Russell W. Miller once told me, “I am not a genius. Quit calling me a genius. I do not want my name in print.” But make no mistake—that is exactly what Russell W. Miller was. Forty million copies of the Guinness Book of World Records reported his two monster 117-board Lloyd Center, Portland, Oregon (1973) and 179-board world chess simultaneous at Mid Isle Plaza (Broadway Plaza) July 2-3, 1976, Long Island, New York. He arranged hundreds of American prison, school, and television chess appearances with the ideal time being Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 PM sharp.

In his kitchen he hand-drew a crude “how to set up a chess exhibition” flyer; left room on the flyer for the local mall manager to get some free advertising just by plugging in the mall logo! Mr. Miller thought little of himself, but I was fully aware of his staggering off-the-chart promotional ability.

My favorite Miller story? On the phone with a St. Louis organizer, he assured… “Even if it rains in the open air don’t worry…we are in touch with God… it never rains on a Jude Acers chess exhibition!”

— Jude Acers