In Memoriam (en passant)

About a year ago one Robert S. Ayala passed into chess heaven. For many years he was the ne plus ultra and the sine qua non of chess night at Denny’s in Colton on Friday and before that on Second St. Denny’s in San Bernardino. His father was a Spaniard, his mother Mexican and American Indian. Bobby’s personality was a kedgeree of the fighting spirit of these (“You don’t scare me!”). Tournament chess has a pathetic atmosphere compared to the mise en scene and The Zeitgeist that Patch (his nickname) created when playing his arch nemesis (Harris Liskaris). “You touched it, you’ve got to move it!” or “I… I… I can’t believe it! (mock shock on sizing up a position).” Hopefully God will not try a queen pawn opening on him he - has been well prepared for that. His joie de vivre is irreplaceable but it also lives on in laughs they are still scraping off the walls at Denny’s. He did Colton proud.