Ronald (Ronnie) Wilson Ives, Yorkshire Chess

[Ingrid Ives]

I am sadly not a chess player but both of my parents were accomplished players. I posted recently in the Women's Chess section regarding my mother, Cobie Ives, who was the first woman to represent Yorkshire. The historic cuttings and photos I posted there from the early 1950s generated quite a lot of interest so I thought it would be a shame not to share more clips of chess history with this community. Here are a few either written by, or concerning, my father, Ronald Wilson Ives. At the time, he was the chess correspondent for the Yorkshire Evening Post. If anyone knows the approximate years he was the YEP chess correspondent, I would be interested. I think the cuttings relate to the 1950s with the 'Chess Club' ones possibly being from the late 1950s and early 1960s.

[Ingrid Ives]

A few cuttings from the early 1950s (I think)

[Ingrid Ives]

Last few.....

[Andrew Zigmond]

I have nothing much of consequence to add except that last year I came into possession of a notebook kept by a Harrogate Chess Club officer (likely the A Team captain of the time) where the results of all matches Harrogate played (dating from about 1954-57) are recorded. There are several matches against Wakefield in the book and the name of RW Ives occurs several times; once on top board and never lower than board 4.

Going off at a tangent but I also recently rediscovered some Harrogate CC photographs from the late nineties including this one, taken at a rapidplay tournament held in 1998. The elderly gentleman third from left is Aubrey Spalton (1907-2000) who is referenced in the first archived newspaper report (I can identify all the others if need be).

[Ingrid Ives]

I have nothing much of consequence to add except that last year I came into possession of a notebook kept by a Harrogate Chess Club officer (likely the A Team captain of the time) where the results of all matches Harrogate played (dating from about 1954-57) are recorded. There are several matches against Wakefield in the book and the name of RW Ives occurs several times; once on top board and never lower than board 4.

Going off at a tangent but I also recently rediscovered some Harrogate CC photographs from the late nineties including this one, taken at a rapidplay tournament held in 1998. The elderly gentleman third from left is Aubrey Spalton (1907-2000) who is referenced in the first archived newspaper report (I can identify all the others if need be).

Thanks, Andrew. From a family history point of view it's good to have this additional information and photo, which only others in chess circles would be likely to have come across. I seem to remember the name 'Aubrey' although 'Alex Schofield' is the chap I most remember being mentioned as a child. If you do have any further photos of contemporaries of my father, especially Alex, it would be lovely to see them.

[Brian Denman]

W Ives played correspondence chess for Yorkshire against Sussex in 1886. Perhaps he was a relative.

[Ingrid Ives]

W Ives played correspondence chess for Yorkshire against Sussex in 1886. Perhaps he was a relative.

Thanks, Brian. He might have been a distant relative but not one I'm aware of.

[Ingrid Ives]

I have now found some more press cuttings from my father's days as the chess correspondent for the Yorkshire Evening Post (examples to follow). One of them references a game (see problem number 171) from 1962. My father died of a brain tumour at the age of 40 in February 1964. At the time, I was only three years old so I was too young to know much about his chess activities first-hand but my mother often fondly recalled their days playing chess together in congresses around the country. I now remember her mentioning that he was the YEP chess correspondent until he became ill in late 1963, so this tallies with the 1962 reference. I am still unclear as to when he started as YEP correspondent and therefore the date of some of the articles I have already posted.

As a family, we have dozens of these Chess Club cuttings, which often contain news regarding the Yorkshire chess scene in the fifties/early sixties. I have not had them professionally scanned but I will be happy to do so should any of the Yorkshire (or other) clubs like to have copies of them, or of any other material I have posted on this forum, for their archives. I can be contacted via private message.

[John Saunders]

More excellent material, Ingrid. Many thanks.

The game between P C Gibbs and R F Holmes in one of the press cuttings may help you date when your father started producing the column. I can tell you that the game was played on 28 August 1958 in Leamington. It is also extremely useful to me as it is one of the missing game scores from the 1958 British Championship. I have now uploaded it to BritBase and also listed your name amongst those who have made invaluable contributions to the BritBase collection. Thanks again.

Here's the game score:

[Event "GBR-ch 45th"] [Site "Leamington"] [Date "1958.08.28"] [Round "10.8"] [White "Gibbs, Peter Campbell"] [Black "Holmes, Richard Frank"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C56"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "1958.08.18"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "GBR"] 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qa5 9. Nxe4 Be6 10. Bd2 Qd5 11. Bg5 Bc5 12. c4 Qxc4 13. Rc1 Qxa2 14. Nxc5 O-O 15. Nxd4 Qxb2 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. Re2 Qb5 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Be7 Rf7 20. Bc5 Rf5 21. Rec2 Rd5 22. Qg4 e5 23. Qe6+ Kh8 24. h3 h6 25. Be7 Re8 26. Qf7 1-0

[Ingrid Ives]

That is exciting news, John. What a lucky coincidence that with a choice of so many, I happened to put that particular one on this forum. I'm delighted to have been able to help! Please let me know if you're missing any other information that I might be in possession of. I'm very happy to share any material I have as I know it has a wider importance than the sentimental value it obviously has for our family.

With regard to the time period when my father was chess correspondent for the Yorkshire Evening Post, that's very helpful, thank you. The earliest confirmed date referred to is the one you provided me with in August 1958 and I know he was still writing it until just before his death in 1964. Perhaps I will find further material to clarify when he started with it.

[Roger de Coverly]

. The earliest confirmed date referred to is the one you provided me with in August 1958 and I know he was still writing it until just before his death in 1964. Perhaps I will find further material to clarify when he started with it.

Where specific events are mentioned as just having taken place, that can help to date a column within a month or two. As was the case with the 1958 British Championship. An earlier mention of Penrose beating Tal and Haygarth participating should date it to November or December 1960.

https://www.olimpbase.org/1960/1960in.html

[Peter Shaw]

Here are some more scans from the Wakefield chess club minute book, these are all the pages containing photos. Among them is a picture of Alex Schofield.

[Ingrid Ives]

. The earliest confirmed date referred to is the one you provided me with in August 1958 and I know he was still writing it until just before his death in 1964. Perhaps I will find further material to clarify when he started with it.

Where specific events are mentioned as just having taken place, that can help to date a column within a month or two. As was the case with the 1958 British Championship. An earlier mention of Penrose beating Tal and Haygarth participating should date it to November or December 1960.

https://www.olimpbase.org/1960/1960in.html

That's useful to know. Thanks Roger.

[Ingrid Ives]

Here are some more scans from the Wakefield chess club minute book, these are all the pages containing photos. Among them is a picture of Alex Schofield.

Thanks, Peter. Looking at that photo, I think Alex is also in the photo I posted near the top of this thread, with the cup. I think that's Alex on the front row, second from left. My father is in the back row, second from right. I have no idea which cup it is or when.

Incidentally I have one of my father's cups, which is inscribed: 'Chess Lightning Second 1954'. Any idea what that is?

[Ian Thompson]

Incidentally I have one of my father's cups, which is inscribed: 'Chess Lightning Second 1954'. Any idea what that is?

Lightning chess is where each player has a fixed time, usually 10 seconds, to make their move. The timing is done by using a buzzer in the room that sounds every 10 seconds. If a player doesn't move when the buzzer sounds, they lose the game.