Britbase Updates

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Mon Jun 06, 2022 1:34 am

John Saunders wrote:
Sun Jun 05, 2022 12:36 pm
For interest, the link to the BritBase page covering the 1958/59 Hastings tournament is as follows...

https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/1 ... iewer.html

It includes a link to a short video clip of play during the 2nd round, including Erno Gereben v Bob Wade...

https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/1098726
Really nice to see video clips like that. Thanks for posting that, John.

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John Saunders
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by John Saunders » Tue Jun 07, 2022 1:31 am

Does anyone fancy trying their hand at reconstructing a score? This game is from the 1951 Southsea (Stevenson Memorial) tournament and lasts only eight moves. It ends with a big blunder but the fact that there are at least two other highly implausible moves along the way makes me think the score is defective. See what you think...



If it helps, the original descriptive score read 1 PK4 PK3 2 PKKt3 PQ4 3 BKt2 KtQ2 4 PQ4 KtKB3 5 KtQB3 PQB4 6 QK2 QPxP 7 BxP KtQ4 8 BxKt Resigns - you'll notice the ambiguous 4...KtKB3 and also 5...PQB4 where the 'Q' is redundant. I hoped this might give me a clue as to where the score might be wrong but it hasn't so far.

Of course, it might be relevant that Cole was aged 78 and Heneage 71 when the game was played, but I am reluctant to give a verdict of 'authentic but senile' as I'm not far off that age myself...
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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:26 am

4.d3 rather than 4.d4, perhaps? That would remove the ...cxd4 issues.

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John Saunders
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by John Saunders » Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:48 am

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:26 am
4.d3 rather than 4.d4, perhaps? That would remove the ...cxd4 issues.
Yes, that was one of the moves I tried. As you say, it solves the problem of the underdefended d4 pawn, but then (a) it wouldn't have been necessary to record Black's 6th as QPxP; (b) ...d4 by Black on the 5th or 6th move looks obvious and strong; (c) 7...Nd5 looks even dafter than it does anyway. The whole game, short as it is, would still feel artificial.

I've been wondering if there is a pair of half-moves missing altogether - e.g. 5...Bb4, which might explain why White recaptures on e4 with the B, followed by something else as yet unknown by White. But the problem with that is similar to the problem with 4 d3 as it allows 6 e5 and the knight would probably feel obliged to return whence it came. Unless it was 4...Ndf6 that was played, I suppose, but that looks improbable.
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Gerard Killoran » Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:38 am

A bumper crop from B. H. Wood's column in the Birmingham Daily Post including another game of Malcolm Barker. Look out for the game of the two Kenneths.








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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sat Jun 18, 2022 11:19 am

Gerard Killoran wrote:
Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:38 am
Look out for the game of the two Kenneths.
The game of the two Kenneths was an excellent one to play through! Two pieces sacrificed by Black, one given back by White, and a successful mating attack. (Can Black get away with 22...cxd5?)

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John Saunders
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by John Saunders » Sat Jun 18, 2022 6:06 pm

Thanks, Gerard. I've now added these games to the BritBase collection for the 1953 British Championship...

https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/1 ... iewer.html

I've also added a full crosstable for the 1953 British Boys' (Under 18) Championship, won by Ken Inwood of Kingston Chess Club. I've put in some links to biographical material relating to the various players who took part (including one Nobel Prize winner, two others whose contributions to medicine were also rewarded with knighthoods, and a notable jazz performer).
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Gerard Killoran » Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:27 pm

Two miniatures. The first is given in case we ever get a collection of Leon Rosselson's games. Would that be The Chess World Turned Upside Down?




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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:37 pm

But of all the things that I've been told, the strangest is to me
Is that Everett didn't see the threat when white played Bd3
For Nanny - God bless Nanny - said it wouldn't do for you
To disregard the nasty things that Greek Gift sacs can do

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John Saunders
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by John Saunders » Tue Jun 21, 2022 3:35 pm

Thanks for the latest games, Gerard. The Chapman-Halliwell one was already on BritBase; it was published earlier in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer.

I shall have to resume my email dialogue with Leon to see if he is ready to send me some scoresheets. I'll report back.

Earlier today I came across the following little gem played by a distinguished forum member, which gets lively on move 11...



I'd like to put a date to the game and a forename to the opponent but no luck so far. Even better, a Barden anecdote to go with the game...
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Jun 21, 2022 3:46 pm

Brian Halliwell was still going strong in Cumbrian chess come the late 90s.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

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David Shepherd
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by David Shepherd » Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:22 pm

Not that it is relevant at all to the Sheffield University player in the 1950's but I just stumbled accross this in relation to chess at Sheffield University in the 1970's which was an interesting read.

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/alumni/news ... ield-1970s

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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Gerard Killoran » Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:49 pm

'The Chapman-Halliwell one was already on BritBase'

Sorry, just missed it.

After the Barden game, where F. Noble is said to be of Shiregreen (a Sheffield suburb) - another from the same newspaper.

O my Green'uns and my Pink'uns long ago!


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John Saunders
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by John Saunders » Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:10 pm

Thanks for the game, Gerard - added to the 1950 file.

Leonard tells me he has no recollection of his 1950 game against F.Noble, nor how Oxford University came to be playing Sheffield University in a match since there was no BUCA team event at that time. It may have been a National Club match but I have yet to run it to ground.
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: Britbase Updates

Post by Gerard Killoran » Thu Jun 23, 2022 5:29 pm

More for the 1950 collection.




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