English Chess Forum

Whilst playing in a table tennis match last night in the chilly depths of Surrey I was asked by one of my opponents if I took photographs of chess events.
I confessed that I had done that.

Some chess / table tennis banter later he revealed that he was the first chess correspondent of "The Independent"

Question: Who was this person and who took over from him at "The Independent"?

Following this revelation I manage to win all of my singles and the doubles games and we won 8-2!

I'd say that must have been chess problemist Jim Grevatt, though I didn't know he played table tennis! Was it William Hartston that took over?

Brian Stephenson wrote:I'd say that must have been chess problemist Jim Grevatt, though I didn't know he played table tennis! Was it William Hartston that took over?

Brian, yes indeed Jim Grevatt plays table tennis in the Haslemere & District Table Tennis Association for Headley TTC.

It was William Hartston who took over the games side whilst Jim retained his position on problems.

Even more of a coincidence was that he is a BCM subscriber and that I had attended the BCPS event on Saturday.

That brings to three persons I know directly who play both league chess and table tennis: Matthew Wilson (Basingstoke), Ian Deswarte (Tongham) and Jim Grevatt (Headley).

John Upham wrote:
That brings to three persons I know directly who play both league chess and table tennis: Matthew Wilson (Basingstoke), Ian Deswarte (Tongham) and Jim Grevatt (Headley).

Peter Grandad used to play Table tennis in the Winchester league and he played in the Haslemere league.Peter grandad was rather good at table tennis winning a number of cups over the years for various teams he did play for treloar hospital in Alton but the club no longer exists he is now retired from table tennis. All 3 of us do play table tennis once in a while at the local sports center grandad tends to coach rather than play now.Peter A shows promise but he has so many things going on that its finding the time to practice. A neighbor used to play for Headley TTC.

Peter Grandad table tennis bat is very old and he plays a defense style choping the ball back with deadly spin

Right time for afternoon tea

Small world indeed....

"Some chess / table tennis banter later...."

In a very old Chandler Corner I decided to post pictures of the teams
playing in the Edinburgh Chess League.

Of course these pictures were anything but pictures of Edinburgh chess teams.
Groups of farmers, musicians, the WVRS, etc....etc....

One picture was of a winning Table Tennis Team I lifted from a mid 1960's
boys comic. 'Wizard', 'Tiger', Hotspur' or something like that.

About a month later a lad emailed me naming all the players in the picture including himself!

There's more.....

The lad (I've forgotten his name) had actually played Fischer in a simul in the USA!
An incredible coincidence all from a random picture.

I play in the 4NCL for Oxford and TT for Abingdon in the Didcot League. I've only played a few times this season but I still had to join the ETTA!

I used to play for Government Chemists in Civil Service TT League, and then a few times for National Physical Lab in a local league. Several of my chess club(s) colleagues have played TT as well. And I saw Magnus Carlsen in action at Gausdal - not a bad player.