December
3 , 2001 (845)
562-8350, ext. 123
Press
Release 47 of 2001
CHESS COMMUNITY
MOURNS LOSS OF JOHN W. COLLINS
1912-2001
Top American Chess
Teacher of the 20th Century
Chess teacher
John W. Collins passed away on December 2, 2001 after a long illness. John W.
Collins, known as Jack by many, was born in Newburgh, NY on September 23, 1912.
Jack dedicated his life to teaching chess to thousands, many whom became famous
for their chess accomplishments. Jack was perhaps the most influential chess
teacher in history, with Bobby Fischer and many other great players among his
pupils including Grandmasters William Lombardy, Robert Byrne, and Max Dlugy.
Jack also taught two United States Women’s Champions, Lisa Lane, and Rachel
Crotto. You can read more in Jack’s
book, My Seven Chess Prodigies.
Jack was inducted into the Chess Hall of
Fame in 1991. Jack also founded “Collins Kids, Inc.” Along with his sister,
Ethel, who has since passed. Jack has spent most of his life living in New York
City and for the past several years has been on the The Stuy Town Chess Club
Board of Directors. Jack was also the first postal chess editor of Chess
Review in the early 1960s. Jack was an accomplished postal chess and
over-the-board (OTB) player in his own right ranking as one of the top OTB
players in the United States.
For many years Jack traveled to many chess
tournaments with his “Collins Kids.” Places included Iceland, Israel and,
within the United States, Somerset, New Jersey; Parsippany, New Jersey; and the
Concord Resort Hotel in New York’s Catskill Mountains.
In 1981, Jack was given USCF’s
Distinguished Service Award. In 1994 Jack was named “Chess Teacher of the
Century.” Although a quiet man, Jack’s love of teaching and helping nourish
children through chess always brought crowds around him wherever he went.
Jack’s profound impact on American
chessplayers to this day is unsurpassed.
Funeral services will be held at the
Campbell Funeral Chapel located at Madison & 81st in Manhattan
on Thursday evening December 6 at 7-9pm and Friday morning on December 7 at
11am. Burial will take place in New Windsor, New York at Woodlawn Cemetery
(located at the Union Avenue and Rt. 94 intersection) at approximately 2pm.
Earlier this year at the Banker’s Chess
League dinner in Manhattan it was asked of Grandmaster Lev Alburt, “What would
it take for American chess to produce another world champion”? Lev Alburt
summed it up perfectly with, “It would take another Jack Collins”.
The
United States Chess Federation is preparing an extensive story on Jack for the
March 2002 issue of Chess Life. Please email information you may wish to
contribute to the editor Peter Kurzdorfer at magazines@uschess.org. Deadline for
information is December 10, 2001.
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The United States Chess Federation, founded in 1939,
serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is devoted to extending
the role of chess in American society.
It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own
sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society.
The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization, with nearly 90,000
members. For additional information about this or other chess events, contact
Director of Special Programs Joan DuBois at media@uschess.org. You may write to
the U.S. Chess Federation, 3054 US Route 9W, New Windsor, NY 12553, call (845)
562-8350, ext. 123 or fax (845) 561-2437. World Wide Web: http://www.uschess.org/.