FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
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FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
BCN is sorry to report the passing of FM Mike Franklin on April 25th, 2023.
He was 92 years old.
Mike was one of England's most respected and liked players.
Remembering FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
He was 92 years old.
Mike was one of England's most respected and liked players.
Remembering FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
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Last edited by John Upham on Fri May 05, 2023 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Sorry to hear. A fine player - I had the privilege of losing to him once - and a confirmed user of descriptive notation.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Very sad news about Mike.
RIP
Thanks for the lengthy tribute John.
Very informative.
Did he release any publications?
RIP
Thanks for the lengthy tribute John.
Very informative.
Did he release any publications?
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
RIP, my old friend. After two wins when we were both schoolboys, I never managed to defeat him in a competitive game. Michael was a true gentleman, a calm and approachable person who rarely spoke harsh words. As a player, he had excellent strategic and blitz skills, was IM strength in his best years, and possessed a fine understanding of his favourite London and O'Kelly systems,
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Though ISTR a claim on here that he hardly ever kept his game scores.Nick Ivell wrote: ↑Fri May 05, 2023 8:34 pmSorry to hear. A fine player - I had the privilege of losing to him once - and a confirmed user of descriptive notation.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
A sad loss. The only time I saw him rattled was at the Portsmouth Hilton, when he went to collect more toast at breakfast time and returned to his table, to find some eager waitress had cleared the table, cleaned it and seated other customers there. He was still considerably more polite than most people would have been.
He was a tough opponent, but always a pleasure to play.
He was a tough opponent, but always a pleasure to play.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Very sorry to hear this news. I only knew him towards the end of his time playing for Richmond and Twickenham Chess Club, and he was (as others have said) a true gentleman. Thank you, John, for the fine tribute from BCN, with some lovely photos and nice games.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Very sad news. A true gentleman and to me, a friend. We travelled extensively over the UK to weekend tournaments during the 1980’s
A unique player. I will miss him . RIP Michael
A unique player. I will miss him . RIP Michael
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Very sorry to hear this news. We must have played about a dozen times over a 40 year period. Condolences to friends and family.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
A great man and a wonderful chess player.
He gave me an early lesson in the tough school of competitive chess. In one of my first Weekend Opens, I played out of my skin to end up defending KNP v KRP and demonstrated that the rook could make no progress. Eventually he gave me an opportunity to exchange the pawns, which I naturally grabbed to put the game to bed, but found instead that KR v KN offered new problems which I could not solve.
He gave me an early lesson in the tough school of competitive chess. In one of my first Weekend Opens, I played out of my skin to end up defending KNP v KRP and demonstrated that the rook could make no progress. Eventually he gave me an opportunity to exchange the pawns, which I naturally grabbed to put the game to bed, but found instead that KR v KN offered new problems which I could not solve.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Here is a miniature sent by Ken Norman from Southend 1962:
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
and another from the 1963 Ilford Congress:
Wheatcroft plays MJFs favourite weapon (The O'Kelly Variation) against our hero:
Wheatcroft plays MJFs favourite weapon (The O'Kelly Variation) against our hero:
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
Very sad news. I always enjoyed meeting and chatting with him. A few decades back we met across the board and also enjoyed a correspondence game.
I have assembled a collection of his games at BritBase - https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/fr ... iewer.html - 583 games in total.
I have assembled a collection of his games at BritBase - https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/fr ... iewer.html - 583 games in total.
Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
A great shame that we have lost Michael. I played him a number of times over the years and was often in the same team as him playing for Richmond & Twickenham. As others have noted, he was a true English gentleman and always had a polite word for everyone. One of his passions I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere is that he was huge fan of big band jazz (Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie etc). RIP Michael.
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Re: FM Mike Franklin (02-ii-1931 25-iv-2023)
I can't claim to have known Michael but I once gave him a lift to a county match and recall:
- he was a talkative chap - and recounted, for example, playing table tennis with Mikhail Tal at Hastings; and,
- his home had a front door with a stained glass chess piece design.
- he was a talkative chap - and recounted, for example, playing table tennis with Mikhail Tal at Hastings; and,
- his home had a front door with a stained glass chess piece design.