The Roanoker Sept/October 2023 - 37

RVCC. The club decided to honor their beneficiary
by naming it the Walter Muir Memorial
Tournament.
While Walter served as club president in
his early years in Roanoke, he was a much less
frequent though awe-inspiring presence by the
time Rusty Potter joined the RVCC in 1960.
" Muir was this mystical figure because he
rarely came in. He was buried in the world of
chess by mail, which was a more common way
to play in rural areas, " Rusty Potter remembers.
" When he came in, it was a rare treat
for us to talk to him and ask him questions
and tell yarns about all the guys he's played all
over the world. He would come in with quizzes
and puzzles for the others and he was kind of a
giant among men. There were just a handful of
people that could keep up with him. "
A Roanoke native, Potter is a four-time
Virginia state chess champion and holds
the title of Original Life Master, the most
esteemed designation awarded by the U.S.
Chess Federation. He is also a full-time
chess instructor for the Mid-Atlantic Chess
Instruction Center. Potter was born in 1948,
the year after the formation of the RVCC. He
joined up at age 12 and has been a member
ever since. Growing up in the rough-andtumble
West End, Potter persevered through
a number of challenges and found a second
home at the Roanoke Valley Chess Club.
Potter remembers Muir's gruff New York
accent and, at times, irascible tone but found
the man to have a heart of gold. He cites
Walter's personal kindness towards him as a
mentor-a relationship that was cemented one
rainy afternoon when Potter missed the bus
and Muir saw his young chess playing compatriot
walking down the street. The chess legend
got him out of the rain, chatted amiably with
him on the ride and brought him home.
In later years, the two became friends.
Whenever Potter visited the Muir home,
Walter was pouring over moves from the dozens
of postal games he had going at the time.
He remembers Walter for his strong sense of
social conscience.
" Walter Muir was very much an environmentalist
and he was a member of some civil
rights groups, " Potter recalls. Muir put his
money where his mouth was, making generous
donations to support the causes in which
he believed. On several occasions, Muir shared
his progressive political views with Potter.
By the early 1990s, the Muirs slowed down
considerably. Dorothy's health declined rapidly
TheRoanoker.com
and Walter spent his days
caring for his bride. The
Muirs, too, had friends
looking in on them
regularly in Salem.
Dorothy died in 1994
and Walter was never
quite the same, though
he remained an active
chess player until his
death on December 29,
1999 at the age of 94.
The Muirs' legacy
lives on in the tournament
that bears
Walter's name and the
still vibrant local club
he once managed.
" It 's a fellowship
of intelligent
people, " club officer
Mike Huff says. " We
have some interesting
discussions
outside of chess
on geopolitics and
economics and
current events. " Players
of all ages and abilities
belong to the Roanoke
Valley Chess Club,
which is actively seeking
new members and
has a very informative
website at roanokechess.
com. The club meets every
Wednesday night at the
Raleigh Court Branch
Library in Roanoke at
5:30 p.m. Rusty Potter,
too, is taking on
new players for
chess instruction.
You can find him
at chessinstructor.
org. I
RIGHT TOP:
Correspondence chess
letter from Walter Muir
to Jon Edwards, 1996.
RIGHT MIDDLE +
BOTTOM:
Correspondence chess
moves from Walter
Muir.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 37
COURTESY OF JON EDWARDS
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker Sept/October 2023

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