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This sketch of the history of chess hereabouts is necessarily incomplete, for who could know the whole story!? For instance, there was once a club in Blackfoot started by a relative of Lodewijk Prins, the Dutch Master. Incidentally, I was self taught, with Hanford Gunnerson.

At college in Pocatello, Bryant Hansen, Mel Schubert and myself were playing. I tried to start a club there about 1947 or 1948 but, being inexperienced, was quite discouraged when only about six showed up for our first meeting, so I gave up.

I played Dick Vandenburg by mail and traveled with him, Charles Stewart and others to Montana’s annual tournament in 1957. This inspired me to start a club in Driggs - goaded would be a better word, for Dick grinned at me and told me that the greater amount of chess activity he had access to would enable him to continue to be a better player than I was! Hence I started the Driggs club for more experience.

The first meeting was held in the county courthouse with eight present. I gave an exhibition, winning six and losing one. The club lasted from 1958 to 1965. Attrition gradually thinned the ranks until only four were left - myself, Darrell Dalley, Ed Schiess and Alma Kunz. When Alma died, Ed and Darrell decided they were tired of it and that finished the club. But, those were the good old days with many a night of fun, staring at the 64 magic squares. Even before we had gotten together one night a couple of us played until someone said: "Well, it is almost time to go out and do the chores"!" We had played most of the night. Dwight Stone should be mentioned as the group's strongest player, until I came along. Alma and Ed would come to the courthouse (where Dwight worked) and try to beat him, after practicing with each other.

After organizing, we usually met in the members' homes by rotation. Refreshments were donated by the ladies of the household providing the playing room. Your author was perennial champion, although Ed Schiess tied me in 1959 and had to be turned back in a playoff match, 2-0.

When I started playing with them they only played 1. P-K4, P-K4; 2. N-KB3, N-QB3, etc. I remember once Dwight's brother, Russell, had set up a game vs. myself and I played N-KB3 on the first move. He was on the phone and played, as Black, P-K4, without looking at the board. I replied NxP and he hung up the phone, replaced the pieces without a word, called back and we started again.

Our weakness as a club was the lack of recruits. I began a long-range program to teach the young, working in the elementary and junior high schools. Reaction was at first enthusiastic, the boys taking to the game like ducklings to water. But, when these boys reached senior high their interest declined and the reaction among a few others who caused trouble forced the faculty to post a guard outside the door (if we were to continue), and this person was impossible to obtain. Also, no faculty member would serve as advisor, so we could not officially be organized. When I requested some pay for teaching chess, after years of unpaid efforts, this was turned down by the school board. The only time provided for chess was during the students' lunch hour, or half hour I believe it was. The National Guard's call to active duty in 1968 provided an appropriate reason to discontinue the program. Occasionally, one of my former pupils thanks me for the "classes" and we chat about those good times.

The happiest occasion our Teton Valley club enjoyed was the victory over the Idaho Falls team on March 27, 1959. This was 4-1, and the carload of players going back over Piney Pass that night was a jolly one! That December Teton proved this was no fluke by winning again, 7½-4½, with Alma Kunz the hero, beating Nigel Robinson 2-0, when Robinson refused to play Cowan wanting revenge on Alma! November, 1960, however, saw the Boise team crush the mountain boys 7½-½ at Gooding, Cowan barely saving one draw against Vandenburg. Idaho Falls came close to revenge, but did not quite get it in January, 1961, drawing with Teton Valley, 5-5. The last match of the series resulted in Teton winning again, 4-2, over a three man Idaho Falls group. Cowan 2, Cziep 0; Kunz 0, Blackburne 2; Ed Schiess 2, Brieter O. The old Idaho Chess Quarterly of April, 1957, states that a chess club had been organized in Idaho Falls by Russell Haynes. I have little information on it but will mention some items as I go along.

The first Eastern Idaho tournament was organized and directed by myself, October 25-26, 1958. It was won by Sven Gridseth, 4½-½, over a field of 12. Aloise Cziep was second, 4-1, with Nigel Robinson 3rd, 3½-1½.

Mrs. Bernice Millar introduced herself to our chess circles by rushing in late, having looked all over Idaho Falls for the tourney. She proved herself a good player and chess booster for Idaho Falls.

The Idaho Falls club published a bulletin, on issue at least, dated 1/30/59 and the group was apparently the largest in the state with 30 listed members! They had a $100 tournament in March with clocks, sets and books to the winners: Gridseth, Jack Davidson and others. Another tournament of 16 players was held in February, 1960, with the winner, Cziep, getting a clock. The 1959 Eastern Idaho Open was held in Pocatello and won by Nigel Robinson, with Cowan and Ray Fricke (of Pocatello) tied for 2nd and 3rd. Twelve took part. The biggest and best Eastern Idaho Open took part in Idaho Falls, December, 4-4, 1960. Twenty-two took part. Cowan won the A section of eight, 5-0. Max Wennstrom, of Boise, was 2nd, 3-2, and Jackson of Glenns Ferry was 3rd, 3-2. A junior player, Emerson Hunter, won the 14 player B section, 4-1, and another junior, Arn Slagowski was 2nd, 3½-1½, with Mrs. Millar 3rd, also 3½-1½.

The fourth Eastern Idaho Open was played in Pocatello and won by W.C. Jackson of Glenns Ferry, 4½-½, followed by Mel Schubert, 3-2. Dave Jones and Don Ames shared 1st and 2nd in the second section. This was held in my absence as I spent a year at Fort Lewis with the National Guard. In that period, the Teton club stopped meeting, to revive when I got back in the summer of 1962.

The 1962 Eastern Idaho Open saw a tie between Cowan and Jim Fisher of Utah, 4½-½ each. Fisher won on tie break. Twelve took part in Idaho Falls. Eastern Idaho chess was declining with the Rupert club dead and Idaho Falls and Teton Valley weakening. Teton was down to five players although junior chess was going strong. No reports i n the Idaho Chess Bulletin were coming out of our area. No Opens were held in 1963 or 1964. The next Eastern Idaho Open was held in 1965, at Rick's College, with Cowan winning, 4-0. It was a Saturday four rounder. Dee Harris of Sugar City and R.K. Hart of Pocatello scored 3-1 each, Harris getting 2nd on Solkoff points. Only 10 took part. Cowan also gave an exhibition at Rick's, winning 17-0! Later, an attempt to revive Idaho Falls chess was made by Brent Blake.

Bert Germalm arrived in Blackfoot and stirred things up a bit. He, Vandenburg and I gave some exhibitions. Germalm took the Idaho championship, Western Idaho Open and Eastern Idaho Open, which was held in Pocatello with eight attending in 1966. R.K. Hart tied his 3½-½ score but with less tie-breakers. That year saw the death of the Idaho Chess Bulletin, Vandenburg being unable to keep it going. Also, the Teton club ended and the esteemed Alma Kunz died.

In 1968 an effort to revive chess here resulted in the organization of the Upper Valley Chess Club", which held two meetings at Rick's College. The club discontinued when Eugene went with the Guard for two years.

Ed Smith of Sugar City was responsible for the new beginnings of this club in the winter of 1971-72, pushing me into action until the arrival of our dynamic organizer, Don Kendall. We were a regional club, meeting in Idaho Falls. Active were Ed Smith, Don Jensen, myself, and Jim Spencer, all from the north, with Kendall, John Taylor (of Shelly), Vance Miller and others. However, Don Kendall moved to Seattle and the rest of us were tired of traveling to Idaho Falls so the club faded out.

Later, I staged three or four USCF rated tournaments in Driggs, all Saturday events, and some four man quads. I dropped from activity when the local bus quit running. Postal chess and study of game collections keep up my chess interest and love.

Addition by Nomen Nescio: Eugene died March 19, 2005. I have included one of Eugene’s better correspondence game that contains a sparkling attack in one of the Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA)’s events.

© 2006 The Idaho Chess History Project