Amusing Pairings

[Ray Sayers]

Moon v Rockett always raised a smile in the North East when I was younger

[John Moore]

Mann v Maus in the Bundeslige in 1988 - and probably again.

[Martin Benjamin]

I can't remember a specific occasion in a proper tournament, but I am sure at least one junior event in the 1970s must have featured a Holmes-Watson clash. (If the several hundred blitz friendlies at school don't count, with almost every combination by Richard prompting him or someone else to utter "Elementary, my dear Watson"). We waited in vain to play a school which had a Moriarty on Board 3.

[Steve Lloyd]

In the Chester & District League we've had White vs Chalk

[Roger de Coverly]

I can't remember a specific occasion in a proper tournament, but I am sure at least one junior event in the 1970s must have featured a Holmes-Watson clash.

It's a relatively obscure joke, but I'm told a Cambridge College match captain/secretary tried hard to get a Jackson with the initials EM to appear for his college in a league match.

[Richard Thursby]

In a tournament many years ago I played black against someone with the surname John. It has taken me the better part of two decades and this thread to remember it and suddenly see the (extremely obscure, admittedly) significance.

http://www.ormerod.uk.net/History/Thurs ... hursby.htm

[Stewart Reuben]

My name is bipolar. But I don't think I have ever played against somebody with the last name Stewart, or either name Reuben.
I am rather proud of the fact that there was a Reuben Stewart who was a member of the Jesse James gang.
Due to those new-fangled computer things we are less likely nowadays to notice eccentric pairings like Lo Lobo.
Surely Short Cummings must have happened?

[Stewart Reuben]

Yes, Short Cummings British Championship 1977.

[Jonathan Berry]

Yes, Short Cummings British Championship 1977.

I think that David was not yet (CAN), but anyway ...

[Event "Ch Great Britain"]
[Site "Brighton (England)"]
[Date "1977"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Short Nigel D (ENG)"]
[Black "Cummings David H (CAN)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "B22"]

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bc4 Qc7 6.Qe2 Nb6 7.Bd3
Nc6 8.Nf3 g6 9.O-O dxc3 10.Nxc3 Bg7 11.Nb5 Qd8 12.Nd6+ exd6 13.Bg5
Nd4 14.Nxd4 Qxg5 15.exd6+ Kf8 16.Nb5 Bf6 17.f4 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 Nd5
19.Qe4 a6 20.Rac1 Qe3 21.Qxd5 axb5 22.Qxb5 Kg7 23.Bc4 Rf8 24.Bd5
Qd4 25.b4 Ra6 26.Rfd1 Rb6 27.Qe2 Qxb4 28.f5 Rxd6 29.fxg6 hxg6 0-1

At the 1975 Canadian Championship in Calgary, there was D.A. Yanofsky (D.A.Y.), Lawrence DAY, and William DoubleDAY, four DAY's in all.

I've never been involved in a Berry-Berry pairing (think nutritional deficiency disease), despite the availability of David, Stephen and Neil. I did once play Steve Barry, though. Not close enough. Also Robert Buckberry. He asked, "what's your given name? It isn't Buck, is it?" And twice Lionel Berry (his middle name) Joyner.

[Ian Stephens]

I was leafing through a copy of Chess Monthly May 1994 as one does! and found this contribution in "Addicts Corner" sent in by Peter Morrish of possible pairings taken from the Cadogan grading list of 1994 - Cable-Carr Daly-Duzen Enoch-Powell Flower-Power Gilbert-Sullivan Ginger-Catt Gladstone-Baggs Glass-House and Guy-Fawkes.
The article also contained this rather amusing paragraph from the columns authors Mike Fox & Richard James and I quote "He also quotes a tournament in which he paired White against Wong. This reminds us of a tournament we controlled some years ago including two whites and a Wong. Together with Mike Sinclair we tried to arrange that Wong should score as many points as the two Whites combined, thus proving that, although two Wongs don't make a White, two Whites might just make a Wong" : )

[Richard James]

I was leafing through a copy of Chess Monthly May 1994 as one does! and found this contribution in "Addicts Corner" sent in by Peter Morrish of possible pairings taken from the Cadogan grading list of 1994 - Cable-Carr Daly-Duzen Enoch-Powell Flower-Power Gilbert-Sullivan Ginger-Catt Gladstone-Baggs Glass-House and Guy-Fawkes.
The article also contained this rather amusing paragraph from the columns authors Mike Fox & Richard James and I quote "He also quotes a tournament in which he paired White against Wong. This reminds us of a tournament we controlled some years ago including two whites and a Wong. Together with Mike Sinclair we tried to arrange that Wong should score as many points as the two Whites combined, thus proving that, although two Wongs don't make a White, two Whites might just make a Wong" : )

Thanks for quoting that, Ian. I'm still here and still occasionally pairing.

A correction from earlier in the thread: Ken Norman has played Stuart Conquest twice, once with each colour, but sadly not at Hastings.

[Ian Stephens]

I was leafing through a copy of Chess Monthly May 1994 as one does! and found this contribution in "Addicts Corner" sent in by Peter Morrish of possible pairings taken from the Cadogan grading list of 1994 - Cable-Carr Daly-Duzen Enoch-Powell Flower-Power Gilbert-Sullivan Ginger-Catt Gladstone-Baggs Glass-House and Guy-Fawkes.
The article also contained this rather amusing paragraph from the columns authors Mike Fox & Richard James and I quote "He also quotes a tournament in which he paired White against Wong. This reminds us of a tournament we controlled some years ago including two whites and a Wong. Together with Mike Sinclair we tried to arrange that Wong should score as many points as the two Whites combined, thus proving that, although two Wongs don't make a White, two Whites might just make a Wong" : )

Thanks for quoting that, Ian. I'm still here and still occasionally pairing.

A correction from earlier in the thread: Ken Norman has played Stuart Conquest twice, once with each colour, but sadly not at Hastings.

Your welcome Richard, and thank you!

As regards to Norman-Conquest, the battle is said to be near Hastings, so we could if we wish to, stretch the imagination!

regards

[John Upham]

Quick Christmas quiz question for you:

When did the famous pairing Tony Miles vs Tony Miles occur and who won?

[John Upham]

When did the famous pairing Tony Miles vs Tony Miles occur and who won?

I guess no-one will work this out so here is the solution:

Tony Miles, Director of Resort Services, Harrogate Borough Council meets Tony Miles, the leading British Chess player and first ever British Grand Master. The confrontation took place during the 3 day Easter Yorkshire Chess Congress held in the Royal Baths Assembly Rooms, Harrogate and at which over 350 competitors took part in the Open Championships sponsored by the Woolwich Building Society.

Photograph taken Good Friday, 17th April 1981.

[Stewart Reuben]

Ah. David Essex won the British U9 Championship. We had a junior chess event in the London Docklands. We were talking to the PR people about getting David to the event. It turned out they thought we were talking about David Essex, at that time a very famous pop star. Both turned up and they said on breakfast TV: 'I'm David Essex the British U9 Chess Champion.' 'I'm David Essex the pop star'.
Many of the children were immigrants. One told me about escaping from Vietnam and seeing people hanged on trees. They were able to explain Sum of Progressive Score as a tiebreak system to me. None of them had the faintest idea who David Essex the pop star was.