Ian Wells memories

[Leonard Barden]

A long picture article just published on Chess.com, with memories of the 1970s and 1980s.

https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/i ... nal-memory

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thank you for the link to that article. Do you know who is the author? I couldn't find their name anywhere in the piece or their user profile. This site is referenced several times, with screenshots and in one case a reference to a thread that they had lost the link to (where you had written about a tournament involving Ian Wells). I can't find this either. Can anyone track it down?

[John Pitcher]

A lovely article. I knew Ian in the 1970s as we both played in the north west congresses. I remember him as modest, thoughtful and friendly - a really lovely lad. We both played in the BCF at Chester in 1979; he in the Championship and I in the Major Open. We then both went to the Under 16 tournament in Viborg in the October with Nigel, Julian and Danny (me as the reserve to make up the numbers!!). Good memories! There is no doubt in my mind that Ian would have gone on to become a strong grandmaster.

I stopped playing chess in 1980 but remember hearing of his death with shock and sadness. RIP Ian.

I reproduce the one game we played. This was round 4 of the Manchester Open and played on 15 July 1978. We were both doing well but Ian found some nice tactics to beat me convincingly. No doubt the computer would find lots of improvements for both sides but those things weren't invented then (!).

White: John Pitcher; Black: Ian Wells
1. c4; e5 2. Nc3; Nf6 3. Nf3; Nc6 4. e3;Bb4 5. Qc2;d6 6. a3; Bc3 7. Qc3;a5 8. b3;Bg4 9. h3;Bh5 10. d3;Qe7 11. Be2; O-O 12. g4;Bg6 13. Bb2;Nd8 14. Nd2;Ne6 15. 0-0-0;c5 16. Bf3;Nd7 17. Bb7;aRb8; 18. Bc6;fRc8 19. Bb5;Nd4 20. ed4: cd4 21. Qa5;Nc5 22. Kb1;Nd3 23. Ka1;d5 24. cd5;Ra8 25. Ba6;Rc2 26. Nc4;Nc5 27. d6;Qa7 28. Qb6;Qb6 29. Nb6; Ra6 30. Nc4; Rf2 31. b4; Nd7 32. hRe1;f6 33.Rc1;d3 34. eRd1;Kf7 35. b5;Ra7 36. Ne5+;fe5 37. Rc7;Rc7 38. dc7;Rc2; 39. Rc1; d2 40. Rc2; Bc2! 0-1

[Brendan O'Gorman]

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "?"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "0-1"] 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 d6 6.a3 Bxc3 7.Qxc3 a5 8.b3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.d3 Qe7 11.Be2 O-O 12.g4 Bg6 13.Bb2 Nd8 14.Nd2 Ne6 15.O-O-O c5 16.Bf3 Nd7 17.Bxb7 Rab8 18.Bc6 Rfc8 19.Bb5 Nd4 20.exd4 cxd4 21.Qxa5 Nc5 22.Kb1 Nxd3 23.Ka1 d5 24.cxd5 Ra8 25.Ba6 Rc2 26.Nc4 Nc5 27.d6 Qa7 28.Qb6 Qxb6 29.Nxb6 Rxa6 30.Nc4 Rxf2 31.b4 Nd7 32.Rhe1 f6 33.Rc1 d3 34.Red1 Kf7 35.b5 Ra7 36.Nxe5+ fxe5 37.Rc7 Rxc7 38.dxc7 Rc2 39.Rc1 d2 40.Rxc2 Bxc2 $1 0-1

[John Saunders]

I've included this game in the Ian Wells collection at BritBase...

http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/wel ... iewer.html

... many thanks to John Pitcher for this contribution. Also, I must once again acknowledge the splendid initial work by Sean Parker in sourcing some games from Ian Wells's own scorebooks and which inspired the collection in the first place. Has anybody else got Ian Wells games that can be added?

[Graham Borrowdale]

I was just about to say that I will dig out a game I played against Ian in 1981, but I see that it is already on John's database. It goes to show how many game from back then - not so much today - never got published. There are some great games in that database, not published elsewhere - keep up the good work, John, and other contributors.

[Neil Blackburn]

O.K. I wrote the article. Humble thanks to Mr Barden for drawing attention to it. @ John Pitcher - apologies for not naming you as part of that team - when I get round to putting these articles together, I just sit down with a couple of beers and write what comes into my head. What gets forgotten, gets forgotten! To be part of the team, with the talent around at that time, you must have been very, very good! Thanks also for the memories and the game. Hopefully if a couple of others come forward with similar material I will be able to use it - with appropriate permissions of course - to do a small follow up, rather than go through the rather risky process of trying to add to the original, so any contributions welcomed. A big thanks to John Saunders and Britbase - for me it is an absolutely essential resource. Humble gratitude annd Thanks everyone.

[Jon Tait]

I've included this game in the Ian Wells collection at BritBase...

I just downloaded that to see if it included his games from Newbury 1974, where he panned me in the last round. But no

[John Upham]

I am delighted to let you all know that BCN has been contacted by Julie Wells who is Ian's sister.

A number of photographs have been found at the home of Ian's parents.

Following a collaboration between Julie and BCN they have been scanned and will be captioned and published in the next few days.

I suspect the chess world has not seen these image previously so the BCN office was most excited to get access to them.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I started playing serious chess in Lancaster just as Ian Wells stopped, and never got to meet him. Same with his dad who was himself quite strong.

I did play his younger brother (an enthusiastic but fairly weak player) a few times though.

[John Upham]

Update: with the help of LWB and JS were are attempting to identify the events, locations and dates.

Hopefully I can publish the images next week with a bit of luck!

[Paul Robert Jackson]

Live in Lancaster & member of Lancaster Chess Club.
Looking forward to seeing these photos.