British Master title (1972)
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:27 pm
I've been looking for more information on this "British Master" title, and found the following thread (from March 2009):
http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... 23&start=0
As that thread was mostly about the introduction of a new title, I'm pulling some of the history here, in the hope that more light can be shed on this system, when it started and who held (and still holds) the title.
Paul McKeown:
"British Federations (England, Scotland, Wales) formerly had a process for awarding the British Master title, which was mutually recognised. Titles formerly awarded have not been revoked and there are still a number of living holders of this title. The standard was set at a much higher level than 200 ECF (in fact the FIDE International Master title was viewed as being of similar, perhaps even lower standard than the BM title). This surely was a National Master title, and as such it should be changed only with a great deal of forethought, and with the agreement of the Welsh and the Scots?"
It was disconcerting to read there that there was an "old (British) Candidate Master title". I've heard of the FIDE Candidate Master title, and I'd heard of the Soviet Candidate Master title, so were there really *three* different titles all called "Candidate Master"?
E Michael White:
"If anyone is interested, the British Master title BM was dumbed down in 1972 to be awarded to any British nationals, who were established at over 216 on any one of various criteria. The reason for 216 was that it was mid way between the entry level to FIDE ratings, then 2250 and IM level of 2400. Ian Thompson may be right that it was further dumbed down later to 213.
In 1972 there were 24 BM title holders. Some of these players became BMs as a result of becoming an IM first, which made a BM title an automatic award."
E Michael White:
"In 1972
BMs - Aitken, Barden, Basman, Berger, Botterill, Broadbent, Clarke, Franklin, J Fuller, Hartston, A Hollis, Horne, P Lee, J Littlewood, Milner-Barry, Whiteley.
IMs - who were also awarded the BM title :- Alexander, Fairhurst, Golombek, Keene, Kottnauer, Levi, J Penrose, Wade."
As noted in that thread, Levi should be Levy. But it would be nice to have more details for these 24 BM title holders. I'm going to try that here. I had to look half of them up, but it was a fascinating cross-section of British chess at that time.
William Albert Fairhurst (1903-1982)
Victor Berger (1904-1996)
Reginald Joseph Broadbent (1906-1988)
Philip Stuart Milner-Barry (1906-1995)
James Macrae Aitken (1908-1983)
Conel Hugh O'Donel (Hugh) Alexander (1909-1974)
Cenek Kottnauer (1910-1996)
Harry Golombek (1911-1995)
Dennis Morton Horne (born 1920)
Robert Graham (Bob) Wade (1921-2008)
John A. Fuller (1928-2005)
Leonard William Barden (born 1929)
John Eric Littlewood (1931-2009)
Michael J. Franklin (born 1931)
Peter Hugh Clarke (born 1933)
Jonathan Penrose (born 1933)
Adrian Swayne Hollis (born 1940)
Peter Nicholas Lee (born 1943)
David Neil Lawrence Levy (born 1945)
Michael John Basman (born 1946)
William Roland Hartston (born 1947)
Andrew Jonathan Whiteley (born 1947)
Raymond Dennis Keene (born 1948)
George Stephen Botterill (born 1949)
I couldn't find any details for Dennis Morton Horne apart from his name. Can anyone add details here for Mr Horne?
EDIT: List updated to include Horne.
http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... 23&start=0
As that thread was mostly about the introduction of a new title, I'm pulling some of the history here, in the hope that more light can be shed on this system, when it started and who held (and still holds) the title.
Paul McKeown:
"British Federations (England, Scotland, Wales) formerly had a process for awarding the British Master title, which was mutually recognised. Titles formerly awarded have not been revoked and there are still a number of living holders of this title. The standard was set at a much higher level than 200 ECF (in fact the FIDE International Master title was viewed as being of similar, perhaps even lower standard than the BM title). This surely was a National Master title, and as such it should be changed only with a great deal of forethought, and with the agreement of the Welsh and the Scots?"
It was disconcerting to read there that there was an "old (British) Candidate Master title". I've heard of the FIDE Candidate Master title, and I'd heard of the Soviet Candidate Master title, so were there really *three* different titles all called "Candidate Master"?
E Michael White:
"If anyone is interested, the British Master title BM was dumbed down in 1972 to be awarded to any British nationals, who were established at over 216 on any one of various criteria. The reason for 216 was that it was mid way between the entry level to FIDE ratings, then 2250 and IM level of 2400. Ian Thompson may be right that it was further dumbed down later to 213.
In 1972 there were 24 BM title holders. Some of these players became BMs as a result of becoming an IM first, which made a BM title an automatic award."
E Michael White:
"In 1972
BMs - Aitken, Barden, Basman, Berger, Botterill, Broadbent, Clarke, Franklin, J Fuller, Hartston, A Hollis, Horne, P Lee, J Littlewood, Milner-Barry, Whiteley.
IMs - who were also awarded the BM title :- Alexander, Fairhurst, Golombek, Keene, Kottnauer, Levi, J Penrose, Wade."
As noted in that thread, Levi should be Levy. But it would be nice to have more details for these 24 BM title holders. I'm going to try that here. I had to look half of them up, but it was a fascinating cross-section of British chess at that time.
William Albert Fairhurst (1903-1982)
Victor Berger (1904-1996)
Reginald Joseph Broadbent (1906-1988)
Philip Stuart Milner-Barry (1906-1995)
James Macrae Aitken (1908-1983)
Conel Hugh O'Donel (Hugh) Alexander (1909-1974)
Cenek Kottnauer (1910-1996)
Harry Golombek (1911-1995)
Dennis Morton Horne (born 1920)
Robert Graham (Bob) Wade (1921-2008)
John A. Fuller (1928-2005)
Leonard William Barden (born 1929)
John Eric Littlewood (1931-2009)
Michael J. Franklin (born 1931)
Peter Hugh Clarke (born 1933)
Jonathan Penrose (born 1933)
Adrian Swayne Hollis (born 1940)
Peter Nicholas Lee (born 1943)
David Neil Lawrence Levy (born 1945)
Michael John Basman (born 1946)
William Roland Hartston (born 1947)
Andrew Jonathan Whiteley (born 1947)
Raymond Dennis Keene (born 1948)
George Stephen Botterill (born 1949)
I couldn't find any details for Dennis Morton Horne apart from his name. Can anyone add details here for Mr Horne?
EDIT: List updated to include Horne.