Lowest Graded British Champion

[Keith Arkell]

I bet you've improved in all areas of understanding and tecnique Matt but I guess ability to calculate stays more or less the same

In my experience 170s are far far tougher to put away than 10,15,20 years ago.I mean my % remains the same but the games are much higher quality.They sometimes prepare,they know their opening,and they are simply much stronger all round

[James Pratt]

Eley did little before or since. And winning broke him as a person.

Dr Fazekas was an IM, sent back his trophy in protest at his treatment. Barden/Phillips were lucky winners. As late 1976, Haygarth was considering a professional life in chess. I bet Alan "Sixty Years on with Caissa & Friends") Phillips entertained no such wicked thoughts. Kottnauer was very strong never to have won, Chandler was 2600+ at his best. No one could boast that surely yet never to have won it, perhaps not even Stean.

[JustinHorton]

One way to look at the question - perhaps no better or worse than other ways - would be to ask "has anybody who was the strongest British player of the time failed to win the Championship?". If not, then anybody who was the second, third, etc.

[James Pratt]

Miles only won once despite many laurels when the pickings were greater.

Nunn was denied a play-off in 1979, (Bellin won on tie-break) only played once more to prove his supremacy.

Markland had an Elo of 2510 - only a shadow rating, based on Hastings 1971/2, (I think) - never won a Championship, went on to get a postal GM title.

Clarke was perhaps the strongest never to make IM - he was of this strength 1956-61 - and came 2nd= in several Britishes.

But, of course, one could go on and on ...

[Matt Mackenzie]

Yes, I forgot Clarke and Kottnauer as ones who stood out in the pre-GM era. The latter in particular would surely have become a GM had he stayed in his native land.........

I vaguely recall something about Lazslo Szabo wanting to leave Hungary and settle in Britain after the failure of the 1956 uprising, only to have been told by numerous people (poss including his former countryman Fazekas) the chess life here was so decrepit he was better off staying where he was, despite the sh**ty situation there

And he did, tho' he made quite a few visits to Hastings over the years

[Mike Gunn]

This is just to confirm the details of the Hartston-Basman playoff for the 1973 British Championship which I mentioned attending (one game of). It was held from Jan 28th to Feb 3rd 1974 at "Heathrow Hotel". There is a report on pages 81 to 85 of the March 1974 BCM by Harry Golembek. Interesting points of historical trivia: the contest was held during the 3 day week (but hotels were exempt, I think) and prominent in the pictures of both players playing the match are large bottles of Cutty Sark whisky (Cutty Sark sponsored the British then) next to the chess board. Hartston won the playoff 4½-1½.

[John Upham]

I vaguely recall something about Lazslo Szabo wanting to leave Hungary and settle in Britain after the failure of the 1956 uprising, only to have been told by numerous people (poss including his former countryman Fazekas) the chess life here was so decrepit he was better off staying where he was, despite the sh**ty situation there

If 1956 was replaced with 2009 would the advice remain the same?

[Matt Mackenzie]

It's certainly getting that way again!

[Keith Arkell]

Well chaps I have to say I think there's lots of great events here these days

From April to September I accepted invites with ''conditions'' in all of the following FIDE rated events:

Southend GM closed category 10
Amersham open
Big Slick category 6
Pontypridd open
British Champs
Uxbridge Open
Coulsdon GM/IM
Paignton open (ok I lied - no conditions for this one but a great event )
Uxbridge(again) open

I am able to play professionally for 2 teams,and get a number of simuls.

For those who want the absolute top events there's supposed to be something happening at the end of the year,and for those who like weekenders there are often 2 or 3 to chose between on a given w/e (apparently 4 on the w/e of 18-20 Sept!).

Believe me,I've tried both places,and things are a lot better here than in the USA.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Point taken Keith, but don't you think British chess *has* regressed a fair bit from the glory days of the 1970s/80s?

[Keith Arkell]

From the point of view of the size of the prizes yes definitely!

[Keith Arkell]

But not from the point of view of our standing in the chess world.

England were number 2 at our peak.An all time high in ranking,but were we really the 2nd best or was that just one amazing moment.Admittedly around the late 80s we were near the top anyway,but as far as I can see the reason we are now ranked only about 17 is that the Soviet Union broke up.
This resulted in a number of nations ahead of us rather than just one.And not only that,but also Soviets flooded the USA team,the Spanish team etc etc.Even the top 2 ''Dutch'' players aren't Dutch!
Also there has been the Chinese chess explosion(and Vietnam too). Revert everything back to how it was back in the late 80s and I'm sure we would again be pressing for 2nd =

[Matt Mackenzie]

Not just that Keith, but remember the huge super-tourneys we used to have like Phillips and Drew - not to mention the world title matches?? (of course the last big event of that nature back in '93 caused more problems than it solved )

These things were invaluable for getting chess wider publicity, if nothing else........

And there is little doubt club chess has declined markedly in the last two decades. My "home" chess club finally died a death at the start of this decade, I am in my 43rd year and am one of the youngest members of my present one

This is why the seemingly interminable discussions on the failings of our ECF are so important!

[Keith Arkell]

Yes,(definitely yes )
yes,
yes probably because of the internet,
and yes

[Neill Cooper]

The median age of my club is below 20! That is only considering those who played inter-club matches this season, there are many other juniors who do not play inter-club chess.