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DTSTART:20190101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200427
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200428
DTSTAMP:20210306T142453Z
CREATED:20200425T235908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T142453Z
UID:4931-1587945600-1588031999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Michael Haygarth (11-x-1934 27-iv-2016)
DESCRIPTION:BCN Remembers Michael John Haygarth (11-x-1934 27-iv-2016) \nHere is an article from Yorkshire Chess History \nOwen Hindle\, Michael Franklin\, Harry Golombek and Michael Haygarth\nHere is an obituary written by Steve Mann which was published on the ECF web site. \nThe 1964 England Olympiad (Tel Aviv) Team : Owen Hindle\, Čeněk Kottnauer\, Peter Clarke\, Michael Franklin\, Norman Littlewood & Michael Haygarth\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-michael-john-haygarth-11-x-1934-27-iv-2016/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200429
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200430
DTSTAMP:20210306T144342Z
CREATED:20200409T133641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T144342Z
UID:4262-1588118400-1588204799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Norman Littlewood (31-i-1933 29-iv-1989)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Norman Littlewood (31-i-1933 29-iv-1989) \nNorman Littlewood circa 1967\nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume 109\, June (#6)\, page 265 we have the following obituary which appears to have been lifted and used in the BCF Yearbook from 1989 – 1990\, page 14\, (editor Brian Concannon) with no acknowledgement : \n“We were sorry to (announce the) hear of the death from cancer of Norman Littlewood of Sheffield(31 i 1933 – 29 iv 1989) who played with great force in British Championships of the 1960s.\nBorn into a working class family of 11 children\, Norman played for England in the 1951 Glorney Cup\, but did not make his debut in the British Championships until 1963 when he finished second to Penrose. He was then joint runner-up in the next three title contests\, impressed at Hastings Premiers\, particularly 1963-4 when he was the best of the English players\, and represented England in the 1964 and 1966 Olympiads. By 1969\, however\, he was drifting away from play in the direction of problem and study composition\, and his other interests such as bridge. He was also a skilled pianist\, a true all-rounder. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nA great impression was made on the top players at the 1964 British Championships when Norman won his first four games with his dynamic style. His victims included both Golombek and Clarke. Had he won his next game against Haygarth\, as he deserved to do\, he would have surely taken the title which fell to his Yorkshire colleague. \nNorman was always a modest but assertive character\, and with more management might well have challenged Penrose even more closely than he did. Our thanks to elder brother John Littlewood for some of the above information.” \nThe 1964 England Olympiad (Tel Aviv) Team : Owen Hindle\, Čeněk Kottnauer\, Peter Clarke\, Michael Franklin\, Norman Littlewood & Michael Haygarth\nHere is article from Yorkshire Chess History \nSee BCF Yearbook 1989-90\, page 14. \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-norman-littlewood-01-v-1989/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200502
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200503
DTSTAMP:20210306T144926Z
CREATED:20200719T163808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T144926Z
UID:7589-1588377600-1588463999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Isidor Gunsberg (01-xi-1854 02-v-1930)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Isidor Gunsberg (01-xi-1854 02-v-1930) \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-isidor-gunsberg-01-xi-1854-02-v-1930/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200503
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200504
DTSTAMP:20210503T125607Z
CREATED:20190822T222848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210503T125607Z
UID:1018-1588464000-1588550399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of David Hooper (31-xiii-1915 03-v-1998)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers David Hooper who passed away in a Taunton (Somerset) nursing home on Sunday\, May 3rd 1998. Probate (#9851310520) was granted in Brighton on June 24th 1998. \nPrior to the nursing home David had been living at 33\, Mansfield Road\, Taunton\, TA1 3NJ and before that at 5\, Haimes Lane\, Shaftesbury\, Dorset\, SP7 8AJ. \nFor most of the time between Reigate and Shaftesbury David lived in Whitchurch\, Hampshire. \nDavid Vincent Hooper was born on Tuesday\, August 31st 1915 in Reigate\, Surrey to Vincent Hooper and Edith Marjorie Winter who married in Reigate\, Surrey in 1909. On this day the first French ace\, Adolphe Pégoud\, was killed in combat. He had scored six victories. \nDavid was one of six children: Roger Garth (1910-?)\, Edwin Morris (1911-1942)\, Isobel Mary (12/01/1917-2009)\, Helene Edith (1916-1982) and Elizabeth Anne Oliver (1923-2000) were his siblings. \nRecorded in the September 1939 register David was aged 24 and living at 94\, High Street\, Reigate\, Surrey: \nHistorical Map showing 94\, High Street\, Reigate\, Surrey\nIn 2021 this property appears to be a flat (rather than bridge) over the River Kwai Restaurant: \n94\, High Street\, Reigate\, Surrey\, RH2 9AP\nLiving with David was his sister Isobel who was listed a “potential nurse”. David’s occupation at this time was listed as Architectural Assistant and he was single. We think that three others lived at this address at the time but they are not listed under the “100 year rule”. We know that David was also a surveyor and went on to attain professional membership of the Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA). \nIn the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette May 27th 1944 there appeared this report of a simultaneous display on Empire Day (May 24th) at Dr. Marsh’s house: \nBath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette\, May 27th 1944\nand from The Western Morning News\, 9th April 1947 we have: \nWestern Morning News\, 9th April 1947\nand then from The Nottingham Evening Post\, 16th August 1949 we have: \nNottingham Evening Post\, 16th August 1949\nIn 1950 aged 35 David married Joan M Higley (or Rose!) in the district of South Eastern Surrey. \nDavid Hooper (seated right) in play at the West of England Championships in Bristol\, Easter\, 1947. His opponent \, ARB Thomas \, was that year’s champion. Among the spectators is Mrs. Rowena Bruce\, the 1946 British Ladies’ Champion. BCM\, Volume 118\, #6\, p.327. The others in the photo are L – R: H. V. Trevenen; H. Wilson-Osborne (WECU President); R. A. (Ron) Slade; Rowena Bruce; Ron Bruce; H. V. (Harry) Mallison; Chris Sullivan; C. Welch (Controller); F. E. A. (Frank) Kitto.\nKen Whyld wrote an obituary which appeared in British Chess Magazine\, Volume 118 (1998)\, Number 6\, page 326 as follows : \nDAVID VINCENT HOOPER died on 3rd May this year in a nursing home in Taunton. He had been in declining health for some months. Born in Reigate\, 31st August 1915\, his early chess years were with the Battersea CC and Surrey. \nDavid Hooper (left) in conversation with Alan Phillips. Location and photographer unknown.\nHe won the (ed. Somerset) County Championship three times\, and the London Championship in 1948. His generation was at its chess peak in the years when war curtailed opportunities\, but he won the British Correspondence Championship in 1944. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHis games from that event are to be found in Chess for Rank and File by Roche and Battersby. \nChess for the Rank and File\nAlso at that time\, he won the 1944 tournament at Blackpool\, defeating veteran Grandmaster Jacques Mieses. \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 was most active in the decade that followed\, playing five times in the British Championship. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHis highest place there was at Nottingham 1954\, when\, after leading in the early stages\, he finished half a point behind the joint champions\, Leonard Barden and Alan Phillips. \nDavid was in the British Olympic team at Helsinki 1952\, and in the same year accidentally played top board for England in one of the then traditional weekend matches against the Netherlands. British Champion Klein took offence at a Sunday Times report of his draw with former World Champion Dr. Euwe on the Saturday and refused to play on Sunday. Thus David was drafted in to meet Euwe\, and acquitted himself admirably. Even though he lost\, the game took pride of place in that month’s\nBCM. \nAlan Phillips plays David Hooper on August 20th 1954 in round five of the British Championships in Nottingham\, photographer unknown\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn the following game\, played in the Hastings Premier l95l-2\, he found an improvement on Botvinnik’s play against Bronstein in game 17 of their 1951 match\, when 7.Ng3 was played because it was thought that after 7.Nf4 d5 it was necessary to play 8 Qb3. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn his profession as architect David worked in the Middle East for some years from the mid-1950s\, and when he returned to England he made his mark as a writer. His Practical Chess Endgames \nPractical Chess Endgames (Chess Handbooks)\, David Hooper\, Routledge & Kegan Paul\, London\, 1968\, ISBN 0 7100 5226 X\nhas an enduring appeal. Two of his books appeared in the Wildhagen biographical games series on Steinitz\, and Capablanca. The last was written jointly with Gilchrist. \nWilliam Steinitz : Selected Chess Games\, David Hooper\nWith Euwe he wrote A Guide to Chess Endings; \nA Guide to Chess Endings\, Dover (1976 reprint)\, ISBN 0-486-23332-4\nwith Cafferty\, A Complete Defence to 1.e4; \nA Complete Defence to 1.P-K4 A Study of Petroff’s Defence\, Bernard Cafferty & David Hooper\, Pergamon Press\, 1967\, ISBN 0 08 024089 5\nA Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames; \nA Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames\, David Hooper\, Bell & Hyman Limited\, London\, 1970\, ISBN 0 7135 1761 1\nA Complete Defence to 1.d4; \nA Complete Defence to 1d4: A Study of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted\, Bernard Cafferty & David Hooper\, Pergamon Press\, ISBN 0-08-024102-6\nand Play for Mate; \nPlay for Mate (1990)\, DV Hooper and Bernard Cafferty\, ISBN-13: 978-0713464740\nwith Brandreth The Unknown Capablanca\, \nThe Unknown Capablanca\, David Hooper & Dale Brandreth\, Batsford\, London\, 1975\, ISBN\, 0 7134 2964\nand with Ken Whyld\, The Oxford Companion to Chess. \nThe Oxford Companion to Chess\, 1st Edition\, David Hooper & Ken Whyld\, Oxford University Press\, 1984\, ISBN 0 19 217540 8\nKen Whyld \nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Harry Golombek : \nBritish amateur (an architect by profession) whose best result was =5 in the British Championship at Felixstowe 1949 along with\, amongst others\, Broadbent and Fairhurst. \nHooper abandoned playing for writing about chess and has become a specialist in two distinct areas. He is an expert on the endings and has a close knowledge of the history of chess in the nineteenth century. \nHis principal works : Steinitz (in German)\, Hamburg\, 1968; A Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames\, London 1970. \nHere is an interesting article from Edward Winter \nHere is his brief Wikipedia entry. \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-david-hooper/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200503
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200504
DTSTAMP:20210306T145546Z
CREATED:20200409T075207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T145546Z
UID:4227-1588464000-1588550399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Dr. IM István (Stefan) Fazekas (23-iii-1898 03-v-1967)
DESCRIPTION:Signature of S Fazekas from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Southsea 1951.\nBCN remembers Dr. IM István (Stefan) Fazekas (23-iii-1898 03-v-1967) \nFrom Chessgames.com : \n“Dr Stefan (ne Istvan) Fazekas was born in Satoraljaujhely\, Hungary. Awarded the IM title in 1953 and the IMC title in 1964\, he was British Champion in 1957 and is the oldest player ever to have won the title. He passed away in 1967 in Buckhurst Hill\, Essex\, England.” \nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXVII\, Number 7 (July)\, pages 195-6 we have an obituary written by Peter Clarke : \nThe death of Dr. Fazekas on May 3rd has deprived British chess of one of its leading and most colourful figures. Ever since he came to this country nearly thirty years ago he took an active part\, in the game at all levels\, from club to international\, rarely missing the chance – even when not in the best of health- to test his strength in competition and express his ideas afresh. \nStefan Fazekas was born on March 23rd\, 1898\, at Sitoraljaujhely on the Hungarian-Czechoslovak border\, but it was not until a few years after the Great War\, in which he served and was wounded\, that he got the opportunity to play serious tournament chess. By present-day standards\, however\, events were few and far between\, and the game always had to take second place to his medical work. The Doctor’s best international performances\, for which he was later awarded the master title by F.I.D.E.\, came in the ‘thirties. In 1931\, for instance\, he was 2nd at Kosice\, 3rd at Brno and 3rd at Prague. As it remained throughout his career\, his play was excessively variable: fine conceptions were always liable to be ruined by blunders or impetuosity. The following game\, played at Munchentratz in 1933\, shows all going well; it earned inclusion in Le Lionnais’ anthology Les Prix de beauté aux échecs. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn 1939 Dr. Fazekas brought his family to England and established himself as a successful and much loved G.P. at Buckhurst Hill\, Essex. He soon took a dominating part in county chess and went on to win the championship eleven times. In national events his inconsistency seemed too great a handicap\, but at Plymouth in 1957\, after so many tries\, he astounded everyone by winning the British Championship in front of\, among others\, Alexander and Penrose. The next year fate struck him a cruel blow when he was left out of the B.C.F. team\nfor the Munich Olympiad. Yet after returning the trophy in protest he overcame his bitterness and took his place once more in the championship tournament-he could not resist\nthe thrill of the struggle. \nKnowing that his best over-the-board days were behind him\, the Doctor decided to go in for correspondence chess in 1959\, and he at once found himself surprisingly at home in it. Here his old weaknesses could be set aside and his vast experience put to good use. Moreover\, his great love for chess enabled him to devote hours of work to the analysis of a single\nmove if necessary. His rapid successes in this field won him a place in the Semi-Finals of the 5th World Correspondence Championship (where he finished 4th out of 14) and led to his\nbeing chosen as Board 1 for the British team in the 5th Olympiad. On the results of these events he was awarded the title of international C.C. master. That he deserved it may be\njudged from this fine strategic win against a grandmaster (C.C.) opponent in the individual tournament. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nAt the time of his death Dr. Fazekas had made a score of 5 out of 7 in the Olympiad Final and was still engaged with Zagorovsky of the U.S.S.R.\, a performance which showed his correspondence play to be close to grandmaster standard. And to end one’s days actually playing a World Champion is a distinction which I am sure would have appealed to this Doctor’s rich sense of humour. \nWhile Dr. Fazekas’ social work as a humanist was for the peace of the world\, in chess he was noted as a great fighter\, in some ways reminiscent of Lasker. There was no retirement\nfor him. At Ilford in 1965 and 1966 he eagerly took on and held his own with a generation fifty years his junior\, and this year he had once again qualified to play in the British Champion-\nship. The tournament at Oxford will not seem quite the same without him. I and his many friends will miss his wit and ebullience\, his generosity\, his love of life and chess.-P. H. C. \nDr. Fazekas was Southern Counties (SCCU) Champion twice in 1951-2 and 1952-53. \nIn Edward Winter’s Chess Notes there is a note from Leonard Barden concerning SFs spoken English (under Chess Note #10361) \nHere is his brief Wikipedia entry \nIstván (Stefan) Fazekas\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-im-stefan-fazekas-03-v-1967/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200505
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200506
DTSTAMP:20200429T144705Z
CREATED:20190824T095932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200429T144705Z
UID:1149-1588636800-1588723199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Alfred Crosskill (05-v-1904)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Alfred Crosskill (05-v-1904) \nHere is excellent article from Yorkshire Chess History \nAn interesting article within British Endgame Study News (BESN) by John Beasley \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\n“White to play cannot win; Black to play loses\,\nbut it takes White 45 moves to capture the rook” \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-alfred-crosskill/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200513
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200514
DTSTAMP:20210306T152627Z
CREATED:20191027T141129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T152627Z
UID:1681-1589328000-1589414399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Charles Locock (27-ix-1872 13-v-1946)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Charles Dealtry Locock (27-ix-1872 13-v-1946) \nFrom < Wikipedia : \n“Charles Dealtry Locock (1862 – 1946) was a British literary scholar\, editor and translator\, who wrote on a wide array of subjects\, including chess\, billiards and croquet.[1]” \nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld : \nThe Locock Gambit is in the Philidor Defence\, named after the English player Charles Dealtry Locock (1862 – 1946). The gambit is probably sound; Black should play 4…Bey instead of 4…h6 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-charles-dealtry-locock-27-ix-187213-v-1946/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Writer
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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: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
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