Nick names

[MJMcCready]

Which (particularly British) chess players had nicknames?

I know Joseph Henry Blackburne was called 'the black death'.
GM John Speelman was called 'specimen or John Specimen' due to a misprint in The Times.
GM Mickey Adams was called 'the spider' I believe.

Any other's I don't know about? There must be plenty surely?

[Gerard Killoran]

Nosher?

[Thomas Rendle]

John Speelman's nickname has always been shorten to 'Spess' from Specimen.

Simon Williams as Ginger GM.

At the club player level there's also Robin 'Hacker' Haldane.

[MJMcCready]

Nosher?

Who is Nosher except from a rather rambunctuous character in the film Eat the Rich?

You are most welcome to watch this very short clip and tell me whether this character was indeed a chess player -somehow I have my doubts. Hold with it and youll see why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOm0LR4rzcE

[MJMcCready]

John Speelman's nickname has always been shorten to 'Spess' from Specimen.

Just double checked and confirmed by GM Speelman himself.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Who is Nosher except from a rather rambunctuous character in the film Eat the Rich?

"Nosher L. Git" is an anagramatical nickname for Nigel Short. I think it was invented by Tony Miles. Obviously Short doesn't like this name (e.g. see http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... -face.html). If the person at the receiving end doesn't like what he's being called then perhaps it could better be described as an insult than a nickname.

Edit: However I'd make an exception for "The Penguin" as that is very funny and accurate.

[MJMcCready]

Who is the penguin?

[Nick Burrows]

Who is the penguin?

[MJMcCready]

Huh but that's not a real player, that's just a cartoon character.

[John Upham]

Who is the penguin?

https://www.kingpinchess.net/2011/10/10 ... ond-keene/

[MJMcCready]

Good lord, he's been called much worse than that by a great many. I thought his nickname was Raymundo?

[MJMcCready]

Oh and wasn't Capablanca called Capa?

[John Upham]

Oh and wasn't Capablanca called Capa?

Yes, and so was John Cornforth (except it was "Kapa").

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

He used to breeze into the MOLS common room at The University of Sussex for tea and a roll.

[John Upham]

Good lord, he's been called much worse than that by a great many. I thought his nickname was Raymundo?

or GMRDKOBE

don't forget the OBE whatever you do.

[Gerard Killoran]

Good lord, he's been called much worse than that by a great many. I thought his nickname was Raymundo?

or GMRDKOBE

don't forget the OBE whatever you do.

1. The Penguin
2. Mondo
3. But his official ECF nickname is, 'Persona Non Grata'.