English Chess Forum

I am sorry to report that Simon Finn died a few days ago, aged 63.

A very decent chess player with his most recent grade being 195 ECF (Jan 2019) and 2202 ELO.

A long standing friend from when I first joined Slough Chess Club in 1988 and after giving up playing for a few years in the noughties, he returned to club chess, playing for Wycombe & Hazelmere Chess Club in the Bucks league until he stopped again around 2018/2019.

A very nice guy who was always modest and self deprecating in victory and sporting in defeat.

To illustrate the point that he was a strong player, In 2014, Simon (with the Black pieces) beat Keith Arkell in 47 moves at the e2e4 Tournament at High Wycombe which was no 'mean feat' ( Maybe someone can pull up that game - I don't have the technical expertise!)

Looking back, I see that Simon played and won in the Varsity Match for Oxford in1979, although his team lost. Some interesting names from the past and present took part ( I recognise every name apart from Kimberley Harris) ;
Hugh Macpherson - Shaun Taulbut
Peter Sowray - Colin Crouch
Nick Benjamin - Simon Knott
John Branford - Michael Pagden
Simon Finn - Kimberley Harris
Paul Carey - Anthony John Berry
Clive Hill Jonathan Friedland
Annette Rogers - Jane Anson

I actually introduced Simon to a friend of mine, Jackie, more than 25 years ago and she became his future/current wife. One of their sons, Peter Finn, is also a very strong player, currently graded about 190 ECF, but is improving all the time, and is stronger than that now. Condolences to Jackie and Peter and also to Chris and Sophie, Simon's other children.

Andrew Smith wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:19 pm

I am sorry to report that Simon Finn died a few days ago, aged 63.

To illustrate the point that he was a strong player, In 2014, Simon (with the Black pieces) beat Keith Arkell in 47 moves at the e2e4 Tournament at High Wycombe which was no 'mean feat'

Here's the game. I hadn't been aware that he was unwell, although Peter may have hinted as much.

Event "e2e4.org.uk High Wycombe Open"] [Site "Uplands House, High Wycombe"] [Date "2013.10.12"] [Round "3"] [White "Arkell, Keith C"] [Black "Finn, Simon P"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "?"] [WhiteElo "2450"] [BlackElo "2270"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.g3 O-O 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.d5 e5 8.dxe6 fxe6 9.Nc3 Nb6 10.c5 dxc5 11.Bg5 Qxd1 12.Rfxd1 Nfd5 13.Rac1 h6 14.Bd2 c4 15.Nh4 g5 16.Ng6 Re8 17.h4 Kf7 18.Be4 Bf6 19.h5 c6 20.Bb1 Nxc3 21.Bxc3 e5 22.f3 Na4 23.Be4 Nxc3 24.bxc3 Be6 25.Rb1 Rab8 26.g4 Rec8 27.Rd6 Rc7 28.Bxc6 Be7 29.Rdd1 Bc5+ 30.Kg2 Kf6 31.Bd5 b5 32.Bxe6 Kxe6 33.e4 Bd6 34.Rd5 Rc5 35.Rd2 Rc6 36.a4 b4 37.cxb4 c3 38.Rc2 Rxb4 39.Rbc1 Rb2 40.Kf1 Bb4 41.f4 exf4 42.e5 Rc4 43.Ke2 Rd4 44.Kf3 Rd2 45.Rxc3 Bxc3 46.Rxc3 Rf2+ 47.Ke4 Rb4+ 0-1

Looking at my personal archive, we appear to have played 8 times, the first in 1976. Four wins to Simon, three to me, and one draw, although more recent games went his way.

Sad news about Simon Finn. His son Peter played for Cambridge in the 2019 Varsity match. (Father and sons have played in this fixture previously but not, I think, for a different university but I haven't yet checked that.) Peter told me that his father had won the best game prize for his win against Kim Harris and still kept the trophy on his windowsill. Here is the game:

[Event "Varsity Oxford-Cambridge"] [Site "RAC, London"] [Date "1979.03.17"] [Round "1.5"] [White "Finn, Simon"] [Black "Harris, Kim"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C06"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "1979.03.17"] [EventType "team"] [EventRounds "1"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceTitle "BCM-1979-06"] [WhiteTeam "Oxford University"] [BlackTeam "Cambridge University"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 f6 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Nf3 Bd6 11. Bf4 Bxf4 12. Nxf4 Qd6 13. Qd2 O-O 14. Ne2 e5 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Qxe5 17. O-O Ng4 18. Ng3 Be6 19. Rae1 Qf6 20. h3 Nh6 21. Nh5 Qf7 22. Nxg7 Qxg7 23. Rxe6 Nf5 24. Bxf5 Rxf5 25. Rfe1 Rg5 26. g3 Rf8 27. Re7 Qh6 28. Qe3 d4 29. Qxd4 Qxh3 30. Qc4+ Kh8 31. Qc3+ Kg8 32. Re8 Rxe8 33. Rxe8+ Kf7 34. Qe3 Qd7 35. Qxg5 Kxe8 36. Qg8+ {Source: BCM, June 1979, p243} 1-0

sad news, condolences to Peter and the rest of the family

[Event "Paignton Premier"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.09.08"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Cooper, Lawrence"]
[Black "Finn, Simon"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[WhiteElo "2270"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h3 O-O 6. Be3 c6 7. a4 d5 8. e5 Ne4
9. Nxe4 dxe4 10. Ng5 c5 11. dxc5 Qc7 12. Bc4 Nc6 13. e6 f5 14. O-O Qe5 15. Nf7
Qxb2 16. Rb1 Qc3 17. Qd5 Nb4 18. Rxb4 Qxb4 19. Nh6+ Kh8 20. Nf7+ Kg8 21. Rd1
Qc3 22. Nh6+ Kh8 23. Nf7+ Kg8 24. g4 f4 25. Bxf4 Qxh3 26. Re1 Qxg4+ 27. Bg3
Bxe6 28. Qxe6 Qxe6 29. Bxe6 Rxf7 30. Rb1 Bd4 31. Rxb7 Bxc5 32. Rb5 Bd4 33. Rb4
Rd8 34. Kf1 Kf8 35. Bxf7 Kxf7 36. Ke2 Ke6 37. Rc4 Kd5 38. Rc7 Bc5 39. Bf4 h5
40. Be3 Bd6 41. Rxa7 h4 42. Ra5+ Kc4 43. Rg5 h3 44. Rxg6 h2 45. Rh6 Rg8 46. f3
Rg1 0-1

Kim Harris was the best player at Bolton School, apart from Nigel Short.

I have never heard him referred to as Kimberley. You learn something every day.

He gets a mention in Stephen Fry's autobiographies. I think there is even a photo of Kim and Stephen playing chess; there could only be one winner there.