Happy 80th Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

The reporting of notable birthdays and anniversaries in the chess arena.
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John Upham
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Happy 80th Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

Post by John Upham » Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:19 am

Happy 80th Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

In the 1977 New Years Honours List, Civil Division, David was awarded the OBE. The citation read simply : “For services to Chess”




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CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)
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Last edited by John Upham on Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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J T Melsom
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Re: Happy Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

Post by J T Melsom » Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:09 pm

36 seems relatively early for someone to receive an honour for services to an activity, for many their contribution is only just starting, and few stop at that point. This is true of David Anderton. The honours system is a bit opaque at the best of times, but is anybody able to inform me and others who don't know, what major contributions David had made up to 1977 which might have prompted Her Majesty to agree to the award.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Happy Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:58 pm

PS Milner-Barry was in charge of the Awards system and retired in 1977, which may be related.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Happy Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Aug 02, 2021 1:17 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:09 pm
what major contributions David had made up to 1977 which might have prompted Her Majesty to agree to the award.
He'd been involved in the organisation of the Bath European Championships in 1973 and had taken over from Alexander as captain of the open England Olympiad team. That's been mentioned on this forum in connection with the issue as to who should have been given a GM Norm shot in the final rounds of the 1974 Olympiad.

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Re: Happy Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

Post by David Sedgwick » Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:19 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:09 pm
36 seems relatively early for someone to receive an honour for services to an activity, for many their contribution is only just starting, and few stop at that point. This is true of David Anderton. The honours system is a bit opaque at the best of times, but is anybody able to inform me and others who don't know, what major contributions David had made up to 1977 which might have prompted Her Majesty to agree to the award.
From 25th place at Siegen Olympiad 1970 (Alexander's last as captain) to 3rd place at Haifa 1976 (Anderton's third). Not an entirely fair comparison, of course, as the East European nations boycotted Haifa.

The big successes came later, during the 1980s.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Happy Birthday CM David Anderton OBE (02-viii-1941)

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:30 pm

England had got so used to under-performing somewhat at Olympiads that the second place in 1984 came as a bit of a shock.

(even if a pleasant one)
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

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