English Chess Forum

Readers of The Grass Arena by John Healy may be interested that a
documentary film Barbaric Genius is currently screening about his
life, and events since the publication of the book.
From the trailer:
Compelling docudrama ‘Barbaric Genius’ tells the incredible true
story of Londoner John Healy, whose mastery of the chess board took
him from wino to winner.
Learning to play in jail, Healy left his violent past behind him to
become the darling of the chess world. Becoming an even bigger celebrity
after the publication of his biography ‘The Grass Arena’ in 1989, he
disappeared from the public eye to live the life of a recluse.
‘Barbaric Genius’ rediscovers the flawed master to uncover the motives
behind his moves.
On at Odeon Panton Street and other cinemas.

Guardian review at http://m.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/may/2 ... pe=article

Review/trailer here:
http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/theatr ... nius-19741

Earlier discussion here
http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3249

This includes Andrew Martin's assessment from playing him of his strength as a blitz player. But to a non-player or casual player, anyone of competence is a master.

Guardian Review -

"...and in an explosion of temper, threatened to attack everyone with an axe. Terrified executives severed relations,...

Did the executives have axes too? I think we should be told.

I'm confused about John Healy's chess strength. In the link provided above Andrew Martin estimates his grade at about 130-150 ECF.
Yet a blurb for Barbaric Genius I read online states: 'Healy at the age of thirty became a master of chess, winning 10 international tournaments.'
I assume the latter is an embellishment at best and an outright lie at worst. Did Healy ever have a published grade?

http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=230015B ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=166508L ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=207170J ?

Mick Norris wrote:http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=230015B ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=166508L ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=207170J ?

I think we can discount the bottom one, as this person was born in 1983

Eamonn O'Molloy wrote:Did Healy ever have a published grade?

Yes, he did.

Mick Norris wrote:http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=230015B ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=166508L ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=207170J ?

I'm pretty sure he's none of those people.

(Edit. I was wrong - see below. I didn't know he'd returned to active play in the mid 1990s.)

I recollect some previous research on this following the publication of The Grass Arena. If my memory is at all accurate, which it may well not be, he appeared in several SCCU grading lists in the early 1980s, with grades in the 120 - 135 range.

David Sedgwick wrote:

Eamonn O'Molloy wrote:Did Healy ever have a published grade?

Yes, he did.

Mick Norris wrote:http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=230015B ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=166508L ?
http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=207170J ?

I'm pretty sure he's none of those people.

I recollect some previous research on this following the publication of The Grass Arena. If my memory is at all accurate, which it may well not be, he appeared in several SCCU grading lists in the early 1980s with grades in the 120 - 135 range.

Could possibly be the second one - not certain though.

I think David is right about his grade - I'll look it up when I get home from school unless anyone beats me to it.

The claims about his chess strength are outright lies.

David Sedgwick wrote: If my memory is at all accurate, which it may well not be, he appeared in several SCCU grading lists in the early 1980s, with grades in the 120 - 135 range.

130 according to the 1976 Centymca club member list, assuming that is he.

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... &start=292

He used to come into Chess and Bridge quite a lot when I was working there in the late 90's and for quite a few years afterwards. I was quite friendly with him, I even went round to his flat once help him set up his Fritz. I never actually played him but 130 wouldn't be too far off the mark.

i imagine that writing to newspapers and periodicals correcting claims about Mr Healy may be a popular pastime over the next few weeks...

I played John when I was a kid at Centymca and he played at Hampstead when I played there about 15 years later, occasionally as a reserve when I captained the first team. I'd say 130 tops.

Simon Brown wrote:I played John when I was a kid at Centymca and he played at Hampstead when I played there about 15 years later, occasionally as a reserve when I captained the first team. I'd say 130 tops.

130 tops was a pretty good guess as far as the 1970s went, Simon.

1973 - 119
1974 - 122
1975 - 130
1976 - 127
1977 - 128
1978 - 127
1979 - 130

Simon's recollection of John Healy playing at Hampstead 15 years later suggests that he is also http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=166508L, in which case he was 135 tops.

To be fair the film concentrates more on the Grass Arena/biography
side of things than the chess,though there is footage of a simul he gave at
Simpsons a few years ago.Its an intriguing watch and doesn't always show
Healy in the best light, I think he actually fell out with the director
during the filming at one point.
btw Like your chesskids site Richard I use it a lot for the juniors
I teach.