Friday, January 10, 2020

Morrie Widenbaum


   Sometimes we forget that chess players have a life outside of chess. At least two players that I know of, the late Kim Commons, and and Morrie Widenbaum owned music clubs. 
     Widenbaum was Michigan chess champion in 1963 and was the owner of the Chessmate coffeehouse that used to be located along Livernois Road at 6 Mile Road near the University of Detroit campus and was one of Detroit’s most famous and legendary blues clubs and folk clubs in the 1960s. 
     The club was originally originally created as a place for serious chess players, but to capitalize on the folk music scene of Detroit, he began scheduling live entertainment in 1963 and showcasing the folk and blues talent in the city. Many of those who appeared there went on to greater fame...Linda Ronstadt, Tom Rush and Chuck and Joni Mitchell, for example. 


     It was different from other clubs...inside Chessmate it was dark, but it had high ceilings and was cavernous which led to a wonderful sound. 
     By 1968, the club was featuring less folk music and began to feature rock and electric blues. Widenbaum came up with the idea and it brought in the bar crowd after the bars closed. 
     Chessmate closed when Widenbaum died and it’s now University Coin Laundry. The club’s founder, Morrie Widenbaum (1926-1972), died December 26th in Detroit of a cerebral hemorrhage. 
     He won the first Motor City Open which ion those days was a strong Thanksgiving Day tournament in the Detroit area in 1959, and was Michigan Champion in 1963. His most celebrated single victory was his win in the Tartakower Memorial Tournament in Detroit in 1956 over Arthur Bisguier.
     Widenbaum was also a legend when it came to playing blitz and in one session against Popel in 1963 they reputedly played continuously for forty hours. Popel had white and 5 minutes while Widenbaum had black and 7 minutes. Popel paid 50 cents for each loss and collected 25 cents for each win. It was reported that they broke even.

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