Tag Archives: 2023

Happy Birthday Michael Lipton (13-ii-1937)

Happy Birthday Michael Lipton (13-ii-1937)

From The Encyclopedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks :

Michael Lipton is a British problem composer. Born on 13th February 1937, Lipton is a Fellow of All Souls, Oxford and an economist at The University of Sussex.

His 350 problems consist mainly of modern two-movers. His British Chess Problem Society lecture in 1956, The German Two-Mover, led to so great an interest in modern trends that Great Britain was transformed from one of the most backward to one of the most forward countries for the composition of modern two-movers. Lipton, Rice and Barnes were chiefly responsible for this revolution.

Lipton had edited problem sections of Correspondence Chess and the Sunday Citizen. He is co-author with R.C.O. Matthews and J.M.Rice of Chess Problems : Introduction to an Art and co-author with J.M.Rice and B.P.Barnes of The Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development.

From The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford, 1977), Harry Golombek OBE, John Rice writes:

“British problem composer, output about 400, nearly all modern-style two movers. Co-author of Chess Problems: Introduction to an Art (1963) and The Two-move Chess Problem: Tradition and Development (1966). International Master (1976). ”

The Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development
The Two Move Chess Problem : Tradition and Development
Chess Problems : Introduction to an Art
Chess Problems : Introduction to an Art

Happy Birthday WIM Cathy Warwick (06-ii-1968)

Birthday of WIM Cathy Warwick (06-ii-1968)

WIM Cathy Warwick (née Forbes)
WIM Cathy Warwick (née Forbes)

Here is her Wikipedia entry

The Polgar Sisters : Training or Genius ?
The Polgar Sisters : Training or Genius ?

Bobby Fischer, the Holy Grail – A Balkan Odyssey

Meet The Masters : Cathy Forbes
Meet The Masters : Cathy Forbes
Nigel Short: Quest for the Crown
Nigel Short: Quest for the Crown

Remembering Sir Jeremy Morse (10-xii-1928 04-ii-2016)

Jeremy Morse with Boris Spassky at the Lloyds Bank Masters of 1984
Jeremy Morse with Boris Spassky at the Lloyds Bank Masters of 1984

We remember Sir Jeremy Morse who passed away this day, February 4th in 2016.

Christopher Jeremy Morse was born on Monday, December 10th, 1928 to Francis John (1897 – 1971), who was a brewery director and Kinbarra Morse (née Armfield-Marrow, 1908 – 1980).  Jeremy had a sister, Kinbarra Joanna Morse (1931-1960).

Jeremy attended West Downs School, Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He became interested in puzzles at the age of 6 when his parents introduced him to The Times crossword starting a life long hobby as expert cruciverbalist and problem composer.

Jeremy married Belinda Marianne Mills on September 10th 1955
and they had five children, Clarissa Jane, Richard South, Andrew William, Samuel John and Isobel Esther Joanna the first being born in 1956 and the last in 1967.

Whilst not composing CJ pursued a successful career in banking  initially with Williams and Glyn’s Bank  and then

Jeremy is appointed as a director of the Bank of England on January 15th 1965.
Jeremy is appointed as a director of the Bank of England on January 15th 1965.

From the rear cover of Chess Problems : Tasks and Records (1995) :

Jeremy Morse caught the “puzzle bug” when his parents introduced him to The Times crossword at the age of six. Over the subsequent sixty years he has solved and set crosswords, other word puzzles, mathematical puzzles, bridge problems and chess problems.

Chess Problems : Tasks and Records, CJ Morse, Faber & Faber, 1995
Chess Problems : Tasks and Records, CJ Morse, Faber & Faber, 1995

In his spare time he pursued a career in banking, which included the chairmanship of Lloyds Bank from 1977 to 1993. Currently he holds a number business directorships, and is also Warden of Winchester College and Chancellor of Bristol University.

He was knighted in 1975.

Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters
Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters

From The Encyclopaedia of Chess by Anne Sunnucks :

British problem composer. Born on 10th December 1928. Executive Director of the Bank of England. Since 1953 he has composed about 250 problems almost all two-movers. He has specialised in task two-movers, on which he has contributed articles to The Problemist and Problem.

Winners of the Lloyds Bank 1987-8 British Solving Championships: (l-r) David Friedgood (runner-up), Sir Jeremy Morse, Jonathan Mestel (winner) and Jonathan Lennox (third-place)
Winners of the Lloyds Bank 1987-8 British Solving Championships: (l-r) David Friedgood (runner-up), Sir Jeremy Morse, Jonathan Mestel (winner) and Jonathan Lennox (third-place)

From The Encyclopaedia of Chess (Batsford, 1977), Harry Golombek OBE, John Rice writes:

“British problemist, output consists of two-movers, helpmates and serieshelpmates. Enthusiastic investigator into task problems in all these spheres. International Judge (1975).”

Here is his obituary from The University of Bristol

Sir Jeremy Morse KCMG, Chancellor of the University of Bristol from 1989 to 2003
Sir Jeremy Morse KCMG, Chancellor of the University of Bristol from 1989 to 2003

Here is his obituary from The Financial Times.

Keith Arkell, Susan Walker and Jeremy Morse at the Lloyds Bank Masters
Keith Arkell, Susan Walker and Jeremy Morse at the Lloyds Bank Masters

Here is his Wikipedia entry

Yasser Seirawan and Jeremy Morse at the Lloyds Bank Masters
Yasser Seirawan and Jeremy Morse at the Lloyds Bank Masters

Happy Birthday IM Dr. Harriet Hunt (04-ii-1978)

IM Harriet Hunt at the 2021 London Chess Classic, Courtesy of John Upham Photography
IM Harriet Hunt at the 2021 London Chess Classic, Courtesy of John Upham Photography

We send birthday wishes to IM Dr. Harriet Vaughan Hunt born this day (February 4th) in 1978.

IM Harriet Vaughan Hunt
IM Harriet Vaughan Hunt

Here is her wikipedia entry

Harriet Vaughan Hunt
Harriet Vaughan Hunt

Harriet Vaughan Hunt
Harriet Vaughan Hunt

In 2021 Harriet made a welcome return to competitive chess and won the 2021 British Women’s Championship  in Kingston-upon-Hull twenty-two years after her fourth win.  In the same Dr.  Hunt was  runner-up in the English Women’s Rapidplay Championship to Lan Yao.

 

Happy Birthday GM Ameet Ghasi (04-ii-1987)

Birthday of GM Ameet Kumar Ghasi (04-ii-1987)

Here is his Wikipedia entry

IM Ameet Kumar Ghasi
IM Ameet Kumar Ghasi

Here is a Guardian article

IM Ameet Kumar Ghasi
IM Ameet Kumar Ghasi

IM Ameet Kumar Ghasi
IM Ameet Kumar Ghasi

Birthday of IM Adam Taylor (23-i-1998)

We send best wishes to IM Adam Taylor on his birthday.

Adam Christopher Taylor was born on Friday, January 23rd, 1998 in Colchester, Essex. Adam has a sister, Nathalie Leanne Taylor who also plays and studied History & Economics at The University of York. His mother Deborah was always supportive during his chess career.

He attended The Gilberd School, Colchester until 2014 and then Colchester Sixth Form College and currently resides in Colchester, Essex.

ECF grading profile for IM Adam C Taylor
ECF grading profile for IM Adam C Taylor

Adam’s first recorded rapidplay event was the Basildon Junior Congress resulting in a published grade of 34D and his first graded standard play event was the 2009 London Junior Under-12 Championships and his first published standard-play grading was 73E.

In that same year at Torquay Adam won the British Under-12 title sharing with Radha Jain.

Adam C Taylor at the 2013 UK Chess Challenge Terafinal. Courtesy of John Upham Photography
Adam C Taylor at the 2013 UK Chess Challenge Terafinal. Courtesy of John Upham Photography

Adam made his first 4NCL appearance in May 2012 for SC Stars followed by Anglian Avengers. In 2018 the lure of the big lights of Division One beckoned and Wood Green became Adam’s team now playing for Wood Green Monarchs in the Online 4NCL championship.

In 2017 Adam scored an impressive 6/9 (and =2nd) when he travelled to Greece to play in the Heraklion 1st Capablanca Memorial.

The Hastings Open in 2018 saw an excellent =7th with 6.5/10.

Adam’s IM title was ratified in June of 2019 in Baku and currently (January 2021) holds a FIDE standard play rating of 2347 and an ECF standard play rating of 2260A. His highest ECF standard play grading was 230A in July 2019. We expect this to be exceeded once OTB play resumes.

Battersea Chess Club celebrated Adams’s title in style with this article written by Leon Watson

FIDE rating profile for IM Adam C Taylor from MegaBase 2020.
FIDE rating profile for IM Adam C Taylor from MegaBase 2020.

Adam has played for Bury St. Edmunds and Manningtree and now Battersea in the London League and Wood Green in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) and has made many appearances in the UKCC Terafinal.

Adam is known as Tayip99 on chess.com and as AdamTaylor2301 on LiChess.com and regularly streams on Twitch and other platforms.

Adam C Taylor, Courtesy of John Upham Photography
Adam C Taylor, Courtesy of John Upham Photography

On the 13th of September 2019 Adam became the sole director of MakingGrandmasters Limited which lists on its web site a number of leading young English players engaging in coaching such as Matthew Wadsworth, Ravi Haria and Daniel Fernandez to name but a few.

One of Adam’s more notable students is Guildford Chess Club member Jessica Mellor who, in 2018, won Gold in the Under-11 category of the European Schools Championship.

More recently Adam has taken a back seat from chess and has become a golf professional.

With the white pieces Adam favours a Reti/English set-up where c4 quickly follows a king side fianchetto. Here is a typical game of Adam’s with the white against a strong opponent :

With the black pieces Adam essays the Berlin Defence and the Sicilian Najdorf as well as the Benko Gambit and Nimzo-Indian Defence.

IM Adam C Taylor, Courtesy of John Upham Photography
IM Adam C Taylor, Courtesy of John Upham Photography

Happy Birthday IM Richard Pert (22-i-1981)

Happy Birthday IM Richard Pert (22-i-1981)

IM Richard Pert
IM Richard Pert

Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert

Happy Birthday GM Nick Pert (22-i-1981)

GM Nick Pert
GM Nick Pert

We send birthday wishes to GM Nick Pert born this day (January 22nd) in 1981.

Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters
Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters

Nick won the Southern Counties (SCCU) championship for the 2016-17 season sharing with Richard Bates.

Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert

Here is Nick’s Wikipedia entry

Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert

GM Nick Pert
GM Nick Pert

In 2021 Nick took first place for the first time at the Covid affected British Championships in Hull with 6.5/9 with a TPR of 2414 reducing his rating by 4.2 Elo points. His highest rated opponent was 2480 (Danny Gormally).

 

GM Nick Pert
GM Nick Pert

Birthday of GM Nick Pert (22-i-1981)

We send birthday wishes to GM Nick Pert born this day (January 22nd) in 1981.

Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters
Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters

Nick won the Southern Counties (SCCU) championship for the 2016-17 season sharing with Richard Bates.

Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert

Here is Nick’s Wikipedia entry

Nick and Richard Pert
Nick and Richard Pert

GM Nick Pert
GM Nick Pert
GM Nick Pert
GM Nick Pert

Happy Birthday GM Neil McDonald (21-i-1967)

GM Neil McDonald
GM Neil McDonald

We send birthday wishes to GM Neil McDonald born on this day (January 21st) in 1967.

Neil McDonald
Neil McDonald
Neil McDonald
Neil McDonald

From Wikipedia :

Neil McDonald (born 21 January 1967) is an English chess grandmaster and a player on the international chess circuit. He is an English Chess Federation coach,[1] who has trained many of the country’s strongest junior players. McDonald is a regular coach of the English junior team and was Head Coach of the English Chess Federation team at the Greece World Schools Championship in 2013.[2] He regularly escorts blind and partially sighted chess players to international World Championship events and is also a chess writer.

McDonald authored the French Defence monthly updates on chesspublishing.com from October 1999 until March 2009,[3] 1 e4 … updates from November 2009 until January 2010,[4] 1 e4 … from June 2014 until February 2015[5] and returned to 1 e4 … in March 2017 until January 2018.[6]

Neil shared first place in the 1986 GLC Masters with Jonathan Levitt, was outright first at the Elekes Memorial, 1995, first at The Leinster IM Tournament in Dublin, 1997, and other tournaments since. Neil plays for Wood Green in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL).

He became an International Master in 1986 and was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1996.

McDonald obtained his FIDE Trainer qualification in 2016.[7]

Neil is a prolific and successful author, most recently with

Dynamic Defence, Neil McDonald, Everyman Chess, 1st December 2021, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1781945902
Dynamic Defence, Neil McDonald, Everyman Chess, 1st December 2021, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1781945902

and prior to that “Coach Yourself

Coach Yourself : A Complete Guide to Self Improvement at Chess
Coach Yourself : A Complete Guide to Self Improvement at Chess

but also thirty eight titles for Chess Press, BT Batsford Ltd. and Everyman Chess Books.

Modern Defence. Everyman, 2000
Modern Defence. Everyman, 2000
GM Neil McDonald
GM Neil McDonald