BCN remembers IM Andrew Jonathan Whiteley (09-vi-1947 07-vii-2014)
Andrew was born on Monday, June 9th, 1947 in Birmingham, West Midlands to Denys Edward Hugh Whiteley (1914 – 1987) and Muriel Sutton (1919 – 1967). Andrew had two siblings, Robert N (Birmingham, 1944) and Angela M (Oxford 1952).
Andrew completed his education at Magdalen College School, Oxford and then in law at Pembroke College, Oxford.
“Whiteley’s school chess record is an outstanding 63/65: Andrew Whiteley is captain and top board of a very strong U18 team of: A Whiteley, H Morphy, MN Crombie, MM Daube, A Hawkins and AH Smith.”
Andrew was joint (with WR Hartston) Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1967-68 season.
His highest Elo rating was 2395 in January 1977 at the age of 29 and played for King’s Head in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL).
Andrew was former President of the Middlesex County Chess Association (1985-87) and Deputy (1984-85 & 1987-88).
He became a FIDE Master in 1980 at the age of 33. His last major tournament was Cappelle Le Grand in 1988 (see photograph below).
Below was written by BCM editor James Pratt in Volume CXXXIV (134), Number 8 (August) page 417-8 :
“Unfailingly courteous, formally dressed, retired London solicitor, British Master, Andrew Jonathan Whiteley (9 vi 1946 Birmingham – 8 vii 2014) has died. The son of an Oxford professor, AJW was British U21 Champion of 1965. He tied, with Hans Ree, for first in the European Junior in 1965/6.
The following game first appeared in the Games Department column of Harry Golombek in British Chess Magazine, Volume LXXXVI (1966), Number 3 (March), page 148. It was game #14,118.
[pgn]
[Event “Niemeyer U21-04”]
[Site “Groningen”]
[Date “1965.12.28”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Whiteley, Andrew Jonathan”]
[Black “Ostojic, Miodrag”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “A56”]
[Annotator “Andrew Jonathan Whiteley”]
[PlyCount “87”]
[EventDate “1965.12.27”]
[EventType “tourn”]
[EventRounds “11”]
[EventCountry “NED”]
[SourceTitle “BCM, 1966, page 148.”]
[Source “ChessBase”]
[SourceDate “1999.11.16”]
[SourceVersion “1”]
[SourceVersionDate “1999.11.16”]
[SourceQuality “1”]
{[%evp 0,87,27,27,33,-10,13,43,37,44,47,39,50,54,51,53,62,68,62,61,74,69,69,69,
134,83,86,51,89,17,68,82,82,-60,137,131,156,167,158,148,186,179,191,202,189,
179,262,205,247,243,260,207,257,227,236,240,471,500,578,511,662,288,285,295,
294,340,373,390,424,461,378,381,466,405,436,375,365,359,391,387,387,278,1707,
29982,29997,29990,29991,29992,29995,29996]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 4. Nc3
d6 5. e4 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Be2 Na6 8. O-O Nc7 {All “book” so far. Now, however,
I deviated from the usual 9.Ne1, followed by Nd3 and f4, and chose instead to
obtain a small advantage on the Queen’s side.and wait for Black to undertake
something on the King’s side and thereupon to take over the initiiative from
him there.} 9. a3 (9. Ne1 a6 10. a4 Rb8) 9… Nfe8 10. b4 b6 $1 {This
restricts White’s advanage on the Queen’s side.} 11. Rb1 $2 ({More accurate
was at once} 11. Ne1 f5) 11… g6 ({After an immediate} 11… f5 {I intended}
12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Rb2 {and my control of e4and Black’s weakness on the white
squares would have guaranteed me an advantage.}) 12. Ne1 f5 (12… Bg5 {
would have given Black excellent chances of equality. But, having see my poor
play in round 1, he was going all out for a win.}) 13. exf5 {If White allowed
f4 Black’s King-side attack could become very dangerous.} gxf5 14. f4 $1 {
This checks Black’s King’s side offensive.} Bf6 $2 ({Much better was} 14… e4
$142 {when, in view of my badly placed Knight on K1, I would have had
difficulty preparing the stock g4}) 15. fxe5 $1 {[#] Now, suddenly White’s
pieces begin to find strong squares, while Black in unable to find a good plan.
} Bxe5 16. Qc2 Ng7 17. Nf3 Bf6 18. bxc5 bxc5 19. Bd3 Kh8 20. Ne2 Bd7 21. Bf4
Nce8 22. Kh1 h5 $2 {White’s pieces are now excellently placed wth a view to
attacking Black’s weak King’s Bishop pawn. Trying to create a diversion Black
merely weakens his King’s Rook’s pawn too.} 23. Ng3 Be7 24. Qd2 Kg8 25. Bg5 h4
{Otherwise White plays Qf4 followed by Qh4.} 26. Ne2 Nf6 27. Bxh4 Nxd5 28. Bxe7
Nxe7 {[#]} 29. Qh6 $1 {Black had overlooked this strong move. In view of the
threat of Ng5 he is forced to surrender his d6 pawn.} Qe8 30. Qxd6 {Having
thought so long eariler for good moves, Ostoic was now short of time. He
manages to keep tactical threats alive, but White’s pieces are too well placed
for them to have much chance of success.} Rd8 31. Qxc5 Bc6 32. Nf4 Be4 33. Ne5
Ba8 34. Rfe1 Rf6 35. Neg6 Bxg2+ $1 {This gives White most chances of going
wrong.} 36. Nxg2 (36. Kxg2 $2 Rxg6+ 37. Kh1 Rxd3 38. Nxd3 Qa8+ $19) 36… Qxg6
37. Qxe7 Rxd3 38. Nf4 Qg4 39. Qxf6 (39. Nxd3 $4 {allows mate in two.} Qf3+ 40.
Kg1 Rg6+ $19) 39… Qxf4 40. Rb2 Rh3 (40… Rd1 $1 41. Qe7 $1 $18) 41. Rg2 Qc7
42. Re7 (42. Re8+ {also won : the text is more realistic.}) 42… Rxh2+ 43.
Rxh2 Qc6+ 44. Qxc6 1-0[/pgn]
He scooped the Silver medal at the British in 1971 and in 1976. Andrew often worked selflessly at his office in the mornings, commuting to key games after lunch. He rose to be No. 3 or 4 in England and, always a loyal team man, shone in Olympiads. Belatedly, having turned his back on the law, in 1988, he became an IM. He was also a BCF Arbiter and Middlesex County organiser. In 2008, he won the English Senior Championships aged 61.
His was a classical chess style. RIP.”
Here is his Wikipedia entry
Here is a excellent obituary from his old school, Magdalen College.
Here is an obituary from Stewart Reuben on behalf of the English Chess Federation
Since 2014 King’s Head Chess Club has held an annual blitz tournament in memory of Andrew featuring many of England’s top players.
Here is a discussion of Andrew on the English Chess Forum
