Just received this - Amir Ban is in a bad way. His sister and husband had to hide for 30 hours in the safe room while the Hamas were massacring the people outside. They were in Kibbutz Be'eri, where 112 people were slaughtered, "some by techniques described by De Sade" (Amir). His nephew Avida Bakhar was severely wounded (lost a leg), as was his daughter, 13. Avida's wife Dana and their son Camel (15) were butchered.
I knew Amir very well from the past, we met in foreign countries playing in tournaments against each other with our chess brainchild.
The news about his loss makes me feel sad.