John Naylor 1972-2020

[LawrenceCooper]

I've just received the very sad news from his sister that John has passed away.

I'd known him for many years including his frequent appearances at my birthday blitz tournaments.

[Jonathan Rogers]

That's very sad: my condolences to the family.

I remember him as being ever cheerful. Sporting too - he was effusive in congratulating me on my win against him in 4NCL, and later in the same season he came up to me to repeat how well I had played, choosing a counter-intuitive move which, he had found, his engine preferred only after some consideration.

Now, properly speaking he should not have approached me to say this while I was playing another game in exactly the same line (!), but ha, I think that was John's easy going nature for you! Why wait until later, if we are here to chat now?

Another story that I heard second hand: he beat James Sherwin in some event and in the post mortem it became clear that John had no idea who Sherwin was. When told that this was a man who had been a contemporary of Bobby Fischer and who was the first victim in Fischer's 60 Memorable Games, John beams, puts his thumbs up and says "Really? Oh well done, mate!"

[Nick Ivell]

Shocked to hear this. I remember swindling him outrageously in a county match - it must have been ten years ago - and he was the perfect gentleman.

A fine player on his day.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"When told that this was a man who had been a contemporary of Bobby Fischer and who was the first victim in Fischer's 60 Memorable Games, John beams, puts his thumbs up and says "Really? Oh well done, mate!""

Yes -that sounds like John... Sherwin's sense of humour has been known to desert him when people mention that.

I played CC against John many years ago and then (during the game) bumped into him at Hastings where we had a lengthy friendly chat. He was a lively character and has clearly gone much too soon.

[Adam Raoof]

I am very sad to hear of this. John was a friendly and approachable and underrated player, and he will be missed.

[Simon Brown]

This is so sad. John played at Hayes in Kent for many years and was part of the team which won the National Plate in the days when it was a tough competition. That was nearly 30 years ago and he was so young, but he had an opinion on everything and was a fine player. Can scarcely believe this awful news.

[Stewart Reuben]

John had not been very active internationally since 2013. His rating was 2110. His grade this year 196C.

We have lost so many people this year.
BUT JOHN POOLE will become 100 in September, He is an Honorary VP of the ECF and also a past President.

[Jonathan Rogers]

John had not been very active internationally since 2013. His rating was 2110. His grade this year 196C.
...

That was the year when his 4NCL team, Jutes of Kent, stopped playing.

I am guessing that his former captain, Chris Rice, will have some more memories.

[Joey Stewart]

Poor old John, he was one of the good ones, I never got to play him but we were teammates a few times and he always seemed like a decent bloke (we were even going to go and play a tournament in Prague once) . First time for a while I actually knew someone in the obituaries.

[Chris Rice]

John had not been very active internationally since 2013. His rating was 2110. His grade this year 196C.
...

That was the year when his 4NCL team, Jutes of Kent, stopped playing.

I am guessing that his former captain, Chris Rice, will have some more memories.

I will do an obit Jon but still getting over the shock of it at the moment. We were really good mates for 25+ years. His sister found him after he had been dead for a number of days despite living in a shared house which has simply gutted me.

[LawrenceCooper]

A tribute video by Simon Williams: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/717137887

[Nick Ivell]

An excellent tribute. Thanks to Simon, Danny and Fiona for stepping up to the plate.

[Dave Ireland]

Really sad news. Glad I managed to meet him again at the Blackpool congress back in March, and have a good chat. Great guy, and a very good player. He'll be missed. RIP my friend.

[Dave Ireland]

Very sad to hear this. Just glad I got to have a chat with him at the Blackpool congress back in March. A good hearted guy who'll be missed. RIP friend.

[Chris Rice]

Nice tribute from Tryfon Gavriel going through one of John's games