I know of Evelyn Koshnitsky, who is 95, and now I am reminded of Nell Van De Graaff, also aged 95! Not quite sure if Mrs Koshnitsky still has the time or even the energy to play a game, but Graeme hopes that Nell will make an appearance in the upcoming Gold Coast Open (26-27 June).
Speaking of women in the Australian chess scene, my googling for some info led me to a gem of a post by Cathy Chua. This one's apparently a portion that didn't quite make the cut for her book, "Australian Chess at the Top".
Koshnitsky’s patrons were grown women, of course, and to create a player of top class it was surely necessary to begin with much younger pupils. That is where the second creator of mountains enters. Evelyn Koshnitsky has made her life’s work the promotion of chess among the young and her special passion has been to get girls to play. First in Sydney and then in Adelaide from the early 1960s when the couple moved there she cajoled, begged and bullied support. Manpower, money, venues – she is an expert at getting what she wants from parents, schools, government, business – whoever might have something of use.
I wonder if she has any more posts like this one. Read in "Computers, women and things like that".
1 comment:
Van der Graaf drew with Gawain Jones only a year or two ago. It was in a simul but not a courtesy draw - Van der Graaf had to defend for a long time to hold.
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