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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200719
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200720
DTSTAMP:20210710T142337Z
CREATED:20190823T182322Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T142337Z
UID:1100-1595116800-1595203199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of John Rice (19-vii-1937)
DESCRIPTION:BCN sends best wishes to John Michael Rice on his birthday\, July 19th in 1937. \nJohn was born in Scarborough\, Yorkshire\, North Riding\, his mother’s maiden name was Blake. John lives in Surbiton\, Surrey and teaches Modern Languages at Tiffin School\, Kingston-Upon-Thames. \nAn ABC of Chess Problems\nFrom An ABC of Chess Problems : \n“The author is one of the country’s most prolific foremost composers and problem critics. He has gained mainly tourney honours\, both at home and abroad\, and since 1961 has been editor of a flourishing problem section in the British Chess Magazine\, the country’s leading chess periodical. He lives in London and teaches Modern Languages at Tiffin School\, Kingston-Upon-Thames.” \nFrom chesscomposers.blogspot.com : \nJohn Rice was the chief editor of the problems section of the “British Chess Magazine” from 1961 until 1974 and is a faithful collaborator of “The Problemist“. He has written “Chess Problem: Introduction to an Art” (1963) together with Robin Matthews and Michael Lipton and “The Two-Move Chess Problem” (1966)\, “Serieshelpmates” (1978) with Anthony Dickins or “Chess Wizardry: The New ABC of Chess Problems” (1996). \nTranslated from https://peoplepill.com/people/john-michael-rice/ : \n“Since the mid-fifties he has composed problems of all kinds\, but above all in two moves. In the 1960s he was editor of the problems section of the British Chess Magazine. Since 1999 he has been editor of The Problemist magazine. \nInternational Master of Composition since 1969 and International Judge for Composition since 1972. \nPresident of the PCCC (Permanent Commission for Chess Composition) from 2002 to 2006. \nHe worked as a teacher of modern languages ​​in a school in Kingston-upon-Thames. \nWinton Capital British Chess Problem Solving Championships 2016\nTogether with Barry Barnes and Michael Lipton he wrote the book Chess Problems: Introduction to an Art (Faber & Faber\, London 1963). \nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\nHe composes mostly direct mates\, but can composes as well in other genres\, including fairies. He is an International Judge for twomovers\, helpmates and fairy problems and the former President of the PCCC from 2004 until 2006. \nJohn was awarded the title of “International Grandmaster for chess compositions” in 2015. \nFrom British Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983 by GS Botterill\, DNL Levy\, JM Rice and MJ Richardson : \n“I was taught the moves of chess in 1947 at the age of ten and quickly realised that I liked the game no more than Ludo or Snakes and Ladders where the chances of losing seemed to me unfairly high. But the chess pieces and their moves fascinated me\, so it is hardly surprising that before long I had turned to problems and become an ardent fan of Brian Harley in his Observer column\, especially as I had come across and paid two shillings (!) for his Mate in Two Moves in a second-hand bookshop in Reigate. Harley\, together with T. R. Dawson in the British Chess Magazine and C. S. Kipping in CHESS\, provided the sources of my first solving pleasure and the inspiration for my first efforts at composition. Among my early successes was problem l\, heavily constructed but strategically rich\, a first prizewinner in a tournament for composers under 21\, one of a series organised by the British Chess Problem Society. \n1 \n1st Prize\, BCPS Under-21 Tournament\, 1955 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2. \n1 Bd6 (threat Qg4)\n1…Nxd6+;2.Qf3\n1…Nh6+;2.Qf3\n1…Nxh4+;2.Nf4\n1…g4;2.Rh6\n1…gxh4;2.Qxh4 \nI had grown up in Scarborough (Yorkshire)\, out of contact with other problem enthusiasts\, and a chance meeting in December\, 1954 with Michael Lipton in Cambridge\, where we were both taking Scholarship examinations\, brought the realisation that there was far more to the two-move chess problem than the solidly entrenched traditionalism espoused in those days by the columns of The Problemist and CHESS. Very soon the bulk of my output was in the modern style (with set and try-play) and published abroad\, notably in Die Schwalbe\, whose two-move editor\, Hermann Albrecht\, did much to stimulate my interest. Problem 2 gained a coveted prize in an extremely strong formal tournament judged by Michael\nLipton\, following an article of his on the potentialities of the half-battery theme (illustrated here by the arrangement on the c-file). \n2 \n5th prize\, 133rd Theme Tournament\, Die Schwalbe\, 1961. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \n1.N2~? Bg7+!\n1.Nd4!? e2!\n1.N3~? Bxc5!\n1.Ne2! d~!\n1.Ne4!! \nThe half-battery is only one of several themes which have commanded my attention over the past 20 years\, others being white self-pin in try and key (illustrated by problem 3)\, Grimshaw and Nowotny (problem 4)\, reciprocal and cyclic play (problem V\, the first published example of cyclic mates in three phases)\, pawn-promotion effects\, and tasks of various types\, especially open gates. My total problem output numbers about 600. \n3 \nThe Tablet\, Commended\, BCPS Ring Tournament 1958; Brian Harley Award \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \n1.Rxf4? (threat 2.Rhxf3)\nNe5; 2.Re4\nNg3; 2.Rfxf3\n1.Nxf4! (threat 2.Rxf3)\nNe5;2.Ng2\nNg3;2.Nd5 \nIn 1961 I took over from S. Sedgwick the editorship of the problem section of the British Chess Magazine\, which post I held until December\, 1974. It was a source of pride to me that I was now doing the job once done by the great T. R Dawson\, though I knew that I could never bring to it the same tireless energy and all-round expertise which he had displayed so impressively. At about the same time I embarked with Michael Lipton and Robin Matthews on a venture which was to have repercussions throughout the entire problem world\,\nnamely a series of books on problems published by Faber and Faber. The first\, Chess Problems: Introduction to an Art (Lipton\, Matthews and Rice)\, appeared in 1963\, and was followed three years later by The Two-move Chess Problem: Tradition and Development\, also with Michael Lipton\, but this time the third collaborator was Barry Barnes\, who has long been a close friend and influence. The third book in the series\, An ABC of Chess Problems (1970)\, was a solo effort. \n4 \n4th prize\, BCF Tournament 123\, 1970 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \n1.N5b6?\, Rxb6/Bxb6/Qd3/Qd6;\n2.Qc5/Ne5/Nc5/Qd1 … Qg5! \n1…Qg5! \n1.N7b6!\, Rxb6/Bxb6/Qd3/Qd6/Qxc7;\n2.Bc5/Nf4/Nc3/Bc3/Nxc7 \nMy interest in Fairy Chess dates from a meeting in the mid-1960s with the late John Driver\, whose enthusiasm for the pleasures to be derived from non-orthodox forms I found highly infectious. Fairy problems soon began to appear in the BCM column and were favourably received. The serieshelpmate\, where White remains stationary while Black plays a sequence of moves to reach a position where White can mate in one\, has perhaps interested me more than any other non-orthodox form (see problem Vl)\, and in 1971 I collaborated with Anthony Dickins to produce a book on the subject\, The Serieshelpmate (published by the Q Press\, first edition 1971\, second edition 1978). \n5 \n1st Prize\, Problem  37th Theme Tournament\, 1961-62 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhite mates in 2 \nSet: 1…Kc6; 2. Qe8 (A)\n1…Ke6; 2. Qc8 (B) \nTry: 1.Nb6+?\, Kc6;2.Qc8 (B)\nKe6;2.Qd6 (C)\nKe7! \nKey : 1.Nf6+! Kc6;2.Qd6 (C)\nKe6;2.Qe8 (A) \nSince 1974 my problem activities have necessarily been restricted by the demands of family life (wife and two sons\, none of them much interested in chess) and my career (schoolmaster\, formerly Head of Modern Languages Department and now Director of Studies at Tiffin School\, Kingston Upon Thames. Other leisure-time interests (not that there is much leisure time) include cricket and classical music.” \n6 \n2nd Prize\, BCF Tournament  127\, 1971 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nSerieshelpmate in 13 \n1.Bd8;2.Kc7;3.Kc6;4.Rf7;5.Rf3;6.Rc2;7.g2;8.Rf7;9.Rb7;10.Kc7;11.Kb8;12.Rc8;13Bc7\, Nd7 mate. \nJohn Michael Rice\nThe Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development\nJohn Rice at a Winton Capital BCPS Problem Solving event at Eton College\nChess Problems for Solving\nThe Serieshelpmate\nBritish Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983. Editors : GS Botterill\, DNL Levy\, JM Rice and MJ Richardson\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-john-michael-rice/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Problemist,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200725
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200726
DTSTAMP:20210710T143636Z
CREATED:20190824T104231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210710T143636Z
UID:1159-1595635200-1595721599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of (Arthur) John Roycroft (25-vii-1929)
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to offer (Arthur) John Roycroft best wishes on his birthday\, this day (July 25th) in 1929. \nJohn was born in Hendon\, London and his mother’s maiden name was Banks. \nAJR aged 9\, courtesy of the BCPS web site.\nJohn moved to Brighton and then evacuated to Calcot\, North Wales and returned to Brighton when the threat had subsided. \nHe married Betty in 1961 and they had a son and a daughter and now have several grand children.  \nHe claimed that he had never suffered a common cold. \nJohn is Platinum Life Member of the English Chess Federation and an “ECF Supporter”. \nThe Chess Endgame Study\n“From The Oxford Companion to Chess (Oxford University Press\, 1984) by David Hooper and Ken Whyld : \nEnglish study composer and author\, International Judge of Chess Compositions (1959)\, Computer systems analyst. \nIn 1965 he founded EG\, quarterly publication which became the world’s first and only long-running magazine devoted wholly to studies. \nHis Test Tube Chess (1972)\, the best English language guide to the art of studies.\, was revised and republished as The Chess Endgame Study (1981). \nStudies are commonly classified by means of the GBR code of which he was co-inventor.” \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“FIDE Judge of Endgame Studies. Born on 25th July 1929. Founder of the Chess Endgame Study Circle in London in March 1965.and its quarterly magazine EG\, the first and only publication exclusively devoted to the composed chess ending. Roycroft who is a computer systems analyst and lives in London\, has composed about 20 endgame studies.” \nAJ Roycroft \n“EG” July 1965 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nSolution :\n1.Bg7 Kb1; 2.Nf6 b4; 3.Kxb4 Kb2 4.Bh8 Nc2+; 5.Ka4 Kxc3 6.Ne4++ \nVideo Chess Event (See caption below)\nVideo Chess Caption\nAJR won the BCF President’s Award in 1995. \nHere is AJRs Wikipedia entry \nHere is AJR talking about himself on the BPCS web site \nHere is his entry from the Chess Programming Wiki \nTest Tube Chess\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-arthur-john-roycroft/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,History,Problemist
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://britishchessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Roycroft9907.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200802
DTSTAMP:20210727T151337Z
CREATED:20190823T101754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210727T151337Z
UID:1070-1596240000-1596326399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Birthday of Barry Barnes (01-viii-1937)
DESCRIPTION:BCN wishes happy birthday to Barry Barnes (01-viii-1937) \nBarry Peter Barnes was born in Brighton and his mother’s maiden name was Simpole. (Barry is a cousin of Julian Ivan Peter Simpole\, who was a Brighton school teacher and who taught Edward Gerard Winter to play chess). \nBarry now lives in Halling\, Rochester\, Kent with his wife Jean. \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 & 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“International Master of FIDE for Chess Compositions (1967) and International Judge of FIDE for Chess Compositions (1967). \nBorn on 1st August 1937\, Barnes works in transport advertising. He has composed about 250 two-move problems. With Lipton and Rice\, he has contributed to the advance of the modern two-mover. Problem Editor of Two-Move and Twin sections of The Problemist. Co-author with M.Lipton and JM Rice of The Two-Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development (Faber and Faber 1966). \nBarry Peter Barnes\n  \nBP Barnes\n2nd Prize Problem T.T. 1964 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhite to play and mate in two moves \n(a) Diagram\n(b) With black pawn at KN2 (g7) \n(a) Solution\n1. B-R3! \n(b) Solution 1. K-K2! \nFrom British Chess (Pergamon Press\, 1983) by GS Botterill\, DNL Levy\, JM Rice and MJ Richardson : \nBarry wrote about himself as follows : \n“A promising career as a county chess player came to an end when I was given Brian Harley’s classic book Mate in Two Moves in the belief that it would help my chess\, but it had quite the opposite effect. My interest in competitive chess waned\, and I was on the road to an an International Master title for problems!  \nEarly influences in my problem career were the weekly chess problem solving competition in The Observer (my first problem published there was in 1955)\, a teenage friendship with J. M. Rice and M. Lipton (both now lnternational Masters)\, Herbert Grasemann’s book Problem Schach / with its near revolutionary post-war German problem ideas\, and the expert British problemist\, A. R. Gooderson who had I but known it only a few years earlier was the officiating master when my Hove Grammar School played Steyning Grammar at chess. \nIn the late 1950s and early 1960s\, the genuinely original problems I was making in cooperation and in competition with Rice and Lipton were being published mostly abroad in such specialist problem magazines as Die Schwatbe (with its inspired two-move editor\, Hermann Albrecht) where I gained the epithet\,the English prize-snatcher’! It was also written that the work of the avant_garde composers\, Rice\, Lipton and Barnes\, was like a fresh two-move wind blowing from our island. It was sad but true at that time that the specialist magazine of the British Chess problem Society (founded 1918)\, The problemist\, was unreceptive to change and our often bizarre ideas. \nA milestone of sorts was reached when I won lst prize for problem I in 1958\, a prize for the best new problem by a member of the British Commonwealth aged under 21. In 1966\, I was invited by problemist Grandmaster Comins Mansfield\, who was President of the FIDE Problem Commission\, to act as Secretary at the Barcelona meeting. With Mr. Mansfield’s retirement\, I became the British Member to the Commission\, and at the Wiesbaden meeting\, 1974\, I was elected 2nd Vice-President. (1st Vice-President from 1982) \nThe FIDE Problem Commission meets annually to discuss matters relating to all branches of problem chess\, to organize the World Chess Composing Tournament (WCCT)\, the World Chess Solving Competition (WCSC)\, and to publish FIDE Album anthologies of the best problems. It was on the strength of my success in these FIDE Albums that the Commission granted me the titles in 1967 of ‘lnternational Master of the FIDE for Chess Composition’ and ‘lnternational Judge of the FIDE for Chess Composition’. Since 1974\, I have been Chairman of the Titles Sub-Committee of the Commission. \nSince 1965\, I have been the two-move editor of The Problemist and have served almost without break on the BCPS Committee. I have contributed to The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks (Robert Hale\, 1970)\, I am co-author\, with J. M. Rice and M. Lipton\, of The Two-Move Chess Problem: Tradition & Development‘ (Faber A Faber\, 1966)\, and I am the sole author of Comins Mansfield MBE: Chess Problems of a Grandmaster: (British Chess Problem Society\, 1976) and Pick of the Best Chess Problems (Elliot Right Way Books\, 1976) \nTo date I have made just over 300 two-movers and some helpmates.” \nThe Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development\nPick of the best Chess Problems\nSource: The Problemist\, May 1996. Photo taken March 1996 at the Mansfield Centenary Meeting at Paisley\, when Barry Barnes delivered a lecture on Comins Mansfield. Left to right: Geoffrey Mansfield (son of Comins)\, Robert Gray and Barry Barnes\, International Master of Chess Composition.\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-barry-peter-barnes/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Composer,Problemist,Writer
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210801
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210802
DTSTAMP:20210801T175941Z
CREATED:20190823T104652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210801T175941Z
UID:1079-1627776000-1627862399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of John Driver (21-vii-1928 01-viii-1979)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary of John Edward Driver (21-vii-1928 01-viii-1979) \nSee Sunnucks \nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)\, Harry Golombek OBE\, John Rice writes: \n“British problemist. Output consists of two-movers\, helpmates and fairy problems. Inventor of the Edgehog\, a fairy piece which moves along Q-lines but always either to or from a square at the board-edge.” \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-john-edward-driver/
CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200823
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200824
DTSTAMP:20210823T204656Z
CREATED:20190823T094804Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210823T204656Z
UID:1068-1598140800-1598227199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Gerald Anderson MBE DFC (24-ii-1898 23-viii-1984)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Gerald Frank Anderson MBE\, DFC (24-ii-1898 23-viii-1984) \nFrom British Chess (Pergamon\, 1983) by Botterill\, Levy\, Rice and Richardson we have an article written by John Rice : \n“Gerald Frank Anderson was born in South Africa on 23 February 1898\, and has published nearly 500 problems of many different types. From the start he was a versatile composer\, and Weenink’s The Chess Problem (see introduction) contains two three-movers of his illustrating anticipatory half-pin (see Diagram I) a reflex-mate in two dating from 1920 and a selfmate in four from 5 years earlier\, when the composer was only seventeen. \nDiagram I \n1st prize \, Hampshire Telegraph & Post\, 1920 \nWhite mates in 3 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\n(All Solutions contained in scan at foot of article.) \nIt must have been exciting for a budding problemist to grow up in the period between 1913 and 1924 when the Good Companion Chess Problem Club of Philadelphia was publishing its Folders of original work containing outstanding examples of complex strategy such as half-pins and cross-checks. Diagram II\, with its intricate battery play\, won first prize for Anderson in the Folder of October 1917. \nDiagram II\n1st prize\, Good Companions\, October 1917 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nDiagram III is a justly famous two-mover\, with a perfect key and beautiful line-play: \nIL Secolo\, 1919 \nWhite mates in 2 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nBetween 1953 and 1961 Anderson was with the British Embassy in Washington and a close friendship developed with the American composer Vincent Eaton. \nIn the introduction to his published collection of Eaton’s best problems (Memorial to V. L. Eaton\, 1971) Anderson describes his visits to Eaton’s house where they would work for hours on joint compositions (nine of them altogether\, eight prize winners)- ‘blockbusters’\, as they themselves termed them. Diagram IV is one of these\, a highly complex check-prevention scheme. \nDiagram IV \n1st prize\, British Chess Magazine\, 1953 \n(with V.L. Eaton) \nWhite mates in 3 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nA glance through the anthologies shows how successful Anderson has always been with orthodox forms\, perhaps especially with three- and four- movers and with selfmates. Diagram V is a characteristic selfmate in two\, with a good deal more strategy than many composers achieve in selfmate form: \nDiagram V \n2nd prize\, British Chess Federation Tournament\, 1947 \nSelfmate in 2 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nSince his retirement Anderson has lived for much of the time in Italy\, where the air seems to be conducive to the composition of reflex-mates\, for that is the genre with which he has principally been occupied in recent years. Diagram VI is a good illustration of his style; a couple of changed continuations\, and subtle play centered on the two diagonals b5-f1 and c6-h1. (A reflex-mate is a selfmate in which both sides are under an obligation to mate on the move if possible). In this problem White has to keep his active line-pieces (Q and B) well out of the way of the potential mating diagonal. \nDiagram VI \n1st prize\, The Problemist\, 1975 \nReflex-mate in 2 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn addition to the Eaton anthology mentioned above\, Anderson has published Adventures of my Chessmen \nAdventures of my Chessmen 1914 – 1923 \, GF Anderson\, Chess Amateur\, Stroud\, 1924\nand Are There Any?\, the latter being a fascinating collection of Kriegspiel problems. He was President of the British Chess Problem Society from 1962 to 1964\, and became a FIDE International Judge in 1960 and an International Master in 1975.” \nGerald Frank Anderson MBE DFC (24-ii-1898 23-viii-1984)\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 and 1976) by Anne Sunnucks : \n“International Judge of FIDE for Compositions (1960). Born on 23rd February 1898. Won the DFC in 1914-18 war. Foreign Office (Retd.) First problem published in 1912\, since when he has composed nearly 500 problems\, mostly 3 and 4 movers. but has latterly switched to Fairy chess problems. He is one of the the great reflex and self-mate composers. Edited a section Chess Amateur 1921\, Nottinghamshire Weekly Guardian 1937-1938\, Anglo-Portuguese News 1945-1946\, and Self-Mate Section of The Problemist 1964-1966. Author of Are There Any? a book about Kriegspiel problems and A Memorial Volume of Chess Problems of VL Eaton.” \nHis MBE was awarded in the 1959 New Year Honours list. The citation reads : “Gerald Frank Anderson\, DFC\, Second Secretary\, Her Majesty’s Embassy\, Washington.” \nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)\, Harry Golombek OBE we have this by John Rice: \n“British problem composer\, output about 550 problems.\, orthodox and fairy. Books : Adventures of My Chessmen; and Are there Any? (1959 – a fascinating collection of Kriegspiel problems); Vincent Eaton Memorial (1971 – an annotated anthology of Eaton’s work). President of British Chess Problem Society\, 1962-4. International Judge (1960)\, international master (1975).” \nFrom chessgames.com : \n“G. F. Anderson\, in 1946\, was working in the British Embassy in Lisbon\, and\, as a highly skilled chess player (he was also known for composing chess problems as early as 1919)\, was nominated to deliver the challenge from Botvinnik to Alekhine. He played a game with the World Champion in the Embassy and it became the last recorded game by Alekhine.” \n\nHere is the original article from British Chess (Pergamon\, 1983) by Botterill\, Levy\, Rice and Richardson by John Rice : \nBritish Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983. page 16\nBritish Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983. page 17\nBritish Chess\, Pergamon Press\, 1983. page 18\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-gerald-frank-anderson/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Problemist
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200920
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200921
DTSTAMP:20210920T225258Z
CREATED:20190920T100224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210920T225258Z
UID:1405-1600560000-1600646399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Hugh Blandford (24-i-1917 20-ix-1981)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Hugh Blandford who was a British composer. \nHugh Francis Blandford was born on Wednesday\, January 24th in 1917 in South Stoneham\, Hampshire\, England. \nOn this day Ernest Borgnine was born and an earthquake measuring 6.3 in magnitude struck Anhui Province\, China\, causing 101 deaths. \nHugh’s father was the Rev Albert Francis Blandford and his mother was Alice Rhoda Crumpton Evans. Hugh had two younger brothers\, Philip Thomas. and Evan Arthur. \nThe family moved to Jamaica and he spent his early childhood there until he was nine years old when they sailed from Kingston\, Jamaica with his family to Bristol on board the SS Carare (Elders & Fyffes Line) : \nPassenger Manifest (part) for SS Carare \, 30th May 1926.\nHis mother Alice Rhoda Crumpton passed away on 19 July 1964 in Minehead\, Somerset\, at the age of 79. \nHis father Rev Albert Francis passed away in December 1967 in Somerset at the age of 79. \nHe had three children during his marriage. \nHe died in Hatfield\, Hertfordshire on Sunday\, September 20th\, 1981. \nBlandford is also known for participating in defining the GBR (Guy\, Blandford Roycroft) code. \nIn 1961 he was awarded the title of “International Judge of the FIDE for Chess Composition” \nCM Bent wrote the following obituary in the British Chess Magazine\, Volume CI (101\, 1981)\, Number 12 (December)\, page 532 : \n“The modest and self-effacing composer who formerly conducted our Studies column from 1951-1972 died in September. His work as a metallurgist and his family responsibilities allowed him to make periodical contributions over a long span and to offer us many of his own original compositions.  \nHis style\, as with his manner\, was essentially quiet and it was a rarity for him to compose anything other than wins.  \nHis last voluntary labour was to compile an index for E.G. of all studies published there to date. His loss to the world of of studies will be greatly felt.  \nThe first prize winner below is a classic of exquisite refinement and matches the immaculate handwriting which was always such an elegant feature of his work” \nStudies by Hugh Francis Blandford\nSolutions to studies by Hugh Francis Blandford\nSee more of his compositions here from the arves.org database. \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \n“British study composer and FIDE Judge of Endgame Studies. Born on 24th January 1917. Since July 1951\, Hugh Blandford has conducted the Endings Section of the British Chess Magazine. By profession a metallurgist\, he was married and had two children. Of his 60 or more studies he was best known for the excelsior theme.” \nFrom Wikipedia : \n\nHugh Francis Blandford (24 January 1917 – 20 September 1981) was a chess endgame composer born in Southampton\, England.[1]\nHe spent several years of his childhood in Jamaica with his father\, the Reverend Albert Francis (Frank) Blandford\, a Minister in the Congregational church\, his mother and two younger brothers\, Evan Arthur and Philip Thomas Blandford. All three brothers then returned to England and attended Eltham College (the School for the Sons of Missionaries) in South-east London\, while their parents remained in Jamaica. He married Marjorie Cox\, whom he had worked with during the Second World War. \nHe played chess from his schooldays and as well as playing\, also started to compose original chess endings. He became known in the field of chess endgame studies for a small but elegant body of compositions\, expertly edited and published after Hugh’s death by his long-standing chess endings colleague\, John Roycroft.[2] \n\n1st Prize\, Springaren 1949\, White to move and win\n\nHugh Blandford was co-inventor with Richard Guy – and\, later\, with John Roycroft – of the Guy–Blandford–Roycroft code for classifying studies.[3] In July 1951 he began as the endgame study editor for the British Chess Magazine.[4][5] He was made an International Judge for Chess Composition[4] in 1961.[6] \nA metallurgist\, he continued to compose chess endgame studies until the end of his life\, dying of a heart attack in early retirement in Hatfield\, England\, on 20 September 1981.\n \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-hugh-francis-blandford/
CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Studies,Writer
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201011
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20201012
DTSTAMP:20260817T135735Z
CREATED:20191011T195944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T135735Z
UID:1506-1602374400-1602460799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Charles Fox (09-xi-1866 11-x-1935)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Charles Fox (09-xi-1866 11-x-1935) \nCharles Masson Fox was born on Friday\, November 9th 1866 in Falmouth\, Cornwall. his father\, Howard\, was 29 and his mother\, Olivia Blanche Orme\, was 22. He had one brother and two sisters. \nHis sister Olivia Lloyd was born on 5 February 1868 in Falmouth\, Cornwall\, when Charles Masson was 1 year old. His sister Stella was born on 11 December 1876 in Falmouth\, Cornwall\, when Charles Masson was 10 years old. In 1881 he was living in Sherborne\, Dorset. In 1901 he was once more living in Falmouth and his profession was that of a timber merchant. His brother Howard Orme died on 7 June 1921 in Falmouth\, Cornwall. His father Howard passed away on 15 November 1922 in Cornwall. His mother Olivia Blanche passed away on 12 March 1930 in Falmouth\, Cornwall\, at the age of 85. \nSadly\, neither Hooper & Whyld\, Sunnucks or Golombek mention Fox in their works. \nHere is an extensive article from the British Chess Problem Society (BCPS) written by CJ Feather \nFrom Wikipedia : \n“Charles Masson Fox (9 November 1866 – 11 October 1935) was a Cornish businessman who achieved international prominence in the world of chess problems and a place in the gay history of Edwardian England. \nMasson Fox was born into a Quaker family (although he was not related to the Quakers’ founder George Fox) and was a cousin of the fraudulent sinologist Sir Edmund Backhouse\, 2nd Baronet. Living throughout his life in the Cornish seaside town of Falmouth\, Fox in the early decades of his life was a senior partner of his family’s timber firm\, Fox Stanton & Company\, and was also on the Board of Messrs G C Fox & Company\, a long-established firm of shipping agents. \nC.M.Fox’s gravestone at Budock Quaker Burial Ground\nFox is described by chess historian Thomas Rayner Dawson (1889–1951) as “a friendly man\, kind\, mellow\, lovable\, bringing peace and comfort and serene joy with him”. He was also a discreet but active homosexual. In 1909 he visited Venice with his friend James Cockerton\, meeting the writer Frederick Rolfe and becoming the reluctant recipient of Rolfe’s famous Venice Letters\, in which the gay subculture of Venice is vividly described. \nIn 1912–13 Fox was blackmailed by a woman who accused him of seducing her 16-year-old son. Eventually Fox reported the matter to the police and the woman was sent to prison for five years and her son for one year\, with hard labour.[1] However\, Fox was profoundly affected by the publicity surrounding the case\, which was reported in detail in the local press. The predictable result of his courageous action was the destruction of his reputation\, and the compromise of his business and social life in Falmouth. \nAlthough he continued to live in Cornwall\, the focus of his social life shifted to London\, and in the last two decades of his life\, Fox became prominent in the world of chess. He was elected President of the Cornwall Chess Association\, played a prominent part in the development of the British Chess Problem Society\, and is still renowned as one of the greatest ever exponents of fairy chess (chess problems with variations in the rules).” \nFrom The Problemist Fairy Chess Supplement\, 1933 : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nWhat is the shortest game\nending in this position? \nCharles Masson Fox\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/remembering-charles-masson-fox-09-xi-1866-11-x-1935/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Problemist
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