Christopher Baruch Wood (1940-2025)
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2026 4:09 pm
The April 2026 issue of CHESS reports that Christopher Baruch Wood died on 2 December 2025, presumably in Germany as it reports that his funeral was held in Hohenbrunn, near Munich, on 9 January 2026.
He was of course the son of Baruch Harold Wood, the founding editor of CHESS. Chris maintained the familial link by corresponding with subsequent editors, including me during my tenure (2010-2012). After four years at Cambridge, studying maths and later taking a course in computer science, he had a career in computing which took him to Germany for the greater part of his life. He played in four Varsity matches for Cambridge and also won the university championship in 1963 or 1964 (he couldn't remember which, but was sure it wasn't in 1961 as has sometimes been reported).
I've written a short pen picture of him which I have posted at BritBase, with links to his various tournament performances, including two Student Olympiads. He was a strong player and qualified for the FM title at the age of 67 in 2007.
He had three chess-playing siblings. His sister Margaret Eileen Elizabeth Wood (b 1937) is probably better known as Peggy Clarke after she married the strong English player Peter H Clarke. She died in 2018. His two surviving siblings Philip and Frank wrote the CHESS obituary of Chris.
I was intrigued by one thing that Chris told me in an email in 2011: "My sister Margaret who opened the batting for Oxford ladies [cricket team] against Cambridge was one of few ladies strong enough to play chess in the Varsity [chess] match on merit, but did not do so. Her tutor discouraged her from such time wasting." Anyone know which Oxford college Peggy Wood/Clarke went to?
He was of course the son of Baruch Harold Wood, the founding editor of CHESS. Chris maintained the familial link by corresponding with subsequent editors, including me during my tenure (2010-2012). After four years at Cambridge, studying maths and later taking a course in computer science, he had a career in computing which took him to Germany for the greater part of his life. He played in four Varsity matches for Cambridge and also won the university championship in 1963 or 1964 (he couldn't remember which, but was sure it wasn't in 1961 as has sometimes been reported).
I've written a short pen picture of him which I have posted at BritBase, with links to his various tournament performances, including two Student Olympiads. He was a strong player and qualified for the FM title at the age of 67 in 2007.
He had three chess-playing siblings. His sister Margaret Eileen Elizabeth Wood (b 1937) is probably better known as Peggy Clarke after she married the strong English player Peter H Clarke. She died in 2018. His two surviving siblings Philip and Frank wrote the CHESS obituary of Chris.
I was intrigued by one thing that Chris told me in an email in 2011: "My sister Margaret who opened the batting for Oxford ladies [cricket team] against Cambridge was one of few ladies strong enough to play chess in the Varsity [chess] match on merit, but did not do so. Her tutor discouraged her from such time wasting." Anyone know which Oxford college Peggy Wood/Clarke went to?