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SUMMARY:Happy Birthday Richard James (28-vii-1950)
DESCRIPTION:Here is the citation from the 1997 BCF Official Chess Yearbook for the 1996 President’s Award : \nHe has almost single handedly fostered\, developed and maintained Richmond Junior Chess for two decades. This year Richmond Juniors have won the major National competitions\, and the Richmond Chess Initiative has blossomed under his skills. However\, his work has fostered chess as a whole. \nHe formed the Richmond Junior Club with Mike Fox in 1975. He has built it up and kept it going from a nucleus of a handful of juniors on a Saturday to over 40 juniors on a Saturday morning\, and over 30 on a Saturday afternoon\, 48 weeks a year\, running four Thames Valley League teams during the week. The club has over 175 members. \nThe Richmond record under his dedication has included winning numerous EPSCA\, NYCA and National individual titles at all ages with a wide range of individuals\, both boys and girls. He has generated ‘team spirit’ as well as individual motivation whilst enabling individual Richmond schools to claim their own successes from their own efforts that completed his with the Junior Club. \nHe has been responsible for recognising early the talent of many England juniors. He has then encouraged and facilitated their development. Many of these have subsequently becomes Masters whom he has persuaded to come back and coach at the club.  However\, he has also been unfailing in encouraging the less gifted players and facilities for them. \nHe has never sought any monetary reward and has given considerable extra time to recording\, annotation and distributing games\, as well as calculating grades for hundreds of players\, on top of running the club activities and organising and running numerous tournaments for Richmond and non-Richmond juniors. This year he was instrumental in initiating the new Richmond rapidplays. \nHe has\, with Mike Fox\, been instrumental in opening chess up to a much wider audience\, whilst destroying the mythical image of introverted individuals\, that some of the general public held. They have achieved this by producing their ‘Chess Addict’ books and articles in order to provide spice and humour alongside the ‘normal’ literature\, and not to forget ‘Move One’ published in 1990. \nAlthough aided by help from other sponsors\, he has been the cornerstone of the relatively recently formed Richmond Chess Initiative. He provided guidance and skills to assist local councillors\, business men and schools to build up a local structure to publicise and develop further still Richmond as a recognised centre of chess. This included helping to establish the Richmond International\, the first of which in 1994 was held at the Star and Garter Home and was held again in 1995. He was awarded the Initiative’s reward for services in 1996. \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/happy-birthday-richard-james-28-vii-1950/
CATEGORIES:Coach,English,Journalist,Junior,Official,Organiser,Player,Writer
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210404
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SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of BH Wood MSc FCS OBE (13-vii-1909 04-iv-1989)
DESCRIPTION:We remember “BH” Wood MSc FCS OBE who passed away on Tuesday April 4th\, 1989 in the district of Birmingham. \nHe was buried alongside his wife Marjorie in the Sutton Coldfield Cemetery Extension which was opened in 1934 as an extension to the Holy Trinity Church. \nYorkshire Childhood\nBaruch Harold Wood (generally known as BH Wood\, or simply “BH”\, by the chess world) was born on Tuesday\, July 13th 1909 in Ecclesall\, Sheffield\, Yorkshire. The registration district was Ecclesall Bierlow. \nGravestone of BH & ME Wood\, photo by Glen Livet\nThe birth record suggests that he was baptised as Harold Baruch Wood. His parent’s were Baruch Talbot (1881-1951) and Florence Muriel Wood (née Herington). He appears as Harold Baruch on the 1911 census. \n1911 Census record for the Wood household\n1911 Census record for the Wood household\nInterestingly\, the Census form was signed by Talbot Wood so maybe BHs father also did not like his own first name! At the time of the Census the family lived at 30\, Violet Bank Road\, Nether Edge\, Sheffield\, S7 1RZ. \nWelsh School Days\nBaruch attended Friars School\, Bangor (established in 1557) along with William Ritson Morry. BHW was one year and three months older than WRM so it is entirely possible that they had met. \nMarriage to Marjory\nIn October 1936 BHW married Marjory Elizabeth Farrington in Ross\, Herefordshire. When Marjory died on 7th September 1977 they were living at 146\, Rectory Road\, Sutton Coldfield\, West Midlands. Baruch and Marjory had four children\, FM Christopher Wood\, Philip\, Frank and Peggy. \n146\, Rectory Road\, The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield\, West Midlands\, B75 7RS\nHonours\nIn the 1984 New Years Honours List\, Civil Division\, BHW was awarded the OBE. The citation read simply : “For services to Chess” \nHe won the BCF President’s Award in 1983 alongside TJ Beach and Brian Reilly. \nBH Wood playing board 9 in the Anglo team in the Anglo-Soviet Radio Team Match of 1946\nThe 1946 Anglo-Soviet Radio Match\nFrom The Anglo-Soviet Radio Chess Match by Klein and Winter : \n“BH Wood was born in Sheffield in 1909. A great lover of the game\, he founded the magazine Chess in 1935\, and has written a book for beginners. He scored a notable success by winning the British Correspondence Championship on one occasion. Wood has competed in the British Championship on several occasions\, and in a number of Premier Reserves tournaments. He also played for Great Britain in the international team tournament (ed. Olympiad) at Buenos Aires in 1939. \nLeft to right Baruch H Wood\, Stuart Milner-Barry\, Vera Menchik (playing in the women’s world championship (held concurrently with the 1939 Buenos Aires 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\nHe is a graduate of the University of Wales and Birmingham University. He has been very active in recent years in giving simultaneous exhibitions and in organising correspondence chess.” \nSignature of BH Wood from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Margate 1936.\nBetween 1938 and 1957\, BH won the championship of Warwickshire eight times. He held the record (until 2006) for the most Birmingham & District Chess League Individual titles – nine\, all won in Division 1: 1937\, 1939\, 1954\, 1956\, 1958\, 1960\, 1966\, 1967\, and 1983. He was the Records Secretary for the League from 1951-61. \nBirth of a Magazine\nCHESS Cover for volume 1\, September 1935 – August 1936. Source : Michael Clapham\nFrom CHESS\, Volume 52 (1987)\, Number 1014-15 (Christmas)\, we have the very last issue of the magazine for which BH was the Editor before becoming Founding Editor (and Paul Lamford became Editor). BH Wrote: \n“Countless people have asked me ‘Why did you start CHESS?’ I was in love with university life and has just taken an M.Sc.\, a waste of time after a good first-class honours\, and decided to have a go at replacing the old Chess Amateur\, which had closed down.  I had edited the students’ magazine in both Bangor and Birmingham. The first had been produced by The Daily Post Printers in Liverpool\, who agreed to print  1\,000 copies for £90. That £90 would be nearly £2\,400 now. \nCHESS masthead for Volume 1\, Number 1\, 1935. Source : Michael Clapham\nA year’s subscription I announced as 10 shillings (50p). \nTwo bits of luck! J.H. Van Meurs\, a Dutchman who did a lot for British Chess\, had listed in his still young B.C.F. Year Book some hundreds of chess clubs. \nW.H. Watts\, another great figure of those days\, had floated a rather short-lived magazine The Chess Budget\, donated a ‘Budget Cup‘\, for knock-out team competition and published excellent books on big tournaments\, etc. He handed me a list of keen chess players all around the world. I spent a week addressing envelopes by hand to all the clubs and people. \nTo individuals I sent single copies of CHESS; to each club three copies\, inviting payment or subscriptions. Hardly anybody failed to pay. Obviously there was a demand for a chess magazine with a lighter touch than the B.C.M. \nYears later\, I learnt why Mr. Watts had been so generous. He had fallen out with the establishment and welcomed the arrival of a new publication. \nWithin three months I was selling 3\,000 copies an issue. \nSome early ideas were chessy short stories \, cartoons and a competition for humorous anecdotes. \nI soon went to Amsterdam for the first Euwe-Alekhine match. I traced Alekhine to his hotel room with difficulty. He was officially incommunicado. He came to the door in pyjamas\, and within five minutes we had agreed to a £5 article per month. I was\, of course\, already on conversational terms with him (and remained so!). \nNow I fell into trap. 3\,000 readers in four months meant 6\,000 in eight months\, 9\,000 in  a year…? \nNot so! This is extrapolation\, a matter of calculation full of risks. \nMy preparations had been too good. In the remaining eight months of the year I picked up only a thousand more readers. Alekhine lost the title. With three months to go\, my money ran out\, I struggled to the end of the year.  The twelfth issue was pathetically thin compared with the first few but renewals staring rolling in and CHESS blossomed again. \nThe fifty-two years since have been gruelling\, unremitting toil but fascinating interest. How we bought our own presses and the effect this had on the world’s chess press – A law suit that went to appeal – How CHESS linked people in Malta\, Australia\, Hungary – Adventures in ‘simuls’\, postal chess etc. How we helped police to identify a drowned man\, etc. So many tales to tell! \nBHW \nBCF Obituary\nHere is an obituary from the BCF Yearbook 1989 – 1990\, page 14 : \nB.H. Wood\, O.B.E\nBaruch H. Wood\, O.B.E.\, founder of CHESS\, and the magazines editor for 52 years\, died at the age of 79 on 4th April. \nBorn in Sheffield on 13 July 1909\, “B.H.”\, as he was widely known in chess circles\, took up the game early playing competitively at school and at University. After graduating from the University College of Wales\, Bangor with a 1st class honours degree in chemistry\, he took an MSc at Birmingham University. Soon\, however\, his love of chess took him away from a career in chemistry\, with his launch of CHESS in 1935.  He was to continue as editor\, publisher\, for many years printer\, and often major contributor\, for over half a century. \nCHESS\, Sutton Coldfield\nThe magazine quickly won an international reputation for its frankness and outspokenness. It speaks much for the character and determination of its editor that he was able to continue publishing CHESS throughout the difficult years of the Second World War\, whilst holding a full-time job as director of a chemical research laboratory in Lichfield. \nWood will be best remembered for the magazine\, and for his other journalistic activities. He was for many years chess correspondent of The Daily Telegraph and of The Illustrated London News\, and his best known book Easy Guide to Chess went through three editions and many impressions. \nEasy Guide to Chess\, BH Wood\, CHESS\, Sutton Coldfield\, 1945\nThe above book (albeit the later Cadogan version) is available online. \nEasy Guide to Chess\nNigel Davies wrote “One of the best beginners books on the market.” \nWood’s feat in writing\, publishing\, printing and selling his own book may be unique. However\, Wood was no mean player as his draw against the then world champion Max Euwe\, who became a life-long friend\, testifies. \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 represented England in the International Team Championship at Buenos Aires in 1939\, scoring 50%. He also took first prize in international tournaments at Baarn 1947\, Paignton 1954\, Whitby 1963\, Thorshavn 1967 and Jersey 1975 and was second in the 1948 British Championship. He was British Correspondence Chess Champion in 1945. \nThe Cedars Chess Club May 1962 – Baruch is seated\, second from the right. Photograph sourced from ECF obituary.\nA life member of F.I.D.E. Wood was also an International Arbiter\, and organised 21 annual chess festivals at seaside venues from the 50’s onwards. In addition he was an active behind-the-scenes inspirer of many chess events\, and in particular was known as a driving spirit of university chess\, being until the time of his death President of the British University Chess Association. \nThe Author’s British Record Simultaneous Display. Some of the 127 schoolboys the author played simultaneously at Ilford County High School\, Winning over a a hundred of the games in 4 hours and 50 minutes.\nHe founded the Postal Chess Club and League and was for many years President of the British Postal Chess Federation. \nLetter from BH Wood to JE Upham dated 7th July 1983\n“B.H.” at Bournemouth in May 1971\nHe was awarded the O.B.E. for services to chess in 1984. \nHis wife Marjory\, predeceased him; he leaves three sons Christopher\, Frank and Philip\, and a daughter Peggy. \nBH Wood & his daughter Peggy\nand here is the article as it appeared in the Yearbook. \nBCF Yearbook\, 1989-90\, page 14\nBCF Yearbook\, 1989-90\, page 15\nGolombek on Wood\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)  by Harry Golombek : \n“A well known British player\, editor of Chess (starting 1935) and chess correspondent of The Daily Telegraph and Illustrated London News. A FIDE judge\, he has founded and conducted 21 annual chess festivals\, notably at Whitby\, Eastbourne and Southport. \nBH Wood playing AY “Johnnie” Green in the 1956 British Championships in Blackpool\, photographer unknown\nWinner of a number of small and semi-international tournaments : Baarn 1947\, Paignton 1954\, Whitby 1963\, Thorshavn 1967\, and Jersey 1975. \nPlayed for the BCF in the International Team Tournament at Buenos Aires 1939. His best tournament result was probably his equal second in the British Championship at London 1948. \nIn 1954 BHW was sued BH Wood for libel by William Ritson Morry over a letter BHW sent to Henry Golding of the Monmouthshire County Chess Association warning him of WRMs financial history. Here is a summary of the action : \nThe Birmingham Post\, July 15th\, 1954\nand two years in 1956 we have this telling photograph of Ritson and BH playing at the British Championships in Blackpool. It must have been an entertaining pairing for the organisers if no-one else! \nWilliam Ritson Morry playing BH Wood at the British Championships in Blackpool from 1956\nPossibly WRM was thinking this as they played: \nEverybody Loves Wood\nAmong his books are : Easy Guide to Chess\, Sutton Coldfield 1942 et seq; World Championship Candidates Tournament 1953\, Sutton Coldfield 1954. “ \nWorld Championship Candidates Tournament 1953\, BH Wood\, CHESS\, Sutton Coldfield\, 1954\nCafferty on Wood (1989)\nHere is the obituary from British Chess Magazine\, Volume CIX (1989\, 109)\, Number 5 (May)\, pages 210 – 211: \nB. H. WOOD\nBaruch Harold Wood (13 viii 1909-4 iv 1989) popularly known as “B. H.” was a significant figure of the last fifty-odd years in British chess. His life touched practically all aspects of the game as player\, both OTB and CC\, magazine publisher and editor\, organiser of club\, congress and university chess\, journalist . . . the list seems endless. In 1984 he was awarded the OBE for services to chess. \nBorn at Sheffield\, which he sometimes used as an excuse when he was accused of stubbornness\, (“It’s my Yorkshire blood\, you know”) he was educated in North Wales (Friar’s School\, and then University College\, Bangor) and at Birmingham University. \nHe started his chess magazine at Sutton Coldfield in 1935 as an impecunious graduate who could not find suitable work in the Depression\, and his lively style ensured that it was a beacon in British chess for fifty years to come! For many British chess fans he was “Mr Chess” yet it seems a miracle that he kept the magazine going in the difficult times when interest in the game was at a low ebb. He may well have subsidised it from his journalistic work (Birmingham Post\, Illustrated London News and Daily Telegraph) and from his wartime work as manager of a chemical laboratory (“The first time I ever earned a decent salary”). \nHis duodenal ulcer prevented him doing military service\, and later in life he suffered from failing eyesight and the inability to walk which resulted from his diabetes\, not diagnosed till he had suffered from it for decades. \nHe worked a seven-day week on the magazine\, and his wife who predeceased him was often unsure when he would be home such was his devotion to the work. At times he would take off for trips abroad or long simul tours through Britain while trying to keep the magazine on schedule. \nOne of his last long tours was in 1967 when he drove Botvinnik around the UK. The world champion was duly impressed by the work load and wrote a very favourable account of the trip\, revealing incidentally that Barry was still paying off the mortgage on his large house in Rectory Road\, Sutton Coldfield where the car was parked on the forecourt as the garage was the reserve storage for a large library of chess books! His ability to quote chemical formula from memory also impressed Botvinnik. \nHe brought up a family of four\, all of whom were skilled players\, apart\, perhaps from the youngest boy. Daughter Peggy\nwas prominent in women’s chess and married Peter Clarke at the time of the Botvinnik visit. Elder sons Chris and Frank were of over-200 strength\, but had seen too much of their father’s life at close hand to want to take over the business from him. He ultimately sold out to Pergamon in 1987 though negotiations had been started much earlier. It was probably too much of a wrench to let go until failing health left him with little alternative\, but he described\nthe terms as very generous. \nBarry was a gifted linguist who was welcome abroad for his un-English approach of having a go at the native tongue. As a player he was at his best in the late 1930s (a member of the 1939 Olympiad team in Buenos Aires) till the 1950s. He should really have won the 1948 British Championship when he had the enterprising idea of having Paul Schmidt as personal coach! Yet his tournament wins run on as late as Guernsey 1975 and he was playing in the First Division of the Birmingham League within a few weeks of his death. The flesh may have been weak but a great spirit kept him going to the end. \nShall we ever see his like again? \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nJulius Silverman former MP for Aston (Birmingham) writes: I am very sorry to learn of the death of Barry Wood. I knew him for about 55 years and I always found him a pleasant and interesting companion and a good friend. On the last few occasions that I have met him he seemed increasingly frail. I know that the death of his dear wife was a great blow to him. \nBarry’s contribution to Chess in this country has been enormous and his passing is the end of an era in chess journalism.\nBarry’s journalism and his imaginative editorship made Chess a fascinating journal which it was always a pleasure to read.\nIts survival for well over 50 years was a unique achievement which required persistence and dedication. He has had many\nhills to surmount. \nOne was “… the chess lawsuit of the Century …” (This ran for about two and a half years\, ending in 1940 in a victory for the magazine on appeal\, Ed). Jacques versus Chess which might have brought Chess to an end. I appeared for him as counsel. We won. I received a life subscription to Chess as part of my fee. My copy still comes to me regularly. I have never enjoyed a fee so much. \nHere is the article in its original form: \nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume CX (109)\, Number 5 (May)\, page 210\nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume CX (109)\, Number 5 (May)\, page 211\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nBernard on Barry (2004)\nREMEMBERING BARRY WOOD (1909-1939) \nby Bernard Cafferty \nOne of the most influential figures in British chess of the 20th century was B. H. Wood\, whom I knew personally from 1951\, and whom I played regularly\, over a period of three decades\, till l moved from Birmingham to Hastings in 1981. Here are some\nmemories of the man who was thought of by many in Britain as “Mr Chess”. \nBorn in Sheffield\, Baruch Harold Wood had his secondary education in North Wales at the same grammar school as W Ritson\nMorry who was later to become his Midlands colleague and bitter rival. BH always attributed his well-known stubbornness (he never resigned early) to “his Yorkshire blood”. Wood and Morry were to be students together at Birmingham University after BH gained his BSc in Wales. Then the pair faced the hard task of finding work in depression-struck mid-1930s England. BH founded his monthly magazine CHESS in 1935\, an act of amazing optimism which only his great appetite for work could justify. The magazine was based in Sutton Coldfield\, just north of Birmingham\, at gloomy premises known as Masonic Buildings. \nThe early decades of this publication were marked by the outpouring of glorious journalism of a popular sort. The man’s love\nof the game shone through his work and he recruited such contributors as the chatty Koltanowski and the prince of annotators\nAlexander Alekhine. Later he became the long-serving columnist of the Birmingham Post\, from 1949 of the weekly Illustrated London News\, and even later of the Daily Telegraph. A feature of the magazine was its lively letters from readers which made for more interesting reading than the equivalent occasional letter to be found in the staid\nBCM. The readers also made pertinent contributions to opening theory\, especially in going through the 1946 MCO with a fine toothcomb and reporting their discoveries to Sutton Coldfield. \nBH wrote a best-selling Easy Guide to Chess which went through several editions and was far more user-friendly than other primers on the market at the time. He also designed a luxury set\, the Coldfield\, and produced various chess clocks with new features. BH was a member of the BCF Olympiad side that played in the first part of the Buenos Aires Olympiad in the autumn of 1939. After the team’s withdrawal due to the outbreak of war\, he stayed on in Argentina for a short while\, taking part in a short tournament where he met the legendary Alekhine. \nOne Hundred Victorian Chess Problems\, BH Wood\, Wayland Publishers\, London\, 1972\nBH was married to Marjorie\, a Birmingham primary school teacher\, and had three sons and a daughter. The elder two boys\,\nChris and Frank\, were strong players but not Philip. His daughter Peggy was our leading girl player of the 1950s\, and married Peter Clarke in 1962. One should note that BH was not Jewish\, as many assumed from the name Baruch – he was generally addressed as Barry by his wife and close friends. Others called him just by the initials BH. Everyone in British chess knew exactly who you meant when you said BH. Many thought of him as a sharp business-man. In any event\, the fearsome workload he shouldered meant that none of his children\, seeing this at first hand\, aspired to carry on the magazine as a family business. To many in the British chess community who had never seen top players in action\, BH was their first contact with the wider chess world due to the exhausting simul tours he made to many clubs the length and breadth of the UK. \nLater\, he organized CHESS Festivals starting from 1953. These were our earliest open tournaments\, held at attractive venues such as Cheltenham\, Whitby\, Eastbourne and Southport. These events created the opportunity for British amateurs to meet continental grandmaster opposition like Donner and O’Kelly. BH had great confidence in his ability – his MSc at Birmingham University was in chemistry\, but in 1946-7 he started studying nuclear physics privately\, telling Brian Reilly\, who was employed by him at that time\, that it was the science of the future. I have to simply marvel at this – where did he find the time? In his self-portrait in connection with the GB-USSR match of 1946 he revealed that he had been studying Russian privately with a view to taking an external degree in it at Birmingham University. \nThe post-war decade saw him at his most active. He was BCF delegate at early FIDE meetings post-1946\, the period that saw the mighty Soviet Union admitted to membership in 1947. BH was instrumental in maintaining Spain’s membership of FIDE at the same time\, despite Soviet opposition to Franco’s fascism. He claimed to me he was always a most welcome guest in Spain thereafter. \nBattles with the BCF\nBH had been exempt from military service due to a duodenal ulcer. He spent the war keeping the magazine alive in his spare time as he was put in charge of a research laboratory at the Birmingham Chemical Company. During the war the government had the power under emergency legislation to direct citizens into any sort of work that would contribute to the war effort. His comment to me on that intensive period was: “It was the first time I ever drew a decent salary”. After a short spell as BCF FIDE delegate\, he fell out with the ruling body in the early 1950s. His view was that the national body was ultra-conservative and not open to fresh ideas such as the knockout championship open to all which he organised in 1949-50. Lo and behold\, a few months later the BCF started organising regional competitions to arrange for qualification for the British Championship! BH often criticised the BCF in his magazine. In June 1950 he wrote the first of a planned series of articles on the evergreen theme “Where is British Chess Going?” and forwarded a copy to the BCF just before publication. The BCF legal eagle Professor Wheatcroft immediately threatened to take out an injunction\, so putting the frighteners on the printers. Rather than delay the July issue (not that subscribers were not used to a rather irregular schedule!)\, BH brought out the issue with white space\, on two pages\, a dramatic way of alerting the readers to the dispute. The promised articles\, which he said would appear after the dispute was settled\, never appeared. \nDW Anderton OBE plays BH Wood MBE in 1981 in a Blitz tournament outside of the National Film Theatre. Photograph courtesy of John Saunders\nThere were also tensions with BCF figures like Alexander and Golombek\, in the latter case probably due to professional rivalry and Harry G’s identification with the BCM. Another prominent figure with whom BH crossed swords was the flamboyant Liverpool barrister Gerald Abrahams who threatened to sue over a report in CHESS of gambling debts incurred “on the turf’. \nBH was no stranger to litigation. For example he had had a lawsuit with Jaques culminating in 1940 over the use of the term\n“genuine Staunton-pattern sets” in his advertising. The case was initially lost\, a potentially crippling blow\, but then won on appeal with the aid of solicitor Julius Silverman (later a prominent Birmingham MP)\, Ritson Morry\, Sir George Thomas and\nother well-wishers. When Wood-Morry hostility was at its height in the early 1950s over pro- and anti-BCF views\, BH drew attention in a letter to a Welsh chess organiser to Ritson’s short period in jail. The uncomplimentary term ‘gaolbird’ was used. A court case followed which the penurious Ritson\, having been struck off as a solicitor could hardly afford\, yet BH was cleared on the defence of justification. My fellow students and I at Birmingham University could only marvel at the daily press reports on the wrangles between two of our patrons whom we had feted at a celebratory dinner only a short while before. \nHere is the point at which to mention BH’s support for chess in the universities. He was the long-time President of the\nBUCA (British Universities’ Chess Association) and turned up at many of their events with support. He loaned equipment in the early days when not every chess club had sufficient clocks for a match – bear in mind that the austerity period in Britain lasted for years after 1945. BH also supported correspondence chess\, being the founder of the Postal Chess League\, a team event very popular in its day but now defunct. \nBH’s best playing performance was the British Championship of 1948 when he came second to Broadbent. The Midlander had actually started with 6.5 points from seven games\, but the unsatisfactory position arose that he had to meet Broadbent in the last round when each had an adjourned game still to finish off. \nBH Wood during the 1948 British Championships at Bishopsgate Institute\, London. Taken on August 30th 1948 by Keystone Press Agency\nThe tension got to BH\, he missed a clear winning chance against the Northerner and lost. Yet he should really have taken the title on the merits of the positions he had achieved. His rivals resented the fact that he had hired a second\, namely Paul Schmidt\, the Estonian player who was once thought of as almost as good as Keres in his native land. Schmidt had won the German Championship during the war in 1941. The British amateurs of 1948 were not impressed by this intrusion of professionalism and the importation of someone who carried the taint of possible Nazism. According to Brian Reilly\, Gerald Abrahams was particularly scathing. \nBH made a good impression on Botvinnik when the latter stayed at the Wood residence in Rectory Road\, Sutton Coldfield\, in 1967 (the reference for those who can read Russian is Baturinsky’s “…Tvorchestvo” trilogy on Botvinnik. The article was entitled: Albion shakhmatny i inoy. It appears on pp435 -448 of the third volume. A shortened version appears in English in Botvinnik’s autobiography Achieving the Aim). When I drew BH’s attention to the article and its peculiar title he responded with his usual erudite comment: ‘Albion? Yes\, that’s the Roman reference to the white cliffs of Dover”. For most Brummies\, “The Albion” did not mean a local pub\, but rather the West Bromwich Albion football team! \nIn theory\, the communist Botvinnik should have been distant from his host\, the Midlands entrepreneur and business man\, who drove him round to his engagements in Britain for three weeks\, but their common love of chess triumphed over ideological\ndifferences. In particular\, the speed of production of CHESS\, now on its own presses\, was compared very favourably by the Soviet Patriarch to that of Shakhmaty v SSSR. British trade unions had a different view of course\, in pre-Thatcher days\, and BH had some tricky obstacles to overcome in this field. The Muscovite Botvinnik recorded the fact that the garage of BH’s large house was full of chess books (as were various rooms – to the abiding despair of Marjorie)\, so the family car was always parked outside on the drive. BH revealed to Botvinnik that he had not been able pay off his mortgage for decades due to the variable cash flow from his business and journalism. \nBH was in love with study as a young man\, he once told me\, and he had a facility in various European languages\, which made him always welcome abroad. Over the years\, BH had a number of employees who were strong players\, such as Brian Reilly\, Owen Hindle and Robert Bellin\, but none of them lasted long. Owen Hindle\, a person of placid temperament\, stuck it out the longest\, but even he had his patience tried by the ‘boss’. One cannot hide the fact that BH was a controversial figure – perhaps the clue after all is that reference to his stubbornness and Yorkshire blood? I contributed to his magazine for many years\, but certainly never wanted to work for him full-time! \nI used to see BH in the last decade of his life only in the Hastings press room. For his age\, he still took on a fantastic workload. Peter Clarke once commented that his father-in-law gave the impression of believing he would live for ever. Finally\, Anno Domini told and BH sold his business to Robert Maxwell of Pergamon fame/notoriety in 1988. \nIn his final year\, BH suffered from diabetes\, and the resulting inability to walk meant he was confined to a wheelchair\, but he still insisted on visiting Hastings one last time\, where\, in his prime\, he had specialised in taking away Premier score sheets. Often they were taken not just to his hotel room\, but even back to Sutton Coldfield\, so hindering the work of other chess journalists unless Ritson or later\, Peter Griffiths had got in first to create the bulletin. \nWhat a character! We lack such a colourful figure nowadays. Where he still alive today\, I imagine he would still be trying to put a bomb under the BCF. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWinter\, Jaques and Wood\nFrom Chess Explorations (Cadogan Chess\, 1996) by Edward Winter we have further detail on the Jaques court case: \n“Paul Timson\, a lawyer\, sends us reports on two legal  cases connected with chess. In 1939 B.H.Wood found himself in the dock for having advertised for sale in CHESS in 1937 ‘genuine Staunton chessmen’. The plaintiffs were John Jaques & Son\, Ltd. Sir George Thomas.\, Max Euwe and Lodewijk Prins appeared as witnesses for the defence. The case is referred to by Fred Wren in his article ‘Tales of a Woodpusher: Woodpusher’s Woodpile’\, which appeared in Chess Review\, 1949 and was reprinted in Reinfeld’s The Treasury of Chess Lore. The issues of CHESS of the time also contained a huge amount of material on the case. The decision was that ‘Staunton’ alone was permissible description\, but that the phrase ‘genuine Staunton’ implied a product made by Jaques & Son Ltd.\, as opposed to any Staunton pattern.  However\, B.H. Wood appealed and\, in 1940\, won.” \nOther Sources\nIf you can get access then we recommend the eleven-page “B.H. Wood and his chess playing family” article in the August-2009 issue of Chess Monthly written by his son Chris Wood (helped by brother Frank). \nLikewise The Chess Lawsuit of the Century is detailed in CHESS\, volume 52\, Number 1018\, pp.392 – 394 by BHW himself. \nHere is an obituary from the MCCU \nBackground information from Sutton Coldfield Chess Club \nAlekhine’s Articles for CHESS by Michael Clapham \nHere is his Wikipedia entry. \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-baruch-harold-wood/
CATEGORIES:British Championships,Death Anniversary,Honours,Official,Organiser,Player,Remembering,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201002
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201003
DTSTAMP:20210902T123155Z
CREATED:20191002T001012Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210902T123155Z
UID:1451-1601596800-1601683199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of WFM Sarah Longson (née Hegarty) (02-x-1988)
DESCRIPTION:We send best wishes to WFM Sarah Longson (née Hegarty) on her birthday this day\, (October 2nd) in 1988. \nFrom Sarah’s web site : \n“I have played competitive chess since the age of 7 when I became UK U7 Girls Chess Champion and appeared on Blue Peter where I met the then world champion Garry Kasparov. Since then I have represented England in many international competitions and in 2013 won the British Ladies Championship.” \nIn 2016 Sarah and partner FM Alex Longson made a successful bid for ownership of the UK Chess Challenge which auctioned by the bankruptcy receiver of IM Mike Basman\, the previous owner. Sarah and Alex have  \nWFM Sarah Longson\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-sarah-longson-nee-hegarty/
CATEGORIES:4NCL,Birthday,Organiser,Player,UKCC
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201001
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201002
DTSTAMP:20210902T123319Z
CREATED:20200410T170314Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210902T123319Z
UID:4370-1601510400-1601596799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Alexander Longson (01-x-1982)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Alexander Longson (01-x-1982) \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-alexander-longson-01-x-1982/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Organiser,Player,UKCC
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200828
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200829
DTSTAMP:20210828T104924Z
CREATED:20200411T123248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210828T104924Z
UID:4414-1598572800-1598659199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Kevin O'Connell (28-viii-1949)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes happy birthday to FM Kevin O’Connell (28-viii-1949) \nKevin J O’Connell\nKevin John O’Connell was born on Sunday\, August 28th 1949 in London. \nKevin attended Ilford County High School and The University of Essex following by an MSc in Sports Sciences at The University of Essex. \nThe Batsford Chess Yearbook\nAccording to The Games of Robert J. Fischer : \n“Kevin is an Essex county player and bulletin editor”. \nKevin J O’Connell\nAccording to How to Play the Sicilian Defence : \n“Kevin O’Connell is editor of the FIDE Chess Yearbook\, author of many other chess books and chess columnist of London’s Evening News” \nFrom the Praxis Bath Zonal Tournament of 1987.  Kevin J O’Connell is fourth from right\nHarry Golombek wrote in The Observer Magazine (about The Batsford Chess Yearbook 1975/6) : \n“O’Connell has done his work extremely well and I found all the contents interesting” \nand Leonard Barden wrote (of the same book) : \n“Book of the year…this reviewer admits to consulting it more frequently than any other book on his shelf” \nKevin makes a telephone call\nKevin was coach (they lived in the same road in Suffolk) to GM Nick Pert and IM Richard Pert \nKevin became a FIDE Master in 2006 and his peak rating (according to Felice) was 2360 in July 1993 at the age of 44. \nFrom the Praxis Bath Zonal Tournament of 1987.  Kevin J O’Connell is third from left\nKevin became a FIDE International Arbiter (IA) in 1998. He is the FIDE Delegate for the Republic of Ireland and is Honorary Chairman and Secretary of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission (EDU). He is also a FIDE Senior Trainer. \nKevin O’Connell at the London Chess Conference\, 2016\, courtesy of John Upham Photography\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 \nThe Games of Robert J. Fischer\, Robert Wade and O’Connell\, Batsford 1972\, 2nd ed. 1972\, reprinted 1973\, First limp edition 1981\, Reprinted 1985\, 1981\, 1989\, Second edition (The Complete Games of Bobby Fischer) 1992\nThe Batsford Chess Yearbook\nThe Batsford Chess Yearbook 1975/6\nThe Complete Games of World Champion Anatoly Karpov\nThe Complete Games of World Champion Anatoly Karpov\nHow to Play the Sicilian Defence\, Batsford\, 1978\nOxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games\, Volume 1 1485-1866.\, OUP\, 1981\nOxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games\, OUP\, 2009\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-kevin-john-oconnell-28-viii-1949/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Official,Organiser,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200820
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200821
DTSTAMP:20210820T094736Z
CREATED:20190822T152431Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210820T094736Z
UID:977-1597881600-1597967999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of Leonard Barden (20-viii-1929)
DESCRIPTION:Ninety-two today is Leonard Barden\, born Tuesday\, August 20th\, 1929. \nHis 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. \n89\, Tennison Road\, Croydon\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977) by Harry Golombek OBE: \n“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. \nIn 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. \nIn 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. \nAlan Phillips and Leonard Barden are joint British Champions of 1954 in Nottingham\, photographer unknown\nHe 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. \nHe has also developed two special interests\, in junior chess and in grading\, working with utmost persistence and energy in both of these fields. \nLeonard 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\nAmongst his best works are : a A Guide to Chess Openings\, London\, 1957; The Ruy Lopez\, Oxford\, 1963; The King’s Indian Defence\, London\, 1968.” \nDisappointingly  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. \nLeonard Bardens’ Evening Standard column ends after 63 Years \nSignature of LW Barden from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Southsea 1951.\nHere is an in-depth article from Edward Winter \nLeonard Barden’s Blunder Theory from Kingpin Magazine \n54-Year-Old Chess Record established in 2009 \nFrom Wikipedia : \n“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. \nTravel 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)\nHe 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. \nLeonard 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.\nIn 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. \nBarden 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. \nBarden making a move at Southend 1955.\nIn 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). \nThe 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. \nLeonard Barden vs Victor Korchnoi\, Leipzig Olympiad\, 1960\nHe 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. \nLeonard Barden (centre) with Raaphi Persitz\, JB Sykes\, OI Galvenius and DM Armstrong\, Ilford\, May\, 1953\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nLWB observes analysis between David Rumens and Murray Chandler from Brighton 1980. Photograph courtesy of John Upham.\nHe 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. \nLeonard 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\nBarden 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. \nEngland’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.\nIn 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. \nLeonard Barden at Bob Wade’s 80th birthday party\, 2001.\nHe 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. \nJulian and Nigel Short play Korchnoi in the Evening Standard 1976 simul. Leonard Barden observes.\nAs 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.” \nLeonard Barden (Linda Nylind of the Guardian)\nLeonard wrote this on the English Chess Forum in 2021 : \n“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.” \nLeonard was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1953-54 season. \nLeonard Barden\, Stewart Reuben and Michael Franklin at the 1978 Aaronson Masters\nLeonard reveals this as his best game : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nLeonard has authored or co-authored a number of highly regarded books\, most of which are highly instructional to this day: \nA Guide to Chess Openings (1957)\, \nA Guide to Chess Openings\nHow Good Is Your Chess? (1957)\, \nHow Good is Your Chess ?\nChess (1959)\,\nIntroduction to Chess Moves and Tactics Simply Explained (1959)\, \nAn Introduction to Chess Moves and Tactics Simply Explained\nModern Chess Miniatures (with Wolfgang Heidenfeld\, 1960)\,\nErevan 1962 (1963)\,\nThe Ruy Lopez (1963)\, \nThe Ruy Lopez\nThe Guardian Chess Book (1967)\, \nThe Guardian Chess Book\nAn Introduction to Chess (1967)\, \nAn Introduction to Chess\nThe King’s Indian Defence (1969)\, \nThe King’s Indian Defence\nChess: Master the Moves (1977)\,\nGuide to the Chess Openings (with Tim Harding\, 1977)\, \nGuide to the Chess Openings\nLeonard Barden’s Chess Puzzle Book (1977) (a collection of his Evening Standard columns)\, \nLeonard Barden’s Chess Puzzle Book\nThe Master Game (with Jeremy James\, 1979)\, \nThe Master Game\nHow to Play the Endgame in Chess (1979)\, \nHow to Play The Endgame in Chess\nPlay Better Chess (1980)\, \nPlay Better Chess\nBatsford Chess Puzzles (2002)\, \nBatsford Chess Puzzles\nOne Move and You’re Dead (with Erwin Brecher\, 2007) : Can you supply an image? \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:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-leonard-william-barden/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,British Championships,Organiser,Player,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200814
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200815
DTSTAMP:20210812T112950Z
CREATED:20200414T001037Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210812T112950Z
UID:4419-1597363200-1597449599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of IM Malcolm Pein (14-viii-1960)
DESCRIPTION:BCN sends IM Malcolm Pein best wishes on his 61st birthday. \nIM Malcolm Pein at the King’s Place Rapidplay 2013\, photograph courtesy of John Upham\nMalcolm Bernard Pein was born in Liverpool (South). South Lancashire and his mother’s maiden name is Max. (Gaige\, Felice and chessgames.com all incorrectly have Malcolm L. Pein). \nMalcolm Pein\nThis was written about Malcolm aged 19 just prior to the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display : \n” London University and Liverpool\, Rating 199. British under-18 co-champion\, 1977. Currently No.1 player for London University.” \nMalcolm hard at work\nMalcolm studied Chemical Engineering at University College\, London entering in September 1978. He won The University of London championship in February 1979. \nHe became an International Master in 1986 and is a FIDE Delegate (for England) and an International Director. \nMalcolm’s peak rating was 2450 in January 1992 at the age of 32. \nMalcolm Pein (third from  right) and a victorious Wood Green team. Trophy presented by Magnus Magnusson\nWith the white pieces Malcolm prefers the Queen’s Gambit almost exclusively with 1.e4 rarely seeing the light of day scoring 62% \nAs the second player\, Malcolm champions the Pirc\, Modern and Grunfeld defences scoring 49% which MegaBase 2020 claims is “above average”. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIM Malcolm Pein at the Bristol heat of the British Blitz Qualification  event in 2019\nIn addition to his newspaper column and magazine editorial\, Malcolm has written a number of chess books and booklets\, including : \nGrunfeld Defence (Batsford\, 1981) – ISBN 978-0713435948\nBlumenfeld Defence [with Jan Przewoznik] (Everyman\, 1991) – ISBN 978-0080371337\nDaily Telegraph Guide to Chess (Batsford\, 1995) – ISBN 978-0713478143\nThe Exchange Grunfeld [with Adrian Mikhalchishin] (Everyman\, 1996) – ISBN 978-1857440560] \nNigel Short’s Chess Skills (1989)(was ghost written by Malcolm)\nMalcolm won the ECF President’s Award in 2017: \n“Malcolm Pein’s contribution to English Chess is well known.  He is CEO of Chess in Schools and Communities\, has been largely involved in the organisation of the London Chess Classic and is currently the ECF’s Delegate to FIDE and International Director.  On top of all that he is also an IM\, writes the ‘Daily Telegraph’ Chess Column\, and edits CHESS Magazine.” \nIM Malcolm Pein at the London Chess Classic 2013\, photograph courtesy of John Upham\nMalcolm is also owner (and a director) of the London Chess Centre (a company incorporated on May 1st 1997) which has relocated to 44\, Baker Street\, former home of the British Chess Magazine retail premises.  This was purchased from Stephen Lowe and Shaun Taulbut in 2010 when the leasehold on the Euston Road premises expired. Another director is Henry Gerald Mutkin who is the main organiser of the annual Varsity match. \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nMalcolm has a son\, Jonathan who is a strong player and he resides in London\, NW7. \nJonathan and Malcolm Pein at the 2016 Michael Uriely Memorial Tournament\nMalcolm Pein & Dominic Lawson\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-malcolm-bernard-pein-14-viii-1960/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Organiser,Player,Writer
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END:VEVENT
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:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-nigel-edward-povah-17-vii-1952/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Organiser,Player,Writer
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bcc_3663_lv.jpg
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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:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-im-lawrence-h-cooper-16-vii-1970/
CATEGORIES:Arbiter,Birthday,British Championships,Organiser,Player
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Coo01643.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200629
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200630
DTSTAMP:20260817T141132Z
CREATED:20200411T221231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T141132Z
UID:4505-1593388800-1593475199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of FM Tim Wall (29-vi-1966)
DESCRIPTION:Birthday of FM Tim P Wall (29-vi-1966) \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-fm-tim-p-wall-29-vi-1966/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Organiser,Player
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BCT_4835-scaled.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200516
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200517
DTSTAMP:20260817T141207Z
CREATED:20200427T133527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T141207Z
UID:4991-1589587200-1589673599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Andrew Thomas (11-x-1904 16-v-1985)
DESCRIPTION:Signature of ARB Thomas from a Brian Reilly “after dinner” postcard from Southsea 1951.\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nARB Thomas in play with FEA Kitto\nBCN remembers Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas (11-x-1904 16-v-1985) \nWe cannot improve on this excellent article about ARBT on the Chess Devon web site \nDavid Hooper (seated right) in play at the West of England Championships in Bristol\, Easter\, 1947. His opponent \, ARB Thomas \, was that year’s champion. Among the spectators is Mrs. Rowena Bruce\, the 1946 British Ladies’ Champion. BCM\, Volume 118\, #6\, p.327. The others in the photo are L – R: H. V. Trevenen; H. Wilson-Osborne (WECU President); R. A. (Ron) Slade; Rowena Bruce; Ron Bruce; H. V. (Harry) Mallison; Chris Sullivan; C. Welch (Controller); F. E. A. (Frank) Kitto.\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/remembering-andrew-rowland-benedick-thomas-11-x-1904-16-v-1985/
CATEGORIES:British Championships,Death Anniversary,History,Official,Organiser,Player,Writer
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/untitled.jpg
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