In Episode 258, I converse with Life Master Eugene Salomon, Author of "Sweet Memories: Family, Friends, Chess, and Sugar”. Eugene is a 95 years-young, successful businessman, who has been playing chess for 80 years! He was born in Spain in 1928 and has been married to Bea, his Brooklyn angel, for sixty-two years. He was among the best chess players in Spain and Cuba in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After many years away from chess, he earned the U.S Chess Federation rating as a Life Master at age 70. He also received a Silver Life Master Certificate from the American Contract Bridge League at age 93. Gene earned degrees in Sugar Technology and Agricultural Engineering at Havana University. He is known as one of the foremost experts in the world on the subject of edible molasses and has traveled extensively in his work. Gene's resumé includes significant contributions to the sugar industry, and he has been nominated for the Dyer Award, the "Sugar Man of the Year." He is still working as a consultant in new business development in the food industry.
We speak about his 50-year-long friendship with Dr. Richard Lewis, our Westchester Instructor and 180th podcast guest, encounters with former World Champions Alexander Alekhine and Garry Kasparov, wins against Grandmasters Arthur Bisguier and Robert Byrne, José Raúl Capablanca's legacy, the Annual US Amateur Team East Championship, parallels with our 200th Podcast Guest FIDE Master Asa Hoffmann and more.