Mystery Scot Champion
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Mystery Scot Champion
Does anyone have an explanation for how a Scottish guy from Elgin won the 1946 British Championship in Nottingham?
Robert Combe won a 12 player all play all, ahead of C H O´D Alexander, Abrahams, Milner-Barry, Winter, Golombek and Wade.
Wade actually finishing last!
And then he disappeared into the ethers.
Who the heck was this guy?
How the heck did he pull it off?
I´ve heard he was a solicitor who studied GM games of an evening.
Anybody have more info, please??
Robert Combe won a 12 player all play all, ahead of C H O´D Alexander, Abrahams, Milner-Barry, Winter, Golombek and Wade.
Wade actually finishing last!
And then he disappeared into the ethers.
Who the heck was this guy?
How the heck did he pull it off?
I´ve heard he was a solicitor who studied GM games of an evening.
Anybody have more info, please??
Last edited by James Plaskett on Wed Nov 30, 2016 8:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Yes. He won the British in 1946. If you google Robert Combe chess, you will get some information on him.
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Astonishing result!
btw, I see that in Winter´s Wikipedia entry they write he was the only ex-British chess champion to have served time in jail.
But, if they ever collar Brian Eley...
btw, I see that in Winter´s Wikipedia entry they write he was the only ex-British chess champion to have served time in jail.
But, if they ever collar Brian Eley...
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Obviously a Russian mole sent to spy on the cream of British intelligence who then blew his cover by beating them all.James Plaskett wrote:Does anyone have an explanation for how a Scottish guy from Elgin won the 1946 British Championship in Nottingham?
Robert Combe won a 12 player all play all, ahead of C H O´D Alexander, Abrahams, Milner-Barry, Winter, Golombek and Wade.
Wade actually finishing last!
And then he disappeared into the ethers.
Who the heck was this guy?
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Alas he also holds the record for the shortest ever loss in an Olympiad.
Robert Forbes Combe vs Wolfgang R Hasenfuss Folkestone (1933)
White resigned. Apparently he was knackered from analysing an adjourned game.
He should have played on for a few more moves to escape the record books.
I also have also seen games where White won after losing the piece
Robert Forbes Combe vs Wolfgang R Hasenfuss Folkestone (1933)
White resigned. Apparently he was knackered from analysing an adjourned game.
He should have played on for a few more moves to escape the record books.
I also have also seen games where White won after losing the piece
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Perhaps the opposition weren't as good as their reputations. He could have had a less stressful war than some of his opponents.James Plaskett wrote:Does anyone have an explanation for how a Scottish guy from Elgin won the 1946 British Championship in Nottingham?
A year later, another wild card player finished third
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Crown
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Following the footnotes on the wikipedia entry on Combe took me to this page http://www.chessscotland.com/history/bi ... /combe.htm which gives the cross table of the 1946 British. Interesting G Wood, who came second, is not exceptionally well known either. It's possible that Golombek, Alexander et al were out of practice having had to devote their energies elsewhere in the preceding year.Roger de Coverly wrote:Perhaps the opposition weren't as good as their reputations. He could have had a less stressful war than some of his opponents.James Plaskett wrote:Does anyone have an explanation for how a Scottish guy from Elgin won the 1946 British Championship in Nottingham?
A year later, another wild card player finished third
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Crown
The biography suggests it was a combination of professional commitments and ill health (he was only 39 when he died) that prevented Combe from playing more frequently although the war years must have cost him opportunities as well. In that respect he could possibly be seen as a lost talent similar to Gordon Crown.
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
"Robert Forbes Combe vs Wolfgang R Hasenfuss Folkestone (1933)"
In those days, adjourned games were played the next morning (I think) and he had a game lasting well over 100 moves, so when he turned up for the afternoon round, he was a bit shattered...
In those days, adjourned games were played the next morning (I think) and he had a game lasting well over 100 moves, so when he turned up for the afternoon round, he was a bit shattered...
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
I asked exactly the same question of David Pritchard (of chess variants fame) a number of years ago, I.e. Who was this guy Combe? I had bought a copy of the tournament book in a 2nd hand shop and noticed that either David was playing or helped with the production of the tournament book. He said: we didn't have a clue who he was - he just turned up and won
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
Here's his game against one of the better known players of that era.Mike Gunn wrote:I asked exactly the same question of David Pritchard (of chess variants fame) a number of years ago, I.e. Who was this guy Combe?
In a position more or less equal, Alexander walked into a tactical trick 20 Rxd6 which according to a brief engine analysis, he could easily have avoided .
Usually it's juniors who appear from nowhere and win tournaments. The surprise value is that no one is familiar with the style of play.
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
We can only imagine what the ACP would say if he did that today.Mike Gunn wrote: He said: we didn't have a clue who he was - he just turned up and won
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
His reported comment afterwards - "the positional layout was perfect, it was just spoiled by a tactical circumstance".Kevin Thurlow wrote:"Robert Forbes Combe vs Wolfgang R Hasenfuss Folkestone (1933)"
In those days, adjourned games were played the next morning (I think) and he had a game lasting well over 100 moves, so when he turned up for the afternoon round, he was a bit shattered...
I suppose that is one way of putting it
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
That would make a great quote for a book on the french.Matt Mackenzie wrote:
His reported comment afterwards - "the positional layout was perfect, it was just spoiled by a tactical circumstance".
I suppose that is one way of putting it
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.
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Re: Mystery Scot Champion
A photo of an almost uniquely dapper R.G.Wade accompanying the above report of Combe...
Interesting also to hear thoughts on how the men of Blechley may have lost touch with the game somewhat...
I guess the simplest explanation is that, you know, "once in a blue moon..."
Interesting also to hear thoughts on how the men of Blechley may have lost touch with the game somewhat...
I guess the simplest explanation is that, you know, "once in a blue moon..."