English Chess Forum

Thanks, got this article by "Andre Danican Grimshaw".

Leonard, who was the person writing under that nom de plume? Quite an amusing satire, but very insiderish. I wasn't really connected with the English chess world in 1987, so many of the references escape me. Can someone translate?

Reading that article, though, Ali/Aly Amin didn't actually organise that tournament. Correct? Was RGW an arbiter or organiser of that tournament, or is he only mentioned by way of reference to "Zugswang"? btw. was it really spelled in that way?

Thanks for your help, so far!

Hmm. I don't have Chess for 1987, my latest is volume 49. Another library trip.

Another can of worms I seem to have opened. All I have to hand is my fading memories so I cannot help in the search for Andre Danican Grimshaw. I note that the Vatican was mentioned in connection with his place of travail. Opus Dei could be contacted for a forwarding address. Tom (Hanks) is now far too expensive to employ in the investigation so would suggest getting a quote from the Editor of the BCM for researching the topic.

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

Wait something's coming back - do I dimly recall that an Arab Sheik (the 'Shreikh') promised megabucks?

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

I think the tournament they are talking about is the 1986 World Championship match between Karpov and Kasparov. Kingpin has material on the aftermath.

Amin was involved in a tournament called "Chess for Peace" which was a year later. Given his poor relationship with others in British or London chess, it would be no surprise that it was anything other than peaceful. Even before the tournament, the BCF, or someone on behalf of the BCF warned potential players that it wasn't going to be rated and therefore wouldn't count for norms.

Greater Manchester, unlike other counties, don't have an ECF delegate

Amin is the delegate for the MCF

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Any postings on here represent my personal views and should not be taken as representative of the Manchester Chess Federation

Just to clarify my previous post - the 'Shreikh' in the Grimshaw article about the 1986 Karpov-Kasparov WC match (1st half London) seems to be Mr. Amin. There was, however, a Sheik involved at the outset in the funding of the London 'Peace' event the following year. What his contribution finally amounted to I do not know but - again from memory - the tournament funding may have had to have been rescued by others.
(Apologies to Paul Dupre for projecting old controversies from another event into here.)

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

Final clarification - by Mr. Amin I mean Ali/Aly of London in the 1980s and not the other Mr. Amin, he of the MCU.

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

I spoke (posted) about that being final too soon because that should be not the Mr. Amin of the MCF not the MCU. (This is becoming more like the Davinci code with each new abbreviation.)

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To find a for(u)m that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now. (Samuel Beckett)

Zugzwang (I don't remember the spelling) was in effect a daily bulletin of the 12 Kv K London 1986 world title match games (2nd half of the match was in Leningrad) set up by Amin as a rival to the official match bulletin edited by David Goodman. Bob, if I recall right, provided analysis to every game, and I repeat that Amin paid him well so this work was probably very useful to Bob. The bulletin was probably produced by Amin and helpers at Chequers, and its other contents were mainly political attacks on the official match organisers. I guess Zugzwang copies would be very scarce now, limited circulation and 26 years on, but as I wrote above you should try Roger Lancaster who was a contributor.
My memory of Chess for Peace is that it offered a vast first prize, something like £50,000, as Amin misinterpreted a conversation he had had with a Saudi prince as a promise of £1m backing. When the money failed to materialise the prize fund was drastically reduced.
I have no idea of the real identity of Andre Danican Grimshaw.

What I find most extraordinary about the name list from the 1970s is that the same names continue to appear today both playing and organising. Once this particular generation of chess players turn over their king for the last time, chess will face an unprecedented crisis.

or Alex H will simply be organising everything

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Any postings on here represent my personal views and should not be taken as representative of the Manchester Chess Federation

Must admit I have had similar thoughts. There are of course *some* younger people moving into both play and administration - but not enough.

Where will we be - say - 20 years from now (when even I, a child of the 80s in chess terms, will be in my mid 60s)??

Of course, if we could entice just a relative few of those who play the game online.......

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"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

To do that, you must make it attractive and relevant.

Therefore adjournments and adjudications must go (except perhaps for blind or otherwise handicapped players). You must find better venues, offering more than just a cup of tea. You must spend effort enticing women into the game. You must improve the image, fewer cheap suits and bad haircuts, have chess players more willing to explain what they are doing to interested spectators, rather than merely playing. Chess must put on more of a show.

I am sure there are many other ideas that have been put forward in the past.