Why did WIlliam Hartston stop playing chess?

[MJMcCready]

I've never been able to find the answer to this question. Does anyone know?

[Ian Thompson]

I've never been able to find the answer to this question. Does anyone know?

The ignominy of losing to me?

[Jonathan Bryant]

I've never been able to find the answer to this question. Does anyone know?

BH:
I never considered myself a chess professional, no. I never earned enough money from chess to consider myself a chess professional.

JB:
Not getting the grandmaster title didn’t lead you to give up active play then?

BH:
Oh no, no no. No, in a way I think it was probably good for me not to get the title because I would have probably played much more and not moved on to other things.

from "(Not) Becoming a Grandmaster"
http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... tston.html



there are other parts to the interview, including "What Bill Did Next"
http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... l-did.html


I don’t recall specifically asking why he stopped playing, but I the theme seems fairly clear: he got as far as he was going to go and then "moved on" to new things/started to earn a proper living.

Another quote from "(Not) Becoming a Grandmaster":- "I never wanted to be a weak grandmaster."

[MJMcCready]

Thanks, that's great

[MJMcCready]

Nice blog btw

[Jon Mahony]

He can now be seen in the current series of Gogglebox on C4, sat with the world Cluedo champion, in front of a large picture of breasts - despite this, most people believe they are an elderly gay couple.

[Gordon Cadden]

For the same reason that Jonathan Penrose stopped playing in the British Championship. He had reached his peak, and did not want to be mauled by a younger generation.

[Joey Stewart]

It has to take a lot of willpower to stop playing at your best, but history will always make you look good for it (no getting cheapoed by kids in your 60s and them celebrating as though they just beat the world champion)

[Gordon Cadden]

It has to take a lot of willpower to stop playing at your best, but history will always make you look good for it (no getting cheapoed by kids in your 60s and them celebrating as though they just beat the world champion)

Believe that Jonathan Penrose got the message, when he lost to 12 years old Nigel Short, in his last British Championship.

[Jon Mahony]

Didn’t Jonathan Penrose also suffer from terrible nerves and panic attacks? I seem to remember reading that he once collapsed at the board because of it. To remove the stress he quit OTB play and moved onto Correspondence, eventually achieving the GM title.

[JustinHorton]

I seem to remember reading that he once collapsed at the board because of it.

Ray to the rescue

[Andy Stoker]

Strange that Keene, a linguist, uses such an hilarious rendering of the conversation with the German First Aider. The only surprise is that the latter did not (apparently) exclaim "Donner und Blitzen, Teufel!"

[Jon Mahony]

Strange that Keene, a linguist, uses such an hilarious rendering of the conversation with the German First Aider. The only surprise is that the latter did not (apparently) exclaim "Donner und Blitzen, Teufel!"

At least Raymondo didn’t attempt to administer the kiss of life

[MJMcCready]

Hi all, I have had a think about all this and I don't know if I can believe the reasons given for both Hartston and Penrose giving up chess just like that. My feelings are that there must be other reasons invovled, such as being fed up with the game or wanting a break from it. To completely stop something you've dedicated much of your life to out of fear of being beaten by a few kids doesn't sound right to me. If I were to guess, theye were probably both fed up with the game and looking for a reason to stop playing.

[Jon Mahony]

I seem to remember reading a Hartston interview, where he said not getting the GM title was probably the best thing that ever happened to him, because he would have spent many more years playing bad chess (by the standards of the world’s elite) and not got on with other things, such as his psychology doctorate.