English Chess Forum

Stephen Moss has written an article for the Kingston Chess Club website remembering Mike Tebb (1950-1984) ...

https://kingstonchess.com/remembering-mike-tebb/

I didn't know Mike Tebb myself, or even know of him, which is a bit surprising as I was very active in Surrey chess and a Kingston borough resident around the time he so tragically died, but he was obviously well liked and much missed by his chess colleagues. I thought other members of the forum might like to read Stephen's article and perhaps share memories.

I played Mike five times, including twice in the year of his tragic death. Both his wins against me were miniatures, but I scored 2½ from the other three. I think they'll give you a pretty good idea of his style of play.

[Event "R&T2 v Hampstead"] [Site "?"] [Date "1974.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "James, Richard"] [Black "Tebb, Michael R"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C65"] [PlyCount "44"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Nf6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. d3 Be6 8. Be3 O-O 9. Nc3 Bd6 10. Nf3 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 Nxg4 13. hxg4 Bxg4 14. d4 f5 15. e5 Be7 16. d5 Qe8 17. Kg2 f4 18. Bd2 Rf5 19. Rh1 Qg6 20. Kf1 Rd8 21. Rg1 Qh5 22. Rh1 Qxh1+ 0-1

[Event "LARA"] [Site "?"] [Date "1975.??.??"] [Round "4"] [White "Tebb, Michael R"] [Black "James, Richard"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B70"] [PlyCount "100"] 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 c5 6. Qd2 cxd4 7. Nxd4 h6 8. Bh4 Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bc4 Qa5 11. O-O Qc5 12. Bb3 Ng4 13. h3 Qh5 14. Bg3 Ne5 15. f4 Nd7 16. Rad1 Nc5 17. e5 Nxb3 18. axb3 d5 19. Ne4 O-O 20. Nc5 Bf5 21. Rf3 Bxh3 22. Re3 Bg4 23. Rde1 e6 24. Ra1 g5 25. Ra6 gxf4 26. Bxf4 Qf5 27. Rg3 h5 28. Ra4 h4 29. Rxg4 Qxg4 30. Bh6 Qh5 31. Bxg7 Kxg7 32. Nd7 Rh8 33. Qe3 Rh6 34. Rf4 Rg6 35. Nf6 Qg5 36. Qf3 Rh8 37. Nd7 Qe7 38. Nf6 Qc5+ 39. Kh2 Qxc2 40. Qh3 Rg3 41. Rg4+ Rxg4 42. Qxg4+ Qg6 43. Qh3 Qg3+ 44. Qxg3+ hxg3+ 45. Kxg3 Rh1 46. Nd7 Rb1 47. Nc5 Rxb2 48. Kf3 Kg6 49. g3 Rc2 50. Na4 Kf5 0-1

[Event "R&TA v Hampton"] [Site "?"] [Date "1978.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "James, Richard"] [Black "Tebb, Michael R"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A18"] [PlyCount "61"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 g6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2 Nc6 8. f4 O-O 9. e5 Nd7 10. Nf3 Ne7 11. O-O Nf5 12. Bf2 c5 13. Ne4 cxd4 14. Nxd6 Nxd6 15. exd6 Nf6 16. c5 b6 17. Bxd4 bxc5 18. Bxc5 Ne4 19. Qc2 Bb7 20. Ne5 Rc8 21. b4 Bxe5 22. fxe5 Qg5 23. Bf3 Nxc5 24. bxc5 Bxf3 25. Rxf3 Qxe5 26. Rc1 Rc6 27. h3 Rd8 28. Rc3 Qd4+ 29. Kf1 Qf4+ 30. Qf2 Qe5 31. Qf3 1-0

[Event "R&TA v Kingston A"] [Site "?"] [Date "1984.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Tebb, Michael R"] [Black "James, Richard"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A40"] [PlyCount "41"] 1. d4 e6 2. Nd2 f5 3. e4 fxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Bd3 b6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Nxf6+ Bxf6 8. Qh5+ Kf8 9. Qf3 Nc6 10. Ne2 Bb7 11. h4 Rb8 12. Qf4 Nb4 13. Bxf6 Nxd3+ 14. cxd3 gxf6 15. Rh3 Kf7 16. Rc1 Bxg2 17. Rg3 Bc6 18. Qg4 Qf8 19. d5 Bxd5 20. Rxc7 Rb7 21. Rc8 1-0

[Event "R&TA v Kingston A"] [Site "?"] [Date "1984.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "James, Richard"] [Black "Tebb, Michael R"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A57"] [PlyCount "61"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. a4 bxc4 5. Nc3 d6 6. e4 g6 7. f4 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Bxc4 Na6 10. O-O Nc7 11. e5 Nd7 12. Be3 Rb8 13. Qd2 Bb7 14. Rad1 Qc8 15. Ba2 Ba6 16. Rf2 Rb4 17. h3 Qb7 18. exd6 exd6 19. f5 Rb8 20. fxg6 hxg6 21. b3 Bxc3 22. Qxc3 Nxd5 23. Rxd5 Qxd5 24. Rd2 Qe6 25. Bh6 Qf6 26. Qxf6 Nxf6 27. Rxd6 R4b6 28. Rd1 Kh7 29. Bf4 Be2 30. Rd2 Bxf3 31. Bxb8 1/2-1/2

Thanks for posting that link, John. It’s a very poignant and sad story. I actually moved to the Kingston area in 1984, but I had just given up playing, so didn’t join a local club, only restarting at Surbiton some years later. I am sure there must have been lots of Surbiton and Kingston stalwarts who would have known Mike, apart from those in Stephen’s piece. Again, it’s a shame that most of these games played in local leagues, such as those posted by Richard, get lost in the mists of time.

34 is very young to be having a cardiac arrest as well.