Phil Hogarty, R.I.P.

A Video tribute in 3 parts has been put together by Boscoonspeed.
Below is Part 2 of the three part series. Here’s part 1. Here’s part 3.

Philip Hogarty’s family have requested that any donations go to the club where Philip learned to play chess, Jobstown, c/o Paul Leavy, 1 Sundale Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, Co. Dublin. Cheques payable to “Jobstown Chess Club”.

News Story.

A Tribute from the Limerick Chess Club website -

“Philip Hogarty’s tragic death on the 1st of January 2008 was a very sad loss. I was a good friend with Phil and we shared many happy memories.

Phil was easily one of the best people I ever met. I would not say this unless I genuinely believed it. Of all the people I have met and encountered in the chess world, Phil would easily sit atop the list of people I most respected and admired.

His genuine willingness to try to improve chess in Ireland was unprecedented. It is such a pity that his second term as ICU Chairperson was cut so short. We had many discussions about chess, things ranging from the rating system, to junior chess, to the Irish Championships. He definitely had a head on his shoulders and I could see the Irish chess scene booming under his guidance. Many of you may know me as the Limerick Open organiser for the past three years. Every year Phil came and helped us out. We discussed how to make the tournament better, how to attract more players, and how to improve the overall tournament. I think a lot of credit is due to Phil for the help he gave us. He didn’t have any personal gain from it; he just genuinely wanted to help create a great tournament. He was completely selfless and this is something I admired greatly. We both shared the ambition to create a great tournament, and I hope someday, that the tournament will live up to his and my expectations. I think the following anecdote definitely demonstrates many of the great traits that Phil had. It was the second day of the Limerick Open 2007 and Phil was in the middle of his third round game. Phil came up to me and said that he was still to pay his entry fee. Whenever we talked about the tournament and how it could be improved, the key to improving the tournament was invariably the same, money. Phil handed me €100 as his entry fee. I went to give him change and he refused to take it. “Keep it,” he said, “I want to support ye”. After coming from Dublin to play in the tournament, showing up a day early to help us organise, paying his own entry fee, securing funds from the ICU to give us, putting his own time and energy into helping us with no possible reward for himself, he then went even further to give us money out of his own pocket to help run a great tournament. If this is not the epitome of a good person, friend, supporter, and chairperson, I don’t know what is.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say that we will be running the Limerick Open as a memorial to Phil. It is hardly a consolation given what’s happened, but I feel it is the least we can do.

These 500 odd words can come nowhere near to fully justifying the great person that Philip Hogarty was. All that I have left to say is that my condolences go to Phil’s family and loved ones, and I hope that his parents know that they raised one of the most outstanding people I have ever met in my life. This if for you Phil, we love you and you will never be forgotten.”

Rest In Peace Philip Hogarty
Thank You. Jamie Flynn.

From Russia with Love.

“The two faces of the double clock in the shiny, domed case looked out across the chess-board like the eyes of some huge sea monster that had peered over the edge of the table to watch the game. The two faces of the chess clock showed different times.”

With these words Ian Fleming opens chapter 7 of From Russia with Love. In 1963 this novel became the second film in the perennial James Bond series.

But there’s not much 0-0 in 007 — or much chess in most chess fiction, for that matter. The book only tells us that grandmaster Kronsteen, a secret agent of the deadly SMERSH, won this game after introducing “a brilliant twist into the Meran Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined to be debated all over Russia for weeks to come.”

The position on a wallboard in the movie is based on an intriguing King’s Gambit won by Boris Spassky against David Bronstein at the USSR Championship in 1960. Here it takes place at the Venice International Tournament where Kronsteen ignores a courier’s sealed message ordering him to stop play on the spot. He knows he risks his life if he fails to obey, but how many players can abandon a sure win?

At his own peril Kronsteen waits three more minutes to accept his opponent’s resignation; but later he must explain to his superior why he did not obey at once. In the book his excuse is accepted reluctanctly:

“To the public, Comrade General, I am a professional chess player. If, with only three minutes to go, I had received a message that my wife was being murdered outside the door of the tournament hall, I would not have raised a finger to save her. My public know that. They are dedicated to the game as myself. Tonight, if I had resigned the game and had come immediately upon receipt of that message, 5000 people would have known that it could only be on the orders of such a department as this. There would have been a storm of gossip. My future comings and goings would have been watched for clues. It would have been the end of my cover. In the interests of State Security, I waited three minutes before obeying the order. Even so, my hurried departure will be the subject of much comment.”

In the real game Spassky gambled by rejecting the prudent 15 Rf2. Black in turn missed the best defense by 15…exf1/Q 16 Rxf1 Bxd6 17 Qh7 Kf8 18 cxd6 cxd6 19 Qh8 Ke7 20 Re1 Ne5 21 Qxg7 Rg8 22 Qxh6 Qb6 23 Kh1 Be6 24 dxe5 d5 25 Qf6 Kd7 and the king trips to safety with a possible draw in the offing.

Later if 17…Kxf7? (necessary is 17…Qd5 18 Bb3 Qxb3) 18 Ne5 Kg8 19 Qh7! Nxh7 20 Bc4 Kh8 21 Ng6 mate.

White: BORIS SPASSKY Black: DAVID BRONSTEIN King’s Gambit 1960 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 d5 4 exd5 Bd6 5 Nc3 Ne7 6 d4 0-0 7 Bd3 Nd7 8 0-0 h6 9 Ne4 Nxd5 10 c4 Ne3 11 Bxe3 fxe3 12 c5 Be7 13 Bc2 Re8 14 Qd3 e2 15 Nd6!? Nf8? 16 Nxf7 exf1/Q 17 Rxf1 Bf5? 18 Qxf5 Qd7 19 Qf4 Bf6 20 N3e5 Qe7 21 Bb3 Bxe5 22 Nxe5 Kh7 23 Qe4 Black resigns

Source: Evans On Chess. June 30, 1995. From Chess Connection

Youtube video from FlowerDrumS0ng.