English Chess Forum

An update: I was pleased to be able to put the last piece in the jigsaw of British men's and women's champions' names yesterday when I discovered a forename for 'Miss Fatima' who won the 1933 British Women's Championship with a then record score of 10½/11*. I found her name on a ship's passenger lis...

This is rather a weird coincidence. I've just read this thread an hour or so after researching a bit of chess history which led me unexpectedly to a website about Oswald Mosley. I've just put up a new item at BritBase with games played by the strong Hampshire player Wilfred Pratten (1908-1985). The ...

Many thanks to Richard for posting those scans/photos which were very useful (I have a long run of BCMs but my CHESS magazine collection has significant gaps - I had a feeling that Richard's splendid Chess Pavilion would provide the answer). I also support Chris's suggestion of moving some of these ...

His son mentions his dad was a good chess player and after Hastings (no year given) Bronstein played a simul v Cambridge University Chess Club P.25 W.19. D.5 L.1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Thouless That gives his year of birth as 1934, so it's likely to have been Bronstein's "Alexander...

Worth highlighting a superb effort from forum member Mark Page in round 5 of the Over-65 yesterday. Playing for England 2, Mark (rated 2107) drew with several-times East German champion GM Rainer Knaak (rated 2482) who was playing top board for Germany. And Mark had the better of it for much of the ...

Another example of Mason's disorderly behaviour, plus a bonus bit of nonsense uttered in a pulpit... No. 5165 - There will be much leading-edge chess this issue, so a delve into the past might add variety. In 1888 James Mason was in court charged with breaking windows. His defence counsel said that ...

Further delvings into online records show a James Mason marrying an Annie Grant in Hackney in 1896. In the 1891 census I then found an Annie Grant (aged 37, hence within a year or two of the right age, born in Swanage, Dorset) visiting a family in Walthamstow. Quite good circumstantial evidence, per...

I have now tracked down James Mason in the 1901 census. 1901 census - 24, Fairlight Road, Walthamstow, Essex James Mason - married - age 51 - occupation: author & writer of books & chess player - working at home - where born: Ireland, American citizen Annie Mason - married - age 46 - occupation [bla...

The Irish Chess Union features an interesting biography of James Mason by Jim Hayes. In it Jim Hayes tries to narrow down the possibilities for James Mason's birth name. James Mason never revealed his real name save to confide it to his friend Robert J.Buckley, chess columnist of the Birmingham Week...

That Mason was married seems to be confirmed by the reference to a Mrs Mason in the following snippet from the Morning Post of 23 January 1905... 1905-01-23-Morning-Post.jpg I suppose there is an outside chance that Mrs Mason could be his mother or sister-in-law but wife must be infinitely more like...

Addressing the various points raised about databases in this thread: I guess this is my specialist subject so I might usefully comment. Regarding the 1967 World Students Championship games: these were played abroad so doesn't fall within my self-imposed remit for BritBase, which is based on geograph...

Since publishing the article on BritBase, I've just come across a very long Kingpin article by Jimmy Adams which has further background information on Keres' simul tour.

I have collected together some games and information from a simul tour made by Paul Keres in November/December 1962... http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/196211keres-viewer.html There are 16 games and part-games in total, from the nine simuls given by Keres (seven in England, one in Ireland and one...

Does anyone know if its possible to view a complete list of results, including them smaller events, from the 1980 British Chess Champs held at Brighton in 1980? John Yes, it is. A mere nine years after you asked the question. As those telephone answering systems always say, "thank you for being pat...

At Last, The 1958 Show... the much sought-after Rumens-Mabbs game score, in all its glory. Stewart Reuben sent me the image of the chess column published in the 14 February 1958 edition of the Glasgow Herald. Stewart didn't tell me who sent it to him but I've a feeling it may have been Alan McGowan ...