Category Archives: Player

Happy Birthday FM Terence PD Chapman (19-vi-1956)

FM Terence PD Chapman (19-vi-1956)
FM Terence PD Chapman (19-vi-1956)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to FM Terence PD Chapman (19-vi-1956)

Terry became a FIDE Master in 2013. His peak rating was 2331 in October 2013.

The ever youthful Terry represents Barbican Youth in 4NCL.

FM Terence PD Chapman (19-vi-1956)
FM Terence PD Chapman (19-vi-1956)
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Happy Birthday GM Paul Motwani (13-vi-1962)

FM Paul Motwani (See full caption in photograph below)
FM Paul Motwani (See full caption in photograph below)
Caption for photograph above
Caption for photograph above

BCN wishes GM Paul Motwani Happy Birthday (13-vi-1962)

Here is his Wikipedia entry

GM Paul Motwani has just played a brutal double check in the 1990 Scottish Lightning Championship. Photograph by Alistair Mulhearn
GM Paul Motwani has just played a brutal double check in the 1990 Scottish Lightning Championship. Photograph by Alistair Mulhearn
Paul Motwani plays Bent Larsen at the 1990 Watson, Farley and Williams International Chess Challenge. The game was a 3.Lb5 sicilian which was drawn
Paul Motwani plays Bent Larsen at the 1990 Watson, Farley and Williams International Chess Challenge. The game was a 3.Lb5 sicilian which was drawn
Paul Motwani during a simultaneous display
Paul Motwani during a simultaneous display
GM Paul Motwani demonstrates one of his games
GM Paul Motwani demonstrates one of his games

Colin McNab and Paul Motwani in post mortem analysis
Colin McNab and Paul Motwani in post mortem analysis
C.O.O.L. Chess
C.O.O.L. Chess
H.O.T. Chess
H.O.T. Chess
S*T*A*R* Chess
S*T*A*R* Chess
The Most Instructive Games of the Young Grandmasters
The Most Instructive Games of the Young Grandmasters
Chess Under the Microscope
Chess Under the Microscope
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Happy Birthday WIM Natasha Regan (12-vi-1971)

WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography, King's Place Rapidplay, 2013
WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography, King’s Place Rapidplay, 2013

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to WIM Natasha K Regan (12-vi-1971)

From Amazon :

“Natasha Regan was born in 1971 in London, the elder daughter of two Australian doctors. She studied Maths at Cambridge University, earned a half blue for chess, and edited the chess magazine “Dragon”. She debuted in the English Women’s chess Olympiad team in Manila, 1992.”

From Gambit Publications :

“Natasha Regan is a Women’s International Master from England who achieved a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University. While pursuing a successful career as an actuary in the insurance industry, she has raised a family and maintained a strong interest in chess and other board games, including Go.”

WIM Natasha Regan, photographer unknown
WIM Natasha Regan, photographer unknown
WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography, King's Place Rapidplay, 2013
WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography, King’s Place Rapidplay, 2013

Natasha Regan, Lloyds bank Open, Unknown photographer
Natasha Regan, Lloyds bank Open, Unknown photographer
Chess For Life. Gambit. ISBN 978-1910093832.
Chess For Life. Gambit. ISBN 978-1910093832.
Game Changer. New In Chess. ISBN 978-9056918187.
Game Changer. New In Chess. ISBN 978-9056918187.
WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography at the Keith Richardson Memorial, 2017
WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography at the Keith Richardson Memorial, 2017
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Happy Birthday WIM Ingrid Lauterbach (06-vi-1960)

WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, 4NCL 2012, courtesy of John Upham Photography
WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, 4NCL 2012, courtesy of John Upham Photography

Here is Ingrid’s German Wikipedia entry

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to WIM Ingrid Lauterbach (06-vi-1960)

Ingrid became a WIM in 1987 and her peak rating was 2205 in July of 2000.

Ingrid plays for 4NCL Barbican.

WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, 4NCL 2014, courtesy of John Upham Photography
WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, 4NCL 2014, courtesy of John Upham Photography

WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, 4NCL 2012, courtesy of John Upham Photography
WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, 4NCL 2012, courtesy of John Upham Photography
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Happy Birthday GM Tamas Fodor Jr. (02-vi-1991)

GM Tamas Fodor
GM Tamas Fodor

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to GM Tamas Fodor Jr. (02-vi-1991)

Tamas was born in Kalocsa, in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary.

He became a FIDE Master in 2003 and a GM in 2013.

He reached a peak rating of 2533 in June 2019 at the age of 28. In the FIDE rating list we have also Tamas Fodor and Tamas Fodor Sr.

According to Chessgsames.com :

“Grandmaster (2012). Won a double GM norm during the 13th European Individual Championship (2012) where he scored 6/11 and followed with another norm at the Caissa GM event in September 2012, gaining his GM title on 23 September 2012 at the age of 21 years 3 months and 21 days. (1)

Won the 3rd 4NCL Congress in July 2015. (2)

Son of Tamas Fodor Sr.”

Tamas plays for 4NCL Cheddleton, Wood Green (in the London League) and Hendon.

GM Tamas Fodor
GM Tamas Fodor
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Happy Birthday IM Chris Baker (29-v-1958)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Christopher Wallace Baker (29-v-1958)

Chris was born in Coventry, West Midlands and played in the Staffordshire Open in 1975 (the earliest games held in MegaBase 2020).

Chris has played for Guildford in Four Nations Chess League (4NCL).

Currently Chris plays for 4NCL The ADs, Coventry Chess Academy and Battersea Chess Club.

He has been the trainer of the Welsh junior team and is a fully-qualified arbiter.

He has taught chess in many schools in the Farnham area of Surrey.

IM Chris Baker
IM Chris Baker

He has authored and co-authored a number of books including the following :

A Startling Chess Opening Repertoire
A Startling Chess Opening Repertoire
Simple Winning Chess
Simple Winning Chess
Learn From Your Chess Mistakes
Learn From Your Chess Mistakes
Dynamic Black Opening Repertoire
Dynamic Black Opening Repertoire
A Startling Chess Opening Repertoire
A Startling Chess Opening Repertoire
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Remembering Henry Buckle (24-xi-1821 29-v-1862)

We remember Henry Thomas Buckle (24-xi-1821 29-v-1862)

His Wikipedia article is here

An interesting article by Ray Keene

From The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks :

“One of the leading British players of his day and an eminent historian. Buckle was born in Lee, Kent on 11th November 1821., the son of a shipowner. From birth he was extremely delicate and his health prevented him from having a normal education. He was taken away from school at the age of 14 and three years later went into his father’s business. His father’s death in 1840 made Buckle independent and he gave up his business career and visited the continent for about a year, playing chess in Paris and Berlin. Going abroad again in 1843, Buckle spent most of his time studying languages and within seven years had learned to speak seven languages and to read 12 others.

Henry Thomas Buckle
Henry Thomas Buckle

Buckle rarely played chess matches, because of the intense dislike of the slow rate at which they were played in those days. However, he played a match against Kieseritzky in 1848, which he won+4 -3 =1/ After this victory, he realised that his health would not stand up to serious play and he never again attempted it. In 1851, he played a number of games with Anderssen, who considered that he was one of the strongest players he had ever met. Buckle was a regular visitor to “The Divan”, where he delighted in his favourite form of the game, giving heavy odds.
After his match with Lowenthal, Buckle turned his attention to his History of Civilisation. The first section of this work started to appear in 1857 but the major portion was published posthumously.
Buckle died of typhoid fever in Damascus on 29th May 1862.”

Henry Thomas Buckle
Henry Thomas Buckle

and from The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld :

“English player, historian. He is usually regarded as second among English players only to Staunton during the 1840s; Steinitz , however, regarded Buckle as the better player. In 1843 Buckle won a match against Staunton, who conceded pawn and move ( + 6=1), and in 1848 he defeated Kieserltzky ( + 3=3—2). He won a knock-out tournament in London 1849, defeating Williams (+2) in the second round. In 1851 Buckle defeated Lowenthal (+4=3 — 1) and held his own in a series of friendly games against Anderssen who declared him to be the strongest player he had ever met.

Henry Thomas Buckle
Henry Thomas Buckle

In his youth Buckle suffered ill-health which interfered with his schooling, and on account of which he was often sent abroad to fairer climates. Nevertheless he read widely, successfully educating himself and learning to speak seven languages. His father, a merchant, died in 1840 leaving him an ample fortune. In the 1850s Buckle largely gave up serious chess in favour of literary pursuits and began his great work, for which he is still remembered, A History of Civilization in England, the first two volumes of which were published in 1857 and 1861. At Damascus, on one of his many trips abroad, he contracted a fatal illness, allegedly crying as he died “My book! I haven’t finished my
book.”

History of civilization in England
History of civilization in England
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Remembering FM Neil Carr (10-iii-1968 25-v-2015)

BCN remembers FM Neil Leslie Carr (10-iii-1968 25-v-2015)

This was written about Neil aged 10 prior to the Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display in 1979 :

“Manor Junior and Barking. Rating 152. World’s best 10 year old. Standard under-10 champion, 1977 and 1978. British under-11 champion, 1978. Defeated Russian grandmaster Kotov in clock match, 1978.”

Eight year old Neil Carr of Barking, soon to become England's youngest ever chess international. 26th August 1976. (Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
Eight year old Neil Carr of Barking, soon to become England’s youngest ever chess international.
26th August 1976. (Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)

Neil played for East Ham, Ilford and then London Central YMCA (CentYMCA) chess clubs.

He became a FIDE Master in 1985.

Here is his obituary from Stewart Reuben

Here is an article from Kingpin Magazine by Jon Manley

Here is an article from EssexChess

The Neil Carr Scholarship Prize

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.
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.

Here is a game courtesy of Kingpin (Jon Manley) & the Ilford Recorder

Neil Carr (far right) at Paul Buswell's house
Neil Carr (far right) at Paul Buswell’s house

Here is a tribute from long time friend and London Central YMCA fellow club member, IM Andrew Martin :

Neil Carr (front right)
Neil Carr (front right)
Neil Carr (right) with Neil Fox, Stuart Conquest, Paul Buswell and ?
Neil Carr (right) with Neil Fox, Stuart Conquest, Paul Buswell and ?
Neil Carr (rear right) at a BCF National Club Final (1992)
Neil Carr (rear right) at a BCF National Club Final (1992)
Neil Carr, (foreground, right)  at London's South Bank, Peter Sowray in the background.. Photo by Clive Field, London Chess Association
Neil Carr, (foreground, right) at London’s South Bank, Peter Sowray in the background.. Photo by Clive Field, London Chess Association
FM Neil Carr, London Chess Classic 2013, courtesy pf John Upham Photography
FM Neil Carr, London Chess Classic 2013, courtesy pf John Upham Photography
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Remembering Guy Chandler (21-viii-1889 25-v-1980)

Death Anniversary of Guy Wills Chandler (21-viii-1889 25-v-1980), scanned from Chess Pie 1922 by Michael McDowell
Death Anniversary of Guy Wills Chandler (21-viii-1889 25-v-1980), scanned from Chess Pie 1922 by Michael McDowell

Remembering Guy Wills Chandler (21-viii-1889 25-v-1980)

From The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks :

“International Judge of FIDE for Chess Compositions, Chandler, who was born on 21st August 1889, has composed about 125 two and three-move problems, all in traditional style. Some 30 have gained tourney honours. He was the chess editor of the Hampshire Telegraph and Post from 1911-1921 and he was a founder member of the British Chess Problem Society, Its Hon. Secretary from 1919 – 1925 and Hon. Secretary and Treasurer since 1951.

G.W.Chandler
Commended “The Problemist” 1960

White to play and mate in two moves

From The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford, 1977), Harry Golombek OBE, John Rice writes:

“British problemist, active as a composer mainly during the 1920 and 1930s, specialising in model-mate three-movers. Best known for his work as Secretary of the British Chess Problem Society 1919-25 and as Secretary and Treasurer from 1952. International Judge (1957). “

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Sultan Khan : The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire

Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire
Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire

Sultan Khan : The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire : Daniel King

GM Daniel King
GM Daniel King

“Daniel King (1963) is an English grandmaster, coach, journalist and broadcaster. He has written 16 chess books on topics ranging from opening preparation to the self-tutoring How Good is your Chess? and Test Your Chess.”

From the rear cover :

“Sultan Khan arrived in London in 1929. A humble servant from a village in the Punjab, he created a sensation by becoming the British Empire champion. Sultan Khan competed in Europe with the leading chess players of the era. His unorthodox style often stunned his opponents, as Daniel King explains in his examination of the key tournaments in Khan’s career. King has uncovered a wealth of new facts about Khan, as well as dozens of previously unknown games. Now for the first time the full story can be told of how Khan was received in Europe, of his successes in the chess world and his return to obscurity after his departure for India in 1933.”

Daniel King, well known as a writer and broadcaster, here turns his hand to chess history, and one of the most fascinating stories our game has produced.

It would be remiss of me not to mention at the start that Sultan Khan’s family, whom the author chose not to consult,  are very unhappy about the book. You can read a review by Dr Atiyab Sultan, Sultan Khan’s granddaughter, here.

Dr Sultan and her father also write about Sultan Khan here.

I’ll leave that with you: you can decide for yourself whether or not it will deter you from buying the book. I have my views but prefer to concentrate on the chess.

Malik Mir Sultan Khan
Malik Mir Sultan Khan

What we have is a collection of Sultan Khan’s most interesting games (in some cases only the opening or conclusion) with excellent annotations. It’s not a ‘Best Games’ collection: there are plenty of draws and losses. As you would expect from such an experienced commentator, King knows exactly what, and how much, to tell you. You’ll get clear and concise verbal explanations, with variations only when necessary: an approach entirely suited to Khan’s style of play.

Sultan Khan’s openings were sometimes very poor, even by the standards of the day, on occasion running into trouble by neglecting the essentials of development and king safety, and not always learning from his mistakes. You won’t find a lot of brilliant tactics and sacrifices in his games, either. But he excelled at manoeuvring, and was an outstanding endgame player, winning many points through sheer determination. It was these skills that enabled him to beat Capablanca, draw with Alekhine, and reach, according to Jeff Sonas, the world’s top ten.

Here’s his most famous game, which is treated to six pages of annotations in the book.

King offers a lot more than just the games, though. The descriptions of the events in which Sultan Khan participated are enlivened by contemporary reports from newspapers and magazines which portray a vivid picture of the chess world 90 years ago, and of how Khan was perceived within the chess community. Then as now, newspapers would sometimes send non-playing journalists to write a ‘let’s laugh at the weird chess players’ article. Here, for example, is a Daily Herald reporter visiting Hastings for the 1930-31 congress. “DRAWING THE LONG BROW AT HASTINGS”, chortled the headline. “Moving (sometimes) scenes at chess congress.” Yes, very droll.

Although Sultan Khan was a very popular member of the British chess community, much respected for his quiet and modest demeanour, remarks which would today be considered racist sometimes appeared in the press. The London Evening News on Hastings 1932-33: “Sultan Khan, the British Champion, of course, did well; but he is not English by birth, which makes a difference.”

Malik Mir Sultan Khan (right)
Malik Mir Sultan Khan (right)

King also sketches in the political background behind Sultan Khan’s time in England: the discussions concerning the future of the Indian subcontinent which would eventually lead to independence and the partition in 1947. Writing as someone with embarrassingly little knowledge of the subject, I thought these sections of the book were written with sensitivity and impartiality, but, as the partition is still highly emotive today, I quite understand why others might take a different view.

My main problem with the book is the lack of indexing. There’s an index of names, but I’d also expect indexes of games and openings: something I’d consider essential for a book of this nature. While it was interesting to read something of the history of Western chess in India, a section on John Cochrane would have been useful. I noticed a couple of errors in tournament crosstables (pp 22 and 309), and on p322, EM Jackson mysteriously becomes EM Mackenzie (his middle name).

What you don’t get is a definitive and complete biography and games collection such as McFarland might publish, but Daniel King knows his audience well, and, from the chess perspective, does a thoroughly professional job. If you don’t feel strongly about Sultan Khan’s family’s criticisms, then this book is highly recommended, telling a story full of chess, human and historical interest.

You can see some sample pages on the publisher’s website.

Some more links for anyone interested in finding out more about Sultan Khan:

An article by chess.com blogger simaginfan (Neil Blackburn)

Edward Winter’s feature article about Sultan Khan

A short documentary from 1990 about Sultan Khan and Miss Fatima

Richard James, Twickenham 22nd May 2020

Richard James
. Richard James

Book Details :

  • Paperback : 372 pages
  • Publisher: New In chess (1 Mar. 2020)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9056918745
  • ISBN-13: 978-9056918743
  • Product Dimensions: 17 x 23.1 cm

Official web site of New in Chess

Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire
Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire
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