The Aftermath

WCGM Fischer, IA Bill Goichberg

In the aftermath of throwing Goichberg's tournaments out, the club was almost dead.  Most of the old people had already left, and Goichberg took the tournament players with him.  Another problem was the board.  It seemed that Goldwater was unwilling to approve any dynamic scheme that might backfire, and the board was unwilling to overrule him because they expected him to leave the club money.

Though I wasn't around at the time, I heard that during Finkelstein's administration, the club almost exchanged the building for that of a nearby synagogue.  The latter had only one floor, no tenants, and hardly any place to put tenants.   I think this would have been a serious mistake because tenants subsidize the upkeep of the premises.

Conservative Synagogue of Fifth Avenue

There was a right-wing nut at the club named Robert Cohen.  He threatened me and assaulted Nick Fitzgerald.  Fortunately, Jordan Auerbach got on the Board and led the fight to throw him out.

Doug Bellizzi became the Night Manager, and there was at least some activity with the rapids.
  It was during this time that Zilber was playing in the rapids.  He was a bit smelly, but a terrific speed player.  Even though both of the games in Tal's book were his losses, he beat Tal twice.

NM Peter Winston

One of the rapids was the last time I saw Peter Winston.  Winston, Regan, and Rohde were considered the top players in our age group (Fedorowicz starting playing a couple of years later than them).  Anyhow, at this occassion, Winston seemed drugged, as if on psychiatric medication.  He allowed me chances in the game that he normally would not have, and he actually dropped a piece on the floor.

Around that time, I decided to stay away from chess and concentrate on my education.  But in a few years I would get involved in the World Computer Chess Championship, the Baruch College Chess Team, and the Manhattan Chess Club.