R.I.P. Philip Gamblin Haley (Phil) 1924-2017

Philip Gamblin Haley (Phil) 1924-2017

Philip Haley was born in St.Stephen, New Brunswick, May 29, 1924. He graduated from Acadia University with an honours degree in science in 1945 and graduated from McGill University with a degree in chemical engineering in 1947. He was employed for 37 years with Imperial Oil and retired from an executive position with that company in 1983. He was known for his expertise in catalytic cracking and heavy oil upgrading and apart from a variety of technical positions, he held a number of managerial positions including manager of engineering design and manager of refining technology. Following his retirement he acted as a consultant on a number of major heavy oil upgrading projects. Apart from his engineering career, Mr. Haley was well known both nationally and internationally in the world of chess. In Canada, Mr. Haley was Secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada from 1953-1954, developer of the first Canadian rating list and Rating Commissioner from 1953-1955, Vice-president of the Chess Federation of Canada from 1955-1956, Chairman of the Chess Foundation of Canada from 1959-1967, President of the Chess Federation of Canada from 1971-1973 and FIDE (the world chess federation) Zonal President and FIDE representative for Canada from 1994-1999. Phil was very active in FIDE. He made a detailed presentation to FIDE's Central Committee in Venice in 1967 on the subject of conducting Chess Olympiads using the controlled pairing Swiss system. He led discussions on this subject in subsequent years until his idea was accepted for the 1976 Olympiad in Haifa, Israel and used in all subsequent Chess Olympiads. Apart from being a member of the Rules Committee he was chairman of the Pairings Committee for Chess Olympiads in Israel, Argentina, Malta and Switzerland. He took part in FIDE meetings in Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Armenia, Moldova, Qatar and Turkey. At the 1995 meeting of the FIDE Central Committee in Paris, Phil introduced a motion of non-confidence in President Campomanes and his team. This was seconded by Fan Adams of the US and was defeated by a controversial vote that was deemed to have been tied. At the FIDE Congress in Yerevan in 1996 Phil introduced a motion that all FIDE executive positions should be filled by individual votes rather than by voting
for teams. This motion received strong support but was narrowly defeated. In 1999 Phil was a member of the three man Appeals Committee for the World Championship in Las Vegas. In 1971 in cooperation with Mayor Drapeau of Montreal, Mr. Haley developed and submitted a detailed proposal to FIDE for holding the World chess Championship (Fischer-Spassky match) in Montreal. In 1972 Mr. Haley co-authored with Kenneth Harkness of the US a report for FIDE entitled "Application of the Swiss System to FIDE tournaments." Mr. Haley was the originator of the accelerated pairing Swiss system that proved to be highly successful in tournaments with a high ratio of number of players to number of rounds. He was the tournament director and arbiter for four Canadian Open chess championships in Winnipeg, Kingston, Vancouver and St. John's as well as for the Canadian Closed championship in Pointe Claire, P.Q. in 1969. Although better known as a tournament director and Chess Federation official, Phil was an active player as well. He took part in many Canadian Opens starting with the first Canadian Open in Montreal in 1956 as well as Canadian Opens in Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener, London, Windsor, Sackville, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. He represented New Brunswick in the 1945 Canadian Closed championship in Saskatoon and won the Alberta chess championship in 1959. Phil was also active in the US and participated in US Open championship tournaments in Tampa, Milwaukee, Cleveland and San Juan as well as having been a member of the US Chess Federation Rules Committee and the USCF FIDE Advisory Committee. He received the "Special Friend of the USCF" award in 2006. Mr. Haley was awarded a medal in 1977 from the Governor General of Canada on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth...for contributions in the field of chess. Phil was one of the original members of the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame. Mr. Haley is survived by his wife Betty-June, daughter Nancie and her husband David, granddaughter Melissa and sister Margaret.

Donations may be made in Phil's memory to the Scarborough Chess Club or the CNIB.

https://www.arbormemorial.ca/highlan...in-haley/10214

A sad day for Canadian Chess. Phil was a giant of Canadian Chess. Our condolences to his family and many friends.