Geoff W. Harrison (1940-2024)

[Chris Goodall]

Geoff Harrison, stalwart of Northumberland chess, founder of Gosforth CC (twice), avid correspondence player and organiser before computers ruined it, frequent visitor to the Paignton Congress in Devon on holiday. Peacefully at home on December 18.

I have many fond memories of Geoff who used to call me "Cousin Wardle" (my birth surname) on the basis that he'd found some unrelated Wardles in his family tree. A fearless player in the Bent Larsen mould, not a mad gambiteer but one who would mine old-fashioned lines in the Scandinavian, Caro-Kann and Italian Game for hidden complications. When I was running the Northumbria League, Geoff was the closest thing we had to a "neutral" fan, one who closely tracked the ups and downs of every team, not just his own. He also provided successive Bulletin editors with a wealth of insightful and irreverent commentary on chess issues large and small.

He was one of the two people in England, along with Roger de Coverly, who championed the lost cause of Game Fee on principle even though membership saved him money personally. "Whether I can afford the poll tax is not the point..."

Our last game was at the University in 2016. I had White, and the game started 1.e4 d5 2.d4?! c6!? We’d have reached the same position after 1…c6, but Geoff thought it’d be funnier to transpose into the Caro-Kann from the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, and I had to agree.

[Matt Mackenzie]

A well known figure in NE chess when I was active in the 1980s, got to know him fairly well and he was always good company.

Was also involved in left politics around then and got letters published in the Guardian and New Statesman.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Geoff at "Paignton" 2015

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