Post
by Geoff Chandler » Wed Nov 11, 2020 7:42 pm
Hello again Will,
What is happening here is we chess players are tossing ideas and names about, don't fret.
It is how we analyse a game. It will soon gel as we all hit upon the players you will need.
Hopefully you can kick off the article with Staunton etc...and then onto the player.
I have been casting my net out and I have been reminded of...me!
I did not get my first official grade till I was 26, (1720) within three years was editor of chess magazine/fanzine, became
Scottish Open Champion and wrote a chess book! (then took a good job that paid loads of money so only played league chess.)
Of course I knew the game and studied it since I 1o or 11. Did not play much, no one to play with 'skittle only' till 1972.
I tried to join the Edinburgh Chess Club in 1963/64, they would not let me in, they did not take kids.
(all that change with 1972 Fischer boom - now I am an honorary member....so was Howard Staunton!)
But true, I did not become a registered graded player till I was 26. Of course we will gloss over the bit '....went onto great things.'
However, rule me out, I had a rather unique set up - at 25 I moved into and lived in the Edinburgh Chess Club.
One could help but get good, played every night, with some great players, suddenly 100's of expensive chess books at my disposal.
Seriously. What you are looking for is a 40 something starter then good good and is now what we call a reasonable player. (yes!)
(I do not think you will get a modern day GM starting over 30...but someone is nagging at me, a foreign lad..thinking caps on boys..)
Someone here will be bound to know of a good UK late starter. I have two live players in mind, I'll get in touch with them
for more details.
What you may get is someone who was very good young, took job at 18, stopped playing, started again at 40 and discovered they had
not lost his touch, cleaned up the minor tournament (tournaments for the not quite so strong). Took scalps from the better
players when he played in major or open tournaments. I personally know off one such player who fits that's perfectly.