27 Jul '06 23:56>
As I read of the premature death of a promising English chess player, Jessie Gilbert, at the age of 19, my thoughts turned to other chess players who died before their time. One I knew personally was Ian Welch, who was drowned when he was only 20 or so. He was a great player, though always overshadowed by Peter Wells, who was the same age and lived nearby.
Harry Pillsbury died of syphilis at the age of 34. Leonid Stein was the dark horse of soviet chess, and I used to wonder if he would ever play Fischer for the World Championship. But he died of a heart attack when 39. One of the best players never to become World Champion was Rudolf Charousek, who died of TB at 26. Even Vera Menchik, although she had a somehow old face, was only 38 when she was killed by a german bomb. I'm already older than all of these.
Harry Pillsbury died of syphilis at the age of 34. Leonid Stein was the dark horse of soviet chess, and I used to wonder if he would ever play Fischer for the World Championship. But he died of a heart attack when 39. One of the best players never to become World Champion was Rudolf Charousek, who died of TB at 26. Even Vera Menchik, although she had a somehow old face, was only 38 when she was killed by a german bomb. I'm already older than all of these.