This result was reported in the Nottingham Evening Post - Thursday 20 August 1936, p.7 - as a round 3 game played the previous day.John Saunders wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 2:58 pmI noted some time ago that Craddock's father George was also a chess player, though not as strong as his son, judging from this game sent me by Gerard Killoran 18 months ago:
J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
I spoke yesterday to an ex-employee of the Met Office and he has having a think, and also recommended someone else to talk to. If I get news, I'll say something.
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Thanks, Gerard. I've added the date and round number to the score on BritBase.Gerard Killoran wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 1:49 pm
This result was reported in the Nottingham Evening Post - Thursday 20 August 1936, p.7 - as a round 3 game played the previous day.
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Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
I am very grateful to Steve Murray, Wilf Taylor and David Thomson, who have supplied more info. Rather than paraphrase, I'll lazily copy the email.
"James Craddock was employed by the Met Office and was a special merit SPSO (Civil Service Grade 6).
It is believed he worked in Long Range Weather Forecasting, and on the early computer models with special reference to Climate.
When he left in about 1975 he went to the Climate Unit at the University of East Anglia.
Craddock played (and lost) a very famous game v Mieses in the London league. Check out Chessbase, but it has also been widely published.
Found the following on Craddock in Gareth Ward’s web site files:
“We have two Grading Lists from the 1970s. In the all-Berkshire list for 1973/74, the overall range of grades was 90 to 203 - similar to 2009's New Grades. Because the list contained only players with 8+ games in the latest season (similar to category C now), only 5 Met Office players were listed :- Frank Woolford 186, JM Cradock 171, Tony Pearson 160, Pip Sarson 149, Chris Long 140.”
Note Gareth has the spelling with one “d” but the library has lots of papers in it’s online catalogue by J M Craddock with two “d”s so two “d”s must be right. There’s only one mention in the web site files, but Gareth must I think have got that from the paper files so I think there will be something there.
If you go to https://library.metoffice.gov.uk/Portal ... mpleSearch and enter craddock, you get a list of his publications. I looked at one from 1995 (in “Weather”) which has author “J. M. Craddock, Pulham Market, Norfolk” so I guess he was retired then, but the location is consistent with having been at UEA."
I would add that SPSO was usually a senior managerial position in the scientific Civil Service (mainly as the way the work was costed meant you had to use cheaper staff to do the science), so the fact he was still doing the proper work is unusual. My informants also found about 3 box files of historical papers in the cupboard, and will have a look for more info.
"James Craddock was employed by the Met Office and was a special merit SPSO (Civil Service Grade 6).
It is believed he worked in Long Range Weather Forecasting, and on the early computer models with special reference to Climate.
When he left in about 1975 he went to the Climate Unit at the University of East Anglia.
Craddock played (and lost) a very famous game v Mieses in the London league. Check out Chessbase, but it has also been widely published.
Found the following on Craddock in Gareth Ward’s web site files:
“We have two Grading Lists from the 1970s. In the all-Berkshire list for 1973/74, the overall range of grades was 90 to 203 - similar to 2009's New Grades. Because the list contained only players with 8+ games in the latest season (similar to category C now), only 5 Met Office players were listed :- Frank Woolford 186, JM Cradock 171, Tony Pearson 160, Pip Sarson 149, Chris Long 140.”
Note Gareth has the spelling with one “d” but the library has lots of papers in it’s online catalogue by J M Craddock with two “d”s so two “d”s must be right. There’s only one mention in the web site files, but Gareth must I think have got that from the paper files so I think there will be something there.
If you go to https://library.metoffice.gov.uk/Portal ... mpleSearch and enter craddock, you get a list of his publications. I looked at one from 1995 (in “Weather”) which has author “J. M. Craddock, Pulham Market, Norfolk” so I guess he was retired then, but the location is consistent with having been at UEA."
I would add that SPSO was usually a senior managerial position in the scientific Civil Service (mainly as the way the work was costed meant you had to use cheaper staff to do the science), so the fact he was still doing the proper work is unusual. My informants also found about 3 box files of historical papers in the cupboard, and will have a look for more info.
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Craddock played for my home country Bedfordshire for a few years. I believe he's from Dunstable but could be wrong there.
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Britbase, by John Saunders, says that he lived in Dunstable in the 1950s and played on top board for Bedfordshire:
https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/v ... 33craddock
His birth was registered in the district of Nuneaton (Warwickshire). Britbase has his date of birth as 4 June 1913 (see link above).
https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/v ... 33craddock
His birth was registered in the district of Nuneaton (Warwickshire). Britbase has his date of birth as 4 June 1913 (see link above).
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Yes saw that. Thanks.
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
The last game played in England by GM Sultan Khan was against Craddock in 1933, according to the records of ChessGames.com. Khan was playing for the Imperial Chess Club and Craddock was playing for Cambridge University. Craddock, aged 20, won convincingly.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1956229
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1956229
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
There must be a mis-transcription at the very end. 42. Bd5 Qd1 White resigns seems more likely.
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Wow that was quite a crush.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
I was going to query the "GM" but you are quite correct, as of this month!John Foley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 12:47 pmThe last game played in England by GM Sultan Khan was against Craddock in 1933
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Is that actually an official FIDE posthumous title? There are conflicting results on this.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
The FIDE announcement describes it as "Honoury Grandmaster".Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 8:06 pmIs that actually an official FIDE posthumous title? There are conflicting results on this.
https://fide.com/news/2873
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
A title they gave out a fair bit in the 1970s and 80s (albeit for still living players) but this is IIRC the first for over 20 years. IIRC a source once said FIDE would have given Sultan Khan a title in 1950 had they known he was still alive, so that may be used to justify this posthumous award.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: J M Craddock - King Edward's School, Birmingham?
Sultan Khan played at Kingston Chess Club. Unfortunately our record books only go as far back as the late 1930s by which time he had moved on.
https://kingstonchess.com/sultan-khan-f ... andmaster/
https://kingstonchess.com/sultan-khan-f ... andmaster/