Bob Long

[Andrew Martin]

I heard bad news this morning that my old friend Bob Long had been murdered on Tuesday evening in his home.

A brief internet search confirmed this to be true:

https://woc1420.iheart.com/featured/woc ... nport-man/


Bob ran a chess business out of Davenport, Iowa.

He was well known to the chess community. A very sad and tragic loss.

[John Upham]

This is very sad news Andrew.

See

https://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Man-c ... 17911.html

Bob lived at 1524 LeClaire Street, Davenport, Iowa.

From there he ran Thinkers Press, Inc. and had published a number of books.

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[Andrew Martin]

Earlier this week, I received the terrible news that my old friend Bob Long had been murdered. Strangled to death in his own home. He was 74.

It has been a terrible shock.

Bob was a one-off, in the chess world a promoter , a publisher of eclectic material, and a bookseller, all on his own terms.

I knew him since 2004, when he kindly invited me to feature in one of his chess festivals. I returned to the USA many times after that, working with him on more of these events, for the most part staying in his home. We became firm friends.

Bob had a loyal , but limited clientele. If you got to know him, he was kind, generous and scrupulously honest. He made friends for life. He was also irascible and woe betide you if you got on his wrong side. He would not lick the parts necessary to get a sale if he did not want to.

This certainly cost him business over time.

Bob had strong Christian faith. This helped him to navigate through earlier, very difficult family times, which would have emotionally destroyed many. Those who have described him as curmudgeonly, perhaps knew nothing of these problems.

Bob did not have much luck in his life.

I enjoyed his company greatly. We had frank discussions. I enjoyed meeting his friends at the events he hosted and many of them have become friends of mine. The last event in May 2019 ,was only attended by six people, but we all had a terrific time.

Bob’s writing output was amazing . If you were a member of his inner circle you would receive emails and larger publications on a regular basis, which must have taken him hours or even days to create. All original, displaying his very high intelligence.

I’m sure it was this type of dedication that bonded people to him, so that they would happily buy from him and even help him financially when times were tough.
I can honestly say that ever since I knew him he was always surviving on very little money.

Was Bob a businessman? He would like to think that he was, but for me he was more unique than that. In his own way, he was singular and that’s the memory of him that I will most retain.

I will miss him greatly.

Bob leaves behind three children, two sons and a daughter and I can only offer my sincere condolences at this very difficult time.

Andrew Martin

[Mike Truran]

I was very sorry to read about Bob's death.

I bought my BCM run off Bob back in 2001 or 2002. As I recall he was straightforward, honest, just a little bit tetchy, and a real straight shooter. A pleasure to deal with, and a sad loss indeed.

[Andrew Martin]

Some closure is now possible about the appalling murder of Bob Long.

From the Quad City Times , yesterday, I believe:

"A Davenport man was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for strangling a 74-year-old man to death in January 2020.

Charlie Gary, 20, was convicted in August of the first-degree murder of Robert Long, as well as first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and abuse of corpse — sex act.

Gary was sentenced by Judge Mark Fowler to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge. Gary also received 25 years each for the burglary and robbery charges and five years for the abuse of corpse charge. Gary will be required to pay $150,000 in victim restitution.

'It is impossible for the court not to note the horrific nature of this crime,' Fowler said."