English Chess Forum

Richard's sister Margaret has advised me of the sad news of Richard's passing yesterday. The following has just appeared on the ECF website

Richard Haddrell, a great servant of chess in this country, passed away on 30 September. Richard was actively involved over many years at club (Tunbridge Wells), county (Kent), Union (SCCU) and National levels. For the ECF, Richard’s contributions included his roles as grading administrator, controller of the National Schools Championship and as a member of the Governance Committee. He received the President’s Award for Services to Chess in 1994: his appointment as an Honorary Life Vice President was on the agenda for the forthcoming AGM.

Details of Richard’s funeral arrangements will be announced on this website once they are known.

Very sad. The SCCU website has been a wonderful information source for nearly 18 years.

My sincere condolences to Richard's family and friends. I knew Richard well as the Chief Conductor of the National Schools Chess Championship 2001-2015 which he administered with admirable efficiency and dedication. I know that he also performed many other valuable roles for the ECF, particularly as Grading Administrator, and for the SCCU as webmaster. English chess is much the poorer with his passing.

RIP Richard.

I'm very sorry to hear this.

A bit of a shock and very sad news indeed.

How very sad. I was reading the SCCU website only yesterday (this bit).

Richard's writing style was unique and one I enjoyed reading (refreshingly forthright and blunt at times). I didn't know him well apart from that, though I did see him at a couple of ECF AGMs and I suspect a lot of people had contact with him in his role as Grading Administrator.

I had heard he had been unwell, but this does come as a shock. I hope some suitable forms of tribute can be arranged over the coming days and weeks. Condolences to his friends and family. RIP.

Very sorry to read that Richard has passed away. His contributions to ECF Council meetings made me smile and I enjoyed reading his SCCU reports of the same.

Richard was a great administrator who facilitated so much chess playing, particularly in the SCCU, schools and as an efficient grading administrator. The SCCU website was always a mine of valuable information. He will be greatly missed.

Huge shock... like so many others I guess I thought Richard would go on forever and always turned to his SCCU page for the latest county results. His site was always up to date and he used to update county matches almost as soon as the results were known. I never met him in person but spoke to him on the phone a few times and via email several times. He was always very prompt and professional and very helpful with grading questions. Even last night and this morning I checked his SCCU site to see the results of our Middlesex v Essex u-180 match from yesterday and thought it was unusual that the result was not up (a mere 12 hours after its finish) as I had become so used to taking Richards fantastic services for granted. I can say that I don't think the SCCU will get another servant of chess that was as dedicated as Richard in my lifetime (and I hope to be around for another 50 years)
RIP Richard you will be missed greatly.

Not a huge shock, as we knew Richard was seriously ill, but still very sad. I have only had the privilege of knowing Richard for about the last 10 years. Firstly as a grader submitting results to him - and perhaps I was not the only one to receive a typically succinct Richard rebuke whenever I got something wrong. Secondly, through the SCCU Executive Committee - which coincidentally was meeting on the day he passed away and for which he had submitted a report written just 2 days earlier. Thirdly, at ECF Council meetings - where he will be remembered for being a stickler on matters of procedure and grammatical accuracy! As I got to know Richard a little better, I recognised a gentle soul, absolutely dedicated to the interests of chess.
Knowing the seriousness of his condition, Richard had provided me with access to the SCCU website as a back-up. It was with trepidation that I entered it this morning to post an announcement of his passing, fearing that I will have inadvertently corrupted it in some way and that at this very moment the spirit of Richard Haddrell will be admonishing me.
Richard, rest in peace. We will be missing you for many years to come.

This is really sad.

RIP.

(The Open Forum section of the SCCU site, in the late 90s, was actually a primary source of English chess discussion on the web)

The SCCU website was not only informative and (usually) up to date it had jokes (see http://www.sccu.ndo.co.uk/rag.htm). I enjoyed Richard's accounts of the ECF meetings so much that when I became ECF non-exec chairman I asked him to become the ECF official minute taker but he turned me down saying he didn't have enough time (hardly surprising). It would be nice if at the forthcoming ECF AGM if somebody asked for the official voting figures after each vote.

RIP Richard. I doubt we'll see the like again.

What everyone else has said.

I particularly liked the more controversial aspects of his writing. When I had reprimanded a grader for not sending results in on time, he helpfully copied me in the next time he reprimanded the grader!