Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

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John Saunders
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Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by John Saunders » Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:54 pm

I stumbled upon the following whilst combing through old newspapers online looking for something else...
Gloucestershire Echo, 25 August 1950 wrote:4-MOVE CHESS CONGRESS WIN - BY A BOY - A SEVENTEEN-YEARS-OLD Glasgow schoolboy, Alec Maclennan, defeated his opponent at Buxton, Derbyshire, to-day in the shortest game so far recorded at the British Chess Congress. Despite the handicap of arriving 25 minutes' late for the third class competition, he mastered another Scot, D. E. Budge, of Kilmacolm, in four moves within 15 minutes.
The Dundee Evening Telegraph for the same day gave substantially the same story, adding that "Maclennan and his school-mate, Fergus Nicholson, aged 15, hitch-hiked to Buxton for the congress, and are camping outside the town."

I have not so far discovered what the four moves of the game were. BCM is silent on the matter and I've not had access to CHESS yet. Anyone know? I'm not sure what became of Alec Maclennan. His unfortunate opponent was Douglas Enty Budge (1891-1951) who was less of a player than his wife, usually referred to as 'Mrs DE Budge' in contemporary references but actually named Esme Hewetson Budge (née Benson) (1907-98). She played in some British Ladies' Championships.

I'm currently trying to figure out the full name of Miss K Austin who played in some pre/post-WW2 British Ladies' Championships. Anyone have this info? She was from London and played for Middlesex in county chess. Nothing else known at present.
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John Saunders
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by John Saunders » Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:55 pm

Ah! I didn't think of looking on Twitter - but just found this...

https://twitter.com/yoorwullie/status/6 ... 6073058306

... and then this...

http://www.chessscotland.com/history/glorneycup.htm
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by Gerard Killoran » Wed Feb 10, 2016 11:14 pm

Fergus Nicholson went on to play an important role in the Communist Party.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Left

and

http://www.grahamstevenson.me.uk/index. ... Itemid=115

Here's some early political activity

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P ... 3%2C134182

and Scottish Boy's Champion in 1951.

http://www.chessscotland.com/history/ScottishBoysCh.htm

Dundee Boy Confident

Youngest player is a dapper little lad in a Harris Academy blazer. He is 12-year-old Grant Walker, son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Walker, 309 Perth Road. He told a "Courier and Advertiser" reporter, when asked how he felt about entering his first competition, "I am confident." He hopes to become Scottish boy champion, using the tuition gained at Harris Academy Chess Club from Mr James Love.

Grant started learning last August and has since taught his mother and nine-year old sister, Ruth, enough about the game to keep him in practice. The Harris club meets weekly, and in a competition which has been running since the middle of February Grant has won five games and lost three. He will have to knock out three other youths to become boy champ.

His first partner was 15-year-old David Weir, 6 Fairies Road. Perth, whose father is a teacher at Perth Academy. He has been playing for six years and is member of Perth Chess Club. David competed in the congress last year without success, and, turning to the other two boys, remarked: "I played them last year—dead loss." This acknowledgment of ability was directed to Jimmy Allan (16), Shettleston, Glasgow, who was runner-up boy champion two years ago, and Fergus Nicholson (15), Hillhead, Glasgow, who learned the game by watching his father play. Jimmy beat Fergus last year, but in between Fergus has been studying the tactics of world champion, Botvinnik, a Russian. So watch out, Jimmy, you might be seeing "red" yet!

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MJMcCready
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by MJMcCready » Thu Feb 11, 2016 12:04 pm

Interesting story, thanks for sharing.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:44 pm

John Saunders wrote: ... and then this...

http://www.chessscotland.com/history/glorneycup.htm
Who would be the Horton representing England in 1967?
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:04 pm

JustinHorton wrote: Who would be the Horton representing England in 1967?
The BCM of that year covers the Glorney, but doesn't give initials or school attended. On page 292, it publishes a report by Ray Keene of a Training tournament held at Dulwich College as preparation for the Glorney, giving the initials "MH".

(edit) Checking a games database reveals a "Mark H" Horton of Nottingham, playing in consecutive British Championships from 1966 to 1969. (/edit)

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JustinHorton
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:17 pm

Oh yes, MH Horton or something? Might have written a book once?

Re: the four-move game, I wonder if we're in Rigaud-Cooper territory?
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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:29 pm

JustinHorton wrote:Oh yes, MH Horton or something? Might have written a book once?
Several, mostly on Bridge it would seem

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mark-Howard-Hor ... 292&sr=1-3

There's no record of him playing any top chess after the Islington 1972 Open. Even that looks like a return following a three year gap after 1969.

David Sedgwick
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by David Sedgwick » Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:26 pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Horton_(bridge)

To the best of my knowledge, he still works for Malcolm Pein.

MartinCarpenter
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by MartinCarpenter » Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:38 pm

Lots of bridge journalist stuff yes. Don't remember him stopping editing bridge magazine, although that did have to drop down to electronic subs only recently :(

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JustinHorton
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Feb 11, 2016 5:40 pm

"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:52 am

I was sitting next to Mark Horton at a weekend event, possibly Southampton. His opponent was not at the board. Another player came along and told Mark that his opponent was looking at a book on the bookstall about the opening he was currently involved in. Mark sai, 'Oh that's OK, the author got that line wrong.'

George Dickson SCO is mentioned several times in John Saunders' clippings above. He is playing in the English Seniors Championship 4-8 April in Harrow at the CCCCC. He is eligible as a very long-term resident in England.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Jul 25, 2018 7:38 am

Right now our man is in a bit of trouble
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Tim Harding
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:14 pm

I played Horton in the British U16's at Whitby in 1964. If memory is correct, it was the middle Sunday when only junior events were on. I don't have the score but I think I played Bird's Opening and drew. Sir George Thomas was a spectator (not especially of my game).
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Four-Move Game at 1950 British Championship

Post by Gerard Killoran » Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:39 pm

Anticipated at BCF-ch 22nd Junior U15 1929, Ramsgate

Linlithgowshire Gazette - Friday 16 August 1929 p.8.png
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