N.Littlewood - B.Wade, Southend 1964

[Matt Mackenzie]

...Norman played 7.g3 deliberately saccing the d-pawn hoping to get developing tempo on the
Black Queen. It was in Norman's style, you do not get the nickname of 'The Little Tal' playing stodge.

It could have been either an inspired idea OTB or opening prep. Bob played this as Black in 1961.

Sure, but hoping it would work against as strong a player as Wade seems recklessly optimistic nonetheless.

[Roger de Coverly]

Sure, but hoping it would work against as strong a player as Wade seems recklessly optimistic nonetheless.

That was Norman Littlewood's style of play though. John Littlewood's too, up to a point.

[Geoff Chandler]

Thanks Paul,

I can only see a sample Bob's writing. Probably never know for sure.
Thought about Chess History section, (see first post) Carl's choice.

Hi Matt,

Sometimes they work, sometimes not. It does not matter who or where you are playing.When you get the call of the
wild and have been involved in games like the one below where today a computer eval could possibly go into double
figures against you and you win, you feel invincible. The feeling is addictive, you shrug off the losses till your next fix.

Some abhor such games, the truth seekers, not realising the truth being the final result.
I love them, it is what human v human chess is all about. Last blunder loses.

S.Fazekas vs N.Littlewood, British Championship, Bath 1963.

1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Bg4 5. e3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nge7 8. d5 Nb8 9. h3 Bd7 10. b4 O-O 11. Rb1 f5 12. c5 Bf6 13. Nd2 g5 14. e4 Be8 15. Nc4 a6 16. cd6 cd6 17. Be3 b5 18. Na5 Kh8 19. f3 Rg8 20. Rc1 f4 21. Bf2 Ng6 22. a4 Bd7 23. ab5 Qf8 24. b6 Qh6 25. b7 Bh3 26. ba8Q Bg2 27. Kg2 g4 28. Rh1 gf3 29. Kf3 Nh4 30. Bh4 Bh4 31. Rh4 Qh4 32. Qg1 Qh3

[Geoff Chandler]

I used the Littlewood - Wade game and worked out why the moves 33....a6 and 35...a5 were played.

https://www.redhotpawn.com/chess-blog/t ... harlie.464

[Matt Mackenzie]

Sure, but hoping it would work against as strong a player as Wade seems recklessly optimistic nonetheless.

That was Norman Littlewood's style of play though. John Littlewood's too, up to a point.

The difference between them may have been JL would have preferred 7 Qf2 in that position.

[James Pratt]

Wade told me that several of his early games were with an Aunt in NZ. But that was a long time ago wasn't it?

James

[E Michael White]

Surprisingly, given the strength of the line-up, that's the first game score from the 1964 Southend Premier that I've seen.

Hello John. If you want to punt some time tracking a few game scores down you could try looking in the relevant range of Shakmatny Bulletin. I used to take that mag between about 1963 and 1970. One year I recall seeing some games from a Southend event but don't recall which year, players or anything else much. You would need to know the Russian phonetic alphabet as players and event names used this. Also the symbol for a king was Kp. My copies went in the bin about 4 years ago. If you're lucky you may know someone with a neatly filed range who can help you or there maybe some reading this who can.

[NickFaulks]

You would need to know the Russian phonetic alphabet as players and event names used this.

For a while I subscribed ( for next to nothing ) to "64". I remember that it once featured a game played by Michael Yeo, whose surname was represented in some way I did not expect.

[John Saunders]

Surprisingly, given the strength of the line-up, that's the first game score from the 1964 Southend Premier that I've seen.

Hello John. If you want to punt some time tracking a few game scores down you could try looking in the relevant range of Shakmatny Bulletin. I used to take that mag between about 1963 and 1970. One year I recall seeing some games from a Southend event but don't recall which year, players or anything else much. You would need to know the Russian phonetic alphabet as players and event names used this. Also the symbol for a king was Kp. My copies went in the bin about 4 years ago. If you're lucky you may know someone with a neatly filed range who can help you or there maybe some reading this who can.

I have occasionally dipped into Russian sources. I have a copy of Hanon Russell's Russian for Chess Players, which gives me enough of the language to navigate my way through simple game annotations. But why would I go to Russian sources to find games played in Southend? You would have thought someone in the UK must have the games in the first place. Or are you suggesting that game scores are smuggled out of the country like state secrets? Well, OK, maybe they are. Within the last couple of days one of my regular BritBase contributors sent me the score of a game from the 1938 British Championship which he found in a Washington, USA, newspaper. And I've found a fair few British games in Australasian sources. But that is perhaps because some other countries have progressed a little further in digitising their newspapers.

[John Saunders]

You would need to know the Russian phonetic alphabet as players and event names used this.

For a while I subscribed ( for next to nothing ) to "64". I remember that it once featured a game played by Michael Yeo, whose surname was represented in some way I did not expect.

I think the pronunciation of Mike's surname can be represented by a single letter in Russian. I saw what I think was "Sandal (England)" in a Russian article listing various chess journalists a few years back and suddenly realised it was referring to me. Name and country both wrong...

[Kevin Thurlow]

"But why would I go to Russian sources to find games played in Southend"

I did subscribe to 64 many years ago as I saw game scores from Hastings (e.g) more quickly in 64 than in the British press.

[John Saunders]

"But why would I go to Russian sources to find games played in Southend"

I did subscribe to 64 many years ago as I saw game scores from Hastings (e.g) more quickly in 64 than in the British press.

Yes, on reflection there may be some merit in searching through Russian mags for British games. They were large-format and would often have more space to fill than UK mags and (correct me if I'm wrong) were published more frequently so an editor would need to fill the space with more games than might be used to accompany a report in CHESS or BCM. Even so, it still leaves me wondering how Russian chess magazine editors might come by such games if they were not published somewhere in the UK in the first place. Was there a mole in the British chess establishment exporting our game scores to the Soviets?

[Roger de Coverly]

Even so, it still leaves me wondering how Russian chess magazine editors might come by such games if they were not published somewhere in the UK in the first place. Was there a mole in the British chess establishment exporting our game scores to the Soviets?

It was not uncommon for paper bulletins to be produced of the games in major tournaments. I suppose it's possible the Soviet Union took chess seriously enough that local embassies would collect such material. Alternatively, as you suggest, look for sympathisers amongst the ranks of regular bulletin producers or collectors.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi John,

Going to the club tonight, I'll look at some old CHESS 1964/65 to see if games were published.

Maybe Douglas Griffin is the lad to ask if he has any old Russian mages or if he can indeed confirm
that '64' or other Russian mags used games from British tournaments.

Maybe, some spy was sending the Russians info hidden within the moves.

That Bookshop in Berwick-Upon-Tweed where I bought the book was perhaps a spy ring pick up/drop off point but the book I bought was missed.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"They were large-format and would often have more space to fill than UK mags and (correct me if I'm wrong) were published more frequently so an editor would need to fill the space with more games than might be used to accompany a report in CHESS or BCM."

64 was published each Wednesday(?) and usually hit the mat on Saturday. I have an idea "Shakmatny" was monthly.