Keith Richardson

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Ian Thompson
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Keith Richardson

Post by Ian Thompson » Thu Apr 13, 2017 4:35 am

I have been informed that Keith Richardson died on 10 April, aged 75.

I know he'd been unwell recently and suffered a number of seizures in the last few days.

There's a nice summary of his correspondence chess achievements, written a few months ago, on the Barclays website - https://www.home.barclays/news/2016/12/ ... aster.html.

There's also a more general summary of his chess career on Wikipedia, but it's in Finnish. This is Google's attempt at a translation.

The funeral is on 3 May at Aldershot Crematorium. I have his wife's e-mail address (and phone number) which I can provide by PM if anybody wants them.

David Sedgwick
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by David Sedgwick » Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:42 am

Thank you for passing on the sad news.

I played with him in Surrey teams on a number of occasions, most recently at the start of this season.

He played for the England Senior Teams on a number of occasions. Unfortunately those of us going to the forthcoming World Senior Team Championships won't be back in time for his funeral.

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Jon Tait
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Jon Tait » Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:26 am

Ian Thompson wrote:There's a nice summary of his correspondence chess achievements, written a few months ago, on the Barclays website - https://www.home.barclays/news/2016/12/ ... aster.html.
Barclays wrote:Richardson, who placed fourth in the 7th World Correspondence Chess Championship (1972-6), was described by the International Correspondence Chess Federation as one of only two “truly outstanding” English players of the late 20th century.
Strangely missing out that he was also third in the 10th World Championship.

Sad news anyway :(
blog inspired by Bronstein's book, but using my own games: http://200opengames.blogspot.co.uk/

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Apr 13, 2017 11:07 am

That is sad news indeed. I played him in a 4NCL game this season, and had played him a number of times in recent years. The first time I played him, I was very impressed when someone told me of his correspondence chess achievements. The picture of him on the Barclays website from that time is a nice one. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Apr 13, 2017 12:24 pm

Sad news - I hoped when I played him that League chess would be too quick for him, but it wasn't. He was indeed a very modest and sporting opponent.

BogdanLalic
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by BogdanLalic » Thu Apr 13, 2017 3:12 pm

Very good theoretician, I played him couple of years ago in 4NCL, I won a drawn endgame due to his time scramble, here is the game. RIP.
[Event "4NCL ( WoodGreenHillmark1 - BCM Dragons"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.11.03"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Lalic, Bogdan"]
[Black "Richardson, Keith B"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E90"]
[WhiteElo "2499"]
[BlackElo "2115"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2012.09.10"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. h3 c6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Bd3 b5
9. O-O Nbd7 10. e5 dxe5 11. dxe5 Nc5 12. Bc2 Nfd7 13. Qe2 Nb6 14. Be3 Ne6 15.
Be4 Bb7 16. cxb5 axb5 17. Nxb5 Nd5 18. Bxd5 cxd5 19. Rfd1 Ba6 20. a4 Qd7 21.
Qd2 Bxb5 22. axb5 Qxb5 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. Qxd5 Rb8 25. Qd7 Qxd7 26. Rxd7 Rxb2
27. Rxe7 Rb8 28. g4 Kf8 29. Ra7 Rc8 30. Kg2 Rc7 31. Ra5 Ke7 32. Nd2 Nf8 33.
Bc5+ Ke6 34. Bd6 Rb7 35. Ne4 h6 36. Nc5+ 1-0

Clive Blackburn

Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Clive Blackburn » Thu Apr 13, 2017 3:25 pm


Stewart Reuben
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Stewart Reuben » Thu Apr 13, 2017 5:27 pm

Keith was of course a Correspondence GM.
He was also a strong otb player, representing England several times in Senior international team tournaments.
He was also invaluable in ECF investment matters.
A realy sad loss to our chess society.
RIP

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:12 pm

Before deciding to concentrate on postal chess, he was a very promising OTB junior player.

Maybe the tale of how he got "swindled" in an almost unique way by his Swedish opponent in a student event can be left for a while ;)
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

John Swain
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by John Swain » Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:03 pm

The following tribute is by Andy Walker, President of the Nottinghamshire Chess Association:

Keith was in my class at Nottingham High School, and luckily also in my house, so I never had to face him in house matches! The stuff on the Web is all about his chess; more on that later. But he was also a top cricketer, opening the batting for NHS and for England Schools, a scratch golfer,
a concert-standard pianist, and a true friend. Basically, he was extremely good at everything he turned his hand to - except maths, the only thing I ever beat him at!

When I learned to play chess, in the Lower Fifth, Keith was already the best player in the school, and vying to be the best in the county. By the time we left NHS, five years later [1961], he had been county champion and Midlands champion, and NHS under his captaincy was one of the top schools in the country. We should have won the "Sunday Times" schools competition, but that's another story. Keith went on to win the British U21 Championship in 1962 and to play international chess for the British Student team. He then turned to correspondence [postal] chess, playing many times for England and coming third in the World Championship, earning the Grandmaster title en route. He continued to play top board for
Notts for some years, for as long as his mother continued to live in the area. His performances over the board never quite matched his skill by post; his quest for perfection always left him short of time, leading to mistakes in won positions. But his best games showed a mastery of chess beyond that of any other player I know, including some strong grandmasters; his pieces gained the upper hand square by square, until they dominated the position, and his opponent's game collapsed. In later years, he played regularly for the England Senior team. More recently, his health declined, and with it his concentration and the ability to play a long game. But he accepted his ratings "going south" with the same calm assurance that he showed throughout his life.

He married Sandra in 1966, on a day perhaps more memorable to everyone else for England playing Germany in the WC Final. My
condolences to Sandra and the boys.

RIP.

Andy Walker
Last edited by John Swain on Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

David Robertson

Re: Keith Richardson

Post by David Robertson » Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:06 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:Keith was of course a Correspondence GM.
He was indeed. A genuine GM CC too, long before that title became ridiculous. I remember looking in awe at Keith in my CC days, 70s-early 80s. Only Penrose was his CC match
Stewart Reuben wrote:A realy sad loss to our chess society
Absolutely. He was a gentle, somewhat taciturn, though maybe shy man. i recall seeing him across the room at the 4NCL a year back. He seemed very frail then, but delightfully still playing. No surprise: an undiminished spirit.
Stewart Reuben wrote:RIP
And so it rests. RIP. Non omnis moriar

Paul Cooksey
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Paul Cooksey » Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:14 pm

Sad news. Keith was a gentleman in every sense.

I will have two abiding memories. Our first game, in which he was down to 5 minutes after about 10 moves, and mated me with his flag hanging. Then much later as team mates in the 4NCL, him mating with N+B. Having seen the ending start, I came back just in time to see the mate. I said "well done, was it it straightforward?" Poor exhausted Keith, who'd almost bungled it, was speechless for about five minutes then unable to stop laughing for the next five :-)

Tim Harding
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Tim Harding » Sat Apr 15, 2017 12:39 pm

Jon Tait wrote:
Ian Thompson wrote:There's a nice summary of his correspondence chess achievements, written a few months ago, on the Barclays website - https://www.home.barclays/news/2016/12/ ... aster.html.
Barclays wrote:Richardson, who placed fourth in the 7th World Correspondence Chess Championship (1972-6), was described by the International Correspondence Chess Federation as one of only two “truly outstanding” English players of the late 20th century.
Strangely missing out that he was also third in the 10th World Championship.
I suppose they mentioned the 7th Championship because that is what earned Keith the CC-GM title. The rule was that anyone who was in a tie for third not extending below 5th place was awarded the GM title. In the 10th final the 3rd/4th tiebreak was in his favour.
Keith actually beat Estrin (the new champion) in the 7th final but lost to V. Zagorovsky, who finished third.

Keith and I played on the Athenaeum team in the London league and National club championship for four seasons from 1972/3. He was usually around board 2 or 3. Keith was a perfectionist while he still had time to think about the middle-game, so some of his time-scrambles were extremely hair-raising for his team-mates to watch, but he usually came out on the right side.

A good bloke, too; he'll be missed.
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

Neil Blackburn
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Re: Keith Richardson

Post by Neil Blackburn » Mon Dec 17, 2018 2:24 pm

Keith and his family were friends. A very quiet, almost shy, man, he was well aware of how good a player he was, and bemoaned the fact that computers had come into c.c. very sad news.

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