Daniel Feinstein

Notices of deaths, death announcements and messages.
Post Reply
Chris Rice
Posts: 3417
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:17 am

Daniel Feinstein

Post by Chris Rice » Thu Jul 11, 2013 5:17 am

I'm told by friends that this guy was a chess player a long time ago although I didn't know him. He was a legend in the Arsenal stands and he certainly fits the description of a chess player judging by the links below. Does anyone remember him?

http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2009/09 ... 09_15.html

http://onlinegooner.com/article.php?sec ... d0S-m11LYM

Mick Norris
Posts: 10328
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Mick Norris » Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:59 am

Any postings on here represent my personal views

Kevin Thurlow
Posts: 5821
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:09 am

Yes - I remember him at various events. He clearly irritated some people but he was certainly a character and entertaining. He was a useful and dangerous player as well, then suddenly disappeared from the chess scene.

Looking at the YMCA v Streatham result brought back memories - I've played well over half the people in that match.

User avatar
JustinHorton
Posts: 10364
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:06 am
Location: Somewhere you're not

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Jul 11, 2013 10:03 am

Presumably Chris Rice's friends must have seen the blog piece? Has it appeared on Arsenal sites?
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Richard James
Posts: 1175
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:34 pm
Location: Twickenham
Contact:

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Richard James » Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:52 pm

I knew Daniel Feinstein in the 70s, when we bumped into each other regularly on the tournament circuit. Physically unattractive, perpetually sweaty, annoying - but interesting I suppose. People like that tend to latch onto me: I guess they recognize a kindred spirit.

Nowadays, with his lack of social skills and obsessions he'd be diagnosed, rightly or wrongly, on the autistic spectrum. Would it have helped him? Was he happy as he was or would he have liked to be more 'neurotypical'? Who knows?

Digression on other chessing Feinsteins:

There was another strong junior in the 70s: Joel Feinstein. I have a vague memory of asking Danny if they were related and being told that they were cousins. However, I've tried to trace them back through BMD records and haven't been able to find any direct link. Both their families seem to have been part of the Jewish diaspora from Russia who settled in the East End of London in the late 19th century.

I have in my hand a copy of the latest issue of New in Chess, which includes a fascinating article on Carlos Torre written by their occasional contributor Adam Feinstein. I also have on my desk a book called The History of Autism: Conversations with Pioneers, by (I assume) the same Adam Feinstein. Adam, born in 1957, is a writer and journalist, the father of a son with autism, and the editor of two autism-related websites.

I can't find any Adam Feinsteins born in or near 1957, so he could well be the Mark A Feinstein born in 1957, who is a brother of the aforementioned Joel.

Graham Borrowdale

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Graham Borrowdale » Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:23 pm

I knew him in the early 1980s, often seeing him on the congress circuit. At the 1983 British Championship at Southport he was spending his spare time conducting research into Arsenal Football Club at the headquarters of the Football League at nearby Lytham St Annes. He was clearly fanatical even then, so I am not surprised he became 'Mr Knowledge'.

Chris Rice
Posts: 3417
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:17 am

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Chris Rice » Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:59 pm

JustinHorton wrote:Presumably Chris Rice's friends must have seen the blog piece? Has it appeared on Arsenal sites?
I don't think they did Justin but I've rectified that now and asked them for some anecdotes.

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Neil Graham » Sun Aug 11, 2013 6:46 pm

Richard James wrote: Digression on other chessing Feinsteins:

There was another strong junior in the 70s: Joel Feinstein. I have a vague memory of asking Danny if they were related and being told that they were cousins. However, I've tried to trace them back through BMD records and haven't been able to find any direct link. Both their families seem to have been part of the Jewish diaspora from Russia who settled in the East End of London in the late 19th century.
Joel Feinstein is a lecturer in mathematics at Nottingham University. He played chess for the University Staff team when they were a separate entity to the Students (there is now just a Nottingham University team). My scorebook shows a draw with him in 1994/5 - not a game to trouble this board with!

Nick Thomas
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 9:56 pm

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Nick Thomas » Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:06 pm

I happen to have a game of his lying about. It was memorable for his constant draw offers which wore me down eventually.

Richard James
Posts: 1175
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:34 pm
Location: Twickenham
Contact:

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by Richard James » Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:36 pm

I've just received an email from Ray Cannon informing me that Daniel and Joel were in fact cousins. Daniel's father Alan and Joel's father Arnold were brothers. Alan's surname was misspelt Finestein on his birth record which was why I'd been unable to find it.

James Plaskett
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:36 pm

Re: Daniel Feinstein

Post by James Plaskett » Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:41 pm

Remember him also being very fond of Frank Sinatra music...but we´re going back to the early 1980s.

To die of kidney problems so young suggests to me the very real possibility of diabetes.

Post Reply