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BGonline.org Forums
Herb Gurland, Former Giant, Passed Today
Posted By: Dave Metz In Response To: Herb Gurland, Former Giant, Passed Today (Paul Weaver)
Date: Wednesday, 6 May 2015, at 5:05 a.m.
All,
I played in the NEBC for a number of years. I came to Boston in 2005 never having played a single game of backgammon. Over the following 4 years - and after a lot of reps with GnuBG - I finally was passable player (maybe a 15 ER) and ventured out to my first NEBC tournament with my buddy Greg Jukins.
Here's what I'll never forget about Herb: He was incredibly nurturing to Greg / me and always looked out for us and checked in with us in those early days. He never forced us to play the Expert draw and always gave us free lessons once he was knocked from the tournament (and wasn't taking money from others in chouettes!).
One of our first tournaments, I remember Greg drawing Herb in the second round. Not fortunate. As Greg played Herb, there was a move late in one game where, rather than save a backgammon, Greg mistakenly left a checker in Herb's home board for no reason. Herb could have (rightfully) taken a backgammon, but forgave Greg the obvious error and only chalked up a gammon. Not necessary, but he thought it was the just thing to do.
I played Herb (along with fellow thread members Matt, Albert, Alex Zamanian, Ed Ahola, Phyllis Seidel, and the late Walter Trice) in many a chouette in Davis Square. I was playing a lot of backgammon online and against the computer, but those sessions were invaluable to my improvement as a player. At peak, I was probably a 4.5-5.5 ER player -- I owe a lot of that to Herb. His kindness, his patience, his wisdom, his understanding, his fairness. He was as good a person as everyone on the thread has said, and probably better than that.
-Dave
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