National Chess Day — though only unofficially, because nobody cares

On Chess: National Chess Day Is Officially Unofficial
By BRIAN JERAULD

This Saturday, Oct. 11 is National Chess Day — though only unofficially, because nobody cares.

That’s not from a lack of continued effort on the part of chess players, however, as plenty have cared about such a recognized holiday dating all the way back to its inception in 1976.

During a time when American chess was witnessing explosive growth as part of the “Fischer boom,” a man named Bill Dodger set out as chairman of National Chess Day-76, a project within the U.S. Chess Federation. Dodger was a regional vice president. Beginning with a handwritten letter to South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, Dodger requested that President Gerald Ford proclaim a National Chess Day in October, stating that America harbored more than 30 million chess players and that ours was the only major nation in the world that had not honored the game; we hadn’t even issued a chess postage stamp.

While handwritten letters and 13-cent postage stamps will be saved as history lessons for another day, the everlasting red tape of our government is not a fresh storyline. Dodger was informed that it was not customary for the president to issue proclamations unless authorized to do so by Congress, a request that would need 218 sponsors before such a resolution could even be considered. Dodger quickly abandoned the idea.

He settled, however, with a request that President Ford at least acknowledge the cultural aspects of chess, and the president agreed. Ford followed up with a letter giving special recognition to “a game that generates challenge, intellectual stimulation and enjoyment for citizens of all ages.” He went on to declare Oct. 9, 1976 as the first official National Chess Day — unofficially.

Source: http://news.stlpublicradio.org