Cor de Feijter (05.10.1907 – 06.11.1988, The Netherlands)

Important chess composer and editor of endgame studies

Cornelis Jan de Feijter was born on October 5, 1907 in Groede (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen). At a young age he moved (in 1917) to Deventer, where after a chemical education he worked for more than a quarter of a century in a drugstore and for 15 years he headed the production department of a graphic company (De Diepdruk) where he set up the ink factory. had helped set.

In 1924 he became a member of the Deventer Chess Society "Pallas". He was a strong chess player. He already played in the first team of Pallas in 1925, became champion of Deventer about ten times and won the championship of the Eastern Chess Federation in 1936. He was also chairman of "Pallas" for many years and was appointed honorary chairman at the association's 110th anniversary

.In 1985 he received the silver medal from the city of Deventer on the basis of the widespread appreciation for his work.

Editor, writer and composer of endgame studies

Harold van der Heijden wrote:

"For decades, Cor de Feijter has provided the chess column in the Deventer Dagblad (1933 to 1980!) and other regional magazines. His special interest was in endgame studies. He wrote many articles, not only for the "Magazine", but also for other chess magazines, including foreign ones. In 1937 his book "80 Endgame Studies" was published; an anthology of his own studies. In 1948 he took the initiative to publish a general book on endgame study together with his good friend and the best study composer the Netherlands has ever had, Jan Marwitz. Cor de Feijter himself was won over for the endgame study by an article by August Haga in "Tijdschrift" of November/December 1929 about minor promotions. He started collecting studies with minor promotions and composing them himself. His preference was for so-called miniature studies (studies with a maximum of 7 pieces). In total he composed about 250 studies. Only a small portion of these were awarded, because he published most of the studies for his section in the Deventer Dagblad or other sections and only rarely participated in tournaments. Not on principle, which is evident from the fact that FIDE appointed him international chess composition arbiter in 1958. In 1936 he took over the endgame study section in "Journal" from Johan van den Ende, who had started it in the early 1930s.

Under De Feijter's leadership, that section became an internationally authoritative meeting point for study composers and their work. Those years are still known as the Golden Decade of Dutch composition study.

In the mid-1930s, De Feijter tried to establish an endgame study association. A first call appeared in "Magazine" no.10 of 1934, and potential members were contacted who could register by means of a card (click on the image!). Although, according to reports in "Journal", almost a hundred study enthusiasts showed interest, such an association did not come to be established. Two years later, De Feijter was still optimistic, but ultimately the mobilization and the outbreak of the Second World War threw a spanner in the works.

Just before the outbreak of the war, his good friend Jan Fischer, then endgame studies editor of De Schaakwereld, died in a tragic motorcycle accident. Fischer was an army doctor and was only thirty years old. They often corresponded about endgame studies. A family photo shows that a photo of Fischer stood on De Feijter's mantelpiece for many years.

His editorship was interrupted in the years 1943-45 by his imprisonment. It is difficult to put into words what he was able to do for his fellow prisoners during those years. The best illustration of this is a moving card that he sent from the POW camp to another well-known endgame study enthusiast,  John Selman Jr. Faith and confidence gave him the strength to persevere and start over again during and after the war.

In the 1950s, De Feijter once again attempted to get an endgame study association off the ground, but this time too it was not successful. Many years later, a few weeks before his death on October 15, 1988, the Alexander Rueb Association for Chess Endgame Study (ARVES) was founded. Given the fact that his wish had finally come true after more than 50 years, the De Feijter family decided at the time that Cor de Feijter's book collection should be donated to ARVES.

ARVES cherishes this collection and is now trying to bring it back to Deventer by placing it in the collection of the Athenaeum library.

This biography is largely based on an in memoriam for De Feijter that Jan H. Marwitz wrote for Schakend Nederland, and interviews with De Feijter appeared in the Deventer Dagblad. With thanks to the De Feijter family and Harrie Grondijs who provided photo and other material."

  Written by Harold van der Heijden, November 2003.

Source: Dutch Website ARVES.org

Others: 14 endgame studies by him were selected on Website arves.org