Chris was an invaluable member of the club who was always the first to arrive at a fixture to set things up and be amongst the last to leave having put everything away. His dedication saw the club through some difficult times as membership levels declined. He never complained about anything. Chess was a vital part of Chris's life and he trusted other members of the club to take their responsibilities seriously. Chris could remember the results of all his chess games and also the games of all who played in his teams. He also memorised people's gradings. This made him the ideal person to fulfil captaincy duties.
Chris had attended Tiffin School in the 1960s, the alma mater of many Kingston players. In his professional life he had been a lawyer. He was a keen bird watcher and had travelled abroad in pursuit of this interest. He could often be seen taking a walk along the Thames during a summer afternoon on Kingston riverside and would always be able to update one on which birds he had seen.
He had been deeply affected by the death of his mother some years ago with whom he lived. In recent years, Chris had shown signs of self-neglect yet declined offers of help from club members and external agencies. Chris was a private man of few words and several club members failed to engage him in a non-chess conversation try as they might. Chris did not use a mobile phone or the internet and he was becoming more isolated as society passed him by. Chess kept Chris going, and Chris kept Kingston Chess Club going. We will all miss him.
Chris Clegg (left) with Bill Waterton.
[Edited 11/1/15]
