Bob Wade memorial portrait at National Chess Library.

[Xavier White]

Robert walks through water (3,4). Bob Wade memorial portrait by Xavier White. Gouache on canvas 2010, 91cm X 35cm

I am very please to announce the donation of my Robert Walks Through Water (3,4) my memorial portrait of Bob Wade OBE to the National Chess Library at De Montfort University. Where it will hang close to Bob’s book collection which has joined the chess library catalogue.

Back in 2008, after the sad death of my neighbour and friend I wanted to do a memorial painting with the memories and images I have of Bob, passing by outside my home, in the café doing the crossword. Bob turned out to be an international chess master and he is painted on both sides of the table as a young man playing chess and doing the crossword as I knew him. The player in the green jumper is Bobby Fisher, who after reading Bob’s book on his Russian opponents game, won in a big game against him in the 1970’s cold war period.

An old man used to pass my house, early about 7 am, most days. Cap and flaps pulled down as he hobbled along to the supermarket. Returning later with maybe 3 or 4 bags laden with shopping. Sometimes we’d meet, smile and say hello as we passed. I can’t remember how much we chatted, never knew where he lived. Gambardella’s Café down the road, went upmarket and got a proper coffee machine and he started to break his journey with an expresso and the Times crossword. I have been going in Gambardella’s for many years and so we got to become friends.

Bob would offer me a seat and coffee while he examined The Times cross word. Occasionally he would read out the clue to me. The title is a tribute to his love of crosswords. Over our morning chats I learnt that this very modest man had an OBE and got annoyed at me when I tried to inform others of it. He had travelled widely as a chess player, played chess with some big names, Che Guevara…

My friends Aron, Ben and I visited Bob for a game of chess at his Blackheath home. Where he played all three of us at the same time, two wins & a draw to Bob.

When Bob died in 2008 and I painted this memorial of our friendship in the style of Marcel Duchamp’s cubist style chess themed paintings. Duchamp himself who started as a painter and intstergated ‘conceptual art’ then gave up painting to play chess. Indeed Bob had seen him at a tournament but had never played him.

Hope your in peace my coffee & crossword friend.
By Xavier White

[John Upham]

This is wonderful Xavier!

[David Sedgwick]

This is wonderful Xavier!

Agreed. A great memory of one of the four men who did most to support my career as an arbiter.

[Carl Hibbard]

I have moved the section on this one.

[Roland Kensdale]

Well painted and a movingly written account.

[Roger Lancaster]

Nice tribute to Bob, even for those of us who aren't great fans of the cubist style.

[Xavier White]

Thanks Rodger, not really that cubist in finish but the cubist theory of presenting for all angles is a dynamic of the players minds as they assess the move options & games position dynamic. Certainly for me as a poor player. I hope that conceptual bit helps, I'm tried to represent Bobs amazingly varied life from what little I knew of him. I do miss our coffee & crosswords tho.
Duchamp avoided the art manifesto's, cubists etc, of the early 20th century. Maybe google his Chess Players painting to see my reference.

[Roger Lancaster]

Thanks Rodger, not really that cubist in finish but the cubist theory of presenting for all angles is a dynamic of the players minds as they assess the move options & games position dynamic. Certainly for me as a poor player. I hope that conceptual bit helps, I'm tried to represent Bobs amazingly varied life from what little I knew of him. I do miss our coffee & crosswords tho.
Duchamp avoided the art manifesto's, cubists etc, of the early 20th century. Maybe google his Chess Players painting to see my reference.

Hi Xavier - Hope my comment wasn't taken as a criticism. I knew Bob tolerably well. As a junior, I was part of his coaching group. Much later, in 1986, we collaborated on a book covering that year's world championship match, and so on.

[Xavier White]

Not all Rodger, my mistake for using 'cubist' but like the view from all angles cubist theory and the thinking through chess moves analogy, if thats the right words but then I have a weak chess mind. I probably knew Bob for 5 /6 years and he was a very kind, interesting & interested man and well liked locally by people who got to know him. A old friend of mine, a keen player was looking his old games note books and has a note 'played in the presence of RG Wade' from 1978, my friend would have been about 13 I'd guess.