Derek Coope
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2020 11:10 am
I am very sad to pass on the news that Derek Coope died recently at the age of 81.
I had known Derek since the mid-80s, when he was playing for Kingston in the Surrey and Thames Valley Leagues. Originally from Luton, he started playing chess in Yorkshire (for Brighouse) and then in the Oxford area before moving to the London area. He lived in Surbiton and was a maths lecturer at North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) until his retirement about 20 years ago. He and his wife Joyce moved up to Oban and his chess activity was then mainly in Scotland, where he played at many, many congresses with considerable success in Major and Minor events. He was a stalwart of Oban Chess Club, and played regularly for them in the SNCL and - he particularly loved these - friendlies against islands such as Mull and Islay. I played at Oban 5 times, stopping with Derek and Joyce on each occasion, and I also met up with him at tournaments in Edinburgh and Perth. He also stayed with me when playing at a 4NCL congress at Birmingham Airport. He was due to play at the recent 4NCL event in Harrogate but suffered a fatal heart attack just a couple of days before.
Derek was an amazingly sociable and gregarious person and in recent years he seemed to be on a mission to know everyone in Scottish Chess - and I think he may well have done so. He was forever introducing me to people he had come to know. He loved the social and informal aspects of club and tournament chess, and was never happier than in a large group at a pre or post match meal.
One of his other great loves was football. He was at the 1959 FA Cup Final (when Luton lost to Nottingham Forest) and I actually first had a real chat with him in the unlikely setting of an inconsequential pre-season friendly between Carshalton and Fulham. We started to meet up most weekends to go to non-league matches as, like me, he had grown rather disenchanted with the professional game. For several years we travelled all over the country and he was excellent and amusing company. Although he did specialise in owning terrible old bangers that could not be relied on to start, let alone get you where you wanted to go.
In recent years he had some serious health problems, but he had overcome them with tremendous fortitude and was still as keen and enthusiastic as ever - not just about chess, but about all his interests. I last saw him in November on Oban, and had been looking forward to seeing him at Easter when he was planning to come to the 4NCL tournament in Kenilworth.
There is to be a celebration of Derek's life in Oban (date tba), and there is certainly plenty to celebrate. The world is less interesting, amusing, kind and friendly without him. I will miss him tremendously.
I had known Derek since the mid-80s, when he was playing for Kingston in the Surrey and Thames Valley Leagues. Originally from Luton, he started playing chess in Yorkshire (for Brighouse) and then in the Oxford area before moving to the London area. He lived in Surbiton and was a maths lecturer at North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) until his retirement about 20 years ago. He and his wife Joyce moved up to Oban and his chess activity was then mainly in Scotland, where he played at many, many congresses with considerable success in Major and Minor events. He was a stalwart of Oban Chess Club, and played regularly for them in the SNCL and - he particularly loved these - friendlies against islands such as Mull and Islay. I played at Oban 5 times, stopping with Derek and Joyce on each occasion, and I also met up with him at tournaments in Edinburgh and Perth. He also stayed with me when playing at a 4NCL congress at Birmingham Airport. He was due to play at the recent 4NCL event in Harrogate but suffered a fatal heart attack just a couple of days before.
Derek was an amazingly sociable and gregarious person and in recent years he seemed to be on a mission to know everyone in Scottish Chess - and I think he may well have done so. He was forever introducing me to people he had come to know. He loved the social and informal aspects of club and tournament chess, and was never happier than in a large group at a pre or post match meal.
One of his other great loves was football. He was at the 1959 FA Cup Final (when Luton lost to Nottingham Forest) and I actually first had a real chat with him in the unlikely setting of an inconsequential pre-season friendly between Carshalton and Fulham. We started to meet up most weekends to go to non-league matches as, like me, he had grown rather disenchanted with the professional game. For several years we travelled all over the country and he was excellent and amusing company. Although he did specialise in owning terrible old bangers that could not be relied on to start, let alone get you where you wanted to go.
In recent years he had some serious health problems, but he had overcome them with tremendous fortitude and was still as keen and enthusiastic as ever - not just about chess, but about all his interests. I last saw him in November on Oban, and had been looking forward to seeing him at Easter when he was planning to come to the 4NCL tournament in Kenilworth.
There is to be a celebration of Derek's life in Oban (date tba), and there is certainly plenty to celebrate. The world is less interesting, amusing, kind and friendly without him. I will miss him tremendously.