Thursday 30 June 2011

The death of smoking

The decline of smoking at chess tournaments pretty much followed the decline of smoking in (western) society. It was around for a couple of years when I first started playing, but most chess clubs and tournaments became smoke free around the mid 1980's.
I can remember some controversy at a Doeberl Cup in the 1980's when the organisers were asked to contribute to the anti-smoking movement by putting up the "smoking harms you health" type signs at the tournament. The only problem was that smoking hadn't actually been banned at the tournament at the time, and Max Fuller requested the signs be removed as he found them either offensive/annoying or stupid (I cannot quite remember which).
Of course prior to this smoking in chess clubs was far worse, or maybe better (given that almost everyone smoked). A couple of people have regaled me with stories of the Canberra Chess Club in the 1970's being constantly clouded in smoke but this excerpt from a 1945 article probably covers it best. Attempting to define various types of chess players it says

6. Non-Smoker: Little is known of this type as he is practically non-existent, and therefore his inclusion is purely nominal.

(btw the same article has "The Ejaculator" at number 13 on the list, although the behaviour refers to verbal emission's only!)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

How was then the other chessplayers descibed back in 1945??

Cheers

HM

Anonymous said...

In the 80s, the 'North Rocks Non-Smoking Weekender' (Sydney, mid-January each year) was unique in being the only smoke-free adult tournament around.

Rob W

Shaun Press said...

@HM
The list included
1. Drawist
2. Rattler
3. Chair Manipulator
4. Pencil Thrower
5. Hand Clasper
6. Non-Smoker
7. Body Swayer
9. Hand Hoverer
11. Table Tapper
15. Post-mortem maniac
19. Sniffer

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Shaun.

Quite an interesting list. You should - HEHE - print it in full length...

Cheers

HM