Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

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John Saunders
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Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by John Saunders » Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:58 am

I thought the forum might enjoy this obituary which I found in the London Chess Bulletin for 22 April 1949 for a player called Shamaria Diamond (1875-1949). It's superbly written by "BH", which, subsequent to my original posting here, Leonard Barden confirms stands for Bruce Hayden (and not Brian Harley or BH Wood). The subject of the obit also sounds a great character and don't miss his great one-liner to BH after filing his naturalisation papers:
Obituary of Shamaria Diamond by BH, 22 April 1949 wrote:[London Chess Bulletin, 22 April 1949, page 2]
MR. S. DIAMOND
An endearing character has passed from the Chess scene in the person of Mr. S. Diamond of the West London Chess Club.

Such was the affectionate esteem in which he was held that when his death was announced at “The Gambit,” a hush fell over the normally busy room. A subtle positional and fine end-game player—shortly before he had won a fine game in the London League—advancing years had not lessened his playing strength. But it was a whimsical charm and inborn kindliness, in a manner peculiar to himself, which won for him so many friends in the country of his adoption.

Anecdotes about Diamond are abundant: the writer first met him some years ago in a pre-war chess haunt when seeking a lunch-hour game. Hardly had it started when he produced a small hamper and from it a gigantic cold duck “from my sister in Estonia.” Then calling a waiter, he leaned forward and in his quaint measured English said: “Come let us share it while we try to murder one another.”

Recently he entered hospital for a minor operation, and it is typical of his old-fashioned gallantry that on leaving he told the sister that she "had mended his body but broken his heart.”

He arrived in this country many years ago and then stayed for some years in South Africa. On returning he again went through the formalities of taking out naturalisation papers until one day he met the writer and said: “Congratulate me my dear friend. At last I am a British blooming foreigner.”

He was a Hebrew scholar of profound knowledge and of latter years had grieved at the cruel death suffered by his family in Estonia at the hands of the conquering Germans, and of the sorrows of his people. Yet never for a moment did this disturb the serene kindliness he felt towards his fellow men.

There is one man in London who tells how at a time of hardship he was repeatedly surprised to find money in his jacket pocket always after he had been playing chess until one day he found Diamond quietly placing it there while watching him play.

He passed into the Greater Consciousness suddenly, without warning, and without pain, and this great mercy was deserved for he was a good man.

[written by] B.H. [probably Brian Harley but just possibly Bruce Hayden – not, I think, BH Wood]
I’ve done some research and discovered his full name was Shamaria Diamond, born 1875 in Russia, died in the 1st quarter of 1949 in Marylebone. In 1947 he had naturalised and changed his name from Schmerl Hosias, otherwise Shamaria Diamant, subsequently known as Shamaria Diamond. He was a book-keeper and lived at 77 Wellesley Court, London W9. I'd never heard of him before though I've found one game he lost during the war and I know he played Dr Aitken in a game after the war (coming soon to a website near you).

I'm wondering if Leonard might remember him from the Gambit.
Last edited by John Saunders on Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:31 am

He sounds wonderful. I particularly liked, "Hardly had it started when he produced a small hamper and from it a gigantic cold duck “from my sister in Estonia.” Then calling a waiter, he leaned forward and in his quaint measured English said: “Come let us share it while we try to murder one another.”"

A hamper which he had casually carted about London...

Leonard Barden
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Leonard Barden » Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:15 am

I'm absolutely sure the obit is by Bruce Hayden and not Brian Harley.

In the Lud Eagle v Allied Forces match pic
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=11172&p=255065&hil ... er#p255065

Diamond is the spectator standing on the eztreme right.

Roger Lancaster
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Roger Lancaster » Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:55 am

Leonard Barden wrote:
Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:15 am
I'm absolutely sure the obit is by Bruce Hayden and not Brian Harley.
And, in case anyone is still in doubt, Bruce Hayden was also a member of the West London club.

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John Saunders
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by John Saunders » Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:57 am

Leonard Barden wrote:
Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:15 am
I'm absolutely sure the obit is by Bruce Hayden and not Brian Harley.

In the Lud Eagle v Allied Forces match pic
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=11172&p=255065&hil ... er#p255065

Diamond is the spectator standing on the eztreme right.
That's great, Leonard, many thanks. The Aitken-Diamond game (which hasn't been keyed in yet) was played on 26 January 1946 in the Lud-Eagle Championship, so all the evidence fits together.
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Gerard Killoran » Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:13 am

This site records an "S Diamond" who might be our man.

http://durbanchessclub.co.za/diamond.html
Mr Diamond first won the Durban title in 1919, jointly with Leonard Pierce. Diamond won again in 1920 and 1922, with Pierce taking the title in 1921, 1923 and 1925. Borders' newspaper column reported in early 1924 that Diamond declined to enter the 1924 event on hearing that his rival Pierce was unable to compete. Borders went on to say that "This is very sporting of him, as had he participated there would have been little doubt as to who would have secured the honour." This is a clear indication that they were the top two players in Durban at the time.

In his Natal Mercury column of 20th June 1924, Borders wrote that "Mr S Diamond has left Durban on a visit to his native heath in Russia, and we understand it is uncertain when he will return to this country - if at all." However, there is an estate file in Pietermaritzburg which refers to Mr Sam Diamond, from Latvia in Russia, who was unmarried when he died. It sounds like the same man. So a "Russian" won the Durban championships three times!

Richard James
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Richard James » Wed Nov 18, 2020 11:22 am

Some games from the West London Chess Club Gazette:






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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:51 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:15 am
I'm absolutely sure the obit is by Bruce Hayden and not Brian Harley.

In the Lud Eagle v Allied Forces match pic
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=11172&p=255065&hil ... er#p255065

Diamond is the spectator standing on the eztreme right.
How on earth do you remember all those faces and names, Leonard! :)

It might be worth going through archive photos (such as the ones in the Getty Archives) to help identify such players, as so often people are not named. There are lots of such photos if you know where to look (I think John Upham and Gerard Killoran among others already do look).

Can you name any more of the spectators?

What about the man standing rear centre and looking at the camera? He looks familiar for some reason.

There is also a young person sitting at the back, wonder who that is?

Have cross-posted to here.

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John Saunders
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by John Saunders » Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:23 pm

Thanks to Gerard and Richard for their contributions. It's amazing what the forum's chess sleuths can unearth when working in unison.

Someone sent me the Arnold Green game some years ago, minus forenames. It would nice to find a Diamond win.

Stray thought... he was a Diamond, with a broken heart (cf. his comment about hospital), and a member of two clubs (West London and Lud-Eagle). Can anyone trump that with an apposite spade reference?
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Richard James
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Richard James » Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:35 pm

John Saunders wrote:
Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:23 pm
Stray thought... he was a Diamond, with a broken heart (cf. his comment about hospital), and a member of two clubs (West London and Lud-Eagle). Can anyone trump that with an apposite spade reference?
Not yet, but I'll keep digging.

Leonard Barden
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Leonard Barden » Wed Nov 18, 2020 3:13 pm

https://kevinspraggettonchess.wordpress ... ess-rooms/

Scroll down for a pic of Hayden and Diamond together at a historic event.....

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Wed Nov 18, 2020 3:21 pm

"Not yet, but I'll keep digging."

He's a card isn't he? You might find an ace in the hole. Hope the quest is not a bridge too far. If you succeed, you can blow your own trumpet.

Paul Habershon
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Paul Habershon » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:02 am

John Saunders wrote:
Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:23 pm


Stray thought... he was a Diamond, with a broken heart (cf. his comment about hospital), and a member of two clubs (West London and Lud-Eagle). Can anyone trump that with an apposite spade reference?
Diamond obviously had generosity in spades.

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by Geoff Chandler » Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:18 pm

A Chess and playing card pun thingy - Deal me in.

I've just entered an Aitken v S. Diamond game.

Keeping his cards close to his chest poker-faced Aitken led with King's Gambit holding an Ace of a TN up his sleeve.

With the cards stacked against him Diamond raised the stakes and upped the ante by going for a twist or bust play.

Aitken shuffled his pawns up the board and sweetened the pot by offering his Queen, this was trumped by Diamond.....

(enough of this Chandler...Carl)

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John Clarke
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Re: Obituary of Shamaria Diamond from 1949

Post by John Clarke » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:24 pm

If you ever play a chap called Bower, as I once did, it might pay to ascertain his political views (is he a left Bower or a right Bower?) If you're not careful he could steal a march on you and you'll end up euchred (our game was drawn).

And now, Geoff, let's have some humour based on the names of the suits in the Tarot pack - swords (spades), cups (hearts), coins/pentacles (diamonds) and wands (clubs). (But anything referencing Harry Potter will be greeted with QI-style sirens for being too obvious.)
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)