The GazetteAugust 2018

Registered Charity Number 263049

Supporting Chess Players with Sight LossBCA Website Address: www.braillechess.org.ukEmail: customerservices@braillechess.org.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/braillechess @braillechessFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrailleChess

To contact a member of the committee, please see the Braille Chess Association’s website where there is a facility for emailing each officer.

Note: The views expressed in the Gazette do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the BCA, nor those of the editor.

CONTENTSEditorial.......................................................................................................................................................................3Forthcoming Events.....................................................................................................................................................4All Under One Roof.....................................................................................................................................................5Words from the Whitehouse........................................................................................................................................6Summary of Privacy and Data Protection Policy........................................................................................................7Circulated Membership List........................................................................................................................................7Membership Secretary’s Report..................................................................................................................................8Correspondence Chess Director’s Report....................................................................................................................88th BCA Email Tournament.........................................................................................................................................9Don’t Give Up Too Easily!..........................................................................................................................................9Haaksbergen Trip 2018..............................................................................................................................................11Chairman’s Cup.........................................................................................................................................................11David Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Prize 2018.......................................................................................13Millennium Club, the BCA’s monthly lottery...........................................................................................................13Calling Online Shoppers............................................................................................................................................13BCA Bags and Polo Shirts.........................................................................................................................................13Echoes of an Olympiad – Part 3................................................................................................................................13Themed Chess Breaks Windermere 2018..................................................................................................................15Antoine’s CD.............................................................................................................................................................17Puzzles Selected by Chris..........................................................................................................................................17Personalia...................................................................................................................................................................17Geoffrey Ronald Patching 1924-2018.......................................................................................................................18Leslie Vincent Whittle 1939-2018.............................................................................................................................19

EditorialWarning: Contains lactose!At the end of May I joined thousands of other people on a Cotswold slope so steep that it’s difficult to stand on it never mind climb up it. We had gathered to witness the annual Cheese Rolling! This eccentric tradition involves rolling a round of cheese down a hill for competitors to chase after. The winner gets the cheese! The cheese, a Double Gloucester naturally, had been decorated with ribbons and was carried to the top of the hill by the Master of Ceremonies, accompanied by the runners. When everyone was in place, the crowd began a low, insistent chant: “Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!” The chanting increased in volume and tempo, before erupt-ing into a deafening roar the moment the MC set the cheese loose on its downhill trajectory. A second later the runners were off, leaping through the air and tumbling literally head over heels in pursuit. Meanwhile the cheese bounced on the uneven surface and was launched high into the air. It touched down briefly several times before becoming airborne again as it hurtled past the onlookers. The descent is perilous. Coarse grass and other low level vegetation such as nettles and brambles cover the slope. Any tussock or concealed bumpy patch is enough to knock a runner off balance. Right before me, a competitor fell on his back and lay there not moving. An anxious hush descended as medics hurried to help him. After some seemingly endless moments the man got up, unscathed. He had only been winded and everyone breathed a col-lective sigh of relief. Some runners have suffered terrible injuries. Spectators are also at risk. If the rough ground sends the cheese veering off course, anyone in its path had better beware for this mighty dairy product weighs around 9lb and reaches speeds of up to 70 miles an hour. It’s a health and safety nightmare!How fortunate we are then, that chess does not usually result in physical injuries and we don’t routinely need to have a mountain rescue team standing by. Nevertheless, your committee is keen to ensure that members have every protection to which they are entitled and to that end we have an extensive range of policies in place. Re-cently a lot of work has been done on these and there are some updates in this issue which I would urge you to read. It’s crucial that we have these policies in order to comply with legislation, to protect our standing as a reput-able charity and most importantly of all to safeguard the interests of our members.Also in this issue we have the usual updates on correspondence tournaments including a game from the latest email event. There are reports on the Haaksbergen trip and the Chairman’s Cup, together with a poem dedicated to the 25th Chess Theme Break in Windermere. Our Treasurer has some great offers and fundraising suggestions and you can find out who won gold as we continue to recall events from the 1968 Olympiad in Weymouth.Finally, we pay tribute to two longstanding members who passed away in recent months: Geoff Patching and Les Whittle. In view of their loyalty and contributions to the BCA over many decades they will each have a tourna-ment in their memory next year. See Forthcoming Events for details. In the May issue, I omitted to record that the obituary for Hans Cohn was written by Stan Lovell with assistance from others and I apologise for that.In case you’re wondering how the cheese rolling ended, I can report that the cheese reached the bottom of the hill and was claimed by the nimblest of the runners in less time than it has taken you to read this editorial. You might be curious as to why people do it? It’s a mystery to me. This year’s winner is a seasoned cheese roller who has prevailed over the competition no fewer than 22 times, yet locally it is rumoured that he doesn’t even like cheese!Please send me your contributions for the November issue by the end of September.Julie Leonard

3

Forthcoming Events16 th to 18 th November 2018: International Open Tournament, Hallmark Hotel, Derby This year's International Autumn tournament will be held at the Hallmark Hotel, Derby. The hotel has excellent facilities and is very conveniently located within a few yards walk of Derby railway station.There will be two five round chess tournaments. The Open section is open to all visually impaired chess players and associate members of the BCA. The Challengers is limited to those graded 100 or below. The entry fee for both tournaments is £10. Arbiters will be Julie Leonard and Matthew Carr. Tristram Cole will act as steward.The cost of dinner, bed and breakfast for members and associate members is £40 per person per night for Friday and Saturday nights in a single room, and £37 per person per night sharing a double/twin room. For non members and those staying on the Sunday night, the cost will be £58 per person in a single room and £51 per person sharing a double/twin. The closing date for entries is 21st September.Please direct any queries relating to the tournament to the organiser, Voldi Gailans.15 th to 17 th March 2019: The Les Whittle Memorial AGM Weekend Chess Congress This will take place at The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate. The AGM will be held at 2pm on Saturday 16th March. We are pleased to be returning to this popular hotel with its excellent facilities. The hotel is located close to the town centre, and a short taxi ride from the railway station.There will be two five round chess tournaments. The Open section is open to all visually impaired chess players and associate members of the BCA. The Challengers is limited to those graded 100 or below. The entry fee for both tournaments is £10. The cost of dinner, bed and breakfast for members and associate members is £42 per person per night for Friday and Saturday nights regardless of room type. For members and associate members staying on the Sunday night, the cost will be £59 per person in a single room and £51.50 per person in a double/twin. For prices for non-members, please contact the organiser.The closing date for entries is 25th January 2019. Please send your entry fee and full payment for all accommodation to Gill Smith by this date. Please send any resolutions or other items for inclusion on the AGM agenda to Guy Whitehouse by 31st December 2018. Also, let Guy know if you are planning to attend the AGM without staying at the hotel so that we can let you have the AGM papers. Organiser Steve Burnell.Tuesday 9 th July to Tuesday 16 th July 2019: The Geoff Patching Memorial British Championship This will be held at The Livermead House Hotel, Torquay. It will be a seven round event, with one round each day, and will be open to all visually impaired chess players both from the UK and overseas. It will also be open to all associate members of the BCA. The British Champion will be the highest placed UK visually impaired player. Depending on the entry, there may also be a Challengers event in addition to the main championship.This is a new venue for the BCA but it comes with good recommendations. For the last few years it has been the venue for a very popular one week chess tournament run by the Devon Chess Association and a few of our members have attended that.The cost to BCA members and associate members will be £290 per person for the week, for dinner, bed and breakfast regardless of room type. The entry fee will be £10. For anyone staying part of the week only, the cost will be £42 per person per night for dinner, bed and breakfast. For anyone wishing to stay additional nights at the beginning or end of the tournament, the cost per night will be £69 per person regardless of room type. Payment for entry and all accommodation, including any additional nights, should be sent to the Treasurer by the closing date of 14th May 2019.Organisers Gary and Tanvi. Booking Conditions and ProceduresBy entering a BCA tournament, a player is deemed to have consented for their name and any special requirements to be passed to the hotel prior to the event. Also, consent is considered to have been given for a player’s name, club, results and possibly also their gender to be sent to the ECF for grading purposes. For juniors, the date of birth is also required if they are to get the age-related grading bonus they are entitled to.If you have any queries about the hotel or the tournament please contact the organiser. Blind and partially sighted UK residents under the age of 25 receive free entry and free accommodation when playing in BCA events. In appropriate circumstances, free accommodation is also available to a parent or guardian accompanying a junior.Visually impaired UK residents in their first year of membership receive their first BCA weekend event free or £100 reduction in the cost of a week-long event. They may also be accompanied by a guide or companion who

4

will receive the same concession. For a first event we ask for payment in advance and we then make a refund at the event.You may pay in these ways:Cheques payable to Braille Chess Association should be sent to Gill Smith, see the front of the Gazette for her address.Online or telephone payments may be made to: Braille Chess Association, sort code 40 52 40, account number 00082456.Credit/debit card payments may be made through the BCA website.If you pay by direct payment then you should inform Gill when the payment has been made. Bookings accepted after the closing date are subject to a £10 late booking penalty for each person. Late bookings and entries are accepted at the discretion of the organiser. Bookings are confirmed when full payment has been received. Payments can only be refunded within the time limit set in the terms and conditions set by the hotels. Members are advised to take out holiday insurance to cover themselves.When contacting Gill please let her know if you want a single, double or twin room and if you have a preference for a bath or a shower. And remember, if emailing Gill, copy in the tournament organiser.Also say whether any of the following apply.

1 If you will be bringing a guide dog;2 If you are on a special diet;3 If you have mobility problems and would benefit from being located in a room near to a lift;4 If you are a wheelchair user;5 If you feel you would have any special difficulties in an emergency such as a fire evacuation;6 Any other special requirements.

The BCA reserves the right to refuse or cancel any entry or to exclude any person from any event it runs.

All Under One RoofA note from your Congress Support Officer, Mark Kirkham:If you would like to participate in any of the following events, or indeed any that are not listed here, then why not make use of the congress support scheme? It's designed to help BCA members meet the costs of entering mainstream congresses such as travel and accommodation expenses, or just the entry fee itself. It's open to all members who have played in a BCA event over the past year who have not also received international funding. For anyone who was previously deterred by the bind of writing a report on the event, you will be pleased to hear that this requirement has been removed as we felt it was somewhat formal. All we ask for now is a little feedback. In particular, if you are considering entering one of the events listed below, some of these are popular with BCA members so you may well find yourself in good company. Please contact me at least one week in advance of your proposed event if you wish to put in a claim. List of All Under One Roof events by Guy Whitehouse: This list should not be treated as definitive and is only as complete as I can make it whilst complying with gazette deadlines. The following events take place in hotels so the accommodation and tournament are at the same venue.Castle ChessThese are organised by the Castle Chess directors, Tony and Barbara Corfe and Mark Shaw. The website www.castlechess.co.uk gives the email address. Castle Chess are well used to having visually impaired participants in their events. I have also found that other participants in Castle Chess events have got to know and befriended BCA players.Please note that unless otherwise stated, all Castle Chess congresses are now six-round Swiss events and you are allowed to take a half-point bye in any two of the first five rounds. The grading bands are an U195 Championship which also has an U175 Premier section, the Major for those under 155 with an Intermediate section for U135s, and a Minor section for those with a grade less than 115 with a Challengers section for U95s.5th – 7th October 2018, 13th Fareham Congress, Lysses House Hotel, FarehamThe hotel only has a few single rooms, so try to book up quickly if you want one! Other EventsIrish Chess Union tournaments: There are a number of chess events scheduled from August and through the autumn by the Irish Chess Union which all seemed to be based at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan Road Dublin. Contact the Tournaments Officer, Ivan Baburin for more details.

5

31st August – 2nd September 2018, English Womens’ Championships, St John’s Hotel, Solihull This is a five-round, FIDE-rated Swiss. However no details are given of the grading limits for sections and there are no contact details for an organiser, so I suggest you contact the English Chess Federation.2nd – 8th September 2018, 68th DCCA ‘Paignton’ Congress, Livermead House Hotel, Torquay TQ2 6QJYou can enter a five-round Swiss tournament (U180 or U135) where games start at 9.30am and finish by 1pm. Or you can play in a seven-round event (Open, Challengers U180, Intermediate U150 or Minor U120) where games start at 2pm and finish by 9pm. Contact Matthew Wilson. 12th - 14th October 2018, 53rd Dorset Open Congress, Elstead Hotel, Knyveton Road, BournemouthThis is a five-round Swiss with four sections: an Open, a Major (U-160), an Intermediate (U-135) and a Minor (U-115). Contact Ian Clark.31st October – 4th November 2018, 4NCL International FIDE-rated Congress, Park Inn, TelfordThere are nine rounds and four FIDE-rated sections: a Grandmaster norm Open, an U-2050, an U-1825 and an U-1600. Contact Mike Truran.5th – 9th November 2018, 19th Royal Beacon Seniors Congress, Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth‘Juniors’ 50-64 and Seniors 65+ No other details are given. Contact R. H. Jones.9th – 11th November 2018, 52nd Torbay Congress, Livermead House Hotel, TorquayThis is a five-round Swiss with four sections: an Open, a Major (U-170), an Intermediate (U-140) and a Foundation (U-120). Contact Phil McConnell.

Words from the WhitehouseThe committee held a meeting on 19th May and this is a brief summary of the main points covered at that meeting.The association’s policies: The Charity Commission had recently requested charities to review their safeguarding policy. We did this and made some amendments which will be published on our website. We also had to cover requirements introduced by the new General Data Protection Regulations. You’ll see a separate article from me on this which gives a potted summary of the new privacy and data protection policy we’re adopting. Quite a lot of work went into that side of things, but the meeting did look at other issues as well.Please note that we also have a complaints policy on our website, together with several others. Policies are available in Braille, audio or large print on request.Recruitment: All of the committee are so busy that they have little time to concentrate energy on driving up membership; not only that, but what we have tried in the past (Sight Village for example) has had limited results. This led us to consider looking into employing a dedicated recruiter. Chris suggested one organisation we could approach and by the time you read this I’ll have tried contacting them.We’re also going to write to those running active chess leagues to see if they know of any visually impaired players who might want to join us. Finally on the issue of recruitment, Voldi is going to try to make contact with Worcester and RNC, Hereford.Mobile phones: We decided people were now experienced enough to know that mobile phones should never go off during a game so we’re adopting a firmer approach on this. People will be warned at the start of each round that if their phone rings or receives a text, the game will be forfeit. People will also be reminded that mobile phones must not be on their person during the game.Chess equipment: We’re purchasing some earphones for use with the talking digital clock in case participants come unprepared. We’ve also purchased a new batch of Chess Baron sets, large and small which Julie put a huge amount of time into assessing. This is not really her role and she deserves public thanks for such an effort. I still have to contact Italy about whether magnetic sets of a different size are available.Tournament matters: We were pleased and grateful that David Clayton has expressed an interest in helping us out with our events. Meanwhile Gary Wickett and Tanvi Muir have agreed to act as organisers for the British Championships scheduled for next year; well done to them!

6

Fundraising: Julia has done her usual great job and since October has raised just over £24,000. It goes without saying that it is her work which has enabled us to fund activities to the level we do. I’ve got to the point where I could prepare a blank minutes document and insert thanks to her before committee members had even circulated their initial pre-meeting reports! Whilst on the topic of finance, we should not forget the work Gill does as Treasurer and helper to tournament organisers. Without this behind the scenes but vital work, the association could easily get into a financial mess! Guy Whitehouse.

Summary of Privacy and Data Protection PolicyAs mentioned in my Words from the Whitehouse article the introduction of the new General Data Protection Regulations has required us to overhaul our privacy and data handling processes. The following is a brief statement of the essentials of our new policy. A full version of the new policy is available on our website, and I’d be happy to field queries from members who want to know more, though if you’re like me you’ve probably had enough of this topic already!Typically the data we hold on members includes name, date of birth for juniors, such contact details as are provided to us when people join and the format in which they prefer to receive information or play correspondence chess. The Treasurer needs to keep records of financial transactions, e.g. money received to enter a tournament for legal reasons.We only use contact details for the purposes of sending members the gazette or other publications/products they request, though of course the committee might need to contact members for other reasons on an ad hoc basis.We will not normally share your data without your consent, though it is a condition for entering our tournaments that you allow your name to be included in the tournament programme if you are attending as a guest or player. If you receive a Braille programme we will also need to share your address with the Braille producer and of course we will need to send results to the English Chess Federation for grading purposes.When a member is travelling abroad to represent the association in an event, we need to share date of birth and passport details with the relevant airline and to provide such data as the tournament organisers require. We may need to share some basic personal data with the English Chess Federation if the player in question does not have a FIDE ID.Please note that we have no obvious technical means of hiding the email addresses of people who send emails to our Yahoo User Group. The sender’s address is visible to all recipients, just as it is with any other email, so do bear this in mind if you contribute to discussions.We will not be contacting you to obtain your consent to continue sending you the gazette as you paid for the right to receive it when you became members, though of course you can ask us to stop sending it if you wish. We are currently working on the basis that we will need consent to circulate the membership list. Fortunately verbal consent seems adequate for this as long as we keep notes. Gill started gathering consent at the Chairman’s Cup in Bournemouth. Please see Gill’s article below for further details. We also recognise that we need consent to continue circulating the list of email addresses that Julie has been producing. If you’re on the list you should already have received an email from Julie asking whether wish to remain on it.You can contact us regarding data we hold on you and we will respond in accordance with the general guidelines and the time limits laid down in the new regulations and the Data Protection Act 1998.Guy Whitehouse.

Circulated Membership ListWe need your permission to share your postal address with other BCA members. Please note that this is a separate exercise to giving permission for your email address to be shared.The BCA maintains a membership list which includes name, address, membership type and preferred format for correspondence.To comply with the new GDPR rules we are asking members if they agree to have these details circulated within the BCA membership.Unless you opt in you will not receive any further copies of the membership list. If you opt in then you will still be able to receive the membership list. The list which is circulated will only include those that have opted in.Gill Smith

7

Membership Secretary’s ReportNew MembersWe have four new members who have joined in the last three months. I’m pleased to welcome Aloysius Costa, a visually impaired teenager who recently moved from India to Harrow, London. He tells me he has attended many chess tournaments winning cups and medals so I’m hoping he will be attending one of ours in the very near future. Maybe he’ll give the Challengers or Open section a bit of a shake up!Mark Longstaff from Bradford has just joined as a 5 year visually impaired member and we were delighted that he was able to attend the Chairman’s Cup this June in Bournemouth. Although Mark didn’t play in the actual tournament he took part in many chess coaching sessions provided by the local Bournemouth chess club and our very own expert, Norman Wragg.We have a new associate annual member, Jane Lovering from Henley on Thames, who has joined our association as she has visually impaired pupils who have an interest in chess which she wishes to encourage.Finally my friend Karel Swanepoel, a visually impaired life coach from South Africa, has joined as a life member. Lea and I have had the pleasure of playing chess and chatting to Karel over Skype for many years and it’s great to have him join our Association.Life MembershipLong standing member Dan Rugman has just re-joined as a life member. At only 50 pounds life membership is outstanding value and not only does it save money but it helps reduce the admin burden on members and the BCA.DeceasedI’m extremely sad to report that Geoff Patching and Les Whittle recently passed away. They were wonderful people and contributed so much to the BCA over many years. They will be very much missed.Mark Hague

Correspondence Chess Director’s Report44th BCA CORRESPONDENCE TOURNAMENT 2017-18 Premier - Group Leader Paul Benson On 9th June after a long period of suffering the Group Leader of the Premier section, Les Whittle, passed away. His unfinished game will be adjudicated in accordance with correspondence rules, the result will appear next quarter. Mike Hague 0 - 1 McElroy, Giuoco Piano, 25. McElroy 0.5 - 0.5 Whittle, Sicilian, 25. Phillips 1 - 0 Mike Hague, Queen's Pawn, 30. Scores: Alec Crombie 4-4, Ernie McElroy 1.5-3, Les Whittle 1.5-3, George Phillips 1-2, Mike Hague 0-4. Challenger Group A - Group Leader Denis Warren Final scores: Denis Warren 3.5-4, Guy Whitehouse 3.5, Eric Gallacher 2, Voldi Gailans 1, Arthur Greatrex 0. Challenger Group B - Group Leader Gary Wickett On 13th May Geoff Patching quietly passed away. His unfinished games will be adjudicated in accordance with correspondence rules, the results will appear next quarter. Scores: Derek Heyes 3-3, Gary Wickett 2-3, Jim Cuthbert 2-4, Geoff Patching 0-1, Eleanor Tew 0-3. BCA LEAGUE 2018-19 Division 1 - Group Leader Guy Whitehouse Crombie 1 - 0 Mike Hague, Caro-Kann, 23. Scores: Alec Crombie 1.5-2, Mark Hague 0.5-1, Ernie McElroy 0-0, Mike Hague 0-1. Division 2 - Group Leader Voldi Gailans The games involving Geoff Patching have not progressed far enough for adjudication. The simplest solution is to cancel all his games with no result. Final scores: Derek Heyes 2-2, Voldi Gailans 1, Denis Warren 0. Congratulations to Derek Heyes on winning Division 2. Division 3 - Group Leader George Phillips Tew 0 - 1 Whitehouse, Queen's Pawn, 32. Cuthbert 0 - 1 Phillips, Centre Counter, 28. Whitehouse 1 - 0 Phillips, Budapest Gambit, 20. Scores: Guy Whitehouse 2-2, George Phillips 1-2, Eric Gallacher 0-0, Arthur Greatrex 0-0, Jim Cuthbert 0-1, Eleanor Tew 0-1.

8

FRIENDLY LADDER TABLE Anyone wishing to play a friendly game on the Ladder should now contact myself, details as shown in list of Officers. Any friendly games played under correspondence conditions, such as by Braille, tape, email, phone, can qualify as a Friendly Ladder game. Please report such games and let your efforts be reflected in your accumulating score. Tony Elbourn 1 - 0 Warren, Queen's Gambit Declined, 21. Scores: 8 Roger Bishop; 7 Jim Cuthbert; 5 Stan Lightowler; 4 Mark Hague, Dorothy Hodges, Stan Lovell, Eleanor Tew, Denis Warren; 3 Ernie McElroy, Geoff Patching, Lea Ryan, Les Whittle; 2 Lionel Bryant, Derek Couchman, Tony Elbourn, Mike Meaney, Jason Pearce, Ann Saunders, Bill Tatum; 1 Christopher Huby. In closing, to those about to start a game: Break a peg!Paul Benson

8th BCA Email TournamentEamonn Casey and Philip Doyle write: Our latest email tournament reached its conclusion in May. On this occasion we have 4 clear-cut winners. As already reported in the May 2018 gazette, Peter Gibbs once again wrapped up Division 1 and Anthony Borg col-lected the Division 4 title. The outcome of the remaining games in the other divisions resulted in Derek Heyes winning Division 2 and Steve Thacker bouncing back to win Division 3. In Division 3, Michael Meaney had to withdraw for health reasons, and as none of his games had reached 25 moves, the minimum requirement for adju-dication, the points have been awarded to his opponents. We wish Mike a speedy recovery, and hope to have him back again competing in September. The tournament ran very smoothly, and Philip and I would like to thank everyone who took part for their excellent co-operation.We hope to have you all back again in September, and if you enjoyed your email chess experience, perhaps you'll encourage some of your friends to give it a go.Division 1: Peter Gibbs, Colin Chambers, Philip Doyle, Stan Lovell.Final Scores: Gibbs 3, Chambers 1.5, Doyle 1, Lovell 0.5.Division 2: Steve Burnell, Derek Heyes, Richard Murphy, Eamonn Casey.Results since the May gazette:

Murphy beat CaseyBurnell drew with Murphy

Final scores: Heyes 2.5, Burnell 2, Murphy 1.5 Casey 0Division 3: Voldi Gailans, Michael Meaney, Stephen Thacker, Dennis Warren, Tony Lawton.Results since the May gazette:

Warren beat MeaneyMeaney lost to LawtonThacker beat MeaneyMeaney lost to Gailans

Final scores: Thacker 3.5, Gailans 3, Warren 2, Lawton 1.5 Meaney 0 (withdrew)Division 4: Gill Smith, Anthony Borg, Bill Tatum, Muzzimil Lakhani.Final Scores: Borg 3, Smith 2, Tatum 1, Lakhani 0 (withdrew)

Editor’s note: Congratulations to all the winners! To great applause, the Division 1 trophy was awarded to Peter Gibbs during the prize giving at the Chairman’s Cup in Bournemouth. His trophy collection continues to grow!

Don’t Give Up Too Easily!Richard Murphy writes:Having not played any correspondence chess for a while, I decided to try my luck in the 8th BCA Email Tournament. I was in Division 2, facing Derek Heyes, Steve Burnell, and Eamonn Casey. Here is my game with white against Eamonn.Murphy - Casey1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. h4 a6

9

I play my correspondence games exactly like over-the-board games. I set up the position on a board and analyse as best I can, without even moving the pieces and with no use of reference materials. The only difference is more time for pondering. These notes reflect what I saw as a result.Eamonn rejected 6… Bxg5 7. h xg5 Qxg5 8 Nh3: I was already uncertain what to do.7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Qg4 0-0 9. f4. I’ve made a lot of pawn moves but I remembered from some of my o-t-b games that White must bolster his centre. 9…c5 10. Nf3 h6. Black prevents 11. Ng5 but expends a tempo and weakens the King-side.11. 0-0-0 Nc6 12. Ne2 Qe8 13. Ng3. Aiming for Nh5, putting pressure on g7.13… f5 14. Qh3 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Rxd4 Nc5. By now I was worried. Black has forced the White queen off the g-file and is eating away White’s centre.17. Be2 Bd7 18. Bh5 Qe7 19. Bf3. So that the knight can move without allowing …Ne4 threatening…Nf2.19… Rac8 20. Nf1. I spent a long time on this move, putting the knight on the edge and cutting off the rook on h1; but Ne3, protecting c2, seemed essential.20… Bb5 21. Kb1. Just in time, I saw that the immediate 21. Ne3 allows…Nd3+ followed by…Nf2.21… Qc7 22. Ne3 Na4 23. Rd2. (23. Bd1 protects c2 but fails to 23…Qc5 attacking the rook and pinning it against the knight).23… Qc5 24. Nd1 Qb4 25. Rf2 Rc4 26. a3. An undesirable weakening of the Q-side, but I had to force the Queen off the b-file so that my knight could move.26… Qc5 27. Bh5. 27. g3 protects the f-pawn but cuts the queen off from the defence of the King.27… d4. At this point I was contemplating resignation. White has no K-side attack and surely Black’s threats of …d3 and along the c-file are too many to meet. I decided on one last try.28. g4. With hopes, after 28…fxg4 29. Bxg4, of threats against e6.28… Bc6 I think this may be a mistake by Black. It forces the rook from h1 to h2, where it adds to the defence of c2. I was more worried about 28… Rc8, tripling on the c-file, or 28… Rd8, supporting the advance of the d-pawn.29. R1h2 Be4 30. gxf5 exf5. Here I think 30…Bxf5 was better. The pawn capture gives White a passed e-pawn and, crucially, allows White to pin the Rook on c4 for one move.31. Qb3. I considered 31. b3 but 31…Nc3+ 32. Nxc3 Rxc3 is horrid for White.31… Kh8 32. Bf3. I saw the dangers of giving Black another passed pawn, but thought that I had to eliminate the powerful bishop.32… d3 33. Bxe4 fxe4 34. cxd3 Rc1+ 35. Ka2 e3 36. Rc2. This was my only chance to stop Black tripling on the c-file.36… Rxc2 37. Rxc2 Qd4. Now I spent a long time analysing 38. Nxe3 Qxe3 39. Qxa4, but after 39… Qxf4 or 39…Rxf4 White’s e- and h- pawns are under attack. 38. Qxb7 allows…38. Qxd3. I decided to force an exchange of queens in the hope of picking up the e-pawn and hanging on. I saw that after the queen exchange the passed d- and e-pawns would give White counterplay. 38. Qb4 Rxf4. (I had mainly analysed 38…Qxb4 39. axb4 Rxf4. After 40. Nxe3, White threatens 41. e6 Kg8 42. e7 Kf7 and Black cannot take the e7 pawn at once because of Nd5+ forking King and Rook. White also had threats of Nd5 and b3, trapping the Knight on a4, or advancing the d-pawn to support the e-pawn. Depending on Rook moves, White could also play Nf5 or Nd5, protecting the e-pawn and opening possibilities of Rc7 or Rc8). 39. Qxd4 Rxd4 40. e6 Kg8 41. e7 Kf7. The books say “advance passed pawns as fast as possible” and they seem to be right in this case. 42. Nxe3 Rxd3. I had not expected Black to fall for 42… Kxe7 43. Nf5+ and in-deed he didn’t, but:43. Nf5 This move still wins. I had seen on the previous analysis that the knight prevents Black playing …Re3, getting behind the pawn. Before sending 43. Nf5 I analysed various lines with 44. Rc8, before seeing that 43…Nb6 prevents it. Then I remembered that the books also say “Put Rooks behind passed pawns”. 44. Re2 is much better, protecting the e-pawn and supporting its advance to e8.43… Black resigns. 43… Ke8 is answered by 44. Rc8+, and after 43… Rd7 44. Re2 Black can only prevent the e-pawn from queening by giving up his rook for it. So I’m glad I didn’t resign! If things look bad, don’t give up hope too quickly.

10

My thanks to Eamonn, Steve Burnell, and Derek Heyes for their sportsmanship during the games and to Philip Doyle and Eamonn for organising the tournament. Why not try it in September?

11

Haaksbergen Trip 2018On Thursday 12th April Tanvi Muir, Gary Wickett and myself caught the 18.20 boat train from Liverpool Street station to Harwich. At Harwich we only had a short while to wait before boarding.After arriving at the Hoek of Holland we caught a bus to Schiedam and then a train to Rotterdam and on to Hengelo. It was a smooth trip and we arrived earlier than expected. At Hengelo we met up with Steve Hilton and it turned out we had been on the same train from Amsfoort but at different ends! We were then picked up and taken to our host families.We went to the centre where we would be playing, met up with many of the contestants from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and discovered which table we would be playing on. There were 44 players on 11 tables.Steve Hilton was number 1 on board one against Olav Lucas (NL), Ewald Heck (D) and Hugo Roman (B). Steve managed the only win on his table in the match against Hugo Roman, all other games were drawn. This meant that Steve was in first place, and theoretically the champion of the contest.Gary Wickett was originally drawn on table 9 but by the morning had been moved up to table 5. His opponents were Natasha Dalle (B), Johan Schroer (NL) and Hans-Peter Engel (D). Gary obtained a draw against Johan Schroer and lost the other two matches. Although Gary was ahead in the match against Natasha Dalle and in his own words it was an unlucky loss due to a blunder at the end.I was on table 7 against Kris Bauwens (B), Marieke de Lange (NL) and Thom van Empelen (B). I managed a draw against Thom van Empelen and was soundly beaten in the other two games.The first prize Steve received was a basket of goodies containing wurst (spicy sausage), chocolate and nuts, second prize was a jar of marmalade.On the Saturday afternoon IBIS arranged a simultaneous display by Zyon Kollen. This consisted of 12 boards arranged alternately between white and black so the opponents could choose which colour to play. Only Steve from our team took part and he sadly lost. In fact Zyon only lost one game to Gerard de Lange.Away from the chess, on Sunday Steve and I took a trip on a steam train running between Haaksbergen and Boekelo. This is an excursion I would recommend. The British contingent went for a meal with their host families at a restaurant in the town centre on the Sunday night.On Monday morning Steve left early(ish) to catch his flight to Glasgow. Tanvi, Gary and I went into town and had a couple of coffees and a slice of pie before heading to the station. We had no problems on the return trip, all the staff at the stations were, as usual, helpful and fluent in English. At the port we managed to get checked in quite quickly and had assistance getting our luggage onto the boat, and assistance getting to our cabins.We arrived on time at Harwich and a member of the crew took us to the front of the queue for the lift to the gangway level and provided us with a trolley. Luckily, at passport control we were taken to the front of the queue as there was a large group that had spread out so we got on our train with nearly 30 minutes to spare. To avoid the rush hour we had a cooked breakfast at Liverpool Street station before wending our way home.Next year’s competition will be on 6th and 7th April 2019, which, if travelling by the same method, would mean the trip would be from 4th to 9th April. It would be nice if more people went on the Haaksbergen trip next year.Mike Murphy

Chairman’s CupNorman Andrews writes:The Chairman's Cup competition took place from June 15th to the 22nd at the Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth. This year it was held in memory of Jan Lovell, who sadly died last year. Jan was a stalwart of the BCA, and, for many years, together with Stan, arranged venues for the various BCA tournaments. She was a warm, hospitable person, and knew how to get the best out of life. Her many interests included travel, particularly to Greece, which she loved, music, and dining out. She has left happy memories to those who knew her.This was the BCA's first visit to the Marsham Court, but, hopefully, not the last. The hotel was clean and comfort-able, and the staff were invariably friendly and helpful. The outdoor swimming pool was an added attraction to some of our members. John Jenkins did very well to find such a suitable venue at quite short notice after the Whitehall became unavailable. John also arranged an enjoyable and varied programme of evening entertainments. We had music from Charlotte and David Gallagher, and also a superb performance from the Southern Union Chorus, which was remarkably well attended considering that England played their first World Cup game that evening.

12

We also had a chess simultaneous display where five of our players managed to draw against local expert, Martin Simons, on Tuesday evening, Keith Lewis ran a Quiz, when our team was sunk by a complete lack of knowledge of chocolate bars. Wednesday was the night of the murder mystery. Amazingly one of the teams found the solu-tion. I took part, and I was not sure who was the culprit. Pauline Wragg displayed remarkable acting ability as the femme fatale.On Friday we had the raffle followed by the traditional soirée. Christine had worked assiduously selling raffle tickets, and the total collected was one hundred and forty one pounds. Some very generous prizes had been donated. Stan opened the soirée with his infectious Boogie Woogie, and was followed by, Clare, Julie, Gary, Ant-oine, Voldi and Dan, accompanied by Tanvi on the piano. They performed "By the Rivers of Babylon". It was a tremendous performance. Words could not do it justice. After the usual high quality performances the evening ended with a spirited Zorba's Dance as a tribute to Jan.The chess, as usual, was hard fought, but played in a sporting and friendly atmosphere. Richard Murphy led, or shared the lead throughout the tournament but was joined on the line by George Phillips who played some excel-lent chess. Others worthy of mention are Mark Hague, who was in contention until the last round, newcomers Tony and Irene Elbourn, whom we hope to see again, and Richard Harrington, whose score did not reflect the im-provement in his play. Tony Lawson's claim to fame was not on the chessboard but on the zip wire from the pier to the beach. A brave performance!Gerry Walsh controlled the tournament efficiently, and the week went very smoothly. Altogether, an excellent week, with good company, good chess, a good hotel, and even good weather.Editor’s note: Norman modestly neglected to mention what a superb job he himself did as steward!

FINAL SCORES AND PRIZEWINNERSJoint 1st on 5 points: Richard Murphy and George Phillips (Murphy won the trophy on tie-break)Joint 3rd on 4.5 points: Voldi Gailans, Mark Hague and Phil Gordon4 points: Colin Chambers and Steve Thacker; also John Jenkins, Gary Wickett and Dan Rugman who shared Grading Prize A; and Steve Bailey who won Grading Prize B3.5 points: Stan Lovell3 points: Tony Lawton, Jim Cuthbert, Gill Smith2.5 points: Tony Elbourn1 point: Richard Harrington, who won Grading Prize C0.5 points: Irene ElbournWe were grateful to Lea Ryan for playing a few games in the early rounds so that nobody had to have a bye.

ROUND 6 GAME: Mark Hague v Steve Thacker, with notes by MarkIn this game it seems to me that Black is playing for a draw. Eventually White has the Bishop pair against Black's 2 Knights. White opens up the game by playing b3 on move 37 to force pawn exchanges and the more open posi-tion enables White to win the game.1. d4 f5 2. f4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d6 4. e3 Be6 5. Nc3 d5 6. Ne5 g6 7. Bd2 a6 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Qf3 c6 10. Qg3 White prepares for possible King side attack.10. … Qc7 11. a4 White wishes to discourage Black from castling long.11. … c5 12. a5 Nh5 13. Qf2 Bg7 14. Be2 Bxe5 15. fxe5 Ng7 16. 0-0 Bf7 17. Bf3 e6 18. Rfc1 Wishing to reroute Knight on c3.18. … c4 19. Ne2 0-0 20. Nf4 h5 21. h4 Qd8 22. Qg3 Kh7 23. Kf2 Opening up first rank for Rooks.23. … Kh6 24. Nh3 Kh7 25. Ng5+ Kg8 26. Nxf7 Kxf7 27. Rh1 Rh8 28. Qh2 Qe7 29. g3 Rag8 30. c3 Nf831. Rab1 g5 32. hxg5 Qxg5 33. Rbg1 Ng6 34. Ke1 Qe7 Passing time.35. Ke2 Kf8 36. Rb1 Kf7 37. b3 White opens up the game.37. … cxb3 38. Rxb3 Rb8 39. Rha1 Nf8 40. Rb6 Nd7 41. Rb4 Nf8 42. Rab1 Ng6 43. c4 Qd7 44. cxd5 exd545. Qh1 Ke6 46. Rb6+ 1-0

Tony and Irene Elbourn write:We joined BCA in November last year so this was our first attendance at an event. As totally blind people we found the hotel a little difficult to get around, but towards the end of the week we were managing fairly well. The hotel staff were very helpful as were the associate members. We enjoyed the food and our room was comfortable, and very spacious. Our welcome by the members could not have been warmer, and

13

the social events, which were part of the week, were of a very high quality. We both enjoyed a walk to the gar-dens and bird aviary with Christine. Irene spent another afternoon shopping with Christine. Tony was pleased to have a swim in the outdoor pool with Julie. As a complete beginner to competition chess Irene was initially very nervous, but after two or three games and taking part in the simultaneous display, her confidence grew. As Tony had not played a serious game for several years he found that as he expected he was very rusty and made several mistakes. He thought the highlight of the week, over the board, was getting a draw in the simultaneous display. We feel it is unfortunate that we will not be returning to Bournemouth for a couple of years, but we are making plans to attend other events. Editor’s note: It’s rare for such new members to write in to the gazette so special thanks to Tony and Irene for this contribution. Maybe it will inspire others who have yet to try an over the board BCA event to take the plunge!

David Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Prize 2018Members (including associate members) in the British Isles are reminded that they can enter games for the 2018 competition by sending them to any committee member in the format of your choice. This year’s judge is our reigning champion, Bill Armstrong. The competition covers over the board and correspondence games which must have been played in a BCA event or for a BCA team during the year. The aim is to consider games at all levels in the BCA, whatever the grade of the players.Eligible games that are published in the Gazette during 2018 will automatically be included in the competition, but other entries are welcome. So if you played a game that you’re proud of in the Chairman’s Cup, the 8th Email Tournament or any other qualifying event please do send it in! What have you got to lose?

Millennium Club, the BCA’s monthly lotteryRecent Millennium Club winners:

May: John Gallagher, number 58.June: Jim Cuthbert, number 18.July: Celia Gibbs, number 68.

The Millennium Club raises funds for the BCA by holding a monthly draw at £12 per number per year. Each month a lucky winner receives £35. If you wish to enter the draw, send a cheque made payable to “Braille Chess Association” to the treasurer or make an online or telephone payment to the BCA.Gill Smith, Treasurer

Calling Online ShoppersIf you shop online please consider signing up to Give as you Live. This is an online fundraising platform allowing customers to shop at over 4,000 stores and raise funds for charity. The store pays Give as you Live a percentage of the purchase price in commission and of this, 50% is passed on to charity. It’s completely free to join and use, you don’t pay anything extra for your shopping, the donation is made at no extra cost to you. If you email treasurer@braillechess.org.uk then Gill can send you a link to make signing up easy. This also ensures that when you have raised your first £5, Give as you Live adds an extra £5 to our funds.Gill Smith

BCA Bags and Polo ShirtsDrawstring bags carrying the BCA logo are back in stock and available to buy at £5 each. The bags are ideal for transporting a chess clock and a small to medium sized chess set. They can be carried rucksack style or over one shoulder. The bags are black and are 45 cm by 34 cm. They are made of water resistant woven polyester. Polo-shirts with the BCA logo are available at £9. They are royal blue with short sleeves and come in a range of sizes.Please contact me if you wish to buy any of these items. I bring them to events or I can post them to you.Gill Smith

Echoes of an Olympiad – Part 3Julie Leonard writes: We are featuring a series of articles on the Weymouth Olympiad of 1968 to mark the half centenary of this ground breaking event. The Olympiad organiser, John Graham, sent daily reports to the local press and these have been reproduced with the kind permission of Paul Roper at the Dorset Echo. Much gratitude is due to them both and also to BCA member Philip Doyle, whose idea it was to research these newspaper reports.In the May issue, we covered the penultimate round, after which the U.S.S.R. was in the lead on 32 points, closely followed by defending champions Yugoslavia on 31. The United Kingdom and United States were in joint 9th

14

place out of 20 teams. In the 11th and final round, West Germany and Hungary were to face the U.S.S.R and Yugoslavia respectively. Only one point behind, Yugoslavia could still snatch back the lead and win gold!Thursday 11th April 1968: Win against West Germany clinches the titleThe Soviet Union clinched their success in the Blind Chess Olympiad at Weymouth by beating West Germany 3-1 in the last round yesterday morning. The two draws which finished the match quickly were agreed after their closest challengers, Yugoslavia, had already drawn one game, thus making first place impossible. Yugoslavia finally drew with Hungary 2-2 to finish two clear points behind the winners.Rumania won the bronze medals by beating the U.S.A. 3.5-0.5, completing a trio of teams well ahead of the rest.Round 11: U.S.S.R. 3, West Germany 1; Yugoslavia 2, Hungary 2; U.S.A. 0.5, Rumania 3.5; United Kingdom 1.5, Czechoslovakia 2.5; East Germany 4, Executive Team 0; Holland 1.5, Denmark 2.5; Israel 0, Eire 4; Austria 4, Sweden 0; Finland 0, Spain 4; France 0.5, Poland 3.5.Final score list: Gold, U.S.S.R. (35); Silver, Yugoslavia (33); Bronze, Rumania (31.5); 4, East Germany (28.5); 5, Czechoslovakia (28); 6, Austria (25.5); 7 (equal), Hungary and West Germany (23.5); 9, Spain (23); 10, Eire (22.5); 11, United Kingdom (22); 12, Poland (21.5); 13 (equal), Denmark and the U.S.A. (21); 15, Executive reserve Team (19); 16, Holland (18.5); 17, Israel (16); 18, Sweden (14); 19, Finland (10); 20, France (3).Because the competition is a Swiss one, the placings between 4th and 16th place do not mean much, as further rounds would be required to get every team in absolute order. Nevertheless it is interesting to see the United Kingdom again in the middle of the table with a 50 per cent score.In the prize-giving that followed the last round, each team was presented with four pieces of Wedgwood as mementoes of their visit to this country. The last team in the competition, France, were also presented with an enormous china piggy bank adorned with the Union Jack as a consolation prize.They put the gift to good use - making a collection at each table in the hotel. Now they are well on their way to having funds for the next Olympiad!The "Best Game" prize was awarded to Albert Sandrin (U.S.A.) for his game against S. Loftus (Eire). The prize was a beautiful braille mantel clock. The game will be presented in the next Chess Chat in the "Echo."The best performance at Board 1 was shared by four players, with 8 points - Deman (Rumania), Kristensen (Denmark), Florian (Czechoslovakia) and Rudenski (U.S.S.R.). Each received a large piece of Wedgwood china.At Board 2, Kovacs (Czechoslovakia) outstripped his opponents with ten points. He received a king and queen presentation pair designed by Arnold Machin (designer of our new stamps and coins) and made in black jasper ware by Wedgwood. Such king and queen pairs were also received by Malenko Charbakapa (Yugoslavia), who scored nine at Board 3, and the "Lion," at Board 4, Turukin (U.S.S.R.), who was the only player to go through the whole event with a 100 per cent score.Following the presentation of Olympiad prizes, a representative of John Lewis and Partners, Mr. J. T. Webster, presented a new trophy to the new world blind correspondence champion, A. Kristensen (Denmark).This foot high trophy is hand-made in silver and gold to represent a king of Arthurian times. With head and hands in ivory and the dress and figure correct in every detail, the trophy is a work of art not equalled in other prizes in the chess world.Together with the trophy goes a cash prize which is provided by stock in John Lewis, also presented by them.Then representatives of national delegations spoke in turn. Mr. Goldin, of the Israeli delegation, presented the Mayor with the seal of the town of Haifa from the Mayor there.Later there was an informal party, with dancing, singing and many sad farewells. The next individual blind championship will be in Holland in 1970, and the 4th Olympiad in Yugoslavia in 1972. Weymouth 1968 has set the stage for bigger and better things in blind chess.Excerpts from a report by "Echo" reporter JACK FULLFORD: Soviet Union take the goldsAfter a farewell tea, the president of the International Braille Chess Association, Mr. Reg Bonham, expressed the thanks of the chess players to Weymouth for the town's hospitality, and said how much they had all enjoyed a coach tour of Dorset.FRIENDSWeymouth's Mayor, Mrs. Greta Thomas, who had been present at the opening of the Olympiad, was there to say farewell, and told players how she had visited the tournament and watched some of the matches."Although you have had hardly-fought games, you have been the best of friends and have made new friends, and will continue this friendship in the years to come - because this is part of coming from your own homeland to meet others." she said.

15

Mr. J. C. Colligan, director-general of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, whose organisation gave £1,000 to the Olympiad, said he believed that if all international problems could be settled around a chess board, the world would be a better place.From his experience he knew that working with the blind knew no frontiers, no barriers or curtains.TROPHIES PRESENTED TO BLIND CHESS CHAMPIONS"I wish you all every success in your chess and in the work for the blind that goes on in your countries, and every success in the promotion of international peace and understanding." he said.After the presentation of trophies there were speeches of appreciation of the hospitality received and the arrangements made for the Olympiad from representatives of most of the teams.Presents exchanged ranged from books of the Bolshoi Ballet to national dolls.***Thus began an era of Russian domination at IBCA Olympiads which lasted until 2004 when Poland pushed them into second place. The impact of the Weymouth Olympiad was substantial. It was only the 3rd IBCA Olympiad ever held yet it brought together 80 blind chess players from 19 countries and had more teams taking part than the first two Olympiads combined! How much has changed since then. The Iron Curtain has been consigned to history and many European nations have been rearranged in one way or another. These days the IBCA is truly global with many countries from out-side Europe taking part. The foot high trophy presented to Mr Kristensen was undoubtedly a work of art and I hope he was thrilled with it, but many international players wouldn’t thank you for it nowadays with the budget airlines that have taken over our skies granting such meagre baggage allowances!Luckily, one thing that is unchanged is the spirit of friendly competition, which lives on in IBCA events to this day!

Themed Chess Breaks Windermere 2018A poem by Joan Shorrock:

25 years of themed chess breaksThat’s all down to PeterCelia too has a hand in itShe’s amazing, you should meet her!

This year we’ve come from far and wideThrough every kind of weatherWith intensive chess and fun days outWe have great times together.

We come from far flung places,Some from the Emerald Isle!But George does one betterFrom London via Carlisle.

THEN

Do you remember when it rained all week?And when we were stuck in the snow?When the hills were white and the sun shoneGiving them a rosy glow?

We’ve had some wonderful soirées,Dear Juliet, a great compere, With Peter and Brian, “The Bold Gendarmes”A duo extraordinaire!

Marvellous Mary with her poetrySuch talent did entertain.Ruth enthralled us with her songsAnd who could forget Shane?

16

We miss Sheila with her quizAlways a delight!And Geoff who used to challenge her.“Sheila, get your facts right!”

We’ve had good outings at WindermereWith Terry and his talesOf Wordsworth and Beatrix PotterAs we travelled up hills and down dales.

NOW

Shery organises outings,Makes sure we have a good day,Sorts out transport, gets our guidesSo no one goes astray.

She can’t organise the weather.That’s beyond her we think.But we follow her anyway,She’s always ‘in the pink’!

We’ve got new talent for the soiréeAnd a fantastic bandWith an array of instrumentsPlayed just like that, on demand.

The devout Irish still go to churchBecause they think they shouldBut when they get back to the manorThey are anything but good.

Antoine still buys sweets etc.So he needs a large van.Then Tanvi with her shoppingShe really needs a man

For all the things she purchasesSomeone strong to carry.With his chess gear and instrumentsIt’s no use asking Gary!

On Tuesday we were falling asleepWith the boat’s relaxing hum,The Italian commentaryAnd of course hot chocolate and rum.

We had to wake up for bingoContain excitement if you canCelia called and Maurice won twiceBut also did Stan!

Two ladies entertained usWith songs both old and new,Then Celia organised a quiz.Is there anything she can’t do?

Although we had to thinkWe also had some fun.Alan, Sheila, George, Joan and StanCasper and his team won.

17

Who is the new champion?Once more George has won!Abi, runner up and Jim was third.To all we say “Well done!”

Let’s celebrate 25 years of themed break chess!Thanks to Peter, Celia and allWho made it such a happy weekWith contributions large and small.

Thanks to Andrew and the staffAt the Manor, Windermere.Here’s to the next 25 yearsBut for now here’s to next year!

Editor’s note: Bookings are already being taken for next year! The 2019 event will be from Saturday 26th January to Saturday 2nd February at the Windermere Manor Hotel. Please see the May gazette for full details.

Antoine’s CDMany BCA members enjoy the wonderful music of Antoine Reeves at various soirées so you might be interested to know that Antoine has recently made a CD. On it are three songs that Antoine wrote and performed himself. He sang two of them at the Chairman’s Cup this year: "Mother" and "Hello It's Me". The other song is "Wings". The cost is £2 per CD, with all proceeds going to the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield.If you would like one of Antoine’s CDs please let me know by the end of August so that the requisite number of copies can be made. I will bring the CDs to the Autumn Tournament in Derby so people who have pre-ordered can purchase them there. Alternative arrangements can be made for anyone who is not going to attend that event.In the meantime, best wishes to Antoine for a successful fundraising venture!Julie Leonard

Puzzles Selected by ChrisMay Puzzle FEN: 1B6/8/8/8/1R1P1R2/3k4/8/3K4White: King d1, Rooks b4 and f4, Bishop b8, Pawn d4 Black: king d3White to play and mate in two. Solution: 1. Bd6! A. 1... Ke3 2. Rb3# B. 1... Kc3 2. Rf3#August Puzzle Lindner/Szentgyorgyi 1933FEN: 8/8/8/2K5/2P5/2k5/P1b2P2/2Q5White: King c5, Queen c1, Pawns a2, c4 and f2 Black: king c3, bishop c2White to play and mate in two. The solution will appear in the November issue.Chris Ross

PersonaliaWho remembers the 1970s hit song “Woah, I’m going to Barbados”? One lucky BCA member has jetted off to the sunny Caribbean Sea this summer but not in pursuit of a holiday. Steve Bailey is a coach for the UK Women’s VI Cricket Team and he travelled with them to face the West Indies in Barbados in their first international series this July. Results are not know at the time of going to print so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed a little longer and hopefully there’ll be an update in the next issue. Meanwhile, all the best to Steve and the team!It’s a ‘Silver Summer’ for two committee members and their spouses this year! Olly and I had our Silver Wedding Anniversary on the 5th of June and we would like to thank all BCA friends who congratulated us. The other couple is Gill and Paul Smith whose Silver Wedding will be on the 28th of August. I’m sure we’d all like to congratulate this terrific pair who do so much for the BCA. Gill works tirelessly and takes on many tasks over and above her demanding role as treasurer. Luckily for us, she has roped Paul in as well! He often provides invaluable help at our events. Warm wishes to them both on this special occasion!

18

A milestone of a different sort is fast approaching for a former committee member. Clare Gailans, who chaired our committee for several terms in the 1990s, will be 60 years young on the 8th of October. When I first met this lovely lady, she was newly married to Voldi. Since then she has become a mother and a grandmother. Clare’s two and a half year old granddaughter, Poppy, attended her first ever BCA tournament this summer when she spent a few days at the Chairman’s Cup and completely charmed everyone who met her! Clare, we hope you will have a wonderful time celebrating with your family. We wish you a terrific 60th birthday and many happy returns!I’m always hunting for snippets of news about members for this column. If you know of any special events taking place please do let me know. Don’t be shy!Julie Leonard

Geoffrey Ronald Patching 1924-2018The following piece is based on a eulogy written by Geoff’s stepson, Mike, and given at the funeral by the local Methodist Minister, Paul Benney. Grateful thanks to Mike for providing it and giving us permission to use it.Geoff was born on the 17th of November 1924 at Ashington in West Sussex. When Geoff was only eight years old his father died and just two years later Geoff’s older brother passed away as well. It must have been a hard time for Geoff and his Mum but they were part of an extended family living in Sussex with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. All through his life Geoff thought of himself as a Sussex boy. He was a life-long supporter of Brighton and Hove football club! He even chose the unofficial county anthem “Sussex by the Sea” for his funeral.Geoff was of an age when he would have fought in the Second World War but his eyesight problems were already prevalent so he was not recruited for active service. Probably rather serving in the Home Guard.Geoff trained as a civil engineer and worked in Torquay before moving to Swindon in the early 1960’s. It was there that he met Margaret. They married in 1969 and Geoff became a stepfather to Margaret’s eleven year old son, Mike. The family set up home in Marlborough.Geoff loved cycling and did drive as a young man before his eyesight stopped him. He retained an encyclopaedic knowledge of the UK road system in his head which used to cause a few arguments in the car when Margaret was driving. She had to point out the roads he remembered no longer existed! However only a few years ago Mike was taking him to a hotel in Paignton and got lost and Geoff was still able to work out where they were and what road should be taken.One of the songs chosen by Geoff for his funeral was The Happy Wanderer: “I love to go a wandering along the mountain track, and as I go I love to sing my knapsack on my back!” Geoff loved walking and Mike remembers going out with him for Sunday rambles in Wiltshire with the local Rambling Club. When Mike was in his teens the family had a couple of couple of enjoyable summer holidays walking in the Austrian Alps with Margaret struggling to keep up!Geoff had to retire early due to his eyesight which was unfortunate as he genuinely loved his job working as a water engineer in Swindon but he always kept busy. First moving to Devizes and doing up two houses and gardens with Margaret before she made him up sticks once again and move to Cornwall twenty years ago. Even then in his early seventies with very poor eyesight they first lived in a flat in Marazion and then took on a newly built house with a massive garden in Kenneggy before finally settling at Squirrels Heath in Perran Downs.Apart from all the work on these houses and gardens Geoff loved to travel and went on many holidays around the world both with Margaret and also on his own. At home he was always off on his own by public transport all over the UK to go to chess tournaments.He also loved mathematics and physics and often travelled to courses on these and many other subjects. He also loved singing. He never let his poor eyesight stop him from taking part in activities whenever he could including gliding, llama trekking and regularly sailing at St Mawes.Geoff loved chess and he had an incredible ability to play chess in his head when he could no longer see a board. Right up to the end he was still playing four or five games remotely with other blind people by sending taped recordings of the game back and forth by post.Sadly when Margaret died three years ago Geoff could no longer cope at home in Squirrels Heath so moved into Courtlands Care Home where he spent the last two and a half years being well looked after. I remember when he was in hospital for a few weeks all he wanted to do was get back to his room and the staff who looked after him and he referred to it as ‘home’. He listened to the radio following all the football and cricket, played chess, listened to his audio books and music tapes and kept up with all the news.

19

One thing about Geoff was that whatever life threw at him he never, never complained. He could be a bit argumentative and grumpy but I think all of us will remember him as a man who was basically decent and kind. He was also fiercely determined and independent never letting his disabilities get the better of him.Geoff attended Goldsithney Methodist church and subsequently became a faithful member of the little congregation at Courtlands. The final piece of music he chose for his funeral was “Climb Every Mountain”, which reflects Geoff’s love of climbing but more than that his attitude to life and its knocks. Make the best and overcome until you find your dream.He had a long and interesting life and will be remembered. He died on the 13th of May 2018 age 93.Geoff’s close BCA friend, Richard Harrington, adds:Geoff Patching, a long-standing member of the BCA, has died at the age of ninety three. I first got to know him when I joined the association in the early 1990's and we immediately became close friends. His tremendous enthusiasm for chess quickly made its mark on me. Whenever coaching was available at tournaments, he would be there making comments on board positions. He regularly attended the annual theme break at Windermere Manor and was a regular winner of the handicap tournaments that take place after the coaching sessions. He was a keen contributor to soirée events with his rendering of Cornish folk songs.Outside of chess he was an active walker and always got to know his way around the locality where a tournament was being played. With this in mind he was always ready to take people out for a stroll. He loved to take part in quizzes and was a very useful member of a team because of his boundless knowledge.Although he lived at the southern tip of Cornwall, he would always travel to tournaments wherever they were held. A truly dedicated member of BCA who will be sadly missed.Editor’s note: A sad loss indeed. In addition to BCA events, Geoff was also active in mainstream chess. One of my own favourite memories of Geoff was when I bumped into him quite by chance at the Stroud Quickplay in the 1990s. We had a chat and he told me about another tournament he had played in recently where he had scored 0 from 7 games. I was about to commiserate with him, but there was a twinkle in Geoff’s eye which halted me. He went on to say how much he had enjoyed the event and how pleased he was with that result because he felt that he had given of his best against much stronger opposition. What a tremendous attitude! RIP Geoff.

Leslie Vincent Whittle 1939-2018By kind permission of the Whittle family, here are some excerpts from the eulogy written by Les’s brother, Brian:Les was born on 7th February, 1939 at 6 Noble Terrace, Middle Greens, Morpeth. The family moved to Howard Terrace on 1st November 1940 and Les lived there for the rest of his life.Les went blind when he was 7 or 8 years old. He attended Benwell School for the Blind in Newcastle as a boarder then went to the college for the blind at Rowton Castle in Shrewsbury for his secondary education. In those days blind people were offered the choice of being a piano tuner or shorthand typist. Les chose to train as a shorthand typist and by the age of 19 left school with good speeds in shorthand and typing.In those days there was no legislation compelling employers to employ disabled people and Les struggled to find a permanent job. Eventually he was offered a job in the office at the Newcastle workshops for the blind and remained there until he retired at the age of 62. In 1995 Les was awarded the M.B.E. for “Services to the Furniture Industry”. In reality I think that someone wished to acknowledge that, as a totally blind man, Les had held down a proper job all his adult life.Outside of work Les had many interests. At Rowton Castle he learned to play the piano and played for the rest of his life. He would never play in front of anyone outside the family until he joined the Braille Chess Association when he used to play in the evenings.Les also took up bird song recording where, I believe, he was the only blind person in the group. He used to travel all over, College Valley in North Northumberland; the Solway Firth, the island of Isla in the western isles and he twice went to Hungary, the last time only two years ago.When my father died Les and my sister, Moira, took over his allotment and tended it for many years. When he finally gave it up it had been in the family for 60 or 70 years.Les was a keen Newcastle United supporter attending many matches in his younger days but latterly listening to the matches on local radio.

20

Les’s all-consuming interest was chess. My parents bought him his first chess set in 1952. He taught himself to play in 1957 and never looked back. He was a member of Morpeth chess club for 59 years, at various times being secretary, captain and finally President. He played for Northumberland for many years, captained them from 1984 to 1991. Les was a former President of the Northumberland Chess Association and subsequently an Honorary Life Vice President. He also played correspondence chess for his county.So we have man who worked hard all his life and had many and varied interests; but what of Les the man?Les had a great rapport with children. When my children were small Les used to keep them enthralled for hours telling them stories that he spontaneously made up. A much loved and appreciated talent.Les was never bitter about being totally blind. I can never remember a single moment when he complained or expressed bitterness about his loss of sight. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. He treated others as he wished to be treated.The last two years Les suffered badly. Secondary cancer took hold and the NHS did him no favours. He soldiered on despite terrible pain and, as in the rest of his life, accepted this as his lot and just made the best of it. Having been given only months to live nine months ago, he finally slipped away in his sleep on the 9th of June.Les was a thoroughly decent man and I was proud to call him brother.By kind permission of the family, here are some excerpts from a eulogy written by friend, Christine Cox: Les frequently reminded me of the first contact he made with me in 1986 when I was gathering support for a musical weekend. I struck up a friendship with Les and his sister Moira with our mutual interest in all things musical. They attended theatre-goers lunches, birthday parties, music weekends and holidays to spend time listening to the Spa Orchestra with me and other friends.However, without the wonderful support of sister much of this would not have been possible. Moira was the one who took care of Les since the loss of their parents, drove the motor car, prepared meals and ran the home. Moira was the rock on which Les built his trust and on Les’s behalf I thank you, Moira, for all that you did for him.Les and the BCA – excerpts from the obituary on our website, written by Voldi Gailans:For many years, fixed holidays from work prevented Les from attending over the board events, but he was very active in postal chess for decades. He was a Group Leader in the Correspondence Championship until earlier this year. He also played regularly for the BCA team in the British Correspondence Chess League.Les played for us in an Anglo-Dutch match in 1983. After retiring, Les was free to go to more over the board events. He was a regular competitor at our week long and weekend tournaments. He was also a regular coach at the Windermere chess theme breaks. Back home in Morpeth, Les organised many charity events at his local club to raise funds for the BCA.Internationally, Les travelled to many Irish Open tournaments and played for the UK in Six Nations events in Germany 2003, Netherlands 2005, Germany 2007 and France 2015. He also represented the UK in a range of IBCA events: the 12th Olympiad in Spain 2004, the 5th World Cup in Greece 2005, the 4th European Individual Championship in Durham 2007 and the Inaugural European Team Championship in Poland 2016. One of his finest achievements in the BCA was when he scored six points from eight games at the Tarragona Olympiad in 2004 and won the Board 4 Silver Medal for the UK!Les was jovial, friendly and witty and always had time to chat and swap stories. He will be greatly missed by all his friends in the BCA and by those in the wider community. BCA members Christine Andrews, Hazel and Steve Burnell and Gerry Walsh were at the funeral, which was very well attended. Local chess players were also there.Editor’s note: Moira would like to express sincere gratitude to everyone who has sent cards or other messages of condolence. Every single one is appreciated. Thanks also to all who have made donations to Prostate Cancer UK in memory of Les. Donations are still coming in and Moira will let us know the total raised in due course.In return, I’m sure we would all like to thank Moira for the wonderful support she gave to Les, which enabled him to be so active in Braille chess circles. Although desperately ill, Les resolved to attend the 25th Chess Theme Break in Windermere earlier this year. His determination and a very great deal of help from Moira got him there. The tremendous effort put into making that trip to be with his Braille chess friends was a clear indication of how much it meant to them both. Equally, the respect, concern and affectionate friendship shown to them more than ever at that event was a clear indication of how moved people were to see Les there one last time. RIP Les.Moira has said that she will continue to attend BCA events and we’ll certainly hold her to that!

21