Ernie Little

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Andrew Zigmond
Posts: 2073
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm
Location: Harrogate

Ernie Little

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Wed May 19, 2021 11:31 pm

Ernie Little died peacefully at home on Friday 14th May.

He was active in Yorkshire chess in the 1970s and 80s where he played on a high board for Harrogate CC and also represented Yorkshire at county level. Some years ago I found some old database games suggesting he had played in the British championship in the mid 1960s. His grade at his peak was well into the 190s. He also served as chairman of Harrogate for some years where he oversaw the club's affairs during the 1970s chess boom with considerable skill.

In the late 1980s Ernie retired from over the board chess for a time, although he continued to play correspondence chess at a high level and won several NCCU trophies. It was in 1999 that he returned to active play and, in his second season back, he dominated the club championship by defeating the club's top players and only dropping a single draw on his way to the title. He also played in the Harrogate league but unfortunately chose not to compete outside of Harrogate.

However what set Ernie apart from so many others was not simply his chess ability but his overall conduct which was never anything less than absolutely gentlemanly. It always stuck with me how a friend of mine, guesting for my Harrogate league team, was amazed by this mild mannered and gracious man already in his eighties who engaged in polite conversation before the game and then calmly wheeled out a razor sharp sicilian.

At Harrogate we are remembering a remarkable and irreplaceable man.
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own

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John Clarke
Posts: 707
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:07 pm

Re: Ernie Little

Post by John Clarke » Wed May 19, 2021 11:50 pm

Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Wed May 19, 2021 11:31 pm
Some years ago I found some old database games suggesting he had played in the British championship in the mid 1960s.
Would that be the E A Little who competed - alas not very successfully - in the 1966 British?
"The chess-board is the world ..... the player on the other side is hidden from us ..... he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
(He doesn't let you resign and start again, either.)

Andrew Zigmond
Posts: 2073
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Ernie Little

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Thu May 20, 2021 12:05 am

John Clarke wrote:
Wed May 19, 2021 11:50 pm
Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Wed May 19, 2021 11:31 pm
Some years ago I found some old database games suggesting he had played in the British championship in the mid 1960s.
Would that be the E A Little who competed - alas not very successfully - in the 1966 British?
Yes, that would be him. Although a strong player by most standards he would have struggled slightly in such a field.
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own

Simon Rogers
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Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Ernie Little

Post by Simon Rogers » Fri May 21, 2021 4:14 pm

That's sad news.
A nice tribute was posted by Steve Mann on the Yorkshire Chess Association website yesterday.
Worth a read.
www.mannchess.org.uk
Not sure if the link is right.

Andrew Zigmond
Posts: 2073
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:23 pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Ernie Little

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Fri May 21, 2021 4:31 pm

I was about to link to the same article. The direct link is here https://mannchess.org.uk/YNotices/2021- ... xander.htm
Controller - Yorkshire League
Chairman - Harrogate Chess Club
All views expressed entirely my own

Nick Ivell
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:33 pm

Re: Ernie Little

Post by Nick Ivell » Fri May 21, 2021 5:08 pm

RIP. Ernie must have been a strong player; I recall him beating Nigel Short in one of the county finals.

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