SCCA Challenge Cup

[Paul Dupré]

IIRC, Argyris represented England in the 1961 Glorney Cup, which suggests a birth year of c1943-44.

No wonder I didn't find it...

Births Mar 1943 (>99%)
Hadjiargyris Nicholas J C Pollard Hammersmith 1a 383

[Paul Dupré]

Ron Harris will celebrate his 80th birthday next month, which means that Nick Argyris is now the oldest living Surrey Champion, as he is already 80 years of age.

[Paul Dupré]

Longest living Surrey Champions appear to be
1884 JACOBS, Herbert Levi (b.16-Jun-1863 d.11-Feb-1950) aged 86 (Croydon) also won 1885, 1887, 1889
1890 WARD, Henry Swinburn (b.19-Aug-1865 d.04-May-1954) aged 88 (Croydon)
1910 FELCE, George Albert (b.13-Dec-1868 d.08-Nov-1956) aged 87 (Brixton) also won 1911, 1914, 1915
1924 ALEXANDER, Frederick Forrest Lawrie (b.13-Nov-1879 d.04-Feb-1965) aged 85 (Battersea)
1934 ALEXANDER, Laurence (Laurie) né Foreman (b.12-Jun-1900 d.18-Aug-1991) aged 91 (Clapham Common) also won 1937, 1946, 1952
1961 FRANKLIN, Michael John (b.02-Feb-1931 d.25-Apr-2023) aged 92 (Richmond) also won 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970

Though I'm still looking for first names and birth records for these guys
1899 FISHER, A W (Battersea)
1925 ROBERTSON, T H (Battersea)
1927 FLETCHER, A (club unknown)
1948 BLACKBURN, R J (club unknown)

[Roger Lancaster]

IIRC, Argyris represented England in the 1961 Glorney Cup, which suggests a birth year of c1943-44.

That's about right and, if it helps jog anyone's memory, he studied at St Paul's School in West London.

[Kevin Thurlow]

I played Argyris in 1970, when I was Board 2 for Redhill and he was playing for Mitcham II... I just played through the game. He was obviously much better than me!

[Gerard Killoran]

Longest living Surrey Champions appear to be
1884 JACOBS, Herbert Levi (b.16-Jun-1863 d.11-Feb-1950) aged 86 (Croydon) also won 1885, 1887, 1889
1890 WARD, Henry Swinburn (b.19-Aug-1865 d.04-May-1954) aged 88 (Croydon)
1910 FELCE, George Albert (b.13-Dec-1868 d.08-Nov-1956) aged 87 (Brixton) also won 1911, 1914, 1915
1924 ALEXANDER, Frederick Forrest Lawrie (b.13-Nov-1879 d.04-Feb-1965) aged 85 (Battersea)
1934 ALEXANDER, Laurence (Laurie) né Foreman (b.12-Jun-1900 d.18-Aug-1991) aged 91 (Clapham Common) also won 1937, 1946, 1952
1961 FRANKLIN, Michael John (b.02-Feb-1931 d.25-Apr-2023) aged 92 (Richmond) also won 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970

Though I'm still looking for first names and birth records for these guys
1899 FISHER, A W (Battersea)
1925 ROBERTSON, T H (Battersea)
1927 FLETCHER, A (club unknown)
1948 BLACKBURN, R J (club unknown)

Alfred W. Fisher is mentioned in The Chess Amateur, July 1915

Fisher.png

[Richard James]

My best guess at the moment concerning AW Fisher.

Augustus William Fisher
b 28 Sep 1864 Sutton at Hone, Kent
Father, also Augustus, made fancy wooden boxes, and he had the same occupation
At some point in the 1870s they moved to Lambeth
He was playing chess for St John's, a working men's club in Kennington, and later for Battersea
He married in 1906 and moved to South Norwood, playing chess for Thornton Heath. He continued playing until 1923.
His death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1939 in Croydon, at the age of 75.

I might try having a go at some of the others later if I have time.

[Richard James]

Duplicate post deleted

[Richard James]

Here's a game.
[Event "Kent v Surrey SCCU Championship"] [Site "City of London Chess Club"] [Date "1899.10.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Hart Dyke, Percyvall"] [Black "Fisher, Augustus(?) William(?)"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D37"] [PlyCount "53"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. O-O a6 9. Rc1 dxc4 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Bd3 c4 12. Bb1 Bb7 13. a4 Nd5 14. Ne2 f5 15. b3 Ba3 16. Bg5 Qe8 17. bxc4 Bxc1 18. cxd5 Ba3 19. dxc6 Qxc6 20. Nf4 h6 21. Ne5 Qe8 22. Nfg6 Bd6 23. Nxf8 Bxe5 24. dxe5 hxg5 25. Qd7 Bxg2 26. Kxg2 Qxf8 27. Qxe6+ {Source: Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News 18 November 1899} 1-0

Fun fact: the winner of this game was a cousin of Miranda Hart.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Do we know who Alfred W. Fisher is? I had a quick look, but it is proving difficult.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Fun fact: the winner of this game was a cousin of Miranda Hart."

I wondered if they were related, as I was aware of her full name.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

The originator of Surrey Chess News was someone called Leslie Fletcher (see http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... ame-5.html) and he had a (half) brother called Archibald Frederick James Fletcher. I suppose Archibald could have been the "A Fletcher" who was Surrey Champion in 1927. He'd have been 22 years old at the time. However I have no evidence that Archibald even played chess, let alone that he was strong enough to become Surrey Champion.
See https://www.familysearch.org/tree/perso ... s/GXPT-HF6 for family of Leslie Elliott Fletcher (born Leslie Elliott Britton).

[Richard James]

The originator of Surrey Chess News was someone called Leslie Fletcher (see http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... ame-5.html) and he had a (half) brother called Archibald Frederick James Fletcher. I suppose Archibald could have been the "A Fletcher" who was Surrey Champion in 1927. He'd have been 22 years old at the time. However I have no evidence that Archibald even played chess, let alone that he was strong enough to become Surrey Champion.
See https://www.familysearch.org/tree/perso ... s/GXPT-HF6 for family of Leslie Elliott Fletcher (born Leslie Elliott Britton).

I've done quite a lot of research on this family - with perhaps a future Minor Piece to come.

Leslie's older daughter, known as Lesley, was married to Richmond & Twickenham Chess Club's Robert Pinner, himself a very interesting character.

Leslie Elliott Fletcher was the author of Gambits Accepted. I believe he also wrote a follow-up called Gambits Declined, which was never published.

Towards the end of his life he wrote The Immortal Eighty-five, on the McDonnell-LaBourdonnais games, which was also never published, but I obtained a copy of the typescript from Ken Whyld.

[Paul Dupré]

The originator of Surrey Chess News was someone called Leslie Fletcher (see http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... ame-5.html) and he had a (half) brother called Archibald Frederick James Fletcher. I suppose Archibald could have been the "A Fletcher" who was Surrey Champion in 1927. He'd have been 22 years old at the time. However I have no evidence that Archibald even played chess, let alone that he was strong enough to become Surrey Champion.
See https://www.familysearch.org/tree/perso ... s/GXPT-HF6 for family of Leslie Elliott Fletcher (born Leslie Elliott Britton).

Hi Jon,
If you are looking for more info on Antoinette Mary Hope Elliott-Fletcher - she was married Sep-1958 to Peter McLeod
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui- ... cessSource

They had 3 children
Simon A b.Mar-1960
David P b.Sep-1961
Aidan J b.Jun-1963

But you probably know all that...

[Paul Dupré]

Ron Harris will celebrate his 80th birthday next month, which means that Nick Argyris is now the oldest living Surrey Champion, as he is already 80 years of age.

Spoke with Ron Harris at South Norwood chess club last night, he said Nick was also born in November as well, so will be 81 next month.
Has anyone seen him recently ?