Happy Birthday, Leonard

The reporting of notable birthdays and anniversaries in the chess arena.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:33 pm

Yes, have a good one young man 8)
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:08 pm

Happy Birthday Mr Barden,

I see your birthday has been good to you with wins on the 20th August v Bob Wade (1954), Clifford G Hilton (1959) and:

L.Barden - R F Boxall, Hasting 20/8/1953

Saccing a Bishop to get the Kingside pawn s rolling.



Hopefully you will have more but this is all I could lift from http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=13738

There is also this post today at chessgame.com by 'cardinal fang' (I' do not know who it is):

"In England in the 70s I remember well how Leonard Barden would appear at junior tournaments with a roll of paper,
and put up handwritten posters with up-to-date ratings of junior players - not just the top ones, but all the way down
through the rating levels. He was well aware that the six- or twelve-monthly rating lists got out of date very quickly,
and wanted us young players to see how rapidly we were improving and be inspired by it. Great memories."

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:01 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:08 pm

.....

There is also this post today at chessgame.com by 'cardinal fang' (I' do not know who it is):

"In England in the 70s I remember well how Leonard Barden would appear at junior tournaments with a roll of paper,
and put up handwritten posters with up-to-date ratings of junior players - not just the top ones, but all the way down
through the rating levels. He was well aware that the six- or twelve-monthly rating lists got out of date very quickly,
and wanted us young players to see how rapidly we were improving and be inspired by it. Great memories."
This reminds me of my own experience in 1982/3 when my "Barden" grade was 136, putting me (then!) in the all-time England "Barden" top ten for under 10 year olds. My enthusiastic school teacher, David Bull (whom I name just in case Leonard remembers him) was so pleased that he copied the list and put it on the school noticeboard with the capital letters NEWSFLASH! above it.

(yes, I have had a long chess career as a has-been, but at least I continued to play).

I recall that some years ago Leonard said that he would not reach ninety. I am pleased that this was one prediction that got away. Many happy returns!

Nick Ivell
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Nick Ivell » Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:00 pm

Happy birthday, Leonard. I still haven't forgotten the tips you gave me when you kindly used to go over my games with me.

That kind of advice is priceless.

John Moore
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by John Moore » Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:52 pm

Happy Birthday, Leonard!

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:52 am

David Robertson has reminded me that the last time I saw Wynton Marslis playing the trumpet was in 2003 in the evening after the British Chess Championships in Edinburgh.
Leonard Barden has indeed touched our lives in many ways and long may he continue to do so.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Wed Aug 21, 2019 1:08 pm

A very good feature article on LB now up at Edward Winter's site.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Geoff Chandler
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Geoff Chandler » Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:45 pm

It is a good article, Thanks Matt, here is a quick link.

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/barden.html

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Wed Aug 21, 2019 10:11 pm

What everybody else said - sorry I'm late, I have managed to find the only two places in Kent and Surrey where there is no internet!

One of my fondest chess memories is Leonard telling me that he enjoyed some articles I wrote. I should have given up then. Such praise from him cannot be beaten.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:41 pm

It is difficult to keep up with all his achievements, so this might help.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Barden

I'm not sure it's 100 % accurate, but the mistakes are omissions, not exaggeration.

Leonard Barden
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Leonard Barden » Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:49 pm

Thanks for all your good wishes, dear friends.
The Wikipedia article which Kevin Thurlow links to above was written from material I supplied to its editor, so any inaccuracies are down to me.
Geoff Chandler wrote:
Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:08 pm
I see your birthday has been good to you
All of my 12 British championship appearances encompassed 20 August, and I never lost on that date.
David Sedgwick will surely be ready with copy and paste again at 1201am on 20 August 2024, although that looks a bridge too far.
Thanks again to all of you.

David Sedgwick
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by David Sedgwick » Sat Aug 24, 2019 2:11 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:49 pm
David Sedgwick will surely be ready with copy and paste again at 1201am on 20 August 2024, although that looks a bridge too far.
I certainly hope to be thus poised then and again at 1201 am on 20 August 2029.

My worry is that one or both will prove to be a bridge too far for me.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Happy Birthday, Leonard

Post by Stewart Reuben » Sun Aug 25, 2019 1:08 am

Leonard >All of my 12 British championship appearances encompassed 20 August, and I never lost on that date.<

Bill Hartston once said he lost ALL his games in the British Championship where his birthday was during the tournament. So he decided to imitate the Queen and have an Official Birthday on the middle Sunday - which was always a rest day in those days.
After that, he never lost on his actual birthday.

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