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Daily Speculations The Web Site of Victor Niederhoffer & Laurel Kenner Dedicated to the scientific method, free markets, deflating ballyhoo, creating value, and laughter; a forum for us to use our meager abilities to make the world of specinvestments a better place. |
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12/31/04
Auld Lang Syne, by
GM Nigel Davies
New Year's Eve often brings back memories. This evening I
have been thinking about one of my early mentors, Sam 'Roberts'. He was an old
Jewish guy who ran a linoleum shop in Liverpool, always wore a hat and once won
the British Veterans chess championship.
When I was a boy he used to invite me to play chess with him at his house every
Sunday afternoon. His wife brought us regular supplies of biscuits and tea, He
counted the material out loud (always the pawns before the pieces) and took
greater pleasure in my wins than in his. He told me I would be a great player,
but warned against being a professional because of the sorry state of Yates.
Had he lived I would have disappointed him on both counts, I became a
not-so-great professional. But when my son was born there was never any doubt
about what his name would be.