Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
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John Saunders
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by John Saunders » Mon Oct 09, 2017 8:29 am

John Saunders wrote:
Gerard Killoran wrote:
I also found this...

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 02 December 1933 p..17.jpg
Thanks, Gerard. I have also added the part-game versus Aitken to BritBase. I echo your exhortation for someone to look up a paper copy of that score. Incidentally, the above clipping raises a minor quibble. It mentions the Craddock game on 25 November 1933 (which is already on BritBase, collected from the Times Literary Supplement) and then refers to the simul (and thus the Aitken game) being played on "Saturday last" - but that was also 25 November 1933 by my reckoning. Were both simul and match played on the same day? From the way it is worded one senses that these were separate occasions.
Bravo indeed. As well as correcting the score arrived at by forum teamwork, the version taken from the Edinburgh CC scorebook also answers my query about the date it was played, which turns out to be Thursday 23 November 1933, rather than the Saturday quoted by the Hastings newspaper. So the Craddock game on 25 November 1933 remains the last extant game of Sultan Khan before his return to India. I have updated BritBase.
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John Saunders
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by John Saunders » Mon Oct 09, 2017 8:36 am

Geoff Chandler wrote:Hi the game in question. It is game no.83a in Aitken's Chess Scorebook which is at the Edinburgh Chess Club.
This begs the question of whether the games of Aitken's scorebook have been entered into a database. If not, I would happily volunteer my services; as, perhaps, would other members of the forum, given the splendid energies put into discovering the moves of this one game.
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Adam Raoof
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Adam Raoof » Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:30 am

John Saunders wrote:
Geoff Chandler wrote:Hi the game in question. It is game no.83a in Aitken's Chess Scorebook which is at the Edinburgh Chess Club.
This begs the question of whether the games of Aitken's scorebook have been entered into a database. If not, I would happily volunteer my services; as, perhaps, would other members of the forum, given the splendid energies put into discovering the moves of this one game.
It may just be me, but I would love to see a scan of some pages of that scorebook!
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by John McKenna » Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:51 pm

We'd all like to see Geoff come up with scans of the goods, Adam, so that if Edinburgh CC auction them off on eBay we'll know what's on offer.

Whether or not Geoff is playing Call my Bluff Time Team I do appreciate the modified version of the game ("no. 83a") he has donated from the "Aitken Chess Scorebook" he and Mr. Archibald have purportedly unearthed.

All joking aside, I not only still have some doubts about the exact moves of the black rook & bishop in the endgame I also have some about on which move the black KRP advanced to R6 (h3). I have it as black's 51st while Geoff has it as the 39th. Both cannot be right yet both could still be wrong.

I still also have some doubts about exactly which moves (50-56) the game concluded with after the undoubted 49... P-B8(Q) ch (f1Q+ for algebraists) and before the almost dead certain 56... P-R7 (h2). Geoff gives a slightly different ending. Other sequences of moves are probably possible and may well have been played.

Anyway, by dogged teamwork, we've got a good picture of a little gem that was mostly obscured in a dirty great lump of coal.

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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Geoff Chandler » Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:11 pm

Hi Guys,

Not one of my scams, Dave cannot log on so sent me an email.

I have not tampered with the moves, they are exactly what Dave sent.

But I do understand the concern, I was thinking when I posted it
this lot won't believe me.

I am going to the club tomorrow night. I'll take my camera and supply
proof along with signed affidavits.

Aitken left us quite a lot memorabilia regarding his chess career.

Geoff

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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:28 pm

A picture of the some of the Aitken memorabilia.

On the left just some of his scorebooks.

Image

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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:30 pm

A simultaneous display v Mieses.

Image

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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:31 pm

The Sultan Khan game

Image

John McKenna

Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by John McKenna » Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:10 am

Hi Geoff,

The moves of game "83a" look so fresh they could have been written only yesterday.

John

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:05 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:A simultaneous display v Mieses.

Image
Proof that 5 Qe2 was always a game killer? ;)
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:07 pm

Hi John,

I did tweak it a bit with Paint Shop, brightened it up to make it look clearer.

But it's genuine. Sent John a personal PM to say it's on the level.
I would not tamper with a piece of history from the Edinburgh Chess Club
it's my spiritual home (and was infact my home for 5 years.)

Also this is far too unimaginative for one of my scams.

Wait till they found out it was me that put in the bid for Berlin to hold the candidates.
Berlin know nothing about it. When the players and arbiters turn up they will have nowhere to go.

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John Saunders
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by John Saunders » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:58 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:Sent John a personal PM to say it's on the level.
Actually you sent me the PM! The 'wrong John'. I personally never doubted the Aitken scoresheets' authenticity for a second. I don't think John McKenna did either - he was just making what he was no doubt pleased to call a joke.

Incidentally, I've long despaired of the forum's PM system as I never can tell whether a message has been sent properly or is just sitting unsent in a lonely output box. So I've switched it off in my preferences. Anyone wishing to contact me can find an email address easily enough via BritBase.
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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:32 pm

Hi John (Saunders)

I saw about 15-20 scorebooks. I'll have a word with Dave Archibald
(God alone knows why he cannot log back on here.)

Dave is the curator of all things Aitken, I'm sure we can arrange
to have the books sent down. Be good to get Aitken's full C.V. available.

I too am wary of the PM system it's hotch-potch, over complicated and
held together with 'patches' and 'joe-jobs'.

Not too sure if 'joe-jobs' fits. I heard an I.T. guy with a beard use it once.

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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Alan McGowan » Wed Oct 11, 2017 5:11 pm

Let there be no more doubts about David Archibald and Geoff Chandler. The material is genuine. I have communicated with David on many occasions regarding Edinburgh CC historical matters.
I don't think the Aitken notebooks (which I have seen) will be leaving the club. Perhaps a member, or several of them, could help input games to a database.

Historian, Chess Scotland

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Re: Sultan Khan - A newly discovered game and a challenge

Post by Adam Raoof » Wed Oct 11, 2017 6:25 pm

It would not take long to take a picture of every page in a scorebook and post it on Flickr for JS to enter the games into Britbase. Plus that would advertise the club to the world!
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