English Chess Forum

I am sorry to report that Brian Thorpe passed away on 8th November 2022.
Brian Thorpe for many years was a large part of Chess in Ireland.
He ran the Methodist College Chess Club.
Brian had accomplished not only organising a flourishing Ulster League but also between provinces in Ireland. At one time there were seven divisions in the Ulster League.
Brian's team reached the quarter finals of the prestigious British schools Times Tournament in 1994. In 1995 they played the quarter final match against the favourites Manchester Grammar at Stranraer, which they won against the odds.
There win was presented by the snooker player Steve Davis after the final at the Charing Cross Hotel in London.
There are very lengthy tributes and pictures on the Ulster Chess Union website.
Worth a read.
https://www.ulsterchess.org.
RIP

Sad news.

Obviously as a junior player from a culchie backwater in rural County Down, I didn't go to a school anything near as grand as Methody, but I remember Brian Thorpe well enough. Martin Kelly's obituary of Brian mentions a triumvirate of himself, Brian, and Arthur Pinkerton being the committee on Irish Junior Chess for a period from 1980. Martin taught maths at my school, Down High School ("Floreat Dunum Absque Labore Nihil"; I could probably have done with paying more attention to the labore part) for a short while before leaving; I was sad when he left. Brian was a kindly man whom I also remember with pleasure and gratitude. Of Arthur, though, least said.

My last memory of Brian is, I think, a match between an Ulster junior team and a West of Scotland junior team at Ayr sometime in the mid 80s. We took a minibus and the Stranraer ferry, had the worst lunch I can remember as a teenager at some caff somewhere in Ayrshire (I remember watching in despair at the cook smoking whilst ruining the food), before arriving at Ayr and absolutely thrashing the local junior team. 8 - 2, I seem to recall. Brian was over the moon.

Rest in peace.