English Chess Forum

The worst chess analogy of all time? Boris Johnson’s unwinnable chess match is nearing its endgame https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/30/boris-johnson-brexit-election The go-to analogy for some when looking at the latest stage of the Brexit mess is three-dimensional chess, with multi...

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 24, 2019 1:01 pm

Must have been a few chess metaphors floating about this morning?

There should have been as the Supreme Court President, Brenda Hale, is married to Julian Farrand.

I note that on 14 November 1898 E. G. Sergeant drew a game in Blackburne's simul at the Newcastle Chess Club. So he was probably still living in the north-east then, and if Gaige has his birth date correct then he was not quite 17 at the time. (Newcastle Courant 19 Nov 1898 has the game.) Sergeant ...

Anyone interested in Gary Quillan's past problems with HMRC should google "R vs Quillan".

I see the ECF is claiming jurisdiction over the remnants of the British Empire, although I can't remember them organising anything on the Falklands/Malvinas - is there even an ECF graded player on the islands? Perhaps we can send Nigel to give a simul, or would that provoke another war? From 2004 ht...

Nigel White wrote: ↑

Tue May 28, 2019 2:45 pm

Asquith and Oswald Mosley.

Correct. Never trust a politician with 'little capacity and less interest' for chess. Or the rest of them.

I came across this quote: That evening after dinner he invited me to play chess with him in another room, rather unexpectedly, as it was his habit to play bridge. It was quickly apparent that both of us had little capacity and less interest for the game. Soon he desisted and began to talk of the pol...

A game played by Peter's father: [Event "Worcestershire vs Shropshire and Herefordshire"] [Site "Birmingham Midland Institute"] [Date "1948.11.06"] [Round "?"] [White "Southall, G. T."] [Black "Swinnerton-Dyer, Leonard (Sir)"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D31"] [Opening "QGD: semi-Slav, Noteboom variation"]...

To complete this topic This seems to be the right age for our man and gives another address for him: Islington Gazette - Monday 11 December 1893.png This next is definitely him and a further address. Islington Gazette - Wednesday 18 September 1895.png Unless there are two James Masons living in Glen...

From Thomas Holmes' entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography which covers the period when he would have known James Mason: 'In 1877 Holmes had a serious accident which eventually made it impossible for him to continue his work as an iron-moulder. His friends, who appreciated his gift for...

I think the reference to 'dancing on the pavement' and the Islington Gazette report showing that James Mason was arrested for doing the same is the evidence we need that Holmes is talking about James Mason in his reminiscence. Their friendship - and Holmes' support for Mason - deserves to be better ...

These two items from the Islington Gazette sadly fit the description.

LONDON'S UNDERWORLD by Thomas Holmes published in 1912 contains the following reminiscence. It seems to describe a real chess player or problemist. Does anyone have any idea who it was? 'Some of my friends have crossed the river, but as I think of them they come back and bid me tell their stories. H...

Alex McFarlane wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:02 am

It is Alan who should get the credit.

To quote Shaggy, 'It wasn't me!'

Harding's claim that the game was played by Labourdonnais is still on-line (http://www.chessmail.com/research/Historic-games.html). The page above is not linked to either from Tim's home page, or even his research page under which it is found in the link above. It would be difficult for anyone to c...