Nathan Divinsky
Encyclopedia
Nathan Joseph Divinsky is a Canadian mathematician
, chess
master
, and chess writer
, who is also known for being the former husband of the 19th Prime Minister
of Canada
, Kim Campbell
. Divinsky and Campbell were married from 1972 to 1983.
from the University of Manitoba
in 1946. He received a Master of Science
in 1947 and Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1950 from the University of Chicago
.
Divinsky served as a mathematics professor
, and also as an assistant dean of science, at the University of British Columbia
. He was also featured in many segments relating to mathematics and chess on the Discovery Channel Canada
program @discovery.ca, now called Daily Planet. During the first two seasons of the show, he presented a weekly contest segment emphasizing math puzzles.
Divinsky has served on the Vancouver School Board
, and as an
alderman
on Vancouver's city council
.
, Toronto
1945, with 9.5/12, along with John Belson; the joint winners were Daniel Yanofsky
and Frank Yerhoff at 10.5/12. In the 1951 Closed Canadian Chess Championship, held at Vancouver
, Divinsky scored 6/12 to tie for 5th-7th places. He represented Canada twice at the Chess Olympiads, in 1954 at Amsterdam
(second reserve board, 0.5/1), and in 1966 at Havana
(second reserve board, 4.5/8). He served for 15 years, from 1959–1974, as editor of the magazine Canadian Chess Chat. He has played an important role in chess organization in Canada since the 1950s. He first became Canada's representative to FIDE (the World Chess Federation), in 1987, served again in this post in the mid-2000s, and is a member of the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame.
He has also written several books on chess (see bibliography below). Chess historian Edward Winter
in a 1992 review was very critical of Divinsky's The Batsford Chess Encyclopedia, calling it "A Catastrophic Encyclopedia". In 2008, Winter selected it as one of the five worst chess books in English from the past two decades. His 1989 review of Divinsky and Raymond Keene's
book Warriors of the Mind was also negative.
in the late 1960s. Their relationship continued while Campbell did graduate work at the London School of Economics
, and the two were married in 1972. Divinsky was involved with administration at UBC, was a member of the Vancouver School Board, and was an influence in interesting Campbell in political activity. The two divorced in 1983; their marriage produced no children.
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
, and chess writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, who is also known for being the former husband of the 19th Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
. Divinsky and Campbell were married from 1972 to 1983.
Mathematician
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He received a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in 1946. He received a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in 1947 and Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1950 from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Divinsky served as a mathematics professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, and also as an assistant dean of science, at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. He was also featured in many segments relating to mathematics and chess on the Discovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel devoted to nature, adventure, science and technology programming. Discovery Channel is currently owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc...
program @discovery.ca, now called Daily Planet. During the first two seasons of the show, he presented a weekly contest segment emphasizing math puzzles.
Divinsky has served on the Vancouver School Board
School District 39 Vancouver
Vancouver School Board is a school district based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A board of nine trustees manage this district that serves the city of Vancouver and the University Endowment Lands....
, and as an
alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
on Vancouver's city council
Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
.
Chess life
Divinsky tied for 3rd-4th places in the Closed Canadian Chess ChampionshipCanadian Chess Championship
This is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the next stage of the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
1945, with 9.5/12, along with John Belson; the joint winners were Daniel Yanofsky
Daniel Yanofsky
Daniel Abraham Yanofsky, OC, QC was Canada's first chess grandmaster, an eight-time Canadian Chess Champion, a chess writer, a chess arbiter, and a lawyer.-Life in chess:...
and Frank Yerhoff at 10.5/12. In the 1951 Closed Canadian Chess Championship, held at Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Divinsky scored 6/12 to tie for 5th-7th places. He represented Canada twice at the Chess Olympiads, in 1954 at Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(second reserve board, 0.5/1), and in 1966 at Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
(second reserve board, 4.5/8). He served for 15 years, from 1959–1974, as editor of the magazine Canadian Chess Chat. He has played an important role in chess organization in Canada since the 1950s. He first became Canada's representative to FIDE (the World Chess Federation), in 1987, served again in this post in the mid-2000s, and is a member of the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame.
He has also written several books on chess (see bibliography below). Chess historian Edward Winter
Edward Winter (chess historian)
Edward Winter is an English journalist, archivist, historian, collector and author about the game of chess. He writes a regular column on that subject, Chess Notes, and is also a regular columnist for ChessBase.-Chess Notes:...
in a 1992 review was very critical of Divinsky's The Batsford Chess Encyclopedia, calling it "A Catastrophic Encyclopedia". In 2008, Winter selected it as one of the five worst chess books in English from the past two decades. His 1989 review of Divinsky and Raymond Keene's
Raymond Keene
Raymond Dennis Keene OBE is an English chess Grandmaster, a FIDE International Arbiter, a chess organiser, and a journalist and author.p196 He won the British Chess Championship in 1971, and was the first player from England to earn a Grandmaster norm, in 1974. In 1976 he became the second...
book Warriors of the Mind was also negative.
Marriage to Kim Campbell
Divinsky met Kim Campbell, 22 years younger, while she was an undergraduate student at the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in the late 1960s. Their relationship continued while Campbell did graduate work at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and the two were married in 1972. Divinsky was involved with administration at UBC, was a member of the Vancouver School Board, and was an influence in interesting Campbell in political activity. The two divorced in 1983; their marriage produced no children.
Selected bibliography
- Rings and Radicals, University of Toronto Press, 1965.
- Around the Chess World in 80 Years.
- The Batsford Encyclopedia of Chess, 1990. ISBN 0-7134-6214-0
- Life Maps of the Great Chess Masters, 1994.
- Warriors of the Mind: A Quest for the Supreme Genius of the Chess Board (with Raymond KeeneRaymond KeeneRaymond Dennis Keene OBE is an English chess Grandmaster, a FIDE International Arbiter, a chess organiser, and a journalist and author.p196 He won the British Chess Championship in 1971, and was the first player from England to earn a Grandmaster norm, in 1974. In 1976 he became the second...
), 1989, 2002. ISBN 0-9513757-2-5