English Chess Forum

Yes, I saw that Chessgames.com edit re: St Guthlac yesterday, and then noticed the contributor was someone of this parish, but not yet of this thread!

I note that on 14 November 1898 E. G. Sergeant drew a game in Blackburne's simul at the Newcastle Chess Club. So he was probably still living in the north-east then, and if Gaige has his birth date correct then he was not quite 17 at the time. (Newcastle Courant 19 Nov 1898 has the game.)

I've a few details to add to my post further up the thread about Edward Guthlac Sergeant, having received an email from his granddaughter Marian.

Marian (and her elder sister Laura) are daughters of EGS's son Lewis Carter Sergeant, who had an elder brother Richard. (Lewis and Richard both attended Radley College.) Of EGS she writes: "I remember visiting my grandfather at 24 Gloucester Road in Kingston quite often when we were children. He always gave my sister and me half a crown! He had very bad eyesight and was almost blind in his old age." Marian adds, "unfortunately I did not learn to play chess - I should have!"

Tim Harding wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 01, 2013 2:03 pm

I note that on 14 November 1898 E. G. Sergeant drew a game in Blackburne's simul at the Newcastle Chess Club. So he was probably still living in the north-east then, and if Gaige has his birth date correct then he was not quite 17 at the time. (Newcastle Courant 19 Nov 1898 has the game.)

Sergeant also beat Blackburne in a couple of simuls either side of the draw above.



[Event "Simultaneous Exhibition"] [Site "Newcastle"] [Date "1896.11.11"] [Round "?"] [White "Blackburne, J. H."] [Black "Sergeant, Edward Guthlac"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C21"] [Opening "Danish gambit"] 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 Bb4+ 6. Kf1 Nf6 7. Nc3 d5 8. Qa4+ Nc6 9. Bb5 Be7 10. Nf3 O-O 11. Rd1 Be6 12. e5 Nd7 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Qxc6 Nb6 15. Qb5 Rb8 16. Qe2 d4 17. Rxd4 Qxd4 18. Nxd4 Bc4 19. Nc6 Bxe2+ 20. Kxe2 Rbe8 21. Rd1 Nc4 22. Bc1 Bd6 23. f4 f6 24. Nb5 fxe5 25. Kf1 exf4 26. Nxd6 cxd6 {Newcastle Chronicle - Saturday 21 November 1896 p.16} 0-1


[Event "Simultaneous Exhibition"] [Site "Newcastle Chess Club"] [Date "1899.11.13"] [Round "?"] [White "Blackburne, J. H."] [Black "Sergeant, Edward Guthlac"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C44"] [Opening "Scotch gambit: Anderssen (Paulsen, Suhle) counter-attack"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. c3 Bg4 7. Qb3 Bxf3 8. Bxf7+ Kf8 9. Bxg8 Rxg8 10. gxf3 g5 11. Qe6 Rg6 12. Qh3 Qf6 13. b4 Bb6 14. Nd2 dxc3 15. Nc4 Nd4 16. f4 g4 17. Qg2 Nf3+ 18. Kh1 Rh6 19. Nxb6 axb6 20. f5 Rxh2+ 21. Qxh2 Nxh2 22. Kxh2 Qe5+ 23. Kg1 Qxe4 24. Bh6+ Kf7 25. Rfe1 Qxf5 {Newcastle Daily Chronicle - Wednesday 15 November 1899 p.5} 0-1

PW Sergeant was the oldest player ever, I think, in the British Championship itself, at Leicester, 1960. When John Littlewood last played I wrote to him teasing that he'd not quite got the record. Paul wrote back that he'd get it - and he would have - the next year. Sadly, John died before achieving same.

James Pratt wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 31, 2019 6:48 pm

PW Sergeant was the oldest player ever, I think, in the British Championship itself, at Leicester, 1960. When John Littlewood last played I wrote to him teasing that he'd not quite got the record. Paul wrote back that he'd get it - and he would have - the next year. Sadly, John died before achieving same.

James, you mean E G Sergeant, not P W, was the oldest player ever in the British Championship.

whoops!