British Chess News

Death Anniversary of CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941 01-iv-2022)
2022-04-01
BCN remembers CM David Anderton OBE who passed away on Friday, April 1st, 2022 aged 80.
In the 1977 New Years Honours List, Civil Division, David was awarded the OBE. The citation read simply : “For services to Chess”
David William Anderton was born in the district of Walsall, Staffordshire, West Midlands. His mother’s maiden name was Coltart and David resided in Walsall.
David was married to Doreen in 2005.
David Anderton (rhs) congratulates Sir Philip Stuart Milner-Barry for winning the “Board of Honour ” game versus Edward Lasker 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
David was an Honorary Life Vice-President of the English (formerly British) Chess Federation.
John Nunn, David Anderton and Jonathan Speelman
“David won the ECF President’s Award in 2009 following his stepping down as ECF legal expert. This is the citation from the 2010 ECF Yearbook :
“As this is Gerry Walsh’s last year as President it was considered appropriate that he be allowed to choose someone receive the award. Gerry has worked with David for all his time with BCF and ECF and has selected him due to his tireless and selfless devotion to both the BCF and ECF over many years.
David Anderton OBE, ? and Teresa Needham
Most of you will know David and will agree that this is a well deserved award. It is fair to state that David’s assistance over the years has been invaluable and that without it many areas of the Federation would have found it difficult, if not impossible to operate.
Jim Plaskett with David Anderton OBE at the 1983 Benedictine International (Manchester)
Since my election David has been a constant friend and confidante. He has invariable given sound advice throughout my term of office. It was John Wickham who rang me and suggested that due to my length of tenure, a special award might be in order.
Jim accepts the 1981 Grand Prix shield from David Anderton OBE
After years of selfless and generous devotion serving as ECF President, International Director, Captain of the England Team and legal adviser, this seems to be a fitting tribute.
From the Praxis Bath Zonal Tournament of 1987. David Anderton OBE is second from right
David’s advice both legal and general, has been invaluable in such matters as the John Robinson legacy and the change of name from BCF to ECF Limited, and I certainly hope that this advice will continue.
Gerry Walsh”
Bob Wade OBE, Murray Chandler MNZM and David Anderton OBE
David is a FIDE Candidate Master (CM).
From the BCF 1979-80 Year Book of Chess : Robert Bellin, the new British Champion, explains the secret to the Mayor of Chester (?) and to David Anderton, BCF President
With the White pieces David exclusively plays 1.d4 aiming for a Queen’s Gambit and main lines.
With Black David plays the Winawer and the Classical French plus the Lenningrad Dutch.
Mrs. Joan Agar; Chairman of Leigh Interests, presents the Leigh trophy (for 1981) to Mark Hebden. Left, David Anderton, BCF President; on the right Malcolm Wood, Leigh’s Chief Executive. BCM, 1981, page 104
Here are his games.

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

DW Anderton OBE plays BH Wood MBE in 1981 in a Blitz tournament outside of the National Film Theatre. Photograph courtesy of John Saunders
During 1989-93 David was an Executive Board Member of FIDE.
The 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
In 2002 David was awarded the title of International Master by the ICCF (correspondence chess)
In 2015 David stood down from all of his roles within the ECF.
David Anderton OBE, Paul Bazalgette (Senior Partner at Philips & Drew) and Tony Banks (GLC Arts & Recreation Department) at the 1982 Philips and Drew Kings Tournament Opening Ceremony. Photograph by Clive Field
David has won the British Seniors Championship in 2003 (shared), 2005, 2007 (shared), 2009 (shared) and 2011.
Here is a potted biography from The Express and Star Newspaper
David Anderton OBE at the 2019 British Championships in Torquay, courtesy of John Upham Photography
David is Head of Regulatory Law at Anson’s Solicitors. He is also Secretary of the Erasmus Darwin Foundation (03270753) and Director of Unionist Buildings Ltd., Wallsall Conservative Investments Ltd. and Wallsall Unionist Holdings Ltd.
CM David William Anderton OBE
Save as PDF

Birthday of FM Sam Franklin (03-viii-1994)
2020-08-03
Birthday of FM Samuel Gideon A Franklin (03-viii-1994)
FM Samuel GA Franklin from the Varsity Match, 9th March 2014, courtesy of John Upham Photography
FM Samuel GA Franklin from the London Chess Classic, 29th December 2013.
Save as PDF

Birthday of IM Angus Dunnington (09-viii-1967)
2020-08-09
Birthday of IM Angus Dunnington (09-viii-1967)
Angus James Dunnington was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, his mother’s maiden name was Townend.
He has lived in Castleford, West Yorkshire and most recently in Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire.
Angus became a FIDE Master in 1990 and an International Master in 1991.
Angus has been a recipient of a Chess Journalists of America award and was chess correspondent for The Yorkshire Post. He has been an Olympiad trainer.
Angus has played for 4NCL White Rose and his peak FIDE rating was 2450 in January 1996, aged 29.
He won Toulouse 1993 with 6.5/9, we was first equal (3) in the London Agency tournament on 1997 with 6/9, we was equal first in the 1999 Hampstead IM tournament with 6.5/9.
As White Angus prefers a Reti style double fianchetto, the King’s Indian Attack and also the Queen’s Gambit and is an expert on the Catalan and KIA.
As Black Angus essays the Modern Defence for most of the time.
His most recent ECF grading was 212E in 2005 and was 232A in 1996.
In 2018 after a lengthy absence Angus made a welcome return to the Scottish Championship Open with a strong =3rd place.

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

IM Angus Dunnington, photograph by Gisbert Jacoby
Here is his Wikipedia entry
The Ultimate King’s Indian Attack, 1993
Pawn Power !, 1994
Winning with the Catalan, 1997
Easy Guide to the Reti Opening
101 Winning Chess Strategies, 1999
Winning Unorthodox Openings, 2000
Mastering the Middlegame, 2001
Chess Psychology, 2003
Nimzo-Indian Rubinstein: Complex Lines with 4e3, 2004
Blunders and How to Avoid Them, 2004
IM Angus Dunnington, photograph by Cathy Rogers
Save as PDF

Birthday of IM Bill Hartston (12-viii-1947)
2020-08-12
IM William Hartston, FIDE Candidates, 2013, courtesy of John Upham Photography
On the “glorious twelfth” of August we celebrate the birthday of one of England’s most popular chess players and writers, IM Bill Hartston.
William Roland Hartston was born in Willesden, Middlesex on Tuesday, August 12th, 1947. His father was William Hartston, a significant member of the Royal College of Physicians who was married to Mary Rowland. Bill has a sister.
Bill Hartston
He studied at the City of London School and then studied mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge and graduated with a BA in 1968 and an MA in 1972, but did not complete his PhD on number theory.
An early Bill Hartston, event unknown
While studying for his PhD at Cambridge, Hartston developed an intricate system for balancing an entire chess set on top of a single rook. Here is an article with an explanation letter from Bill.
Bill married Dr. Jana Malypetrova in January, 1970 in Cambridge. In 1978 Bill married Elizabeth Bannerman, also in Cambridge and from that marriage he had two sons, James and Nicholas.
Bill and Dr. Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova)
Bill became an International Master in 1972 and his highest FIDE rating was 2485 in January 1979.
With the white pieces Bill almost exclusively played 1.e4 and the Ruy Lopez.
With the black pieces Bill played the Sicilian Taimanov and the Czech Benoni.
Bill plays his trusty Sicilian Taimanov against an unknown opponent
Bill is a self-proclaimed follower of Prof. AJ Ayer (See the Acknowledgements in “Soft Pawn”) Clint Eastwood and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Bill and Jana Hartston are shown with some of their many chess sets. CHESS, August 1973, page 323
Bill was the chess correspondent of The Independent and The Mail on Sunday. He was also a regular presenter and commentator for television. He worked with Jeremy James on the BBC’s Master Game.
The Master Game, Series 6&7 with Jeremy James and Bill Hartston
Bill is an industrial psychologist.
Curiously the 1984 edition of the usually reliable The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper and Whyld does not have an entry for the twice British Champion : was this simply an oversight ? Jana is also not mentioned.

Bill wrote about himself in British Chess (Pergamon, 1983) :
“To summarise more than 20 years of playing competitive chess in a few hundred words is an impossible task. My attitude to the game has changed a great deal, especially in recent times, but I have always enjoyed and felt at home in the tense and lively atmosphere of chess tournaments, whether as a competitor, spectator or journalist.
Caption as per photograph below
Caption for above photograph
I consider myself lucky to have been a ‘promising junior’ just at the time when chess was beginning to be taken seriously as a sport in England. The English team consisted mainly of amateurs and there were clear opportunities for anyone willing to work at the game. As a result of the changing attitudes to the game in this country, the development between 1965, when I first played for the national team, and 1975 was far greater than in any other decade. One statistic which I have always found personally amusing is that I progressed from youngest player in 1967 for the Clare Benedict tournament to become the oldest in the 1971 team. From promising junior to veteran in four years = is this a record ?
Bill Hartston commentating on games from the Phillips & Drew King’s 1982
Since my second British Championship win in 1975, I have been writing more and playing less. I always realised that I was not going to become a sufficiently strong player to be happy just wandering round the tournament circuit, but giving up chess entirely is, of course, unthinkable. I believe now that the time is ripe for chess to be presented to far wider audiences and I like to think that some of what I do will help in that aim. If the Master Game television series and “Soft Pawn” cannot sell chess to the masses then nothing will.”
Bill was always a keen supporter of junior chess. Here at the Teachers Assurance National Schools Championships in 1980

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Harry Golombek wrote the following in a 1980 Dataday chess diary :
“Hartston played hardly at all during the period from my last entry of him in the 1977 diary and that little, though respectable, was hardly the performance of an active master. His equal 3rd to 5th at the big Aaronson’s Masters Tournament (a swiss system event with 72 players) did not really affect his rating and indeed he finished up without changing his Elo rating at all.
Nevertheless, this glimpse of his true powers was impressive as can be seen in the following game which was played in the 6th round of the Aaronson tournament.”

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

From The Encyclopedia of Chess(Robert Hale, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks :
“International Master (1972) and British Champion (1973) William Hartston was born in London on the 12th August 1947. He was taught to play chess by his father when he was seven and five years later joined Enfield Chess Club. His results in junior events included 1st in the London Boys’ Under 16 Championship and 2nd in the British Boys’ Under 15 Championship in 1962 and =2nd in the British Boys Under 18 Championship in 1963.
Bill had a keen interest in computer chess and technology
In 1965, Hartston made his first appearance in the British Championship and came =5th. In the same year he won the Ilford and Paignton Premier tournaments. Playing on board 3 for England in the 1966 Olympiad. Hartston scored the best result of any British player, 66.7%. In the Olympiad of 1970, he had the best overall score on board 3, 12.5 out of 16 and in the Olympiad of 1972 he won the prize for the 3rd best score on board 2, 12.5 out of 18. In 1972 he narrowly failed to qualify for the Interzonal tournament, when he came 3rd in the Zonal tournament at Vranjacka Banja.”
Mike Basman plays Bill during the play-off for the 1973 British Championship
From The Encyclopedia of Chess (Batsford, 1977) by Harry Golombek :
“British International Master and twice British Champion. Hartston was born in London and his early chess was played there., where he became London Boy (Under-16 Champion in 1962.
He was educated at the City of London School and Jesus College, Cambridge, where he took a degree in mathematics.
It soon became clear that he was one of the leading young players in England and a rivalry developed between him and Raymond Keene in which first one and then the other obtained the upper hand.
After a number of near misses he won the British Championship at Eastbourne in 1973 and again at Morecambe in 1975.
Jana & Bill Hartston celebrate a family double at the British Championships in 1973 at Eastbourne
Internationally he has already had a distinguished career and has been especially good and consistent in his representation of England at the Olympiads. At Havana in 1966 he scored 66.7% on board 3 but did not play at Lugano in 1968. Again on board 3 at Siegen in 1970 he obtained the best score on board 3 with 78.1%. At Skopje 1972 he fulfilled the second norm of the international master title with 12.5 points out of 18 on second board. Playing on first board at Nice 1974 he attained 52.7% and had a most meritorious and well fought draw with the World Champion, Karpov.
Bill Hartston draws with Anatoly Karpov at Nice 1974
He achieved a breakthrough in the field of international tournament chess when he came third in a strong Premier tournament at Hastings 1972/3
Hastings, England, 4th January 1972, Chess, Russian Grand Master Viktor Korchnoi (right) is pictured in a match with William Hartston (UK) during the 47th Hastings International Chess Tournament (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
and in 1973 he scored a first at Alicante.

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

His best tournament result came three years later when he won 1st prize at Sarajevo 1976.
Sarajevo 1976 Crosstable from English Chess Explosion (1980)
His style of play is sound and competent in all the spheres of the game. That he can be brilliant when necessary he demonstrated his beautiful brilliancy game against the Finnish grandmaster Westerinen at Allicante in 1973. He has a fine, broad knowledge of the openings and has written a number of articles and books on that theme.
Bill was always a keen supporter of junior chess. event unknown.

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Danish chess grandmaster Bent Larsen (1935 – 2010, left) takes on English player William Hartston (right) during the annual Hastings International Chess Congress, UK, 13th January 1973. Larsen won the game. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
A lucid and entertaining writer, he has also appeared with success in BBC Television chess programmes.
Bill Hartston at a promotional event
Among his chief works are :
The Benoni, London, 1969
The Grunfeld Defence, London, 1971
The Best Games of CHO’D Alexander (with H. Golombek), Oxford, 1976.”
In modern times Bill has made regular appearances with World Cluedo champion, Josef Kollar on Channel Four’s Gogglebox with a pair of painted breasts as background.
Here is his Wikipedia article
See his entry from the Jewish Lives Project
The King’s Indian Defence, 1969
The Benoni, 1969
How to Cheat at Chess, 1976
The Best Games of C.H.O’D. Alexander, 1976
The Grünfeld Defence, 1977
Benoni, 1977
Karpov-Korchnoi, 1978
Soft Pawn, 1980
The Phillips & Drew King’s Chess Tournament, 1980
The Penguin Book of Chess Openings, 1981
The Psychology of Chess, 1984
Short vs Kasparov, 1993
The Kings of Chess, 1995
The Guinness Book of Chess Grandmasters, 1996
William Hartston
Save as PDF

Birthday of FM Andrew Smith (15-viii-1959)
2020-08-15
BCN wishes Happy Birthday to FM Andrew Smith (15-viii-1959)
Andrew became a FIDE Master in 1994 and is registered with the Irish Chess Union.
His highest FIDE rating was 2310 in July 1994 at the age of 35.
FM Andrew Smith, photographer unknown
He plays for Bourne End Chess Club in the Buckinghamshire League and in the Berkshire League.
Andrew also plays for 4NCL Barnet Knights (he has played for Atticus), Buckinghamshire CCA in the Chiltern League and Hon Members LCCL.
He has won the Berks & Bucks Congress in 2018 and 2016 (joint) and he became Berkshire Individual Champion as a direct consequence winning the Cadogan Cup.
With the white pieces Andrew is (almost) exclusively a 1.e4 player favouring the Centre Game
and as the second player Andrew plays the Philidor Defence and the Benoni.
He is known to favour “enterprising” variations such as the Mason Variation of the Philidor, the Haldane Attack versus the French and other such exotica.
British Chess Magazine, Volume CXXXII (132), Number 7 (July) front cover features FM Andrew Smith from the final 4NCL weekend of the 2011-2012 season, courtesy of John Upham Photography

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

FM Andrew Smith at the 2019 Keith Richardson Memorial, courtesy of John Upham Photography
Save as PDF

Birthday of Leonard Barden (20-viii-1929)
2020-08-20
Ninety-two today is Leonard Barden, born Tuesday, August 20th, 1929.
His mother’s maiden was Bartholomew and she became Elise EM Barden when she married Leonard’s father who was William C Barden and in 1939 they lived at 89, Tennison Road, Croydon.
89, Tennison Road, Croydon
From The Encyclopedia of Chess (Batsford, 1977) by Harry Golombek OBE:
“British Master and joint British Champion 1954. Barden was born in Croydon and learned to play at his school, Whitgift, which became a frequent producer of fine players.
In 1946 he tied for first place in the London Boys Championship and in the following year he tied with Jonathan Penrose for first place in the British Boys Championship, but lost the play-off.
In 1952 he came first at Paignton ahead of the Canadian Grandmaster Yanofsky and he reached his peak in 1954 when , after tieing for first place with the Belgian Grandmaster O’Kelly de Galway at Bognor, he tied for for first place in the British Championship at Nottingham with A. Phillips. The play-off was drawn and so the players became joint champions.
Alan Phillips and Leonard Barden are joint British Champions of 1954 in Nottingham, photographer unknown
He played for the BCF in four Olympiads from 1952 to 1962 and then abandoned competitive chess, applying all his energies to writing (he is chess correspondent of the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Evening Standard and the Field, and has written many books on the game.
He has also developed two special interests, in junior chess and in grading, working with utmost persistence and energy in both of these fields.
Leonard authored a series of articles on what was to become the Yugoslav Attack versus the Sicilian Dragon. Source : British Chess Magazine, Volume LXXXIII, Number 7 (July), page 208
Amongst his best works are : a A Guide to Chess Openings, London, 1957; The Ruy Lopez, Oxford, 1963; The King’s Indian Defence, London, 1968.”
Disappointingly Sunnucks Encyclopedia does not mention Barden at all and and surprisingly Hooper and Whyld’s usually excellent Oxford Companion only from a connection with Jim Slater.
Leonard Bardens’ Evening Standard column ends after 63 Years
Signature of LW Barden from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Southsea 1951.
Here is an in-depth article from Edward Winter
Leonard Barden’s Blunder Theory from Kingpin Magazine
54-Year-Old Chess Record established in 2009
From Wikipedia :
“Leonard William Barden (born 20 August 1929, in Croydon, London) is an English chess master, writer, broadcaster, organizer and promoter. The son of a dustman, he was educated at Whitgift School, South Croydon, and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Modern History.
Travel Chess2nd January 1951: British chess champions Jonathan Penrose and Leonard Barden prepare their openings over breakfast in the Yelton Hotel before the 9.30 am round start at Hastings 1950-51. (Photo by Walter Bellamy/Express/Getty Images)
He learned to play chess at age 13 while in a school shelter during a World War II German air raid. Within a few years he became one of the country’s leading juniors.[1] He represented England in four Chess Olympiads. Barden played a major role in the rise of English chess from the 1970s. As a chess columnist for various newspapers, his column in London’s Evening Standard is the world’s longest-standing chess column.
Leonard Barden (seated, second from right) Before Botvinnik’s 1981 Pergamon Press clock simul against England juniors, the final competitive event of the Patriarch’s career.Standing: Stuart Conquest, Neil Dickenson. Gary Lane, Alan Byron,Daniel King, John Hawksworth, Pergamon editor.Seated: Julian Hodgson, Byron Jacobs, Mikhail Botvinnik, Leonard Barden, Bernard Cafferty.
In 1946, Barden won the British Junior Correspondence Chess Championship, and tied for first place in the London Boys’ Championship. The following year he tied for first with Jonathan Penrose in the British Boys’ Championship, but lost the playoff.
Barden finished fourth at Hastings in 1951–52. In 1952, he won the Paignton tournament ahead of the Canadian future grandmaster Daniel Yanofsky. He captained the Oxfordshire team which won the English Counties championship in 1951 and 1952.
Barden making a move at Southend 1955.
In the latter year he captained the University of Oxford team which won the National Club Championship, and he represented the university in the annual team match against the University of Cambridge during his years there. In 1953, he won the individual British Lightning Championship (ten seconds a move).
The following year, he tied for first with the Belgian grandmaster Albéric O’Kelly de Galway at Bognor Regis, was joint British champion, with Alan Phillips, and won the Southern Counties Championship.
Leonard Barden vs Victor Korchnoi, Leipzig Olympiad, 1960
He finished fourth at Hastings 1957–58, ranked by chessmetrics as his best statistical performance. In the 1958 British Chess Championship, Barden again tied for first, but lost the playoff match to Penrose 1½–3½.
Leonard Barden (centre) with Raaphi Persitz, JB Sykes, OI Galvenius and DM Armstrong, Ilford, May, 1953

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

LWB observes analysis between David Rumens and Murray Chandler from Brighton 1980. Photograph courtesy of John Upham.
He represented England in the Chess Olympiads at Helsinki 1952 (playing fourth board, scoring 2 wins, 5 draws, and 4 losses), Amsterdam 1954 (playing first reserve, scoring 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses), Leipzig 1960 (first reserve; 4 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses) and Varna 1962 (first reserve; 7 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses). The latter was his best performance by far.
Leonard Barden (left) and Murray Chandler display the Lloyds Bank Trophy which the 19-year old New Zealander won ahead of 3 Grandmasters and 10 International Masters for his finest international success up to 1979. in the Lloyds Bank Masters
Barden has a Morphy number of 3, having drawn with Jacques Mieses in the Premier Reserves at Hastings 1948–49. Mieses drew with Henry Bird in the last round of Hastings 1895, and Bird played a number of games with Paul Morphy in 1858 and 1859.
England’s under-12 junior teams finished first and second in the international Eumig Cup, 1981.Front row: Peter Morrish (organiser), Jimmy Hockaday, Darren Lee, Neil Fox, Neil Carr. Second row: James Howell, Stuart Conquest, Teresa Needham. Far right: LB.
In 1964, Barden gave up most competitive chess to devote his time to chess organisation, broadcasting, and writing about the game. He has made invaluable contributions to English chess as a populariser, writer, organiser, fundraiser, and broadcaster.
Leonard Barden at Bob Wade’s 80th birthday party, 2001.
He was controller of the British Chess Federation Grand Prix for many years, having found its first sponsor, Cutty Sark. He was a regular contributor to the BBC’s Network Three weekly radio chess programme from 1958 to 1963. His best-known contribution was a consultation game, recorded in 1960 and broadcast in 1961, where he partnered Bobby Fischer against the English masters Jonathan Penrose and Peter Clarke. This was the only recorded consultation game of Fischer’s career. The game, unfinished after eight hours of play, was adjudicated a draw by former world champion Max Euwe. Barden gave BBC television commentaries on all the games in the 1972 world championship. From 1973 to 1978 he was co-presenter of BBC2’s annual Master Game televised programme.
Julian and Nigel Short play Korchnoi in the Evening Standard 1976 simul. Leonard Barden observes.
As of 2021, his weekly columns have been published in The Guardian for 65 years and in The Financial Times for 46 years. A typical Barden column not only contains a readable tournament report, but is geared toward promoting the game. His London Evening Standard column, begun in summer 1956, is now the world’s longest running daily chess column by the same author, breaking the previous record set by George Koltanowski in the San Francisco Chronicle. Koltanowski’s column ran for 51 years, 9 months, and 18 days, including posthumous articles.”
Leonard Barden (Linda Nylind of the Guardian)
Leonard wrote this on the English Chess Forum in 2021 :
“I retired after Ilford 1964 when I finished a poor last in the England Olympiad team qualifier, returned at Hammersmith 1969 (equal 2nd behind Keene) and then played around 6-8 weekenders a year until 1972. My overall performance level between early 60s and early 70s dropped from around 225 to 215 BCF, so I wasn’t encouraged to pursue the comeback further.”
Leonard was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1953-54 season.
Leonard Barden, Stewart Reuben and Michael Franklin at the 1978 Aaronson Masters
Leonard reveals this as his best game :

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Leonard has authored or co-authored a number of highly regarded books, most of which are highly instructional to this day:
A Guide to Chess Openings (1957),
A Guide to Chess Openings
How Good Is Your Chess? (1957),
How Good is Your Chess ?
Chess (1959),
Introduction to Chess Moves and Tactics Simply Explained (1959),
An Introduction to Chess Moves and Tactics Simply Explained
Modern Chess Miniatures (with Wolfgang Heidenfeld, 1960),
Erevan 1962 (1963),
The Ruy Lopez (1963),
The Ruy Lopez
The Guardian Chess Book (1967),
The Guardian Chess Book
An Introduction to Chess (1967),
An Introduction to Chess
The King’s Indian Defence (1969),
The King’s Indian Defence
Chess: Master the Moves (1977),
Guide to the Chess Openings (with Tim Harding, 1977),
Guide to the Chess Openings
Leonard Barden’s Chess Puzzle Book (1977) (a collection of his Evening Standard columns),
Leonard Barden’s Chess Puzzle Book
The Master Game (with Jeremy James, 1979),
The Master Game
How to Play the Endgame in Chess (1979),
How to Play The Endgame in Chess
Play Better Chess (1980),
Play Better Chess
Batsford Chess Puzzles (2002),
Batsford Chess Puzzles
One Move and You’re Dead (with Erwin Brecher, 2007) : Can you supply an image?

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Save as PDF

Birthday of WCM Dinah Norman (née Dobson) (21-viii-1946)
2020-08-21
BCN wishes Happy Birthday to Dinah Norman on August 21st

Dinah Margaret Dobson was born on Wednesday, August 21st 1946 in Exeter, Devon. Her parents were Leslie and Barbara Dobson (née Hayward).

Some 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

Dinah became a WCM in 2002.

According to chessgames.com : “Dinah Margaret Norman Dobson is a WCM. She was British champion (w) in 1967 (=Rowena Mary Bruce, Oxford), 1968 (Bristol) and 1969 (=Rowena Mary Bruce, Rhyl).”

Dinah Dobson 22-year-old Champion British Chess Player Deep In Thought During Chess Competition In Hastings. Mandatory Credit: Photo by ANL/Shutterstock

Dinah played on board three (i.e. 1st reserve) for England in the third FIDE Women’s Olympiad in Oberhausen, Germany in 1966 and in 1969 she played board 1 in Lublin, Poland.

English Chess Champion Dinah Dobson Playing Against Two German Boys During Lunch-break At Chess Competition In Hastings. Box 658 221121512 A.jpg.English Chess Champion Dinah Dobson Playing Against Two German Boys During Lunch-break At Chess Competition In Hastings. Mandatory Credit: Photo by ANL/Shutterstock

She played in the 1968 Anglo-Dutch match on the Ladies board, which, at that time, did not count in the overall match result.

The Annual International Chess Championship opened today at Hasting. Dinah “Dobson,” “23,” of Northwood Middlesex. December 1969

Now (1071) living in Northwood, Middlesex, she married Danny Wright in Westminster and in 1983 she married Ken Norman in Richmond.

Dinah Wright (third from right) playing in the 1971 British Ladies Championship in Palatine School, Blackpool. Courtesy of Lancashire Evening Post.

Dinah has been a member of Crowthorne Chess Club and has played in the Berkshire League. She has represented 4NCL Iceni and Guildford in other competitions.

According to Megabase 2020 her highest FIDE rating was 2085 in July 1990 at the age of 44. However, it would have been higher than this in the late 1960s and 1970s had ratings been established then.

Dinah Norman at the 2017 Keith Richardson Memorial organised by Camberley Chess Club. Courtesy of John Upham Photographic

With the white pieces she has essayed the Colle-Koltanowki Opening for many years and as the second player she has played the Caro-Kann, Smyslov Variation and the Semi-Slav Defence.

Dinah Norman with Sandra Richardson at the 2017 Keith Richardson Memorial organised by Camberley Chess Club

Save as PDF

Death Anniversary of Ernst Klein (29-i-1910 22-viii-1990)
2020-08-22
Death Anniversary of Ernst Klein (29-i-1910 22-viii-1990)
From CHESS, July 1946 (and also The Anglo-Soviet Radio Chess Match) :
Since Ernst Klein came to England in 1935 his play has earned our ungrudging admiration. Born in Vienna, 1910, he learned chess at the age of eleven. His grandmother taught him the moves, his father having died when he was eight. Steinitz was a frequent guest in his grandparents house. At eighteen, he shared first, second and third prizes in the Championship of Vienna. Before coming to England, he had lived for some years in Switzerland, France and Italy and his French, German and English are equally impeccable. In his last tournament at Bournemouth, in 193, he finished equal with Flohr after Euwe ahead of König, Landau, Aitken and others. He met his wife, who is an Englishwoman, during the blitz. They were married in 1944. He holds a London University degree and teaches mathematics in Southend.
About 1940, he offered to give any opponent in Great Britain the odds of the draw.; his challenge was never taken up, no doubt owing to the conditions of the moment, but we imagine there would be many “takers” if it were repeated now.”
Later, Klein clarified matters by writing What I said was: “I am ready to accept the challenge of any player in this country and am prepared to give the odds of a draw in a contest at least twelve games if he so wishes. That is, I offered to concede victory on a score of 6 : 6 draws counting, which is the necessary and sufficient condition to justify my offer. It is still open.
See below photograph for caption
Caption for above photograph
Here is his Wikipedia entry
Edward Winter has written a detailed article here.
The Anglo-Soviet Radio Chess Match (1947, Pitman)

Save as PDF

Birthday of GM Aaron Summerscale (26-viii-1969)
2020-08-26
BCN offers best wishes to Aaron Summerscale on his 52nd birthday.
Aaron Piers Summerscale was born on Tuesday, August 26th 1969 in Westminster, Greater London. His mother’s maiden name is Mayall. Aaron lives in SW18 and teaches chess. He married Claire Lusher (Basingstoke) but they are now separated.
Aaron Summerscale
He became a FIDE Master in 1992, an International Master in 1994 and a Grandmaster in 1997.
Aaron was runner-up (to Jonathan Parker) with 8/11 in the 1995 British Championship in Swansea.
British Championship (Swansea) 1995 Crosstable
His highest FIDE rating was 2513 in October 2000 and was joint (with Ameet Ghasi) British Rapidplay Chess Champion in the same year.
Aaron Summerscale courtesy of John Henderson

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

His highest ECF grading was 244A in 2001 and he won the Staffordshire GM tournament in the same year :
Staffordshire GM Tournament 2000 Crosstable
Aaron plays for Wood Green in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) and has played for Pride and Prejudice.
Aaron Summerscale
Aaron wrote “Confessions of a British Nightclubber” for Kingpin Magazine.
With the white pieces Aaron is very much a Queen’s pawn player mainly employing the Colle-Zukertort System and the Barry Attack.
Aaron Summerscale from Foxy Video 20. d4 Dynamite! talks about the Barry Attack,
As the second player Aaron prefers the Classical French and the Slav Defence.
Here is a video of a young Aaron talking about his 150 Attack video for Foxy Video :

Aaron Summerscale courtesy of Gabriele Winkler

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Books :
Summerscale, Aaron (1999). A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire. Globe Pequot. ISBN 978-1-85744-519-0.
A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire
A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire
Summerscale, Aaron; Summerscale, Claire (2002).
Interview With a Grandmaster. Everyman Chess. ISBN 978-1-85744-243-4.
Interview with a Grandmaster
Foxy Video : d4 Dynamite by Aaron Summerscale
GM Aaron Summerscale courtesy of John Upham Photography

Save as PDF

Birthday of GM Daniel King (28-viii-1963)
2020-08-28
We offer best wishes to GM Daniel King on his birthday
Daniel John King was born on Wednesday, August 28th 1963 (the same day as the Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech) in Beckenham, Kent.
He attended Langley Park School whose motto is “Mores et Studia” meaning “good character and learning” or “morals and study”.
Daniel has a brother Andrew (AJ King) who is also a strong player.
Daniel became an International Master in 1982 and a Grandmaster in 1989.
Daniel King
His peak FIDE rating (Felice) was 2560 in July 1990 at the age of 27.
Daniel plays for Guildford in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) and has played for Guildford in local leagues.
This was written (by Leonard Barden) about Daniel who was 15 just prior to the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display :
“Langley Park School, Shortlands and Bromley. Rating 201. British under-14 co-champion, 1977. 2nd Lloyds Bank junior international, 1979.”
Danny was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion for the 1983-84 and 1985-86 seasons.
According to Test Your Chess With Daniel King, Batsford, 2004 :
“Grandmaster Daniel King has been a professional chess player for 20 years. During that time he has represented his country on many occasions including an historic match victory over the Soviet Union in Reykyavik, 1990. Besides his chess career, Daniel has built up a reputation as a commentator on TV and radio,
Jonathan Speelman and Daniel King share headphones at the 2013 FIDE Candidates event in London, courtesy of John Upham Photography
and has reported on four World Championship matches and several Man vs Machine events, including the controversial Kasparov vs Deep Blue encounter in New York, 1997. He is an award-winning author of 15 books, including Winning with the Najdorf, Mastering the Spanish, and Kasparov vs Deep Blue for Batsford. ”
On April 8th, 2020 New in Chess released Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire which is Daniel’s most recent book.
According to British Chess (Pergamon, 1983) by Botterill, Levy, Rice and Richardson :
1977 British Under 14 Champion
1979 Lloyds Bank 6/9 (aged only 16)
1980 First Ilford Open
1981 Represented England in Glorney Cup scoring 4.5/5
1981 Fourteenth equal British Championship
1981 IM norm Manchester 5.5/9
1981 Second equal Ramsgate Regency Masters 6.5/9 IM norm with a round to spare
1982 First Equal Guernsey 6/7
1982 First Hamar IM norm and title
1982 Second equal Molde
1982 Second equal Hallsberg Junior
1982 Third equal Phillips and Drew Knights
1982/3 Tenth equal Ohra, Amsterdam 5/9
1982/3 Fifth European Junior
1983 Fourth equal Gausdal
1983 First Portsmouth Open
In the same article Daniel gave the following game as his favourite up to 1983:

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Streatham & 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
Daniel King (seated, second from left)
Here is his Wikipedia entry

You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

At the Lloyds Bank Masters : Front (l-r) : Joel Benjamin, Ian Wells, Rear : Peter Morrish, Stewart Reuben, Richard Beville, Gary Senior, Richard Webb, John Hawksworth, Andrew King, Nigel Short, Mark Ginsburg, Daniel King, David Cummings, Erik Teichmann, John Brandford and Micheal Pagden
Mastering the Spanish, Batsford, 1993
Kasparov v. Deeper Blue: The Ultimate Man v. Machine Challenge. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-8322-9., 1997
How to Win at Chess: The Ten Golden Rules (Cadogan Chess Books), 2000
Kasparov Against the World: The Story of the Greatest Online Challenge. KasparovChess Online. ISBN 0970481306., 2000
Winning With the Najdorf. Sterling Pub Co Inc. ISBN 0713470372., 2002
How Good Is Your Chess?. Dover. ISBN 048644676X., 2003
Test Your Chess With Daniel King, Batsford, 2004
How To Play Chess. Kingfisher. ISBN 0753419181., 2009
Chessbase Fritz Trainer
Chessbase Tutorials
Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire

Save as PDF
