He has authored and co-authored a number of books including the following :
A Startling Chess Opening RepertoireSimple Winning ChessLearn From Your Chess MistakesDynamic Black Opening RepertoireA Startling Chess Opening Repertoire
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.c3Nf65.d4exd46.cxd4Bb4+7.Bd2Nxe48.Bxb4Nxb49.Bxf7+Kxf710.Qb3+d511.Ne5+Ke712.Qxb4+Qd613.Qb3Re814.O-OKf815.Nc3!NNxc316.bxc3c617.Rfe1Re718.Re3Be619.Rae1Rae820.Rf3+Kg821.Qc221.Qa421…c522.Ree3cxd423.cxd4Rc724.Rc3Qb4!25.h3Rxc326.Qxc3Qxc327.Rxc3Rc8⩲28.Rxc8+28.Ra328…Bxc829.g4Kf830.Kf1=Ke731.Ke2b532.Kd332…g5?33.Kc3+−Bd734.Kb4Be835.Kc5Ke636.Nc6a637.Nb4Bg6?!37…a538.Nxd5Be439.Ne3Bd340.d5+Ke540…Kd7⌓41.d6+−Ke642.Kc6b443.Kc5a544.Kc6Deutsche Schachzeitung 1849, p. 136; Deutsche Schachzeitung 1862, p. 237; La Regence 1849, p. 80; The Chess Players Chronicle 1848, p. 2601–0
“One of the leading British players of his day and an eminent historian. Buckle was born in Lee, Kent on 11th November 1821., the son of a shipowner. From birth he was extremely delicate and his health prevented him from having a normal education. He was taken away from school at the age of 14 and three years later went into his father’s business. His father’s death in 1840 made Buckle independent and he gave up his business career and visited the continent for about a year, playing chess in Paris and Berlin. Going abroad again in 1843, Buckle spent most of his time studying languages and within seven years had learned to speak seven languages and to read 12 others.
Henry Thomas Buckle
Buckle rarely played chess matches, because of the intense dislike of the slow rate at which they were played in those days. However, he played a match against Kieseritzky in 1848, which he won+4 -3 =1/ After this victory, he realised that his health would not stand up to serious play and he never again attempted it. In 1851, he played a number of games with Anderssen, who considered that he was one of the strongest players he had ever met. Buckle was a regular visitor to “The Divan”, where he delighted in his favourite form of the game, giving heavy odds.
After his match with Lowenthal, Buckle turned his attention to his History of Civilisation. The first section of this work started to appear in 1857 but the major portion was published posthumously.
Buckle died of typhoid fever in Damascus on 29th May 1862.”
Henry Thomas Buckle
and from The Oxford Companion to Chess by Hooper & Whyld :
“English player, historian. He is usually regarded as second among English players only to Staunton during the 1840s; Steinitz , however, regarded Buckle as the better player. In 1843 Buckle won a match against Staunton, who conceded pawn and move ( + 6=1), and in 1848 he defeated Kieserltzky ( + 3=3—2). He won a knock-out tournament in London 1849, defeating Williams (+2) in the second round. In 1851 Buckle defeated Lowenthal (+4=3 — 1) and held his own in a series of friendly games against Anderssen who declared him to be the strongest player he had ever met.
Henry Thomas Buckle
In his youth Buckle suffered ill-health which interfered with his schooling, and on account of which he was often sent abroad to fairer climates. Nevertheless he read widely, successfully educating himself and learning to speak seven languages. His father, a merchant, died in 1840 leaving him an ample fortune. In the 1850s Buckle largely gave up serious chess in favour of literary pursuits and began his great work, for which he is still remembered, A History of Civilization in England, the first two volumes of which were published in 1857 and 1861. At Damascus, on one of his many trips abroad, he contracted a fatal illness, allegedly crying as he died “My book! I haven’t finished my
book.”
BCN remembers FM Neil Leslie Carr (10-iii-1968 25-v-2015)
This was written about Neil aged 10 prior to the Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display in 1979 :
“Manor Junior and Barking. Rating 152. World’s best 10 year old. Standard under-10 champion, 1977 and 1978. British under-11 champion, 1978. Defeated Russian grandmaster Kotov in clock match, 1978.”
Eight year old Neil Carr of Barking, soon to become England’s youngest ever chess international. 26th August 1976. (Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
Neil played for East Ham, Ilford and then London Central YMCA (CentYMCA) chess clubs.
Neil Carr and Julian Hodgson 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.
Here is a game courtesy of Kingpin (Jon Manley) & the Ilford Recorder
Karpov, Anatoly Yevgenyevich
Carr, Neil Leslie
Simultaneous Display, 20 boards
May 22, 1984 – Westergate ENG
Annotated by Neil Leslie Carr
1.e4d62.d4Nf63.Nc3g64.Nf3Bg75.Be2O-O6.O-OBg47.Be3Nc68.Qd2e59.d5Ne710.Rad1b5!?As played by Azmaiparashvili against Karpov, a game Karpov lost.11.a3a511…Bd7has been recommended here.12.Bxb5Bxf313.gxf3Nh514.Rfe1f515.Qe2f416.Bd2g517.Qf1Rf618.Qh3Rh619.Qd7?19.Bd7I think 19 Bd7 is better as it holds back Black’s dangerous pawn.19…Qf820.Qxc7Rc821.Qxa5Nf622.Kf1?And now White is lost.22.Bf1followed by h3 is a better defence although I am sure the well-placed Black pieces mean that Black has more than enough compensation for the pawns.22…g423.Ke223.fxg4f3!24.Bxh6Nxg4and White is going to get mated.23…gxf3+24.Kd3Rxh225.Qb625.Rf1Rxc3+26.Bxc3Nxe427.Kxe4Rh3and again White is mated.25…Ng426.Rf1Rb827.Qxd627.Qa7Ra828.Qb6Nc829.Qb7Ra7and Black wins27…Nxf2+28.Rxf2Rxf229.a4Rg230.Kc4Rg631.Qd731…Nc832.Kb3Nd633.Rh1f234.Rf1Rb735.Qh335.Qc6Nxe4and wins35…Nxb536.axb5Rxb5+37.Ka237.Nxb5Rg3+37…Ra6+38.Kb1Rxb2+it is mate after39.Kxb2Qa3+40.Kb1Qa1#0–1
Neil Carr (far right) at Paul Buswell’s house
Here is a tribute from long time friend and London Central YMCA fellow club member, IM Andrew Martin :
Neil Carr (front right)Neil Carr (right) with Neil Fox, Stuart Conquest, Paul Buswell and ?Neil Carr (rear right) at a BCF National Club Final (1992)Neil Carr, (foreground, right) at London’s South Bank, Peter Sowray in the background.. Photo by Clive Field, London Chess AssociationFM Neil Carr, London Chess Classic 2013, courtesy pf John Upham Photography
IM Andrew Ledger, Courtesy of John Upham Photography
BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Andrew J Ledger (23-v-1969)
Andrew plays for Blackthorne Russia in Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) plus Woodseats, Sheffield and Yorkshire CA in other leagues and the English Counties Championship.
Andrew has two chess playing brothers, FM David Ledger and Stephen Ledger.
Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire
Sultan Khan : The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire : Daniel King
GM Daniel King
“Daniel King (1963) is an English grandmaster, coach, journalist and broadcaster. He has written 16 chess books on topics ranging from opening preparation to the self-tutoring How Good is your Chess? and Test Your Chess.”
From the rear cover :
“Sultan Khan arrived in London in 1929. A humble servant from a village in the Punjab, he created a sensation by becoming the British Empire champion. Sultan Khan competed in Europe with the leading chess players of the era. His unorthodox style often stunned his opponents, as Daniel King explains in his examination of the key tournaments in Khan’s career. King has uncovered a wealth of new facts about Khan, as well as dozens of previously unknown games. Now for the first time the full story can be told of how Khan was received in Europe, of his successes in the chess world and his return to obscurity after his departure for India in 1933.”
Daniel King, well known as a writer and broadcaster, here turns his hand to chess history, and one of the most fascinating stories our game has produced.
It would be remiss of me not to mention at the start that Sultan Khan’s family, whom the author chose not to consult, are very unhappy about the book. You can read a review by Dr Atiyab Sultan, Sultan Khan’s granddaughter, here.
Dr Sultan and her father also write about Sultan Khan here.
I’ll leave that with you: you can decide for yourself whether or not it will deter you from buying the book. I have my views but prefer to concentrate on the chess.
Malik Mir Sultan Khan
What we have is a collection of Sultan Khan’s most interesting games (in some cases only the opening or conclusion) with excellent annotations. It’s not a ‘Best Games’ collection: there are plenty of draws and losses. As you would expect from such an experienced commentator, King knows exactly what, and how much, to tell you. You’ll get clear and concise verbal explanations, with variations only when necessary: an approach entirely suited to Khan’s style of play.
Sultan Khan’s openings were sometimes very poor, even by the standards of the day, on occasion running into trouble by neglecting the essentials of development and king safety, and not always learning from his mistakes. You won’t find a lot of brilliant tactics and sacrifices in his games, either. But he excelled at manoeuvring, and was an outstanding endgame player, winning many points through sheer determination. It was these skills that enabled him to beat Capablanca, draw with Alekhine, and reach, according to Jeff Sonas, the world’s top ten.
Here’s his most famous game, which is treated to six pages of annotations in the book.
King offers a lot more than just the games, though. The descriptions of the events in which Sultan Khan participated are enlivened by contemporary reports from newspapers and magazines which portray a vivid picture of the chess world 90 years ago, and of how Khan was perceived within the chess community. Then as now, newspapers would sometimes send non-playing journalists to write a ‘let’s laugh at the weird chess players’ article. Here, for example, is a Daily Herald reporter visiting Hastings for the 1930-31 congress. “DRAWING THE LONG BROW AT HASTINGS”, chortled the headline. “Moving (sometimes) scenes at chess congress.” Yes, very droll.
Although Sultan Khan was a very popular member of the British chess community, much respected for his quiet and modest demeanour, remarks which would today be considered racist sometimes appeared in the press. The London Evening News on Hastings 1932-33: “Sultan Khan, the British Champion, of course, did well; but he is not English by birth, which makes a difference.”
Malik Mir Sultan Khan (right)
King also sketches in the political background behind Sultan Khan’s time in England: the discussions concerning the future of the Indian subcontinent which would eventually lead to independence and the partition in 1947. Writing as someone with embarrassingly little knowledge of the subject, I thought these sections of the book were written with sensitivity and impartiality, but, as the partition is still highly emotive today, I quite understand why others might take a different view.
My main problem with the book is the lack of indexing. There’s an index of names, but I’d also expect indexes of games and openings: something I’d consider essential for a book of this nature. While it was interesting to read something of the history of Western chess in India, a section on John Cochrane would have been useful. I noticed a couple of errors in tournament crosstables (pp 22 and 309), and on p322, EM Jackson mysteriously becomes EM Mackenzie (his middle name).
What you don’t get is a definitive and complete biography and games collection such as McFarland might publish, but Daniel King knows his audience well, and, from the chess perspective, does a thoroughly professional job. If you don’t feel strongly about Sultan Khan’s family’s criticisms, then this book is highly recommended, telling a story full of chess, human and historical interest.
You can see some sample pages on the publisher’s website.
Some more links for anyone interested in finding out more about Sultan Khan:
An article by chess.com blogger simaginfan (Neil Blackburn)
“Probably the best home reared player to come out of the county, John Cox started to play at age 6 with his father Jeff (see above) joining Shrewsbury Chess Club at age 7. At age10 he became joint Shropshire lightning champion. He was 16 when he won the 1979 county championship though much of his early success was outside the county. He gained his first FM norm at the 1980 Lloyds Bank Masters where he became the first Shropshire player to beat a GM (see below), also drawing with IM’s Ligterink and Pytel. In 1981 he gained his third norm and the FM title at Ramsgate together with his first IM norm. Though now based in London, he is still a regular visitor to the local Wrekin Congress.”
Cox, John J
Shamkovich, Leonid Alexandrovic2515
Lloyds Bank op 04th4
August 23, 1980 – London
Annotated by John J Cox
1.c4c52.Nc3Nc63.g3g64.Bg2Bg75.e3e5e6 is very drawish so Shamkovich plays a somewhat riskier line for a win6.Nge2Nge77.d3d68.a3a6He should have played a5 to prevent white’s next8…O-O9.O-OBe610.Nd5Qd711.Nec3Bh312.Rb1Bxg213.Kxg2Nxd514.Nxd5Ne79.b4Nan imaginative pawn sacrifice to upset the symetrical nature of the position9.Rb19…h5Very deep. Before accepting the pawn, Black ensures that, some move later, he will have an open h file.10.h3To answer h4 by g4.10…cxb4!?Very risky. Better was b5.11.axb4Nxb412.Ba3!Nbc612…Nec6?!13.Bxb413.Qa4with pressure13…Nxb414.Qa4+Nc615.Bxc6+bxc616.Qxc6+Bd717.Qxd6±If12…a513.Bxb413.Ne4Nf514.g4hxg415.hxg4Rxh1+16.Bxh1Qh4Now we see why the GM ensured that the h file would be opened in the line which has arisen but white has a simple answer :17.gxf5Qxh1+18.Kd2Qxd1+19.Rxd1Bxf519…gxf520.Nxd6+Kd721.Nxf7±20.Nxd6+Kd721.Nxb7Rb822.Nc5+Ke823.Nc3±If23.Nxa6?Rb3∓23…Bf8?24.Nxa6!Rb3?But now it does not work. Black was presumably upset at missing 24. Na6: ! and and didn’t even consider 24….Bxa3 when John gives the following study-like analysis :24…Bxa325.Nxb8Nxb826.Ra1Bd627.c5Bc727…Bxc5?28.Ra8Bd629.Nb5+−28.Nb5Bd828…Kd729.Ra728…Kd829.Ra729.Ra8Nc630.d4with excellent chances.25.Nc7+Kd726.Bxf8Kxc727.Nb5+Kd728.Kc2+−Winning material by force. The game is virtually over.28…Na529.e4Ke830.Ra1Bxe431.dxe4Kxf832.Rxa5and Black resigned a few moves later.32…Rb433.Kc3Rb134.Na3Ra135.c5Ke736.c6Rc1+37.Nc2Kd638.Rc5Kc739.Kd2Rf140.Ne3Rxf2+41.Ke1Ra242.Nd5+1–0
John Cox (first from left) at a Lloyds Bank event.John Cox (left, rear)John Cox (left, rear) at a Lloyds Bank Varsity matchIM John Cox, courtesy John Upham PhotographyStarting out 1.d4 ! by John CoxDangerous Weapons : The Ruy LopezStarting Out : Alekhine’s DefenceDealing with d4 DeviationsStarting Out : Sicilian SveshnikovThe Berlin Wall
BCN wishes GM James Clifford Howell best wishes on his birthday, this day (May 17th) in 1967.
GM James Howell
From Wikipedia :
James Clifford Howell (born May 17, 1967) is an English chess grandmaster and author. He earned his international master title in 1985 and his grandmaster title ten years later, in 1995. He reached his peak rating in July 1995, at 2525.[1] He became inactive in 1996.
James Howell as Junior British Chess Captain at Goldmark Books Chess Challenge, London England 27 May 1986, Upingham Community College, Kasparov played the BCF Junior Squad. Photo from AlamyOxford’s IM James Howell (l) shapes up against Cambridge’s FM Graham Burgess on top board in the Lloyds Bank Varsity match which Cambridge won 5.5 – 2.5. The players reeled off 19 moves of Yugoslav King’s Indian theory before Howell established a dominant B vs N which won the Lloyds Bank trophy for the best Oxford game. Photograph by Lloyds Bank.
Here is a game from the European Junior Championship in 1985. The opponent was Mark R. Burgess :
James Howell (fourth from left) in 1978 Varsity match winning Oxford Team. James was from Jesus College.James Clifford Howell (rear, fourth from left)at a Lloyds Bank eventEssential Chess Endings
BCN remembers Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas (11-x-1904 16-v-1985)
We cannot improve on this excellent article about ARBT on the Chess Devon web site
David 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.
BCN wishes GM Matthew Sadler all the best on his birthday, this day, in 1974.
From Wikipedia :
“
Sadler won the British Championship in 1995 at the age of 21 and again in 1997 (jointly with Michael Adams).[2] He represented England in the 1996 Chess Olympiad, scoring 10½/13 and winning a gold medal for the best score on board four (England finished fourth), and also played in 1998 scoring 7½/12. He made 7/9 on board four for England at the European Team Chess Championship in Pula in 1997.[3] His was the best individual score of the five-man English team and so contributed significantly to England’s first (and to date only) gold medal in a major competition.
Anatoli Vaisser vs Matthew Sadler, Cappelle-la-Grande, 1991
For several years, he was the book reviewer for New in Chess magazine and also wrote books and articles for other chess magazines. In 2000, his book Queen’s Gambit Declined (published by Everyman) was awarded the British Chess Federation’s book of the year award.[4]
. Queen’s Gambit Declined. Everyman. ISBN 978-1857442564.
Latterly a resident of Amersfoort, Sadler returned to chess in 2010 to play in a rapidplay tournament held in nearby Wageningen. He won the event with a perfect score of 7/7, finishing ahead of grandmasters Jan Timman, Friso Nijboer and Daniel Fridman. In August 2011, Sadler continued his resurgence by winning the XIII Open Internacional D’Escacs de Sants, scoring 8½/10, ahead of several grandmasters including Jan Smeets. Right thereafter, in October 2011, he went on to compete in the Oslo Chess International; participants included ten other grandmasters, among them Sergei Tiviakov, Jon Ludvig Hammer and Sergey Volkov, all being 2600+ rated. Sadler won convincingly, with 8/9 points and a performance rating of 2849. Going into 2012, the gain in rating points elevated him to fourth rank amongst active English players and also lifted him back into the World Top 100.”
Matthew Sadler plays Anatoly Karpov at the Amber Rapid in 1998. The game was drawn.
Matthew was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1989-90 and 1993-94 seasons.
One of Matthew’s favourite games is this quick win against Ladislav Stratil Jr. from the Oakham Young Masters :
In a January 2012 interview, Sadler stated that chess was now primarily a “hobby” for him.[5] While relishing his return to tournament play, Sadler noted that he was now an amateur, and would not be coming back as a professional. He contrasts his present lighthearted attitude with his demeanor during his time as a professional, when he was “working ten hours a day and incredibly intensively”.
Mark Taimanov and Matthew Sadler
Here is a second favourite game of Matthew’s versus Eran Liss at Budapest, 1993 :
Sadler, Matthew D2535
Liss, Eran2405
Budapest FS10 GM11
1993 – Budapest
Annotated by Wolff,P
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.O-OBe76.Qe2b57.Bb3d68.c3O-O8…Na59.Bc2c510.d4Qc711.d5O-O12.b3Bd713.Ne1Ne814.c4⩲Sokolov,A-Savon,V, Alushta3 19939.d4Bg49…Bb7?!10.Rd1Nd711.Nbd2exd412.cxd4Na513.Bc2⩲c514.dxc5dxc515.e5Qb616.Ne4Rfd817.Rxd7!?!? — This sacrifice CANNOT be sound, but it works!17…Rxd718.Nfg5Rad818…h6!?∓18…Nc419.Nxh7Nxe5∓19.h4h620.e6hxg5??20…fxe6Black has the advantage of an exchange and a pawn — AND he has a good position.21.exd7Qe622.Bxg5Rxd723.Re1Rd4??24.Bxe71-0, because 24…Qxe7 25. Nf6+! and 24…Bxe4 25.Bxe4 Qxe7 26.Bh7+.10.Rd1Qc810…exd411.cxd4d512.e5Ne413.a4!?This is the topical line these days. It was this move — 13.a4 — that Short played against Karpov in their candidates match in 1992. But this line is still the best for Black. See Polgar,J-Spassky,B Budapest Match 1993.11.Be3!?NRe811…Nxe4??12.Bd511…d512.exd5e412…Na513.dxe513.dxc6exf314.gxf3Bh315.Nd2±12.Nbd2Bf813.h3Bh514.g4Bg615.Nh4!exd415…Bxe416.Nxe4Nxe417.Bd5exd418.cxd4Qd719.Qf3+−15…Nxe416.Nxg6Nxd217.Rxd2hxg618.Bd5Qd719.Qf3+−15…Na516.Bc216.Nxg6Nxb317.Nxb3hxg618.f3⩲16…exd417.Bxd4±16.cxd416…Bxe416…Nxe417.Nxg6Nxd218.Rxd2hxg619.Bd5Qd720.Qf3+−16…Na517.Nxg617.Bc2Bxe4!∓17…Nxe418.Nxg6Nxd219.Nxf8±17…Nxb318.Nxb3hxg619.f3c519…c620.Rac120.Rac1c421.d5!±17.Nxe417.g5??Qxh318.Nxe4Rxe4!19.Ng2Ng4−+17…Rxe417…Nxe418.Bd5Qd718…Nb4⌓19.Bxa8Qxa8±19.Qf3+−18.Qf3⯹>18…Na518…Qe8?19.Bc2±Re7∆20.g519.Bc2Re820.g5!?Nd721.Be4c622.Rac1Ra722…Nb8⌓23.b3∞23.Bxc6Nxc624.Qxc6Qxc625.Rxc6±Nb826.Rc2d527.Rdc1Rd728.Ng2Rdd829.Nf4g630.h4Be731.Rc7!Bd6?32.Nxd5!+−Bxc733.Nf6+Kf834.Nxe8Bb635.Nf6Kg736.Kg2h537.gxh6+!Kf837…Kxf638.Bg5+Ke639.Bxd8Bxd840.Rc8+−38.Kf3Nd739.Nxd7+Rxd740.Rc6Bd841.Rxa6Bxh442.Rb61–0
Matthew Sadler
and thirdly this game of Matthew’s vs Jan Smeets is another favourite :
The Slav. Everyman. ISBN 978-1901259001.The Semi-Slav. Everyman. ISBN 978-1901259087.Tips For Young Players. Everyman. ISBN 978-1857442311.. Queen’s Gambit Declined. Everyman. ISBN 978-1857442564.Study Chess With Matthew Sadler. Everyman. ISBN 978-1857449907.Chess For Life. Gambit. ISBN 978-1910093832.Game Changer. New In Chess. ISBN 978-9056918187.
We focus on the British Chess Scene Past & Present !
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