JM Soesan Coincidence

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John Upham
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JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by John Upham » Fri Feb 26, 2021 7:33 pm

I was lucky enough today to receive "A Century of British Chess" by PW Sergeant (1934) courtesy of Tony Peterson.

There was an internal attachment with

Ex libris J.M.Soesan who I think is the Ilford player Joseph Soesan.

Not very interesting you might think until I recalled I have BCM bound volumes with the very same attachment.

Has anyone else managed to partly reconstruct another's library one at a time?
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JustinHorton
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Feb 26, 2021 8:47 pm

I'm pretty sure I have more than one book which used to belong to Phil Walden.
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Neil Graham
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Neil Graham » Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:40 pm

John Upham wrote:
Fri Feb 26, 2021 7:33 pm
I was lucky enough today to receive "A Century of British Chess" by PW Sergeant (1934) courtesy of Tony Peterson.

There was an internal attachment with

Ex libris J.M.Soesan who I think is the Ilford player Joseph Soesan.

Not very interesting you might think until I recalled I have BCM bound volumes with the very same attachment.

Has anyone else managed to partly reconstruct another's library one at a time?
Joe Soesan (born Joseph Maurice) was British Veterans Champion* in 1991 & 1992 and had competed in the Championship itself in the 1950s. I am not sure about the Ilford connection; certainly he was in the Midlands based at the Kenilworth Chess Club in his later years. I have a date of death as 6/6/1999 aged 83 years; dob 30/12/1915. No-one has updated the ECF Grading Website which should, not surprisingly, be marked as "deceased".

* I think they were "Veterans" rather than "Seniors" then.

Neville Twitchell
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Neville Twitchell » Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:01 am

Joe Soesan was defnitely an Ilford player and a leading light of the club for several years and, I believe, secretary of the club at some point in the late forties and maybe afterwards, because I remember my dad, Don Twitchell, who played for the club at that time, referring to him on occasion as a fellow member in the immediate post-war period. He must have left the club at some point when he moved and latterly played for a midlands club.

Ian Thompson
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Ian Thompson » Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:25 am

Neville Twitchell wrote:
Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:01 am
Joe Soesan was defnitely an Ilford player and a leading light of the club for several years .... He must have left the club at some point when he moved and latterly played for a midlands club.
I played him twice in 1981. His club was Cobham then.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:13 pm

I also played him twice in the 1980s, and pretty sure he was Coventry based by then.

Not sure exactly who he played as a young man, but he may well be my best prospect of a lowish Morphy number.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sat Feb 27, 2021 3:22 pm

"I was lucky enough today to receive "A Century of British Chess" by PW Sergeant (1934) courtesy of Tony Peterson.

There was an internal attachment with

Ex libris J.M.Soesan who I think is the Ilford player Joseph Soesan."

I played him at Guernsey in 1994, but saw him elsewhere, quite possibly at Cobham, very pleasant chap.

By a curious coincidence, I bought a chess book from a second-hand bookshop, where I was offered a discount as "some bloke's written his name in the front". "Some bloke" was PW Sergeant, who hadn't written the book. I also (elsewhere) got a book with WEC Richards' name in the front. Most people here won't know about WEC Richards of course.

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JustinHorton
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Feb 27, 2021 3:42 pm

Well go on man
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Ken Norman
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Ken Norman » Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:57 pm

Joe Soesan a very pleasant man. He was involved with the Ilford Congress in the 1950's. The 1951 BCM has an advert for the Ilford Congress which gives his address as 72 Cranbrook Rise, Ilford. The 1953 BCM has a photograph of the Ilford committee on page 162. It includes Dr. B.Sturgeon, L.Glyde and Joe and Mrs. Soesan. I played Joe Soesan several times in the British Championship Qualifying competition between 1980 and 1982. At that time he lived in the Surrey Stockbroker belt. He had a large house in a private road complete with carriage drive and Tennis court. He also had a large collection of Chess related stamps that he was happy to show his opponent after the game. He was a regular competitor at Paignton.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:20 pm

WEC Richards (1907-1989) played for Harrow, Patent Office and Civil Service for about 40 years, correspondence chess for Surrey, and was an adjudicator for Surrey and Civil Service for 30+ years. He won the CS championship, also the Lightning tournament when aged 55ish. In his youth, he ran 5-minute miles and continued jogging until late in his life, even in the depths of winter. Very useful player, nice guy.

Ronnie Burton
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Ronnie Burton » Sat Feb 27, 2021 9:17 pm

Can remember playing Joe at Guernsey in the 1990's a true gentlemen on the board and off the board.

Tim Spanton
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Re: JM Soesan Coincidence

Post by Tim Spanton » Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:32 am

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Sat Feb 27, 2021 3:22 pm
"I was lucky enough today to receive "A Century of British Chess" by PW Sergeant (1934) courtesy of Tony Peterson.

There was an internal attachment with

Ex libris J.M.Soesan who I think is the Ilford player Joseph Soesan."

I played him at Guernsey in 1994, but saw him elsewhere, quite possibly at Cobham, very pleasant chap.

By a curious coincidence, I bought a chess book from a second-hand bookshop, where I was offered a discount as "some bloke's written his name in the front". "Some bloke" was PW Sergeant, who hadn't written the book. I also (elsewhere) got a book with WEC Richards' name in the front. Most people here won't know about WEC Richards of course.
I also played joe Soesan at Guernsey in 1994. He played there eight times, the last being in 1996.