Champions' Names

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
Jon D'Souza-Eva

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Jon D'Souza-Eva » Fri Sep 10, 2010 10:48 pm

> 1940 Boys J Richardson
Paul Buswell wrote:I don't have any more forenames, but Richardson was a scholar in Buckingham, if that gives any clues.
Now that's very interesting, because one "J Richardson" who fits is the famous art historian, John Richardson. He was born in 1924 (perhaps a little young to win the under 18 title? but then older boys might have joined up) and went to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire...

None of the online biographies mention chess, let alone winning a British Championship.

He's still alive, as far as I know.

Richard James
Posts: 1170
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:34 pm
Location: Twickenham
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Richard James » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:00 pm

Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote:> 1940 Boys J Richardson
Paul Buswell wrote:I don't have any more forenames, but Richardson was a scholar in Buckingham, if that gives any clues.
Now that's very interesting, because one "J Richardson" who fits is the famous art critic, John Richardson. He was born in 1924 (perhaps a little young to win the under 18 title? but then older boys might have joined up) and went to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire...

None of the online biographies mention chess, let alone winning a British Championship.

He's still alive, as far as I know.
Even more interesting, our chess playing J Richardson did indeed go to Stowe School.

BCM May 1940 reports:

"This was Richardson's fourth attempt. He was knocked out unexpectedly last year in the preliminary roundds, but he was undoubtedly the best boy this year. He is a frequent competitor in the public tournaments, in the Premier Reserves."

Richard James
Posts: 1170
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:34 pm
Location: Twickenham
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Richard James » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:22 pm

Richard James wrote:
Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote:> 1940 Boys J Richardson
Paul Buswell wrote:I don't have any more forenames, but Richardson was a scholar in Buckingham, if that gives any clues.
Now that's very interesting, because one "J Richardson" who fits is the famous art critic, John Richardson. He was born in 1924 (perhaps a little young to win the under 18 title? but then older boys might have joined up) and went to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire...

None of the online biographies mention chess, let alone winning a British Championship.

He's still alive, as far as I know.
Even more interesting, our chess playing J Richardson did indeed go to Stowe School.

BCM May 1940 reports:

"This was Richardson's fourth attempt. He was knocked out unexpectedly last year in the preliminary roundds, but he was undoubtedly the best boy this year. He is a frequent competitor in the public tournaments, in the Premier Reserves."
Looking further, there's a problem with this. The art historian, according to Wikipedia, and confirmed by BMD, is John Patrick Richardson. BCM May 1940 doesn't give a middle initial, but in the 1939 BCM (passim) he's J E Richardson. John Patrick Richardson's siblings are Ruth (b 1925) and David (b 1928) so that doesn't help. It looks, then, like there were two not immediately related J Richardsons at Stowe at the same time. (Such things happen: some years ago we had two unrelated James Robinsons at RJCC, both about the same strength.)

Perhaps an enquiry to Stowe might be in order.

Jon D'Souza-Eva

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Jon D'Souza-Eva » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:38 pm

Richard James wrote:Perhaps an enquiry to Stowe might be in order.
OK, I've sent one off to their "Old Stoic" Office.

User avatar
John Saunders
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:10 pm
Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by John Saunders » Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:07 am

I'm 99% certain I've got J Richardson...

John Edward Richardson (Jesus Coll, Cambridge) was board two for Cambridge in the (unofficial) Varsity match of 1941 (BCM refs May 1941, p138 and Jan 1942, p8) and beat John Cornforth (later Prof Sir John, of course, and still alive, I think). The following year Richardson was board one for Cambridge but this time Cornforth got his revenge (BCM, May 1942, p108). The reason I have his full name is the Jeremy Gaige booklet of Varsity matches (I think Timothy Whitworth did some of the research for him - he very kindly gave me his spare copy of the booklet). Also playing in the 1942 match was David Le Brun Jones (Trinity, Oxford), who still usually turns up at Varsity matches. Pretty sure he attended in 2010. I sometimes ask him about these ancient matches and he has often proved to be a very useful source of info.
Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)

Howard Grist
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:14 pm
Location: Southend-on-Sea
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Howard Grist » Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:17 am

1984 U9 Girls co-winner is Caroline Green
Former ECF Grading System Programmer

Paul Buswell
Posts: 427
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 4:56 pm

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Paul Buswell » Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:11 am

Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote:> 1940 Boys J Richardson
Paul Buswell wrote:I don't have any more forenames, but Richardson was a scholar in Buckingham, if that gives any clues.
Now that's very interesting, because one "J Richardson" who fits is the famous art historian, John Richardson. He was born in 1924 (perhaps a little young to win the under 18 title? but then older boys might have joined up) and went to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire...

None of the online biographies mention chess, let alone winning a British Championship.

He's still alive, as far as I know.
I should have made a verbatim (or whatever the writtem equivalent is) note! The Honours Board for the British Boys' is at the Hastings Club. It gives initials (no forenames) and schools. Not certain when I''ll next be by there to double check but I am 90%+ sure that the inscription mentioned 'Chatham House', which I see is a house at Stowe School.

PB

PS just been down there - it is "J Richardson", no other initials, "Chatham House, Stowe School, Buckingham". Perhaps the house was given to distinguish him from another, contemporary, JR?
Last edited by Paul Buswell on Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Neil Graham » Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:25 pm

Richard James wrote:
Leonard Barden wrote:My memory says Neil. Walford was from Nottingham so Neil (sic) Graham could confirm.
My memory says Neale. BMD gives Neale D Walford Q1 1964 Basford Notts. Yay!!

I think my previous guess of Alfred Mortlock is quite likely. As he was from Hastings, PB might be able to find something out.
I'd already confirmed Neale's details (correct spelling) with Alex sometime before this thread began.

As regards Mr Mortlock, I have a vague recollection of a player with this name playing in the Portsmouth League in 1970.

Jon D'Souza-Eva

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Jon D'Souza-Eva » Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:29 am

Neil Graham wrote:As regards Mr Mortlock, I have a vague recollection of a player with this name playing in the Portsmouth League in 1970.
I'll ask some of the older members of Fareham Chess Club if they remember him. Edit: Apparently the Mortlock who played in the Portsmouth league was J. N. Mortlock, who might, I suppose, have been related to the 1928 Champion.

I received a message from the Australian Steve Kerr, who confirmed that he was the Under 18 Champion in 1979. His full name is Stephen George Robert Kerr.

As far as I can tell, that just leaves the following to be found:

Still to find
1928 Boys A Mortlock
1958 U15 MJ Neave
1965 Under 18: MN Walsh Under 14: G Campbell
1969 Girls U18: J Fielding

To be confirmed
1983Under 18: Brian/Brett (?) Sharp

And also the U100 Champion of 1999 - M Watson.

http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/britchamps.html

Nick Thomas
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 9:56 pm

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Nick Thomas » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:36 am

Spoke to Don Mason at the weekend who played in the U16 in 1983. He thinks it must have been Brian Sharp as he was 2 years older...The other Sharp(e) he thinks was Jeremy Sharpe (not Brett as I sugested earlier).

Alex McFarlane
Posts: 1757
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:52 pm

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Alex McFarlane » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:45 am

I have contacted Mary McGinn's coach/teacher at the time to see if he has any recollection of J Fielding (they tied).

I am also hopeful that Marc Shaw may have a crosstable for M Watson. Edit - Marc's records only go to '97.

I've PMed Norman Hutchinson for clarification of his sister's name.

We still have to sort out 1962 U15 Ron/Robin Moss haven't we?

User avatar
John Saunders
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:10 pm
Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by John Saunders » Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:38 pm

1969 Girls U18: J Fielding
I've dug a bit deeper and discovered she was actually G Fielding (Huddersfield). This is how her name appeared in the 1969 British Championship (Rhyl) programme and in the results published in the 1969/70 BCF Yearbook (p89), but just a few pages later in the same yearbook she was listed as J Fielding in the champion's roll of honour, and that's the way she has stayed ever since. I would suggest we research her primarily as G Fielding (Huddersfield).

It occurs to me that one quite common girl's name of that era is spelled with both J and G - 'Gillian'. There may be others that people can think of that do the same. It's not evidence, of course - in all likelihood the initial given in the yearbook's list of champions was a simple typo.
Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)

User avatar
John Saunders
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:10 pm
Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by John Saunders » Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:51 pm

1965 Under 18: MN Walsh Under 14: G Campbell
A reminder that MN Walsh was listed as from Crewe and G Campbell from Wallasey in the results in the 1965/66 yearbook. This may help in narrowing the field of research.
Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)

User avatar
John Saunders
Posts: 1709
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:10 pm
Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Contact:

Re: Champions' Names

Post by John Saunders » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:08 pm

She was Gennine Fielding, according to the Huddersfield Chess Club history (http://huddersfieldchessclub.co.uk/history/history.html)...
Huddersfield Chess Club history wrote:In 1970, a junior member, Miss Gennine Fielding, won the British Girls' Championship...
Personal Twitter @johnchess
Britbase https://www.britbase.info
(I prefer email to PM - contact me via this link - https://www.saund.org.uk/email.html)

Alex McFarlane
Posts: 1757
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:52 pm

Re: Champions' Names

Post by Alex McFarlane » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:46 pm

Neville Belinfante has established that M Watson is Matthew. One less to find.

Post Reply