My name is Jeff Sneden, I found you through http://geocities.com/jimfoers@swbell.net/ I have played chess with Bodo Konze for the past ten years in Austin, TX. I regret to tell you that in the past week Bodo has passed away.
He had mentioned to me several times that he was organizing a Pente tournament. I would like to go ahead and make sure the tournament is run as a memorial for him. I know little more than the rules of Pente, but I am an experienced chess tournament organizer. I am willing to be a contact in Austin, help out or run the tournament entirely. What would you think of this?
Thank you for your help.
Jeff Sneden
Hey guys,
I know that many of you like myself had gotten to know Bodo through pente and enjoyed visiting and competing against him. I've even had ex-students who went to UT tell me they knew him from the chess club and that he'd given them pointers in pente and what a nice guy he was. I was a somewhat shocked and saddened to receive this note today. It's very nice of his friend Jeff to want to pick up the ball and make this a nice tribute to Bodo. Even though Patricia (partica), Jim (jumpin721) and myself had been the ones to come up with the idea for the tourney, we welcome any suggestions on how this could be made into a nice gesture to remember Bodo by in the pente community.
Thanks for any suggestions anyone might have and we hope to have as many people show for the Oct. 1 event as can make it. I'll tell Jeff to watch the postings here.
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 9, 2005, 9:39 PM
This is shocking news. Bodo Konze was a great guy and I regret not getting the chance to spend more time with him than I did. During the vegas tournament in 2004, Partica and up2ng and Bodo and I spent a good bit of time together. It was also my pleasure to hang out with him in texas when I stayed with Greg during a recent pente tournament. He made us laugh and he was a great pente player and a good guy. Do you know any details about what happened to him? He appeared to be in good health...
If I do not accept a game invite right away, it means I will once I have fewer games in progress.
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 10, 2005, 12:24 AM
How very sad! Bodo was one of the nicest, friendliest people who ever played pente here… I absolutely loved talking to him. He was so generous about offering little pente lessons to newbies... Very smart guy with a great sense of humor! He will be missed!
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 10, 2005, 3:38 AM
This is a very sad day. He was a very fine man and a pente legend. He will be sorely missed. I will miss playing the master under all his names. I hope they play pente in heaven because one of the greats is there. Go with God Bodo and light our way for all to see you again. Jayhawklov
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 10, 2005, 3:48 AM
This is Greg Strange. I haven't been active in a long time. Dmitri let me know what happened to Bodo.
I first met Bodo in Grapevine at the second annual North Texas tournament. Since I was not yet really into Pente I didn't knwo exactly who he was although his name had been familiar at the time. He gave me a lot of pointers while I played his nephew. He was an incredibly agile mind with a great perspectiv eon things.
It wasn't until several weeks later that I found out he had been the 20th Anniversary Pente champion. He never spoke of it, he never told anyone there, he never acted like the c o c k of the walk. It was partly because of Bodo that I felt like a Pente community was necessary and needed to be fostered.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his nephew and family; I know that they must be sorry to have lost such a gentle generous, humorous man.
I don't have much money these days but I would like to call on everyone to put some money together and come up with the funds to run the Bodo Konze Memorial Tournament in Austin. I'll give the first $20. My wish is that ther e would be a regular tournament so I hope that we can all give enough to hodl the tournament every year.
I cannot tell you how sad I am at the loss of Bodo. He will be sorely missed.
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 10, 2005, 7:48 AM
Hi. Not much is known yet on Bodo's death, except that it was suicide. This may come as a shock to many of you (and me) since Bodo was one of the most jovial people that I have ever met. Something happened to him about six months ago, he was never again the same. It could have been the result of a variety of causes, but he was not the Bodo of old.
I should be able to find more information on Monday, I will report back everything I hear. Bodo was very excited about a pente tournament coming to Austin; I would like it to be the best tournament that it can be. Bodo will be missed.
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Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 10, 2005, 7:55 AM
I met Bodo online at dsg many moons ago. He was always very entertaining and a pleasure to play pente with, always offering up good pointers. I met him in person for the first time a few years ago at a Texas Tourney, where he proved to be the same persona in person as he was online, which is rare if you ask me. He was one of the funniest people I had ever met. From that point forward we forged a great friendship.
At the Vegas tourney last year we spent a lot of time together. Playing aerobie in the hallway of his hotel, running around and acting a fool on the sky tram, getting drunk on vodka, and stealing half and half from the restaurant in the hotel so he could have his damned prized white russians! lmao He was genuinely a great person to be around. No judgements, no expectations, he just was. He was one of those people you rarely meet, if ever. His love for the fellow human was immense and his ability to be positive was just amazing. He was amazing. I loved him for who and what he was, a great human being.
I just talked to him on the phone recently, I find it so hard to believe that will be the last time I hear his voice.
My heart goes out to his family and especially his nephew. I will miss Bodo more than I could ever convey! Peace, Love, and Light to you and yours Bodo.
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Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 11, 2005, 3:46 AM
Sadder tears I have not cried in a long time. Bodo was my buddy.
He was a mentor.
He was my friend.
Bodo, I'm gonna miss you. I'm so sorry I didn't return your phone call last week....We could have laughed our asses off one more time about the bomb threat (brf and ilurath know what I'm talking about).
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 11, 2005, 9:23 AM
I'm very sorry that I didn't have the opportunity to get to know you Bodo. I will always remember how excited Part was to find out that you played here. You were a Pente legend and from everything I've heard a great guy as well. Pente will miss you.
Retired from TB Pente, but still playing live games & exploring variants like D, poof and boat
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Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 12, 2005, 5:46 AM
"I don't have much money these days but I would like to call on everyone to put some money together and come up with the funds to run the Bodo Konze Memorial Tournament in Austin. I'll give the first $20. My wish is that ther e would be a regular tournament so I hope that we can all give enough to hodl the tournament every year."
This is a great idea and the perfect way to honor Bodo.
I would be willing to donate $100 this year and every year thereafter.
Re: sad day for pente
Posted:
Sep 12, 2005, 1:13 PM
A friend of Bodo's family has been in contact with me and will let me know about funeral arrangments and memorials. They appreciate the kind words shown to Bodo at the forum here.
As for the tourney, we're thinking of having a $20 entry fee and making the tourney the first annual Bodo Konze Memorial Tourney. We could use the proceeds for plaques and donations to a memorial in Bodo's name to a charity or cause he supported. This of course is not set in stone and if anyone has suggestions let us know here in the forum.
