BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//British Chess News - ECPv6.17.4//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:British Chess News X-ORIGINAL-URL:http://britishchessnews.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for British Chess News REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20190101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201114 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201115 DTSTAMP:20201112T205953Z CREATED:20200410T091929Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201112T205953Z UID:4311-1605312000-1605398399@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of GM David Howell (14-xi-1990) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of GM David Wei Lang Howell (14-xi-1990) \nDavid was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion for the 2010-11 season sharing with Danny Gormally. \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-gm-david-wei-lang-howell-14-xi-1990/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/bct_4354_lv.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201116 DTSTAMP:20201030T125410Z CREATED:20191110T180217Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201030T125410Z UID:1897-1605398400-1605484799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Charles Cobb (15-xi-1978) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of IM Charles A Cobb (15-xi-1978) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-charles-a-cobb-15-xi-1978/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Cob01584.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201116 DTSTAMP:20201030T125543Z CREATED:20200409T085816Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201030T125543Z UID:4251-1605398400-1605484799@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Ben Hague (15-xi-1973) DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Ben Hague (15-xi-1973) \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-ben-hague-15-xi-1973/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201116 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201117 DTSTAMP:20201116T143818Z CREATED:20190823T184126Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201116T143818Z UID:1108-1605484800-1605571199@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Edward Sergeant OBE (3-xii-1881 16-xi-1961) DESCRIPTION:We remember Edward Sergeant OBE (3-xii-1881 16-xi-1961) \nEdward Guthlac Sergeant was born on Saturday\, December 3rd 1881 : in the same year British Chess Magazine was founded by John Watkinson. \nHe was born in Crowland\, South Holland\, Lincolnshire. The registration district was Peterborough and the inferred county was Northamptonshire. His father was William R Sergeant (aged 27) and his mother was Frances E Sergeant (aged 25). He had a sister\, Hilda who was one year older. William was a registered general medical practitioner. \nHe was named Guthlac after a monk who “came to what was then an island in the Fens to live the life of a hermit.” \nSignature of EG Sergeant from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Margate 1936.\nAccording to the 1891 census EGS was aged 9 and living with his father\, mother\, sister and their domestic servant Margaret A George who was their general domestic servant who hailed from Scotland. They lived at 2\, Gladstone Terrace\, Gateshead\, NE8 4DY. This was in the Ecclesiastical parish of Christchurch. \n2\, Gladstone Terrace\, Gateshead\, NE8 4DY\nIn the 1911 census aged 29 as nephew to the head of the household (5 St Peters Terrace\, Cambridge) EGS is listed as a solicitor who is single. The size of the household in 1911 was relatively modest at 12. He was living with George Edward Wherry (59\, surgeon university professor) and his wife Albinia Lucy Wherry (53). Albinia Lucy Wherry was a nurse and also writer. During WWI she was stationed in Paris at the Gare du Nord where she supported British forces from 1915-18. the sub-registration district was St Andrew the Great. \nAccording to Edward Winter in Where did they live? in April 1916 EGS was living at 39 Chichele Road\, Cricklewood\, London NW2 3AN\, England. EGWs source for this is : Chess Amateur\, April 1916\, page 202. \n39 Chichele Road\, Cricklewood\, London NW2 3AN\n1918 was an important year for Edward when he married Dorothy Frances Carter (born 1887) in Gravesend. In the same year Dorothy and Edward had a son Richard who passed away in 2014 \nTwo years later Dorothy and Edward had a son Lewis Carter Sergeant born on January 30th 1920. The birth was registered in Paddington. Lewis lived at 3 Woodhill Court\, 175 Woodhill\, London\, SE18 5HSL and passed away in 2004 the death being registered in Greenwich. \nOn the 1920 Electoral Roll\, EGS was now living with Dorothy Frances Sergeant at St. Stephen’s Mansions\, 5\, Monmouth Road\, Edmonton. \nIn 1923 they upped sticks and moved to 27. King Edward’s Grove\, Teddington. \nSadly Dorothy passed away in 1926 at the modest age of 39. \nCoventry Evening Telegraph 10 October 1933\nAccording to the 1939 census EGS was listed as a widowed\, civil servant living at 24\, Gloucester Road\, Kingston Upon Thames\, KT2 7DX. This would be the address that Edward saw out the rest of his life. \n24\, Gloucester Road\, Kingston Upon Thames\, KT2 7DX\nHe shared this address with Edith Carter (born 4th May 1878) who is described as being of “Private Means” and Ada M Wenman (6th August 1881) who is described as being a “domestic”. \nIn 1949 he was awarded the OBE in the Birthday Honours in recognition of his 39 years’ service in the office of the Solicitor to the Board of Inland Revenue. \nAccording to John Saunders : EGS died in the New Victoria Hospital\, New Malden\, Surrey\, on 16 November 1961. His residence at death had been 24 Gloucester Road\, Kingston Hill. Probate (26 Jan 1962) granted to Lewis Carter Sergeant\, a Lieutenant-Colonel in HM Army. Effects £6\,586. \nE.G. Sergeant in characteristic pose v. Miss Vera Menchik at Margate\, 1939\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)\, Harry Golombek OBE : \nA British master who had a long and solidly distinguished career in British chess but never quite succeeded in breaking through the barrier to international success. A civil servant by profession\, he was awarded the OBE for his services in the Inland Revenue and Sergeant on Stamp Duties was regarded as an authoritative work. \nSergeant’s earliest performance in the British Championship\, at the Crystal Palace in London 190\, was one of his best. He came =2nd with JH Blackburne. RP Mitchell and GE Wainwright with 6.5 points\, a point below the winner of the title\, HE Atkins. \nHe was 3rd at Edinburgh in 1920 and his best result in the competition came in Brighton 193\, where he came equal second with H. Golombek\, a 1/2 point below the winner\, CHO’D Alexander. \nA stalwart supporter of the City of London Chess Club\, he won its championship in two successive years\, 1916 and 1917. He played for Britain against the USA in the 1908 and 1909 cable matches and also played on a high board for London against various American cities in the Insull Trophy matches in the years 1926-31. \nAs a player he was strongly influenced by the scientific principles of Siegbert Tarrasch and did well during the period when the Tarrasch school enjoyed its heyday. But he was at a loss when confronted with more modern methods.” \nBoth Sunnucks and Hooper & Whyld are silent on EGS : surprising! \nEGS was a cousin of PW Sergeant. \nWe asked  Leonard Barden of his memories of EGS and he was kind enough to reply : \n“People have different ways of expressing satisfaction with their position. Botvinnik adjusted his tie\, Kasparov put his watch back on\,  Sergeant rubbed his hands together….He liked to counter the Queen’s Gambit Declined in the classical way with a kind of Lasker Defence.” \nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXII\, March\, 1962\, Number 3\, pages 76 -80 we reproduce an obituary from Bruce Hayden entitled “E.G. Sergeant – An Appreciation” as follows : \n(note the incorrect birth location presumably based on the 1891 census information) \nEdward Guthlac Sergeant\, part one\nEdward Guthlac Sergeant\, part two\nEdward Guthlac Sergeant\, part three\nEdward Guthlac Sergeant\, part four\nEdward Guthlac Sergeant\, part five\nSergeant on Stamp Duties\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 \n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-edward-guthlac-sergeant/ CATEGORIES:British Championships,Death Anniversary,History,Player ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/phpcO0nIT.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201117 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201118 DTSTAMP:20211117T160434Z CREATED:20190822T164355Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211117T160434Z UID:1004-1605571200-1605657599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Gordon Crown (20-vi-1929 17-xi-1947) DESCRIPTION:We remember Gordon Crown who died this day (November 17th) in 1947. \nGordon Thomas Crown was born on Thursday\, June 20th\, 1929 to James Crown (born 18th November 1899) and Hilda M Crown (born 3rd October 1900\, née Sharrott). \nJames was a refrigerating engineer and Hilda carried out unpaid domestic duties. The birth was registered in the district of West Derby\, Lancashire. \nGordon attended Holt Secondary School which is now known as Childwall Sports and Science Academy. \nAccording to the electoral register of 1939 they lived at 8 Ingledene Road\, Liverpool\, Liverpool C.B.\, Lancashire\, England. (This is L18 3HJ in this day and age.) \nAccording to Zoopla : “This 4 bed freehold semi-detached house is located at 8 Ingledene Road\, Liverpool L18 3HJ and has an estimated current value of £581\,000. Ingledene Road has 19 properties on it with an average current value of £492\,220\, compared to an average property value of £325\,035 for L18. There have been 5 property sales on Ingledene Road\, L18 over the last 5 years with an average house price paid of £474\,900. There are currently 108 properties for sale in L18 with an average asking price of £372\,163 and 59 properties to rent in L18 with an average asking rent of £408 pw.” \n8 Ingledene Road\, Calderstones\, Liverpool\, L18 3HJ\nLiverpool Echo 15 April 1946\nBoth Sunnucks and Hooper & Whyld are silent on GTC : surprising! \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)\, Harry Golombek OBE : \n“Gordon Crown is one the sad might-have-beens of the world of chess. In his short life he had already shown himself to be of master strength and a potentially very great player when suddenly\, at the age of eighteen\, he died during an operation. \nHe learnt chess when aged nine and soon became one of the best players\, first in Liverpool\,\, his home town\, and then in Lancashire\, of which county he won the Junior Championship three years in succession. \nCrown first came into national prominence when he came second in the British Boys Championship in 1946. (Ed : the winner was John Fuller) In the Hastings Congress of 1946/7 he won first place in a strong Premier Reserves Section. \nThe last year of his life even saw him reaching out to international success\, Playing on board 9 for Britain against The Netherlands he scored 1.5 out of 2 against L.J. Tummers. Then he won third prize in the British Championship at Harrogate. As a result of this success he was promoted to board 4 for Britain against Australia in a radio match when he beat Dr. M. Gellis. \nHarry Golombek and Gordon Crown in around 1946-47.\nIn September 1947 he was hurried to hospital suffering from peritonitis and\, being a diabetic\, succumbed under the operation. \nAs a player he excelled in both the opening and endgame phases and possessed a style of play that stamped him as a future grandmaster. As a person he was modest\, clever and a very agreeable companion. This was great loss for British and\, almost certainly\, world chess.” \nWe have reproduced his obituary from British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXVII (1947)\, Number 12 (December)\, Page 387-8 and we assume that this was written by TJ Beach: \n“The tragic death of Gordon on November 17th  after an operation\, will be felt keenly-by chess players throughout the country. Although only l8 years of age he had risen to a high place in British chess circles. Learning the elements of the game in 1938\, he had won the Lancashire Junior Championship in three successive years\, was champion of the Liverpool Chess Club and Merseyside champion with 100 per cent scores last season\, headed his section of the Premier Tournament at the last Hastings Christmas Congress\, and\, filling the vacancy caused by the late withdrawal of R. F. Combe the 1946 champion\, took third prize in the British Championship played at Harrogate in August of this year. \nIn three international team matches he scored l.5 points on Board 9 against Tummers\, of Holland; was one of the two British players to score a full point against the visiting U.S.S.R. team\, sharing honours with Kotov in two finely played games on Board 4; and followed this with a win over Dr. Gellis\, of Victoria\, in the recent radio match with Australia\, despite the earlier loss of the exchange through an oversight. His full match record for the past twelve months in international\, county\, and club matches read: won 16\, drawn 2\, and lost l. (to Kotov). \nHis play was notable for his exceptional knowledge of opening and end-game strategy\, but his prowess was not by any means confined to “book” knowledge. Possessing deep positional insight\, real combinational ability\, and chess experience beyond his years\, his concentration\, tenacity\, and\ndetermination to win had already made him one of the most formidable match and tournament players in the country. Many of us felt that he would become a worthy British champion within the next few years\, and possibly reach even greater heights in the international sphere\, and it is\, perhaps\, not too much to say that many chess players were already looking forward to the day when Gordon Crown would lead British chess to a high place in international esteem: Now those dreams have been rudely shattered\, and the loss to British chess is great indeed. \nGordon Crown was not merely a youthful chess prodigy. Although suffering for many years from the physical disability which has now caused his premature death\, he had a distinguished record at the Holt High School\, Liverpool\, and had entered Liverpool University only a month ago to read for the degree of B.A. Unable to play football and cricket\, in which latter he was deeply interested\, he became a tennis and table-tennis player of well above average ability and was an excellent exponent of billiards and snooker. Among other interests were cycling\, and military history and strategy\, in which he had read and studied widely. \nNo study of Gordon Crown would be complete without reference to his personality quite apart from his ability. Possessed of a quiet assurance and confidence in matters pertaining to chess\, he was modest in victory\, generous in his rare defeats\, and ever ready to help small clubs by means of a lecture or simultaneous display. \nNever too busy to play the humblest novice\, he gave untold pleasure and a new interest in life to many men who had suffered during the war by introducing them to the\nfascination of chess\, and by this means helped materially in the vital task of rehabilitation. With charm and dignity Gordon Crown won a warm place in the hearts and affections of those who were fortunate enough to be counted among his friends\, and whilst our deepest sympathy goes out to his parents in their tragic loss\, they may well ae proud that their son achieved so much that was really worth while within so few years\, for we shall remember Gordon with affection long after his chess exploits are but a dim memory.-T. J. B.” \nThe following is one of the last games\, if not the last; played by Crown in competitive chess. Score and notes from “The Field” \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nand here is the scan of the original article: \nObituary of Gordon Thomas Crown\, part one\nand \nObituary of Gordon Thomas Crown\, Part Two\nWe are grateful to Leonard Barden on the identity of T.J.B. : \n“Thomas John Beach\, wartime RAF navigator with Distinguished Flying Cross\, leading light of Liverpool chess\, regular British championship player for many years\, chairman of BCF junior selectors\, father of a leading Midlands expert\, a good and dedicated man” TJB was the father of Richard Beach who won the British Boys Under 18 title in 1961. \nAccording to the British Chess Magazine\, 1943\, March\, page 56 GTC lived at 8 Ingledene Road\, Calderstones\, Liverpool 18\, England. \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\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nGordon Thomas Crown\, from CHESS\, 1948\, January\, page 86\nOn 17 November 1947 he was admitted to hospital\, complaining of a stomach upset. Diagnosed too late with appendicitis\, complicated by his diabetes\, he died in the operating theatre. \nHis friend (and former British champion) Leonard Barden speculates that had he lived\, Crown would have become at least a strong Grandmaster\, further noting that he was ” … open\, friendly and modest as well as a clear and enthusiastic explainer of his chess ideas; I think he would have been like Keres or Gligoric in their countries\, a model for our young players.” \nHarry Golombek was similarly impressed with Crown’s play\, stating that “In his short life\, he had already shown himself to be of master strength and was potentially a very great player.” \nWe are grateful to be able to use comments from long time friend\, Leonard Barden posted under the nom de plume of Roberts Partner on chessgames.com : \n“As to the circumstances of Crown’s death. The finger of blame must be pointed at the family doctor for failing to make a timely correct diagnosis. On Sunday 16 November 1947 a chess friend visited the Crown home at Ingledene Road\, Liverpool\, and found Crown in bed. He explained that his doctor had diagnosed a stomach upset and had recommended rest. The friend and Crown played and analysed together for several hours\, and Crown did not appear in any physical discomfort. But that night after the friend left his condition deteriorated and he was rushed to hospital where he died in the early morning hours of 17 November. There was also a belief among some Liverpool chess players that the hospital procedures could have been better.” \nand \n“On another thread some CG posters expressed surprise at the Ritson Morry v Crown game where Morry fell into a well-known opening trap. \nThe British championship at Harrogate in August 1947 was played in a spa building where the underfloor heating was still switched on. This coincided with one of the warmest summers on record (it was the year in which Compton and Edrich made their memorable cricket achievements for Middlesex). By the second week of the BCF congress older and overweight players (the latter group including Ritson Morry) were wilting. Ritson also had some long adjourned games\, and by the time of his game with Crown in the final round was exhausted. The game finished in 15-20 minutes so by the time other players went to spectate after their opening moves there was just a reset board with no sign of the players and no indication of what had transpired. Other final round results went Crown’s way so that he finished third outright and thus got selected on a high board for the USSR match.” \nWestern Daily Press 22 September 1947\nand here is an article by ddtru (?) in chess.com : full article \nWe are grateful to renowned chess historian\, Taylor Kingston for supplying these scans of an article from Chess Life in 1947 about Gordon Crown written by Reuben Fine : \nChess Life article about Gordon Thomas Crown\, Part One\nand \nChess Life article about Gordon Thomas Crown\, Part Two\nFrom Wikipedia: \n“Gordon Thomas Crown (20 June 1929 – 17 November 1947) was a promising British chess player who died of appendicitis at the age of eighteen. He is best known for his win against the Russian Grandmaster Alexander Kotov shortly before his death. \nCrown was born in Liverpool in 1929. He finished second in the British under 18 championship in 1946 and improved rapidly\, winning the Premier Reserve section of the 1946/7 Hastings International Chess Congress. This led to his being placed on the reserve list for the 1947 British Chess Championship. Following the withdrawal of the defending champion Robert Forbes Combe\, he was allowed to play in the championship\, where he finished third (Harry Golombek won). \nConsequently\, he was selected to play for the British team in the 1947 Britain-USSR match\, where he caused a sensation by defeating the Soviet Grandmaster Alexander Kotov\, though he lost the return game. He also defeated Max Gellis in a Britain-Australia radio match.” \nInterestingly\, via the EC Forum\, Geoff Chandler pointed out a note by Edward Winter in which Bill Hartston recounts advice from David Bronstein : “Look at the games of Gordon Crown. He really understood chess”. From NOW! magazine\, (6-12 February 1981\, page 80.): thanks Geoff ! \nGordon Thomas Crown\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-gordon-thomas-crown/ CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_0906.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201117 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201118 DTSTAMP:20201117T184423Z CREATED:20191110T180622Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201117T184423Z UID:1900-1605571200-1605657599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of GM Michael Adams (17-xi-2019) DESCRIPTION:We send best wishes to GM Michael Adams on his birthday\, this day (November 17th) in 1971 \nMichael was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1996-97 season. \nHis Wikipedia entry is here \nMichael Adams\n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nMichael\, Tara and friend\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-gm-michael-adams-17-xi-2019/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Player ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/jb6_7522_lv.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201117 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201118 DTSTAMP:20260817T135635Z CREATED:20201118T094248Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T135635Z UID:11704-1605571200-1605657599@britishchessnews.com SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Yichen Han (17-xi-2007) DESCRIPTION:Newcastle Upon Tyne resident Yichen Han became the youngest Dutch holder of the FIDE Master (FM) title at the age of twelve years and two months. \nYichen was born in Eindhoven\, Noord-Brabant\, The Netherlands. \nThe games required to complete the FM title were played at the recent 4NCL Harrogate Congress . The final game was a win versus Robert Starley of Crowthorne Chess Club having started with a win versus CM Peter Ackley. \nYichen plays for Forest Hall and is a student at RGS Newcastle. \nHe currently has a FIDE rating of 2257 for standard play and an ECF grading of 215. \n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. \n \n \n \n\n\n \n\nYichen Han at the 2018 Terafinal\n Save as PDF URL:http://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-yichen-han-17-xi-2007/ CATEGORIES:Birthday,Player ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:http://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/utf_9823_lv-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR