FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

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Simon Rogers
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FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Simon Rogers » Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:57 pm

It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of the death of Iolo Jones. He had been ill for some time.
It was posted on the Welsh Chess Union website on Monday 6th September.
Iolo was born in 1947 and ran a number of congresses in Wales. I was in regular phone contact with him before the pandemic. Iolo was passionate about Welsh Chess and he regularly sent me bundles of congress forms which I took to Blackpool and Scarborough.
His passing will leave a big hole in Welsh Chess.
Funeral details will follow shortly on the Welsh Chess Union website in the Obituaries Section.
RIP

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:09 pm

Ah, that is sad.

He was one of the Welsh team who made history by qualifying for the top section at the 1974 Chess Oympiad.

(which was the last one to be run that way, before moving to a Swiss for everybody)
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John Upham
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by John Upham » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:55 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:09 pm
Ah, that is sad.

He was one of the Welsh team who made history by qualifying for the top section at the 1974 Chess Oympiad.

(which was the last one to be run that way, before moving to a Swiss for everybody)


img_1664_lv.jpg
FM Iolo Ceredig Jones (02-viii-1947 ix-2021)
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Pete Heaven
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Pete Heaven » Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:19 am

Here is a link to Howard Williams's obituary of Iolo, which contains a few of his games, including a near miss against Portisch when the latter was the 4th highest rated active player in the world, ahead of Petrosian, Tal, Larsen.

Iolo was very well liked throughout Welsh Chess and will be missed enormously.

https://www.welshchessunion.uk/obituari ... jones-rip/

Brendan O'Gorman
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Brendan O'Gorman » Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:20 am

Notes are Iolo's own.


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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:26 am

Nice game against Portisch.

Interesting to read about his father:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Llew_Jones

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Sep 16, 2021 2:08 pm

I must have missed this - I saw him at a Seniors' event and was impressed by his concentration at the board (and his results). He was also very pleasant away from the board.

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John Saunders
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by John Saunders » Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:31 pm

Very sad news about Iolo. I played him myself a couple of times in Welsh weekenders (a couple of ultra-solid draws!) and also chatted to him and his father at Gwbert. I always remember his father, T Llew, in mid-conversation with me, apologising in advance before addressing his son in Welsh. (I'm afraid my own Welsh father didn't speak the language though both his parents did.)

I had a look at the Portisch game and think Iolo might have done himself an injustice when giving 39 Qe7 a question mark. Stockfish thinks it's the best move. His suggested improvement, 39 Rb8, runs into a spectacular refutation. Here's the position after 39 Rb8 ...



39...Bg4!! forces a draw. Taking the queen or bishop allows mate on the long diagonal by bishop or queen respectively, while 40 Be4? Qc4 41 Rb1 Bc1 loses. So White has to play 40 Kg2 Bh3+ 41 Kh1 and allow a repetition with 41...Bg4. Would Portisch have found it? My money would have been on him.
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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:10 pm

Great spot. Wonder what the clock situation was at the time (time control at move 40)? I suppose there is no way of knowing whether either player was likely to have been in time trouble. Would have avoided the adjournment!

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Sep 16, 2021 7:32 pm

"I played him myself a couple of times in Welsh weekenders (a couple of ultra-solid draws!)"

No surprise there... (Good results obviously.)

Tim Harding
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Re: FM Iolo Ceredig Jones

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:37 pm

I only belatedly saw this sad news today as I don't always check the obituaries when visiting the Forum.
Howard WIlliams has written a very informative obituary of Iolo whom I first met at the 2nd open tournament in Gwbert-on-Sea in 1973. That was a hard-fought draw, adjourned at one point.
The second (and only other time) that Iolo and I had a game was in the Ireland-Wales match in round 2 of the 2018 World Senior Teams in Dresden. That was after an interval of 45 years 4 months and 5 days.
Our second game was a much shorter draw because after about two hours preparation I reckoned it would be impossible for me to break down Iolo's defences so I allowed his Petroff, set one trap which he easily evaded, and peace was signed after numerous early exchanges. My impression was that he was usually happy to draw with Black when he was confident that his team members would finish the job, as they indeed did on that occasion.
During the tournament I had many friendly chats with Iolo and other Welsh players.
Tim Harding
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