Les Collard

[raycollett]

Longstanding stalwart of Hereford Chess Club and former county champion, Les Collard has passed away. Les was individual champion of Herefordshire first in 1966 and then went on to win the title four further times and shared the title on seven occasions most recently in 2010, a span of high class chess over 50 years. He won the Hereford City Championship in 1976 and was joint champion in 1992.

[Owen Phillips]

Sorry to see yet another keen player move upstairs.
Les was a thorough Gent and quite a decent player -I recall a tough game on Bd one in the last rd in the Weald Major about six or seven years ago.
I won and thereby deprived him of the prize money yet he was most forthcoming about me thoroughly deserving the win and said that it was the mist enjoyable game he had had for years!
A true chess devotee and a Super Sport.
RIP Les
Owen.

[Joey Stewart]

I played some games against Les back in 2002 when I used to live in Herefordshire, he was always a nice guy and a fairly solid 150-160 rating for years.

Weirdly, it appears that he played his last game from beyond the grave on the 15th of February

https://rating.englishchess.org.uk/v2/n ... de=108616K