Why Leonard Barden was so successful

[Gary Kenworthy]

The leading name in obtaining results in British Chess, the key man in the English Chess Explosion was Leonard Barden.

His skills in raising sponsorship and retaining (vital), his talent spotting, using of metrics, KPIs, trends, training tournaments, correctly interleaving theory and practice proved highly successful.
An analysis of how to create and achieve success. Leonard is still providing superb advice.

One example sponsor was Lloyds Bank.
[I was proud to work for Sir Jeremy Morse's thoroughbred Bank.Plus being Lloyds Bank top board.]

rgds (FM) Gary Kenworthy -- a former junior organiser at Bradford Chess Club (Latvian Club), and somewhat beyond

[Leonard Barden]

Gary, I know you mean well but I'd much prefer you delete this thread or ask the mods to do it if you cannot. This is ancient history now.

[Andrew Varney]

I don't actually think that Richard James' and Leonard Barden's views are mutually exclusive, at least not in outline.
I think it is important to encourage chess at the level and age that the players are and to get them to move on to the next level when they are ready.
I am a great fan of the step-by-step slower method for teaching chess to beginners as outlined in Richard's book "The Right Way to Teach Chess", and I run a lunch-time beginners' course in several local schools based on that (and some CSC material used with permission).
However, Leonard's classic "Play Better Chess" is one of my favourite books for outline ideas in teaching stronger improving players.

About eight years ago (I think - I lose count!) I started a chess club at our local primary school. Of an original membership of approximately ten, two played in the main British this year, and another was runner-up in the UKCC Terafinal. In the mean time, there have been many others who were/are less able on the board but have benefitted from chess in improving their self esteem. Some have stopped and moved on to other things. Many have continued into their teens to become the older county juniors and club players with (I hope) a lifelong love of chess to take with them.

I actually think the UKCC (see other thread), coupled with other activities and used in the right way, has the right idea of coupling chess from the very first stages at school to the top junior level. It was important in encouraging my own children and I have seen it repeated in many other cases. I suspect that one of the important factors, although not the only one, if the country is to get more world-class players, is having as big a pool as we can to choose from in the first place. I expect that my experience in the local school chess club could be repeated in many hundreds of schools throughout the country, and in some cases the players would be those who are not just future titled players but future elite GMs.

[Andrew Varney]

If this thread does get deleted, please can my post above be added to one of the others?

[Richard James]

I don't actually think that Richard James' and Leonard Barden's views are mutually exclusive, at least not in outline.
I think it is important to encourage chess at the level and age that the players are and to get them to move on to the next level when they are ready.
I am a great fan of the step-by-step slower method for teaching chess to beginners as outlined in Richard's book "The Right Way to Teach Chess", and I run a lunch-time beginners' course in several local schools based on that (and some CSC material used with permission).
However, Leonard's classic "Play Better Chess" is one of my favourite books for outline ideas in teaching stronger improving players.

About eight years ago (I think - I lose count!) I started a chess club at our local primary school. Of an original membership of approximately ten, two played in the main British this year, and another was runner-up in the UKCC Terafinal. In the mean time, there have been many others who were/are less able on the board but have benefitted from chess in improving their self esteem. Some have stopped and moved on to other things. Many have continued into their teens to become the older county juniors and club players with (I hope) a lifelong love of chess to take with them.

I actually think the UKCC (see other thread), coupled with other activities and used in the right way, has the right idea of coupling chess from the very first stages at school to the top junior level. It was important in encouraging my own children and I have seen it repeated in many other cases. I suspect that one of the important factors, although not the only one, if the country is to get more world-class players, is having as big a pool as we can to choose from in the first place. I expect that my experience in the local school chess club could be repeated in many hundreds of schools throughout the country, and in some cases the players would be those who are not just future titled players but future elite GMs.

I'd second your views on Leonard's "Play Better Chess", also one of my favourite books.

The current system, as Andrew says, can work well if parents are proactively involved but kids doing chess at primary school who are not getting parental support stand no chance at all of making significant progress.

My book "Chess for Kids" is selling very well, but my book for parents Andrew very kindly mentioned above isn't selling at all. Most parents are happy to buy a chess book so that their kids can teach themselves but have no interest in getting involved. Of course we, as chess players, know that chess is far too hard for 7-year-olds to teach themselves in any meaningful way. Unless we can get the right message across to parents and schools, primary school chess is a waste of time and resources.

[Carl Hibbard]

This one locked as out of respect you don't question Leonard even if he is being modest.