Frank Boyd

[Simon Rogers]

I am sorry to inform you that Frank Boyd has passed away.
Frank was a prominent member of both Wallasey and Atticus chess clubs on Merseyside.
He won the clubs' Silver Rook Trophy on numerous occasions.
Frank was English Correspondence Chess Champion and played in the World Championship.
He also edited the Chess Quarterly Magazine and wrote two books on Chess Openings.
RIP

[John Upham]

I am sorry to inform you that Frank Boyd has passed away.
Frank was a prominent member of both Wallasey and Atticus chess clubs on Merseyside.
He won the clubs' Silver Rook Trophy on numerous occasions.
Frank was English Correspondence Chess Champion and played in the World Championship.
He also edited the Chess Quarterly Magazine and wrote two books on Chess Openings.
RIP

You might have missed

http://britishchessnews.com/2019/09/16/ ... 6-ix-1935/

[Kevin Thurlow]

Frank was British (not English) CC Champion in 1972, and did qualify for the semi-final stage of the World CC Championship, which is quite an achievement.

[Ian Thompson]

Frank ... did qualify for the semi-final stage of the World CC Championship, which is quite an achievement.

It is, although the uninitiated should be made aware that the stages used to be:

• Semi-final
• 3/4 final
• Final

(3/4 final is now called Candidates)

[Tim Harding]

Frank ... did qualify for the semi-final stage of the World CC Championship, which is quite an achievement.

It is, although the uninitiated should be made aware that the stages used to be:

• Semi-final
• 3/4 final
• Final

(3/4 final is now called Candidates)

To qualify for an ICCF world championship semifinal in those days you normally had to win two 7-player master class groups or one 15-player group (or maybe second in one of those would suffice, I'm not sure). However by the late 1970s, if not earlier, you might also get a place by being nominated by your federation. I wouldn't be in a position right now to check which route Frank Boyd took.

He had come second in a 15-player European championship master class (just missing out on the final) so I suspect he got a nomination in recognition of that and his performances on British teams.

I only met him once, I think. He was General Editor of Chessman Quarterly (not Chess Quarterly) which I believe meant he ran the business side of things and probably arranged for the typesetting and printing. Bob Wade was listed as Contributions Editor. I think they decided between them what went in each issue, but probably Bob had the main say.

Boyd's score in the 1971-2 British CC Championship was 8/10, finishing a point and a half clear of Richard Hall who later became an ICCF grandmaster when he started taking the game more seriously (Richard had more time when he became a judge). In the 1970-71 championship Boyd had finished fourth.

From 1967-71 Boyd had been working for B.H. Wood as secretary of the Postal Chess Club and describes some of his experiences in the book British Chess. On page 43 there is a photo of him.

[Ian Thompson]

To qualify for an ICCF world championship semifinal in those days you normally had to win two 7-player master class groups or one 15-player group (or maybe second in one of those would suffice, I'm not sure).

Second was definitely good enough in a 15 player group - I qualified for a semi-final that way.