English Chess Forum

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:03 pm

Is that true? Does/did the Spooner character exist?

From my local paper:
https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/quiz-millionaire

I have played his father at chess.

I think it was earlier, probably 1962, as it was based on an article in the Scientific American in March 1962 available online at http://cs.williams.edu/~freund/cs136-07 ... xapawn.pdf. This was based on work by Donald Michie There is some more info at http://www.mscroggs.co.uk/blog/19.

Looking back at that game against Reppen, 15.Bc1 looks like it could be rather strong. I must not have seen it at the tame. No it isn't. Black just plays 15.....Qxf3 16.gxf3 Re7! (better than 16....Re8 that has been played a few times) and even if White regains material after something like 17.Ng5 ...

Remarkable play by Luke, even given the time control. Not really. I analysed this line out to a draw 5 years ago (with colours reversed: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5 Nd5!? etc). I suspect both players are still in their preparation (at move 15) as it is still following Motylev - Radjabo...

Thus it was that we sat down to conclude this game at midnight. At 2.15 am my opponent rather oddly enquired "Shall we go to bed?" I ascertained that this was in fact his way of illegally offering a draw before explaining that my wife was asleep upstairs and thanks to him hadn't seen much of me all...

[Site "Guernsey"] [Date "1985.??.??"] [Round "3"] [White "Yeo, Michael J"] [Black "Bellin, Robert"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] Being played back in the days of adjournments, I gather they they were still playing it days after the round had completed for all the other players. 136 moves at 20 moves an hour ...

Roger de Coverly wrote:

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Hmm, a school motto?

Whitgift in Croydon. That's where Leonard and David Sedgwick went to school and I suspect John Pigott as well.

You suspect correctly. Leonard may have overlooked another regular poster who was there at the same time (not me).

Very sad. The SCCU website has been a wonderful information source for nearly 18 years.

Appeals Committees are more common in overseas tournaments than in Britain. I can remember tournaments with ballot papers at the start of Round 1 to elect members from amongst the players. Curiously I was a member of the Appeals Committee for the Aeroflot Tournament for 4 years from 2008-2011. This ...

Yes, why not? I have checked my earlier post and they are indeed on 10 second increments from move 41 (when 60 minutes get added). This may also explain why I saw an arbiter replacing the clock in Round 1 after move 40 presumably to change the setting. They therefore won't be recording moves when d...

The game score now shows a draw after 172 moves. Giri looks to have missed a few wins earlier when it was RRB v RR. I think they are on 10 second increments and not keeping score, so claiming a 50 move rule draw is problematic. I was in the audience in Bilbao on Monday. So v Ding was an exciting gam...

I have known M.A. Chamberlain's son Nick for the last 35 years. He has sent me an e-mail: M A Chamberlain was my father. He almost certainly was board 8 in that 1945 match. He worked in Hut 6 and Newmanry, also being involved with working on the Herivale tip. I believe at some time he was secretary ...

Very sad. Played him once 3 years ago. A gentleman.