Kaarlo Schepel eulogy of Eduard Gufeld

Hi Sam,

Was informed by another friend simultaneously.

Extremely moved by your message. He was my close friend for 14 years. I first met him at the Chess Olympics in Salonika in 1984, and his exuberant, non-Soviet personality stood immediately out. I invited him to come to Hong Kong after the Chess Olympics of 1988, where he became in October 1989 the first Soviet/ Eastern European sportsman to be able to stay in Hong Kong for more than one day (he was our guest for three weeks). We got him three times on TV, on three radio programs and he was in many, many newspaper and magazine interviews.

In return he invited me through the Sports Committee (Ministry of Sports) to come to Moscow, where he introduced me to all the greats of chess, including the (former) World Champions. We published two books together: 'Russian Handbook of Chess Openings' - an small encyclopedia (1993) which especially sold well in Asia (the Philippines) and Australia; and 'The Art of Mastering Chess' (1994) which was published for 'RadioShack' - USA & UK with the assistance of Saitek - the chess computer manufacturer. It sold a (for me) incredible 32.000 copies!!

These are just the facts. But behind that was his love of chess - his life-long passion - and his unrivalled ability to make friends with people from all over the globe instantly, without reservation. This is truly UNIQUE. I cannot think of anyone who had this ability, to transform a room, by creating an instant joyous atmosphere, by his sense of humour, his way of disarming shy and sometimes reserved, even hostile people. His mixture of jokes, 'Russian' ("translated inside my head" ) conversation - always direct, always interspersed with anecdotes, self-mockery never failed to entertain complete strangers.

Then there was his chess abilities, and also his realisation that he had started to play chess too late to ever become a Candidate. But on a good day he would challenge even World Champions, and his record stands on that score too.

A man who was also a tireless self-promoter, but who had what it took. He would never have made it to where he came without that ability in the politics and back-stabbing of Soviet society and rigid chess authorities. A man who could lovingly analyse correctly the world of Soviet (chess) politics. A man who loved the Ukraine, Russia and Georgia and realised in time he could not live there anymore. Also someone who knew when not to speak in that cruel country, when it was of no use. A born diplomat!

We had been talking for two years about publishing another one or two books (unfortunately for the moment lack of budget on my part; but still firmly in the planning on a new 'Chess Encyclopaedia'). I had promised also to come and visit him sometime soon, and to invite him over here in the Netherlands (after his second successful visit to Hong Kong a few years later).

All this is now past. A great TEACHER of chess has died. There are (in his own words) many great chess players, and there are many great teachers in chess. But the combination is really very, very rare. He was the personification of this. A dynamic personality; a man who knew his own ability to make friends but never overbearing, never overstepping the limit, never abusive, always willing and able to step back if people did not show the same enthusiasm for his ideas as he had himself. A born salesman of chess! Always respecting others and leaving them in their own value, even if their chess abilities were almost nil. Someone who had made it his lifelong ambition to ' work in chess and to show that chess is a form of art.' The man who started the FIDE Committee on 'Chess Art and Exhibition'.

He was a rare diamond. He moved without hesitation, in friendship and always avoiding unnecessary problems across borders in life and across the globe, building bridges, almost never discouraged. Chess is a tough sport, and only the best can survive and 'work in chess'. Over 50 it becomes even more difficult. He added more energy at that age, and even emigrated to the USA at age 60. And he always remained true to himself.

I also lost a real friend. We were on the phone for close to half an hour on Sunday 01 September, when he was in great spirits and full of plans about new books. He was very proud that he was teaching chess at university.

I shall really miss him and cherish his friendship. In his words: it does not matter that you are a moderate chess players and that you never will be a GM or even an IM. To those people who are just beginning to play chess, you are a GM. Just act like one. And I did. My friendship with Eduard 'Goofy' was good for my chess abilities, and for my love of chess. He taught me so much, about how to deal with people and to avoid unnecessary conflict.

To demonstrate the point: on his first visit to Hong Kong in October 1989, we had made a lot of appointments on a certain day, actually too many, and that included a simultaneous match at the 'German-Swiss' school on the Peak. Normally, in Hong Kong one is hard-pressed to get 40 players, but in that school 57 (including teachers) turned up. Of course it took a bit longer than usual, and over 40 players were still 'refusing' to resign, when it was time to go to the next school for a lecture. So Eduard convinced me to take over the simul, and using his principles I only lost one game and drew diplomatically another three.

I sincerely hope that FIDE and the Russian Chess Federation will extensively honour this greatest of teacher in chess by making a permanent BRILLIANCY PRICE FOR MAN AND LADIES AT THE OLYMPICS. I am willing to contribute to it. Eduard never spoke bad about anyone behind their backs. He told jokes, yes, but none worse than about himself. The teacher of Maya Chiburdanidze, coach of countless Soviet men and ladies' Olympic teams, a man who was on friendly terms with both Karpov and Kasparov, a man who brought laughter and happiness to hundreds of thousands of chess players around the world by his sheer personality, his love of life and of people irrespective of their chess abilities, their backgrounds and their race or creed. A lovely man. Let us all respect his memory, and occasionally read his books full of anecdotes to forget the petty rivalries we often are confronted with in chess.

God rest his soul

kaarlo schepel


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