Writing local chess history is indeed hard work.

[MJMcCready]

I don't know if this is of any interest to anyone but since at least 4 members of this forum helped with it and several more appear in it at various points, I thought I would post what I wrote about concerning chess in Bedfordshire in the 70s. Should anyone recognize a name and like to pass on comments I would be most grateful.

Even though I was able to access 'old' Tom Sweby's column in the Luton News, which he started on Feb. 1st 1968, and could find many of his articles in various other local papers he wrote for in the 40s and onwards, and given that I had considerable assistance from a number of players in the Beds. league it was a tough post to write and took a great deal of effort.

Given that, in Tom Sweby, we had a committed chess player and journalist, Bedfordshire was in that sense in an advantageous position to many other counties across the country, but still the paucity of material available and having to rely on one person's reportage only made it hard-going in places.

So here is the post for anyone interested, I wish you good luck if you have similar endeavors and hope you enjoy hard work and lots of it!

http://mccreadyandchess.com/2015/06/05/ ... ts-future/

[Michael Flatt]

As a player in a neighbouring county (Hertfordshire) I did find the article both interesting and relevant.

I have to admire your effort in undertaking the research and presenting it for others to read.

There were mentions of several players I recognised as being either former or current players of St Albans Chess Club. Over the years our own archives have mostly been lost.

[MJMcCready]

Thank you for your comment. I suppose Simon Roe would be the stand out figure there?

[Michael Flatt]

Thank you for your comment. I suppose Simon Roe would be the stand out figure there?

Correct.

I must also mention Norman Lavers, a stalwart and club champion (1950, 1951, 1956, 1958, 1968), who continued to play until he passed away a few years ago (in his eighties, I think). Both adult members and juniors enjoy playing the Lavers Ladder which was presented to the club in 2011 by his family in his memory.

[MJMcCready]

Would be nice to read something historical about Hertfordshire. I noted during my research that a Hertfordshire school nearly became champions of England a few times towards the end of the 70s.

[MJMcCready]

Thank you for your comment. I suppose Simon Roe would be the stand out figure there?

Correct.

I must also mention Norman Lavers, a stalwart and club champion (1950, 1951, 1956, 1958, 1968), who continued to play until he passed away a few years ago (in his eighties, I think). Both adult members and juniors enjoy playing the Lavers Ladder which was presented to the club in 2011 by his family in his memory.

How good was Norman at his peak if I may ask?

[Roger de Coverly]

How good was Norman at his peak if I may ask?

It may not be his peak, but the 1970 grading list has him at 182, down from 188.

PL Roe was 197, down from 204

[Barry Sandercock]

In the score of the game Sandercock-Tom Sweby shown in the article, move 38 has been duplicated. also the diagram shows the position at move 38 and not the final position as indicated. However it is a very fine article and must have taken a great amount of work.

[MJMcCready]

In the score of the game Sandercock-Tom Sweby shown in the article, move 38 has been duplicated. also the diagram shows the position at move 38 and not the final position as indicated. However it is a very fine article and must have taken a great amount of work.

Thanks Barry, I have attended to that already.

[MJMcCready]

In the score of the game Sandercock-Tom Sweby shown in the article, move 38 has been duplicated. also the diagram shows the position at move 38 and not the final position as indicated. However it is a very fine article and must have taken a great amount of work.

To answer your question, yes it took a lot more work than I expected. All those years of helping throw away old score sheets and league tables at the end of the season came back to haunt me I'm afraid.

[MJMcCready]

Thank you for your comment. I suppose Simon Roe would be the stand out figure there?

Correct.

I must also mention Norman Lavers, a stalwart and club champion (1950, 1951, 1956, 1958, 1968), who continued to play until he passed away a few years ago (in his eighties, I think). Both adult members and juniors enjoy playing the Lavers Ladder which was presented to the club in 2011 by his family in his memory.

And if I could add further Glynn Jones, what a great figure he was. the Hitchin congress was one of the very best outside London for many years.

[Michael Flatt]

And if I could add further Glynn Jones, what a great figure he was. the Hitchin congress was one of the very best outside London for many years.

True. Hertfordshire Chess, both adult and Junior, owes an enormous debt to J. Glynne Jones. He applied his energy and enthusiasm to all things chess and was a truly generous man.

The success of Hitchin Congress (actually, the Hertfordshire Congress), which was run at Hitchin Boys Grammar was essentially down to Glynne and his loyal team comprising Tim Thurstan, Dave Stapleton and Malcolm Harding. Neville Belinfante later become involved in running the Junior Sections on Sunday.

Glynne did so much to promote Junior Chess, particulary in his later years. Apart from running so many Junior competitions himself, he managed teams and ran events for the EPSCA competitions and was an adherent of the then British Land Chess Challenge. Apart from the Hertfordshire Megafinal, for several years he also ran a Middlesex Megafinal in Northwood, North London.

The Glynne Jones Trophy, commemorating Glynne and his contribution to Hertfordshire Chess, is awarded annually to the Junior having the best performance at the Hertfordshire Congress.