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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200627
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200628
DTSTAMP:20260817T141140Z
CREATED:20200428T182939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T141140Z
UID:5080-1593216000-1593302399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary for Vera Menchik (16-ii-1906 27-vi-1944)
DESCRIPTION:A Great Life with a Tragic Ending\nFew people know the story of Vera Menchik yet it deserves to be told. She was the first women’s world chess champion in 1927 and retained the title undefeated until her untimely death at the age of 38 in 1944 during a rocket attack on London.  She is more properly compared with the great male players of her era against whom she scored creditably. The absence of a full biography of Vera in English reflects the peculiar circumstances of her life and death. \nVera was\, in modern terminology\, a refugee and essentially a stateless person for much of her life. She was born in Moscow in 1906 during the period of the Russian Empire to an expatriate family who was forced to flee when she was 15 following the Russian Revolution having lost their livelihood.  As they passed through Europe\, her father and mother split up in his homeland Czechoslovakia which had been created out of the ruins of the Austro-Hungarian empire. She arrived in England and took up residence in the seaside town of Hastings. (The fact that Hastings had hosted the world’s longest series of annual chess tournaments since 1895 was a happy coincidence.) Vera never attained British nationality until near the end of her life even though she had been domiciled in England from 1921. She won the first-ever Women’s World Championships held in London in 1927 under a Russian flag; thereafter she nominally represented Czechoslovakia until finally she represented England in 1939 following her marriage to a senior official within the British Chess Federation. \nVera’s grandfather was Arthur Illingworth\, a wealthy trader from Lancashire who had set up business in Moscow where his Anglo-Russian daughter Olga married František Menčik. He was a successful estate manager. Vera learned chess from her father and performed well at school. Her younger sister Olga was also a good chess player and the sisters remained close throughout their lives. \nVera was a woman in a man’s world – she had to struggle harder to achieve the kind of recognition which was accorded to men. She appeared like a comet in the sky and it would be many years until other women were able to reach her level. At her first major international tournament at Karlsbad in 1929\, she was the only female participant in a tournament of 22 great players. Even as women’s world champion\, some of the male players objected to her participation.  The Viennese master Albert Becker joked that anybody who lost to her should belong to the Vera Menchik Club. By an irony of history\, he became its first member losing to her in the third round. She beat many other grandmasters during her career including the Dutchman Max Euwe in 1930 and 1931 (both at Hastings) who was to become world champion in 1935. \nAlthough she is often portrayed as being Russian or Czech or latterly British\, she was a true cosmopolitan. She knew that life could be unstable in any country. She had lived through the Russian Revolution; one parent was left behind in Czechoslovakia; she had moved westwards across Europe and embraced different cultures and languages at formative stages of her life. It is no wonder that she learned also to speak Esperanto which was designated to be the world’s lingua franca before English achieved its dominance. As a leading chess player\, she travelled back to Moscow and to Czechoslovakia several times as well as to South America for her final match to retain the women’s world champion title in 1939. She needed to be self-sufficient and was obtained roles as the games editor of a chess magazine as well as being appointed the manager of the National Chess Centre in Oxford Street which was destroyed during the Blitz in 1940. \nShe survived most of the war and now a widow moved in with her mother and sister to a house in south London.  They took the precaution of going down to the cellar during bombing raids. Tragically the house received a direct hit from a flying bomb and the entire family was wiped out. Hardly any of her possessions remained save for one dented trophy. The records at the national chess centre were destroyed as were her personal effects including her chess memorabilia. At least there remains a record of the moves played in her games which serve as testimony to her remarkable career as not only the first women’s world chess champion but also a woman who broke boundaries wherever she went and demonstrated that a woman is capable of standing on her own feet professionally and leading a full and eventful life. \nThe Bomb Attack \nBCN remembers that in the early morning of Tuesday\, June 27th\, 1944 (i.e. 77 years ago) Vera Menchik\, her sister Olga\, and their mother were killed in a V-1 flying bomb attack which destroyed their home at 47 Gauden Road in the Clapham area of South London. \nWe now know that the V1 in question landed at 00:20 hrs on the 27th and led to the death of a total of 11 people including the Menchik household. Here is a summary of recorded V1 and V2 landings in the Clapham\, SW4 area. \n47\, Gauden Road\, Clapham\, SW4 6LW in more modern times.\nAll three were cremated at the Streatham Park Crematorium on 4 July 1944. Vera was 38 years old. \nSignature of Vera Menchik from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Margate 1936.\nVera’s Parents and Sister\nVera Frantsevna Menchik (or Věra Menčíková) was born in Moscow on Friday\, 16th February\, 1906. Her father was František Menčik\, was born in Bystrá nad Jizerou\, Bohemia. František and Olga were married on June  23rd 1905 in Moscow and notice of this marriage appeared in British newspapers on July 22nd 1905.  Vera’s sister was Olga Rubery (née Menchik) and she was born in Moscow in 1908. Olga Menchik married Clifford Glanville Rubery in 1938. Vera married Rufus Henry Streatfeild Stevenson on October 19th 1937. \nHer Maternal Roots\nOur interest in unearthing her maternal English heritage / roots has led to the following: \nHer mother was Olga (née Illingworth (1885 – 27 vi 1944). Olga’s  parents were Arthur Wellington Illingworth and Marie Illingworth (née ?). Arthur was born in October 1852 in the district of Salford\, Lancashire\, his parents were George Illingworth (1827-1887) and Alice Whewell (1828-1910).  \nIn the 1861 census Arthur is recorded as being of eight years of age and living in the Illingworth household. \nIn the 1871 census Arthur is recorded as being of eighteen years of age and living in the Illingworth household of nine persons at 5\, Lancaster Road\, Pendleton\, Lancashire. Arthur’s occupation is listed as being a merchants apprentice. In fact\, he was a stock and share broker. \nArthur died in Moscow on February 21st 1898. Probate was recorded in London on July 6th\, 1900 as follows: \nIllingworth Arthur Wellington of Moscow Russia merchant died 21st February 1898 Probate London 6th July to Walter Illingworth stock and share-broker Effects £4713 7s \n£4713 7s in 1898 equates roughly to £626\,600.00 in 2020 so it would appear that Arthur was considerably successful and almost certainly left money to Olga Illingworth. \nWhat do we conclude from all of this? Quite simply that Vera’s maternal roots were from Salford in Lancashire. \nBCM Announcement\nThe August 1944 British Chess Magazine (Volume LXIV\, Number 8\, page 173 onwards) contained this editorial  from Julius du Mont: \nJulius du Mont\, Editor of British Chess Magazine from 1940 to 1949\n“British Chess has suffered a grievous and irreparable loss in the death by enemy action of Mrs. R.H.S. Stevenson known through all the world where chess is played as Vera Menchik. \nWe give elsewhere (below : Ed.) an appreciation of this remarkable woman. Quite apart from her unique gifts as a chess-player-the world may never see her equal again among women players-she had many qualities which endeared her to all who knew her\, the greatest among them being here great-hearted generosity. \nWe sympathise with our contemporary “CHESS” : Vera Menchik was for some years their games editor. Few columns have been conducted with equal skill and efficiency and none\, we feel sure\, with a greater sense of responsibility. \nThe news of this remarkable tragedy will be received by the chess world with sorrow and with abhorrence of the wanton and useless robot methods of a robot people. \nOne shudders at the heritage of hatred which will be theirs\, but their greatest punishment will come with their own enlightenment.” \nBCM Contemporary Obituary from EGR Cordingley\nFrom page 178 of the same issue we have an obituary written by EGR Cordingley : \n“The death by enemy action of Miss Vera Menchik removes not only the greatest woman chess player of all times but a charming personality. \nThe world will remember her for her chess prowess\, for her exceptional skill as a woman player who had beaten in tournament play such gifted players as Euwe\, Sultan Khan\, Sir George Thomas\, Alexander and Yates. In such company\, and she played in several of the Hastings International tournaments and other of similar grade\, she usually obtained about 33%\, though in the Maribor tournament of 1934 she finished third\, behind Pirc and Steiner but ahead of Rejfir\, Spielmann\, Asztalos and Vidmar. \nHer game was characterised by solid position-play\, with the definite aim of bringing about a favourable end-game and of avoiding wild complications. The ordinary stratagems of the game\, small combinations and the like\, were of course part of her equipment\, but she lacked that imaginative\, inventive spirit without which few become really great players. \nIn recent times\, Reshesvky and Flohr (as a professional with a reputation to maintain and a living to earn) have shown that great success can be achieved by reducing the game to pure positional play\, the technique being firstly to build up a position devoid of weaknesses\, an ‘I can’t lose position\,’ and secondly to create and take advantage of the minutest weaknesses in the opponent’s camp\, a major weakness may show that imagination is not quite dead within. \nThis defect in her play was the inevitable reflection of her character: sound common-sense\, conscientious to an unusual degree\, and persevering\, while she had the combative\, tenacious nature so desirable and so often found in good chess players; for chess is battle of wits\, the fight is what most of use love in chess. Vera was\, seldom assertive\, a fault not uncommon in chess players. She sat placidly at the chess board\, never causing even mild irritation by any of those nervous mannerisms that may always be seen in any chess room\, the peripatetic fever being the most prominent. A slight flush would rise when the position grew difficult\, or when she was short of time on her clock – and that was recurrent according to the time-limit. \nAway from the chessboard show would readily talk of other subjects\, and her great interest was in persons\, in their actions and behaviour under the strain and stress of the unruly passions; in the moulding of their lives under the inscrutable dictates of chance; in the twists and turns of a mind warped perhaps by a casual incident long ago. Of course\, she was a pagan\, a thinking one\, who had asked and asked and found only the answer that reasoning gave. She judged kindly and never inflicted upon others her own opinions or beliefs: she asked only that these should be heard as one side of any argument\, for she enjoyed a dialectic bout. \nA delightful side to her character was her simple sense of humour\, and I remember so clearly her pleasure – glee would describe it more eloquently – when I gave her the punctuation necessary to make sense of that ludicrous collection of words\, ‘Jones where Brown had had had had had had had had had had had the master’s approval’ Anyone who knew her only at the chessboard would have been astonished at the amount of bubbling merriment she discovered of of life’s events. \nI shall remember her more for the woman as I knew her over many cups of coffee spread over many\, many weeks – complacent\, smiling\, and kindly; conscientious\, loyal\, and sincere; as I understand the word\, a Christian who would help any deserving person as best she could. E. G. R. C. \n”\nand here is the original article as printed: \nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LXIV (1944)\, Number 8\, August\, Page 178\nBCM 1958 Appreciation by Peter Clarke\nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXVIII (128\, 1958)\, Number 7 (July)\, page 181 onwards) we have this retrospective from Peter Clarke: \n“The night of June 27th\,1944\, Vera Menchik\, World Woman Champion\, was killed when an enemy bomb demolished her home in London; with her perished her mother and sister Olga. In these tragic circumstances the chess world lost its greatest woman player\, still undefeated and at the height of her powers. \nVera Francevna Menchik was born in Moscow on February 16th\, 1906\, of an English mother and Czech father. There she spent her childhood\, showing a love for literature\, music\, and\, of course\, chess\, which at the age of nine she was taught by her father. She had a natural bent for the game and when only fourteen shared second and third places a schoolboys (!) tournament. The following year\, 1921\, the family came to England\, where Miss Menchik lived the rest of her life. \nAs if by some fortunate coincidence\, the Menchiks settled in Hastings\, though it was not until the spring of 1923 that Vera joined the famous chess club. Her natural shyness and lack of knowledge of English caused this delay. However\, they did not handicap her too much\nas she herself afterwards wrote: ‘Chess is a quiet game and therefore the best hobby for a person who cannot speak the language.” \nShe studied the game eagerly\, and very soon her talent caught the attention of the Hungarian grandmaster\, Géza Maróczy\, who was resident at Hastings at that time. Thus there began the most important period in her development as a player; a sound and mature understanding of positional play-and a thorough knowledge of a few special openings and defences: in particular the French Defence. The influence of\nthe grandmasters ideas was clearly apparent in her style throughout the whole of her career. \nMiss Menchik’s rise to fame was meteoric: by 1925 she was undoubtedly the strongest player of her sex in the country\, having twice defeated the Champion\, E. Price\, in short matches; and only two years later she won the first Women’s World Championship in London with the terrific score 10.5-0.5. She was just twenty-one\, but already in a different class from any other woman in the world. For seventeen years until her death Vera Menchik reigned supreme in women’s chess\, defending her world title successfully no less than seven times (including a match with Sonja Graf at Semmering in 1937\, which Miss Menchik won 11.5-4.5. In the seven tournaments for the World Championship she played 83 games; winning 78\, drawing 4\, and losing 1 only! However\, what was more remarkable was that she was accepted into the sphere of men’s chess as a master in her own right\, a feat which no woman had done before or has done since. Up to then\, women’s chess had been a very poor relation of the masculine game\, but here was a woman who was a worthy opponent for the strongest masters. \nFlohr wrote of her: ‘Vera Menchik was the first woman in the world who played chess strongly…who played like a man.’ It was as the ambassador extraordinary\, so to speak\, of the women’s game that Miss Menchik really made her greatest contribution to chess. Wherever she went\, at home and abroad\, she aroused great interest among her sex; others were eager to follow her\, to identify themselves with her. Nowadays women’s chess is well organized\, and much of the credit for this must go to Vera Menchik for first bringing it into the light. Among her many personal successes in international tournaments perhaps the greatest was at Ramsgate in 1929: as one of the foreign masters (she was still of Czech nationality) she shared second and third places with Rubinstein\, * point behind Capablanca and above\, among others\, her tutor Maróczy. \nEven the greatest masters recognized Miss Menchik’s ability; Alekhine himself\, writing on the Carlsbad Tournament of 1929\, said: ‘Vera Menchik is without doubt an exceptional phenomenon among women. She possesses great aptitude for the game…The chess\nworld must help her develop her talent!’ \nThe Vera Menchik Club\nAn amusing incident occurred at this tournament. There were naturally sceptics among the masters over the lady’s participation. Flohr recalls how one of these\, the Viennese master Becker\, suggested: \n‘Whoever loses to the Woman Champion will be accepted as a member of the Vera Menchik Club which I intend to organize.’ \nBecker was the first to lose to her\, and that evening the masters chided him: “Professor Becker\, you did not find it very difficult to join the club. You can be the Chairman.’ And forthwith he was chosen as Chairman for three years. Everyone wished that the new club would soon obtain more members! Indeed\, the Vera Menchik Club has many famous names on its lists-Euwe\, Reshevsky\, Colle\, Yates\, Sultan Khan\, Sir G. A. Thomas\, Alexander\, to mention a few. \nIn 1935 Miss Menchik returned to the country of her birth to take part in the great international tournament in Moscow. To be truthful\, she had very little success\, but she was everywhere treated with respect and sympathy by masters and spectators alike. The Soviet master l. Maiselis\, writing in CHESS in 1944.(Shakhmaty za 1944 god)\, related the following entertaining anecdote from the tournament: One day a group of players and organizers were discussing the chances of Alekhine and Euwe in the forthcoming match. Flohr said: ‘It is quite clear that I will be World Champion.’ We looked at him inquiringly. \n‘It’s very simple\,” continued Flohr\, ‘Euwe wins a match against Alekhine\, Vera Menchik beats Euwe (at that time her score against Euwe was +2\, =1\, -1) and I will somehow beat Miss Menchik.’ \nWe laughed at this good-natured joke\, and we laughed all the more the next day when Flohr was unable\, despite every effort\, to defeat her in a vital game. \nln 1937 Miss Menchik married R. Stevenson\, but in chess she continued to use her maiden name\, made famous by so many victories. Her husband\, a well-known organizer\, became\, Secretary of the B.C.F: in the following year and remained so until his death in 1943. \nSince the days of Vera Menchik women’s chess has taken great strides forward; now there is a special committee of F.I.D.E. to look after its needs.- Only last year the first lnternational Women’s Team Tournament took place ln Emmen\, Holland; the new World Champions\, the U.S.S.R.\, became the first holders of the Vera Menchik Cup. So chess goes onwards\, but the name of its first Queen will ever be remembered.” \n\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“Woman World Champion from 1927 to 1944. Vera Menchik was born in Moscow on 16th February 1906 of an English mother and a Czech father. Her father taught her to play chess when she was 9. \nVera Menchik 1906-1944 chess playerin\, CZ / GB portrait with chess board late twenties (Photo by ullstein bild / ullstein bild via Getty Images)\nIn 192l her family came to England and settled in Hastings (at 13\, St. John’s Road\, St. Leonards-on-Sea\, TN37 6HP) : \n13\, St. John’s Road\, St. Leonards-on-Sea\, TN37 6HP\nTwo years later\, when she was 17\, Vera joined Hastings Chess Club\, \nHastings Chess Club : 2 Cornwallis Terrace\, Hastings TN34 1EB\nwhere she became a pupil of Geza Maroczy. The first Women’s World Championship was held in 1927. Vera Menchik won with a score of 10.5 out of 11. She defended her title successfully in Hamburg in 1930\, in Prague in 1931\, in Folkestone in 1933\, in Warsaw in 1935\, in Stockholm in 1937 and in Buenos Aires in 1939. She played 2 matches against Sonja Graf\, her nearest rival\, in 1934 when she won +3 -1 and in 1937\, in a match for her title when she won +9 -1 =5. \nIsaac Kashdan plays Vera Menchik during the Hastings Congress on December 28th\, 1931. Kashdan won in 45 moves in a classical French.\nThe first woman ever to play in the British Championship and the first to play in a master tournament\, Vera Menchik made her debut in master chess at Scarborough 1928 when she scored 50 per cent. The following year she played in Paris and Carlsbad\, and it was at Carlsbad that the famous Menchik Club was formed. The invitation to Vera Menchik to compete among such players as Capablanca\, Euwe\, Tartakower and Nimzowitch was received with amusement by many of the masters. The Viennese master\, Becker was particularly scornful\, and in the presence of a number of the competitors he suggested that anyone who lost to Vera Menchik should be granted membership of the Menchik Club. He himself became the first member. Other famous players who later joined the club were Euwe\, Reshevsky\, Sultan Khan\, Sir George Thomas\, C. H. O’D. Alexander\, Colle and Yates. \nHer greatest success in international tournaments was at Ramsgate in 1929\, when she was =2nd with Rubinstein\, half a point behind Capablanca and ahead of Maroczy. In 1934 she was 3rd at Maribor\, ahead of Spielmann and Vidmar. In 1942 she won a match against Mieses +4 -l -5. In 1937 Vera Menchik married R. H. S. Stevenson\, who later became Hon. Secretary of the British Chess Federation. He died in 1943. She continued to use her maiden name when playing chess. On her marriage she became a British subject. \nLeft to right Baruch H Wood\, Philip Stuart Milner-Barry\, Vera Menchik (playing in the women’s world championship held concurrently with the Olympiad which she won with 17 wins and 2 draws)\, Sir George Thomas\, Conel Hugh O’Donel Alexander and Harry Golombek. England withdrew after their preliminary group due to the outbreak of war despite qualifying for the top final. Thanks to Leonard Barden\nFrom 1941 until her death she was Games Editor of CHESS. She also gave chess lessons and managed the National Chess Centre\, which opened in 1939 at John Lewis’s in Oxford Street\, London and was destroyed by a bomb in 1940. \nIn 1944 Vera Menchik was a solid positional player\, who avoided complications and aimed at achieving a favourable endgame. Her placid temperament was ideal for tournament play. Her main weakness was possibly lack of imagination. Her results have made her the most successful woman player ever.” \nVera Menchik\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess\, (BT Batsford\, 1977) by Harry Golombek : \nProbably the strongest woman player in the history of the game\, Vera Menchik was born in Moscow and\, though her father was a Czechoslovak and her mother English\, she played for most of her\nlife under English colours. \nIn l92l her family came to Hastings in England and there Vera became a pupil of the great Hungarian master\, Geza Maroczy. This was to have a dominating influence on her style of play which was solidly classical\, logical and technically most well equipped. Such a style enabled her to deal severely not only with her fellow women players but also with contemporary masters and budding masters. Vera did extremely well\, for example\, against C. H. O’D. Alexander\nand P. S. Milner-Barry\, but lost repeatedly to H. Golombek who was able to take advantage of her lack of imagination by the use of more modern methods. \nVera was soon predominent in women’s chess. In the first Women’s World Championship tournament\, at London in 1927\, she won the title with a score of 10.5 out of 11 and retained the championship with great ease at all the subsequent Olympiads (or International Team tournaments as they were then known more correctly) at Hamburg 1930\, Prague 1931\, Folkestone 1933\, Warsaw 1935\, Stockholm 1937 and Buenos Aires 1939. \nVera Menchik at Margate 1935\, photographer unknown\nWith Sonja Graf\, the player who came nearest to her in strength among her female contemporaries\, she played two matches and demonstrated her undoubted superiority by beating her in 1934 (+3-l) and again in a match for the title in l937 (+9-l=5). \nIn 1937 Vera officially became a British citizen by marrying the then Kent and later B.C.F. Secretary\, R. H. S. Stevenson (Rufus Henry Streatfeild Stevenson: ed).\n(Rufus Henry Streatfeild Stevenson was home news editor of the British Chess Magazine\, secretary of the Southern Counties Chess Union and match captain of the Kent County Chess Association). \nOddly enough\, Sonja Graf\, many years later\, also became a Mrs Stevenson by marrying an American of that name some years after the Second World War. \nVera Menchik also played and held her own in men’s tournaments. She did well in the British championship and her best performance in international chess was =2nd with Rubinstein in the Ramsgate Team Practice tournament ahead of her old teacher\, Maroczy. She also had an excellent result at Maribor in 1934 where she came 3rd\, ahead of Spielmann and Vidmar. \nHer husband died in 1943 and Vera herself\, together with her younger sister Olga and her mother\, was killed by a V1 bomb that descended on the Stevenson home in London in 1944. \nVera Menchik\, circa 1935\, Historic Collection / Alamy Stock Photo\nThis was a sad and premature loss\, not only for British but for world chess\, since there is no doubt she would have continued to dominate the female scene for many years. \nAs a person Vera was a delightful companion\, jolly and full of fun and understanding. As a player she was not only strong but also absolutely correct and without any prima donna behaviour. Generous in defeat and modest in victory\, she set a great example to all her contemporaries. \nAn example of Vera’s attacking play at its best against her nearest rival\, Sonja Graf\, is shown by the following game which was played in her 1937 match at Semmering in Austria : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\n27th November 1936: Britain’s world chess champion Vera Menchik (right) and challenger Sonja Graf after signing a contract at the Bloomsbury Hotel\, London\, to play for the championship of the world over 16 games. (Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess\, (Oxford University Press\, 1984) by Hooper and Whyld : \n“Woman World Champion from 1927 until her death. Daughter of a Czech father and an English mother\, Menchik was born in Moscow\, learned chess when she was nine\, settled in England around\n1921\, and took lessons from Maroczy a year or so later. In 1927 FIDE organized both the first Olympiad and the first world championship tournament for women. These events were run concurrently\, except in 1928\, until the Second World War began\, and Menchik won the women’s tournament every time; London 1927 (+10=1); Hamburg 1930 (+6=1 — 1); Prague 1931 (+8);\nFolkestone 1933 ( + 14); Warsaw 1935 (+9); Stockholm 1937 (+14); and Buenos Aires 1939 ( + 17=2). She played in her first championship tournament as a Russian\, the next five as a Czech\,\nand the last as a Briton. She also won on two matches against her chief rival\, the German-born Sonja Graf (c. 1912-65): Rotterdam\, 1934 (+3-1)\, and Semmering\, 1937 (+9=5—2)\, \nVera Menchik in a pre-event posed picture in which she faces unstoppable checkmate in one from Hastings 193? She was about to play Sir GA Thomas.\nIn international tournaments which did not exclude men Menchik made little impression; one of her best results was at Maribor 1934 (about category 4) when she took third place alter Pirc and L. Steiner ahead of Spielmann. In 1937 she married the English chess organizer Rufus Henry Streatfeild Stevenson (1878-1943)\, A chess professional\, she gave lessons\, lectures\, and displays\, and was appointed manager of the short-lived National Chess Centre in 1939. In 1942 she defeated Mieses in match play (+4=5-1)\, She\, her younger sister Olga (also a player)\, and their mother were killed in a bombing raid. \nFrom left to right: Vera Menchik\, Alexander Alekhine\, Géza Maróczy and Sultan Khan. From London International Masters\, 1st February\, 1932\, French Defence\, drawn in 32 moves.\nHer style was positional and she had a sound understanding of the endgame. On occasion she defeated in tournament play some of the greatest masters\, notably Euwe\, Reshevsky\, and Sultan Khan. Men she defeated were said to belong to the Menchik club. When world team championships for women (women’s chess Olympiads) were commenced in 1957 the trophy for the winning team was called the Vera Menchik Cup.” \nVera Menchik commemorated on a postage stamp from the Czech Republic\nShe was inducted to the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2011. \nOther Articles\nHere is an excellent article from the Hastings and St. Leonard’s Club written by Brian Denman. \nHere is an excellent article from Neil Blackburn (aka SimaginFan) on chess.com \nHere is an excellent article by Albert Whitwood \nHere is her Wikipedia  entry. \nHere is an excellent record compiled by Bill Wall. \nBiography of Vera Menchik British chess player \nVera Menchik.\, EI Bykova\, Moscow\, 1957\, 176 pages\, 4s 7d.\nVera Menchik: A Biography of the First Women’s World Chess Champion\, with 350 Complete Games\nEdward Winter  was less than impressed with the above book. \nVera Menchik\n Save as PDF
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CATEGORIES:British Championships,Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering
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SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Tim Wall (29-vi-1966)
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SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Adam Collinson (30-vi-1972)
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UID:4200-1593475200-1593561599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Robert Bellin (30-vi-1952)
DESCRIPTION:BCN sends IM Robert Bellin best wishes on his birthday\, this day (the 30th of June) in Great Yarmouth\, Norfolk \nRobert was awarded the IM title in 1977. He was outright British Champion in 1979 in Chester having tied first equal (with six others) in 1974 in Clacton. The play-off was won by George Botterill. \nHis best international success was in 1981 in Shanghai coming clear first overall. \nRobert Bellin with Leonard Barden and Stewart Reuben at the 1978 Aaronson Masters in London\nRobert is married to WGM Dr. Jana Bellin and they have two sons. \nIM Robert Bellin\n\nRobert Bellin\, British Champion\, CHESS\, Volume 45\, Numbers 827-28\, page 27.\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nThe Classical Dutch\nWinning with the Dutch\nTest Your Positional Play\nQueen’s Pawn : Veresov System\nMastering the King’s Indian Defence\nLondon System Repertoire\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-robert-bellin-30-vi-1952/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200702
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200703
DTSTAMP:20210702T085802Z
CREATED:20200409T134202Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210702T085802Z
UID:4266-1593648000-1593734399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Tom Hinks-Edwards (02-vii-1977)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of IM Thomas RJ Hinks-Edwards (02-vii-1977) \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-thomas-rj-hinks-edwards-02-viii-1977/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hin12994.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200705
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200706
DTSTAMP:20210702T090042Z
CREATED:20200409T180158Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210702T090042Z
UID:4286-1593907200-1593993599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM David Haydon (05-vii-1988)
DESCRIPTION:FM David Leslie Haydon\, Hastings 2012/13\nBirthday of FM David Leslie Haydon (05-vii-1988) \nFM David Leslie Haydon\, Drunken Knights vs Wood Green\, 11th June 2014\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-david-leslie-haydon-05-vii-1988/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200707
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200708
DTSTAMP:20210708T081939Z
CREATED:20190911T085325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210708T081939Z
UID:1319-1594080000-1594166399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of IM Andrew Whiteley (09-vi-1947 07-vii-2014)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers IM Andrew Jonathan Whiteley (09-vi-1947 07-vii-2014) \nAndrew Whiteley\nAndrew was born on Monday\, June 9th\, 1947 in Birmingham\, West Midlands to Denys Edward Hugh Whiteley (1914 – 1987) and Muriel Sutton (1919 – 1967). Andrew had two siblings\, Robert N (Birmingham\, 1944) and Angela M (Oxford 1952). \nDenys Edward Hugh Whiteley (1914 – 1987\, from Ancestry.co.uk\nAndrew completed his education at Magdalen College School\, Oxford and then in law at Pembroke College\, Oxford. \nAndrew and friends at the NatWest Bank Young Masters\n“Whiteley’s school chess record is an outstanding 63/65: Andrew Whiteley is captain and top board of a very strong U18 team of: A Whiteley\, H Morphy\, MN Crombie\, MM Daube\, A Hawkins and AH Smith.” \nSome of the participants in the Paul Keres display on November 25th\, 1962\, at St Pancras Town Hall\, London WC1. Back row : AJ. Whiteley\, D\, Floyer\, PJ Collins\, PJ Adams\, RC Vaughan\, KB Harman\, D. Parr\, DNL Levy\, Front row : MV Lambshire\, AE Hopkins (selector) Paul Keres\, Miss D. Dobson\, RE Hartley\, BC Gillman\, WR Hartston and PN Lee. Photograph by AM Reilly. Source : BCM\, 1963\, page 13\nAndrew was joint (with WR Hartston) Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1967-68 season. \nHis highest Elo rating was 2395 in January 1977 at the age of 29 and played for King’s Head in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL). \nAndrew was former President of the Middlesex County Chess Association (1985-87) and Deputy (1984-85 & 1987-88). \nAndrew Whiteley playing board two in the London – Belgrade Telex Match on April 3rd\, 1976 from the St. James Hotel\, Buckingham Gate. Sourced from BCM\, Volume XCVI (96)\, Number 5\, page 192. Photographer probably Freddy Reilly.\nHe became a FIDE Master in 1980 at the age of 33. His last major tournament was Cappelle Le Grand in 1988 (see photograph below). \nMagnus Magnusson presents Andrew Whiteley (right) with the BCF County Championship trophy as Captain of the Middlesex team in 1986.\nBelow was written by BCM editor James Pratt in Volume CXXXIV (134)\, Number 8 (August) page 417-8 : \n“Unfailingly courteous\, formally dressed\, retired London solicitor\, British Master\, Andrew Jonathan Whiteley (9 vi 1946 Birmingham – 8 vii 2014) has died. The son of an Oxford professor\, AJW was British U21 Champion of 1965. He tied\, with Hans Ree\, for first in the European Junior in 1965/6. \nHans Ree (left) and Andrew Whiteley (right) examine the European Junior Trophy for 1965/6 in which they tied for first.\nThe following game first appeared in the Games Department column of Harry Golombek in British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXVI (1966)\, Number 3 (March)\, page 148. It was game #14\,118. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHe scooped the Silver medal at the British in 1971 and in 1976. Andrew often worked selflessly at his office in the mornings\, commuting to key games after lunch. He rose to be No. 3 or 4 in England and\, always a loyal team man\, shone in Olympiads. Belatedly\, having turned his back on the law\, in 1988\, he became an IM. He was also a BCF Arbiter and Middlesex County organiser. In 2008\, he won the English Senior Championships aged 61. \nHis was a classical chess style. RIP.” \nAndrew Whiteley at the Nice Olympiad of 1974.\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nAndrew Whiteley commentating on Kasparov vs Karpov\nHere is a excellent obituary from his old school\, Magdalen College. \nFM Andrew Whiteley\, IM Julian Hodgson and FM Byron Jacobs at Cappelle Le Grand\, 1988. Photograph by Caroline Winkler\nHere is an obituary from Stewart Reuben on behalf of the English Chess Federation \nAndrew Whiteley receives the Rosebowl trophy from John Poole\nSince 2014 King’s Head Chess Club has held an annual blitz tournament in memory of Andrew featuring many of England’s top players. \nAndrew Whiteley faces David Howell whilst Jimmy Adams records the moves\nHere is a discussion of Andrew on the English Chess Forum \nIM Andrew Whiteley at the first 4NCL weekend of 2012 in November.\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-andrew-john-whiteley/
CATEGORIES:British Championships,Death Anniversary,Hastings,Player,Remembering
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200707
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200708
DTSTAMP:20210702T090424Z
CREATED:20200409T081446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210702T090424Z
UID:4241-1594080000-1594166399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Christopher Gant (07-vii-1959)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Christopher J Gant (07-vii-1959) \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-christopher-j-gant-07-vii-1959/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200707
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200708
DTSTAMP:20200706T162351Z
CREATED:20200410T211941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20200706T162351Z
UID:4372-1594080000-1594166399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Rafe Martyn (07-vii-1986)
DESCRIPTION:FM Rafe Martyn in around 2004\, Photo by Cathy Rogers\nBirthday of FM Rafe Martyn (07-vii-1986) \nFM Rafe Martyn in around 2000\, Photo by Cathy Rogers\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-rafe-martyn-07-vii-1986/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200708
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200709
DTSTAMP:20201030T201753Z
CREATED:20190824T125138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201030T201753Z
UID:1169-1594166400-1594252799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of FM David Rumens (23-ix-1939 08-vii-2017)
DESCRIPTION:FM Dave Rumens enjoys being introduced as “The late Dave Rumens” at the 2013 Terafinal by Mike Basman\, Loughborough Grammar School. Courtesy of John Upham Photography\nBCN remembers FM David Edward Rumens who passed away on July 8th\, 2017 \nDavid was born in Hendon\, London (his mother’s maiden name was Little). In his latter years he lived in Olney and then Wavendon both in Milton Keynes\, Buckinghamshire. \nHe became a FIDE Master in 1980 at the age of 41. \nAccording to chessgames.com : “FIDE Master David Edward Rumens was UK Grand Prix Champion in 1976 and 1978.” \nHis highest Elo rating was 2355 in July 1981 at the age of 42. \nHis first game in Megabase 2020 is a win with Black against Dr. Fazekas in the 1958 British Championships in Leamington Spa. His most recent database game was a win with White over Jessie Gilbert at the 2003 British Championships in Edinburgh with 159 games recorded in total. Between 1982 and 2001 no games are recorded. \nDavid Edward Rumens at the 1959 Youth World Chess Championships in Munchenstein.  (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Championship in Munchenstein.  (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)\nCarlos Bielicki of Argentina (left) beats David Edward Rumens of England in the final game of the 1959 Youth World Chess Championships in Munchenstein.  (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)\nHere is an obituary written by Stewart Reuben from the ECF web site \nThe Cedars Chess Club May 1962 – David is seated\, second left. Photograph sourced from ECF obituary.\nHere is a discussion of David on the English Chess Forum \nDavid at Stewart Reuben’s 21st\, on Stewart’s right (Stewart has the jug) – March 1960. Photograph sourced from ECF Obituary\nDave Rumens is pleased to accept a cheque for £200 from Lady Thelma Milner-Barry for winning the 1978 Nottingham Congress with 5.5/6. Photo provided by Nottinghamshire County Council.\nFrom Round Two of the above event we have David’s exciting win over his main Grand Prix rival\, Andrew Whiteley. This game was provided by Freddy Reilly in BCM\, Volume XCVIII (98)\, Number 6 (June)\, page 255 and is BCM game number 18688 : \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 view of the display boards with David Rumens commentating from the 1976 Lloyds Bank Match by Telex\, London – New York. From BCM\, volume XCVI (96) Number 11 (August)\, Page 494. The venue was the Bloomsbury Hotel\, London. Photo courtesy of Lloyds Bank.\nLWB observes analysis between David Rumens and Murray Chandler from Brighton 1980. Courtesy of John Upham Photography\nFM Dave Rumens\, unknown event and photographer\nFM Dave Rumens\, unknown event and photographer\n\nFM Dave Rumens enjoys being introduced as “The late Dave Rumens” at the 2013 Terafinal by Mike Basman\, Loughborough Grammar School. Courtesy of John Upham Photography\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-david-edward-rumens/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200712
DTSTAMP:20260817T141124Z
CREATED:20200711T121121Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T141124Z
UID:7338-1594425600-1594511999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Ken Whyld (06-iii-1926 11-vii-2003)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers much loved Ken Whyld who passed away on July 11th 2003 in Lincolnshire. \nKen Whyld from CHESS magazine\, January 1950. courtesy of the Ken Whyld Association\nFrom Chess : The Records : \n“Ken Whyld was the editor of Chess Students Quarterly in the early 1950s and from 1955-63\, Chess Reader\, in which he reviewed more than 500 chess books. He has written seven tournament books and one match book. \nKen Whyld (06-iii-1926 11-vii-2003)\nWith J. Gilchrist he wrote a three-volume anthology of Lasker’s games\, and with David Hooper\, The Oxford Companion to Chess.  \nKen at the gravestone of “William” Steinitz\nFor the book World Chess Champions he wrote the chapters on Lasker and Smyslov. In his playing days he was champion of his county (Nottinghamshire) many times and played in the British Championship as well as international tournaments.” \nKen Whyld  (06-iii-1926 11-vii-2003)\nPossibly the best tribute to Ken was written by John Saunders and Bernard Cafferty in the August 2003 issue of British Chess Magazine\, pages 398 – 402. \nEditorial from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIII (123)\, Number 8 (August)\, page 395 by Editor\, John Saunders\nKen Whyld Remembered from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIII (123)\, Number 8 (August)\, page 398 by Editor\, John Saunders and Bernard Cafferty\nKen Whyld Remembered from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIII (123)\, Number 8 (August)\, page 399 by Editor\, John Saunders and Bernard Cafferty\nKen Whyld Remembered from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIII (123)\, Number 8 (August)\, page 400 by Editor\, John Saunders and Bernard Cafferty\nKen Whyld Remembered from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIII (123)\, Number 8 (August)\, page 401 by Editor\, John Saunders and Bernard Cafferty\nKen Whyld Remembered from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIII (123)\, Number 8 (August)\, page 402 by Editor\, John Saunders and Bernard Cafferty\nKen Whyld\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nSee more details from the Ken Whyld Association \nThe Collected Games of Emanuel Lasker\nThe Oxford Companion to Chess\nChess : The Records\, Guinness\, 1986\, SBN 10: 0851124550ISBN 13: 9780851124551\nLearn Chess in a Weekend\nChess Columns : A List\nChess Reader\nChess Stalker Quarterly\nThe Oxford Companion to Chess\, 1st Edition\nCurse of Kirsan by Sarah Hurst\, Ken wrote the Foreword.\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-ken-whyld-06-iii-1926-11-vii-2003/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering,Writer
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200712
DTSTAMP:20210708T122041Z
CREATED:20200716T222423Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210708T122041Z
UID:7483-1594425600-1594511999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of IM A Howard Williams (11-viii-1950)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of IM A Howard Williams (11-viii-1950) \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-arthur-howard-williams-11-viii-1950/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player,Writer
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200713
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200714
DTSTAMP:20260817T141114Z
CREATED:20200411T182726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T141114Z
UID:4483-1594598400-1594684799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Desmond TN Tan (13-vii-1983)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Desmond TN Tan (13-vii-1983) \nFM Desmond Tan\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-desmond-tn-tan-13-vii-1983/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_0870-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200716
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200717
DTSTAMP:20210708T141006Z
CREATED:20200131T000043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210708T141006Z
UID:3070-1594857600-1594943999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Lawrence Cooper (16-vii-1970)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Lawrence Cooper (16-vii-1970) \nLawrence was born in Stone\, Staffordshire and attend Walton High School\, Stafford. \nLawrence Cooper\, Demis Hassabis\, Cathy Hasslinger  and Dharshan Kumaran in around 1986. Possibly at a Lloyds Bank event.\nHe became a FIDE Master in 1989 and then an International Master in 2001. \nLawrence was awarded the FIDE International Organiser title in 2011 and the FIDE Arbiter title in 2016. \nTim Dickinson and Lawrence Cooper at the 2012 London Chess Classic\, Olympia\nHis peak rating was 2430 in January 1988. \nLawrence plays for Wood Green in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL)  plus Newport (Shropshire)\, Stafford\, Bushbury and Worcestershire CCA in other competitions. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nLawrence Cooper (centre with trophy) being presented with 1992 BCF Counties Championship trophy by WIM Cathy Forbes. Others in the group include Michael Gough\, Alan A Smith\, Gerald Acey\, Mike P Townsend\, Malcolm Armstrong\, Martin Costley\, Alan Crombleholme\, Graeme N Buckley\, Paul Wallace\, Mark A . Wheeler\, Dave Carless\, Darren P Wheeler\, Keith Thompson\, Ralph MA Allen and Graham Smith\n\nFull caption in image below\nFull caption for above 1986 BCF Junior Squad group photograph\n\n  \nIM Lawrence Cooper\, photography by Fiona Steil-Antoni\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-lawrence-h-cooper-16-vii-1970/
CATEGORIES:Arbiter,Birthday,British Championships,Organiser,Player
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200716
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200717
DTSTAMP:20210710T142702Z
CREATED:20200402T173018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T142702Z
UID:3978-1594857600-1594943999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Michael Barnes (16-vii-1965)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Michael H Barnes (16-vii-1965) \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-michael-h-barnes-16-vii-1965/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2016-17-Gambit-CC-576x1024-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200716
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200717
DTSTAMP:20230217T193732Z
CREATED:20200716T220105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230217T193732Z
UID:7479-1594857600-1594943999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Raaphi Persitz (26-vii-1934 04-ii-2009)
DESCRIPTION:We remember Raaphy(i) Persitz who passed away on Wednesday\, February 4th\, 2009. \nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume CXXIX (129\, 2009)\, Number 3 (March)\, pp. 130-134 by John Saunders we have this detailed obituary: \nRaaphy Persitz\nA tribute to a great friend of British chess\, by John Saunders\nRaphael Joseph Arie (Raaphy) Persitz (26 vii 1934\, Tel Aviv – 4 ii 2009\, Tel Aviv) \n28th December 1955: Israeli chess player Raaphy Persitz in play at the International Chess Congress at Hastings. (Photo by Folb/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)\nRaaphy Persitz\, one of the strongest players resident in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s and also one of BCM‘s most popular contributors\, has died aged 74. Raaphy was born in Tel Aviv\, the grandson of Shoshana Persitz (1893-1969)\, a publisher who became an early member of the Knesset\, the Israeli parliament. Raaphy became Israel’s first junior champion in 1951 and shortly afterwards came to study PPE (Philosophy\, Politics and Economics) at Oxford University where he was a member of their very strong chess team and a close friend of Leonard Barden and others. \nRaaphy Persitz (26-vii-1934 04-ii-2009). 26 year-old Raaphy Persitz at the 1960 Leipzig Olympiad playing on board four for Israel. He scored +6\, =2\, -4.\nOne of his most publicised feats was to win his Varsity match game and also a county match against Hugh Alexander on the same day (see the May 1954 or March 2004 issues of the magazine for further details). Raaphy played three times in the Varsity match and also represented England in three Students Olympiads in the mid-1950s. He represented Israel in the 1960 Leipzig Olympiad on board four\, and also played twice in the Hastings Premier\, in 1955-56 and 1968-69\, the latter being his swansong in competitive chess as he turned his attention to a career in banking which took him first to Switzerland and eventually to his home town of Tel Aviv. As a player his best result was probably finishing third behind Reshevsky and Szabo at the first major international tournament held in Israel\, Haifa/Tel Aviv 1958. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nDespite giving up competitive play\, Raaphy never lost his love of the game and remained an avid reader of magazines and follower of the game until the end of his life. And\, of course\, he remained a perceptive and humorous writer on the game though his output was much lower than in the 1950s. The news of his death came as a particular shock to me as\, only a couple of weeks previously\, he had sent me a fax saying how moved he had been by the tribute I had writ- ten to Bob Wade in the January 2009 issue of BCM. That was typical of his kindness to wards me which dated back to when I took my first tottering steps as BCM editor in 1999. We never actually met in person but spoke occasionally on the telephone and exchanged faxes (Raaphy didn’t seem to communicate by email). \nRaaphy Persitz (26-vii-1934 04-ii-2009)\nAs a long-time reader of the magazine I had enjoyed his Student’s Corner column contributions. The column had been initiated by Abe Yanofsky in the early 1950s and Raaphy had inherited it in 1958. I was particularly delighted when\, in 2004\, after I had written about his 1954 feat in winning his Varsity match game and a county match against English number one CHO’D(Hugh) Alexander on the same day\, Raaphy consented to write another column (which appeared in the May 2004 issue of BCM). I never succeeded in getting him to write another one but it was such a pleasure to have him write for the magazine during my spell as editor. \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(Regarding the above game there is a note from Sally Simpson on chessgames.com as follows: \nRaaphi Persitz agreed to play for Oxford v Cambridge in London and also on the same day for Oxon v Gloucester in a county match in Swindon. \nThis is the second game\, he won both games. \nBe aware that Bruce Hayden in ‘Cabbage Heads and Kings’\, which is where I got this game from\, mentions this but also added that these games took place on the same day as the 1954 Grand National (won by Royal Tan). This is wrong as the Grand National that year was run on the 10 April. \nI think that maybe Bruce saw the score of the games with the two games a day story in a Sunday newspaper covering Saturdays Grand National and perhaps got the dates mixed up. \n) \nThe fax he sent me on 7 January 2009 seems particularly poignant now but it is a good example of Raaphy’s kindness and self-deprecating humour. Here is the full text: \n“Dear John\, I was moved by your wide-ranging obituary of Bob Wade in the BCM[January 2009\, p34l. I dare say you did justice to his contributions and devotion to chess\, spanning well over half a century. I have several pleasant recollections of conversations and over-the-board encounters with Bob. One such tussle\, a hard-fought draw\, was reproduced by Bob\, with comments (in the Student’s Corner) in a book containing his eventful games. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nAnother\, somewhat less felicitous\, recollection harks back to a game we contested at Ilford\, where\, in extreme time trouble\, I blithely played Rxh7+\, expecting …Qxh7\, but overlooking the simple …Kxh7\, leaving me a whole rook down with no compensation\, whereupon I duly resigned. What impressed me at the time was the lightning speed with which Bob reacted to my ill-fated blunder – as if it were nothing but inevitable… \nWith warmest wishes for a healthy\,\nhappy\, fruitful 2009. Raaphy.” \nI had hoped to publish the above as a Letter to the Editor but\, sadly\, it must now appear as part of Raaphy’s obituary. The draw with Bob Wade referred to in the fax was played in Dublin in 1962 and featured in Student’s Corner in BCM in the December 1966 issue on page 356. It seems appropriate to reproduce the game here in tribute to these two recently departed and much-loved chessplayers. \nNotes by Persitz\nUnlike the majority of games that have\, over the years\, appeared in the Student’s Corner\, the following dour struggle between Bob Wade (White) and myself (Black)\, from Dublin\, 1962\, is in no way outstanding: it does not contain any brilliant combinations; it is not a positional masterpiece; it is certainly not devoid of mistakes. Nor is it amusing\, or original\, or of theoretical interest or particularly instructive. Yet (with the aid of the interspersed comments) it ought to give the student a pretty shrewd and realistic idea of the stuff competitive chess is made of: the endless number of laborious variations that have to be examined; the annoying little threats that must be attended to; the treacherous pitfalls to be sidestepped; the technical hurdles to be surmounted; the frustrating little details\, indifference to which may be fatal; in brief\, the drudgery that has become part and parcel of contemporary tournament practice\, without which success is unimaginable. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nRaaphy Persitz Tributes\nLeonard Barden: Raaphy was probably my best friend at Oxford – certainly so among chessplayers. We played hundreds of blitz games in the junior common room at Balliol and later for some months in 1957 we shared a London flat\, analysing Russian championship games over breakfast. He was a wonderful man to know\, bright\, witty\, gentle\, sympathetic and knowledgeable. \nLeonard Barden (centre) with Raaphi Persitz\, JB Sykes\, OI Galvenius and DM Armstrong\, Ilford\, May\, 1953\nA tribute by Amatzia Avni: Ordinary people have a mixture of good qualities and bad ones. After 20 years of friendship with the late Raaphy Persitz I can attest that he was a distinct type: one sided\, positive-only; pure gold. \nI first met him in 1989. I had just written my first chess book (in Hebrew) and was searching for someone to write me an introduction. The word was that Persitz was back in town\, after long years abroad. Having seen glimpses of his amazing linguistic skills\, I contacted him and he agreed immediately. He didn’t know me\, hadn’t read a single sentence of the book\, yet he didn’t hesitate: “yes\, sure\, I’ll be glad to”. \nThat was typical Persitz: always ready to help\, unconditionally. The introduction\, needless to say\, was a sheer delight\, a class or two above the rest of the book. In later years he gave me a hand several times polishing my texts and making them more reader-friendly to English-speaking readers. Somehow he seemed to know what I wished to express better than I did. His suggestions enabled me to convey my meaning in a clear and precise manner. \nRaaphy was modest and reserved. Once I called him and realized he was upset. “My mother had passed away some weeks ago\,” he said. I was puzzled why he didn’t tell me the sad news at the time. “I didn’t want to bother you” was his reply. \nA couple of years ago I stumbled upon Bruce Hayden’s old book Cabbage Heads and Chess Kings. One of the book’s chapters was headed “Raaphy Persitz star or comet?”. I learned that\, in the 1950s\, Persitz gained bright victories in England\, against Penrose\, Alexander\, Milner-Barry and others. Searching a Chessbase database I found out that he also done battle with some out- standing international players. Yet\, in all our meetings and hundreds of hours of conversation\, he never said a thing about that! \nPersitz was a master of understatement. I learned that if I wrote “very fine” or “extremely strong”\, the ‘very’ and ‘extremely’ would fly out of the window. If I made a firm stand on a certain issue\, he would add “probably”\, “apparently’ or “it may be argued that”\, because it was indeed only an opinion\, not a fact. Over time\, following his line of thought made me improve the way I expressed myself and thought about chess. \nPersitz’s distinctions in chess\, in linguistics and in journalism are evident to anyone who ever read his chess books and articles. He also excelled at economics\, but I am unqualified to comment on this. \nGod bless you\, Raaphy. I feel privileged to have known you. Amatzia Avni. \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-raaphi-persitz-26-vii-1934-04-ii-2009/
CATEGORIES:2023,British Championships,History,Player,Remembering
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200717
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200718
DTSTAMP:20210710T141954Z
CREATED:20200411T125437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T141954Z
UID:4426-1594944000-1595030399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Nigel Povah (17-vii-1952)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes IM Nigel Edward Povah all the best on his birthday\, July 17th in 1952. \nNigel Povah\, from Knightmare\, Volume 2 (1976-77) drawn by Chris Jones.\nNigel was born in Wandsworth\, London. \nHe became a FIDE Master in 1980\, an International Master in 1983 and an International Correspondence Master in 1983. He became England’s 7th ICCF GM in 1989. His predecessors were : \n210048 Markland\, Peter Richard ENG GM 1984\n210060 Penrose\, Dr. Jonathan ENG GM 1983\n210178 Webb\, Simon ENG GM 1983\n210011 Clarke\, Peter Hugh ENG GM 1980\n210029 Hollis\, Adrian Swayne ENG GM 1976\n210062 Richardson\, Keith Bevin ENG GM 1975 \nNigel has been Southern Counties (SCCU) champion for the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons. \nNigel Povah\, circa 1979\nNigel has played for Streatham & Brixton Club (see the Andrew Martin video below) and was part of this very strong London club which developed many original opening ideas. \nNigel was a strong opening theoretician and developed ideas in the Sicilian Lasker-Pelikan\, Sveshnikov and English Openings amongst others. \nKnightmare magazines are a valuable source of information about the club and it’s members. \nBelow we have the game Berg-Povah\, Wijk aan Zee\, 1979 annotated by Streatham & Brixton team mate\, IM Andrew Martin : \n\nNigel continues to play for Guildford in the Surrey League and in the Surrey Border League as well as Guildford in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL). \nNigel started the highly successful 4NCL teams sponsored by his company Guildford A&DC (Assessment & Development Consultants) and the 4NCL team(s) are now run by Roger Emerson and Julien Shepley having taken a back seat since June 2017. \nHis peak rating was 2385 in January 1980 aged 28. \nNigel is married to Gill and has a daughter Lucy and a son\, Jonathan. \nIn recent times Nigel has been playing more nationally and internationally and and has become a specialist in the Accelerated London System (with 2.Lf4) and is a regular on the International veterans circuit. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHere is an article written by Richard W. O’Brien from British Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983 : \n“Nigel Povah was for the majority of the seventies a chess professional. He mixed playing with teaching in various schools and also coached individuals. He is a BCF qualified coach. Danny King (our second youngest international master) and the late Ian Wells were two who clearly benefited from his teachings. \nOn the playing front he won numerous congresses including Hammersmith 1970\, Paignton 1974\, LARA 1974\, Evening Standard 1974\, LARA(again) 1978 and Charlton 1979. In 1975 he won the SCCU Championship and again in 1976. He first played in international tournaments in 1973 when as one of the weaker players in the tournament he produced excellent annotations for the bulletin\, even for the games he lost. These were the first signs of becoming a chess writer. To date he has shared first place in four international tournaments Robert Silk 1976\, Malta 1976\, Malta(again) 1979 and Wijk aan Zee Master Reserves 1979. It can be seen that 1979 was a good year. He also shared 4th place in the British Championship and represented\nEngland at senior level against Denmark in the same year. \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 road to the lM title has been long and hard. On several occasions he got close to the norm requirement just to fail. At Lloyds Bank in 1978 and 1980 and Lewisham 1981 he got the necessary three norms. Had he then ceased playing (with an Elo of 23751 he would automatically have had the lM title confirmed at Lucerne in 1982. He however continued playing and became the victim of some complicated and\, with respect\, unfair FIDE regulations\, and his title was delayed until 1983. Clearly had the General Assembly met between January 1982 and June 1982 he would have been awarded the title at least a year earlier! \nHe has written several books-Chess Training published by Faber\, English:Four Knights Batsford\, How to Play the English Batsford and was co-author of Sicilian: Lasker-Pelikan Batsford. These last three Batsford publications indicate his interest in current theory. Two of the games which follow- v Berg (see 16…Rb8) and v Speelman (see 12 NgS)certainly confirm this. The Streatham and Brixton club owe much to Nigel Povah in becoming one of the strongest clubs in the country. At one time an average second division side (London league) they have since won the league and been in contention more than once. For several years he was one of the main three organisers at the club and even today still continues to play for them and is currently their National Club match-captain although he now lives some twenty miles away in Guildford. \nIn 1979 he organised the First Regency International at Ramsgate. In conjunction with Ian Josephs (sponsor) and Bob Wade (controller) this has become a highly successful annual event. \nNow married\, his wife Gill presented him with a daughter Lucy shortly after the completion of the Regency International in 1982. \nHe now works for ICL as training consultant and limits his over the board chess to club chess for Streatham. \nHe has recently taken up postal chess and in 1983 after competing in the BPCF Jubilee he became a correspondence International Master. \nHe has a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Psychology.” \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nStreatham & Brixton becoming BCF National Club Champions in 1989. The team was Tony Kosten\, Mark Hedben\, Daniel King\, Nigel Povah (Captain)\, Joe Gallagher and Julian Hodgson : quite a strong team\nAccording to Chess Training : “Two of his pupils were members of England’s victorious 4-man team in the World Under-16 team event.” \nHere is his Wikipedia entry : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nSicilian Lasker-Pelikan\nChess Training : Nigel Povah\nEnglish : Four Knights\nHow to play the English Opening\nAssessment Centres and Global Talent Management\nIM Nigel Povah\, courtesy of John Upham Photography\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-nigel-edward-povah-17-vii-1952/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Organiser,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200717
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200718
DTSTAMP:20210710T142153Z
CREATED:20200720T093008Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T142153Z
UID:7616-1594944000-1595030399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Dr. Julian Farrand QC (Hon) (13-viii-1935 17-vii-2020)
DESCRIPTION:BCN mourns the passing of Dr. Julian Farrand (13-viii-1935 17-vii-2020). He was 84 years of age. \nJulian Thomas Farrand was born August 13th\, 1935 in Doncaster in the West Riding of Yorkshire. \nDr. Farrand QC(Hon)\, formerly the Insurance Ombudsman\, became the Pensions Ombudsman\, and he had been a Law Commissioner and a University Professor of Law at the University of Manchester where he was Dean of the faculty. \nMost recently he lived in Morpeth\, London\, SW1. \nDr JULIAN FARRAND Pensions Ombudsman COMPULSORY CREDIT: UPPA/Photoshot Photo UKWT 011879/A-32a 31.07.1996\nHis first recorded game in Megabase 2020 was white at the 1968 British Championships in Bristol against life-long friend CGM Keith Bevan Richardson. Together with Raymond Brunton Edwards\, Julian and Keith were long-time trustees of the BCFs Permanent Invested Fund (PIF). \nJulian played for Pimlico\, Cavendish and Insurance in the London League and he maintained a standard play grading of 172A in 2020 as well as a FIDE rating of 1943 for standard play. He also played in the London Public Services League\, the Central London League and the City Chess Association League. He made regular appearances in the Bronowski Trophy competition and the World Senior’s Team Tournament. \nHis (according to Megabase 2020) peak Elo rating was 2238 in April\, 2004 aged 69. It is likely to have been higher than that if it was measured. \nJulian joined Barbican following its merger with Perception Youth to become Barbican Youth in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL). \nHis favourite openings with white were : The Richter-Veresov Opening in later years and the English/Barcza Opening in earlier times. \nWith Black he enjoyed the Czech System and the Lenningrad Dutch. \nHis son\, Tom\, is a strong player and a successful barrister with expertise in Intellectual Property Rights\, Trademarks and Copyright law. \nHis wife (married in 1992)\, Baroness Hale of Richmond\, served as President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2020\, and serves as a member of the House of Lords as a Lord Temporal. \nJulian Farrand with Lady Hale at a Buckingham Palace reception. Photo : Press Association\nMemorial messages have been posted on the English Chess Forum and many will\, no doubt\, follow. Included are older games from John Saunders not found in the online databases. \nIn 2015 Julian (together with fellow trustees Keith Richardson and Ray Edwards) received the ECF President’s Award for services to the Permanent Invested Fund. \nHere is the citation from the 2015 award : \n“Julian is best known as the first-ever English ombudsman (in insurance). He is the husband of law lord Baroness Hale. I (SR) first met him at about the age of 12 year old when playing for my school. He is about four years older. Both Ray and Julian are members of the Book of the Year Committee and have been reviewing books for this purpose for many years. Both are quite strong chess players\, indeed playing for England in the same team in the European 60+ Team Championship in Vienna 11-20 July 2015. Keith was to have been a member of the same team\, but his wife’s ill-health forced him to withdraw.” \nHere is an obituary from The Times of London \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHere is an obituary from Stewart Reuben \nProf. Julian T Farrand at the King’s Place Rapidplay\, 2013\, courtesy of John Upham Photography\nLove All Risks by Julian Farrand\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-prof-julian-t-farrand-13-viii-1935-17-vii-2020/
CATEGORIES:British Championships,Death Anniversary,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200719
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200720
DTSTAMP:20210710T142950Z
CREATED:20200401T143331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T142950Z
UID:3930-1595116800-1595203199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of GM  Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant (19-vii-1968)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes GM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant best wishes on her birthday\, July 19th 1968 \nHere is her extensive Wikipedia entry \nGM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant\nGM Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-gm-ketevan-arakhamia-grant-19-vii-1968/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200723
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200724
DTSTAMP:20210710T143352Z
CREATED:20190823T190033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T143352Z
UID:1120-1595462400-1595548799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Sir George Thomas\, 7th Baronet (14-vi-1881 23-vii-1972)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of Sir George Alan Thomas\, 7th Baronet (14-vi-1881 23-vii-1972) \nSignature of GA Thomas from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Hastings Christmas Congress\, 1945-1946\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (BT Batsford\, 1977) by Harry Golombek : \n“British international master\, born in Constantinople (previously Byzantium and currently Istanbul : Ed.) His mother (Lady Edith Margaret Thomas : Ed) was one of the strongest English women players\, winner of the first Ladies tournament at Hastings 1895. \n(Ed : his father was Sir George Sydney Meade Thomas) \nThomas was an all-round athlete who excelled at tennis\, hockey and badminton as well as chess. He captained the English badminton team and was All England Badminton Singles champion from 1920 to 1923.” \nSir George Alan Thomas : “During his playing career\, he won 78 national titles in the United Kingdom and a further 12 French titles; he also competed in 29 out of 30 English internationals\, winning 50 matches in the process.”\nHere is an excellent article (albeit stating GT was a Grandmaster and was president of the British Chest Federation!) from the National Badminton Museum. \n\n“Thomas won the British chess championship twice\, in 1923 and 1934 and represented England in the Olympiads of 1927 where he tied with Norman Hansen for the best score – 80% on board 3\, 1930\, 1931\, 1935\, 1937 and 1939. \nPassenger list from RMS Alacantra showing Sir George Thomas arriving at Buenos Aires on September 19th\, 1939\nEntry for Sir George Thomas from above image.\nIn international tournaments his greatest successes were 1st at Spa (ahead of Tartakower) and =1st at Hastings 1934/5 (tied with Euwe and Flohr\, ahead of Capablanca and Botvinnik). \nSir George Thomas\, British Chess Champion\, Southsea Congress\, 1923 Photograph by Gilbert N Fulcher\, Southsea\nHe was known for his keen sense of sportsmanship and for his ability to encourage and inspire younger players. He served for many years on the BCF Junior selection committee and was for a time Games Editor of the British Chess Magazine. FIDE awarded him the titles of international master (1950) and International Judge (1952). (article by Ray Keene)” \nBritish chess champion Sir George Thomas playing at the Annual British Chess Federation Championship in Yarmouth\, England\, July 11th 1935. (Photo by Harry Todd/Fox Photos/Getty Images)\nThomas with the White pieces was predominantly a Ruy Lopez devotee. \nWith the Black pieces against 1.e4 he defended the Lopez and the Queen’s Gambit Declined was his favourite versus 1.d4 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale 1972 and 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“International Master (1950)\, International Judge (1952) and British Champion in 1923 and 1934. All England Badminton Singles Champion\, All England Badminton Doubles Champion\, Wimbledon tennis player and county hockey player. \nSir George Thomas was born in Constantinople on 14th June 1881. His mother\, Lady Thomas\, won the first ever ladies’ tournament\, which was held in conjunction with the Hastings International Chess Tournament of 1895. \nHe learned the moves at the age of 4\, and as a boy met many of the world’s leading players\, including Steinitz\, Lasker\, Tchigorin and Pillsbury\, in his mother’s drawing-room. \nApart from serving as a subaltern in the Army during the 1914-1918 war\, Sir George has devoted his life to sport. He played tennis at Wimbledon\, played hockey for Hampshire\, captained the English Badminton team and was All England Badminton Singles Champion from 1920-1923 and doubles champion nine times. \nSir George Thomas And Brian ReillySir George Thomas (left)\, leader of the British chess team\, playing Irishman Brian Reilly at the Easter Chess Congress\, Margate\, April 24th 1935. (Photo by Harry Todd/Fox Photos/Getty Images)\nSir George played chess for England regularly from 1910 to 1939. He played for the British Chess Federation in the Chess Olympiads of 1927\,1930\, 1931\, 1933\, 1935\, 1937 and 1939\, and captained the team which withdrew from the Buenos Aires Olympiad in 1939 on the out-break of war. \nA Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Margate 1936.\nThe Grand Hotel\, Cliftonville\, Margate. Venue for the Margate tournaments.\nHis first appearance in the British Championship was in he came 2nd. He also came 2nd in 192l and in 1923 won the first time\, thus becoming British Chess Champion and\nBadminton Champion in the same year. Sir George’s best performance was at Hastings 1934-1935\, when he came =1st. In the last round he needed only a draw against R. P. Michell to come lst\, ahead of Euwe\, Capablanca\, Flohr and Lilienthal\, but he lost and had to be content with sharing lst prize with Euwe and Flohr. \nNice Masters\, 1931. Standing : Daniel Noteboom\, Abraham Baratz\, George Renaud (Organiser)\, John J O’Hanlon\, Marcel Duchamp\, Brian Reilly (winner)\, Seated : Eugene Znokso-Borovsky\,\, Arpad Vajda\, Sir George Thomas\, Jacques Mieses\, Stefano Roselli del Turco\, Jacob Adolf Seitz. British Chess Magazine\, 1931\, page 201\nDuring his career he has beaten Botvinnik\, Flohr and and drawn with Nimzowitsch\, Rubinstein and Capablanca. He been noted for his sportsmanship and for his interest in and encouragement of young players. \nPartie d’échecsSir Georges Thomas\, le célèbre joueur d’échecs britannique\, jouant contre sa plus jeune adversaire âgée de 8 ans\, à Londres\, Royaume-Uni le 24 octobre 1934. (Photo by Keystone-France\Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)\nSince his retirement until the last few years\, Sir George continued to attend tournaments as a spectator. \nHe is the author of The Art of Badminton\, published in 1923. \nThe Art of Badminton\nHe died on 23rd July 1972 in a London nursing home.” \nHere is Part II of GM Matthew Sadler’s appreciation of Sir George. \nMost interestingly we have this this splendid article from Neil Blackburn (SimaginFan) on chess.com \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nSir George Alan Thomas (14-vi-1881 23-vii-1972)\nand here is Part III of Matthew Sadler’s article \nSir George Alan Thomas\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess (OUP\, 1984) by Hooper & Whyld : \n“English player. International Master (1950)\, International Arbiter (1952)\, British champion 1923 and 1934. His mother\, who taught him chess\, was winner of one of the first women’s tournaments\, Hastings 1895\, He played in more than 80 tournaments and achieved his best result at Hastings 1934-5 (about category 9)\, when he scored +6-1—2 to share first prize with Euwe and Flohr ahead of Botvinnik and Capablanca. Thomas played in seven Olympiads from 1927 to 1939\, and in the first the highest percentage score was made by him ( + 9=6) and the Dane Holgar Norman-Hansen (1899- ) (+11=2—2). A leading English player for more than 25 years\, Thomas fought many battles at the famous City of London club\, winning 16 of the annual championships from 1913-14 to 1938-9. In his sixty-ninth year he gave up competitive chess when\, after a hard game\, ‘the board and men began to swim before my eyes\,’ He continued his active interest in junior events and his visits\, now as a spectator\, to chess events. \n\nA man of few words\, imperturbable\, of fine manners. Sir George Thomas was respected throughout the chess world for his sportsmanship and impartiality\, and his opinion was often sought when disputes arose between players. The inheritor of both a baronetcy and private means\, he\ndevoted his life to games and sports. Besides his chess he was a keen hockey player\, a competitor in international lawn tennis (reaching the last eight at Wimbledon on one occasion)\, and winner of about 90 badminton titles\, notably the All-England men’s singles championship which he won four times\, from 1920 to 1923.” \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-sir-george-alan-thomas/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Honours,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200724
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200725
DTSTAMP:20210724T113420Z
CREATED:20191106T163952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210724T113420Z
UID:1792-1595548800-1595635199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Marcus Harvey (24-vii-1996)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes Happy Birthday to FM Marcus Ross Harvey born on this day (Wednesday\, July 24th) in 1996. Killing Me Softly by the Fugees was top of the hit parade. \nMarcus was born in Oxford and attended The Marlborough School\, Woodstock\, Oxfordshire and then (in 2014) at The University of Southampton he studied mathematics. \nOriginally playing for Bicester Marcus now represents Witney Chess Club in local leagues. \nMarcus first played in the British Championship in 2011 (Sheffield). \nMarcus Harvey at the 2013 King’s Place Rapidplay\, courtesy of John Upham Photography\nOriginally playing for Oxford he now plays for Wood Green in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) and Southampton University in the Southampton League. \nMarcus playing IM Yang-Fan Zhou at the 2013 Delancey UKCC Terafinal at Loughborough Grammar School. Courtesy of John Upham Photography.\nIn 2014 Marcus won the title of “Strat” (the overall Terafinal winner) of the 2014 Delancey UK Chess Challenge at Loughborough Grammar School. \nMarcus Harvey at the 2013 Delancey UKCC Terafinal at Loughborough Grammar School\, courtesy of John Upham Photography.\nMarcus has a FIDE rating of 2440 and an ECF grading of 240. \n2014 Delancey UKCC Terafinal winner\, Marcus Harvey at Loughborough Grammar School. Courtesy of John Upham Photography\nIn 2018 he won the Witney Open outright with 4/5 and\, in the same year\, was runner-up to David Howell in the UK Blitz Open with 12.5/15 and a of 2589. \nIn 2019 he was =1st (with Mark Hebden) in the 4NCL Easter Open in Stevenage. Later that year Marcus was losing semi-finalist (to Gawain Jones) in the London Classic Blitz Knockout. \nMarcus\, on home ground\, won the 43rd Kidlington Open in 2020 and followed this with and is the current 2020 English Online Blitz Champion beating IM Andrew Greet\, FM Jonah Willow\, IM Ameet Ghasi and IM Andrew Horton in the final. \n\nIn the Pro chess league he represents UK Lions. \nMarcus Harvey’s FIDE rating profile according to Megabase 2020\nOn 6th November 2019 we reported that Marcus had obtained his second International Master norm at the recent (October 2019) Hull 4NCL International Congress by scoring 4.5/9 with wins over IM Andrew Greet and IM Richard Palliser. \nOn July 17th 2021 Marcus was joint winner with IM Peter Roberson in the 1st Chessfest Decode Rapidplay with an impressive 6/6 and a TPR of 2911. \nMarcus overcame Rory McLean\, Theo Koury\, Steven Coles\, FM Alexis Harakis\, CM Jonathan Pein and rapidplay / blitz specialist IM Ameet Ghasi to share first place. \nMarcus enjoys playing the Smyslov-Larsen opening with white \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nand the classical French and the Nimzo-Indian Defence. \nIt is clear that Marcus is now easily of IM strength and surely is a strong candidate for England’s next Grandmaster. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nFM Marcus Ross Harvey\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-marcus-ross-harvey-24-vii-1996/
CATEGORIES:4NCL,Birthday,British Championships,Player
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200724
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200725
DTSTAMP:20210719T075735Z
CREATED:20200410T131551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210719T075735Z
UID:4344-1595548800-1595635199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of GM Anthony Kosten (24-vii-1958)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of GM Anthony Cornelis Kosten (24-vii-1958) \nTony was born in North Eastern Surrey\, and eventually relocated to France where he now resides. \nTony is married to Gyongyver Kosten-Forintos\, the daughter of Hungarian Grandmaster Győző Forintos. \nStreatham & Brixton becoming BCF National Club Champions in 1989. The team was Tony Kosten\, Mark Hedben\, Daniel King\, Nigel Povah (Captain)\, Joe Gallagher and Julian Hodgson : quite a strong team\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nTony played for Lower Earley and played in the Berkshire League and for Streatham & Brixton in the National Club competition. \nHe was =3rd in the 1982 British Championship in Torquay (won by Tony Miles) \nHe was =2nd in the 1984 Robert Silk Young Masters. \nHe won the Berkshire Chess Association Quickplay title in 1985. \nTony was runner-up to Yuri Balashov at Minsk 1986. \nHe won Naujac 2000 with 7.5/9 \nTony won many other events : See his Wikipedia entry for details. \nTony Kosten (fourth from left) at a NatWest Bank sponsored event\nTony is the founder of chesspublishing.com\, a subscription based web site specialising in cutting edge opening theory with many contributors. \nHe plays for Guildford in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) is registered as a member of the French federation. He also plays for Schott Mainz in the German Team Championship. \nAccording to Megabase 2020 his highest FIDE rating was 2551 in July 2002 at the age of 44. \nWith the white pieces Tony prefers the Ruy Lopez and Giuoco Piano with the English coming a close second. \nWith black Tony defends the Lopez and the Nimzo-Indian defence. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nTony Kosten\nWinning Endgames\, Crowood\, 1987\nWinning with the Philidor\, Batsford\, 1992\n101 Tips to Improve your Chess\, Batsford\, 1996\nThe Dynamic English\, Gambit\, 1999\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-gm-anthony-cornelius-kosten-24-vii-1958/
CATEGORIES:4NCL,Birthday,British Championships,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200725
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200726
DTSTAMP:20210725T144451Z
CREATED:20200725T153156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210725T144451Z
UID:7849-1595635200-1595721599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of GM Julian Hodgson (25-vii-1963)
DESCRIPTION:We send best wishes to GM Julian Hodgson on his birthday\, this day July 25th in 1963. \nJulian Michael Hodgson was born in Hammersmith\, West London son of (Ronald) George Hodgson and Johanna Hodgson (née Birch). \nJulian has claimed to be a descendent of George Jeffreys\, 1st Baron Jeffreys and we are looking to establish this claim following further research. \nJulian attended St. Paul’s School (See below) and then attended The University of Leicester for one year. \nJulian married Lizette and David Norwood was his Best Man. \nJulian and Lizette Hodgson\n(Curiously both Felice and Gaige state Julian was born in Saint Asaph in Wales.) \nJulian Hodgson\nHarry Golombek wrote this about Julian in a 1980 Dataday chess diary : \n“I think that the first time I saw Julian Hodgson in play was some four years ago in a London tournament. Upon my arrival Leonard Barden told him that he must now be careful how he played as Golombek was watching. \nJulian and Nigel Short play Korchnoi in a simul. Leonard Barden observes.\n“Who”\, enquired the twelve-year old Julian\, “is Golombek?” \nNeil Carr and Julian Hodgson at the 1976 Lloyds Bank Match by Telex\, London – New York. From BCM\, volume XCVI (96) Number 11 (August)\, Page 494. The venue was the Bloomsbury Hotel\, London. Photo courtesy of Lloyds Bank.\nI felt grateful at the time that he did not say who or what is Golombek but I tell this story chiefly to show the cheerful insouciance with which Master Hodgson treated all comers whether chess masters or chess rabbits. \nJulian playing Simon L Triggs. Event and photographer unknown\nJulian astonishing maturity as a player has been impressive ever since at the age of ten\, he won the Southern Counties Under 14 Championships in 1973. Since then he has acquired a host of such championships culminating in the British Under-21 Championship in 1977. \nStreatham & Brixton becoming BCF National Club Champions in 1989. The team was Tony Kosten\, Mark Hedben\, Daniel King\, Nigel Povah (Captain)\, Joe Gallagher and Julian Hodgson : quite a strong team\nPerhaps his most remarkable performance so far has been his equal 3rd in a strong challengers section at Hastings where he scored 7.5 out of 10. 1977 was a good year for him and here\, from the Lloyds Bank Silver Jubilee Tournament of that year is his fine win over a strong opponent : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHere is his entry (written by Richard W O’Brien) in British Chess (Pergamon Press\, 1983\, Botterill\, Levy\, Rice and Richardson) : \n“Following a series of excellent results Julian\, at the tender age of 11\, became the second youngest ever to play in an international tournament when he took part in the London Chess Club International Invitation tournament in September 1974. Only Reshevsky had been younger. Julian’s first opponent was Michael Woodhams\, an Australian international who had just scored 15.5/18 in the recent Olympiad (Nice) \nThe following year he became the youngest player ever to win the London Amateur Championship. A year later he reached a grading of 200 (BCF)\, only Reshevsky\, Pomar\, Karpov and Kasparov had done so at an earlier age. \nBy now he was at St. Paul’s School\, which was in the process of becoming one of the strongest chess playing schools in the country. In 1977 he shared first place with WN Watson (also St. Paul’s) in the British U21 Championship. Progress was however not as fast as had at one time been anticipated \n\nIt was at Ramsgate\, late in 1980 before his first IM norm. A month later he finished second in the Hastings Challenger. Other good results followed in 1981. First he was selected for the Glorney Cup and shortly afterwards did well to come fourteenth in the British Championship (Morecambe). He represented England in the World Youth Team championships scoring 4/6. His second IM norm followed when he shared fifth place at Manchester in the same year. Good results in weekend congresses meant that he finished fourth in the Leigh Grand Prix. The year had finished with Julian needing a draw in the last round at Ramsgate to get his title. He lost and was to wait another 12 months to achieve his final norm. \nThe England Team from the 1990 Novi Sad Olympiad : John Nunn\, Jon Speelman\, Julian Hodgson\, David Anderton OBE (Captain)\, Nigel Short\, Michael Adams and Murray Chandler\nWhen the final norm came it arrived out of the blue. With a score of 2.5/5 at Lewisham in November 1982 the chances seemed remote\, 3.5/4 was required against a strong field and it even seemed doubtful whether he could actually play those he needed to play. He scored 2.5/3 and now had to play Jon Tisdall\, who still had a chance of winning the tournament. \nJulian finished second equal in the tournament behind Jim Plaskett who had beaten him earlier. \nJulian Hodgson\nThe next six weeks saw Julian come equal first in the Pergamon sponsored British Lightning championship\, a highly creditable sixth in the Nightflight International at Brighton (equivalent to an IM rating) and second place yet again in the Hastings Challengers. \nJohn Delaney plays Julian Hodgson at the Bath Zonal Tournament in 1987\nEarlier in 1983 he scored 6.5/9 at Lugano\, probably Europe’s strongest ever Swiss (Swiss !) tournament\, losing narrowly to Jan Timman. \nJulian Hodgson. Event and photographer unknown.\nHe left Leicester University after just one year preferring to concentrate on chess. \nFM Andrew Whiteley\, IM Julian Hodgson and FM Byron Jacobs at Cappelle Le Grand\, 1988. Photograph by Caroline Winkler\nHe plays fairly regularly for Streatham & Brixton Chess Club which encouraged juniors for several years. Daniel King is another junior who also played frequently for Streatham. ” \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\nThis is what was written about Julian prior to the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display : “St Paul’s and Shepherds Bush. Rating 210. Standard London Amateur Champion at age 12\, 1975. \nStandard London under-18 champion\, 1976. British under-21 co-champion\, 1977. Youngest ever to beat two grandmasters in successive games\, 1978.” \nJulian Hodgson drawn by Rupert van der Linden\nJulian was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1997-98 season. \nJulian has claimed that he is a descended from the (in)famous “hanging judge” Jeffries ! \n\nJulian is the in-house chess teacher at Westminster School. \nHere is his Wikipedia entry : \nGM Julian Hodgson\nAside from more formal achievements\, he developed a sharp\, relentless\, attacking style of play and against lesser opponents this frequently resulted in devastating quick wins\, earning him the epithet “Grandmaster of Disaster”. \nHans Ree plays Julian Hodgson at the Cannes Team Tournament\, 1992\nHodgson’s greatest legacy as a chess player may however lie in his resurrection of an almost forgotten opening system. The Trompowsky Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) had floundered in the doldrums for many years\, prior to his adoption and development of the opening. In interviews\, he reveals that this was born out of laziness and a reluctance to learn established chess opening theory. It soon became his weapon of choice with the white pieces\, leading to a surprising popularisation of the system\, the spawning of a whole generation of devotees and ironically\, a number of theoretical guides\, containing a high quota of Hodgson’s own games and analysis. Indeed\, his expert treatment of the system once prompted fellow grandmaster Joe Gallagher to write that it should be renamed the Hodgson–Trompowsky Attack\, a view shared by many other masters. A chess journalist once wrote that Hodgson put the ‘romp’ into Trompowsky. \nA related\, but more obscure version of the system (1.d4 d5 2.Bg5)\, has been dubbed by some the Hodgson Attack and by others the Pseudo-Trompowsky or Queen’s Bishop Attack. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nand \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nJulian\, Dominic Lawson and Matthew Sadler\nChess Traveller’s Quiz Book\, Julian Hodgson\, Cadogan Press\, 1996\, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1857440300\nAttack with Julian Hodgson\, Book No.1\nAttack with Julian Hodgson\, Book No.2\nQuick Chess Knockouts\nJulian Hodgson drawn by Rupert van der Linden\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/happy-birthday-gm-julian-hodgson-25-vii-1963/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200726
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200727
DTSTAMP:20210725T154922Z
CREATED:20200409T084318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210725T154922Z
UID:4243-1595721600-1595807999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of WFM Jessica Gilbert (30-i-1987 26-vii-2007)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of WFM Jessica Laura Corey Gilbert (30-i-1987 26-vii-2007) \nFrom Find A Grave by by Peterborough K: \n“Professional Chess Player. A native of Croydon\, England\, Gilbert became the youngest person ever to win the Women’s World Chess Federation Master Title.  \nA talented chess player since the age of 8\, she also won the Women’s World Amateur Championship when she represented England in 1999 at the age of 11.  \nIn a career that spanned over seven years she played in over 153 matches in such events as the Gibtelcom Chess Festival\, the 7th European Championship\, Ilsan 1st\, 37th Chess Olympiad\, Hastings Chess Congress\, Hastings Master Op\, Coventry Op\, and the Gausdal Byggern Masters.  \nOn July 26\, 2006\, while in Pardubice\, Czech Republic\, to play in the Czech Open\, she mysteriously fell to her death from the balcony of her room on the eighth floor of the Hotel Labe. Gilbert was only 19 years old.” \nInteresting article by Alexander Barron \nHere is Jessie’s entry from Chessgames.com \nHere is Jessie’s extensive Wikipedia article. \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-wfm-jessica-laura-corey-gilbert-26-vii-2007/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200727
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200728
DTSTAMP:20210727T105805Z
CREATED:20200409T175701Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210727T105805Z
UID:4281-1595808000-1595894399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of Demis Hassabis CBE FRS FREng FRSA (27-vii-1976)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes Happy Birthday to Demis Hassabis CBE FRS FREng FRSA (27-vii-1976) \nFrom https://achievement.org/achiever/demis-hassabis-ph-d/ : \nDemis Hassabis\, the eldest of three\, was born in London on July 27\, 1976\, to a Greek Cypriot father and a Chinese Singaporean mother. \n(Originally his surname was spelt Hassapis and his brother George retained his.) \n“Demis Hassabis was born in London\, England. He is of both Greek and Chinese ancestry; his father came from Cyprus\, his mother from Singapore. Demis and his family moved frequently as his father pursued a variety of business and creative ventures. \nDemis was four years old when he saw his father and an uncle playing chess and asked them to teach him the game. He took to it quickly and was soon beating both of them. He showed a precocious aptitude for all games employing logic and strategy. ” \nDemis Hassabis\nWhen 13 (in 1989) Demis achieved a FIDE rating of 2300 which\, at the time\, was the second highest rating for his age.  First highest was Judit Polgar. \nDemis was SCCU Under-18 champion in 1989 and was presented with the “old Trophy” according to the SCCU report. \nLawrence Cooper\, Demis Hassabis\, Cathy Haslinger and Dharshan Kumaran in around 1986. Possibly at a Lloyds Bank event.\nDemis was a Candidate Master and brother of George Hassapis. \nDemis started off with Hampstead Junior Chess Club. \nHe then played for Barnet Knights\, Queens College College Union and Finchley chess clubs. \nDemis Hassabis courtesy of Cathy Rogers\nAccording to Tryfon Gavriel : \nDemis wrote a hit computer game called “The theme park”\, that was at the top of the charts for six months and sold than more 3.5 million copies. He also did quite well in the 1997 Mind Sports Olympiad. \nDemis Hassabis\, IMMO KLINK/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES\nHassabis returned to academia to obtain his PhD in cognitive neuroscience from University College London (UCL) in 2009 supervised by Eleanor Maguire. He sought to find inspiration in the human brain for new AI algorithms. \n\nDanny Gormally wrote (in March 2014) this : \n“Demis Hassapis is a former chess prodigy who recently sold his company to Google for £400 million. Demonstrating that if you have the brainpower to be good at chess\, you are far better off putting that intelligence to use in some other activity where you might actually get rewarded. Then in fairness\, even most strong chess players aren’t as bright as Demis.” \n\nDemis was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018 \nIn May 2021 Demis was cited by Dominic Cummings in his evidence to the  Commons Heath\, and Science and Technology committees as having played an important contribution  to managing and understanding the PHE and NHS data during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. \nHere are his listed games \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/birthday-of-demis-hassabis-27-vii-1976/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Honours,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200727
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200728
DTSTAMP:20210727T110050Z
CREATED:20200410T165411Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210727T110050Z
UID:4364-1595808000-1595894399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Graham Lee (27-vii-1953)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Graham David Lee (27-vii-1953) \nFM Graham Lee 2282 v WIM Eva Jiretorn 2155 alongside WIM Regina Pokorna 2352 v WIM Christin Anderson 2173.\nFM Graham Lee\, courtesy of Cathy Rogers\nGraham Lee (second from left) and a victorious Wood Green team. Trophy presented by Magnus Magnusson\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-graham-david-lee-27-vii-1953/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200731
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200801
DTSTAMP:20210731T120436Z
CREATED:20200408T184817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210731T120436Z
UID:4207-1596153600-1596239999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of GM Nigel Davies (31-vii-1960)
DESCRIPTION:We send best wishes to GM Nigel Davies on his birthday\, this day (July 31st) in 1960. \nNigel Rodney Davies was born in Southport\, Merseyside. \nHe lived in the Wirral\, Merseyside\, moved to Sidcup and then to St. Helen’s\, Merseyside where he resides with his chess playing son\, Sam who is ECF 1928A currently. \nIn July 2020 Nigel graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Computing from Edge Hill University. \nNigel Davies (centre) at a Lloyds Bank event\nHe became an FIDE Master in 1980\, an International Master in 1982 and a Grandmaster in 1993. \nNigel Davies\nHe won the British Under-21 Championship in 1979 (Chester) and the British Rapidplay Championship in 1987. \nNigel receives a much welcome prize (in Manchester) from Miss Benedictine in 198?\nHe won The Regency Ramsgate Masters 1980\, Wrexham 1994\, Katrineholm 1995 and the Blackpool Hilton Premier in 2003. \nNigel Davies\nNigel publishes his Chess Improver Blog and Tiger Chess for online training. The ECF lists this as his main club. \n\nIn 2015 Nigel transferred his international allegiance from England (the English Chess Federation) to Wales (Welsh Chess Union). He maintains an ECF standard play rating  of 2448E. \nWilliam Watson\, Jonny Hector\, Alexander Khalifman\, Jonathan Tisdall and Nigel Davies at the 1991 Watson\, Farley\, Williams tournament in London.\nHis peak FIDE rating was 2530 in January 1995 at the age of 35. \nHere is one of Nigel’s favourite games \nNigel Davies\, seated\, second from right\, event unknown\nIn 2015 Nigel contributed to an article by Guardian journalist\, Stephen Moss entitled “Grandmaster crash: the inside story of how English chess pawned its future” \nGM Nigel Davies\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nHere is an article : Fight against the solid Caro-Kann opening with the Caro Krusher – GM Nigel Davies \nNigel’s repertoire with White is wide including Queen’s Gambit\, King’s Indian Attack\, English/Reti and the Ruy Lopez. \nAs black Nigel’s repertoire is also varied and difficult to pin down. The Modern Defence is a favourite and is the Nimzo-Indian Defence. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nNigel is an active user of Twitter and may be found @GMNigelDavies \nIn 2020 the Welsh Chess Union successfully endorsed Nigel’s application to FIDE to become a FIDE Senior Trainer which he became in 2021: \nNigel Davies\, FIDE Senior Trainer\nNigel has had many books and DVDs published : \nThe Chess Player’s Battle Manual. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-7043-7\nThe Power Chess Program. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-8415-2.\nThe Grünfeld Defence. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-239-3.\nThe Veresov. Everyman Chess. ISBN 9781857443356.\nThe Dynamic Reti. Everyman Chess. ISBN 9781857443523.\nThe Trompowsky. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1857443764.\nKing’s Indian Attack. Hamburg: ChessBase. ISBN 978-3-86681-071-6.\nStarting Out: The Modern. Everyman Chess. ISBN 9781857445664.\nPlay the Catalan. Gloucester Publishers plc (formerly Everyman Publishers plc). ISBN 9781857445916.\n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-gm-nigel-rodney-davies-31-vii-1960/
CATEGORIES:4NCL,Birthday,British Championships,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200731
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200801
DTSTAMP:20210710T144415Z
CREATED:20200731T001056Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T144415Z
UID:3900-1596153600-1596239999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of GM Jacob Aagaard (31-vii-1973)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes Happy Birthday to GM Jacob Aagaard (31-vii-1973) \nJacob was born in Hørsholm in Denmark. \nHe became an International Master in 1997 and a Grandmaster in 2007. \nHis peak FIDE rating was 2542 in May 2010 aged 36. \n\nJacob is the owner of publishing house\, Quality Chess and works with IM Andrew Greet. \nGM Jacob Aagaard takes on all-comers!\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nJacob’s publications include : \n (1998). Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-563-3.\n (2000). Easy Guide to the Sveshnikov Sicilian. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-280-9.\n (2001). Dutch Stonewall. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-252-6.\n (2001). Excelling at Chess. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-273-1.\n (2002). Queen’s Indian Defence. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-300-4.\n and Esben Land (2002). Meeting 1.d4. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-224-3.\n (2003). Excelling at Positional Chess. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-325-7.\n (2004). Excelling at Chess Calculation. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-360-8.\n (2004). Excelling at Combinational Play. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-345-5.\n (2004). Excelling at Technical Chess. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-364-6.\n (2004). Starting Out: The Grunfeld. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-350-9.\n (2004). Inside the Chess Mind. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1857443578.\n (2006). Practical Chess Defence. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-91-975244-4-5.\n (2008). The Attacking Manual: Basic Principles. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-91-976004-0-8.\n (2008). The Attacking Manual 2: Technique and Praxis. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-91-976004-1-5.\n (2012). Grandmaster Preparation – Calculation. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-1-907982-31-6.\n(2012). Grandmaster Preparation – Positional Play. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-1-907982-27-9.\n (2013). Grandmaster Preparation – Strategic Play. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-1-907982-29-3.\n(2013). Grandmaster Preparation – Attack & Defence. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-1-907982-70-5.\n(2014). Grandmaster Preparation – Endgame Play. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-1-907982-27-9.\n (2017). Grandmaster Preparation – Thinking Inside the Box. Quality Chess. ISBN 978-1-907982-35-4. \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-gm-jacob-aagaard-31-vii-1973/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200802
DTSTAMP:20210801T175847Z
CREATED:20200401T105351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210801T175847Z
UID:3915-1596240000-1596326399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Rawle Allicock (01-viii-1970)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Rawle Anthony Allicock (01-viii-1970) \n Save as PDF
URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-rawle-anthony-allicock-01-viii-1970/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player
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END:VCALENDAR