BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//British Chess News - ECPv6.17.3.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:British Chess News X-ORIGINAL-URL:http://britishchessnews.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for British Chess News REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20190101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210205 DTSTAMP:20210130T184442Z CREATED:20190823T181358Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210130T184442Z UID:1096-1612396800-1612483199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Sir Jeremy Morse (10-xii-1928 04-ii-2016) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Sir Jeremy Morse\, (10-xii-1928 04-ii-2016) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-sir-jeremy-morse/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210211 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210212 DTSTAMP:20210208T110428Z CREATED:20200410T212452Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210208T110428Z UID:4377-1613001600-1613087999@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Rod McKay (11-ii-1952) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of IM Roderick McIntosh McKay (11-ii-1952) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-roderick-mcintosh-mckay-11-ii-1952/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Player,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/JUA3108-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210213 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210214 DTSTAMP:20210208T111141Z CREATED:20190823T180554Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210208T111141Z UID:1090-1613174400-1613260799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of Michael Lipton (13-ii-1937) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of Michael Lipton (13-ii-1937) \nThe Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development\nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-michael-lipton/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/13.02-Michael-Lipton.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210217 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210218 DTSTAMP:20210217T110920Z CREATED:20190823T180224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210217T110920Z UID:1088-1613520000-1613606399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Cyril Kipping (10-x-1891 17-ii-1964) DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Cyril Kipping who passed away in Walsall on February 17th 1964 at the age of 72. \nCyril Henry Stanley Kipping was born on Saturday\, October 10th\, 1891 in 7 Milborne Grove\, South Kensington\, London\, SW10 9SN. \n7 Milborne Grove\, South Kensington\, London\, SW10 9SN.\nHis parents were Frederick Stanley Kipping (28) and Lillian Kipping (24\, née Holland) : they married in 1888. Cyril was baptised on May 8th\, 1892 in West Brompton\, London. Frederick died on 30 April 1949 in Pwllheli\, Caernarvonshire\, at the age of 85 and Lilian passed away on 4 September 1949 in Pwllheli\, Caernarvonshire\, at the age of 82. \nFrederick was Professor of Chemistry at The University of Nottingham. He undertook much of the pioneering work on silicon polymers and coined the term silicone. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1897. \nFrederick Stanley Kipping\, FRS\nIn the 1901 census the family lived at Clumber Road West\, Nottingham and brother Frederick Barry Kipping was born on April 14th 1901 and his sister Kathleen Esme was born on 3 May 1904 was also born in Nottingham. Kathleen died on 30 August 1951 in Pwllheli\, Caernarvonshire. \nIn 1902 Cyril started at Nottingham High School excelling in mathematics and science and in 1906 he obtained the Oxford and Cambridge Board’s Lower Certificate. \nOn March 2nd 1908 the Sheffield Daily Telegraph published a matriculation list for London University and CHSK was listed as being in the second division from Nottingham High School. Following that in 1909 Cyril obtained a Oxford and Cambridge Higher Certificate. \nCHS Kipping\nAs of the 1911 census the household now included Cyril’s maternal Grandmother\, Florence Holland (59) plus a parlourmaid\, a housemaid\, a cook and a nurse. Cyril was recorded as being a 19 year old science student and they lived at 40\, Magadala Road\, Nottingham which appears to have been replaced by residential flats. Curiously the address on the Census record was obscured by green insulation tape but insufficiently for it to readable. \nAccording to Stephen C. Askey \n“He left school in July 1910 and went to Trinity Hall in Cambridge where he read for the National Sciences Tripos. He played tennis for his college and launched into the composition of chess problems (1). \nHe obtained a First in Part I of the Tripos in 1912\, a First in Part II in 1913\, and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts on 7 June 1913. He began researching in organic chemistry at Cambridge\, but in September 1914 decided instead to take a teaching appointment at Weymouth College.” \nIn 1914 The London Gazette announced that Cyril was promoted within the Chaplain Department of the British Army to Second Lieutenant with a service number of 10940. \nOn December 23rd 1914 The London Gazette announced the following : \nThe London Gazette\, December 22nd 1914\, part one\nand \nThe London Gazette\, December 22nd 1914\, part two\nOn the 9th October 1918 The London Gazette announced : \nThe London Gazette\, 8th October 1918\nAgain\, According to Stephen C. Askey : \n“In January 1919 he took his Master of Arts degree at Cambridge\, and joined the teaching staff of Bradfield College in Berkshire. But by the summer of that year he became an assistant master at Pocklington School in Yorkshire\, where he spent five happy years. \nThere he used his talent for juggling in 1920 to train a troupe of jugglers who gave a display at a school concert. This popular performance was repeated annually at Pocklington. Meanwhile be continued to compose chess problems and in 1923 published a book for beginners called The Chess Problem Hobby.” \nIn the 1939 register Cyril was recorded as residing at 67 Wood Green Road\, Wednesbury\, Staffordshire\, England with Martha Partridge (born 29th June 1886) who was his Housekeeper. \nWood Green Road\, Wednesbury\, Staffordshire\nHis probate record appears in the England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019 as : \n1964 Probate record for Cyril Henry Stanley Kipping\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Robert Hale 1970 & 1976)\, Anne Sunnucks : \n“International Master of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (1959) and International Judge of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (1957). Born on 10th October 1891. Died on 17th February 1964. Kipping was famous as a composer and an editor which he combined with is duties as Headmaster of Wednesbury High School from 1925 to 1956. \n\n19th November 1934: An inter-form chess match for the pupils is in progress at Wednesbury High School for Boys\, supervised by Mr C S Kipping\, their headmaster. (Photo by William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images)\nHis editorial duties extended over more than forty years\, and included the problem sections of Chess\, Chess Amateur\, and\, for 32 years\, the specialist magazine The Problemist from 1931. He was noted for his encouragement of beginners. His pamphlet ‘The Chess Problem Hobby‘ is an excellent beginner’s introduction. His other books included Chess Problem Science\, The Chessmen Speak and 300 Chess Problems. \nChess Problem Science\, CS Kipping\, Whitehead & Miller\, 1938\nKipping was one of the most prolific composers of all time\, with over 7\,000 problems to his credit. Many of his strategic three-movers have become classic. He was leading authority on halfpin two-movers. In his latter years\, Kipping affectionately known as CSK – was Chairman of the International Problem Board which is now the FIDE Problem Commission.” \nThe Chessmen Speak\, CS Kipping\, The Chess Amateur\, Stroud\, 1932\nThe Chessmen Speak\, CS Kipping\, The Chess Amateur\, Stroud\, 1932\nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIV (84\, 1964)\, Number 4 (April)\, pp. 122-123 by John Rice: \n“CS Kipping\, one of the most famous of all British problemists\, died during February at the age of seventy-two. As a composer\, editor\, writer and critic Kipping was without equal. It is impossible to do justice in only a few lines to his vast and unique contribution to chess problems: a few factual notes. most of them kindly supplied by RCO Matthews\, must suffice. \nKipping was born in London on October 10th\, 1891\, After completing his studies\, he took up teaching as a career\, and in 1924 he was appointed the first headmaster of the newly-opened Wednesbury High School\, which post he held until his retirement in 1956. He was a bachelor\, and\, especially during the later years of his life\, his interests were centered mainly on the school and on chess problems. \nHeadmaster C.S. Kipping instructs a classroom of boys on the rules of chess using his demonstration board at Wednesbury High School. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)\nMost readers will know of Kipping as the editor of The Problemist\, the bi-monthly journal of the British Chess Problem Society. Before he took over The Problemist in 1931\, he had been in charge of the problem section of the Chess Amateur\, which he edited with great energy and enthusiasm. As well as The Problemist\, he edited the problem pages of Chess from its first appearance. in 1936 until the section was suddenly discontinued without warning or explanation a few years ago. He also edited other columns at various times. He always took great care to help and encourage beginners\, and it is probably true that every composer in this country below the age of about fifty came under his influence at one time or another. \nCHS Kipping\nAs a young man\, Kipping was a fierce avant-garde controversialist\, championing the the cause of strategy in the three-mover in opposition to the then dominant model-mate school in this country. His attitude to the two-mover\, as readers of The Problemist will know\, was always a good deal more conservative; he would not tolerate at any price what he called ‘camouflage force\,’ even in the modern problem. Yes\, he appreciated the aims of the modern two-move composer much more than his writings on the subject suggest\, being always ready to applaud excellence in any type of problem. \nCHS Kipping\nKipping’s output numbered over 7\,000 problems\, probably a record. Many of his two-moves especially his ‘aspect’ tasks\, were published under pseudonyms\, of which the best was known was C.Stanley. He concerned himself little with artistic finish : once he had found a workable setting of a them he was engaged on\, he would take little trouble over economy and presentation. Themes in which he interested himself include half-pin (in the two-mover)\, white King themes\, interferences\, and the grab theme (in the three-mover)\, and maximum tasks of all kinds\, the subject of one of his books\, Chess Problem Science. His other books include 300 Chess Problems (1916)\, and The Chessmen Speak (1932)\, in the AC White Christmas series. \n300 Chess Problems\, CS Kipping\, The Chess Amateur\, Stroud\, 1916\nIn addition to all his other problem activities\, Kipping was chairman of the International Problem Board\, and curator of the half-pin section of the White-Hume Collection\, which he took over on Hume’s death in 1936. \nThe majority of Kipping’s best problems were three-movers\, three of the most famous of which are quoted here.” \nManchester City News\, 1911\n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMate in three\n1 Ka5 \nFirst Prize\nDutch East Indies Chess Association Tourney\, 1928\n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMate in three\n1 Ra3 \nFirst Prize\nBCM\, 1939 (II)\n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMate in three\n1 Be6 \nThe first problem above was given in The Complete Chess Addict by Mike Fox and Richard James in the Desert Island Chess chapter. It is also given in a discussion of the Steinitz Gambit by ASM Dickins and H Ebert in 100 Classics of the Chessboard. Colin Russ on page 138 of Miniature Chess Problems from Many Countries gives the first problem as does John Rice on page 44 of Chess Wizardry : The New ABC of Chess Problems. \nOn a web site now only accessible vie the WayBack Machine there is a treasure trove of reminisces and memories of CHSK from himself\, friends and pupils. \nAnecdotes from former pupils. \nA history from the Wolverhampton and District Chess League \nHere is his Italian (only) Wikipedia entry. \nHere is his entry on chesscomposers.blogspot.com \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-cyril-stanley-kipping/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Remembering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Cyril_S_Kipping.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210220 DTSTAMP:20210215T164742Z CREATED:20190824T101505Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210215T164742Z UID:1151-1613692800-1613779199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of John Keeble (27-viii-1855 19-ii-1939) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of John Frederick Keeble (27-viii-1855 19-ii-1939)From The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld : \nProblemist and chronicler who lived in Norwich all his life. He edited the chess column of the Norwich Mercury from 1902 lo 1912\, contributed many significant articles elsewhere\, investigated a number of chess questions\, and established the burial place of several great players and arranged the tending of their graves. He lived at only two addresses for 73 years\, worked for the railway company for 53 years\, and was a member of the Norfolk and Norwich chess dub for 61 consecutive years. Winner of the club championship in 1884\, he did not compete again until 1933 and then won it three years in succession. \nJohn Frederick Keeble\nHere is his (italian) Wikipedia entry \nJohn Frederick Keeble\nAn English Bohemian\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-john-frederick-keeble/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Remembering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/default.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210309 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210310 DTSTAMP:20210309T102629Z CREATED:20190930T130829Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210309T102629Z UID:1433-1615248000-1615334399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Dr. Richard Guy (30-ix-1916 09-iii-2020) DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Richard Guy who passed away in Calgary\, Alberta\, Canada on Monday\, March 9th\, 2020 at the splendid age of 103. \nEarly Life\nRichard Kenneth Guy was born on Saturday\, 30th September 1916. On this day construction on the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City was completed. \nHe was born in Nuneaton\, Warwickshire to William Alexander Charles Guy and  Augusta Adeline Guy (née Tanner). RKGs parents had married in the final quarter of 1915 in Solihull. William was headmaster of Atherstone Elementary School. \nRichard Guy\nGrowing Up\nRichard attended Warwick School excelling in mathematics where he was a boarder and prefect.  In December 1934 He obtained  a County Major Scholarship for Mathematics provided by the Lord Kitchener Memorial Fund gaining his Northern Universities Higher School Certificate in July 1935. \nWarwick and Warwickshire Advertiser 25 May 1935\nHe went up to Gonville and Caius College\, Cambridge University in October 1935 graduating in 1938. Stephen  Hawking was also an alumni of Caius College. \nRichard Guy\nThe 1939 register records Richard aged 23 living as a lodger in the  Blower household of six  at 436 Buxton Road\, Stockport\, Cheshire\, England. This address has since been converted to residential flats. He was  a teacher of mathematics in a local secondary school. \nRAF and the Weather Years\nDuring the second world war Richard saw non-combative service in the Royal Air Force working on forecasting the weather and improving the methodologies.  This work was a critical component of the British war effort. \nIn the final quarter of 1940 Richard married Nancy Louise Thirian in Bingham\, Nottingham. Nancy (in fact\, she was known as Louise) was born in Islington in the third quarter of 1918 and passed away in 2010.  They had three children and Michael JT Guy was also a significant mathematician. \nAccording to Wikipedia : “In November 1942\, Guy received an emergency commission in the Meteorological Branch of the Royal Air Force\, with the rank of flight lieutenant.  He was posted to Reykjavik\, and later to Bermuda\, as a meteorologist. He tried to get permission for Louise to join him but was refused. While in Iceland\, he did some glacier travel\, skiing\, and mountain climbing\, marking the beginning of another long love affair\, this one with snow and ice.” \nRichard Guy\nTeaching and Research\nIn August 1951 Richard relocated to Singapore and taught for ten years at The University of Malaya and following that he worked at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. Finally\, in 1965\, he moved to Calgary and taught  in the Mathematics Department at The University of Calgary.  For fuller details of his extensive mathematical career see the many links at the foot of this article. \nRKGs final address in England was 145 Sunderland Road\, Forest Hill\, London SE23 2PX: \n145 Sunderland Road\, Forest Hill\, London SE23 2PX\nChess Playing\nRichard’s chess career was active whilst at Warwick School.  As a boarder and prefect he played for the school “eight” in matches against teams such as Birmingham University and King Edward’s School\, Birmingham. \nRichard Guy\nRichard’s interest turned away from over-the-board play but he did find time to compete in the Major Open of the August 1946 British Championships in Nottingham. Only two game scores are known where he lost to Dr. Fazekas and Gordon Crown: both very strong opponents. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nRichard Guy\nChess Writing and Composing\nThe December 1947 edition of British Chess Magazine contains RKGs very first Endings column taking over from TR Dawson. The column was introduced thus: \n“Mr RK Guy has kindly consented to take over the Endings Section. All communications should now be sent to him at 33 Westwood Park Forest Hill London SE23.” TRD went on to write: \n“With this page I reluctantly terminate on health grounds some forty years of work in the Endings field\, and my contributions to this corner of the British Chess Magazine. To the many readers of these pages\, a Merry Christmas and steadily improving years.” \n33 Westwood Park\, Forest Hill\, London SE23 3QG\nRKG was to edit this column until his final piece in June 1951. RKG wrote in the July 1951 column (now edited by HF Blandford): “My address after August will be University of Malaya\, Singapore. I have enjoyed these few years\, and am sorry to leave you\, although you will be in capable hands. HFB is player and problemist\, but his greatest love is for endings\, and he has won many international prizes.” \nRKG is known for almost 200 endgame studies. \nThis is  study #53\, page 57 from Test Tube Chess by AJ Roycroft: \nRK Guy\nThe Field\, 28 xii 1940 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \nwin\, 3+2 \nThe win is by a white king march from the h-file onto the same file as the pawn\, instead of the reverse! \n1.Bb4!/i Rh2+;\n2.Kg7 Rg2+;\n3.Kf7 Rf2+;\n4.Ke6 Re2+/ii;\n5.Kd5 Re3;\n6.Kd4 wins\n(i) Why not 1.d8=Q. Because of 1…Rb8; 2.Qxb8 stalemate!\n(ii) 4…Rf8 not on because of 5.Bxf8 \nand this one is study #148\, page 106 of the same publication: \nRK Guy\nBritish Chess Magazine\, x 1943 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nwin\, 6+4 \n1.Sc1+ Kc4;\n2.b3+ Kd4;\n3.Se2+ Ke4/i;\n4.Sg3+ Kd4/ii;\n5.Rf4+ Ke5/iii;\n6.Re4+ Kd5;\n7.Rd4+ Kxd4;\n8.Sf5+ Ke5;\n9.Sxd6 Kxd6;\n10.h4 wins. \n(i) 3…Kd3;4.Rd5+ Qd5;5.Sf4+ Ke4;6.Sxd5 Kxd5;7.h4 wins.\n(ii) 4…Kd3;5.Rf3+ Kxd2;6.Se4+\, or 5…Kd4;6.Sf5+.\n(iii) 5…Kd5;6.Rd4+ Kxd4;7.Sf5+.\nA lot of checks\, but also a lot of play. \nFor more examples of RKGs work we recommend his AVRES database entry. \nIn 2020 John Beasley wrote: “Richard did not achieve the same renown in our field as he has in the field of recreational mathematics\, but his studies are neat and many are also instructive\, a point which he considered important. We have been the richer for his presence.” \nAlong with Hugh Blandford and John Roycroft\, RKG was one of the inventors of the GBR code (Guy–Blandford–Roycroft code)\, a system of representing the position of chess pieces on a chessboard. Publications such as EG magazine use it to classify endgame types and to index endgame studies. \nRichard Kenneth Guy\nWinning Ways\nThe Unity of Combinatorics\, Ezra Brown and RK Guy\, American Mathematical Society (30 May 2020)\nUnsolved Problems in Geometry\, RK Guy\, Springer Verlag\, 1994\nHere is an appreciation from John Beasley \nRKGs entry on the AVRES database \nRKGs entry on chesscomposers.blogspot.com \nAn Interview with a mathematician \nAn obituary from The Calgary Herald \nA tribute from The University of Calgary \nA tribute from A Periodical \nA tribute from the American Mathematical Society \n100th birthday tribute from the Mathematical Association of America \nRKGs Wikipedia article \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/happy-birthday-richard-kenneth-guy/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Guy_younger.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200324 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200325 DTSTAMP:20210305T190227Z CREATED:20200716T112123Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210305T190227Z UID:7445-1585008000-1585094399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of Christopher Feather (24-iii-1947) DESCRIPTION:Christopher John Feather\nBirthday of Christopher John Feather (24-iii-1947) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-christopher-john-feather-24-iii-1947/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210326 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210327 DTSTAMP:20210305T190618Z CREATED:20190823T102107Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210305T190618Z UID:1072-1616716800-1616803199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Percy Blake (6-xii-1873 26-iii-1936) DESCRIPTION:Remembering Percy Francis Blake (6-xii-1873 26-iii-1936) \nFrom his Italian Wikipedia entry : \n“Percy Francis Blake ( Manchester \, December 6\, 1873 – Grappenhall \, March 20\, 1936 ) was a British chess player and chess composer \, among the best English problem players of the period 1900 – 1936 . \nHe composed over 500 problems\, most in two and three moves\, of which around 160 were awarded (45 first prizes and 40 second prizes). [1] \nHe was famous for “quiet” keys and continuations\, which made his problems very difficult to solve. \nHe was also a good player and table. In 1890 he won the Manchester club championship and later several local tournaments. In 1894 he won a beauty prize offered by the Manchester Weekly Times . From 1898 to 1912 he was part of the Lancashire team in many team matches between that county and Yorkshire . In 1911 he won the Lancashire championship. [2]” \nand from the rather excellent Yorkshire Chess History we have \nThe following photograph was kindly supplied by Michael McDowell of the British Chess Problem Society : \nPercy Francis Blake\nPercy Francis Blake drawn by Orrett from Manchester Central Library. Known as an example of a “Bristol Board”. Supplied by Michael McDowell\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-percy-francis-blake/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Percy_Francis_Blake.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210328 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210329 DTSTAMP:20220328T115326Z CREATED:20190823T180814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220328T115326Z UID:1092-1616889600-1616975999@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Comins Mansfield MBE (14-vi-1896 28-iii-1984) DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Comins Mansfield MBE who passed away on March 28th 1984 in Torbay\, Devon. \nComins was the first English born chess grandmaster when in 1972 he was awarded the the title of “International Grandmaster of the FIDE for Chess Composition” three years before the first correspondence GM and four years before the first English born OTB grandmaster. \nIn the 1976 New Years Honours list Civil Division Comins was awarded the MBE. The citation read simply “For services to Chess”. \nEarly Years\nComins Mansfield was born on Sunday\, June 14th 1896 in Witheridge\, North Devon. The birth was registered in the district of South Molton\, Devon. His parents were Herbert John (who was a banker) and Julia Emma Mansfield (née Frost). Miss Anne Comins was Herbert’s mother who he memorialised using her name for his only son. \nComins had two sisters Edith K and Margaret M plus a paternal step-sister Harriett C Mansfield. \nHe was baptised on the 18th July 1896 in Witheridge as an Anglican and the ceremony was performed by JT Benson. \nSt. John the Baptist Church\, Witheridge\, Devon courtesy of SIERKSMA’S SEQUENCES\nHe was admitted to Witheridge School on September 18th 1899 (aged three) and in 1901 Comins continued to live in Witheridge\, Devon attending Blundell’s School. The family “left the district” on August 13th 1909. \nAt the time of the 1911 Census Comins was a boarder at a school in Tiverton\, Cheshire. Possibly this was Tarporley High School. \nA Career Beckoned\nComins left school in 1914 and did not attend University. He started work at tobacco company W. D. & H. O. Wills (which became part of  Imperial Tobacco in 1901) in Bristol being a prime location for a company which relied on export markets of physical goods. \nInterruption by War\nAccording to RH Jones on the Chess Devon web site: \nIn September 1915 he joined the Royal Artillery\, and carried a small travelling set at all times\, with which to while away the long hours spent in the trenches. He never lost contact with Chandler during the war\, even though the latter was involved in a rather messy British invasion of Iraq\, (then Mesopotamia)\, and the two combined on problems by post\, one of which won 1st Prize in the Good Companions magazine in January 1918. Shortly after\, he was temporarily blinded by mustard gas\, requiring 12 months in hospital. \nGunner Mansfield courtesy of SIERKSMA’S SEQUENCES\nOn his release from hospital\, the war was over and he re-joined Wills in Bristol and his local chess club\, Bristol & Clifton. His skill over the board should not be overlooked – he soon became established in Gloucestershire as a very strong player\, winning his club championship for the first time in 1920 and the county championship continuously from 1927 – 34. From his return to Bristol he played for the county regularly\, never lower than Bd. 3 and from the time of his first county championship\, always on top board. From 1926 to the time of his move to Scotland he was also the Problem Editor of the Bristol Times and Mirror . \nAccording to the National Records Office: \nWith reference to the medal card of Comins Mansfield we have: \n\n\n\nRoyal Field Artillery\n3024\nGunner\n\n\nRoyal Field Artillery\n826184\nGunner\n\n\n\nCareer Resumption\nComins career with W. D. & H. O. Wills lasted 45 years and in 1934 relocated to Glasgow which halted his composition career until 1936 labelling his problems “Mansfield – Glasgow. His job in Scotland finished in 1950 returning to live in Carshalton Beeches\, near Croydon in South London working for a W. D. & H. O. Wills subsidiary. \nMarriage\nOn September 19th 1923 Comins married Marjorie Erica Ward (born 1899) at the Parish Church\, St. Paul\, Bedminster\, Bristol\, Gloucestershire. Marjorie died in 2003. Comins and Marjorie had three children\, Geoffrey\, Hilary and Roderick. \nComins Mansfield MBE in 1976\nAt the time of their marriage Comins was living at 25 Sommerville Road\, Bishopston\, Bristol\, BS7 9AD: \n25 Sommerville Road\, Bishopston\, Bristol\, BS7 9AD\nChess Beginnings\nComins interest in chess started at the age of nine with his father Herbert who played correspondence chess for Devon but his interest in the world of problems was initiated in 1910 with an article (First Steps In The Classification of Two-Movers by Alain C. White) on problems in British Chess Magazine. In 1914 aged 18 he joined the Bristol and Clifton Chess Club and following World War I he became club champion for the first time in 1920. Also\, Comins was Gloucestershire Champion from 1927 – 1934 before he relocated to Glasgow where he won the West of Scotland and Glasgow Championships.  At Cheltenham 1928 not only did he draw in 50 moves with FD Yates but he beat Sir George Thomas in 20 moves! \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nBCM Obituary\nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume CIV (104\, 1984)\, Number 5 (May)\, p. 194 : \n“Comins Mansfield (14 v 1896 – 27 iii 1984) was an outstanding figure in chess problems\, notably in the field of two-movers. Awarded the IM title for problems in 1959 and the GM title in 1972\, he served for eight years as President of the FIDE Permanent Commission for Chess Compositions. In 1976 he was awarded an MBE for his services to chess. \nComins Mansfield courtesy of Chess Scotland\nAs an OTB (over-the-board) player he won the championship of the Bristol Club and of Gloucestershire. From 1964 to 1978 he contributed the weekly puzzle to the Sunday Telegraph.” \nChessboard Delights Selected from the Sunday Telegraph 1964-1974\, Comins Mansfield\, Routledge & Kegan Paul/Sunday Telegraph\, London \, 1976\, ISBN 10: 0710082878ISBN 13: 9780710082879\nCHESS Obituary by Colin Russ\nFrom CHESS\, Volume 48 (1984)\, Numbers 921-922\, page 316 we have this rather modest mention: \n“Problem Album\nWho was Britain’s first chess grandmaster? His name start with M\, but no\, the answer is Comins Mansfield\, to whom F.I.D.E. awarded its newly created title of grandmaster for Chess Composition in 1972\, and who died in March this year aged 87. In tribute to him we recall\, two of his masterpieces\, separated by over half a century.” \nComins Mansfield\nComins Mansfield\nBCF Tourney 1974 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in two \nand \nComins Mansfield\nGood Companions 1918 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in two \nInterestingly the July 1984 issue of CHESS publishes a letter from Ken Whyld taking issue with the above. Ken wrote: \nWho was Britain’s first chess grand master? His name starts with M but no\, the answer is not Comins Mansfield (page 316 in CHESS\, No. 921-2. No\, it isn’t. It is J. Mieses in 1950. The error is repeated on page 328. Why do we\, as a nation\, have to be so snotty about those who chose to be become naturalised? \nFrom page 328 we have this detailed obituary from Colin AH Russ: \nWe regret to report the death of Comins Mansfield MBE\, peacefully at his home in Torquay on 28 March 1984. During his long life of more than 86 years\, Mansfield received every possible honour in the realm of chess problem art. \nHe was born at Witheridge\, North Devon\, on 14 June 1896\, and at 9 was taught to play chess by his father\, a keen correspondence player. One of his earliest efforts won First Prize in 1912 in the Illustrated Western Weekly News. \nOther problems of his early period were published in the Folders of the Good Companion Chess Problem Club\, of Philadelphia\, USA. This brought him into contact with Alain C. White\, who also recognised his genius and gave him every encouragement. Some of the problems at this time were composed in the trenches\, “somewhere in France”\, while Mansfield was serving in the Royal Artillery with the British Army. He was severely gassed in May 1918\, and discharged from the Army. \nHe won the West of Scotland and Glasgow Championships while stationed in that city. He was one of the founder members of\nthe British Chess Problem Society\, and served as its President. In 1947\, he started a feature in The Problemist entitled “Selected with Comments” which continued in his hands for 35 years. His weekly column in the Sunday Telegraph\, mainly confined to game positions\, ran from 1964 to 1978. \n  \nMansfield’s other venture into publishing was his “Adventures in Composition” in which he takes the reader step by step through the Process that he went through in composing 20 of his problems. \nAdventures in Composition\, Comins Mansfield\, CHESS\, Sutton Coldfield\, 1948\nThe book was edited by A. C. White and first appeared in the USA in 1942\, and was published in Britain by CHESS\, Sutton Coldfield\, in 1948. it became a classic\, and many composers could testify to the help they have received from it. \nIn “Adventures in Composition“\, Mansfield expounded his principles for making good chess problems: originality\, economy\, and artistic finish. if he found that an idea could not be set without forfeiting one of these principles\, then he put it on one side\, and turned his attention to something else. Therefore\, although one can say that some of his problems are better than others\, it is impossible to find one that is bad. \nA. C. White made Comins Mansfield the subject of his last book in the Christmas Series: “A Genius of the Two-Mover” in which he gave some 100 of the master’s 300 problems. \nA Genius of the Two Mover\, C. Mansfield by AC White\, The Christmas Series\, 1936.\nHe wrote: “The key-note of his style lies in his freshness of outlook and in a clarity of vision with which few composers have been gifted.” Brian Harley\, the distinguished author and editor of the\nfamous Observer column for so many years\, continued the story with a further 100 of Mansfield’s Problems. \nIn view of his international reputation\, it was only fitting that Mansfield should represent the BCPS at the first meeting\nof the FIDE Problem Commission in Piran in 1958\, that he should serve as its President from 1963-71\, and that in 1972 he should be awarded one of the first grand master titles\, honoris causa\, in recognition of his contribution to problem chess. He thus became the first Briton to receive this title\, before any British chess players had reached any title norms. Four years later he received the recognition of his country\, when his name appeared in the Queen’s New Year Honours list as recipient of the MBE\, for services to chess. \nSource: The Problemist\, May 1996. Photo taken March 1996 at the Mansfield Centenary Meeting at Paisley\, when Barry Barnes delivered a lecture on Comins Mansfield. Left to right: Geoffrey Mansfield (son of Comins)\, Robert Gray and Barry Barnes\, International Master of Chess Composition.\nln 1975\, Gerhard Jensch\, editor of the problem column in Schach-Echo\, brought out a supplement to “Adventures in Composition”\, containing 63 of Mansfield’s later problems\, showing how he had reacted to the changing themes and styles of the post second World War period. Barry Barnes\, the following year\, brought out “Comins Mansfield MBE: Chess Problems of a Grandmaster“\, in which he presented 2O0 problems with full solutions and comments\, many of them culled from Mansfield’s private notes and correspondence. \nComins Mansfield MBE: Chess Problems of a Grandmaster\, BP Barnes\, 1976\nIt is appropriate to finish with the comment with which E. L. Umnov concluded his introduction to Barry Barnes’s book in 1976: “Mansfield’s work is a source of pride not only to British chess\, but to chess the world over”.\nC.A.H.R. \nHooper & Whyld on Mansfield\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess (OUP\, 1984) by Hooper & Whyld : \n“English two-mover composer widely regarded in his time as the greatest in this field. During the life of the GOOD COMPANION CHESS PROBLEM CLUB (1913—24) he was one of the pioneers who gave new life to the two-mover. The ideas then introduced have since become traditional\, and Mansfield has adhered to them\, continuing to gain successes although not always following the latest trend. In 1942 he wrote Adventures in Composition\, an excellent guide to the art of composing. In 1957 he was awarded the title of International Judge of Chess Compositions; in 1963 he accepted and held for eight years the presidency of the FIDE Commission for Chess Compositions; in 1972 he was one of the first four to he awarded the title of International Grandmaster for Chess Compositions. \nA. C. White\, A Genius of the Two-mover (1936) contains 113 problems by Mansfield; B. P. Barnes\, Comins Mansfield MBE: Chess Problems of a Grandmaster (1976) contains 200 problems. “ \n101 Chess Puzzles and How to Solve Them\, Brian Harley and Comins Mansfield\, Sterling Publishing\, New York\, 1960\nSunnucks on Mansfield\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \n“International Grandmaster of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (1972)\, International Master of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (1959)\, International Judge of the FIDE for Chess Compositions (1957). President of the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions from 1963 to 1971. President of the British Chess Problem Society from 1949 to 1951. \nBorn at Witheridge in North Devon on 14th June 1896. He has composed about 1\,000 problems\, nearly all of them two-movers\, since 1911. He is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. His outstanding ability was recognised early when A Genius of the Two-Mover in the A.C. White Christmas series of books was published in 1936. He is the author of Adventures in Composition (1944) and co-author with the late Brian Harley of The Modern Two-Move Problem. \nThe Modern Two- Move Chess Problem\, Brian Harley and Comins Mansfield\, Museum Press\, London\, 1944 & 1958\nFrom 1926-1932 he was Problem Editor of The Bristol Times and Mirror\, and he is at present Problem Editor of The Sunday Telegraph His feature “Selected with Comments” has been a permanent feature of The Problemist. A strong player\, Mansfield won the Gloucestershire Championship from 1927 to 1934. He has a recorded win over Sir George Thomas\, a late British Champion and International Master. \nMansfield made a life-times career with the tobacco firm of W.D. & H.O. Wills. He is a dedicated family man with three children. \nC. Mansfield\, 1st Prize\, Hampshire Post\, 1919 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in two moves.“ \nSolution to Two-Mover above : 1. Qf5 ! \nHarry Golombek on Mansfield\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Harry Golombek we have: \nBritain’s most distinguished problem compose\, output about 859\, nearly all two-movers. Very active during the period of the Good Companions\, contributing to their folders many classic examples of half-pin\, cross-check\, and other important themes. Books include Adventures in Composition (1943)\, a fascinating expose of the composers methods. President of the British Chess Problem Society\, 1949-51. President of the FIDE Problem Commission\, 1963-71\, and Hon. President since 1972. International Judge (1957); international master (1959)\, grandmaster (1972). \nCuriously RH Jones wrote \n“At Paignton\, Mansfield seemed to know Milner-Barry quite well\, but Golombek kept his distance. It is noticeable that Golombek’s Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford 1977) is almost unique of its kind in containing no individual entry for Mansfield; even a long 3½ page article on the history of chess problems\, which mentions numerous half forgotten composers\, contains no reference to him. This is surely no oversight and must be interpreted as some kind of inexplicable snub.” \nWe too made initially made the same error and it is true that there in individual entry for CM outside of the Problemists section.  Did RHJ miss the above entry as we initially did? \nJohn Rice on Mansfield\nFrom British Chess (Pergamon Press\, 1984) John Rice writes: \n“Comins Mansfield was born at Witheridge\, Devon on 14th June 1896. At the age of 18 he joined the Bristol and Clifton Chess Club\, and after World War 1 he soon won the club championship and the Gloucester Championship several times. For 14 years until 1978 he conducted the weekly chess features in the Sunday Telegraph. \nIn 1959 he he became an ‘International Master of the FIDE for Chess Composition’ and in 1972 one of the first four grandmasters. For 7 years he was President of the FIDE’s Permanent Commission for Chess Compositions. \nMansfield is widely regarded as being one of the three greatest composers of chess problems of all time. In 1976 was awarded the MBE for his services to chess. \nMr. Mansfield worked for 45 years in the tobacco firm W.D & H.O. Wills – first in Bristol\, then in Glasgow and finally in London. He is now enjoying retirement in Torbay. \nMr. Mansfield writes: It was in 1959 that the FIDE decided to broaden their titles to include artificial positions such as ‘problems’ (the so-called poetry of chess)\, where mate has to be forced in a specified number of moves. The Master title then came into being\, while the ‘Grandmaster’ distinction was withheld until 1972. \nComins Mansfield\nI have always felt that life is too short to deal with anything but two-movers. Here is one of my earliest successes (ed: shown here in Desert Island Chess) composed in the trenches in World War 1.” \nDesert Island Chess\nFrom The Complete Chess Addict (Faber&Faber\, 1987\,p.222)\, Fox & James we have a section entitled Desert Island Chess which includes this problem: \nC. Mansfield \nFirst Prize Good Companions\, March 1917 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMate in 2 \nOf it\, Alain White\, the world connoisseur wrote – ‘This may well be taken as the standard cross-check problem of the twentieth century’.  The key-move 1.Be4 looks senseless\, as it sets the black king free and apparently jeopardizes the white one by unpinning the black knight. But it threatens mate by 2.Nxc4 This knight can open fire on the white king in four ways. If 1…Ne5+\,2.Rd3 is mate. If 1…Nxd6+\, the mate is 2.Bd3. If 1…Nxe3+\, Nb5 mates\, while 1…Nd2+ is answered by 2.Nc4. \nThe next position is of a quite different type: \nCHESS\, 1950\, First Prize \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in two moves \nIt illustrates several quiet defences by a single black piece. This has a rather colourless key\, 1.Bb2\, which threatens mate by 2. Rg4. Moves of the black bishop stop this but give rises to six other mates. If 1…Bg1;2.Nc7. So the bishop must stay on its long diagonal. 1…Bg3 allows 2.Rxh4. If 1…Bf4 (unpinning the R)\, 2.Re5. If 1…Be5\, 2.Rd4. If 1…Bd6\, 2.Rc8. If 1…Bb8\, 2.Rb6. There are three other subsidiary mates\, after 1…Rf8\, 2.Rf4. If 1…d1=q\,2.Qd1 and finally if 1…Rg2  (or Rg1 or Rg3). \nIn the 1950s it became fashionable for composers to try to hoodwink solvers by arranging close tries which almost solved the problem. But this trend often militated against the merit and interest of the actual solution.  In  this problem the solver soon discovers that he must set-up a double-threat by 1.g4\,g3\,f4 or f3\, each move cutting off both a black rook and bishop. \nDie Schwalbe\, 1956\, First Prize \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in two moves \nBut which is the right move? 1.g4 threatens mate by 2.Qxe4 and Qd1\, but is defeated by 1…Nxf2. Similarly 1.g3 (threatening 2.Qe3 and Bxb3) is met by 1…Nc2. So try 1.f4 (threatening 2.Qxe4 and Bxb3)\, but this fails to 1…e3. This leaves the key-move 1.f3 which does the trick. There is a fair amount of by-play. 1…Rf4 forces 2.Bxb3.  1…Bf4 forces 2. Qxe4; while after 1.Kd4 and Nc4\, the mates are 2. Qxc3 and Bxe4 respectively. \nIn an ABC of Chess Problems\, Section III\, Composition and Solving\, page 266 onwards\,  John Rice discusses in detail the methods of Comin Mansfield and any student of solving and composition would do well to study this chapter. \nAn ABC of Chess Problems\, John Rice\, Faber & Faber\, London\, 1970\, SBN 571 08672 1\nOther Sources\nHere is an excellent biography from Chess Devon by RH Jones \nHere is a biography from Keverel Chess by RH Jones \nHere is the entry for CM from the BCPS web site \nBiography from Chess Scotland by Alan McGowan \nHere is the largest collection of his games from Britbase and John Saunders \nHere are his games from chessgames.com \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nAmerica Salutes Comins Mansfield MBE\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-comins-mansfield/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Remembering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Comins_Mansfield_1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210401 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210402 DTSTAMP:20200428T094504Z CREATED:20191027T141505Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200428T094504Z UID:1683-1617235200-1617321599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Frederick Forrest Lawrie Alexander (13-XI-1879\, 01-IV-1965) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Frederick Forrest Lawrie Alexander (13-XI-1879\, 01-IV-1965) \nInteresting article from Woodseats Library \nHere is an article from the Chess Composers Blog \nHe was seven times champion of Battersea Chess Club \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-frederick-forrest-lawrie-alexander-13-xi-1879-01-iv-1965/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210406 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210407 DTSTAMP:20210306T112649Z CREATED:20200326T141917Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T112649Z UID:3767-1617667200-1617753599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of CGM Christopher Jones (06-iv-1952) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of CGM Christopher JA Jones (06-iv-1952)Here is an excellent biography from Chess Scotland \nHere is an article about Helpmates from CJAJ published by Chessbase \nGrandmaster of Composition Christopher Jones\nCGM Christopher James Austin Jones\nCGM Christopher James Austin Jones with James Pratt and David Shire at Eton College\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-cgm-christopher-ja-jones-06-iv-1952/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Player,Problemist,Writer ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/jb4_8026_lv-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210407 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210408 DTSTAMP:20210306T113214Z CREATED:20191028T095208Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T113214Z UID:1685-1617753600-1617839999@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of Christopher Lytton (Sells) (07-iv-1939) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of Christopher Cedric Lytton (Sells) (07-iv-1939)From chesscomposers.com : \n“Cedric Lytton was born in South Australia and is a mathematician. He became president of the British Chess Problem Society in 2009. He is also International Judge and was during many years the sub-editor of the fairy section for The Problemist\, then of its retro section.” \nHere is an item from The North Norfolk News \nHere is that article in full from The North Norfolk News : \n“In her latest Face to Face interview\, KAREN BETHELL talks to multi-talented mathematician Dr Cedric Lytton PhD\, who\, in spite of being born with impaired hearing\, went on to list among his accomplishments playing the viola\, singing\, and writing top-level chess problems. \nBut\, for Dr Lytton\, who lives in Sheringham\, the recent headline-hitting Hudson River plane crash in New York brought to mind perhaps his greatest achievement . . . \nA difficult birth at Adelaide\, South Australia\, left Cedric with impaired hearing and reduced mobility in one hand. \nHis disability was to affect him as a boarder at Rugby School\, Warwickshire\, where\, forced to carry around a cumbersome hearing aid in his briefcase\, he was severely bullied. \nHowever\, learning to type – and discovering at age 8 that he had a talent for chess – turned out the young Cedric’s saving grace\, and\, in 1955\, he had his first problem published in the British Chess Problem Society magazine\, The Problemist. \nCedric\, whose ancestors include the famous 19th century writer Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton\, (who coined the phrase\, “the pen is mightier than the sword.”)\, took up playing the bass recorder aged 18\, and\, as a young man\, he dreamed of becoming a musician. \nBut\, deciding life as a professional mathematician would be a safer course to take\, he read maths at Sidney Sussex College\, Cambridge\, before going on to gain a PhD. \nIn 1964\, he entered the scientific civil service at Farnborough as a researcher and computer programmer\, following in the footsteps of his uncle\, Cliff Roberts\, also a researcher\, who helped design Sydney Harbour bridge. \nFour years later\, Cedric\, penned a pioneering paper on reducing airflow – and thereby shockwaves and drag – over the wings of aircraft\, and his efforts led to the design of the 320 Airbus – the jet that crashed safely into the Hudson River on January 15. \nAdvancements in hearing aid technology meant that\, by the mid-1970s\, Cedric was no longer forced to wear an unwieldy device pinned to his clothes\, and he realised his ambition of learning to play the viola. \nAfter the end of an unhappy first marriage\, he met up with long-term friend\, Dorothy – then a supervisor of midwives at Ely – by chance on a visit to Norwich and the couple\, whose son Martin is a GP in Cornwall\, were married at St Andrew’s Church\, Sheringham in 1982. \nSince retiring 10 years ago\, Cedric\, who\, while at Farnborough\, held the local Croquet Club championship title for 8 years on the trot\, has kept busy composing chess problems\, playing backgammon and croquet\, playing viola with a local string quartet and singing with St Andrew’s church choir. He also enjoys swimming\, cycling\, cooking and wine appreciation. \nCedric\, 69\, was delighted this year to receive a hat trick of accolades – winning Bodham Croquet Club’s annual knockout competition\, taking the North Norfolk Backgammon Circle trophy\, and being made president of the British Chess Problem Society. \nWhat is the best thing about your job? \nWhen I was working\, the best thing was being left alone to get on and do a job I knew I could do well without being bothered by admin people. \nAnd the worst? \nI was lucky enough not to have a “worst” thing\, but\, one thing that did bother me was that every time an engineer came to repair my computer\, I’d come back from my coffee break to find the mouse had been left on the wrong side! \nWhat is the one possession you would save if your house was on fire? \nMy viola and my bass recorder\, which I keep next to each other. \nWhere do you go to unwind? \nCycling – it’s a lovely feeling freewheeling down to the town. \nWhat is your favourite Norfolk building? \nThe Hoste Arms at Burnham Market because they do excellent food and excellent wine. \nWhat is the one thing you would change about yourself? \nI’d perhaps be a little more tolerant of others as I do have to make an effort sometimes to keep back what I really think. If I could have normal hearing\, I’d probably change that too. \nWhat is your proudest moment? \nTo have found a girl who was prepared to put up with me and\, at last\, to have entered a happy marriage. \nAnd your greatest achievement? \nWriting my paper in 1968; It was a breakthrough paper which made a lot of difference. I’d also like to say my two beautiful grandchildren\, Alexandra and William. \nHave you ever done anything outrageous? \nNot really. I was always a really goody goody little prig but\, in the course of my long life\, I’ve had a few rough edges knocked off. \nWhom do you most admire? \nNelson Mandela because of what he has done for his country. He came out of 27 years in jail apparently a better man\, never said a word about his captors and has continued to justify his existence ever since. \nWhat makes you angry? \nMy deafness sometimes makes me difficult to understand and means that I often have to say things twice. But what is really annoying is when people ask me something and\, when I give a reply\, they look at Dorothy. \nFavourite book\, film and TV programme? \nBook: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – The Dancing Men\, film: The Prisoner of Zenda\, and I do enjoy watching The Andrew Marr Show on television on a Sunday. \nHow would you like to be remembered? \nAs one who loved his fellow men.” \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-christopher-cedric-lytton-sells-07-iv-1939/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,History,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/1195803139.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200414 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200415 DTSTAMP:20220419T083516Z CREATED:20200413T172919Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220419T083516Z UID:4595-1586822400-1586908799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Theophilus Willcocks (19-iv-1912 14-iv-2014) DESCRIPTION:Remembering Theophilus Harding Willcocks (19-iv-1912 14-iv-2014) \nAn innovator in both mathematics and fairy chess. \nHere is an excellent article on squaring.net \nAn article from matplus.net \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-theophilus-harding-willcocks-19-v-2014/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist,Remembering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/th-willcocks.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200416 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200417 DTSTAMP:20210306T140152Z CREATED:20200323T140030Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T140152Z UID:3696-1586995200-1587081599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Joseph Peckover (15-xi-1896 16-iv-1982) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Joseph Edmund Peckover (15-xi-1896  16-iv-1982) \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \nBorn in Hampstead\, London to Henry Joseph Peckover and Louisa Jane Micklewright on the 15th November 1896\, Peckover has lived in New York since 1921. He has composed about 70 endgame studies : \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nJE Peckover \, 1st Prize\, Problem 1958 – 59 Award July 1960. \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nHere is his entry on chesscomposers.com \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-joseph-edmund-peckover-15-xi-1896-16-iv-1982/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200417 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200418 DTSTAMP:20210306T141326Z CREATED:20200403T185851Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T141326Z UID:4039-1587081600-1587167999@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Tim Whitworth (31-vii-1932 17-iv-2019) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Timothy George Whitworth (31-vii-1932 17-iv-2019) \nEndgame Magic\nHere is an excellent article from Brian Stephenson \nEndgame Magic\nHere is an obituary from The Guardian \nLeonid Kubbel’s Chess Endgame Studies\nMattison’s Chess Endgame Studies\nThe Platov Brothers : Their Chess Endgame Studies\nTimothy George Whitworth\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-timothy-george-whitworth-31-vii-1932-17-iv-2019/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1114.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200424 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200425 DTSTAMP:20210306T142207Z CREATED:20190823T161140Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T142207Z UID:1084-1587686400-1587772799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Godfrey Heathcote (20-vii-1870 24-iv-1952) DESCRIPTION:From The Encyclopaedia of Chess(Robert Hale\, 1970 and 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“Problem composer\, and deemed to be on of the great masters of the art. Heathcote was born on 20th July 1870 in Manchester\, and died on 24th April 1952. whilst in office as the President of the British Chess Problem Society. An advocate of the model mate\, Heathcote was one of few composers with the power to combine model mates with strategy. In 1918 a collection of his problems appeared in the A. C. White Christmas series under the title Chess Idylls” \nHere is an appreciation from chesscomposers.blogspot.com \nChess Idylls (1918)\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-godfrey-heathcote/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20.07-G.Heathcote-Chess-Pie-1922.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200514 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200515 DTSTAMP:20210307T165149Z CREATED:20191027T115305Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210307T165149Z UID:1677-1589414400-1589500799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of John Barrow (12-xi-1890 14-v-1943) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of John Hugh Barrow (12-xi-1890 14-v-1943) \nFrom chesscomposers.com : \n“John Barrow composed direct mates and helpmates.” \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-john-hugh-barrow-12-xi-1890-14-v-1943/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200525 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200526 DTSTAMP:20210521T191552Z CREATED:20190823T102453Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210521T191552Z UID:1074-1590364800-1590451199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Guy Chandler (21-viii-1889 25-v-1980) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Guy Wills Chandler (21-viii-1889 25-v-1980) \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \n“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. \nG.W.Chandler\nCommended “The Problemist” 1960 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in two moves \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-guy-wills-chandler/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/21.08-G.W.Chandler-Chess-Pie-1922.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200619 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200620 DTSTAMP:20210620T094213Z CREATED:20190823T181141Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210620T094213Z UID:1094-1592524800-1592611199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Robin Matthews (16-vi-1927 19-vi-1983) DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Robin Matthews CBE\, FBA who died in Cambridge aged 83 on June 19th 2010. Probate (3367272) was granted in Ipswich\, Suffolk on September 6th\, 2010. \nRobert (Robin) Charles Oliver Matthews was born in Edinburgh on Thursday\, June 16th 1927. Born on the same day was England cricketer\, Tom Graveney. \nHis English father\, Oliver Harwood Matthews became an Edinburgh solicitor and his mother was Ida Matthews (née) Finlay.  Robin had a daughter Alison. \nAcademia\nHe was educated at Edinburgh Academy and then Corpus Christi College\, Oxford becoming a Fellow of All Souls College\, Oxford. He went on to become a highly successful economist authoring at least twelve publications on the subject. \nAccording to Wikipedia “He was the Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford from 1965 to 1975 and the Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge from 1980 to 1991. He was also the Master of Clare College\, Cambridge from 1975 to 1993.” \nFor a detailed description of this part of his life there is an excellent obituary / biography from the Australian economist\, Geoffrey Harcourt. \nProblem Composer\nBrian Stephenson (BCPS) writes : “Probably the UK’s greatest composer of ‘mate in 3’ #ChessProblems . His chapters in the book you note were what got me hooked on chess composition. Nearly all of his output can be viewed at The Meson Database” \nBlack Correction: Quaternary Play \nFirst Prize\, The Observer\, 1964 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMate in three \nAccording to David McKittrick in The Independent: \n“Outside academia\, Matthews was keen on chess\, in particular setting problems and publishing two books on what are known as three-mover directmates\, in which white is to move and checkmate black in no more than three moves against any defence. \nAlthough this might be thought a particularly narrow point of interest\, one enthusiast said of him that his writings “demonstrated a deep knowledge along with the feeling of wonder and curiosity about the subject”. \nRCO Matthews\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld: \n“British Composer\, International Judge of Chess Compositions (1957)\, International Master for Chess Compositions (1965)\, economist\, appointed Master of Clare College\, Cambridge in 1975. He has specialised in orthodox three movers and is among the world’s leaders in this field.” \n\nHere is an obituary from The Daily Telegraph \nand an obituary from The Independent \nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \nInternational Master of the F.I.D.E. for chess compositions (1965) and International Judge of the F.I.D.E. for Chess Compositions (1957). President of the British Chess Problem Society for 1971 and 1972. Professor of Economics at Oxford University. \nCyclic Overload Doubled \nFirst Prize\, British Chess Magazine\, 1968 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMate in three \nBorn on 16th June 1927. Professor Matthews has composed about 200 problems\, about 40 of them 1st prize winners\, mainly strategic three-movers\, He is one of the world’s best three move composers. \nNowotnys \nBritish Chess Magazine\, 1967 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nHis best problems give clear-cut expression of complex themes\, with proper attention given to key-move and by-play in the best English tradition. \nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\nThe results are massive rather than elegant\, but carefully constructed. Themes he has specialised in include overload White self-weakening and reciprocal change.” \nR.C.O. Matthews\nBritish Chess Magazine\n1956 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in three moves \nFrom Wikipedia : \n“Robert (Robin) Charles Oliver Matthews (16 June 1927 – 19 June 2010) was an economist and chess problemist. \nMatthews was born in Edinburgh. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Corpus Christi College\, Oxford\, and was a Fellow of All Souls College\, Oxford. He was the Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford from 1965 to 1975 and the Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge from 1980 to 1991. He was also the Master of Clare College\, Cambridge from 1975 to 1993.” \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-robin-co-matthews/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Remembering,Writer ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/16.06-Robin-Matthews.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200711 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200712 DTSTAMP:20210708T121536Z CREATED:20190822T165808Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210708T121536Z UID:1010-1594425600-1594511999@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of FM David Friedgood (11-vii-1946) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM David Friedgood (11-vii-1946) \nDavid was born in Cape Town\, Republic of South Africa and now resides in England. \nHe first won the South Africa Championship in 1967 in Johannesburg\, again in 1971\, and in 1973 in Cape Town when his main rivals were Piet Kroon and Charles de Villiers. \nHe plays for Cavendish\, Hendon and 4NCL MK Phoenix. \nHe gained his FM title in 1982. \nHis peak rating of 2335 was achieved in January\, 1980. \nDavid Friedgood (far right) and a victorious Wood Green team. Trophy presented by Magnus Magnusson\n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nDavid Friedgood at a Lloyds Bank problem solving event with Sir Jeremy Morse\, Jonathan Mestel and ?\nFM David Friedgood at the 2014 Winton Capital Problem Solving Championship at Eton College\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-david-friedgood/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Composer,Player,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/bct_4676_lv-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200719 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200720 DTSTAMP:20210710T142337Z CREATED:20190823T182322Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T142337Z UID:1100-1595116800-1595203199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of John Rice (19-vii-1937) DESCRIPTION:BCN sends best wishes to John Michael Rice on his birthday\, July 19th in 1937. \nJohn was born in Scarborough\, Yorkshire\, North Riding\, his mother’s maiden name was Blake. John lives in Surbiton\, Surrey and teaches Modern Languages at Tiffin School\, Kingston-Upon-Thames. \nAn ABC of Chess Problems\nFrom An ABC of Chess Problems : \n“The author is one of the country’s most prolific foremost composers and problem critics. He has gained mainly tourney honours\, both at home and abroad\, and since 1961 has been editor of a flourishing problem section in the British Chess Magazine\, the country’s leading chess periodical. He lives in London and teaches Modern Languages at Tiffin School\, Kingston-Upon-Thames.” \nFrom chesscomposers.blogspot.com : \nJohn Rice was the chief editor of the problems section of the “British Chess Magazine” from 1961 until 1974 and is a faithful collaborator of “The Problemist“. He has written “Chess Problem: Introduction to an Art” (1963) together with Robin Matthews and Michael Lipton and “The Two-Move Chess Problem” (1966)\, “Serieshelpmates” (1978) with Anthony Dickins or “Chess Wizardry: The New ABC of Chess Problems” (1996). \nTranslated from https://peoplepill.com/people/john-michael-rice/ : \n“Since the mid-fifties he has composed problems of all kinds\, but above all in two moves. In the 1960s he was editor of the problems section of the British Chess Magazine. Since 1999 he has been editor of The Problemist magazine. \nInternational Master of Composition since 1969 and International Judge for Composition since 1972. \nPresident of the PCCC (Permanent Commission for Chess Composition) from 2002 to 2006. \nHe worked as a teacher of modern languages ​​in a school in Kingston-upon-Thames. \nWinton Capital British Chess Problem Solving Championships 2016\nTogether with Barry Barnes and Michael Lipton he wrote the book Chess Problems: Introduction to an Art (Faber & Faber\, London 1963). \nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\nHe composes mostly direct mates\, but can composes as well in other genres\, including fairies. He is an International Judge for twomovers\, helpmates and fairy problems and the former President of the PCCC from 2004 until 2006. \nJohn was awarded the title of “International Grandmaster for chess compositions” in 2015. \nFrom British Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983 by GS Botterill\, DNL Levy\, JM Rice and MJ Richardson : \n“I was taught the moves of chess in 1947 at the age of ten and quickly realised that I liked the game no more than Ludo or Snakes and Ladders where the chances of losing seemed to me unfairly high. But the chess pieces and their moves fascinated me\, so it is hardly surprising that before long I had turned to problems and become an ardent fan of Brian Harley in his Observer column\, especially as I had come across and paid two shillings (!) for his Mate in Two Moves in a second-hand bookshop in Reigate. Harley\, together with T. R. Dawson in the British Chess Magazine and C. S. Kipping in CHESS\, provided the sources of my first solving pleasure and the inspiration for my first efforts at composition. Among my early successes was problem l\, heavily constructed but strategically rich\, a first prizewinner in a tournament for composers under 21\, one of a series organised by the British Chess Problem Society. \n1 \n1st Prize\, BCPS Under-21 Tournament\, 1955 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2. \n1 Bd6 (threat Qg4)\n1…Nxd6+;2.Qf3\n1…Nh6+;2.Qf3\n1…Nxh4+;2.Nf4\n1…g4;2.Rh6\n1…gxh4;2.Qxh4 \nI had grown up in Scarborough (Yorkshire)\, out of contact with other problem enthusiasts\, and a chance meeting in December\, 1954 with Michael Lipton in Cambridge\, where we were both taking Scholarship examinations\, brought the realisation that there was far more to the two-move chess problem than the solidly entrenched traditionalism espoused in those days by the columns of The Problemist and CHESS. Very soon the bulk of my output was in the modern style (with set and try-play) and published abroad\, notably in Die Schwalbe\, whose two-move editor\, Hermann Albrecht\, did much to stimulate my interest. Problem 2 gained a coveted prize in an extremely strong formal tournament judged by Michael\nLipton\, following an article of his on the potentialities of the half-battery theme (illustrated here by the arrangement on the c-file). \n2 \n5th prize\, 133rd Theme Tournament\, Die Schwalbe\, 1961. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \n1.N2~? Bg7+!\n1.Nd4!? e2!\n1.N3~? Bxc5!\n1.Ne2! d~!\n1.Ne4!! \nThe half-battery is only one of several themes which have commanded my attention over the past 20 years\, others being white self-pin in try and key (illustrated by problem 3)\, Grimshaw and Nowotny (problem 4)\, reciprocal and cyclic play (problem V\, the first published example of cyclic mates in three phases)\, pawn-promotion effects\, and tasks of various types\, especially open gates. My total problem output numbers about 600. \n3 \nThe Tablet\, Commended\, BCPS Ring Tournament 1958; Brian Harley Award \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \n1.Rxf4? (threat 2.Rhxf3)\nNe5; 2.Re4\nNg3; 2.Rfxf3\n1.Nxf4! (threat 2.Rxf3)\nNe5;2.Ng2\nNg3;2.Nd5 \nIn 1961 I took over from S. Sedgwick the editorship of the problem section of the British Chess Magazine\, which post I held until December\, 1974. It was a source of pride to me that I was now doing the job once done by the great T. R Dawson\, though I knew that I could never bring to it the same tireless energy and all-round expertise which he had displayed so impressively. At about the same time I embarked with Michael Lipton and Robin Matthews on a venture which was to have repercussions throughout the entire problem world\,\nnamely a series of books on problems published by Faber and Faber. The first\, Chess Problems: Introduction to an Art (Lipton\, Matthews and Rice)\, appeared in 1963\, and was followed three years later by The Two-move Chess Problem: Tradition and Development\, also with Michael Lipton\, but this time the third collaborator was Barry Barnes\, who has long been a close friend and influence. The third book in the series\, An ABC of Chess Problems (1970)\, was a solo effort. \n4 \n4th prize\, BCF Tournament 123\, 1970 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \n1.N5b6?\, Rxb6/Bxb6/Qd3/Qd6;\n2.Qc5/Ne5/Nc5/Qd1 … Qg5! \n1…Qg5! \n1.N7b6!\, Rxb6/Bxb6/Qd3/Qd6/Qxc7;\n2.Bc5/Nf4/Nc3/Bc3/Nxc7 \nMy interest in Fairy Chess dates from a meeting in the mid-1960s with the late John Driver\, whose enthusiasm for the pleasures to be derived from non-orthodox forms I found highly infectious. Fairy problems soon began to appear in the BCM column and were favourably received. The serieshelpmate\, where White remains stationary while Black plays a sequence of moves to reach a position where White can mate in one\, has perhaps interested me more than any other non-orthodox form (see problem Vl)\, and in 1971 I collaborated with Anthony Dickins to produce a book on the subject\, The Serieshelpmate (published by the Q Press\, first edition 1971\, second edition 1978). \n5 \n1st Prize\, Problem  37th Theme Tournament\, 1961-62 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \nSet: 1…Kc6; 2. Qe8 (A)\n1…Ke6; 2. Qc8 (B) \nTry: 1.Nb6+?\, Kc6;2.Qc8 (B)\nKe6;2.Qd6 (C)\nKe7! \nKey : 1.Nf6+! Kc6;2.Qd6 (C)\nKe6;2.Qe8 (A) \nSince 1974 my problem activities have necessarily been restricted by the demands of family life (wife and two sons\, none of them much interested in chess) and my career (schoolmaster\, formerly Head of Modern Languages Department and now Director of Studies at Tiffin School\, Kingston Upon Thames. Other leisure-time interests (not that there is much leisure time) include cricket and classical music.” \n6 \n2nd Prize\, BCF Tournament  127\, 1971 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nSerieshelpmate in 13 \n1.Bd8;2.Kc7;3.Kc6;4.Rf7;5.Rf3;6.Rc2;7.g2;8.Rf7;9.Rb7;10.Kc7;11.Kb8;12.Rc8;13Bc7\, Nd7 mate. \nJohn Michael Rice\nThe Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development\nJohn Rice at a Winton Capital BCPS Problem Solving event at Eton College\nChess Problems for Solving\nThe Serieshelpmate\nBritish Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983. Editors : GS Botterill\, DNL Levy\, JM Rice and MJ Richardson\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-john-michael-rice/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Problemist,Writer ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ETO_1355.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200725 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200726 DTSTAMP:20210710T143636Z CREATED:20190824T104231Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T143636Z UID:1159-1595635200-1595721599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of (Arthur) John Roycroft (25-vii-1929) DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to offer (Arthur) John Roycroft best wishes on his birthday\, this day (July 25th) in 1929. \nJohn was born in Hendon\, London and his mother’s maiden name was Banks. \nAJR aged 9\, courtesy of the BCPS web site.\nJohn moved to Brighton and then evacuated to Calcot\, North Wales and returned to Brighton when the threat had subsided. \nHe married Betty in 1961 and they had a son and a daughter and now have several grand children. \nHe claimed that he had never suffered a common cold. \nJohn is Platinum Life Member of the English Chess Federation and an “ECF Supporter”. \nThe Chess Endgame Study\n“From The Oxford Companion to Chess (Oxford University Press\, 1984) by David Hooper and Ken Whyld : \nEnglish study composer and author\, International Judge of Chess Compositions (1959)\, Computer systems analyst. \nIn 1965 he founded EG\, quarterly publication which became the world’s first and only long-running magazine devoted wholly to studies. \nHis Test Tube Chess (1972)\, the best English language guide to the art of studies.\, was revised and republished as The Chess Endgame Study (1981). \nStudies are commonly classified by means of the GBR code of which he was co-inventor.” \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“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.” \nAJ Roycroft \n“EG” July 1965 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nSolution :\n1.Bg7 Kb1; 2.Nf6 b4; 3.Kxb4 Kb2 4.Bh8 Nc2+; 5.Ka4 Kxc3 6.Ne4++ \nVideo Chess Event (See caption below)\nVideo Chess Caption\nAJR won the BCF President’s Award in 1995. \nHere is AJRs Wikipedia entry \nHere is AJR talking about himself on the BPCS web site \nHere is his entry from the Chess Programming Wiki \nTest Tube Chess\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-arthur-john-roycroft/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,History,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Roycroft9907.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200801 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200802 DTSTAMP:20210727T151337Z CREATED:20190823T101754Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210727T151337Z UID:1070-1596240000-1596326399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of Barry Barnes (01-viii-1937) DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes happy birthday to Barry Barnes (01-viii-1937) \nBarry Peter Barnes was born in Brighton and his mother’s maiden name was Simpole. (Barry is a cousin of Julian Ivan Peter Simpole\, who was a Brighton school teacher and who taught Edward Gerard Winter to play chess). \nBarry now lives in Halling\, Rochester\, Kent with his wife Jean. \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“International Master of FIDE for Chess Compositions (1967) and International Judge of FIDE for Chess Compositions (1967). \nBorn on 1st August 1937\, Barnes works in transport advertising. He has composed about 250 two-move problems. With Lipton and Rice\, he has contributed to the advance of the modern two-mover. Problem Editor of Two-Move and Twin sections of The Problemist. Co-author with M.Lipton and JM Rice of The Two-Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development (Faber and Faber 1966). \nBarry Peter Barnes\n  \nBP Barnes\n2nd Prize Problem T.T. 1964 \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in two moves \n(a) Diagram\n(b) With black pawn at KN2 (g7) \n(a) Solution\n1. B-R3! \n(b) Solution 1. K-K2! \nFrom British Chess (Pergamon Press\, 1983) by GS Botterill\, DNL Levy\, JM Rice and MJ Richardson : \nBarry wrote about himself as follows : \n“A promising career as a county chess player came to an end when I was given Brian Harley’s classic book Mate in Two Moves in the belief that it would help my chess\, but it had quite the opposite effect. My interest in competitive chess waned\, and I was on the road to an an International Master title for problems! \nEarly influences in my problem career were the weekly chess problem solving competition in The Observer (my first problem published there was in 1955)\, a teenage friendship with J. M. Rice and M. Lipton (both now lnternational Masters)\, Herbert Grasemann’s book Problem Schach / with its near revolutionary post-war German problem ideas\, and the expert British problemist\, A. R. Gooderson who had I but known it only a few years earlier was the officiating master when my Hove Grammar School played Steyning Grammar at chess. \nIn the late 1950s and early 1960s\, the genuinely original problems I was making in cooperation and in competition with Rice and Lipton were being published mostly abroad in such specialist problem magazines as Die Schwatbe (with its inspired two-move editor\, Hermann Albrecht) where I gained the epithet\,the English prize-snatcher’! It was also written that the work of the avant_garde composers\, Rice\, Lipton and Barnes\, was like a fresh two-move wind blowing from our island. It was sad but true at that time that the specialist magazine of the British Chess problem Society (founded 1918)\, The problemist\, was unreceptive to change and our often bizarre ideas. \nA milestone of sorts was reached when I won lst prize for problem I in 1958\, a prize for the best new problem by a member of the British Commonwealth aged under 21. In 1966\, I was invited by problemist Grandmaster Comins Mansfield\, who was President of the FIDE Problem Commission\, to act as Secretary at the Barcelona meeting. With Mr. Mansfield’s retirement\, I became the British Member to the Commission\, and at the Wiesbaden meeting\, 1974\, I was elected 2nd Vice-President. (1st Vice-President from 1982) \nThe FIDE Problem Commission meets annually to discuss matters relating to all branches of problem chess\, to organize the World Chess Composing Tournament (WCCT)\, the World Chess Solving Competition (WCSC)\, and to publish FIDE Album anthologies of the best problems. It was on the strength of my success in these FIDE Albums that the Commission granted me the titles in 1967 of ‘lnternational Master of the FIDE for Chess Composition’ and ‘lnternational Judge of the FIDE for Chess Composition’. Since 1974\, I have been Chairman of the Titles Sub-Committee of the Commission. \nSince 1965\, I have been the two-move editor of The Problemist and have served almost without break on the BCPS Committee. I have contributed to The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks (Robert Hale\, 1970)\, I am co-author\, with J. M. Rice and M. Lipton\, of The Two-Move Chess Problem: Tradition & Development‘ (Faber A Faber\, 1966)\, and I am the sole author of Comins Mansfield MBE: Chess Problems of a Grandmaster: (British Chess Problem Society\, 1976) and Pick of the Best Chess Problems (Elliot Right Way Books\, 1976) \nTo date I have made just over 300 two-movers and some helpmates.” \nThe Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development\nPick of the best Chess Problems\nSource: The Problemist\, May 1996. Photo taken March 1996 at the Mansfield Centenary Meeting at Paisley\, when Barry Barnes delivered a lecture on Comins Mansfield. Left to right: Geoffrey Mansfield (son of Comins)\, Robert Gray and Barry Barnes\, International Master of Chess Composition.\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-barry-peter-barnes/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Problemist,Writer ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/bpbarnes.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210801 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210802 DTSTAMP:20210801T175941Z CREATED:20190823T104652Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210801T175941Z UID:1079-1627776000-1627862399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of John Driver (21-vii-1928 01-viii-1979) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of John Edward Driver (21-vii-1928 01-viii-1979) \nSee Sunnucks \nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)\, Harry Golombek OBE\, John Rice writes: \n“British problemist. Output consists of two-movers\, helpmates and fairy problems. Inventor of the Edgehog\, a fairy piece which moves along Q-lines but always either to or from a square at the board-edge.” \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-john-edward-driver/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200920 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200921 DTSTAMP:20210920T225258Z CREATED:20190920T100224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210920T225258Z UID:1405-1600560000-1600646399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Hugh Blandford (24-i-1917 20-ix-1981) DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Hugh Blandford who was a British composer. \nHugh Francis Blandford was born on Wednesday\, January 24th in 1917 in South Stoneham\, Hampshire\, England. \nOn this day Ernest Borgnine was born and an earthquake measuring 6.3 in magnitude struck Anhui Province\, China\, causing 101 deaths. \nHugh’s father was the Rev Albert Francis Blandford and his mother was Alice Rhoda Crumpton Evans. Hugh had two younger brothers\, Philip Thomas. and Evan Arthur. \nThe family moved to Jamaica and he spent his early childhood there until he was nine years old when they sailed from Kingston\, Jamaica with his family to Bristol on board the SS Carare (Elders & Fyffes Line) : \nPassenger Manifest (part) for SS Carare \, 30th May 1926.\nHis mother Alice Rhoda Crumpton passed away on 19 July 1964 in Minehead\, Somerset\, at the age of 79. \nHis father Rev Albert Francis passed away in December 1967 in Somerset at the age of 79. \nHe had three children during his marriage. \nHe died in Hatfield\, Hertfordshire on Sunday\, September 20th\, 1981. \nBlandford is also known for participating in defining the GBR (Guy\, Blandford Roycroft) code. \nIn 1961 he was awarded the title of “International Judge of the FIDE for Chess Composition” \nCM Bent wrote the following obituary in the British Chess Magazine\, Volume CI (101\, 1981)\, Number 12 (December)\, page 532 : \n“The modest and self-effacing composer who formerly conducted our Studies column from 1951-1972 died in September. His work as a metallurgist and his family responsibilities allowed him to make periodical contributions over a long span and to offer us many of his own original compositions. \nHis style\, as with his manner\, was essentially quiet and it was a rarity for him to compose anything other than wins. \nHis last voluntary labour was to compile an index for E.G. of all studies published there to date. His loss to the world of of studies will be greatly felt. \nThe first prize winner below is a classic of exquisite refinement and matches the immaculate handwriting which was always such an elegant feature of his work” \nStudies by Hugh Francis Blandford\nSolutions to studies by Hugh Francis Blandford\nSee more of his compositions here from the arves.org database. \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \n“British study composer and FIDE Judge of Endgame Studies. Born on 24th January 1917. Since July 1951\, Hugh Blandford has conducted the Endings Section of the British Chess Magazine. By profession a metallurgist\, he was married and had two children. Of his 60 or more studies he was best known for the excelsior theme.” \nFrom Wikipedia : \n\nHugh Francis Blandford (24 January 1917 – 20 September 1981) was a chess endgame composer born in Southampton\, England.[1]\nHe spent several years of his childhood in Jamaica with his father\, the Reverend Albert Francis (Frank) Blandford\, a Minister in the Congregational church\, his mother and two younger brothers\, Evan Arthur and Philip Thomas Blandford. All three brothers then returned to England and attended Eltham College (the School for the Sons of Missionaries) in South-east London\, while their parents remained in Jamaica. He married Marjorie Cox\, whom he had worked with during the Second World War. \nHe played chess from his schooldays and as well as playing\, also started to compose original chess endings. He became known in the field of chess endgame studies for a small but elegant body of compositions\, expertly edited and published after Hugh’s death by his long-standing chess endings colleague\, John Roycroft.[2] \n\n1st Prize\, Springaren 1949\, White to move and win\n\nHugh Blandford was co-inventor with Richard Guy – and\, later\, with John Roycroft – of the Guy–Blandford–Roycroft code for classifying studies.[3] In July 1951 he began as the endgame study editor for the British Chess Magazine.[4][5] He was made an International Judge for Chess Composition[4] in 1961.[6] \nA metallurgist\, he continued to compose chess endgame studies until the end of his life\, dying of a heart attack in early retirement in Hatfield\, England\, on 20 September 1981.\n \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-hugh-francis-blandford/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Studies,Writer ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/BlandfordBook.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210922 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210923 DTSTAMP:20260817T135339Z CREATED:20210924T195734Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T135339Z UID:18921-1632268800-1632355199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Colin Russ (19-iii-1930 22-ix-2021) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Colin Russ (19-iii-1930 22-ix-2021) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-colin-russ-19-iii-1930-22-ix-2021/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist,Writer END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201009 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201010 DTSTAMP:20211009T100528Z CREATED:20191016T160417Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211009T100528Z UID:1562-1602201600-1602287999@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Norman Gibbins (15-x-1882 09-x-1956) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Norman Martin Gibbins (15-x-1882 09-x-1956) \nSee http://davidgibbins.com/journal/2013/5/28/war-in-another-dimension \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-norman-martin-gibbins/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201109 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201110 DTSTAMP:20201030T105554Z CREATED:20190823T175611Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201030T105554Z UID:1086-1604880000-1604966399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Charles Edward Kemp (09-xi-1986) DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Charles Edward Kemp (09-xi-1986) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-charles-edward-kemp/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201125 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201126 DTSTAMP:20201123T173527Z CREATED:20190823T110243Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201123T173527Z UID:1078-1606262400-1606348799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary for Anthony Dickins (01-xi-1914 25-xi-1987) DESCRIPTION:We remember Anthony Dickins who passed away this day (Wednesday\, November 25th) in 1987. \nAnthony Stewart Mackay Dickins was born at 1 Rivers Street\, Bath\, Somerset on Sunday\, November 1st\, 1914. On this day was the Battle of Coronel — The Royal Navy suffered its first defeat of World War I\, after a British squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock met and was defeated by superior German forces led by Vice-Admiral Maximilian von Spee in the eastern Pacific. \n1\, Rivers Street\, Bath\, Somerset\, BA1 2QA\nAnthony’s parents were Frederick and Florence Dickins (née Mackay) Frederick was a Captain in the Royal Artillery and was born on 25th November 1879\, commissioned on May 26th 1900. He became a Colonel on 26th May 1930 and retired November 25th 1936. He was alive in 1972 (aged 92) and living in Bexhill passing away aged 101/102. He was awarded the CIE which is “Companion\, Order of the Indian Empire in 1914”. \nAnthony was baptised on December 29th in Seend\, Wiltshire. Anthony had a brother Frederick James Douglas born in 1907 who married Nellie or Peggie Moist (records are unclear). \nIt would appear that Florence and Anthony (aged 5) travelled to Bombay from Plymouth on board the SS City of York (Ellerman Lines) departing December 26th\, 1919 presumably to visit his father in India. The ships master was J. McKellan. \nAt the time of the 1939 Census Anthony was residing in the Tavistock Hotel in Tavistock Square. His occupation was given as journalist and editor and described as single. \nFrom the Hull Daily Mail (extant and renamed Hull Live) of March 4th\, 1939 we have this part review of a magazine called The Joys of Poetry. Anthony was the editor : \nHull Daily Mail\, 4th March 1939\nHe died in Lambeth Wednesday\, November 25th) in 1987. We have yet to determine where he was buried or cremated. \nFrom http://chesscomposers.blogspot.com/2012/10/november-1st.html : \n“Anthony Dickins wrote A Guide to Fairy Chess (1967) and other books about fairy chess. He edited the column of non-original fairy problems for “The Problemist”. He was specialized in constructional problems and was also an International Judge.” \nAnthony Stewart Mackay Dickins\nFrom British Chess (Pergamon Press\, 1984)\, Botterill\, Levy\, Rice and Richardson : \n(article by JM Rice) \n“Chess first entered my life seriously about 1950 at the well-known Mandrake Social and Chess Club in Meard Street\, Soho\, run by Harold Lommer and Boris Watson. Purely literary connections took me there in the first place\, as it was a rendezvous for the literary fraternity\, such as Dylan Thomas\, David Gascoyne and others. \nAfter the war Harold converted a small wine-vault into a tiny cramped chess-room\, with some dozen tables and boards. Many well-known\npersonalities in the world of Chess were occasional visitors\, such as Grandmasters Ossip Bernstein\, Paul Keres\, Jacques Mieses and Friedrich Sämisch; British Champions Willy Winter\, Bob Wade and Dr. Fazekas; M. J. Franklin\, now a British Master\, and the Problemists\, Dr. E. T. O. Slater and B. J. da C. Andrade. Mieses was then in his late eighties and charged a fee of half-a-crown (12.5 pence) for a game. When his name was mispronounced ‘Mister My-ziz’ he would say ‘I am Meister Mieses\, not Mister My-ziz’. \nSämisch once played fourteen of us blindfold\, defeating all except one\, a very strong Indian player\, Atta\, who obtained a draw. My regular ‘partners’ were Vicki Weiss\, the famous cartoonist\, his brother Oscar\, Richard Crewdson\, Mr Keller (a professional who played sharply for a shifty shilling)\, Brian Mason\, Colin ‘Puffer’ Evans\, (whose strategy was to puff cigarette ash and smoke all over the board to bemuse the opponent) and Bob Troy (who always fell fast asleep immediately after making each move and had to be wakened on his next turn to play). There was a juke-box in the next room constantly blaring forth pop and bop. Most of all I played with Alex Distler\, and with him always’variants of the game’ like Cylindrical Chess\, Rifle Chess\, Progressive Chess\, or the Losing Game. \nIn this colourful and inspiring\, if rather smoky and noisy\, atmosphere I composed my first six chess problems\, helpmates and cylindricals\, though I did not then know of the existence of Problem books or magazines\, nor had I heard of Sam Loyd\, Max Lange\, or T. R. Dawson when the Mandrake closed in the late fifties and Harold Lommer retired to Spain to write his two monumental works on Endgame Studies. \nFor the next 10 years or so I played at the West London and Athenaeum Chess Clubs\, for Middlesex County and at Hastings congresses\, meanwhile regularly solving the problems in the two evening newspapers for practice. \nIn 1965\, in my 51st year\, I discovered chess-problem magazines and the British Chess Problem Society\, and was soon asked by John Rice to join the Fairy\nChess Correspondence Circle\, whose director\, W. Cross\, perhaps the greatest solver of all time\, guided my early footsteps in fairyland. At this point I compiled for my own use a summary of all the usual rules and conventions in Fairy Chess\, as these were numerous and complicated. It occurred to me that a few other people might also welcome such a summary\, so I put it into book form as A Guide to Fairy Chess\, which I published by myself in 1967 under the imprint ‘The O Press’\, a pun on the name ‘Kew’ where I was then living. \nA Guide to Fairy Chess\nTo my amazement it had rave reviews (‘the comprehensive work\, so long awaited’\, ‘more like an encyclopaedia’\, ‘the bible of Fairy Chess’) and sold like hot cakes\, going into three editions\, each one enlarged and revised\, the third produced by Dover Publications\, New York\, in 1971. Two years later I edited Dover’s publication of T. R. Dawson’s Five Classics of Fairy Chess. \nFive Classics of Fairy Chess\, TR Dawson\nIn 1970 I flew to the States to spend a few days in the J. G. White collection in Cleveland\, Ohio\, researching historical material on Fairy Chess. This Ohio collection has the largest chess library in the world\, and to my surprise I found that it contains also ‘every book or article ever written on or about ‘Omar Khayyam and Alice in Wonderland . To find oneself suddenly and unexpectedly transported\, as if by magic carpet\, into a superbly organised library with the most complete collections in the world of the three subjects that happen to be one’s own three principal literary interests is an experience that must approach closely to entering Nirvana\, and I am happy to have had it. This visit enabled me to write A Short History of Fairy Chess (1975) and to give the lecture Alice in Fairyland to the Lewis Carroll Society in London\, published in their journal Jabberwocky and reprinted by myself in 1976 (2nd edn 1978) . \nA Short History of Fairy Chess\, ASM Dickins\nIn 1972 I decided to present my (by then) extensive collection of Fairy Chess books and magazines to my old university library at Cambridge to prevent the possible break-up of the collection as a single unit\, and to ensure that at least one fairly complete Fairy Chess collection was retained in Britain. \nIn 1968 I was invited to open a Fairy Chess section in The Problemist\, organ of the BCPS\, which I handed over to Dr. C. C. L. Sells in 1970\, and from 1974 to 1981 I ran another column in that magazine called ‘Other Types’. This chess journalism has brought me into touch with many problemists\, and made many friends for me\, in foreign countries. \nIn 1967\, on a visit to Mannheim for the Schwalbe annual meeting\, I met Wilhelm Karsch\, then editor of Feenschach\, and in 1968 in Munich I again met Dr. Karl Fabel\, whom I first came to know in London in 1967\, and also Peter Kniest\, one of the two present editors of Feenschach. In 1969\, on a visit to Paris\, a meeting was arranged for me at the late Jean Oudot’s flat\, with Pierre Monr6al\, J. P. Boyer\, F. de Lionnais (author of the Dictionnaire des Echecs) and other French problemists\, and altogether I have attended twenty three major problemist meetings in various countries\, including FIDE meetings in The Hague\, Wiesbaden\, Canterbury and Helsinki. It has been my constant aim to try to encourage and cultivate the practice and study of Fairy Chess and to keep alive the great legacy that T.R. Dawson left to the world when he died in 1951. \nIn recent years I have developed close relations with the younger generation of West German problemists\, who are very active in Fairy Chess\, centred round 29-year-old Bernd Ellinghoven\, who helps Peter Kniest to edit Feenschach and who printed my last booklet\, Fairy Chess Problems (1979)\, containing\npoems as well as problems\, combined in a new kind of fairy technique\, for I believe that Fairy Chess represents in many ways the ‘poetry’ of Chess. \nFAIRY CHESS PrOblems (1979)\nFor\nthe 50th birthday of T. R. Dawson on the 28th November 1939 a certain Dr Lazarus of Budapest wrote in Fairy Chess Review: ‘T. R. D. these three\nletters represent a conception in the Poetry of Chess which is amongst the most ingenious of all its turns\, one of its most strange and interesting phases… Without T.R.D. human culture would lack a factor in its development’. Those people (and there are some) who would banish Fairy Chess altogether from Caissa’s realm resemble the iron-hearted Mr. Gradgrinds who would abolish romance\, mystery\, poetry\, invention\, discovery and imagination from human life. \nFairy Chess Review\nElsewhere I have written: ‘The Game for Murderers\, The Problem for Philosophers\, Fairy Chess for Sufis’\, because the aim of the game-player is to ‘mate’ (kill) the opponent (from Arabic\, mat _ dead)\, while the problemist has no personal opponent to kill\, but merely a philosophical problem to resolve. In Fairy Chess\, however\, the adept is transported to another plane of existence\, to an ‘undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller returns’\,to new’dimensions’ of thought (as in 3- and 4-dimensional problems) – in short\, to Fairyland\, to Nirvana. \nThe three problems represent my early\, middle and later compositions. The helpmate in three moves (Black plays first in a helpmate) is a miniature culminating in an ideal Mate. C. H. O’D. Alexander was much tickled by what he called ‘the deceptive pawn’ on a2\, which unexpectedly does not promote. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nThe Construction Task with 113 White moves\, all ‘maintaining’ the legal stalemate position in which Black finds himself\, is a standing record that defeated the previous record of 112 such moves obtained independently by six problemists in six countries\, one of them an lnternational Master of FIDE. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nThe Knight’s Tour is one of the oldest genres of Fairy Chess\, dating from the earliest days of chess\, and in TR Dawson’s Fairy Chess Review he published many of them.\, including some that showed the ‘square numbers’ (1\,4\,9\,16\,25\,36\,49\,64) all on one rank – in the present example I have added the extra strict condition that as many as possible of the numbers 1 to 16 must be in the SW corner and as many as possible of the numbers 1 to 32 must be in the W half of the board. \nFor two reasons the perfect ideal in this task cannot be attained\, firstly because of the given position of the number 25\, and secondly because it is not possible to make a Knight’s tour on a 4 x 4 board in the SW corner. \nSolutions : \n1. Helpmate\, Evening News\, 20th February 1957 dedicated to Harold Lommer \nHelpmate in 3 moves \n1. Kd5 Nb1\n2. Kc4 e8=Q\n3. Kb3 Qb5 mate \n2. Construction Task Record\, Feenschach 9341 Sep/Oct 1969 dedicated to Karl Fabel \n113 unforced stalemate maintenances with Promotion in Play (Pawn promotions count as 4 moves) unforced as W has some moves that do not maintain stalemate\, so he is not ‘forced’ to maintain it. \n3. Knight’s Tour Chessics 5(180) July\, 1978 dedicated to D. Nixon. \nKnights tour with\na) All square number on 4th rank\nb) maximum of 1-16 in SW quad\nc) maximum of 1-32 in W half \nKnight’s tour solution from ASM Dickins\n100 Classics of the Chessboard\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-for-anthony-stewart-mackay-dickens/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200518 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200519 DTSTAMP:20200517T135203Z CREATED:20190823T160941Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200517T135203Z UID:1082-1589760000-1589846399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Brian Harley (27-x-1883 18-v-1955) DESCRIPTION:Brian Harley (27-10-1883 18-v-1955)\, from chesscomposers.com and Chess Notes\nDeath Anniversary of Brian Harley (27-x-1883 18-v-1955) \nFrom chesscomposers.com : \n“Brian Harley composed mostly two- or threemovers and wrote many books to make chess problems more popular: for instance his “Mate in Two Moves” inspired Geoff Foster’s first steps into problemdom.\nHarley’s “The Modern Two-move Chess Problem” written in collaboration with Comins Mansfield is probably the best known of his efforts. \nBrian Harley was the inventor of the term “mutate” for the block problems with changed mates. He was the president of the British Chess Problem Society from 1947 until 1949. In his honour\, each year the British magazine “The Problemist” awards the best twomover problem with the “Brian Harley” award.” \nand Edward Winter writes about Brian Harley (scroll down a little). \nHere is BHs obituary from British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXV\, Number 9\, pages 284 – 287 written by S. Sedgwick : \n“With the death of Brian Harley on May 18th\,1955\, the chess problem is the poorer by an authoritative exponent\, and a writer of unusual clarity and popular appeal. His sudden passing at his home at Bognor Regis will be mourned. by a very wide circle of friends; to his wife and son\, with whom he enjoyed an enduring happiness\, we extend our deep-felt sympathy. \nBorn at Saffron-Walden\, Essex\, on October 27th\,1883\, Harley was educated at Wellingborough and Haileybury. Qualifying as an actuary he entered the National Provident Institution\, in whose employment\, apart from War Service\, he passed his professional life\, until his retirement in 1947. \nAs a player he had initially a considerable reputation\, above that enjoyed as a problemist. Two books\, Chess and its Stars and Chess for the Fun of it\, reflect this aspect of his chess work. When playing was eventually renounced for problems he still retained his love of annotation\, bringing to this a wide knowledge\, larded by the apt witticism and an approach that was neither superficial yet avoided the pitfalls of pedantry. \nChess and its Stars\nHis first problem appeared at the age of fifteen\, in 1898. Whilst Harley’s early period has some noteworthy items\, it lacks the verve and distinction of his later output\, following his awakening of interest in the mutate in 1916_and the fertile years following his appointment as Chess Editor of The Observer\, London\, in 1919. In England under the lead o[ Phillip Williams in the Chess Amateur\, the mutate had sprung into\,popularity during and after the Great War\, with Harley among its ardent exponents. He continued the cult in his Observer column\, where he did much to popularize it. It is possibly symbolic that when Williams died in 1922 his travelling board and men should pass to Harley; it would be difficult to find a comparable instrument that has witnessed the genesis of so much concentrated chess devilry\, implicit in all mutates\, as this board used first by Williams and then by Harley. \nIn July\, 1919\, Harley published his system in the Good Companion folder. This paper\, the outcome of much thought\, attempted to evaluate the constituent parts of a chess problem on a semi-mathematical basis. Point values were set down for the elements in White keys\, Black defences thereto\, and the resultant White mates\, the summation giving values for comparison with other works similarly treated. In an accompanying paper on the block-change it was here that Harley introduced the term “mutate\,” the word passing\, without cavil\, into the current idiom. Under the evocative power of Harley’s work and pen his Observer feature from 1919 onwards has come to rank with the great columns of the past. No composer of substance was absent from its pages and the result is a collection of works and descriptive criticism that has enriched the chess literature of the world. Early on\, Harley came to know the late Godfrey Heathcote\, and the welcome presence of the great composers name in the column gave it a sublimity possessed by no other comparable English journal. Harley’s comments on his contributors work was one of the many attractive features of his column. He kept the popular approach very much in mind without unduly over-weighting it; this\, blended with a brand of humour all his own (often literary in character)\, and a grasp of essentials drove home the salient points of a problem to the uninitiated solver with a peculiar vividness. He could ‘be incisive when wanted\, technical when he pleased\, his gentle rebuke for the inferior production or undetected flaw could not be other than well taken\, authoritative without ostentation\, his succinct criticisms are now legendary to be treasured and repeated when the occasion demands. An incorrigible faddist in his regard for the short threat in the three-mover\, Harley seldom admitted this type to his pages\, pleading aversion by solvers. He conducted over one hundred solving contests during his column’s life; these weekly battles of wits affording enormous pleasure to all concerned. \nChess for the Fun of It\nTo his column came the established composer and the hesitant\, possibly young\, beginner. To this last group Harley gave every encouragement and unreservedly of his advice and help. There must be few British composers who have not felt his benefit directly\, through the medium of his wonderful letters\, lit all the way through by the warm glow of an endearing personality. \nHarley’s constructive powers brought him to the front rank of the world’s composers. His output of 450 includes long range work in four and five moves and in later years\, sui-mates. In the chess-men he found a pliable medium for the realization of an unusual vision and creative gift. In the two-mover he gave to the mutate much substantial and classic work. He appears to have given to this type more specialized attention than any other in the two-move field. Elsewhere in this length his work covers a wide variety of themes with a strong liking for task renderings. A composer with few serious constructive foibles\, his mode of expression\, in consequence suffered little. His was not the temperament to linger with one theme and squeeze it dry. One or two renderings of the theme on hand and he would pass to the next. Hence the diversity of his work which imbues it with especial charm. To underline this point one could indicate\, almost at random\, Harley’s entries in the multimate tourney of the Cleveland Chess Bulletin. Certainty the theme had few attractions for him but his entries showed how superbly such problem ideas could be clothed. \nIn the three-mover Harley has graced both sides of the aesthetic fence\, and that with distinction\, giving equally to the strategic and model-mate.genre. His friendship with Heathcote however influenced him considerably here and one is inclined to the view\, that in this length\, Harley held firmly to the eternal values in chess art. In both types Harley attained especially in task renderings\, rare heights of complexity and construction. His lighter mood showed to the full-to the incipient solver much of the low cunning of which the three-mover is capable. \nHe came to the sui in the late forties. When Heathcote was convalescing in London\, following an operation\, Harley took some specimens with him when he visited his friend The ensuing discussion stimulated Harley to further experiments and the authentic touch of the great master of technique is evident in his work here also. Harley gave many of his works to his own “Observer” column but did not neglect the other sources of publication. To quote his own words his ideal problem was “a mixture of art\, science\, humour\, and puzzlement.” His best work shows brilliantly his love for the integration of the beautiful and the true inner essence and spirit of chess. \nHis contribution to the literary and technical side of chess problems outside his journalistic work is seen in his two books Mate in Two (1931) and Mate in Three (1943).\nMate in Two is stamped with all Harley’s inimitable style and remains a mine of information for all levels. Standing\, as it does\, mid-way between the old and the new\, the book\, apart from an absorbing chapter on changed play\, reflects and even labours under the influence of the “Good Companion” period. Harley in later editions to a certain extent remedied this deficiency and the book\, now long out of print\, lies on our shelf\, its fundamentals unimpaired\, as one of the classic expositions in the art. Mate in Three\, written from a’ narrower viewpoint\, proved another successful publication. Here Harley entered more controversial ground\, crossing swords. with hitherto established theory. The book\, although not evoking absolute technical authority\, gives a broad and eloquent outline\, written from the artistic standpoint\, of three-move work fundamentally\, with few significant omissions. Made memorable by the inclusion of many works both by Harley and Heathcote\, the book is that of a true artist\, and is of great importance theoretically as the one modern work devoted to this length by an English author. \nA further important contribution to chess problem theory was his thesis on “Black Correction” read before the British Chess Problem Society on November 29th\, 1935. In the mid thirties\, this thesis\, more than anything else\, was instrumental in precipitating a flood of work on correction and associated ideas. Readers of this magazine will recall this period\, and I trust that this short recapitulation will still the tiresome arguments regarding the choice between “correction” and “continued defences.” Harley’s choice is at once apt and descriptive and it should not be forgotten that here\, he touched upon White Correction\, an esoteric aristocrat\, greeted by ten years or so of utter silence before systematic investigation by the moderns. \nElected President of the British Chess Problem Society in 1947-1949 it so happened that I was its Secretary at the time. We exchanged hundreds of letters on problematic subjects\, the scope of his knowledge always affording surprise. The Society benefited enormously from his advice and counsel\, and during the somewhat delicate situation arising from the arbitration in the two-move section of the 1948 Olympic Tourney it was with alacrity that one turned to a mind of the calibre of Harley. Coming to the man he was widely read\, a Latin scholar\, and his knowledge of Dickens was above average; a keen bridge player\, an instrumentalist (piano)\, all the varied facets of his character would come out at some time in his chess writings. His physical presence at any gathering gave it stature. Of medium height\, lovable\, somewhat dapper\, the shrewd contemplative face of this chess Barrie with its ever present cigarette holder and fund of anecdote has enriched and enlivened many a dull Committee Meeting. \nMate in Two Moves\nOn the death of Anthony Guest in 1925\, Harley succeeded as Problem Editor of the Morning Post until 1932. In addition he was Problem Editor of Empire Review\, 1923-1926\, and Time and Tide\, from 1951 until his death. Lesser appointments included several technical journals where he acted under pseudonyms. Amusing were the anagrammatical pseudonyms used occasionally for composing in Hilary Bream and Harry Blaine. \nBrian’s integrity and character endeared him to innumerable correspondents and solvers. Most of us nourish a characteristic Brian Harley story; one must suffice here. It concerns the time when Brian was introduced to the late Sir John Simon who made the delightful response “l need no introduction for I meet him every Sunday and for years hive wrestled with his problems\, eventually solving them in the House of Commons.” For this weekly enrichment of our lives we have much to thank him for. \nIn middle life Brian married Ella Margaret Beddall; there is one son\, Nigel. With his wife\, Brian shared many problematic triumphs and it was to her that his various\nbooks were dedicated. \nMate in Three Moves\nBefore closing this brief review of Brian’s achievements a word should be said regarding the summary end of his work in the Observer and a tribute paid by one of his many solvers in this column. On the former it will be regarded with universal regret by all problemists that no arrangements have been made to continue Brian’s incomparable’work in the journal he served with such distinction. Regarding the latter am very grateful to Halford W. L. Reddish\, Esq.\, for an appreciation that admirably epitomizes the feelings of us all on this melancholy occasion. \nMr. Halford Reddish writes- \n“l am one of thousands of solvers\, from the expert to the merest tyro\, who will miss our weekly battle with Brian Harley in the Observer. In the world of chess and chess problems his name and fame are secure. His characteristically titled Chess for the Fun of It is a delightful exposition of the game: his Mate in Two Moves and Mate in Three Moves are classics in their particular field. \nTo those of us who knew Brian personally his passing leaves an unfillable gap. I had known him and admired him and loved his witty\, cheery\, kindly personality for many years. He was one of those rare beings who became a close friend even before our first meeting-for we had corresponded for a long time before we first came face to face. And although chess and chess problems were our primary link he had many other interests which kept him young and keen in mind after his retirement from business and which enlarged and enriched his correspondence. It is typical of him that no letter came from him without some mention of his dear wife\, who shared to the full his varied interests. To her and to his only son to the deep sympathy of his many friends.” \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-brian-harley/ CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR