You saw this result in my recent article about the Coward family. There are some other names of interest in this Twickenham team.
On board 5 for Twickenham was Sydney Meymott. Many players, like Arthur and Randulph Coward, only play competitive chess for a few years before moving on to another stage in their lives. There are others for whom chess is a lifelong obsession: the Complete Chess Addicts (now that would make a great book title!), and Sydney was one of those, with a chess career lasting almost half a century.
He came from a distinguished family. His grandfather, John Gilbert Meymott was a prominent lawyer, and his father Charles Meymott a doctor whose other interests included cricket and chess.
Charles played two first class cricket matches for Surrey, but without success. Against the MCC in 1846 he was dismissed without scoring in the first innings and made 4 not out in the second innings. Against Kent the following year he failed to trouble the scorers in either innings. He also failed to take any wickets in either match.
In 1848 he submitted a ‘beautiful study’ to Bell’s Life, as you can see below.
A few weeks later the solution was published, failing to provide any moves but just saying that White will win a pawn and the game.
But as you can demonstrate for yourself (or verify using tablebases) this is complete nonsense: the position is drawn with best play.
A celebrated cricketer who composed a beautiful study? I think not.
Earlier in 1848, he’d submitted a mate in 4 to the Illustrated London News, which was at least sound, if not very interesting. You can solve it yourself if you want: the solution is at the end of the article.
Problem 1:
[fen]7r/3RBk1b/1r2p3/4p1p1/3PNPR1/7P/2n5/5K2 w – – 0 0[/fen]
#4 Illustrated London News 12 Feb 1848
In about 1859 Charles, his wife Sarah (née Keene, no relation, as far as I know, to Ray) and their three daughters (a son had died in infancy) emigrated to Australia, where his brother Frederick was a judge. The family must have been well regarded there. If you visit the suburb of Randwick today, not far from Coogee Beach, you’ll find a residential road there named Meymott Street, with Frederick Street running off it.
From there Charles submitted another mate in 4, slightly more sophisticated this time.
Problem 2:
[fen]8/1n6/Nrb1B1p1/1R1p1p2/1N1k1Pp1/1p3P2/2PKPP2/b7 w – – 0 0[/fen]
#4 Illustrated London News 26 Nov 1859
The following year, Sarah gave birth to a son, who was given the name of his home city: Sydney.
Charles Meymott had started out in conventional medicine but at some point he had converted to homeopathy. You can find out a bit more here, although some of the links no longer work.
Charles died in 1867 at the age of 54, and his widow and children decided to return to England. I wonder if he’d been able to teach his young son how the pieces moved.
In 1871 Sarah and young Syd were living in Queen Street (now Queen’s Road) Twickenham: perhaps the girls only returned to England later.
By 1881 the oldest girl had married and moved to Scotland, but Sarah and her three youngest children were now at 4 Syon Row, Twickenham, right by the river.
The road is so well known that a rather expensive book has been written about it.
It was from there, then that, at some point in 1883 or 1884, the 23-year-old Sydney Meymott joined Twickenham Chess Club.
Here he is again, in a match played in October, now on Board 2 against Brixton. You’ll see George Ryan on top board, with Wallace Britten and the Coward brothers lower down. Young Edward Joseph Line (not Lyne), born in 1862, who had played for Isleworth against Twickenham earlier in the year, was on Board 3, although he was one of only two Twickenham players to lose.
If you’re interested in this part of the world, you might want to check out my good friend Martin Smith’s new book Movers and Takers, a history of chess in Streatham and Brixton. A review will be appearing on British Chess News shortly.
Syd had decided on a career as a bank manager, and his training would have involved working at different branches gaining more experience before managing a larger branch himself. This was perhaps to be his last appearance for Twickenham, but we’ll follow the rest of his life in this article.
Just a couple of weeks later he wrote to the Morning Post:
Disraeli Road is conveniently situated just round the corner from Putney Station, with its frequent trains to Waterloo. Impressive houses they are too: young Syd was doing well for himself.
The new chess club in Putney rapidly became very successful. Inevitably, they invited Blackburne to give a blindfold simul in February 1886: Meymott was the only player to draw.
In December the same year, Sydney issued a challenge to his old club, with Putney winning by 5 games to 3.
Here’s what happened in the return match in the new year.
He was soon on the move again, leaving the good chess players of Putney to their own devices. Without their leading light the club struggled on for a few years before apparently folding. This time, Syd’s work took him to Honiton, Devon, where again he started a chess club. By now he was writing regularly to the Morning Post, solving their problems and sometimes submitting problems of his own – which were not considered suitable for publication.
In this game he demonstrated his knowledge of Légal’s Mate. (In this and other games in this post, click on any move to obtain a pop-up board and play through the game.)
[pgn]
[Event “Honiton”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1888.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Meymott, Sydney”]
[Black “Mr A”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C62”]
[PlyCount “19”]
[SourceVersionDate “2021.11.27”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. O-O Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. Nc3 a6 7. Bc4 Nd4 8. Nxe5
Bxd1 9. Bxf7+ Ke7 10. Nd5# 1-0
[/pgn]
Source: Morning Post 17 Dec 1888
Here, he was able to show off his attacking skills in the Evans Gambit, giving rook odds to another semi-anonymous opponent.
[pgn]
[Event “Honiton”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1891.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Meymott, Sydney”]
[Black “C”]
[Result “1-0”]
[Annotator “Richard”]
[SetUp “1”]
[FEN “rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/1NBQKBNR w Kkq – 0 1”]
[PlyCount “49”]
[SourceVersionDate “2021.11.27”]
{[#]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 exd4
8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Bd3 Bg4 11. Qa4+ Bd7 12. Qd1 Nf6 13. e5 dxe5 14. Ba3
e4 15. Re1 Bf5 16. Nh4 Qxd4 17. Bb5+ c6 18. Qxd4 Bxd4 19. Nxf5 Bxc3 20. Rd1 Nd7
21. Nd6+ Kd8 22. Nxf7+ Kc8 23. Be2 b6 24. Bg4 Nc4 25. Rxd7 1-0
[/pgn]
Source: Western Morning Post 26 Feb 1891
By now it was time for Sydney to move on again, this time back to West London, to Ealing the Queen of the Suburbs, where he’d remain for the next 40 years. He’d eventually become the Manager of the Ealing Broadway branch of the London and South Western Bank.
This time he didn’t need to start up a chess club: there already was – and still is – one there, founded in 1885. As a bank manager, he was soon cajoled, as bank managers usually are, into taking on the role of Honorary Treasurer.
In this game from a local derby against Acton, Black’s handling of the French Defence wasn’t very impressive, allowing Meymott to set up a Greek Gift sacrifice.
[pgn]
[Event “Ealing v Acton”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1895.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Meymott, Sydney”]
[Black “Connor, J”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C14”]
[Annotator “Richard”]
[PlyCount “29”]
[SourceVersionDate “2021.11.27”]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Bxf6 Bxf6 6. Nf3 c6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. e5
Be7 9. h4 f5 10. exf6 Bxf6 11. Bxh7+ Kxh7 12. Ng5+ Bxg5 (12… Kh6 13. Qd3 Bxg5
14. hxg5+ Kxg5 15. Qg3+ Kf6 16. O-O-O Rh8 17. Ne2 Nd7 18. Nf4 g5 19. Nd3 Kf7
$16) (12… Kg8 13. Qh5 Re8 14. Ne2 Nd7 15. Nf4 Nf8 16. Qf7+ Kh8 17. Ng6+ Nxg6
18. Qxg6 Kg8 19. O-O-O Bd7 $11) 13. hxg5+ Kg8 14. Qh5 Qd7 (14… Re8 15. g6 Kf8
16. Qh8+ Ke7 17. Qxg7+ Kd6 18. Qe5+ Kd7 19. Rh7+ Re7 20. O-O-O (20. Rxe7+ Qxe7
21. Qh8 {1-0 (21) Al Khelaifi,S-Karhanyan,A Kemer 2007}) 20… Qg8 21. Rxe7+
Kxe7 22. Qg5+ Kd7 23. Rh1 Kc7 24. g7 {1-0 (24) Capablanca,J-Davis,A Chicago
1910}) 15. g6 1-0
[/pgn]
Source: London Evening Standard 25 Nov 1895
Meymott commented: … it may interest some of the younger readers and stimulate them to ‘book’ learning, the game being a forcible example of the utility of ever being alert to the well-known mating positions… Sixteen years later, the young Capablanca played the same sacrifice in the same position. Perhaps he’d read the Evening Standard. Learning and looking out for the well-known mating positions is still excellent advice today.
In May 1896 Sydney made the headlines in the local press for reasons unconnected with either chess or banking. He was one of those stuck for 16 hours on the Great Wheel at Earl’s Court, and was interviewed at length about his experiences by the Middlesex County Times (30 May 1896 if you want to check it out). Fortunately, a lady in his car managed to let down a reel of cotton, so that they were able to receive refreshments, in the shape of stale buns and whisky and soda, from the ground.
A match against Windsor in 1897, where he was described as a ‘bold dashing player’ saw him pitted against an illustrious opponent in Sir Walter Parratt, organist and Master of the Queen’s Musick, and a possible subject of a future Minor Piece.
Life at Ealing chess club continued with a diet of inter-club matches, internal tournaments and simultaneous displays, with Syd often successful in avoiding defeat against the visiting masters.
In 1899, approaching his forties, he married Annie Ellen Nash. They stayed together for the rest of his life, but had no children.
In this 1902 match against Richmond, Ealing scored an emphatic victory helped by the non-appearance of Richmond’s board 2. A future series of Minor Pieces will introduce you to some of the Richmond players from that period in the club’s history.
As he settled into comfortable middle age, life continued fairly uneventfully for Sydney and Annie. The 1911 census found them at 18 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, which seems to have been in the town centre, possibly above the bank.
Many clubs closed down during the First World War, but Ealing, with Sydney Meymott still balancing the books, kept going. Electoral rolls from the 1920s record Syd and Annie at 23 Woodville Road, Ealing, and very nice it looks too. A spacious detached house just for the two of them. In 1921, he was in trouble with the law, though, receiving a fine for not having his dog muzzled.
At some point in the 1920s, Sydney would have retired from his job as bank manager, giving him more time for chess, and time to resume submitting games for publication. In his sixties, when many players would be thinking about hanging up their pawns, Syd, always the chess addict, took up tournament chess.
Hastings 1922-23 was what might have been Meymott’s first tournament. Unfortunately he had to retire ill with 1½/6 in First Class B section.
In 1925 he visited Scarborough, playing in the Major A section. He won a few games but didn’t finish among the prizewinners.
In 1926, using his favourite French Defence, he managed to beat Fred Yates in a simul. The complications towards the end are intriguing: do take a look.
[pgn]
[Event “Simultaneous Display: Ealing Chess Club”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1926.01.12”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Yates, Fred Dewhirst”]
[Black “Meymott, Sydney”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “C14”]
[Annotator “Richard”]
[PlyCount “92”]
[SourceVersionDate “2021.11.28”]
1. d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nb5 Nb6 8.
c3 a6 9. Na3 c5 10. Nc2 Nc6 11. f4 Bd7 (11… cxd4 12. cxd4 Bd7 13. b3 Rc8 14.
Qd2 O-O 15. Nf3 f5 16. Bd3 Rc7 17. O-O Kh8 18. Kh1 Be8 19. h3 Na7 20. a4 Nc6
21. g4 g6 22. a5 Nc8 23. Rg1 N6a7 24. Rg3 fxg4 25. hxg4 Bb5 26. f5 Bxd3 27. f6
Qe8 28. Qxd3 Nb5 29. Ng5 Rc3 30. Qxc3 Nxc3 31. Rxc3 h6 32. Rh3 Qc6 33. Rxh6+
Kg8 34. Rxg6+ Kh8 35. Ne1 Ne7 36. Rh6+ Kg8 37. Ng2 Qc3 38. Re1 Nc6 39. Rg6+ Kh8
40. Re3 Qxe3 41. Nxe3 {1-0 (41) Tarrasch,S-Schiffers,E Vienna 1898}) (11… Na4
12. Rb1 b5 13. Nf3 Bd7 (13… c4 14. Be2 Bd7 15. Ne3 f5 16. O-O h6 17. h4 O-O
18. Qe1 b4 {0-1 (18) Schwarz,A-Walbrodt,C Vienna 1898}) 14. Qd2 Rc8 15. Bd3 Nb6
16. O-O Nc4 17. Qe1 Nb6 18. Qg3 g6 19. Qe1 h5 20. a3 c4 21. Be2 a5 22. h3 Rb8
23. Ne3 Kd8 24. Bd1 Kc7 25. Qd2 Rb7 26. Ng5 Kb8 27. Be2 Bc8 28. b3 Qxa3 29.
bxc4 Nxc4 30. Nxc4 bxc4 31. Nxf7 Rh7 32. Rxb7+ Bxb7 33. Nd6 Na7 34. Rb1 Nc8 35.
Nxc8 Kxc8 36. Bd1 Bc6 37. Bc2 Rb7 38. Bxg6 Rxb1+ 39. Bxb1 Qa1 40. Qe1 a4 41.
Kf2 a3 42. f5 Qb2+ 43. Kf3 exf5 44. Bxf5+ Kc7 45. Bb1 a2 46. Bxa2 Qxa2 47. e6
Qc2 48. Qe5+ Kb7 49. Kf4 Qxg2 50. Qxh5 Qe4+ 51. Kg5 Qxe6 52. Qh7+ Kb6 53. h4
Qe3+ 54. Kf6 Qxc3 55. h5 Qxd4+ 56. Ke6 Qe3+ 57. Kf6 c3 {0-1 (57) Lasker,
E-Lilienthal,A Moscow 1936}) (11… O-O 12. Nf3 f5 13. Be2 Na4 14. Rb1 cxd4 15.
cxd4 Bd7 16. Qd2 b5 17. O-O b4 18. Rfc1 a5 19. Nce1 Rfc8 20. Rc2 Qd8 21. Nd3
Qb6 22. Nf2 Rc7 23. Kh1 Rac8 24. Rbc1 h6 25. Nd3 Na7 26. Rxc7 Rxc7 27. Bd1 Bb5
28. Rxc7 Qxc7 29. Bxa4 Bxa4 30. Nc5 Qc6 31. a3 bxa3 32. bxa3 Qb5 33. Qc1 Bb3
34. Nxe6 Bc4 35. Qe1 Qb6 36. Nc5 Nc6 37. e6 Qc7 38. Qh4 Be2 39. Qe1 Bxf3 40.
gxf3 Qxf4 41. e7 Qxf3+ 42. Kg1 Qg4+ 43. Kh1 Qf3+ {1/2-1/2 (43) Thomas,
G-Spielmann,R Margate 1938}) 12. Nf3 h6 $16 (12… f6 13. Bd3 fxe5 14. fxe5
cxd4 15. cxd4 Nc4 $11) 13. Bd3 c4 14. Be2 Rc8 15. O-O g6 16. Ne3 Kd8 17. Ng4
Kc7 18. b3 Na7 19. bxc4 Nxc4 20. Bxc4 dxc4 21. Nf6 (21. a4 Nc6 22. Nd2 Na5 23.
Qe2 $18) 21… Bc6 22. d5 (22. a4 $18) 22… Qc5+ 23. Kh1 (23. Qd4 Qxd4+ 24.
Nxd4 Bxd5 25. f5 g5 26. fxe6 Bxe6 $15) 23… exd5 (23… Bxd5 $19) 24. Nd4 Nb5
25. f5 (25. Nxc6 bxc6 26. f5 Nxc3 27. Qc2 d4 28. fxg6 fxg6 29. Qxg6 Qe7 30. e6
$13) 25… Nxc3 26. Qd2 Ne4 27. Nxe4 dxe4 28. fxg6 Rcd8 29. Rxf7+ (29. g7 Rhg8
30. e6 Rxg7 31. exf7 Kc8 32. Ne6 Rxd2 33. Nxc5 Rxf7 34. Rxf7 e3 35. Rg1 e2 36.
Re7 Kd8 37. Re3 Rxa2 38. Ne6+ Kd7 39. Nf4 $18) 29… Kc8 30. g7 Rhe8 31. Ne6 (
31. Qf2 Qxd4 32. Qxd4 Rxd4 33. Rf8 Rdd8 34. g8=Q Rxf8 35. Qxc4 e3 $17) 31…
Rxd2 (31… Qxe5 32. Qc1 Rxe6 $19) 32. Nxc5 e3 33. Rf8 e2 34. Rg1 Bxg2+ 35.
Rxg2 Rd1+ (35… e1=Q+ 36. Rg1 Qe2 37. Rxe8+ Kc7 38. Rc8+ Kb6 39. Rb1+ Ka5 40.
Nxb7+ Ka4 41. Rxc4+ Qxc4 42. Nc5+ Ka3 43. Rb3+ Kxa2 44. g8=Q Qxg8 45. Rg3 Qf8
46. Nd3 Qf1+ 47. Rg1 Qf3+ 48. Rg2 Qxg2#) 36. Rg1 Rxg1+ 37. Kxg1 e1=Q+ 38. Kg2
Qd2+ 39. Kf1 Qd8 {White resigned here, but he could have played on with 40.
Ne6. The game might have continued:} ({An easier way to win was} 39… Qd1+ 40.
Kg2 Qd5+ 41. Kh3 (41. Kf1 Kc7) 41… Rd8 42. g8=Q Qxg8 43. Rxg8 Rxg8) 40. Ne6
Qd3+ 41. Kf2 Qg6 42. Nf4 Qb6+ 43. Kg3 Qd8 44. Ne6 Rxf8 45. gxf8=Q Qxf8 46. Nxf8
c3 0-1
[/pgn]
Source: Middlesex County Times 23 Jan 1926
That Easter Syd took part in one of the First Class sections of the West of England Championship at Weston-Super-Mare, finishing in midfield.
Later the same year, representing the Rest of Middlesex against Hampstead, he played this game against Ernest Montgomery Jellie. White’s 11th move looked tempting but turned out to be a losing mistake: Jellie’s knight was very shaky on d6 and his position soon wobbled.
[pgn]
[Event “Hampstead v Rest of Middlesex”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1926.10.09”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Jellie, Ernest Montgomery”]
[Black “Meymott, Sydney”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “C14”]
[Annotator “Richard”]
[PlyCount “64”]
[SourceVersionDate “2021.11.27”]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. h4 c5 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. Bxe7
Qxe7 9. Qxg7 Rf8 10. Nb5 Kd8 11. Nd6 (11. O-O-O $16) 11… Nc6 $19 12. f4 f6
13. Qxe7+ Kxe7 14. Nxc8+ Raxc8 15. exf6+ Rxf6 16. O-O-O Nb4 17. Bd3 Rxf4 18.
Nf3 Nc5 19. Bxh7 d3 (19… Ne4 20. Nxd4 Nxa2+ (20… Nf2 21. Rhf1 Rcf8 22. Bf5
Nxd1 23. Rxf4 Ne3 24. Nxe6 Rxf5 25. Rxf5 Nxf5 $19) 21. Kb1 Nac3+ 22. bxc3 Nxc3+
23. Kb2 Nxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Rxh4 25. Bg6 Kf6 $19) 20. c3 Ne4 21. Bxe4 (21. Kb1 Nc2
22. Ne5 Na3+ 23. Ka1 Nc2+ 24. Kb1 Na3+ $11) 21… dxe4 $19 22. Ne5 Rf5 23. Ng6+
Kf6 24. g4 Rf2 25. h5 e3 26. Rhf1 d2+ 27. Kb1 Nd3 28. Kc2 Rd8 29. Nh4 e2 30.
Rxf2+ Nxf2 31. Rxd2 e1=Q 32. Rxd8 Nxg4 0-1
[/pgn]
Source: Middlesex County Times 16 Oct 1926
At this point it’s worth taking a slight detour to consider Meymott’s opponent. Ernest Montgomery Jellie and his wife Emily, who sadly died young, had three Jellie babies. Their daughter Dorothy married Sidney Stone, and one of their sons, Chris, inherited his grandfather’s love of chess.
I knew Chris very well back in the day, when he was involved with Pinner Junior Chess Club, where his son Andrew was one of their star players. Chris was an enthusiast rather than a strong player himself, but Andrew is both. He’s been a 2200 strength player for many years, representing Streatham in the London League as well as his local club, Watford.
You can read much more about the Jellie-Stone connection here (Martin Smith again).
After Christmas 1926, Sydney went down to Hastings where he took second prize in the Major C section with a score of 7/9. Well played, Syd!
On his return, he played this game. This seems to have been in a handicap tournament, where, instead of giving knight odds, the players agreed that Meymott would play blindfold.
[pgn]
[Event “Ealing Chess Club (W blindfold)”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “1927.??.??”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Meymott, Sydney”]
[Black “Mr X”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C30”]
[Annotator “Richard”]
[PlyCount “57”]
[SourceVersionDate “2020.10.20”]
1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 (4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d4 $16) 4… Nc6 5. Bc4 (
5. fxe5 Ng4 6. d4 Bb6 7. h3 Nh6 $18) 5… O-O 6. fxe5 Ng4 $18 (6… d5 7. exf6
dxc4 $11) 7. d4 Nxd4 8. Nxd4 Nxe5 9. Be2 d6 10. O-O a6 11. Kh1 h6 12. Na4 Ba7
13. b3 c5 14. Nf3 Nxf3 15. Bxf3 Qf6 16. Bb2 Qg5 17. Qe1 b5 18. Nc3 Re8 19. Rd1
Bb7 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Qd8 22. Qg3 g6 23. Rh5 Kh7 24. Rxh6+ Kxh6 25. Qh3+
Kg5 26. Bd1 Rxe4 27. Bc1+ Rf4 28. Rxf4 Qd7 29. Rf5# 1-0
[/pgn]
Source: Acton Gazette 14 Jan 1927
At Hastings 1927-28 he scored 50% in the First Class B section. Easter 1928 saw him back at the West of England Championships, held that year in Cheltenham, where he galloped to victory in the Class IIB section, scoring 7½/9.
The British Championships in July 1928 took him further west, to Tenby, where he played in the First Class A section, sharing third prize with the aforementioned Ernest Montgomery Jellie on 6½/9, but again beating him in their individual game.
He was back at Hastings 1929-30, where he scored a respectable 5/9 in the First Class B section.
In September 1931 he did what many chess players of that period did: he retired to Hastings, after four decades living and playing chess in Ealing. He was soon playing for his local club.
In a match against Brighton in 1932 his opponent was Kenneth Gunnell, who would much later become, briefly, a rather controversial member of both Richmond and Twickenham Chess Clubs.
That would be one of his last games. On 7 February 1933 Sydney Meymott died at the Warrior House Hotel, St Leonards on Sea.
Writing about Ernest Montgomery Jellie, Martin Smith summed him up beautifully:
But who is he, and why should we be interested? There two reasons that come to mind.
One is that he turns out to be an exemplary specimen of an ordinary decent chesser, the sort often overlooked in histories of the game. He and other enthusiasts like him, then and now, are the body-chessic upon which the chess bug spawns and beneficently multiplies. Stir E.M. Jellie together with the rest and you get the thriving chess culture that we all know: the one that germinates the few blessed enough to rise to the top.
Replace E.M. Jellie with Sydney Meymott, and the same sentiments apply. A good player, but not a great player. For almost half a century a stalwart of club, county, and, later, congress chess. A club treasurer for many years, but in his younger days also a founder and secretary of two clubs.
In these days of chess professionalism, even at primary school level, of obsession with grandmasters, prodigies and champions, we’re at risk of losing the likes of Jellie and Meymott. We should be developing chess culture in order to develop champions, not the other way round. And that celebration of chess culture is one of the reasons why I’m writing these Minor Pieces. My friends at Ealing Chess Club today should certainly raise a glass to Sydney Meymott.
Solutions:
1.
1. Bxg5+ Kg6 2. Bf6+ Kh5 3. Ng3+ Kh6 4. Bg7#
2.
1. Nxd5 gxf3 (1… Rxb5 2. e3+ Kc4 3. Nb6#) (1… Bc3+ 2. Nxc3 Bd5 3. e3+ Kc4 4. Bxd5#) (1… Bxb5 2. e3+ Kc4 3. Nxb6#) 2. e3+ Ke4 (2… Kc4 3. Ndc7+ (3. Nc3+ Bd5 4. Bxd5#) 3… Bd5 4. Bxd5#) 3. c3 Rxb5 (3… Bxd5 4. Bxd5#) 4. Nf6#