.....men may come and men may go....

For men may come and men may go

But I go on for ever.... - Tennyson 

Could there be a better allusion to Shri.Dakshninamurthy Sir.......and what he meant to us....all the Chennai based Chess players..... with the exception of Vishy, perhaps.....
.....than Lord Tennyson's fond reference to the Brook: the dwelling place for birds, fern....men....

for .......his house in Govindu Street, T.Nagar, Chennai......was a brook.....which bred many chessplayers.....a few Grand Masters.....
and was a place of reverie for many.....who just came to be with him....revel and keep coming.....

.....few almost lived there......!


A brook.....is a lifeline.....gives it all......always flowing....takes nothing

And this brook was flowing in his grand love for the game......generosity.....towards chess lovers.....
To this brook....
......some came for stealing joy of chess.......playing, reading....and learning.....
.....and some....

Yet, "The Brook"..., took nothing...... allowed all.....gave it all....always with a joyful chuckle....at times..... a little mischievous....

He was a class apart in the way he showed the game.....moves......on the board....revealing the idea in his unique way.....stopping here and stopping there....to ask "What now?"....

....and the answer invariably meets with a 'sweet rebuff'.....showing our place.....and showcasing the mastery of the author of the game: which may be anyone......from the Frenchman de la Bourdonnais.....to the famous K&K's ......

Grandmaster Kidambi recalls his experience as a kid, in Dakshinamurthy Sir's house when Sir showed him Alekhine - Sultan Khan game where, in the following position, he explained how Alekhine made all efforts to prevent Sultan Khan from castling his King.....(Alekhine played 17.Bd2 giving back the b3 pawn) and finally when Sultan Khan played .....f6 and ......Kf7, realised that the Indian after all......would be as happy to forego castling and just tuck his King on f7....!

Yours truly is one of the beneficiary of the kindness, this great man showered....and the time that I spent there in my formative years were truly memorable......the time I forged friendship with caissa....and fellow chess players....!

.....alas, all that I am left with now is pangs of regret and guilt.....for not having paid my due...... by visiting him in the past two decades..... the least that I could have done......

.....Men may come and men may go......but......
few men.... like Shri.Dakshinamurthy Sir, will stay forever....
.....in the minds.....
.......our minds