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Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 1:45 pm
by John Upham
BCN Remembers
David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998
Prolific author, strong player and noted chess historian.
Authority on Capablanca.
Three times Somerset Champion.
hooper_ind.jpg
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 3:14 pm
by Nick Ivell
The book on Capablanca is outstanding. I have it, with an inscription by Smyslov no less.
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 4:54 pm
by JustinHorton
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 5:28 pm
by Nick Ivell
Vancura alert on the Euwe cover: 1...Ra5!
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Tue May 04, 2021 10:37 am
by John Upham
I'm delighted to note that Leonard Barden contacted
BCN and provided personal memories of David Hooper.
These have been added to the article and republished.
The story involving Milner-Barry and Alexander is hilarious!
Thanks Leonard
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Tue May 04, 2021 5:40 pm
by Kevin Thurlow
David played club chess elsewhere in Surrey, notably at Redhill, where he won the club championship eleven times (consecutively!) and played many matches for Redhill.
His father (Vincent Hooper) and grandfather (Thomas Rowland Hooper) were also architects.
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 3:04 pm
by Geoff Chandler
Chess Oxford Companion and Unknown Capablanca are two very good books,
the former is one of, if not the best best book of it's kind.
I saw 'A Complete Defence to 1. P-K4 ' whooshing past.
I picked up 2nd copy years ago. Who ever had it did not use it as an ornament. It is a real well thumbed work book
with notes and variations in the margin. I hope whoever had it was repaid in points for the effort they put in.
They added algebraic notation to the descriptive moves.
One funny point, though I have not captured it here, move 12 0-0 has '0-0' inked in next to it.
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 3:06 pm
by Tim Harding
Here is a postal game by Hooper where he demolished the editor of Modern Chess Openings.
[Event "Wch2 sf10"]
[Site "corr ICCF"]
[Date "1955.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hooper, David Vincent"]
[Black "Korn, Walter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E29"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1954.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn (corr)"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[Source "Shakhmatny Bulletin 1955/10 #129"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. Bd3 Nc6 8.
Ne2 e5 9. O-O e4 10. Bb1 b6 11. f3 Ba6 12. fxe4 Bxc4 13. e5 Ne8 14. a4 d6 15.
e6 Bxe2 16. Qxe2 Nf6 17. exf7+ Rxf7 18. Ba2 Qe7 19. e4 Re8 20. Bg5 cxd4 21. Qb5
Qd7 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Rxf6 1-0
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 10:37 pm
by Christopher Kreuzer
Thanks, Tim. Putting in pgn tags for replay purposes.
Tim Harding wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 3:06 pm
Here is a postal game by Hooper where he demolished the editor of
Modern Chess Openings.
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 6:23 pm
by Geoff Chandler
Tim Harding wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 3:06 pm
Here is a postal game by Hooper where he demolished the editor of
Modern Chess Openings.
Hi Tim,
You posted yesterday.
By chance today I was reading a letter in the 1954-1955 CHESS from Walter Korn.
B.H. Wood added at the end of the letter. Where have you been all these years?
(now we know, he was playing postal chess v David Hooper.)
Don't tell John Saunders, but I'm hopeless at researching for a specific item if it means going through old CHESS or BCM's.
I get side-tracked so easily. I was at the board playing over games, reading letters, solving puzzles....
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 8:34 pm
by Matt Mackenzie
And absolutely nothing wrong with that, they are terrific.
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2023 11:21 pm
by Paul Dupré
Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 5:40 pm
David played club chess elsewhere in Surrey, notably at Redhill, where he won the club championship eleven times (consecutively!) and played many matches for Redhill.
His father (Vincent Hooper) and grandfather (Thomas Rowland Hooper) were also architects.
Yes, Kevin.
Surrey Individual Champion as well
1950 HOOPER, David Vincent
1953 HOOPER, David Vincent
1954 HOOPER, David Vincent
So, when was he Somerset Champion ?
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 8:11 am
by Kevin Thurlow
Somerset CCA website list of champions starts at 1975, so I have asked the Secretary if he knows the previous winners. I know David lived in Taunton as I have a letter from him, and I assume he played for Taunton CC. He would probably have won the county championship at some stage if he played in it.
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 8:38 am
by Paul Dupré
Opening post includes 3 times Somerset champion
Re: Remembering David Hooper (31-viii-1915 03-v-1998)
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2023 8:38 am
by Paul Dupré
Opening post includes 3 times Somerset champion
