D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

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Ken Norman
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D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

Post by Ken Norman » Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:40 pm

I have just heard that D.J. (John) Rogers died just before Christmas 2015.

John will probably be remembered mainly for his involvement with the British Correspondence Chess Association. He was the BCCA Magazine editor between 1970 and 1976. His greatest contribution to the British Correspondence Chess Association was in 1982 when he wrote a History of the first 75 years of the BCCA 1906-1981.

When I first met John in the 1960’s he was playing board one for the Acton Chess Club. John’s OTB grade in the 1960’s and 1970’s was normally in the 190’s or 200’s. Looking at an old grading list on my desk I see in 1972 john’s grade was 199.
Acton was an unusual chess club as it had several lady players in its first team including four times British Ladies Champion Eileen Tranmer.

John married Jean Craker who won the British Girls Championship in 1949 and 1950. At the time of his death they had been married 56 years.

Tim Harding
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Re: D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:49 pm

Sad news indeed - and surprising that the BCCA have only found out about John Rogers's death in the last few days.
I believe he had collected a lot of material about the career of Sir George Thomas (whom he knew personally) but will it ever see the light of day now?
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Leonard Barden
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Re: D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

Post by Leonard Barden » Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:39 pm

Tim Harding wrote: I believe he had collected a lot of material about the career of Sir George Thomas (whom he knew personally) but will it ever see the light of day now?
A month ago I came across the previous Forum thread on this subject,
http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... as#p184758
decided on the offchance to look for the address of John and Jean Rogers via 192, found it, and on 13 December passed the information on to John Saunders, as I imagine the material may well have some games not already in Britbase. John has not replied to me, so I don't know if he did anything. I was unaware that John Rogers had passed on. I guess that Jean, being also a chessplayer, might have kept the material intact.

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Jon Tait
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Re: D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

Post by Jon Tait » Thu Jan 12, 2017 1:24 pm

Sorry to hear this. I had quite a bit of contact with John when I was BCCA editor. His book was later updated for the BCCA Centenary.
blog inspired by Bronstein's book, but using my own games: http://200opengames.blogspot.co.uk/

Tim Harding
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Re: D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

Post by Tim Harding » Thu Jan 12, 2017 7:00 pm

Jon Tait wrote:Sorry to hear this. I had quite a bit of contact with John when I was BCCA editor. His book was later updated for the BCCA Centenary.
John Rogers did the centenary update himself. I offered to the late John Allain (who had lent me the first BCCA minute book during my research) that I would do it if necessary but John Rogers was happy to do it which of course was better.

This was coming up to the centenary year, 2006. In that year I had a couple of email exchanges with John Rogers concerning Sir George Thomas but I no longer use the email address I had then, and I cannot find printouts.

No doubt we would have found out much sooner about the death of John Rogers had John Allain still been alive.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

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Jon Tait
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Re: D.J. (JOHN) ROGERS

Post by Jon Tait » Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:38 am

Tim Harding wrote:
Jon Tait wrote:His book was later updated for the BCCA Centenary.
John Rogers did the centenary update himself.
I actually knew that and indeed meant that. But, yes, my sentence was ambiguous and it was worth clarifying.
blog inspired by Bronstein's book, but using my own games: http://200opengames.blogspot.co.uk/

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