Stewart Reuben

[Owen Phillips]

I was very sorry to hear this news. The U.K. and indeed International Chess scene has lost one of its keenest players and longest regular players and organisers.
I too recall his early work re the regular Islington Series of events and I believe he did a great deal of work for the ECF and before that BCF.
He was quite a character and could hold good conversations on many topics other than chess.
In his youth he told me that for a period he played a lot in The famous New York Park and was not averse to some rather successful hustling - be a much stronger player when he set his mind to it than his gradings ever showed!
He was a keen and regular player in Senior events and very much believed in the need for such as he was well aware of the Fischer/Spassky chess explosion which meant that there were a large number of the keenest of players now over Sixty- Five.
He gad several chats with me over the years and admired the way that I and Anthony Fulton had put so much time into County Chess.. which at the Higher levels he felt was a good grounding for our future titles players.
Rest in Peace Stewart - play chess upstairs now -hopefully that hustling won’t have disqualified you from the best place!
Atb Owen Phillips

[Nick Ivell]

I don't believe that Stewart was ever a strong player, not really. He knew his stuff but from what I could make out he was too peacefully inclined. Lacked the killer instinct.

Of course he will quite rightly be remembered for other things, and I loved talking to him.

[Roger de Coverly]

I don't believe that Stewart was ever a strong player, not really.

I am aware he invented the title, but I believe he was worth the CM title awarded at a 2200 rating. That contrasts with some holders who have won it as a prize without ever being able to play to that standard for a reasonable length of time.

Mostly he organised strong tournaments rather than played in them.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Its probably fair to say he would have been stronger had OTB play been his sole focus, but I don't think it ever was really.

[Ian Thompson]

I am aware he invented the title, but I believe he was worth the CM title awarded at a 2200 rating.

ChessBase has his peak rating at 2270. The graph looks like he got (or had) a rating of 2270 in 1978 when their chart begins, then he dropped under 2200 about 3 years later and became unrated, then he got another 2260 rating in 1994 which went up to 2270 shortly afterwards and then his rating gradually dropped over the next 30 years.

In total, he was over 2200 for 7 or 8 years (and possibly prior to 1978 as well), so he met the CM requirements for a long time.

[John Clarke]

In total, he was over 2200 for 7 or 8 years (and possibly prior to 1978 as well), so he met the CM requirements for a long time.

He was rated at over 200 in "old money" back in 1973, when he took part in the last-ever of B H Wood's "Chess Festivals" at Teesside (and memorably wore a gold Chinese jacket to the prizegiving ceremony).

[John Upham]

Leonard Barden, Stewart Reuben and Michael Franklin at the 1978 Aaronson Masters:

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[John Upham]

Stewart Reuben at the start of round 7 of the 1980 Philips & Drew tournament.

Miles vs Larsen, Tony has just played 1.d4 and went on to win his fourth consecutive game, this time in 33 moves. Tony won the tournament.

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[John Clarke]

I know the thread's actually about Stewart, but two things about that photo instantly caught my eye: (1) the watch lying on Tony's scoresheet, which he always used to hide the move he was writing down before actually playing it (illegal now, I gather), and (2) his already-thickening waistline at only 25 - ominous portent of what was to come.

[John Upham]

Stewart Reuben chatting with Tony Miles at the post tournament (1980) reception

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[John Upham]

Stewart Reuben, Garry Kasparov and Tim Rice (presumably at the 1993 London Kasparov-Short PCA match)

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[Matt Mackenzie]

Thanks for all these excellent pictures featuring Stewart. He was certainly part of chess history as much as anything else.

[John Upham]

Stewart Reuben, May 7th 2012 (round 11), 4NCL final weekend at the Barcelo Hinckley Island Hotel playing for FCA Solutions

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[Richard Bates]

Stewart Reuben, Garry Kasparov and Tim Rice (presumably at the 1993 London Kasparov-Short PCA match)

I would have guessed earlier - perhaps 1986?

[Nick Ivell]

Looks like a young Kasparov, shortly after he became champion. Stewart certainly hung out with the right people!