Stopover on Memory Lane

On my way back from Geelong I had a one day stopover in Sydney. Sydney is still the most beautiful city in the world to my knowledge despite many things changing. Chess discount sales has moved, after decades in Cambell st, to a better location. Now it is above ground and near good restaurants :-)

Speaking of restaurants, I passes the site of the Wooloomoolloo Woolshed. My parents bought it in 1972 and I think I peeled my first potato there at the age of nine. Until my early thirties I worked in every area of the restaurant in every capacity until my early thirties. I learned to play Poker there at the late night staff Poker sessions, learned what a good wine tastes like, how to make a Boeuf bourguignon, and many other things.

Now it is a block of apartments with only the facade remaining due to heritage listing.

While many human endeavours and achievements fade like the colours of cheap curtains the best (and worst) games of chess players will remain as long as we have databases.

Naum Levin is a Soviet master and trainer who emigrated to Australia in the late 70's around the time I started playing chess. I remember him well. For some years he played and taught chess in Sydney but eventually he quit altogether only staying in tough with a few selected friends from the chess community. Here is one of those games I spoke of.

I will not speculate as to why he withdrew from the chess community but I imagine if we had made some effort to enable him to make a dignified living plying his trade he would still be teaching if not playing and Sydney would have several GM's and many IM's. A young Kasparov was one of his students!

Enough of Memory lane for today...

Now I am back in Brunswick heads enjoying the beach and the many events like the Brunswick Valley Woodchop. Judging from the commentary some of the worlds best choppers were here. There were mixed pairs, seniors, Saw and Axe.

The best. 

The over 65's I think!

Young Champions.

Time to go to the Saturday markets in Mullumbimby. That's where all the cool people hang out :-)