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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210404
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210405
DTSTAMP:20220404T131515Z
CREATED:20190823T192130Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220404T131515Z
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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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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200410
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200411
DTSTAMP:20220410T124454Z
CREATED:20190824T103915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220410T124454Z
UID:1157-1586476800-1586563199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of CGM Keith Richardson (02-iv-1942 10-iv-2017)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers CGM Keith Richardson who passed away on Monday\, April 10th\, 2017. \nKeith Bevan Richardson was born in Nottingham\, on Thursday\, April 2nd 1942. On this day : The LA Times urges security measures against Japanese-Americans and US auto factories switch from commercial to war production. \nKeith’s parents were Arthur (30) and Hilda May (née Nicholls\, 25). He married Sandra Sowter on the 11th of September 1971 in Sutton Coldfield\, Warwickshire. They had two children\, Neil and Ian. They lived at 19\, The Ridings in Camberley\, Surrey. \nSadly\, Keith was diagnosed in the 1990s with Parkinson’s disease and became unwell whilst playing in a chess tournament in Cannes in April 2017 and passed away on the 10th of May 2017. Keith was 75. He continued to actively play chess into his final year. \nCGM Keith Richardson\nKeith was the Treasurer of the Friends of Chess during the period known the English Chess Explosion (late 1970s and 1980s). \nKeith received the ECF President’s Award in 2015 for services to the management of the BCF Permanent Invested Fund (PIF) together with Dr. Julian Farrand and Ray Edwards. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nFrom CHESS\, Volume 41 (1975)\, Numbers 729-730 (September)\, pp. 380 the news of Keith’s success was initially reported: \n“BRITAINS’ FIRST CHESS GRAND MASTER \nThe first grand master title to be won by a British player has been achieved in the field of correspondence chess by Keith B. Richardson\, aged 33\, of Camberley. \nThe title of Correspondence Chess grand master is awarded by the lnternational correspondence Chess Federation. Keith Richardson fulfilled the norm by sharing third place in the final of the 7th World Correspondence Chess Championship with a score of 11 points from 16 games. The tournament began in February 1972 and results of the last adjudicated games were recently announced making J. V. Estrin U.S.S.R. first with l2 points; J. Boey Belgium scored 11.5; K. B. Richardson G.B. and Dr. V. Zagorovski U.S.S.R. 11. \nThere are only 25 Correspondence Chess Grand masters throughout the world.” \nThis was followed in the next month’s issue by a correction and more depth in CHESS\, Volume 41 (1975)\, Numbers 731-732 (October)\, pp. 30-31: \n“K. B. Richardson\, though the first Britain to become a grand master by play was preceded by Comins Mansfield as grandmaster of problem composition\, a title he gained in 1972. Our report last month did not make this clear. \nKeith B. Richardson was born 2 April 1942 and was educated at Nottingham High School. At 16\, he passed Grade 8 in Royal\nSchools of Music at pianoforte. At Durham University\, he obtained a B.A. in French and German and was awarded the University Palatinate (equal to a ‘blue’) in cricket and fives. He could have become a professional cricketer or a concert pianist but\nmade his career instead with Barclays Bank which brought him to London and a home in Camberley\, Surrey\, where he has settled down with his wife\, Sandra (from Sutton Coldfield!). They now have two baby sons\, Neil aged three years and Ian who is only two months old – both born since the final of the 7th World Correspondence Chess Championship began. \nCGM Keith Bevan Richardson (from a Barclays publicity article)\nKeith’s other interests include bridge and squash. He plays squash for his bank and is Secretary of the London Squash League. As a young chess player\, Keith won the Notts. under l4 Championship\, held the Notts. under l8 Championship for four years and the Notts. Championship for two years and was British Junior Champion in 1962. In 1963\, he was Durham County Champion and joint winner of the British Universities’ Championship which he won outright the following year. He was twice captain of the British Universities Students’ Olympiad team. He held the Midlands Championship (Forrest Cup) for three years and was joint London Champion and London Banks’ Champion in 1970 but has been content to hold the latter title since then and concentrate on correspondence chess. \nKeith Richardson aged 20 at the 1963 Niemeyer Under-21 Tournament in Groningen. The forerunner of the European Junior Championship\nNiemeyer Under-21 Tournament\, Groningen 1963. The forerunner of the European Junior Championship.\nIn 1964\, Keith Richardson was runner up for the British Correspondence Chess Championship and at the same time won a Master Class tournament of the lnternational Correspondence Chess Federation (I.C.C.F.) which qualified for a place in the World C.C. Championship semi-final. He came second in the 1965-67 semi-final and tried again in the 1968-71 event which he won. At the same time\, he was representing Great Britain on Board 5 in the 1965-67 I.C.C.F. Olympiad Preliminary and on Board 4 in the 1968-71 event. His score of 5 points from 7 games helped the British team to win its section in the 1968-71 Preliminary and qualify for a place in the I.C.C.F. Olympiad Final which started in 1972. When Keith began play in the World C.C. Championship Final involving l6 tames\, he was also asked to take Board 3 in the Olympiad Final involving another 9 games. \nHe accepted – a mistake which might possibly have cost him the World C.C. Championship! His next assault on the World title will be in 1979 and in the meantime he plans to play in the next I.C.C.F. Olympiad Preliminary and write a book on the 7th World C.C. Championship. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn this position\, with Black in Zugzwang\, the game went for adjudication (after more than three years’ play\, a very necessary evil): \n“In order to substantiate White’s claim for a win\, it was necessary to submit three pages of analysis proving that every possible move loses for Black. If the knight moves\, White’s king claims an entry. If Black moves the bishop along the a7-g1 diagonal\, White plays Ba5. If the Black bishop moves on the d8-a5 diagonal\, White plays Bd4 : KBR” \nThe game was adjudicated a win for White. This was only defeat inflicted upon the new World Champion. \nCGM Keith Richardson in 1975\nThis article was followed (with some glee no doubt) by an article in  British Chess Magazine\, Volume LIXIV (95\, 1975)\, Number 12 (December)\, page 526 as follows: \n“Keith B. Richardson recently became the third British player to receive a grandmaster title (the other two both in 1972\, are Comins Mansfield for chess composition’ and R.W. Bonham’ correspondence grandmaster of the blind). The title of Correspondence Chess Grandmaster is awarded by the International Correspondence  Chess Federation  (ICCF) and Keith Richardson fulfilled the norm by sharing third place in the final of the 7th World Correspondence Championship. Leading scores in the tournament (February 1972 – Summer 1975): 1. Y. Estrin (USSR) 12/16; J.Boey (B) 11.5; 3-4 K.B. Richardson (ENG)\, V. Zagorovsky (USSR) 11; etc. \nKeith\, born 2nd April1942\, was educated at Nottingham High School and Durham University-. He won the Nottinghamshire U-14 Championship\, held the Notts U-18 championship for four years\, the senior Notts  Championship for two years and was British Junior Champion in 1962. In 1963\, he was  Durham County Champion and joint winner of the British Universities Championship  which he won outright the following year. He was twice captain of the British team in Students Olympiads. \nKeith Richardson from BCM\, 1984\, page 545\nIn 1964 Keith left university to make a career with Barclays Bank.  In the same year he was runner-up in the British Correspondence Championship and won an ICCF master tournament which qualified him for a place in the World Championship final. He came second in the 1965-7 semi-final\, tried again\, and won the 1968-71 event thus gaining entry to the 7th final. \nKeith Richardson lives in Surrey at Camberley. He is married and has two baby sons – both born since the final of the 7th World Correspondence Championship began. At present he is writing a book on the 7th Championship and\, for a change playing some OTB (over-the-board) chess in the London League for the Athenaeum club\, to which he makes a great contribution – it is a marvellous feeling to know  that the player next to you (on your side!) is a grandmaster. \nKeith Richardson playing for BCM Dragons in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL\, courtesy of John Upham Photography.\nThe following three games are – Keith’s best from  the -championship. In them he defeats three of the five Russians in the\ntournament (his overall score against the Russians was 3.5/5 – a wonderful achievement.” \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nand here is the printed version of the above report: \nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LIXIV (95\, 1975)\, Number 12 (December)\, page 526\nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LIXIV (95\, 1975)\, Number 12 (December)\, page 527\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Hooper & Whyld : \n“English player. International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (1975)\, bank manager. Around 1961 Richardson decided that over-the- board play\, which had brought him some successes as a. junior\, would interfere with his professional career and he took to postal chess instead. His best performance in this field was his sharing of third place with Zagorovsky after Estrin and Boey in the 7th World Correspondence Championship\, 1968-71. ” \nIn October 1984 Keith took part in the A. E. Axelson Memorial tournament organised by the Swedish CC Committee and with fifteen grandmasters was one of the strongest CC tournaments in history.  Keith finished in 11th place ahead of Boey. \nIn 1991 Jonathan Berry wrote a potted biography in  Diamond Dust\, International Chess Enterprises\, ISBN 1-879479-00-1 as follows : \n“Camberley\, Surrey\, England. Born 2 April 1942. Married with two sons. Bank Manager. \nHe was British Under-21 Champion in 1962. At Groningen 1962/63\, he was placed 2nd in the European Junior Championship. At Bristol 1967 he was equal 5th in the British Championship. \nIn CC\, he gained the IMC in 1968\, GMC in 1975. In CC WCh VII\, he won the semi-final with 9.5/12\, and placed =3rd in the final\, 11/16. In CC WCh X\, he again tied for third in the final with 10/15. Playing board 3 for Britain in OL-VIII\, finals\, 1972-76\, he scored 7.5/9\, the highest score on any board. He won the Prefors Memorial\, 1976-1980\, 9.5.12” \n1976-1980 Prefors Memorial\nKeith was a founding member of Camberley Chess Club in 1972. \n\nA one-day tournament (The Keith Richardson Memorial) in memory of Keith was started in 2017 and has been held four times in total being played on-line for the first time in 2021. \nKen Coates presents Clive Frostick with the trophy for the 2019 Keith Richardson Memorial Tournament.\nFrom Chessgames.com : \n“Keith Bevan Richardson was born in Nottingham\, England. Awarded the IMC title in 1968 and the GMC title in 1975\, he finished 3rd= in the World Correspondence Championships of 1975 and 1984.” \nHere are his games from chessgames.com \nAn obituary from Ray Edwards / ECF. \nHere is an excellent biography by Peter Rust from the web site of the Hamilton Russell Cup \nBarclay’s Bank pay tribute to Keith on the corporate site. \nHere is an entry from the Belgian chess history web site. \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-keith-bevan-richardson/
CATEGORIES:4NCL,Correspondence,Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200414
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200415
DTSTAMP:20220419T083516Z
CREATED:20200413T172919Z
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UID:4595-1586822400-1586908799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Theophilus Willcocks (19-iv-1912 14-iv-2014)
DESCRIPTION:Remembering Theophilus Harding Willcocks (19-iv-1912 14-iv-2014) \nAn innovator in both mathematics and fairy chess. \nHere is an excellent article on squaring.net \nAn article from matplus.net \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-theophilus-harding-willcocks-19-v-2014/
CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,Problemist,Remembering
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200503
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DTSTAMP:20210503T125607Z
CREATED:20190822T222848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210503T125607Z
UID:1018-1588464000-1588550399@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of David Hooper (31-xiii-1915 03-v-1998)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers David Hooper who passed away in a Taunton (Somerset) nursing home on Sunday\, May 3rd 1998. Probate (#9851310520) was granted in Brighton on June 24th 1998. \nPrior to the nursing home David had been living at 33\, Mansfield Road\, Taunton\, TA1 3NJ and before that at 5\, Haimes Lane\, Shaftesbury\, Dorset\, SP7 8AJ. \nFor most of the time between Reigate and Shaftesbury David lived in Whitchurch\, Hampshire. \nDavid Vincent Hooper was born on Tuesday\, August 31st 1915 in Reigate\, Surrey to Vincent Hooper and Edith Marjorie Winter who married in Reigate\, Surrey in 1909. On this day the first French ace\, Adolphe Pégoud\, was killed in combat. He had scored six victories. \nDavid was one of six children: Roger Garth (1910-?)\, Edwin Morris (1911-1942)\, Isobel Mary (12/01/1917-2009)\, Helene Edith (1916-1982) and Elizabeth Anne Oliver (1923-2000) were his siblings. \nRecorded in the September 1939 register David was aged 24 and living at 94\, High Street\, Reigate\, Surrey: \nHistorical Map showing 94\, High Street\, Reigate\, Surrey\nIn 2021 this property appears to be a flat (rather than bridge) over the River Kwai Restaurant: \n94\, High Street\, Reigate\, Surrey\, RH2 9AP\nLiving with David was his sister Isobel who was listed a “potential nurse”. David’s occupation at this time was listed as Architectural Assistant and he was single. We think that three others lived at this address at the time but they are not listed under the “100 year rule”. We know that David was also a surveyor and went on to attain professional membership of the Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA). \nIn the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette May 27th 1944 there appeared this report of a simultaneous display on Empire Day (May 24th) at Dr. Marsh’s house: \nBath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette\, May 27th 1944\nand from The Western Morning News\, 9th April 1947 we have: \nWestern Morning News\, 9th April 1947\nand then from The Nottingham Evening Post\, 16th August 1949 we have: \nNottingham Evening Post\, 16th August 1949\nIn 1950 aged 35 David married Joan M Higley (or Rose!) in the district of South Eastern Surrey. \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.\nKen Whyld wrote an obituary which appeared in British Chess Magazine\, Volume 118 (1998)\, Number 6\, page 326 as follows : \nDAVID VINCENT HOOPER died on 3rd May this year in a nursing home in Taunton. He had been in declining health for some months. Born in Reigate\, 31st August 1915\, his early chess years were with the Battersea CC and Surrey. \nDavid Hooper (left) in conversation with Alan Phillips. Location and photographer unknown.\nHe won the (ed. Somerset) County Championship three times\, and the London Championship in 1948. His generation was at its chess peak in the years when war curtailed opportunities\, but he won the British Correspondence Championship in 1944. \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 games from that event are to be found in Chess for Rank and File by Roche and Battersby. \nChess for the Rank and File\nAlso at that time\, he won the 1944 tournament at Blackpool\, defeating veteran Grandmaster Jacques Mieses. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nDavid was most active in the decade that followed\, playing five times in the British Championship. \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 highest place there was at Nottingham 1954\, when\, after leading in the early stages\, he finished half a point behind the joint champions\, Leonard Barden and Alan Phillips. \nDavid was in the British Olympic team at Helsinki 1952\, and in the same year accidentally played top board for England in one of the then traditional weekend matches against the Netherlands. British Champion Klein took offence at a Sunday Times report of his draw with former World Champion Dr. Euwe on the Saturday and refused to play on Sunday. Thus David was drafted in to meet Euwe\, and acquitted himself admirably. Even though he lost\, the game took pride of place in that month’s\nBCM. \nAlan Phillips plays David Hooper on August 20th 1954 in round five of the British Championships in Nottingham\, photographer unknown\n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn the following game\, played in the Hastings Premier l95l-2\, he found an improvement on Botvinnik’s play against Bronstein in game 17 of their 1951 match\, when 7.Ng3 was played because it was thought that after 7.Nf4 d5 it was necessary to play 8 Qb3. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nIn his profession as architect David worked in the Middle East for some years from the mid-1950s\, and when he returned to England he made his mark as a writer. His Practical Chess Endgames \nPractical Chess Endgames (Chess Handbooks)\, David Hooper\, Routledge & Kegan Paul\, London\, 1968\, ISBN 0 7100 5226 X\nhas an enduring appeal. Two of his books appeared in the Wildhagen biographical games series on Steinitz\, and Capablanca. The last was written jointly with Gilchrist. \nWilliam Steinitz : Selected Chess Games\, David Hooper\nWith Euwe he wrote A Guide to Chess Endings; \nA Guide to Chess Endings\, Dover (1976 reprint)\, ISBN 0-486-23332-4\nwith Cafferty\, A Complete Defence to 1.e4; \nA Complete Defence to 1.P-K4 A Study of Petroff’s Defence\, Bernard Cafferty & David Hooper\, Pergamon Press\, 1967\, ISBN 0 08 024089 5\nA Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames; \nA Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames\, David Hooper\, Bell & Hyman Limited\, London\, 1970\, ISBN 0 7135 1761 1\nA Complete Defence to 1.d4; \nA Complete Defence to 1d4: A Study of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted\, Bernard Cafferty & David Hooper\, Pergamon Press\, ISBN 0-08-024102-6\nand Play for Mate; \nPlay for Mate (1990)\, DV Hooper and Bernard Cafferty\, ISBN-13: 978-0713464740\nwith Brandreth The Unknown Capablanca\, \nThe Unknown Capablanca\, David Hooper & Dale Brandreth\, Batsford\, London\, 1975\, ISBN\, 0 7134 2964\nand with Ken Whyld\, The Oxford Companion to Chess. \nThe Oxford Companion to Chess\, 1st Edition\, David Hooper & Ken Whyld\, Oxford University Press\, 1984\, ISBN 0 19 217540 8\nKen Whyld \nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Harry Golombek : \nBritish amateur (an architect by profession) whose best result was =5 in the British Championship at Felixstowe 1949 along with\, amongst others\, Broadbent and Fairhurst. \nHooper abandoned playing for writing about chess and has become a specialist in two distinct areas. He is an expert on the endings and has a close knowledge of the history of chess in the nineteenth century. \nHis principal works : Steinitz (in German)\, Hamburg\, 1968; A Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames\, London 1970. \nHere is an interesting article from Edward Winter \nHere is his brief Wikipedia entry. \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-david-hooper/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering,Writer
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200516
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200517
DTSTAMP:20210516T144229Z
CREATED:20190823T085838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210516T144229Z
UID:1054-1589587200-1589673599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Harold Murray (24-vi-1868 16-v-1955)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Harold Murray who passed away on Monday\, May 16th\, 1955. \nHarold James Ruthven Murray was born on Wednesday\, 24th June 1868 in Camberwell\, London. He was the eldest son of Sir James Augustus Henry Murray 1837–1915 and  Ada Agnes Ruthven 1845–1936. Sir James was famously the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. \nFrom British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXV (125\, 1955)\, Number 8 (August)\, pp. 233-4 we have this obituary from DJ Morgan: \n“The great historian of chess died in May last\, at the age of eighty-six. Some of the early results of his researches into the origins of the game were published in this magazine\, and a reference to the “B.C.M.” volumes for the first fifteen years of this century will reveal a wealth of articles of permanent value. A tribute to our late and\ndistinguished contributor has been unavoidably delayed. \nMurray was the eldest son of Sir James A. H. Murray\, the pioneering editor of the great Oxford English Dictionary\, and was born in Camberwell on June 24th\, 1868. He went to Mill Hill School\, took an Open Mathematical Exhibition to Balliol College\, Oxford\, and left the University\, in 1890\, with a First Class in the Final Mathematical School. Subsequently\, teaching engagements took him to Taunton\, Carlisle\, and Ormskirk. From 1891 to 1900 he was Headmaster of Ormskirk Grammar School\, which he left to become a Board of Education Inspector of Schools. \nTaunton gave him an enthusiasm for chess. At Ormskirk he helped to found a club\, which he captained from 1896 to 1900. His interest in the history of the game had been aroused in 1893\, and when\, in 1897\, he received encouragement from such a notable authority as Baron von der Lasa\, historical research became his ruling passion. In his own words his aim was to trace the development of the modern European game from the first appearance of its ancestor\, the Indian chaturanga\, in the beginning of the seventh century of our era. \nMany books had been written on the history of chess\, but none had covered exactly the whole story as he envisaged it. Hyde\, in 1694\, and another Englishman\, Forbes\, in 1860\, had in the main confined their attention to Oriental chess. Other investigators\, such as Sir William Jones on Indian chess (1790)\, Cox on Burma chess (1803 and 1807)\, and Bland on Persian chess (1852)\, had published their conclusions in journals of Asiatic studies. The great German writer\, von der Lasa\, in 1897\, treated almost exclusively of the European game. Van der Linde alone had dealt with both Oriental and European chess\, but it was in three distinct works (1874-81). \nVan der Linde was able to incorporate the results of Weber’s examination of the early references to chess in Sanskrit literature\, and to show that Forbes’s History was both inaccurate and misleading. \nSince the publication of Linde’s Geschichte there had been many additions to our knowledge of various aspects of chess history\, mostly scattered in isolated papers. So\, continues Murray\, he set about collecting and collating all available material and making it easily accessible to English readers. \nMurray was able to call on the help of acknowledged scholars in the many languages\, obsolete and obsolescent\, into which his researches led him. Above all\, his work was largely based upon his own studies of original materials. The manuscripts and rare books in the unrivalled collections of J. G. White\, of Cleveland\, Ohio\, and of J. W. Rimington Wilson in this country\, were placed unreservedly at his disposal\, as were the resources of other collectors and libraries. \nAs an example of his devotion to his work\, he made a thorough study of Arabic\, and it was his knowledge of this language which enabled him to make his remarkable discovery of the chess-work of Allajlaj\, a Mohammedan chess master of the tenth century. The fascinating story of the recovery of these oldest recorded games is told in the “British Chess Magazine” of November\, 1903. \nMurray thus brought a fine scholarship to his immense task. He had\, in addition\, the true historian’s gifts of meticulous research\, of grasp of detail\, of the critical sifting of evidence; to this scientific technique was added the art of lucid exposition.\nIn his hands\, it can be said\, the chess-player’s elements of time\, space\, and material were used to range through most of the centuries of the Christian era. \nA History of Chess\nThe History appeared in 1913\, from the same University Press\, he was proud to think which\, more than 200 years before\, had published Thomas Hyde’s Mondragorios seu Historia Shohiludii. The huge volume of 900 pages\, lavishly illustrated and with scores of chess diagrams\, was received with world-wide acclamation. From ancient “Indian Board-games” to “Steinitz and his School\,” the vast field had been covered with great authority. The book is in two parts\, “Chess in Asia” and “Chess in Europe\,” but through it all runs the absorbing story of how the game\, in play and in problem\, in its practice and in its laws\, has developed and spread. From India to Persia\, to Islam as a result of the Mohammedan conquest of Persia\, from Islam to Spain\, and thence to Christian Europe\, chess has followed the great political and religious movements. It is very improbable that chess was played in England before the Norman Conquest. That it was familiar to the Norman Kings in the eleventh century is certain from the evidence of the word exchequer\, which was applied to the table “upon which the accounts were worked out by means of a cloth divided into strips about a footwide\, on which counters\, representing the moneys\, were placed and moved.” \nThis must suffice. The work is one to browse in and to dip into through the years. Murray has left an enduring monument\, the greatest book ever written on the game. We can but touch briefly on other aspects of his varied and active life. Following his retirement from the Board of Education\, in 1928\, he took an active interest in Local Government work. He became Chairman of the Fernhurst Parish Council\, and was a member of the Midhurst R.D.C.\, 1931-55\, being Chairmain of its Housing\nCommittee from 1938 to 1948. \nIn 1952 he published A History of Board Gomes Other Than Chess. \nA History of Board Games other than Chess\nHe also wrote a Shorter History of Chess and a History of Draughts (both unpublished)\, and spent much time working on mathematical problems connected with Knights’ Tours and Magic Tours. His work on these investigations is also unpublished\, but a good deal remains in typescript in fairly complete form. \nApart from his interest in board games and mathematics\, he was interested in genealogy\, and did research on his own and his wife’s families. Up to his death he was working on local history and was writing a history of Heyshott\, the village to which he retired. Walking\, in his younger days\, and bird-watching in his middle years\, were amongst his otter recreations. \nA game of chess he. always enjoyed\, but not under the rigorous conditions of matches and tournaments. \nHis son\, Major D. M. J. Murray\, Royal Engineers\, was killed in Hong Kong in 1941. The chess world’s sympathy with his second son Mr. K.C. Murray of the Antiquities Service\, Nigeria\, and with his daughter\, Miss K. M. E. Murray\, M.A.\, Principal of the Bishop\nOtter College\, Chichester\, is but a small expression of its sense of indebtedness to their distinguished father.-D. J. M.” \nFollowing this obituary a letter from Alex Hammond appeared in British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXV (125\, 1955)\, Number 9 (September)\, page 270 as follows: \n“Dear Mr. Reilly\,\nMurray was\, indeed a very great man\, though a few of us were privileged to know him intimately\, as his nature was shy and retiring. \nFor myself\, I shall always treasure his memory\, as when I wrote my The Book of Chessmen he gave me freely of his knowledge\, and saved me from many errors. \nAny person who attempts to write on chess history will always find real difficulty in discovering anything of interest which does not appear in his monumental “History.” \nProbably his like will not be seen again\, as such patient industry\, deep knowledge\, and tremendous perseverance are unlikely to be combined in a single personage again. \nYours sincerely\,\nAlex Hammond\n16 Burlington Arcade\, London\, W1 \nThe Book of Chessmen\, Alexander Hammond\, Arthur Barker Ltd.\, London\, 1950\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess (Oxford University Press\, 1984 & 1996) by Hooper & Whyld: \n“Foremost chess historian\, school inspector. His A History of Chess (1913)\, perhaps the most important chess book in English\, was the result of about 14 years of research inspired by Lasa\, and grounded on van der Linde’s work. During that period Murray contributed 35 articles to the British Chess Magazine \, some of which outlined his discoveries. Most of the 900-page History is concerned with the evolution of modern chess from its oriental precursor up to the 17th century. He learned Arabic so that he could read important manuscripts\, and in addition to his own circle he was able to solicit help from colleagues of his father Sir James A. H. Murray\, editor-in-chief of the Oxford English Dictionary; who was also aided by J. G. White\, with both advice and the loan of rare books from the Cleveland collection\, and by many others. His book includes an authoritative account of both Mansubat and medieval problems. (See also history of chess.) In 1952 he published a companion volume\, A History of Board Games other than Chess. \nWhile the scholarship of his chess book has never been questioned it is too detailed for the average chess-player. Aware of this problem\, Murray wrote a briefer work approaching the topic in a more popular way. The manuscript\, unfinished at his death\, was completed and published in 1963 as A Short History of Chess. (See Civis Bononiae.) \nA Short History of Chess\nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford\, 1977)\, Harry Golombek OBE : \n“Chess historian and a Board of Education Inspector of Schools. Appropriately enough\, a son of the pioneering editor of the great Oxford English Dictionary\, he became interested in the history of chess in the early 1890s. Up to this time the historical writings on chess in English had been unhistorical. In order to fit himself for the task Murray learned several languages including Arabic and he also studied the true historians of chess\, the German writers\, Van der Linde and Von der Lassa. \nIn his own words his aim was to trace the development of the modern European game from the first appearance of its ancestor\, the Indian chaturanga\, in the beginning of the seventh century of our era. This he did in a vast work of some 900 pages published in Oxford in 1913. An immense amount of painstaking research had gone into the work and only a man of Murray’s great learning could have attempted it. \nIt at once became the standard book on the subject and has remained so ever since. Murray left behind among his papers an unfinished work A Short History of Chess which took the history of the game up to 1866 which gave a clearer and more readable account of the history of the game than his main work. This was brought up to date by Goulding-Brown and Golombek and published in Oxford in 1963.” \nFrom The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Robert Hale\, 1970 &1976)\, Anne Sunnucks : \n“The chess historian who wrote the History of Chess\, published by Oxford University Press in 1913. Murray was born in Camberwell on 24th June\, 1868\, the eldest son of Sir James Murray\, the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. After graduating from Balliol College\, Oxford\, with a First Class in the Final Mathematical School\, in 1890 Murray became a master at Queen’s College\, Taunton\, where he learned to play chess. He later taught at Carlisle Grammar School and in 1896 became the headmaster of Ormskirk Grammar School. About 1893 his interest in the history of the game was aroused\, and four years later\, encouraged by the great German writer and authority on the game\, Baron Von der Lasa\, his historical researches began.\nFrom 1901-1928 he was a Board of Education Inspector of Schools\, an appointment which made it difficult for him to play much chess. He began to turn his attention more and more to the history of the game\, contributing articles to The British Chess Magazine and Deutsches Wochenschach. He made the acquaintance of J. J. White of Cleveland\, Ohio\, owner of the largest chess library in the world\, and was given access to this collection\, as well as one owned by J. W. Rimington Wilson in England. White’s library contained a number of Arabic manuscripts\, and\, in order to be able to study them\, Murray learned Arabic. The History of Chess took him 13 years to complete. \nOn his retirement from the Board of Education\, Murray served as Chairman of Fernhurst Parish Council and was a member of Midhurst R.D.C. from 1931-1955 and was Chairman of its Housing Committee from 1938-1948. His other interests\, apart from chess\, were genealogy\, local history\, walking and bird watching. In 1952 he published A History of Board Games Other than Chess. \nAfter his death A Short History of Chess was found uncompleted among his papers. Additional chapters were added by B. Goulding Brown and H. Golombek\, and it was published in 1963.” \n(Bertram Goulding Brown was a tournament chess player and a contributor to British Chess Magazine. He was born 5 July 1881 and died 22 August 1965 in the United Kingdom.) \nYou may read the entire book here \nFrom Amazon : \n“Harold James Ruthven Murray was born on 24 June 1868. His first book A History of Chess was published by Oxford University Press in 1913. Murray covered the first 1\,400 years of the game’s history in definitive detail. He died on 16 May 1955. He left several more manuscripts which are being held by Oxford University.” \nAccording to Edward Winter in Chess Notes HJRM lived 53 Hagley Road\, Edgbaston\, Birmingham\, England (Ranneforths Schach-Kalender\, 1915\, page 71). \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nand here is an excellent article from Edward Winter. \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-harold-james-ruthven-murray/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Remembering,Writer
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200619
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200620
DTSTAMP:20210620T094213Z
CREATED:20190823T181141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210620T094213Z
UID:1094-1592524800-1592611199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Robin Matthews (16-vi-1927 19-vi-1983)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers Robin Matthews CBE\, FBA who died in Cambridge aged 83 on June 19th 2010. Probate (3367272) was granted in Ipswich\, Suffolk on September 6th\, 2010. \nRobert (Robin) Charles Oliver Matthews was born in Edinburgh on Thursday\, June 16th 1927. Born on the same day was England cricketer\, Tom Graveney. \nHis English father\, Oliver Harwood Matthews became an Edinburgh solicitor and his mother was Ida Matthews (née) Finlay.  Robin had a daughter Alison. \nAcademia\nHe was educated at Edinburgh Academy and then Corpus Christi College\, Oxford becoming a Fellow of All Souls College\, Oxford. He went on to become a highly successful economist authoring at least twelve publications on the subject. \nAccording to Wikipedia “He was the Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford from 1965 to 1975 and the Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge from 1980 to 1991. He was also the Master of Clare College\, Cambridge from 1975 to 1993.” \nFor a detailed description of this part of his life there is an excellent obituary / biography from the Australian economist\, Geoffrey Harcourt. \nProblem Composer\nBrian Stephenson (BCPS) writes : “Probably the UK’s greatest composer of ‘mate in 3’ #ChessProblems . His chapters in the book you note were what got me hooked on chess composition. Nearly all of his output can be viewed at The Meson Database” \nBlack Correction: Quaternary Play \nFirst Prize\, The Observer\, 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\nMate in three \nAccording to David McKittrick in The Independent: \n“Outside academia\, Matthews was keen on chess\, in particular setting problems and publishing two books on what are known as three-mover directmates\, in which white is to move and checkmate black in no more than three moves against any defence. \nAlthough this might be thought a particularly narrow point of interest\, one enthusiast said of him that his writings “demonstrated a deep knowledge along with the feeling of wonder and curiosity about the subject”. \nRCO Matthews\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld: \n“British Composer\, International Judge of Chess Compositions (1957)\, International Master for Chess Compositions (1965)\, economist\, appointed Master of Clare College\, Cambridge in 1975. He has specialised in orthodox three movers and is among the world’s leaders in this field.” \n\nHere is an obituary from The Daily Telegraph \nand an obituary from The Independent \nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks : \nInternational Master of the F.I.D.E. for chess compositions (1965) and International Judge of the F.I.D.E. for Chess Compositions (1957). President of the British Chess Problem Society for 1971 and 1972. Professor of Economics at Oxford University. \nCyclic Overload Doubled \nFirst Prize\, British Chess Magazine\, 1968 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nMate in three \nBorn on 16th June 1927. Professor Matthews has composed about 200 problems\, about 40 of them 1st prize winners\, mainly strategic three-movers\, He is one of the world’s best three move composers. \nNowotnys \nBritish Chess Magazine\, 1967 \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nHis best problems give clear-cut expression of complex themes\, with proper attention given to key-move and by-play in the best English tradition. \nChess Problems : Introduction to an Art\nThe results are massive rather than elegant\, but carefully constructed. Themes he has specialised in include overload White self-weakening and reciprocal change.” \nR.C.O. Matthews\nBritish Chess Magazine\n1956 \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 three moves \nFrom Wikipedia : \n“Robert (Robin) Charles Oliver Matthews (16 June 1927 – 19 June 2010) was an economist and chess problemist. \nMatthews was born in Edinburgh. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Corpus Christi College\, Oxford\, and was a Fellow of All Souls College\, Oxford. He was the Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford from 1965 to 1975 and the Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge from 1980 to 1991. He was also the Master of Clare College\, Cambridge from 1975 to 1993.” \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-robin-co-matthews/
CATEGORIES:Composer,Death Anniversary,History,Problemist,Remembering,Writer
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200620
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200621
DTSTAMP:20210616T140110Z
CREATED:20200412T102259Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210616T140110Z
UID:4536-1592611200-1592697599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Johannes Zukertort (07-ix-1842 20-vi-1888)
DESCRIPTION:BCN Remembers Johannes Hermann Zukertort (07-ix-1842 20-vi-1888) \nJohannes Hermann Zukertort (07-ix-1842 20-vi-1888)\, from the Illustrated London News\nFrom the July 2012 editorial in British Chess Magazine we had this report : \n“Johann Hermann Zukertort’s (1842-1888) grave was rededicated last month in London’s crowded Brompton Cemetery\, largely thanks to an initiative led by Stuart Conquest. The resting place of one of the leading players of the nineteenth century was recorded but the grave had fallen into terrible dis-repair. See BCM 1888\, pp.307-8 and p.338-340 for the obituary of the great man. We read that his death ‘was terribly sudden’\, that he was buried on 26th June\, 1888 and that ‘several pretty wreaths were laid on the coffin …’” \nGM Stuart Conquest at the re-dedication of Zukertort’s grave at Brompton Cemetery in June 2012\, photograph by Ray Morris-Hill\nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld : \nPolish-born Jew\, from about 1871 to 1886 second player in the world after Steinitz. From about 1862 to 1866 Zukertort\, then living in Breslau\, played many friendly games with Anderssen\, at first receiving odds of a knight but soon meeting on even terms. They played two matches in Berlin\, Zukertort losing the first in 1868 (+3 = 1—8) and winning the second in 1871 (+5 — 2). \nIn 1872 a group of London players\, anxious to find someone who could defeat Steinitz\, paid Zukertort 20 guineas to come to England. He came\, he stayed\, but he failed to beat Steinitz. \nZukertort took third place after Steinitz and Blackburne at London 1872\, the strongest tournament in which He had yet played\, and later in the year was decisively beaten by Steinitz in match play ( + 1=4—7). Zukertort settled in London as a professional player. \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 won matches against Potter in 1872 ( + 4=8—2)\, Rosentalis in 1880 ( + 7=11-1)\, and Blackburne in 1881 ( + 7=5-2)\, He also had a fair record in tournament play: Leipzig 1877\, second equal with Anderssen after L. Paulsen ahead of Winawer:-* Paris 1878\, first ( + 14=5—3) equal with Winawer ahead of Blackburne (Zukertort won the play-off\, +2=2); Berlin 1881\, second alter Blackburne ahead of Winawer; and Vienna 1882\, fourth equal with Mackenzie after Steinitz\, Winawer\, and Mason. \nJohannes Herman Zukertort (07-ix-1842 20-vi-1888)\nThe world’s nine best players were among the competitors in the double-round London tournament of 1883 when Zukertort achieved his greatest victory: first prize (+22—4) three points ahead of Steinitz\, the second prize winner\, in seven weeks and a day he played 33 games (seven draws were replayed) and towards the end he relieved the strain by taking opiates\, the cause of his losing his last three games. This victory led to the first match for the world championship\, a struggle between him and Steinitz\, USA\, 1886. After nearly ten weeks of relentless pressure by his opponent Zukertort lost (- 1 – 5=5 —10) i winning only one of the last 15 games. His spirit crushed\, his health failing\, he was advised to give up competitive chess\, but there was nothing else he could do. I am prepared\, he said\, l to be taken away at any moment.’ Seized by a stroke while playing at London’s famous coffee-house\, Simpson’s Divan\, he died the next day. \nJohannes Zukertort playing Wilhelm Steinitz\nLike Anderssen\, his teacher\, Zukertort had a direct and straightforward style\, and in combinative situations he could calculate far ahead. Having a prodigious memory he could recollect at will countless games and opening variations\, a talent which may have limited his vision. (For his match with Steinitz in 1872 his extensive opening preparations brought him only one win. Steinitz was the better player in unfamiliar situations.) As an annotator and analyst Zukertort was outstanding in his time\, and much of his work in these fields appeared in the Chess Monthly which he and Hoffer edited from 1879 to 1888. \n\nZukertort read widely and what he read became\, as he said ‘iron-printed in my head’. Hoffer recalls Zukertort holding a visitor from India spellbound with a convincing and detailed account of a tiger-hunt\, although it must have been outside his experience. Zukertort’s own account of his early life was reported in the Norfolk News\, 16 Nov. 1872\, He claimed aristocratic (Prussian and Polish) descent\, and fluency in nine languages. “He learnt one language to read Dante\, another to read Cervantes\, and a third\, Sanskrit\, to trace the origin of chess\,’ Besides the study of theology\, philology\, and social science he is also an original thinker on some of the problems that perplex humanity \, ” He is ‘an accomplished swordsman\, the best domino player in Berlin\, one of the best whist players living\, and so good a pistol shot that at fifteen paces he is morally certain to hit the ace of hearts . \, \, has found time to play 6\,000 games of chess with Anderssen alone … a pupil of Moscheles\, and in 1862-6 musical critic of the first journal in Silesia … is also a military veteran … he served in the Danish\, in the Austrian\, and in the French campaign \, \, \, he was present at the following engagements\, viz\, in Denmark\, Missunde\, Duppcl\, and Alsen; in Austria\, Trauienau\, Koniginhof\, Kdniggratz (Sadowa)\, and Blumcnau; in France\, Spicheeren\, Pange (Vionville)\, Gravelotte\, Noisevillc\, and all other affairs before Metz\, Twice dangerously wounded\, and once left for dead upon the field\, he is entitled to wear seven medals besides the orders of the Red Eagle and the Iron Cross\, . . . He obtained the degree of M.D. at Breslau in 1865\, having chiefly devoted his attention to chemistry under Professor Bunsen at Heidelberg\, and to physiology at Berlin under Professor Virchow … is now on the staff of Prince Bismarck’s private organ\, the Allgemeine Zetiling\, and is chief editor of a political journal which receives “officios’” from the Government at Berlin. He is . . . the author of the Grosses Schach Handbuck and a Leitfaden \, and \, . . was for several years editor of the Neue Berliner Schachzeitung. ’ There is some truth in the last sentence: he was co-author of the books\, co-editor of the chess magazine. \nA. Olson\, J. H. Zukertort (1912) is a collection of 201 games with Swedish text. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks \n“One of the leading players of the last century\, Zukertort was born in Riga on 7th September 1842. His father was a Prussian and his mother a Pole. When he was 13\, his family moved to Breslau. After studying chemistry at Heidelberg and physiology at Berlin\, he obtained his doctorate of medicine at Breslau University in 1865. He served as a doctor with the Prussian Army during his country’s wars against Denmark\, Austria and France and was decorated for gallantry. \nZukertort was a man of many talents. He had a prodigious memory\, and it was said that he never forgot a game he had played. He spoke 11 languages\, and he was an excellent pistol shot and fencer but it was journalism and chess that he chose for a career. \nZukertort learned to play chess when he was 18\, and two years later he met Anderssen and became his pupil. Within three years he had become one of the strongest players in North Germany. He first drew attention to himself as a blindfold simultaneous player. In 1868\, he gave a simultaneous blindfold display against seven players in Berlin. This was his first blindfold performan@\, and it was so successful that he gave several further performances\, almost immediately increasing the number of his opponents to 12. \nBetween 1867 and 1871\, he was joint editor with Anderssen of the Neue Berliner Schachzeityng. In 1871 he played a match against Anderssen\, probably the second strongest player in the world at that time\, and beat_him by 5-2. Following this victory\, he was invited to take part in the 1872 London Tournament. He came 3rd and\, probably because he was disappointed at his result\, immediately challenged – the winner\, Steinitz\, to a match for the title of World Champion. Steinitz had claimed this title after his victory over Anderssen in 1866. Zukertort lost the match by + 1 -7 :4. \nA Zukertort Postage Stamp from Guinea\nMeanwhile\, Zukertort had decided to make England his permanent home and became a naturalised Englishman in l878. \nZukertort tied with Anderssen for 2nd prize in a master tournament in Leipzig in 1877\, but his first major international event was Paris 1878\, when he tied for lst place with Winawer and won the play-oft. In 1880 he beat the French champion\, Rosenthal\, in a match 7-1\, and the following year he beat Blackburne +7 -2 – 5. The greatest performance of his career came in 1883\, when in the London Tournament he won lst prize\, three points ahead of Steinitz\, who came 2nd. His victory was certain two weeks before the end of the tournament when he had a score of  22 out of 23. With victory secure\, he went on to lose his last three games\, the strain having proved too much. \n\nZukertort was advised by his doctor to give up serious chess but he refused and within a short time left England for a chess tour of the United States\, Canada and Europe. On his return from this tour\, he left almost immediately to play a second match for the world title against Steinitz. This took place in 1886. Zukertort was in no fit state of health\nfor such a match\, and it proved too much for him. He lost by +5 -10 =5 and returned to England a physical and nervous wreck. \nZukertort never fully recovered. He continued to play chess\, but with little success. He died at Charing Cross Hospital on 20th June 1888 of cerebral haemorrhage\, following a game at Simpson’s ‘Divan’.” \nFrom The Encyclopedia of Chess by Harry Golombek : \n“One of the most talented players of all time and possibly an English Prussian Polish Jewish grandmaster\, the antecedents and early career of Zukertort are shrouded in mystery\, a mystery that was the more complete in that the only account of these comes from Zukertort with a lack of corroboration so great that perhaps he really was telling the truth. Whatever the truth may be it is certain that he was a great chess player\, one of those who carry with them the aura of certain genius. According to Zukertort\, then\, he was born in Lublin of mixed Prussian and Polish descent and his mother was the Baroness Krzyzanovska. The name of his mother sounds incredibly like an invention of W. C. Fields and it is difficult to believe that his father’s name\, Zukertort\, was not Jewish. \nAgain according to Zukertort he studied chemistry at Heidelberg and physiology at Berlin\, claiming to have obtained his doctorate of medicine at Breslau University. His versatility was astonishing. He spoke nine languages including Hebrew and was acquainted with several more. He had been a soldier\, having fought in several campaigns for Prussia against Austria\, Denmark and France; and once had been left for dead on the battlefield. \nA music critic\, editor of a political paper\, on the staff of Bismarck’s newspaper\, the Allgemeine Zeitung; gifted with a memory so colossal that he never forgot a game he played; a consummate fencer\, a blindfold simultaneous player of undoubted repute (he had played as many as fifteen simultaneously blindfold) and a grandmaster with justified pretensions towards the world title: most of these attributes we have to take on Zukertort’s word. But there is enough left that is substantiated to show his great importance in the history of chess. \nHis early chess career had much to do with Anderssen whom he beat in a match\, when Anderssen had grown old\, in 1871 in Germany by +5-2\, having lost a previous match to him in Berlin in 1868 by +3 -8 =1. On the strength of his win over Anderssen in the second match he was invited to play in a small but strong tournament in London in 1872 where he came 3rd below Steinitz and Blackburne. Immediately afterwards he played a match with Steinitz in which he was overwhelmingly defeated by +1-7 =4.It is unlikely that this was for the World Championship since no mention was made of the title at the time and the stakes were small\, £2O for the winner and £l0 for the loser. \nDespite this disastrous loss\, which contained the seeds of further disasters\, Zukertort felt that London was his true home and decided to stay in England\, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1878. His results in tournament and match play from then on showed a steep upward curve. He was 2nd in London 1876\, lst in a small tournament in Cologne 1877 and :2nd at Leipzis that year. He came lst in a big tournament at Paris 1878 where he tied with Winawer and won the play-off. \nIn 1880 he won a match in London against Rosenthal by +7 -l =11 and in the following year he was 2nd to Blackburne in Berlin. He was no less than 3 points behind Blackburne but he avenged this by beating him in a match in London the same year by +7 -2 =5. \nA comparative setback came in a great tournament at Vienna in 1882 when he tied for fourth place with Mackenzie\, below Steinitz\, Winawer and Mason but in 1883 came the peak of his career when\nhe won lst prize in the great London tournament\, 3 points ahead of Steinitz and 5.5 points ahead of Blackburne who came 3rd. \nThe remarkable nature of his victory is to be seen from the fact that he was sure of first prize with some two weeks still to go when he had a score of 22/23. But\, ominously\, his health was giving way and he had been sustaining himself by the use of drugs. He lost his last three games. It is very probable that this high point in his career was also the time when his health began to deteriorate under the excessive nervous strains by his conscious efforts to out rival Steinitz. \nThus\, though he had been warned by his doctor he refused to abandon serious play and in 1886 he played his match for the World Championship against Steinitz in the USA\, losing by +S -10 =5. The strain was this time too great an and he returned to England with his health completely shattered. \nThis was reflected in his subsequent results. =7th in London 1886 and =3rd in a smaller tournament at Nottingham that year\, he had disastrous results throughout 1887: =l5th at Frankfurt-am-Main\, 4th in a small tournament in London and a match loss there to Blackburne by +1-5:8. \nIn the last year of his life he was =7th in London in 1888 playing to the last possible moment\, he died from a cerebral haemorrhage after a game at Simpson’s Divan. \nDespite a career that stopped as if it were halfway\, Zukertort is clearly one of the chess immortals and there is about his best game a sort of resilient and shining splendour that no other player possesses.” \nZukertort was buried in the Brompton Cemetry. He are details. \nThe grave was rededicated in 2012 thanks to the efforts of many chess enthusiasts. \n\nSeveral opening variations have been named after Zukertort : \nThe Zukertort Defence in the Vienna Game\, a variation advocated by Zukertort from 1871. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nAfter 6 exd5 Bg4T 7 Nf3 Black castles\, sacrificing a piece for counterattack : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nThe Zukertort Opening\, 1.Nf3 abhorred by Ruy Lopez\, used by Zukertort always as a preliminary\nto 2.d4\, now the fourth most popular opening move\, after 1.e4\, 1.d4\, and 1 c4. \nThe Zukertort variation\, in the Spanish opening\, favoured by Zukertort in the 1880s : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nbut laid to rest soon after. \nThe Zukertort Variation in the Philidor Defence : \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nPossibly the Colle-Zukertort Opening is the most well-known \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess diagram visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nand still continues to be written about to this day. \nHe was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2016. \nHere is an interesting article from the ruchess web site. \nDominic Lawson wrote this article in 2014. \nAn interesting article from chess.com \nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nJohannes Zukertort: Artist of the Chessboard\nEminent Victorian Chess Players\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-johannes-zukertort-07-ix-1842-20-vi-1888/
CATEGORIES:Birthday,Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200622
DTSTAMP:20210621T084120Z
CREATED:20190824T095122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210621T084120Z
UID:1146-1592697600-1592783999@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Sir Richard Clarke KCB CB OBE (13-viii-1910 21-vi-1975)
DESCRIPTION:BCN Remembers Sir Richard Clarke KCB OBE who passed away on June 21st 1975. \nAccording to chess-poster.com : “Clarke died in the University College Hospital\, in London\, on 21 June 1975 and was cremated at Golders Green three days later. He was survived by his wife Brenda Pile (married in 1950\, née Skinner) and their three sons.” \nOne of those sons is Charles Rodway Clarke along with his brothers Mark G and Timothy Rodway. \nRichard William Barnes Clarke was born on August 13th\, 1910 in Basford\, Derbyshire. The birth was registered in Ilkeston in the district of Erewash. His parents were a secondary and technical school schoolmaster of science\, William Thomas Clarke and Helen Rodway Clarke (née Barnes). Richard was baptised on October 1st 1910 in St. Lawrence (Anglican) Church in Heanor\, Derbyshire. \nThe 1911 census records the family living at “Iona” which was a modest property in Fletcher Street in Heanor which had six rooms.  Richard was seven months old and he had a three year old sister\, Stella Helen Clarke. The family retained a nineteen year old domestic servant\, Ada Mary Brown who has been born in Codnor\, Derbyshire. \nRichard was educated at Christ’s Hospital\, London followed by Clare College\, Cambridge. At University he studied mathematics specialising in statistics. He was ranked at the sixth “wrangler“. Subsequently he was awarded the Frances Wood Prize by the Royal Statistical Society. \nIn 1944 Richard was awarded the OBE for his work as Planning Officer for the Ministry of Production followed by Companion of the Bath in 1951 for his work as Under Secretary at HM Treasury and in 1964 he was made Knight Commander of the Bath for his work as Second Secretary at HM Treasury. \nAccording to chess-poster.com : “He was commonly known as Otto Clarke” and according to his son Mark the nickname “Otto” was possibly because of Clarke’s “forceful” personality was considered Germanic. According to Sir Sam Brittan\, “it was because his round glasses and the bridge over the nose looked like OTTO.” \nFrom The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld : \nCreator of the British system of grading. He gave up active chess after leaving Cambridge University where he played second board between C.H.O’D. Alexander and Jacob Bronowski. \nAt first a financial journalist (one of the two who created the Financial Times Index)\, he became\, at the outbreak of the Second World War\, a temporary civil servant\, remaining to become one of the most distinguished of them\, and to receive a knighthood. \nAccording to Arpad E. Elo in “Ratings of Chessplayers Past and Present” : “In the chess world\, rating systems have been used with varying degrees of success for over twenty-five years. Those which have survived a share a common principle in that they combine the percentage score achieved by a player with the rating of his competition. They use similar formulae for the evaluation of performance and differ mainly in the elaboration of the scales. The most notable are the Ingo (Hoesskinger 1948)\, the Harkness (Harkness 1956)\, and the British Chess Federation (Clarke 1957) systems. These received acceptance because they produced ranking lists which generally agreed with the personal estimates made by knowledgeable chessplayers.” \nHere is an article in full reproduced from British Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIII\, Number 2\, February\, 1963\, pages 49 -53 : \nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIII\, Number 2\, February\, 1963\, page 49\nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIII\, Number 2\, February\, 1963\, page 50\nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIII\, Number 2\, February\, 1963\, page 51\nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIII\, Number 2\, February\, 1963\, page 52\nBritish Chess Magazine\, Volume LXXXIII\, Number 2\, February\, 1963\, page 53\nThe June 1975 issue of British Chess Magazine announces his passing and promises that a tribute would follow : it never did. \nSir Richard Clarke (13-viii-1910 21-vi-1975)\, National Portrait Gallery\, Rex Coleman\nHere is his Wikipedia entry \nHere is a small article from chess-poster.com \nHere is detail about the Clarke Grading System \nand more about chess ratings systems in general \nThe Economic Effort of War\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-of-sir-richard-william-barnes-clarke/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Honours,Remembering
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210724
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210725
DTSTAMP:20210812T153624Z
CREATED:20210124T171654Z
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UID:13455-1627084800-1627171199@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of Johann Löwenthal (15-vii-1810 24-vii-1876)
DESCRIPTION:Death Anniversary Johann Löwenthal (15-vii-1810 24-vii-1876) \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/death-anniversary-johann-lowenthal-15-vii-1810-24-vii-1876/
CATEGORIES:Death Anniversary,History,Player,Remembering
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210827
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20210828
DTSTAMP:20260817T135403Z
CREATED:20210915T110705Z
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UID:18847-1630022400-1630108799@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Remembering IMC James Adams (04-ix-1921 27-vii-2013)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers IMC James Adams who passed away aged 91 on July 27th\, 2013 in Worcester Park\, Kingston Upon Thames\, Surrey. \nJames Frederick Adams was born on September 4th\, 1921 in Lambeth. His parents were James J Adams (DoB: 10th October 1884) who was a plumber’s mate and Lucy M Adams (née Ayres\, DoB: 22nd December 1886). He had an older brother who was William A Adams who was also a plumber’s mate and and Uncle George T (DoB: 8th March 1882) who was the plumber who presumably had many mates. \nAt the time of the 1939 register James was a telephone operator. \nThe Adams family lived at 52\, Broadway Gardens\, Mitcham\, Surrey\, CR4 4EE (rather than 001 Cemetery Lane) \n52\, Broadway Gardens\, Mitcham\, Surrey\, CR4 4EE\nFrom CHESS\, 1991\, March\, page 91 we have: \n“Whatever Happened to Human Effort? \nI am giving up postal chess after 57 years for the reason that\, like Jonathan Penrose and recently Nigel Short\, I am increasingly disturbed over the increase in the use of computers in correspondence play. It is impossible to prove but one has the feeling that many opponents see nothing wrong in using a machine and I see no pleasure in having to bash one’s brains out against a computer. I am happy in the knowledge that I won my FIDE IM title long before dedicated chess computers were ever heard of. I shudder to think of the proliferation in the use of computers in a competition like the World CC Championship. I don’t wonder that Penrose objects. \nUnfortunately\, this is the sort of thing against which it is impossible to legislate. The BCCA has banned their use but it doesn’t mean a thing. \nThe latest monstrosity is where Kasparov plays a match against another GM and both are allowed to use computers whilst the game is in progress. To me\, this is absolutely shocking. Dr. Nunn admits to the use of computers in the compilation of one of his books and I see that even ordinary annotators use a programme like Fritz to assist with their notes to a game. What happened to human effort? \nAnyway\, I have about five postal games left in progress and when they are finished I will call it a day. \nJim Adams\nWorcester Park\, Surrey \nSo who was Jim Adams? \nFrom British Chess (Pergamon Press\, 1983) Botterill\, Levy\, Rice and Richardson we have this: \nThe smoke-laden atmosphere of the chess rooms of St. Bride’s Institute\, in the heart of the City of London\, could hardly be considered a positive encouragement to any ambitions to become an International Master\, but certainly this was so in my case. Let me explain the sequence of events. \nFace-to-face\, or over-the-board chess\, had been my main interest since my war-time days as a member of the Civil Defence. Passing time between air-raids led to the adoption of many pastimes and an absorbing game such as chess was ideal. Fortunately for me\, one of my ambulance station colleagues was a very fine player named A. F. (Algy) Battersby\, later to become General Secretary of the British Correspondence Chess Association. \nHe had spent the greater part of the First World War playing chess in the Sinai Desert and\, with his tremendous experience\, he brought to the game strategical ideas and tactical skills that\, in those early days\, were well beyond my comprehension. \nArthur Frank Battersby\, BIRTH 2 JUN 1887 • Brixton\, Surrey\, England  DEATH 11 APR 1955 • Surrey\, England\n‘Algy’ was kind enough to say some years afterwards that I was ‘the best pupil he ever had’\, but whether this was true or not\, he certainly passed on to me the theoretical groundwork that was to be so useful to me in later years. Among other books\, he encouraged me to purchase the Nimzowitch classic My System\, with the kindly warning that I would not understand it at first reading but would perhaps get some grasp of the ideas at a second or third attempt. \nMy System was a revelation to me and proved to be the greatest help to an understanding of the game that I had ever received. Up to my fortuitous meeting with ‘Algy’\, my games had been of a simple tactical nature. Pieces were left en prise\, oversights and blunders were the order of the day and an actual checkmate came as a surprise not only to the loser but often to the winner as well! \nTo win a game through sheer strength of position was completely unknown to me\, but ‘Algy’ and Nimzowitch changed all that! Under their combined influence my general playing strength improved enormously and I was soon second only to ‘Algy’ in such tournaments as were held in my home town of Mitcham\, where the local chess club was revived after the war. \nOur club soon attracted a few strong players and we played regularly in county competitions and\, later\, the London Chess League. During those years chess was an absolute joy to me and all my spare time was spent at the local club or at chess matches\, whilst Saturday afternoons were spent at the now defunct Gambit Chess Room\, in Budge Row\, where I passed countless hours playing chess\, pausing only to order light refreshment from the indefatigable ‘Eileen’\, a waitress of somewhat uncertain age who almost certainly regarded all chess players as raving lunatics! \nThe ‘Gambit’ could never have been a viable commercial proposition on what we bought and it was eventually thought necessary to introduce a minimum charge depending on the time of day. Gone for ever were the days when one could spend the entire evening playing chess\, analysing\, or having a crack at the local Kriegspiel experts\, all for the price of two cups of tea and the occasional sandwich. Sadly\, it all disappeared in the aftermath of the\nwar. \nBy 1950 I had become Match Captain of the Mitcham Chess Club and\, of course\, responsible for arranging various matches. Getting a team together was not difficult as the club membership was quite large for such a lowly club. The playing standard too was surprisingly high and whilst I\, myself\, was fortunate enough to win the club championship several times it was never easy. \nOn one occasion a ‘friendly’ match had been arranged with the BBC and all was well until a ‘flu epidemic a few days before the date of the match laid most of the Mitcham players low. On the morning of the match I was left with five players for a 1O-board match! As it was only a ‘friendly’ and in order to avoid disappointing all concerned I took myself off to the Gambit and recruited a few of the ‘regulars’ to help us out. It must be remembered that most of the strongest players in London frequented the ‘Gambit’ and since those pressganged into service were extremely strong players it seemed only courteous to give them the honour of playing on the top five boards\, leaving the Mitcham ‘stars’ who\, coincidentally\, were our usual top board players\, to bring up the rear. \nNow this composite team\, in my judgement\, was probably good enough to win the London League A Division and it was no surprise when we won 10-0. Only a friendly indeed! Any Match Captain would have given his queen’s rook for such a team but\, whilst the BBC players were warned beforehand of the composition of our team\, they were not amused and further matches were not arranged! \nMr A Corish (right)\, receives the Chess Champion cup from Mr J Adams. 18th September 1958 from the Merton Advertiser\, Photographer unknown.\nRound about this time I was playing regularly in London League matches\, nearly all of which were held at St. Bride’s Institute\, where my story began. A non-smoker myself\, I found the conditions intolerable. The place seemed to be completely airless and Government warnings about the dangers of smoking did not exist! not exist! Consequently\, the entire playing area was reminiscent of the Black Hole of Calcutta! Always susceptible to headaches\, I began to return home physically ill after every match. If this was playing chess for pleasure then something was wrong! \nMr A Corish (right)\, receives the Chess Champion cup from Mr J Adams. 18th September 1958 from the Merton Advertiser\, Photographer unknown.\nHowever\, salvation was at hand. Ever since the war I had been playing a few games by post under the auspices of the BCCA (British Correspondence Chess Association )\, and my somewhat traumatic experiences at St. Bride’s were beginning to make postal chess a far more attractive way of playing the\ngame. And so my chess career started all over again! \nMy correspondence chess activities up to the 1960s were not particularly successful\, although I had managed to win three Premier Sections and finish\nequal third in the British Correspondence Championship of 1962-63. However\, during that time a group of BCCA players\, of whom I was one\, were\nbecoming somewhat dissatisfied with the Association’s attitude towards international chess and eventually a splinter group formed a rival organization which became known as the British Correspondence Chess Society. \nThe BCCS was\, almost from the start\, internationally orientated and it was possible to play foreign players\, many of master strength. With strong opposition it seemed easier to improve and my first real success came in the Eberhardt Wilhelm Cup in 1966-67 when I was able to obtain the lM norm giving me a half=master title. However\, gone were the days when a superficial analysis was enough before posting a move\, which even if it was not the best\, was generally good enough to hold one’s own with even the best of British CC players at that time. Fortunately for British chess\, the situation is now vastly different and the strongest British CC players are recognized as being among the best in the world. \nThe Eberhardt Wilhelm Cup consisted of players all of master or near-master strength and it was in one of the games I played in this tournament that I played probably the most surprising move of my life. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nTo win the full IM title involved getting one more IM norm and happily for my prospects\, I was selected for the British team in both the Olympiad Preliminary of 1972 and the European Team Championships of 1973. \nAlthough I was trifle unlucky to miss the IM norm by half a point in the European Championship I finally clinched the coveted IM title in the Olympiad Preliminary which\, although starting a few months before the European tournament\, went on so long that I was in suspense long after the European games finished. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nOne of my most interesting games in the European Team Championship of 1973 was against F. Grzeskowiak\, himself an IM and a feared attacking player. \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 a discussion of James Adams on the English Chess Forum initiated by Matt Mackenzie (Millom\, Cumbria) \nHere is his entry on the ICCF web site. \nHere is his entry from chessgames.com \n39 Games of James Adams (27) of thirty nine of his games. \n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/remembering-imc-james-adams-04-ix-1921-27-vii-2013/
CATEGORIES:Correspondence,English,History,Remembering
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220401
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DTSTAMP:20220404T160618Z
CREATED:20200401T115720Z
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UID:3917-1648771200-1648857599@britishchessnews.com
SUMMARY:Death Anniversary of CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941 01-iv-2022)
DESCRIPTION:BCN remembers CM David Anderton OBE who passed away on Friday\, April 1st\, 2022 aged 80. \nIn the 1977 New Years Honours List\, Civil Division\, David was awarded the OBE. The citation read simply : “For services to Chess” \nDavid William Anderton was born in the district of Walsall\, Staffordshire\, West Midlands. His mother’s maiden name was Coltart and David resided in Walsall. \nDavid was married to Doreen in 2005. \nDavid Anderton (rhs) congratulates Sir Philip Stuart Milner-Barry for winning the “Board of Honour ” game versus Edward Lasker at the 1976 Lloyds Bank Match by Telex\, London – New York. From BCM\, volume XCVI (96) Number 11 (August)\, Page 494. The venue was the Bloomsbury Hotel\, London. Photo courtesy of Lloyds Bank\nDavid was an Honorary Life Vice-President of the English (formerly British) Chess Federation. \nJohn Nunn\, David Anderton and Jonathan Speelman\n“David won the ECF President’s Award in 2009 following his stepping down as ECF legal expert. This is the citation from the 2010 ECF Yearbook : \n“As this is Gerry Walsh’s last year as President it was considered appropriate that he be allowed to choose someone receive the award. Gerry has worked with David for all his time with BCF and ECF and has selected him due to his tireless and selfless devotion to both the BCF and ECF over many years. \nDavid Anderton OBE\, ? and Teresa Needham\nMost of you will know David and will agree that this is a well deserved award. It is fair to state that David’s assistance over the years has been invaluable and that without it many areas of the Federation would have found it difficult\, if not impossible to operate. \nJim Plaskett with David Anderton OBE at the 1983 Benedictine International (Manchester)\nSince my election David has been a constant friend and confidante. He has invariable given sound advice throughout my term of office. It was John Wickham who rang me and suggested that due to my length of tenure\, a special award might be in order. \nJim accepts the 1981 Grand Prix shield from David Anderton OBE\nAfter years of selfless and generous devotion serving as ECF President\, International Director\, Captain of the England Team and legal adviser\, this seems to be a fitting tribute. \nFrom the Praxis Bath Zonal Tournament of 1987. David Anderton OBE is second from right\nDavid’s advice both legal and general\, has been invaluable in such matters as the John Robinson legacy and the change of name from BCF to ECF Limited\, and I certainly hope that this advice will continue. \nGerry Walsh” \nBob Wade OBE\, Murray Chandler MNZM and David Anderton OBE\nDavid is a FIDE Candidate Master (CM). \nFrom the BCF 1979-80 Year Book of Chess : Robert Bellin\, the new British Champion\, explains the secret to the Mayor of Chester (?) and to David Anderton\, BCF President\nWith the White pieces David exclusively plays 1.d4 aiming for a Queen’s Gambit and main lines. \nWith Black David plays the Winawer and the Classical French plus the Lenningrad Dutch. \nMrs. Joan Agar; Chairman of Leigh Interests\, presents the Leigh trophy (for 1981) to Mark Hebden. Left\, David Anderton\, BCF President; on the right Malcolm Wood\, Leigh’s Chief Executive. BCM\, 1981\, page 104\nHere are his games. \n\n\n \n\n\n    \n        \n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        \n    \n    \n    \n\n\n \n\nDW Anderton OBE plays BH Wood MBE in 1981 in a Blitz tournament outside of the National Film Theatre. Photograph courtesy of John Saunders\nDuring 1989-93 David was an Executive Board Member of FIDE. \nThe England Team from the 1990 Novi Sad Olympiad : John Nunn\, Jon Speelman\, Julian Hodgson\, David Anderton OBE (Captain)\, Nigel Short\, Michael Adams and Murray Chandler\nIn 2002 David was awarded the title of International Master by the ICCF (correspondence chess) \nIn 2015 David stood down from all of his roles within the ECF. \nDavid Anderton OBE\, Paul Bazalgette (Senior Partner at Philips & Drew) and Tony Banks (GLC Arts & Recreation Department) at the 1982 Philips and Drew Kings Tournament Opening Ceremony. Photograph by Clive Field\nDavid has won the British Seniors Championship in 2003 (shared)\, 2005\, 2007 (shared)\, 2009 (shared) and 2011. \nHere is a potted biography from The Express and Star Newspaper \nDavid Anderton OBE at the 2019 British Championships in Torquay\, courtesy of John Upham Photography\nDavid is Head of Regulatory Law at Anson’s Solicitors. He is also Secretary of the Erasmus Darwin Foundation (03270753) and Director of Unionist Buildings Ltd.\, Wallsall Conservative Investments Ltd. and Wallsall Unionist Holdings Ltd. \nCM David William Anderton OBE\n Save as PDF
URL:https://britishchessnews.com/event/birthday-of-cm-david-william-anderton-obe-02-viii-1941/
CATEGORIES:4NCL,Birthday,British Championships,Honours,Official,Player,Remembering
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