We send best wishes to GM Julian Hodgson on his birthday, this day July 25th) in 1963.
Julian Michael Hodgson was born at St. Mary Abbott’s Hospital, Marloes Road, Kensington, West London son of (Ronald) George Hodgson and Johanna Hodgson (née Birch) and the birth was registered in the district of Hammersmith.
Julian’s father has asserted to be a descendent of George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys and we are looking to establish this claim following further research.
Julian attended St. Paul’s School (See below) and then attended The University of Leicester for one year.
Julian married Lizette and David Norwood was his Best Man.
Julian and Lizette Hodgson
(Curiously both Felice and Gaige state Julian was born in Saint Asaph in Wales. This is incorrect.)
Julian Hodgson
Harry Golombek wrote this about Julian in a 1980 Dataday chess diary :
“I think that the first time I saw Julian Hodgson in play was some four years ago in a London tournament. Upon my arrival Leonard Barden told him that he must now be careful how he played as Golombek was watching.
Julian and Nigel Short play Korchnoi in a simul. Leonard Barden observes.
“Who”, enquired the twelve-year old Julian, “is Golombek?”
Neil Carr and Julian Hodgson at the 1976 Lloyds Bank Match by Telex, London – New York. From BCM, volume XCVI (96) Number 11 (August), Page 494. The venue was the Bloomsbury Hotel, London. Photo courtesy of Lloyds Bank.Julian Hodgson aged 13 in 1976 giving a simultaneous display at the Guildhall in London scoring +14=2-4. Photograph courtesy of the Keystone agency.
I felt grateful at the time that he did not say who or what is Golombek but I tell this story chiefly to show the cheerful insouciance with which Master Hodgson treated all comers whether chess masters or chess rabbits.
Julian playing Simon L Triggs. Event and photographer unknown
Julian astonishing maturity as a player has been impressive ever since at the age of ten, he won the Southern Counties Under 14 Championships in 1973. Since then he has acquired a host of such championships culminating in the British Under-21 Championship in 1977.
Streatham & Brixton becoming BCF National Club Champions in 1989. The team was Tony Kosten, Mark Hedben, Daniel King, Nigel Povah (Captain), Joe Gallagher and Julian Hodgson : quite a strong team
Perhaps his most remarkable performance so far has been his equal 3rd in a strong challengers section at Hastings where he scored 7.5 out of 10. 1977 was a good year for him and here, from the Lloyds Bank Silver Jubilee Tournament of that year is his fine win over a strong opponent :
Here is his entry (written by Richard W O’Brien) in British Chess (Pergamon Press, 1983, Botterill, Levy, Rice and Richardson) :
“Following a series of excellent results Julian, at the tender age of 11, became the second youngest ever to play in an international tournament when he took part in the London Chess Club International Invitation tournament in September 1974. Only Reshevsky had been younger. Julian’s first opponent was Michael Woodhams, an Australian international who had just scored 15.5/18 in the recent Olympiad (Nice)
The following year he became the youngest player ever to win the London Amateur Championship. A year later he reached a grading of 200 (BCF), only Reshevsky, Pomar, Karpov and Kasparov had done so at an earlier age.
By now he was at St. Paul’s School, which was in the process of becoming one of the strongest chess playing schools in the country. In 1977 he shared first place with WN Watson (also St. Paul’s) in the British U21 Championship. Progress was however not as fast as had at one time been anticipated
It was at Ramsgate, late in 1980 before his first IM norm. A month later he finished second in the Hastings Challenger. Other good results followed in 1981. First he was selected for the Glorney Cup and shortly afterwards did well to come fourteenth in the British Championship (Morecambe). He represented England in the World Youth Team championships scoring 4/6. His second IM norm followed when he shared fifth place at Manchester in the same year. Good results in weekend congresses meant that he finished fourth in the Leigh Grand Prix. The year had finished with Julian needing a draw in the last round at Ramsgate to get his title. He lost and was to wait another 12 months to achieve his final norm.
The England Team from the 1990 Novi Sad Olympiad : John Nunn, Jon Speelman, Julian Hodgson, David Anderton OBE (Captain), Nigel Short, Michael Adams and Murray Chandler
When the final norm came it arrived out of the blue. With a score of 2.5/5 at Lewisham in November 1982 the chances seemed remote, 3.5/4 was required against a strong field and it even seemed doubtful whether he could actually play those he needed to play. He scored 2.5/3 and now had to play Jon Tisdall, who still had a chance of winning the tournament.
Julian finished second equal in the tournament behind Jim Plaskett who had beaten him earlier.
Julian Hodgson
The next six weeks saw Julian come equal first in the Pergamon sponsored British Lightning championship, a highly creditable sixth in the Nightflight International at Brighton (equivalent to an IM rating) and second place yet again in the Hastings Challengers.
John Delaney plays Julian Hodgson at the Bath Zonal Tournament in 1987
Earlier in 1983 he scored 6.5/9 at Lugano, probably Europe’s strongest ever Swiss (Swiss !) tournament, losing narrowly to Jan Timman.
Julian Hodgson. Event and photographer unknown.
He left Leicester University after just one year preferring to concentrate on chess.
FM Andrew Whiteley, IM Julian Hodgson and FM Byron Jacobs at Cappelle Le Grand, 1988. Photograph by Caroline Winkler
He plays fairly regularly for Streatham & Brixton Chess Club which encouraged juniors for several years. Daniel King is another junior who also played frequently for Streatham. ”
{[%evp 0,100,19,31,113,114,97,101,108,123,114,88,126,84,87,67,62,65,48,47,76,
43,42,36,44,47,73,45,42,45,105,117,116,98,112,88,88,90,134,64,83,41,87,41,63,
77,64,62,55,71,112,32,83,73,87,110,149,-23,-26,-81,-60,-54,-76,-80,-9,-28,-11,
-44,4,-33,-17,-123,-67,-272,-74,-73,20,-57,-18,-47,-100,-100,-148,-346,-346,
-449,-488,-507,-507,-507,-525,-554,-554,-838,-920,-920,-920,-994,-681,-703,
-692,-712,-453] This game was important to me. I needed to win with the Black
pieces against a strong International Master to gain my third and final IM
norm. It was a game of many errors but nevertheless for me a satisfying one.}
1. d4 b5 $5 {This may seem an unusual move to play in such important
circumstances. But it has served me well in the past and I wanted an
unbalanced position.} 2. e4 Bb7 3. Bxb5 {White accepts the challenge. This is
one of the strongest continuations against the Polish Defence.} Bxe4 4. Nf3 e6
5. O-O Nf6 6. Re1 Be7 7. Bg5 Bb7 8. c4 $1 {This is much better} ({than} 8. Nc3
{when it is Black who will have the advantage due to to far greater control of
the centre.} O-O 9. Qe2 d6 10. Rad1 Nbd7 11. Bc1) 8… O-O 9. Nc3 d6 $2 {
It may seem strange to give this move a question mark but it was essential} ({
to play} 9… h6 {first and commit the black squared bishop first.}) 10. Qe2
Nbd7 11. d5 $1 e5 {White has bind on the Queenside and, as will become evident
Black will find it extremely difficult to organise counterplay on the kingside.
} 12. Rad1 h6 {Now it is too late !} 13. Bc1 $1 Qc8 {The start of a faulty
plan.} ({I dismissed} 13… Ne8 {on account of} 14. Nd4 $1 {when white has a
clear advantage.}) {I underestimated white’s next move.} 14. Nh4 $1 ({I had
expected} 14. b4 a5 15. a3 axb4 16. axb4 c6 17. dxc6 Bxc6 {when I thought
White had only a slight advantage. The move played was much stronger.}) 14…
Nb6 15. Qf3 $1 Qd8 $16 {[#] An admission of defeat. White’s last five moves
have been extremely accurate and he now stands much better. Fortunately my
opponent spent quite a long time finding the “best moves”.} 16. Nf5 Bc8 17. c5
Bxf5 18. Qxf5 Nbd7 19. cxd6 cxd6 {It was about this time that my opponent
seemed to become agitated. My position was more resilient than he thought.
Nevertheless he does miss several very strong continuations in the next couple
of moves.} 20. Qh3 h5 {I could not think of anything else. As you will see
this pawn has a great future.} 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Rxe4 f5 23. Rc4 ({Stronger is}
23. Ra4 {when Black is losing a pawn} {though after} Nc5 24. Ra3 Bg5 $1 {
Black is not without chances}) 23… h4 $1 24. Be3 g5 25. Qf3 Rf7 (25… g4 $2
{is met by} 26. Rxg4+ $1 $18 fxg4 (26… Kh7 27. Bd3) 27. Qxg4+ Kh8 28. Qh5+
Kg8 29. Rd4 $1 Rf7 30. Rg4+ Rg7 31. Rxg7+ Kxg7 32. Bh6+ Kh8 33. Bg5+ Kg8 34.
Qg6+ Kh8 35. Qh6+ Kg8 36. Qe6+ Kg7 37. Bxe7 $18) 26. Bc6 Rb8 27. Bxa7 Rxb2 28.
Qc3 $2 $13 {The position is now unclear but I feel that Black is over the
worst.} ({White should have played} 28. Qa3 $1 Re2 $8 29. Kf1 Re4 30. Rxe4 fxe4
$16 {when the white a-pawn will take some stopping}) 28… Rxa2 29. Ba4 Nb6 $1
$17 {My opponent had overlooked this move.} 30. Qb3 Nxc4 31. Qxa2 Nb6 32. Rb1
Nd7 33. Qc2 Bf8 34. h3 e4 $1 {White now should have considered exchanging his
white squared bishop for Black’s knight.} 35. Rb7 (35. Bxd7 Rxd7 36. Be3 Bg7)
35… Ne5 36. Rb8 Qf6 $2 (36… Qa5 $1 {is winning.} {At the time I had seen}
37. Be3 Qe1+ 38. Kh2 g4 {when I thought} 39. Bf4 {was holding} {but now comes}
e3 $1 (39… g3+ 40. fxg3 (40. Bxg3 Ng4+ 41. hxg4 hxg3+ 42. Kxg3 f4+ 43. Kh4
Qh1+ 44. Kg5 Qh6#) 40… hxg3+ 41. Bxg3 Ng4+ 42. hxg4 Rh7+ 43. Bh4 Rxh4#)) 37.
Bb6 Kh7 38. Be8 Rg7 39. Qc8 g4 {Black now threatens 40…Nf3+ and 41…Qa1+
mating} 40. hxg4 Rxg4 41. Kf1 $8 h3 $1 42. Bd8 {[#] An incredible postion has
been reached in which all White’s pieces are on Black’s back row. Black is
winning by just one tempo.} hxg2+ 43. Ke2 Be7 ({Simplest is} 43… g1=Q 44.
Bxf6 Rf4 {but I wanted two queens and almost paid for my greed.}) 44. Bxe7 Qxe7
45. Bh5 $1 {White’s only chance. This move came as a complete shock.} ({After}
45. Qxf5+ Kg7 {White can do nothing.}) 45… Qf6 $1 ({I had visions of such
lines as} 45… Qg7 46. Qxf5+ Kh6 47. Bxg4 Qxg4+ 48. Qxg4 Nxg4 49. Rb1 {
and Black will certainly not win.}) 46. Bxg4 fxg4 47. Qg8+ Kh6 48. Rf8 Qf3+ $1
49. Rxf3 exf3+ ({Prettier would have been} 49… gxf3+ 50. Ke3 Ng6) 50. Ke3
g1=Q {White will soon run out of checks.} 0-1
[/pgn]
This is what was written about Julian prior to the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display : “St Paul’s and Shepherds Bush. Rating 210. Standard London Amateur Champion at age 12, 1975.
Standard London under-18 champion, 1976. British under-21 co-champion, 1977. Youngest ever to beat two grandmasters in successive games, 1978.”
Aside from more formal achievements, he developed a sharp, relentless, attacking style of play and against lesser opponents this frequently resulted in devastating quick wins, earning him the epithet “Grandmaster of Disaster”.
Hans Ree plays Julian Hodgson at the Cannes Team Tournament, 1992
Hodgson’s greatest legacy as a chess player may however lie in his resurrection of an almost forgotten opening system. The Trompowsky Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) had floundered in the doldrums for many years, prior to his adoption and development of the opening. In interviews, he reveals that this was born out of laziness and a reluctance to learn established chess opening theory. It soon became his weapon of choice with the white pieces, leading to a surprising popularisation of the system, the spawning of a whole generation of devotees and ironically, a number of theoretical guides, containing a high quota of Hodgson’s own games and analysis. Indeed, his expert treatment of the system once prompted fellow grandmaster Joe Gallagher to write that it should be renamed the Hodgson–Trompowsky Attack, a view shared by many other masters. A chess journalist once wrote that Hodgson put the ‘romp’ into Trompowsky.
A related, but more obscure version of the system (1.d4 d5 2.Bg5), has been dubbed by some the Hodgson Attack and by others the Pseudo-Trompowsky or Queen’s Bishop Attack.
[fen]rnbqkb1r/pppppppp/5n2/6B1/3P4/8/PPP1PPPP/RN1QKBNR b KQkq – 0 1[/fen]
and
[fen]rnbqkbnr/ppp1pppp/8/3p2B1/3P4/8/PPP1PPPP/RN1QKBNR b KQkq – 0 1[/fen]
Julian, Dominic Lawson and Matthew SadlerChess Traveller’s Quiz Book, Julian Hodgson, Cadogan Press, 1996, ISBN-13 : 978-1857440300Attack with Julian Hodgson, Book No.1Attack with Julian Hodgson, Book No.2Quick Chess KnockoutsJulian Hodgson drawn by Rupert van der Linden
We are delighted to offer (Arthur) John Roycroft best wishes on his birthday, this day (July 25th) in 1929.
John was born in Hendon, London and his mother’s maiden name was Banks.
AJR aged 9, courtesy of the BCPS web site.
John moved to Brighton and then evacuated to Calcot, North Wales and returned to Brighton when the threat of war had subsided.
He married Betty in 1961 and they had a son and a daughter and now have several grand children.
He claimed that he had never suffered a common cold.
John is Platinum Life Member of the English Chess Federation and an “ECF Supporter”.
The Chess Endgame Study
“From The Oxford Companion to Chess (Oxford University Press, 1984) by David Hooper and Ken Whyld :
English study composer and author, International Judge of Chess Compositions (1959), Computer systems analyst.
In 1965 he founded EG, a quarterly publication which became the world’s first and only long-running magazine devoted wholly to studies.
His Test Tube Chess (1972), the best English language guide to the art of studies., was revised and republished as The Chess Endgame Study (1981).
Test Tube Chess, AJ Roycroft, Faber and Faber Limited, 1972, ISBN 0 571 09573 9
Studies are commonly classified by means of the GBR code of which he was co-inventor.”
From The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks :
“FIDE Judge of Endgame Studies. Born on 25th July 1929. Founder of the Chess Endgame Study Circle in London in March 1965.and its quarterly magazine EG, the first and only publication exclusively devoted to the composed chess ending. Roycroft who is a computer systems analyst and lives in London, has composed about 20 endgame studies.”
AJ Roycroft
“EG” July 1965
[fen]5B2/8/7N/1pK5/2p5/2Rbn3/1k6/8 w – – 0 1[/fen]
