Weissman had had a couple of good scores in biennial team events, but this was his first college tournament.
He went on to become Dr. Albert Weissman (1933-2013) of Noank, Connecticut; he passed away at the age of 79 on July 11, 2013 after a 20-year battle with Parkinson’s disease and prostate cancer.
He retired in 1995 from Pfizer’s Central Research facility in Groton, Connecticut where for many years he was the manager of the neurobehavioral, biochemical, and neurological testing groups during the development phases of several important drugs.
If you have seen Zoloft ads on television, Dr. Weissman was instrumental in its development. In 2005, Dr. Weissman, along with four colleagues, received the American Chemical Society Award for Team Innovation, honoring their research that culminated in Zoloft, an antidepressant drug.
He was also known for his many basic studies and scholarly reviews in the field of neuropsychopharmacology. His total number of scholarly publications exceeded 100. In 1996, Dr. Weissman and Dr. Kenneth Koe were co-authors of two landmark scientific papers, one describing the action of amphetamine and the other identifying a new drug tool that was vital for understanding the role of serotonin in brain function.
Weissman was born in the Bronx, New York and graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1950. His undergraduate college education was at the NYU where in 1954 he received his A.B. in physiological psychology. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in physiological psychology from Columbia University.
At one time Weissman ranked third in the United States in correspondence chess. He also had a life-long interest in music, especially opera.
In the following game Weissman makes defeating his opponent, who was to win the US Championship the following year, look easy.
Albert Weissman - Arthur Bisguier
Result: 1-0
Site: US Untercollegiate Chp. New York
Date: 1953
French Defense
[...] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.e5 ♘fd7 5.♘ce2 This move later became known as the Shirov-Anand Variation. White prepares to support his center with c2-c3 and f2-f4. 5...c5 6.c3 ♘c6 7.f4 cxd4 8.♘xd4 ♘xd4
9.cxd4 f6 It's too soon to play this. Better is 9...Qb6 then redeploy the N to c6 (...Nb8-c6) which puts pressure on white's d- and b-Ps. 10.♗d3 ♗b4+ 11.♔f1 Unusual, but not bad. A more logical plan though is to trade off his bad B with 11.Bd2
8...♘dxe5 Didn't work out for black after 9.fxe5 ♕h4+ 10.g3 ♕e4+ 11.♕e2 ♕xe5
11...♕xh1 Black apparently realized this is also unsatisfactory. 12.♘df3 ♗c5 13.♗g2 and the Q is trapped.
12.♕xe5 ♘xe5 Klerides,P (2183)-Spice,A (2170)/Crete 2007. 11.♗d2 ♗xd2+ 12.♕xd2 fxe5 13.fxe5 ♘b8 14.♘f3 ♘c6 White has a promising position. Skibbe,D (2080)-Leib,B (2040)/ Rodewisch 2000
11...O-O 12.♕h5 Clearly Weissman has aggressive intentions. 12...f5 This shuts out white's B, but it does not lessen white's attack. The dangerous looking 12...g6 was actually better, but it allows white to draw as it would probably be too dangerous for him to play for a win.
12...g6 13.♕h4 ♗e7 14.♕h6 fxe5 Now because of the pin on his f-Pawn white's next move is forced. 15.♗xg6 hxg6 16.♕xg6+ draws.
(12...g6 13.♗xg6 hxg6 14.♕xg6+ ♔h8) 13.♘f3 g6 14.♕h6 ♖e8 15.♘g5 ♕e7 16.h4 ♕g7 17.♕xg7+ ♔xg7 It's surprising, but even after the exchange of Qs white's attack still has momentum. 18.h5 ♘f8 19.hxg6 hxg6 20.♔e2 ♗d7 21.♗d2 ♗e7 Better than trading Bs because this is his good B. 22.♖h3 a6 23.♖ah1 ♗b5 24.♖h8
24.♗xb5 axb5 25.a3 ♖ac8 is also good, but Weissman is singleminded in his pursuit of black's K.
24...♗xd3+ 25.♔xd3 ♗xg5 26.fxg5 White has a strategically won position and all Bisguier can do is prolong the game. 26...a5 27.b4 ♔f7 An interesting, but futile, idea. The K is heading for the Q-side with the faint hope of getting some play.
27...axb4 is not playable. 28.♗xb4 ♔f7 29.♗xf8 ♖xf8 30.♖1h7+ ♔e8 31.♖xf8+ ♔xf8 32.♖h8+
28.bxa5 ♔e7 29.♗b4+ ♔d7 30.♖g8 ♔c6 31.♖hh8 ♔b5 32.♖xf8 ♖xf8 33.♖xf8 ♖xf8 34.♗xf8 ♔xa5 Black can resign at any time. 35.♔c3 ♔a4 36.♗e7 b5 37.♗f8 Black resigned. Weissman made it look easy!
37.♗f8 f4 38.a3 ♔a5 39.♔b3 ♔a6 40.♔b4 ♔b6 41.♗d6 ♔c6 42.♗c5 ♔d7 43.♔xb5 ♔c7 44.a4 ♔d7 45.a5 ♔c8 46.a6 ♔b8 47.♔c6 ♔a8 48.♔d6 f3 49.gxf3 ♔b8 50.♔d7 ♔a8 51.♔xe6 ♔b8 52.♔d7 ♔a8 53.e6 ♔b8 54.e7 ♔a8 55.e8=♕#
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To whom it may concern:
ReplyDeleteDr. Albert Weissman was my father. I am the oldest daughter of his five children. At 64 years old, I thought fondly of him last night, 4/28/2023, after attending Portland Opera’s performance of “Rusalka.”
I was wishing he was still alive to talk with about the performance. Just because, I googled his name, and found this article.
This morning, I shared the story with my beloved east cost siblings. Thank you for writing about him. Reading this gave us all some wonderful memories of our most interesting father.
Sincerely,
Beth Weissman
Portland, Oregon
Ps: My father frequently corrected me. ;~) Not that this matters to me personally, but in his memory, I believe there is a place in the article where his last name is misspelled.
Again, I loved reading this! I collected stamps as a child, saving them from his postal chess correspondences.
Peace be with you.