English Chess Forum

Gary - Julius Silverman was a very strong player but the elite player that he beat was Erich Eliskases (at Birmingham in 1937) and not Paul Keres. At that time, Eliskases was not so very much weaker than Keres, if at all, but it looks as though he underestimated Silverman.

Hi John,
Thanks. I think E Eliskases is a Kings Bishop Gambit, whilst P Keres Margate 1937 (If recall right, it is a Falkbeer Counter Gambit-- e4 e5, f4 d5 ed e4 d3 with Silverman white each time. -Silverman produced at ! TN versus Keres. Quickly into a winning minor piece ending. [I will do some checking this evening). Thanks again John.

BTW: Gerry Walsh's MP mate is/ was Ashok Kumar.

Brain Walden son - Philip was about 195 when I played him. Unsure on his dads' grade.
Rachel reeves is another name, but very well down the list

Sir W Rutherford is still news to me -- I never remember finding him years ago. Rgds GK

Gary Kenworthy wrote:Hi John,
Thanks. I think E Eliskases is a Kings Bishop Gambit, whilst P Keres Margate 1937 (If recall right, it is a Falkbeer Counter Gambit-- e4 e5, f4 d5 ed e4 d3 with Silverman white each time. -Silverman produced at ! TN versus Keres. Quickly into a winning minor piece ending.

Your memory is playing tricks, Gary. Silverman v Eliskases, Birmingham 1937 indeed happened, ending in a Qxh7+ mate, but Silverman did not play at Margate 1937. Julius was basically just a strong amateur and Birmingham 1937 was his only international tournament.
Perhaps you saw Milner-Barry v Keres, Margate 1937, which opened 1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5 3 Nc3!? d4 4 Nce2 Bg4 5 d3, drawn in 37 in a rook ending. The only 3 exd5 e4 4 d3 1-0 game at Margate 1937 was Alexander v Buerger. Keres did play the line with both colours, but it is unclear which other game you might have been thinking of.
Silverman v Eliskases:
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Nf3 d5 6.exd5 cxd5
7.Bb3 Bd6 8.O-O O-O 9.d4 Be6 10.Ne5 Bxe5 11.dxe5 Qb6+ 12.Kh1
Ng4 13.Qe2 d4 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.Bxd5 Ne3 16.Bxe3 dxe3 17.Rxf4 Nc6
18.Qh5 Qxb2?? 19.Bxf7+ Kh8 20.Qxh7+ 1-0

Hi Leonard -- it is Alexander in Alexander v Buerger Margate 1937 -- as in Thimann's Kings Gambit (nottingham press) - from reading it 40 years ago. Don't have the book now.
Hardly have a book left for reference nowadays. I did have over 3000 books and 3000 magazines once. I stand corrected, I did mix games with players.
I do also recognise the Milner-Barry game as well. Which is different. Keres did indeed play many such gambits white and black. Shows also Milner-Barry as a top class player.
Shows also what these players could have been like if it was not for WWII. They lost their best years. Keres could have been World Champion. He was unlucky at AVRO 1938. But, Keres was lucky to be alive in 1948. (takes his score against Botvinnik out and then the re-review the crosstable). Whilst the English players lost their best years for an even greater cause. (see other threads).

Still Silverman was an MP and he certainly could play. (this thread).

Angela and Maria Eagle with what looks like a Queen's Gambit on the board.

Headline on the left is prescient

Unfortunately there’s no hidden message in this one...

Almost an eerie report.

It seems they were never out of the newspapers.

Can you spot another friend of the forum in this one?

Rodney!!

Dr now Lord Evan Harris was about 170-180 strength.

Leoanrd > Viktorija Cmilyte, member of the Lithuanian parliament, currently rated 2536, twice Lithuanian champion against men, holder of the GM title at men's level,<

There is no GM title at men's level. There is the GM title which can be gained by people of any gender and any age.
The top 100 FIDE Rated women currently active include about 20 GMs. There is no Men's GM title. no Men's Olympiad, no Men's World Chess Championship.

Stewart Reuben wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:46 am

Dr now Lord Evan Harris was about 170-180 strength.

Leoanrd > Viktorija Cmilyte, member of the Lithuanian parliament, currently rated 2536, twice Lithuanian champion against men, holder of the GM title at men's level,<

There is no GM title at men's level. There is the GM title which can be gained by people of any gender and any age.
The top 100 FIDE Rated women currently active include about 20 GMs. There is no Men's GM title. no Men's Olympiad, no Men's World Chess Championship.

However, there are Lords. Dr Evan Harris is not one of them.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2016 7:58 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Is Dana Reizniece-Ozola (Wikipedia article) the strongest current chess-playing politician (WGM and rated 2243 - peak rating of 2355 in 1999)? I was surprised to find that the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Latvia was able to take the time to play at the Chess Olympiad, but she got an excellent result in the final round, beating Hou Yifan.

(Found here: Kavelek's chess column.)

The strongest chessplaying politician in the world at the moment is not Dana Reizniece, despite her giant-killing success against Hou Yifan.

It is Viktorija Cmilyte, member of the Lithuanian parliament, currently rated 2536, twice Lithuanian champion against men, holder of the GM title at men's level, currently No2 in the Lithuanian rankings behind Rozentalis, ex-wife of Alexei Shirov, current wife of Magnus Carlsen's second Peter Heine Nielsen, mother of three sons, women's Olympiad board one gold medallist in 2000 and 2004, and a volleyball player in her youth. How does she manage it all?

Updating this, as it appears that Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen earlier this year (21 September 2019 according to the article on her in the Lithuanian-language Wikipedia) became the leader ('Chairman') of her political party (Lietuvos Respublikos Liberalų sąjūdis, the 'Liberal Movement'). I am not familiar enough with Lithuanian politics to know whether that means she is the actual leader, or if this is an 'lower' position (like Chairman of the Conservative Party in the UK). Does anyone know?

Not to play Top Trumps too much, but I wonder what the combined 'ranking' for chess strength and advancement in politics would be? i.e. Have any strong chess players become leader of their country for example, or reached advanced 'rank' in the political word? (FWIW, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen's party, with around 10% of the vote, is unlikely to gain power in Lithuania any time soon, unless through a coalition).

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 26, 2019 1:56 pm

Have any strong chess players become leader of their country for example, or reached advanced 'rank' in the political word?

In an era before gradings, Bonar Law was PM nearly a hundred years ago and reported to be a strong player.

Thanks, Roger. I've just been reading Winter's article on Bonar Law, mentioned earlier in this thread:

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/bonarlaw.html

Well worth a read (or re-read). Lovely photo of Bonar Law at the 1922 London tournament.