English Chess Forum

"Harold George Felce (1895-1974) was a strong player with scalps of Sultan Khan and Dr JM Aitken to his credit. He was the son of George Albert Felce (1868-1956) who was also a noted player and organiser."

GA was Surrey CCA President in 1922 as well as first chairman of the newly-formed Civil Service Chess Association. He played Board 1 for CSCA, except when RP Michell was playing. In a match between CSCA and Surrey, they were top boards for CSCA, but could have been playing for Surrey. CSCA won 25.5-24.5, GA drawing with HB Uber, and one idly wonders how he got to the venue.

HG was very involved in grading and it was minuted that he helped the CS grader in the days when the graders did the sums themselves.

Mike Gunn could buy a copy of the History of Chess in the English Civil Service... But "Google" shows that a David Felce played for Winchester College in 2010, and when he submitted his PhD thesis in 2021, in "Indefinite Causal Orders in Thermodynamics and from Time Superpositions", he thanked a colleague for playing chess against him. Maybe he's related?

A very small correction - Harold George Felce was actually born in 1894, on the 27th December, rather than 1895. His birth was registered in Wandsworth in the first quarter of 1895.

"A very small correction"

Thanks - all corrections are welcome!

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 5:46 pm

Mike Gunn could buy a copy of the History of Chess in the English Civil Service...

Thanks, Kevin, I will! (I clearly also need to give Martin Smith's history of Streatham and Brixton chess a second reading). Over the years I'm sure I asked Martin Cath about all the names on the Surrey trophies and he told me who they were and I think I then proceeded to forget what he told me. At the recent Surrey AGM there was a brief discussion of the correct pronunciation of "Lauder" and at least one person there had sat on a committee with him and recalled the correct answer.

Good! I forgot to mention that GA and HG were both members of Brixton.

Sir Harry Lauder (a popular entertainer in the olden days) was pronounced "Lorder" I believe. But if the Surrey Lauder were of German descent, I suppose it would be pronounced "Louder"

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 27, 2023 11:02 am

Sir Harry Lauder (a popular entertainer in the olden days) was pronounced "Lorder" I believe.

ARRRRRRGH! Why do the southern English stick in a superfluous R Try LAW der. The only arr sound is at the end!!!

"ARRRRRRGH! Why do the southern English stick in a superfluous R Try LAW der."

How dare you - I'm from Yorkshire. What you put is what I meant to convey, "Lor" and "Law" sound the same South of Hadrian's Wall.

https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Lauder puzzled me a bit.

As a treat, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qU75Xgmlww

Yorkshire is in the southern half of the UK!!
It is even mainly in the southern half if you only consider mainland Britain. I suppose if your only knowledge of the country is from the BBC weather map then you can be excused!

And with that i will leave the building.

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 27, 2023 11:02 am

Good! I forgot to mention that GA and HG were both members of Brixton.

Sir Harry Lauder (a popular entertainer in the olden days) was pronounced "Lorder" I believe. But if the Surrey Lauder were of German descent, I suppose it would be pronounced "Louder"

I always assumed it was pronounced 'Lawder': back in the 1970s I used to visit his home in Wimbledon every year to collect my copies of the SCCU Grading List.

He was Joseph John Lauder (1906-1999), although I don't recall anyone ever mentioning his first names. He was born in London, the son of an Inspector in the Metropolitan Police who was originally from Kelso - which would confirm 'Lawder' rather than 'Louder'. It's good to know that Lauder senior was involved with law 'n' order. I have yet to discover whether or not he was related to Sir Harry, who was born in Edinburgh.

Richard James wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 27, 2023 2:16 pm

I always assumed it was pronounced 'Lawder': back in the 1970s I used to visit his home in Wimbledon every year to collect my copies of the SCCU Grading List.

JJ Lauder was my match captain in the late 1950s when Wimbledon rivalled Hampstead and Ilford in the London League, so I can confirm Richard's statement. He was a pleasure to play for as he always gave you encouragement whatever the result, and was meticulous and alert in solving any issues which occurred.

I can add that I was also one of Harold Felce's victims, in a National Club match Sutton and Cheam v Linguists around 1960. As I recall, he outplayed me in my favourite Boleslavsky Sicilian.

A decade later when I was interested in details of my grading performance, Felce invited me to his home/office. The entire room was full of his handwritten SCCU data cards , and he could find the right one to answer queries within a few seconds. This was at a time when the Fischer boom was well under way so that the numbers of graded players was escalating rapidly, and Felce used to work around a 100-hour week. A kind and helpful man, and one of the unsung heroes of English chess.

Were either of them rated? Presumably so.

"Were either of them rated? Presumably so."

Elo was probably a bit late for them... GA Felce played a board below Michell and ahead of WO Woodfield, who was Essex's top board (and three times Essex champion), so he was clearly useful! If HG beat Leonard, he was also useful.

Yes. No easy feat.

Previous winners of the SCCA Challenge Cup (Surrey County Chess Association Individual Tournament - started 1884) (top section out of four sections currently)

1910 FELCE, George Albert
1911 FELCE, George Albert
1914 FELCE, George Albert
1915 FELCE, George Albert
1936 FELCE, Harold George

Researching the 1919/20 County Chess Season for Hampshire I noticed the Felce family playing in the Correspondence team in 1917. But who was the third member of the family?