Tag Archives: 2025

2025, Birthday, British Championships, Players

Happy Birthday IM Peter Large (02-iii-1956)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Peter Graham Large (02-iii-1956)

Peter is a solicitor by day and originates from Bromley in Kent and plays for Epsom Chess Club in the Surrey League.

Peter was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion for the 1979-80, 1987-88 and 1990-91 seasons.

He became an International Master in 1987 and his peak rating (according to ChessBase) was 2370 in July 1986.

Peter is known as Plimsol on Chess.com !

IM Peter Graham Large aka Plimsol
IM Peter Graham Large aka Plimsol

A highlight of Peter’s career was coming 1st= with Paul van der Sterren at the 1980 Philips & Drew IM Tournament with a performance of 2723. Peter shared 1st place with Darryl Johansen with 10/14 at the 1984 London Philips & Drew Knights.

At Hastings 1986/1987 he scored this win over Eduard Gufeld :

and this nice attack against Andrew Muir :

and this exciting game from the 1990 Suffolk Open provided by Tony Rubin :

2025, 4NCL, Biographies, Birthday, British Championships, Players

Happy Birthday GM Stuart Conquest (01-iii-1967)

1 Comment

BCN sends Birthday wishes to GM Stuart Conquest on his birthday this day in 1967.

Stuart was born in Ilford and this is where he spent his early years playing starting at the age of 8.

Since 2011 has taken the role as Director of the Gibraltar International Chess Festival, and has  returned to the UK this summer.

GM Stuart Conquest at the 2021 Pro-Biz Cup, RAC Club, Pal Mall, London. Courtesy of John Upham Photography
GM Stuart Conquest at the 2021 Pro-Biz Cup, RAC Club, Pal Mall, London. Courtesy of John Upham Photography

Here is his Wikipedia entry

This was written about Stuart aged 11 prior to the Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display :

“Hastings. Rating 178. World’s best 11 year old. 100% on board 1 for England, Eumig European children’s cup, 1978.”

Neil Carr (front right)
England’s under-12 junior teams finished first and second in the international Eumig Cup, 1981.
Front row: Peter Morrish (organiser), Jimmy Hockaday, Darren Lee, Neil Fox, Neil Carr. Second row: James Howell, Stuart Conquest, Teresa Needham. Far right: LB.
Stuart Conquest (far left) at Paul Buswell's house
Stuart Conquest (far left) then Darren Lee, Neil Fox and Neil Carr.

Stuart won the inaugural World Under 16 championship in Embalse, Córdoba, Argentina under the tutelage of IM Čeněk Kottnauer

Stuart Conquest
Stuart Conquest
2025, Birthday, Players

Happy Birthday IM David Goodman (25-ii-1958)

4 Comments

Happy Birthday to IM David Simon Charles Goodman (25-ii-1958)

David became an FM in 1980. His peak rating was 2410 in January 1986.

From Chessgames.com :

“David Simon Charles Goodman was awarded the IM title in 1983. He was World Under 18 Champion in 1975. He played #10 on the English national team in Moscow.
He currently resides in New York City where he is a chess trainer for promising young students.”

Here is his Wikipedia entry

IM David Goodman
IM David Goodman

(from l-r) Jonathan Kinlay, Shaun Taulbut, Jonathan Speelman, David Goodman and Jonathan Mestel accepting 1st prize at the 1978 World U26 Student Olympiad in Mexico City
(from l-r) Jonathan Kinlay, Shaun Taulbut, Jonathan Speelman, David Goodman and Jonathan Mestel accepting 1st prize at the 1978 World U26 Student Olympiad in Mexico City
Shaun Taulbut (upper right) and David Goodman (lower right) from the 1978 U26 Olympiad
Shaun Taulbut (upper right) and David Goodman (lower right) from the 1978 U26 Olympiad
2025, 4NCL, Biographies, Birthday, British Championships, Hastings, Players

Happy Birthday GM Glenn Flear (12-ii-1959)

BCN wishes Happy Birthday to GM Glenn Flear (12-ii-1959)

From Chessgames.com :

“Glenn Curtis Flear was born in Leicester, England. He was awarded the IM title in 1983 and GM title in 1987. While still an IM, he shocked the chess world by winning the GLC Chess Challenge (1986) ahead of a field that included Short, Chandler, Nunn, Portisch, Polugaevsky, Spassky and Larsen. He married Christine Flear during that tournament. He represented England at the Dubai Olympiad in 1986.”

Here is his Wikipedia entry

This was written about Glenn prior to the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display : “Surrey University and Leicester.
Rating 208. Twice British men’s championship finalist. Captain England juniors, 1977. Former Leicestershire men’s champion.”

GM Glenn Curtis Flear
GM Glenn Curtis Flear

GM Glenn Curtis Flear
GM Glenn Curtis Flear
2025, Biographies, Birthday, Players

Happy Birthday IM Simon Ansell (12-ii-1975)

IM Simon Ansell
IM Simon Ansell

Happy Birthday IM Simon Ansell (12-ii-1975)

Simon Ansell
Simon Ansell

IM Simon Ansell
IM Simon Ansell
2025, 4NCL, Biographies, Birthday, British Championships, Players

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

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.

 

2025, 4NCL, Birthday, British Championships, Players

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

According to FIDE Ameet had not accrued any GM norms prior to 2023 however over the 2023 Easter weekend Ameet went to the UKs newest city to play in the Southend Masters where he was runner-up with 6.5/9 to Mahel Boyer (FRA). Here is an attractive White win from round four:

Let’s hope Ameet can complete two more GM norms before long. The last British GM was Shreyas Royal in 2024.

Stop Press:

We have learnt that during the 2024 Fagerenes tournament in Norway, Ameet earnt his third and final GM norm and is therefore a GM elect until title ratification at the next 2024 FIDE Congress.

Stop stop press: Ameet’s GM title was ratified at the 2024 4th FIDE Council

 

2025, 4NCL, Birthday, Players

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
2025, 4NCL, Birthday, British Championships, Players, Writers

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

We send birthday wishes to GM Nick Pert born this day (January 22nd) in 1981 in Leeds. At an early age the Pert family relocated to Ipswich in Suffolk where Nick and Richard learnt chess from their father at the age of five. Fairly soon they were beating their Dad and he found the brothers a local club to play at. By chance in the same road was living FM Kevin O’Connell who became their coach.

Nick now resides in Fleet, Hampshire with his family. He teaches in a number of schools and coaches students on a one-to-one basis.

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

In 2023 Chessbase produced a video interview of Nick which may be seen here.

2025, 4NCL, Birthday, Players, Writers

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

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