Povilas Vaitonis
Encyclopedia
Povilas Vaitonis (15 August 1911, in Užpaliai
, Lithuania
– 23 April 1983, in Hamilton
, Canada) was a Lithuanian–Canadian International Master of chess
. He was a five-time Lithuanian champion
, and was twice Canadian champion
. Vaitonis was inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame on July 9, 2011 in Toronto
.
s.
His total for Lithuania in Olympiads was (+36 -29 =18).
Vaitonis played three matches against Vladas Mikėnas
. In 1934, he lost a match (2 : 6). In 1937, he lost a match (4,5 : 5,5). In 1938, he lost a match (3 : 9).
Vaitonis may have been the first player to use what is now called the Benko Gambit
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5) in its most common move order, in a game against Thorvaldsson at the 1936 unofficial Olympiad at Munich.
Vaitonis became the Lithuanian Champion in 1934, 1937, 1938, 1942, and 1944. In July 1943, he took 4th place, behind Birmanas, Romanas Arlauskas
, and Leonardas Abramavičius
, at the 12th Lithuanian Championship in Vilnius
. He left Lithuania just before the advancing Soviet forces arrived, to avoid deportation to Siberia
or any other persecutions the Soviet occupation (e.g., those of Vladimirs Petrovs
). Joining the westward exodus in 1944/45, he –- along with many other Baltic players, e.g. Arlauskas, Dreibergs, Endzelins, Jursevskis, Mednis, Ozols, Sarapu, Tautvaišas, Zemgalis, etc. -– moved to the West.
In 1948, he emigrated to Canada and settled in Hamilton, Ontario
. He wrote a weekly chess column in the The Hamilton Spectator
1953–1955. In 1949, he took 5th place at Canadian Championship in Arvida, Quebec
. In 1951 and in 1957, he won Canadian Championships in Vancouver
. In September–October 1952, he took 19th place at the 2nd Interzonal
in Stockholm
. In 1953, he took 3rd place in Canadian Championship in Winnipeg
.
Paul Vaitonis played for Canada in two Olympiads. In September 1954, he played at third board at the 11th Chess Olympiad
in Amsterdam
(+6 –3 =5). In September/October 1958, he played at third board at the 13th Chess Olympiad
in Munich
(+4 –5 =5). His total for Canada in Olympiads was (+10 -8 =10).
In 1952, he was awarded the International Master title by FIDE. In the 1960s he continued playing in the Canadian Championships and on teams (Lithuanian Chess Club, McMaster).
Vaitonis was inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame on July 9, 2011 in Toronto.
Užpaliai
Užpaliai is a town in Utena County, Lithuania. According to the 2001 census, the town has a population of 877 people.-References:2. Jewish History - Uzpaliai KehilaLinks site at http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Uzpaliai/Uzpaliai.htm...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
– 23 April 1983, in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada) was a Lithuanian–Canadian International Master of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. He was a five-time Lithuanian champion
Lithuanian Chess Championship
First unofficial Lithuanian championship was held in Kaunas in 1921. The Champion's title was granted after victorious or drawn match between previous champion and challenger, mostly a winner of Championship of Kaunas in the period from 1922 to World War II. The first official Lithuanian...
, and was twice Canadian champion
Canadian Chess Championship
This is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the next stage of the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle...
. Vaitonis was inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame on July 9, 2011 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Biography
Povilas Vaitonis played for Lithuania in four official and one unofficial Chess OlympiadChess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s.
- In July 1933, he played at second board at 5th Chess Olympiad5th Chess OlympiadThe 5th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 12 and July 23, 1933, in Folkestone, United Kingdom...
in FolkestoneFolkestoneFolkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
(+5 –5 =2). - In August 1935, he played at fourth board at 6th Chess Olympiad6th Chess OlympiadThe 6th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between August 16 and August 31, 1935, in Warsaw, Poland...
in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
(+5 –5 =3). - In August/September 1936, he played at third board at 3rd unofficial Chess Olympiad3rd unofficial Chess OlympiadThe 3rd unofficial Chess Olympiad was held by German Chess Federation as a counterpart of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin with reference to 1924 and 1928 events....
in MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(+12 –6 =2). - In July/August 1937, he played at second board at 7th Chess Olympiad7th Chess OlympiadThe 7th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 31 and August 14, 1937, in Stockholm, Sweden]....
in StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(+8 –5 =5). - In August/September 1939, he played at second board at 8th Chess Olympiad8th Chess OlympiadThe 8th Chess Olympiad, organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs , comprised an 'open' tournament, as well as a Women's World Championship contest...
in Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(+6 –8 =6).
His total for Lithuania in Olympiads was (+36 -29 =18).
Vaitonis played three matches against Vladas Mikėnas
Vladas Mikenas
Vladas Mikėnas was a Lithuanian International Master of chess, an Honorary Grandmaster, and a journalist.- Early life :Vladas Mikėnas played for Lithuania at first board in five official and one unofficial Chess Olympiads....
. In 1934, he lost a match (2 : 6). In 1937, he lost a match (4,5 : 5,5). In 1938, he lost a match (3 : 9).
Vaitonis may have been the first player to use what is now called the Benko Gambit
Benko Gambit
The Benko Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the move 3...b5 in the Benoni Defense arising after:- Origin and predecessors :The idea of sacrificing a pawn with ...b5 and ...a6 is quite old. Karel Opočenský applied the idea against, among others, Gideon Ståhlberg at Poděbrady 1936, Paul...
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5) in its most common move order, in a game against Thorvaldsson at the 1936 unofficial Olympiad at Munich.
Vaitonis became the Lithuanian Champion in 1934, 1937, 1938, 1942, and 1944. In July 1943, he took 4th place, behind Birmanas, Romanas Arlauskas
Romanas Arlauskas
Romanas Arlauskas was a Lithuanian-born Australian chess master.Arlauskas played at sixth board in an unofficial Chess Olympiad at Munich 1936...
, and Leonardas Abramavičius
Leonardas Abramavicius
Leonardas Abramavičius was a Lithuanian chess player.-Biography:Leonardas Abramavičius played for Lithuania in four official and one unofficial Chess Olympiads....
, at the 12th Lithuanian Championship in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. He left Lithuania just before the advancing Soviet forces arrived, to avoid deportation to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
or any other persecutions the Soviet occupation (e.g., those of Vladimirs Petrovs
Vladimirs Petrovs
Vladimirs Petrovs or Vladimir Petrov was a Latvian chess master.He was born in Riga, Latvia. Though he learned the game of chess relatively late, at age thirteen, Petrovs made rapid progress. By 1926, at age 19, he won the Riga Championship and finish third in the national championship...
). Joining the westward exodus in 1944/45, he –- along with many other Baltic players, e.g. Arlauskas, Dreibergs, Endzelins, Jursevskis, Mednis, Ozols, Sarapu, Tautvaišas, Zemgalis, etc. -– moved to the West.
In 1948, he emigrated to Canada and settled in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. He wrote a weekly chess column in the The Hamilton Spectator
The Hamilton Spectator
The Hamilton Spectator, founded in 1846, is a newspaper published every day but Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The paper has a daily circulation of 105,000 and a daily readership of nearly 260,000.-History:...
1953–1955. In 1949, he took 5th place at Canadian Championship in Arvida, Quebec
Arvida, Quebec
Arvida is a settlement of 12,000 people in Quebec, Canada, that is part of the City of Saguenay. Its name is derived from the name of its founder, Arthur Vining Davis, president of the Alcoa aluminum company ....
. In 1951 and in 1957, he won Canadian Championships in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. In September–October 1952, he took 19th place at the 2nd Interzonal
Interzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. In 1953, he took 3rd place in Canadian Championship in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
.
Paul Vaitonis played for Canada in two Olympiads. In September 1954, he played at third board at the 11th Chess Olympiad
11th Chess Olympiad
The 11th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between September 4 and September 25, 1954, in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(+6 –3 =5). In September/October 1958, he played at third board at the 13th Chess Olympiad
13th Chess Olympiad
The 13th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between September 30 and October 23, 1958, in Munich, West Germany.-References:...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(+4 –5 =5). His total for Canada in Olympiads was (+10 -8 =10).
In 1952, he was awarded the International Master title by FIDE. In the 1960s he continued playing in the Canadian Championships and on teams (Lithuanian Chess Club, McMaster).
Vaitonis was inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame on July 9, 2011 in Toronto.
Notable chess games
- Povilas Vaitonis vs Erich Eliskases, Folkestone 1933, 5th Olympiad, English Opening, Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation, A16, 1-0
- Povilas Vaitonis vs Movsas Feigins, Munich (ol) 1936, Queen's Gambit Declined, D53, 1-0 Black were so much engaged in their c5 pawn greedy ride they overlooked mate.
- Octavio Trompowsky vs Povilas Vaitonis, Buenos Aires 1939, 8th Olympiad (f-A), Trompowsky Attack, A45, 0-1
- Paul Vaitonis vs Fedor Parfenovich Bohatirchuk, Vancouver 1951, CAN-ch, Queen's Pawn Game, A41, 1-0