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A Tribute to Ken Whyld

Links:
British Chess Magazine Eulogy
A loss to us all: Telegraph article
Chess Cafe articles
Neil Brennen at The Campbell Report
The London Telegraph, Telegraphchess:

Chess Historian Ken Whyld passed away on July 11, 2003
(see obituary and biographical information below collected from around the internet).
Goddesschess pays tribute to a great man, who also happened to be a great chess historian.

Jan Newton:
Although I had not known him for very long, Ken was a friend of Goddesschess, as well as a charming and compelling correspondent. I met Ken in Amsterdam in December, 2001 at the Initiative Group Koenigstein symposium of chess historians held at the Max Euwe Centrum. That brief meeting led to an email correspondence between us on a multitude of subjects and, sometimes, we even discussed chess history. Ken was invariably helpful and would provide whatever information he had on whatever bizarre subjects on which I inquired; on the occasions where he had little or nothing in his extensive archives to address my inquiries, he would make suggestions as to where I might find further information. Ken always encouraged me to carry on with my research and didn't seem to mind what I could only think of as occasionally pestering him!

From time to time, we would exchange updates on our latest projects. Ken would also forward items he thought we might find of interest for Goddesschess. Ken provided information on Hannah Flagg Gould and her poem, Address to the Automaton Chess Player. It was also through Ken that I learned about my fifteen seconds of fame (Goddesschess and I were mentioned in an article published in Russian chess magazine 64 about the Amsterdam symposium). I appreciated Ken's laid back, low-key demeanor and great sense of humor. We shared many email laughs together, particularly about my occasional messages that were posted at the Chess Cafe Bulletin Board. Like countless others, I will miss him a great deal. Here is a photograph of two great chess historians, Ken and Ricardo Calvo, taken at a CCI meeting in Vienna, circa 1998, provided by Ricardo's widow, Carmen. Although they have passed on from this realm, these two men will forever inspire me in my endeavors.

Georgia Albert (Isis a/k/a Pocahontas):
I am sad to say that my dear friend Ken Whyld passed away. He helped me greatly with my work on Chess Her/History over the years. I had so many things I still wanted to discuss with him, he died too soon. Ken understood my work, as did Ricardo Calvo, so we got along beautifully. From a woman's point of view, Ken was one of the most charming people I have ever met. His brilliant mind, and quick wit, will be missed in this home, and in the World of Chess. Obituary http://www.bcmchess.co.uk/news/obitwhyld.html
May his soul rest peacefully.

Don McLean (Pimander a/k/a Wallace):
Having met Ken on a couple of occasions while in the company of the late Dr. Ricardo Calvo, it was easy to see that the fondness and great mutual respect these two men held for one another far surpassed the commonplace. Together, they seemed to radiate the kind of warmth and cordialiy so rare in today's world. I felt deeply honoured to have somehow fallen into the midst of their enthusiam for life and chess.

In our very last meeting, following the IGKÕs 2001 Amsterdam Symposium, Ken, Ricardo and I found ourselves discussing the Lewis Carroll connection to chess over a tavern lunch. As it turned out, Ken just happened to be carrying a copy of the libretto from the Alice operetta with him and I was grateful to have had the opportuntiy to browse its contents on the spot. This was my final face to face meeting with either Ken or Ricardo, although I have no reason to doubt that both my Spanish Knight and my White Rabbit are continuing the discussion in some other room in the mansion.

Both these gentlemen have been instrumental in guiding me to the edge of the wood that is chess and chess history - as I am sure they have guided many. I would venture also, that while ideas may take on a life of their own, only the truly exceptional are capable of making lasting impressions out of passing encounters. Ken Whyld was one of those. Bearing such things in mind, we chose to temper the loss of a great man with fond memories of moments all too briefly spent in the company of kindred souls and emancipating spirits.

Here are a few of the online tributes to Ken.

From the Chess Cafe:
Ken Whyld (1926-2003)

469-1 It is with a profound sense of sadness that we report the death of noted chess historian Ken Whyld on July 11. A regular columnist for the British Chess Magazine, he is perhaps best known for the outstanding work Oxford Companion to Chess, which he co-authored with the late David Hooper. Ken Whyld was 77 years old.

Hanon Russell [7-11-03] 469-2 Kenneth Whyld is gone. Although I knew him only the last eight years of his life, he had come to be a true chess friend, one I always enjoyed hearing from. Ken was the first "real" chess historian who took me seriously. When I wrote him in late 1995 about my interest in writing on William Ewart Napier, he took the time to answer in detail my questions and showed obvious interest in the project, even though he had no idea who I was or whether I would ever follow through with the work. As time passed, and our correspondence grew more extensive, my respect for the man and his knowledge continued to grow. He even sent me copies of letters by Napier and his daughter. Without his help, along with the help of Tony Gillam, I doubt I would have been able to write convincingly regarding Napier’s English period, and without that material, provided in large measure through Ken's gracious kindness, there is a very good chance I never would have written that book. Or any other.

Although The Oxford Companion to Chess was no doubt his work best known to the chess community at large, Ken's The Collected Games of Emanuel Lasker remains the most authoritative collection of Lasker games ever produced. And for the hardcore chess historian, his more recent Chess Columns: A List, with its thousands upon thousands of entries on chess columns collected over the course of decades, stands with Jeremy Gaige’s Chess Personalia as the two foundation volumes of any serious study of the game’s past. Kenneth Whyld's contribution to chess history, as well as his kindness and generosity as a person and as a friend, was indeed a marvel. He will be sorely missed.

John S. Hilbert [7-12-03] 469-3 I just heard about Ken Whyld's death, and I am shocked. I got an email from him on July 9, and everything seemed OK. We were discussing a chess history matter, and he told me "I will write to you again on this matter." Sadly, for all of us, there will be no follow-up. I see him as one of the greatest chess historians ever, together with Murray and my fellow compatriot Adriano Chicco. Perhaps he has now joined their company somewhere...

Alessandro Nizzola [7-12-03] 469-4 We seem to be experiencing a rash of celebrity deaths recently: Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Buddy Ebsen, to name three of the most famous. Sad as the passing of these screen icons is, the unexpected death of Ken Whyld, for me personally and I dare say for the chess community, is felt much more keenly. I never got to meet Ken in person, but we developed a considerable correspondence over the past few years. He was unfailingly cordial and helpful, often providing games and other historical data that I could not have obtained otherwise. A true encyclopedist, he would sometimes provide an extensive list in reply to what I though was a simple question, giving a full course meal when I hoped only for a piece of bread, so to speak. Insofar as one can gain a friend by e-mail, I felt Mr. Whyld was one, and I will miss him. His literary contribution to chess is already extensive, but was by no means finished. He was actively pursuing several projects at the time of his death, including what promised to be an important biography of Alekhine. I strongly hope that his historical archives fall into good hands, and that his unfinished works might be completed by a competent colleague. That would be a proper memorial for a fine historian.

Taylor Kingston [7-13-03] 469-5 I am saddened to hear of Ken Whyld's death. He was a thoughtful and pleasant e-mail correspondent during the three years I knew him. He kindly answered a number of questions that arose during my research on my forthcoming book, a book which he, sadly, will never read. Fortunately for us, his own books will speak for his prowess as a historian for many years to come.

Neil Brennen [7-13-03] 469-6 I first came into contact with Ken Whyld when I became editor of British Chess Magazine in 1999. I was a little apprehensive as to what to expect of such an Olympian figure but he couldn't have been nicer or more down to earth. Some of his Quotes and Queries contributions contained little teases, daring me to challenge him and ask "Ken - what was that all about?". When I did, it usually triggered a humorous exchange of emails, often to the benefit of my chess education. I shall miss him enormously. The BCM website has a short obituary and invites tributes to him at http://www.bcmchess.co.uk/news/obitwhyld.html.

John Saunders [7-14-03] 469-7 Ken Whyld was a wonderful person with the mind - and sense of humour - of a man half his age. I will never forget the phrase "a dirty mind is a perpetual feast", which was his response to the odd-shaped whistling shrimp on the cover of my first book. Ken was famous for knowing everything about chess, and indeed his knowledge was encyclopedic, but most people do not realise that he knew everything about most other things, too! During our late-night chats at his farmhouse in Lincolnshire, between sifting through his photographs of Alekhine and historic gamescores, he would meander on to topics such as Grand Prix racing, the film "Trainspotting", and the plight of the Palestinians. He approached every subject with the same ready wit, the same compassion, and the same love of facts. In my opinion he was the greatest chess historian in the world, and he managed to achieve that status along with a successful career in the business world, a great deal of foreign travel, and a slightly less harmonious family life. Nevertheless, he remarried recently, proving once again that he had a seemingly endless supply of energy and passion. Ken never wasted a minute. His was an example to emulate.

Sarah Hurst [7-15-03] From Chessbase: A great historian passes 20.07.2003 Kenneth Whyld was one of the great chess historians, co-author of the illustrious Oxford Companion to Chess and columnist of the British Chess Magazine for 25 years. This "wonderful person with the mind and sense of humour of a man half his age" passed away unexpectedly last week at the age of 77:

Ken Whyld 6th March 1926 - 11th July 2003 Kenneth Whyld was a world-famous chess historian who co-authored the Oxford Companion to Chess. This 1984 work was written with the late David Hooper and revised ten years ago. It remains the standard work of reference on chess history. Whyld was a strong amateur player who won the Nottinghamshire county championship and took part in the British Championship in 1956. He was a chess columnist of the British Chess Magazine since 1978.

BCM Editor John Saunders writes: Although Ken and I had been in regular contact as columnist and editor for over four years, we met in the flesh only once - two weeks ago at the party to launch the Art of Chess exhibition, when he came down to London for the day from his home in Lincolnshire. The photo, showing Ken enjoying a flute of champagne, was taken on that occasion. As well as being hugely knowledgeable about chess, Ken was a very warm, down-to-earth and generous man, with a gently teasing sense of humour. It was a privilege and honour to have known him and worked with him.

In The Telegraph Malcolm Pein writes: "Whyld was Britain's foremost chess historian. Over the years he must have answered thousands of questions from other historians, authors, journalists and members of the public by phone, mail and email and gave of his time willingly. As a fellow historian noted: 'a light has gone out in the chess world'. He was working on many new publishing projects when he died and is an irreplaceable loss to us all." Ken Whyld's works included:

The Collected Games of Emanuel Lasker, 1998
The Oxford Companion to Chess, 2nd Edition 1993
Alekhine - Nazi Articles (3rd ed.) 2002
Chess Columns A List - 2002
Guinness Chess The Records, 1986
First Chess Olympiad London,1927 1993
Fake Automata in Chess 1994
Plus hundreds of articles, essays and other contributions to magazines and online forums.


A loss to us all by Malcolm Pein (Filed: 18/07/2003)
Ken Whyld 6th March 1926 - 11th July 2003 Ken Whyld, chess historian, bibliophile and author has died at the age of 77. His 1984 work "The Oxford Companion to Chess" written with the late David Hooper and revised ten years ago remains the standard work of reference on chess history. Whyld was Britain's foremost chess historian and was an authority on Emanuel Lasker. His "The Collected Games of Emanuel Lasker" is the outstanding work on the former World Champion's games. Over the years he must have answered thousands of questions from other historians, authors, journalists and members of the public by phone, mail and email and gave of his time willingly. Your correspondent always relied upon him when a historical matter was in doubt.

He was a strong amateur player who won the Nottinghamshire county championship and took part in the 1956 British Championship. He was editor of Editor of 'Chess Student's Quarterly' from the 1940s and started the magazine 'The Chess Reader' which published over five hundred book reviews and lasted more than twenty years. He attended Nottingham University and rose to a senior position with Boots. Later he became an expert in computers and his work took him around the world. He was able to retire early and devote himself to chess history and literature.

His last public appearance was at the launch of the Art of Chess exhibition at Somerset House in London just a couple of weeks ago where by all accounts he was in very good spirits. As a fellow historian noted earlier this week: "a light has gone out n the chess world". He was working on many new publishing projects when he died and is an irreplaceable loss to us all.

From IM Jeremy Sillman's website: 07-12-03) OBITUARY: It's with a very heavy heart that I have to report the passing of legendary chess historian Ken Whyld (1926-2003) on Friday, July 11 in England. The funeral will be at Scunthorpe Crematorium on Friday, July 18th at 9.30a.m.