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Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2017 4:35 pm
by Kevin Thurlow
GPS ("Philip") Coy won the Civil Service Championship in 1936, 1937 and 1957. This is good of course. Since his retirement, he has played Postal Chess for Civil Service, until now. Shortly after his 100th birthday (in May), he announced that he would not be playing any more postal. His rating is still 1895, which is impressive as I cannot believe he uses silicon assistance!
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2017 4:53 pm
by Christopher Kreuzer
Very impressive. Any statistics on number of games played (or even amount of postage paid over the years!)? Oh, hang on, he only played postal chess since his retirement? I thought you meant he had played postal chess since the 1930s! He won the Civil Service Championship while still a teenager? That is also very impressive!
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:44 am
by Kevin Thurlow
"I thought you meant he had played postal chess since the 1930s!"
I'm not sure when he started - happily the CS captain has been running the teams for 40+ years, so I'll ask him.
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:52 pm
by David Gilbert
I posted earlier on the the topic of D.G.Mackay. I noticed on the old winners band for the George Barstow Cup the name of GPS Coy. Kevin had missed a year! Remarkably he was also Civil Service Champion in 1970. So over a period spanning 34 years he won that championship four times. Phenomenal!
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:34 pm
by John Saunders
I think Kevin already knew about Philip Coy's 1970 success as I mentioned it on Britbase last year when making available 74 of Coy's games...
https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/c ... iewer.html
My source for games and info was Kevin.
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:05 pm
by Tim Harding
Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:44 am
"I thought you meant he had played postal chess since the 1930s!"
I'm not sure when he started - happily the CS captain has been running the teams for 40+ years, so I'll ask him.
The following is from my CC database, unfortunately no source. But a game between the same players with reverse colours is cited as BCM/1942/p257 so this game is probably in the same source around that time. The opponent was of course later editor of some editions of MCO.
I only have two other CC games by Coy - against J. Vivante-Sowter in 2000. Any others available?
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:58 pm
by Kevin Thurlow
"I only have two other CC games by Coy - against J. Vivante-Sowter in 2000. Any others available?"
One of his daughters sent me a notebook of his which contained the games I sent to John. I don't believe I have any others.
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 3:17 pm
by Gerard Killoran
Coy, but not shy.
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2022 3:25 pm
by Nick Burrows
Re: Remarkable chess career of GPS Coy
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:23 am
by John Saunders
Many thanks, Gerard, and also Tim for the game he posted last year. I have now added these to the collection of Philip Coy's games at BritBase, plus a handful of others I've found...
https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/c ... iewer.html