English Chess Forum

I was greatly saddened to learn that Paul Haddock died in November (or early December) last year. GM Stuart Conquest wrote a moving tribute to his friend in the February CHESS. Paul, a recently retired Met Police detective, was of around Elo 1500 strength as a player but somewhere north of 2800 when it came to likeability. He was one of the nicest people ever to push a pawn and I shall miss him hugely. He loved the game and everything about it, and played everywhere he could in Britain and overseas. I got to know Paul at the Gibraltar Festival where I enjoyed his company and that of his friends at breakfast whenever I could. He was in seventh heaven in Gibraltar and could scarcely bear to tear himself when the tournament came to an end. It became an annual ritual for me to take his picture as he played a few more games of chess against his friends, such as his fellow Scot, the equally delightful Robert Rough, in the airport lounge waiting for the flight home.

Here's Paul (right) demonstrating a favourite game to Matthew Wilson at Gibraltar Airport in February 2020 whilst we waited for the plane home. A poignant photo in more than one way, as this was the day after the 2020 Gibraltar Festival finished and there has been no open event there since.

I too was very saddened to belatedly learn of Paul's death. He was a former Wanstead & Woodford club colleague of mine and a regular on the congress circuit in the London area. As befitting a former policeman, he seemed to know everyone and about everyone. Many times he told me stories about fellow participants at the tournaments we were playing in - these were never malicious, but how he found out the personal details of so many people I never knew. At the time of the Carlsen - Caruana World Championship match in London, I was watching the live coverage on Norwegian TV (via a VPN). Given the Norwegian obsession with Magnus Carlsen, they had a camera following his walk from the hotel to the venue. Why was I not surprised when one day Paul was seen on live TV exchanging greetings with Magnus in the street?

Shocked and saddened to see this news-a relatively young man still.
Paul as others have said was a really nice guy and a real lover of chess whilst still being aware that he despite serious efforts was not one of its best practitioners!
In recent years I haven’t played in that many tournaments but I regularly look to see who us playing and I reckon Paul must gave regularly have been amongst the most active.
Anyone who knew Paul will feel sad at his loss.
RIP in Heaven Paul.
Owen.