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by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:45 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Intersection between academia and international chess titles
Replies: 37
Views: 3780

Re: Intersection between academia and international chess titles

What were those two doctors in do you know? I think Nunn was mathematics and Rowson wisdom/philosophy. As you probably know, you can look up and download a wide range of theses these days (unless embargoed). Sadly, the British Library ETHOS service is probably still down. But you should be able to ...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:42 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Changes to FIDE ratings.
Replies: 3
Views: 418

Re: Changes to FIDE ratings.

See this thread: FIDE ratings revaluation.

Links there will help, plus small amount of discussion.
by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 3:54 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Intersection between academia and international chess titles
Replies: 37
Views: 3780

Re: Intersection between academia and international chess titles

Jonathan Mestel (who is in the first post in this thread, as he is a professor). The late Jonathan Penrose as well.

The fact that all four are John/Jonathans is entirely coincidental! :shock:

(To be fair, Mestel's forename from birth was Andrew.)
by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:48 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Who was L. Alexander?
Replies: 46
Views: 3748

Re: Who was L. Alexander?

The name "O. Range" and "O'Range" appears several times in BCM in 1944. See images below. BCM_1944_p110.jpg BCM_1944_p88_p108_p227.jpg The team name "London Dutch" also confirms the joke-y pseudonym (orange for Dutch in case anyone hasn't got that yet). The "R.N.B." bit on page 108 might help. As wi...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:21 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Who was L. Alexander?
Replies: 46
Views: 3748

Re: Who was L. Alexander?

Another magazine report John refers to earlier in the thread is BCM, May 1944, p109 (to go with the CHESS one cited above). The newspaper report that Gerard posted (Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 27 May 1944) gives Captain O. Range, not Lt. Not sure which would be more accurate, or if ...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 10:04 am
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Intersection between academia and international chess titles
Replies: 37
Views: 3780

Re: Intersection between academia and international chess titles

Interesting. I encountered a high-rated Armenian in the London League pre-pandemic (was soundly thrashed both times). Appears to be inactive now (the name is a fairly common one in Armenia).

Bit scary when you find someone's online rating to be in the 2400 ballpark!
by Christopher Kreuzer
Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:32 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Best Game by an English Player (the vote)
Replies: 80
Views: 4192

Re: Best Game by an English Player (the vote)

Question for Neil (Hickman): Are there any particularly memorable (but maybe not as well known) games that you came close to including that you had to omit to keep the list manageable? You said here that you made good some of the omission in articles in CHESS. Can you (or someone else) give referenc...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 3:15 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Intersection between academia and international chess titles
Replies: 37
Views: 3780

Re: Intersection between academia and international chess titles

Just a quick note (though he is not a titled chess player) to note the subsequent academic career of chess player Martin Luke Hazelton (mathematics and statistics, currently at the University of Otago). Not sure what his peak strength was as a chess player. https://www.otago.ac.nz/maths-and-stats/pe...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 3:11 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)
Replies: 61
Views: 5038

Re: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)

We can only assume Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire were prime locations for gifted talents abroad and both respective universities have had their fair share over the years. That is a fair summary. Though the same would apply to other universities as well. The precise figures over the years would mak...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 1:45 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)
Replies: 61
Views: 5038

Re: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)

That is interesting, Ian, thanks! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Kraai He went on to become a GM. I wonder what he was doing in Oxfordshire aged 20? He doesn't appear in the Varsity matches, but his US education started around that time: "He received his B.A. from Shimer College in 1994"". He m...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:38 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)
Replies: 61
Views: 5038

Re: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)

PPS. Have been told that a regular player for that Oxfordshire team was US IM Stuart Rachels:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Rachels

Apparently he was not available for the final. Need to check which county matches he played in (leaving that for another day).
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:15 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Intersection between academia and international chess titles
Replies: 37
Views: 3780

Re: Intersection between academia and international chess titles

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:53 am
"Surrey were simply not so strong in the 1980s and 1990s"

There were plenty of good players around, but they did not play for various reasons.
Hmm. Are the reasons interesting or boring? :D
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:11 pm
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Chess history trivia
Replies: 1349
Views: 124276

Re: Chess history trivia

Any memories of Milner-Barry to share? What was he like as a team-mate? (He was 84 at the time, not sure when he stopped playing chess or if he continued up to 1995, when he died?)
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:06 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)
Replies: 61
Views: 5038

Re: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)

Hi Joey. No particular significance. Just me doing a deep dive into more recent history and seeing "where people are now" for some of the participants in that match. What started it was MJMcready saying that Glueck was American, me wondering why he was in Oxford, unearthing the academic connection (...
by Christopher Kreuzer
Sat Mar 09, 2024 5:21 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)
Replies: 61
Views: 5038

Re: David Glueck (Oxfordshire team 1991-2)

Thank you. Hopefully someone will be able to firm up the Oxfordshire side of things. Many thanks to Paul Habershon for posting the deciding game from back then!