in his room he kept a number of boards each representing a game in progress. The room maids had strict instructions never to disturb them.
Holidays consisted of two weeks at Montreal playing chess. For the most part the games continued for 12 hours of the day. On one occasion he showed me his little black book with a list of his competitors. Some were apparently top-ranking world contenders. But away in the back pages were some other names like Marie, Estelle, Lorette, Marie and phone numbers.
“Are they chess players too?” I asked.
“Not exactly,” he replied.
In physical and athletic endeavors Haakon accepted almost every challenge of the times. He was a good tennis player, played soccer and like almost everyone of that era in Temiscaming skied and paddled.
He began ski jumping at a relatively late age and had some difficulties keeping pace with participants like the Bakkelund brothers, Ole and Mathias Kurt Lovgren, Paul Pharand, Raymond Montgomery and other local favorites. Ski jumping drew the crowds to the ski club in those days.
Haakon never seemed to make it to the top but his enthusiasm never faltered. He never had excuses for his performances and each year he would say, “We'll do better next year.”
One year during the ski-jumping competitions, he scared everyone, especially the judges.
For reasons unknown and never explained he veered sideways at the takeoff and sailed into the pine trees over the heads of the judges, huddled in their enclosure near the lip of the jump at the top of the landing hill.
Everyone shuddered and groaned audibly. But much to the amazement of all he walked uninjured from the grove of trees assuring the onlookers, “I'm fine, just fine.”
And then in the final season before joining the Algonquin Regiment and going overseas he topped the field in the local jumping competitions. To all who knew him it was fitting reward for a real sportsman.
Haakon came back from the war a badly crippled individual.
I met him on the streets of Temiscaming. He was barely navigating with the aid of two crutches.
“Oh I'm doing fine, just fine,” he said.
And from word I received later his statement rang true.
Back in Norway he established a business and married.
I received only one letter from him during all the years since the war, but I like to think he is still, “Doing fine, just fine.”
