English Chess Forum

Opposite one of my venues is Penrose Gardens, NW3. Someone told me this is named after the family but not the chess player, might this be true?

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:03 pm

Everyone talks about the Tal game so I'm grateful to Roger for mention of the Fischer game, almost never seen in the anthologies.

Penrose was a pawn up against the great man, with good winning chances.

A chessgames.com commentor writes:

I'm surprised that Penrose's missed win hasn't taken on the epic quality in British chess lore that Fischer's missed win against Botvinnik did in America.

It's not necessarily the best comparison but still, the point stands, doesn't it? I don't think I knew about this, and it really ought to be British chess legend.

I cannot explain Penrose's 33. Qb4. Perhaps Leonard is the best person to have a go. I know he was there; there's the famous photo of him next to a very dapper-looking Tal.

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:15 pm

I cannot explain Penrose's 33. Qb4. Perhaps Leonard is the best person to have a go. I know he was there; there's the famous photo of him next to a very dapper-looking Tal.

Leonard Barden recounted the Penrose - Tal story on here almost ten years ago:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2016

Adam Raoof wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:14 pm

Opposite one of my venues is Penrose Gardens, NW3. Someone told me this is named after the family but not the chess player, might this be true?

Yes certainly. The Penroses are come down from Lord Peckover and father Lionel, brothers Oliver and Sir Roger, not to mention painter Uncle Roland, still on display when last I checked into the Tate Britain, all loom large in their chosen fields.

I don't give Keene too much kudos for his plus score against Penrose. The rise of the former corresponded with the decline of the latter. If asked, who was the more talented, I know who I would vote for. Which brings me to the interesting topic of 'best player in the UK'.

I cannot really speak of the pre-Penrose era, but our very own Leonard has a strong claim. He certainly brought a professionalism to the UK scene.

In the swinging sixties, Penrose reigned supreme.

Then there was an interregnum. Of Hartston and Keene, who was the stronger?

At some point in the 1970s, Miles was supreme. At some point in the 1980s, Short overtook him.

Then, in the 1990s, Adams was simply the best. Since then there have been various pretenders, but to this day I don't believe anyone has overtaken his class act.

So for Mickey, 25 years as our best player. Jonathan was probably our best for a decade.

Any other contenders?

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:54 am

Then there was an interregnum. Of Hartston and Keene, who was the stronger?

Both at various times.

The Olympiad board orders give a clue as to respective rankings.

1970
1 IM Penrose, Jonathan
2 Keene, Raymond Dennis
3 Hartston, William Roland
4 Lee, Peter Nicholas
1 res. Whiteley, Andrew Jonathan
2 res. Corden, Martyn

1972
1 IM Keene, Raymond Dennis
2 Hartston, William Roland
3 IM Wade, Robert Graham
4 Markland, Peter Richard
1 res. Whiteley, Andrew Jonathan 2310
2 res. Littlewood, John Eric

1974
1 IM Hartston, William Roland
2 IM Keene, Raymond Dennis
3 IM Penrose, Jonathan .
4 Whiteley, Andrew Jonathan
1 res. Stean, Michael Francis
2 res. Markland, Peter Richard

1976
1 GM Miles, Anthony John
2 IM Keene, Raymond Dennis
3 IM Hartston, William Roland
4 IM Stean, Michael Francis
1 res. Mestel, Andrew Jonathan
2 res. IM Nunn, John Denis Martin

The Haifa team in 1976 with the replacement of Keene, Hartston and later Stean by Chandler, Speelman and Short was around for the next decade and longer.

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:54 am

I cannot really speak of the pre-Penrose era, but our very own Leonard has a strong claim. He certainly brought a professionalism to the UK scene.

In the opinion of the selectors for the Olympiad teams, the top players in the 1950s were

1952
1 IM Golombek, Harry
2 Penrose, Jonathan
3 Milner-Barry, Philip Stuart
4 Barden, Leonhard William
1 res. Horne, Dennis Morton
2 res. Hooper, David Vincent

1954
1 IM Alexander, Conel Hugh
2 Penrose, Jonathan
3 IM Golombek, Harry
4 IM Wade, Robert Graham
1 res. Barden, Leonhard William
2 res. Clarke, Peter Hugh

1956
1 IM Golombek, Harry
2 Penrose, Jonathan
3 IM Wade, Robert Graham
4 Milner-Barry, Philip Stuart
1 res. Clarke, Peter Hugh
2 res. Phillips, Alan

1958
1 IM Alexander, Conel Hugh
2 Penrose, Jonathan
3 IM Golombek, Harry
4 Clarke, Peter Hugh
1 res. IM Wade, Robert Graham

1956 was in Moscow and Alexander's employment by GCHQ didn't allow him to participate. It wasn't a problem for the ex-members, Golombek and Milner-Barry.

Thank you Roger. We can always rely on you to do the research!

So it looks as though Penrose was still our best player in 1970, and during what I called the interregnum it wasn't clear who was the best. For what it's worth, I think of Hartston as a more talented player than Keene.

Was Penrose not available in 1972?

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:36 am

Was Penrose not available in 1972?

He may have made himself unavailable. He had lost the British title to Wade in 1970 and Keene in 1971. Also he had collapsed during play at the 1970 Olympiad.

I think nerves, as well as age, may have caught up with Penrose. No sign of nerves in his demolition of Tal though. The indications are that he would have been a world-class player, had he devoted more time to the game.

Penrose played in the 1974 Olympiad, but did terribly - it was one of his last major OTB events.

I'm thinking though that in 1972 he must either have been invited to play, or have pre-empted such an invitation with an advance refusal, so something must be known about that.

Post-1974, did he officially retire in any way?