Category Archives: Birthday

Happy Birthday IM John Grantley Cooper (14-v-1954)

IM John Cooper, photograph courtesy of John Upham Photography
IM John Cooper, photograph courtesy of John Upham Photography

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM John Grantley Cooper (14-v-1954)

From chessgames.com :

“John Grantley Cooper was born in Cardiff, Wales. Awarded the IM title in 1984, he was Welsh champion in 1976 (jointly), 1978 (jointly), 1984, 1985, 1992 (jointly), 1993 (jointly), 1994, 1995 and 1996. He also played for Wales in ten Olympiads, from 1974 to 1992.”

His peak rating was 2395 in January 1985 at the age of 31.

IM John Cooper, photograph courtesy of John Upham Photography
IM John Cooper, photograph courtesy of John Upham Photography
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Happy Birthday IM Jack Rudd (13-v-1979)

BCN wishes a Happy Birthday to IM Jack Rudd (13-v-1979)

Jack Timothy John Rudd was born in Scunthorpe and the family moved to the West Country in 1981/82. Jack became a FIDE Master in 2006 and an International Master in 2008 (confirmed in 2009). He became a FIDE Arbiter (FA) in 2012 and an International Arbiter (2014) in 2014.

Jack achieved his highest Elo rating of 2385 in April 2007 at the age of 28.

Jack plays for “West is Best” in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL), Somerset Chess Association and Barnstaple in local leagues.

Jack has selected two of his favourite games as follows :

IM Jack Rudd, photograph courtesy of John Upham Photography
IM Jack Rudd, photograph courtesy of John Upham Photography

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Happy Birthday IM Neil Bradbury (09-v-1964)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Neil H Bradbury (09-v-1964)

Neil became an International Master in 1988 ans achieved a peak rating at the age of 20 of 2395 in January of 1984.

Neil stopped playing in 1998 but in 2018 restarted with appearances in Gibraltar, The London Chess Classic and the British Championships in Hull and Torquay.

Neil has played in 4NCL for The ADs

Neil Bradbury (rear, second from left) at a Lloyds Bank event
Neil Bradbury (rear, second from left) at a Lloyds Bank event

Here is a recent game of Neil’s :

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Happy Birthday IM Gavin Crawley (08-v-1963)

IM Gavin Crawley
IM Gavin Crawley

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Gavin Crawley (08-v-1963)

Gavin became an International Master in 1988. His peak rating was 2407 in July 2007.

IM Gavin Crawley
IM Gavin Crawley

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Happy Birthday Dr. Tim Harding (06-v-1948)

From chessgames.com:

“Timothy David Harding was born in London. He has been playing both over-the-board and correspondence chess since the 1960s. Harding played on the Irish team at the 1984 FIDE Olympiad in Thessaloniki, scoring 50%. In 2002 he achieved the title of Senior International Master of Correspondence Chess. He is also a Candidate Master (2015).

As a chess historian, Harding has authored dozens of books on chess since 1973. He is also the author of the “The Kibitzer”, a popular chess column published at ChessCafe.com.

(Tim Harding’s homepage – http://www.chessmail.com/timsite)”

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to Timothy David Harding (06-v-1948)

From Wikipedia :

“Timothy David Harding (born 6 May 1948 in London)[1] is a chess player and author with particular expertise in correspondence chess. He published a correspondence chess magazine Chess Mail from 1996 to 2006[2] and authored “The Kibitzer”, a ChessCafe.com column from 1996 until 2015.[3] In 2002, he was awarded the title Senior International Master of Correspondence Chess by the International Correspondence Chess Federation. Harding has lived in Dublin since 1976,[2] writing a weekly column for The Sunday Press from then until 1995.

In 2009, Harding received a PhD degree in history from University of Dublin, with his thesis on correspondence chess in Britain and Ireland, 1824–1914.[4]

He is credited with coining the name Frankenstein–Dracula Variation in his 1975 Vienna Game book.”

Timothy David Harding (06-v-1948)
Timothy David Harding (06-v-1948)

Tim has written / co-authored at least forty chess books and here is a selection :

The Velimirovic Attack, Sozin Sicilian, TD Harding and RG Wade, Chessman Publications Ltd., 1969.
The Velimirovic Attack, Sozin Sicilian, TD Harding and RG Wade, Chessman Publications Ltd., 1969.
Counter gambits by Timothy D. Harding (1974)
Counter gambits by Timothy D. Harding (1974)
Sicilian:...e5 by TD Harding & PR Markland
Sicilian:…e5 by TD Harding & PR Markland
The Sicilian Sozin, TD Harding, GS Botterill, C. Kottnauer, Batsford, 1974
The Sicilian Sozin, TD Harding, GS Botterill, C. Kottnauer, Batsford, 1974
Sicilian Richter-Rauzer
Sicilian Richter-Rauzer
The Leningrad Dutch, BT Batsford, Tim Harding, 1976
The Leningrad Dutch, BT Batsford, Tim Harding, 1976
Colle, London and Blackmar-Diemer Systems, BT Batsford Ltd, Tim Harding, 1979
Colle, London and Blackmar-Diemer Systems, BT Batsford Ltd, Tim Harding, 1979
French: MacCutcheon and Advance Lines, Batsford, 1979
French: MacCutcheon and Advance Lines, Batsford, 1979
French: Classical Lines, Batsford, 1979
French: Classical Lines, Batsford, 1979
Queen's Gambit Declined : Semi-Slav, Tim Harding, BT Batsford Ltd., 1981
Queen’s Gambit Declined : Semi-Slav, Tim Harding, BT Batsford Ltd., 1981
Guide to the Chess Openings
Guide to the Chess Openings
British Chess Literature to 1914 : A Handbook for Historians
British Chess Literature to 1914 : A Handbook for Historians
Eminent Victorian Chess Players
Eminent Victorian Chess Players
Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography
Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography
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Happy Birthday GM Danny Gormally (04-v-1976)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to GM Daniel William Gormally (04-v-1976)

Danny won the Southern Counties (SCCU) championship in the 2002-03 and 2010-11 (sharing with David Howell) seasons.

Here is a ChessBase interview with Danny

Danny Gormally Caption Competition
Danny Gormally Caption Competition

and another interview from Chessbase

GM Danny Gormally
GM Danny Gormally
Danny Gormally with the ? Trophy
Danny Gormally with the ? Trophy
Insanity, Passion and Addiction
Insanity, Passion and Addiction

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Happy Birthday GM Joe Gallagher (04-v-1964)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to GM Joseph Gerald Gallagher (04-v-1964)

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 !
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

Here is his Wikipedia entry

GM Joseph Gerald Gallagher
GM Joseph Gerald Gallagher
GM Joe Gallagher
GM Joe Gallagher

GM Joe Gallagher
GM Joe Gallagher
Winning With the King's Gambit, Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-6944-7
Winning With the King’s Gambit, Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-6944-7
Beating the Anti-Sicilians, Batsford/Henry Holt and Company, ISBN 0-8050-3575-3
Beating the Anti-Sicilians, Batsford/Henry Holt and Company, ISBN 0-8050-3575-3
Beating the Sicilian 3
Beating the Sicilian 3
Beating the Anti-King's Indians, Batsford/International Chess Enterprises, ISBN 1-879479-36-2
Beating the Anti-King’s Indians, Batsford/International Chess Enterprises, ISBN 1-879479-36-2
The Trompovsky, Chess Press, ISBN 1-901259-09-9
The Trompovsky, Chess Press, ISBN 1-901259-09-9
101 Attacking Ideas in Chess, Gambit Publications, ISBN 1-901983-20-X
101 Attacking Ideas in Chess, Gambit Publications, ISBN 1-901983-20-X
The Magic of Mikhail Tal, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-266-0
The Magic of Mikhail Tal, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-266-0
Starting Out: the Caro-Kann, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-303-9
Starting Out: the Caro-Kann, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-303-9
Starting Out: King's Indian, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-234-2
Starting Out: King’s Indian, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-234-2
Starting Out: The Pirc/Modern, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-336-5
Starting Out: The Pirc/Modern, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-336-5
Play the King's Indian, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-324-1
Play the King’s Indian, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-324-1
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Happy Birthday WIM Dr. Ruth Sheldon (03-v-1980)

Happy Birthday WIM Ruth Sheldon (03-v-1980).

Ruth was born in Manchester and became a WFM in 1993 and WIM in 1996. Her peak rating was 2310 in July 1999.

She was World U12 Vice Champion in 1992, World U14 Champion in 1993 and World U18 Champion in 1998.

She is a lecturer in Religion and Social Science at King’s College, London

WIM Dr. Ruth Sheldon
WIM Dr. Ruth Sheldon

Here is her rather brief Wikipedia entry.

Ruths's partial Chessbase record
Ruths’s partial Chessbase record
WIM Dr. Ruth Sheldon during a county match (full caption below)
WIM Dr. Ruth Sheldon during a county match (full caption below)
Caption to photograph above
Caption to photograph above

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