I don't remember Ian Stenhouse's letter, but I guess it was about 1967-8 as Peter Clarke played in the Islington Open, I think in 1967.
I started that event in Islington on my return from the US in 1965. It attracted 24 entrants to the December tournament, the first weekend Swiss in Britain, that took place at the En Passant Chess Salon in the Strand, London.
Peter also wrote, 'People seem to be playing for the sake of playing chess.' Well, yes.
This grew every year until in 1971 it attracted 500 entries. We were prepared for the chess explosion from the Fischer-Spassky match in 1972. By then you could play a tournament somewhere in Britain, practically every weekend.
Islington took place in December. One year I was getting small presents for my staff and suddenly thought, 'But nobody will get me one!' After consultation, I gook a fee of £50. That was the start of fees for chess administrators in Britain.
1972 Islington became the Evening Standard London Chess Congress and attracted 1200 players. In 1973 there were 1500 players and this was the peak. One year there were 250 entries to the open. An IM from Belgium said to me, 'More than one player will get 6/6.' I responded, 'That won't happen.Nobody even had 4/4. The IM came back to me and said, 'It's magic.' Of course, it was extremely accelerated Swiss Pairings. Bojan Kurajica (who I still see in Tenerife) won with 5.5/6. At its peak, the first prize was £1200.
We are still reaping the benefits of the English Chess Explosion. We first gained the silver medals in 1984 in the Chess Olympiad behind the Soviet Union. 2022 we gained three of the four team Gold Medals in the World 50+, Women's 50+ and World 65+ Team Championships. Several of our players also secured individual gold medals for their board. John Nunn not only got gold on board 1 of the 65+, but also won the World Individual 65+.
Leonard Barden celebrated his Platinum Jubilee as a chess correspondent in 2022. I celebrate my Platinum Jubilee as a chess administrator in September this year, having started at 14.
Stewart Reuben, written while on a Caribbean cruise, arriving back 5 January,"
"Dear Adam, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I don't remember Ian Stenhouse's letter, but I guess it was about 1967-8 as Peter Clarke played in the Islington Open, I think in 1967.
I started that event in Islington on my return from the US in 1965. It attracted 24 entrants to the December tournament, the first weekend Swiss in Britain, that took place at the En Passant Chess Salon in the Strand, London.
Peter also wrote, 'People seem to be playing for the sake of playing chess.' Well, yes.
This grew every year until in 1971 it attracted 500 entries. We were prepared for the chess explosion from the Fischer-Spassky match in 1972. By then you could play a tournament somewhere in Britain, practically every weekend.
Islington took place in December. One year I was getting small presents for my staff and suddenly thought, 'But nobody will get me one!' After consultation, I gook a fee of £50. That was the start of fees for chess administrators in Britain.
1972 Islington became the Evening Standard London Chess Congress and attracted 1200 players. In 1973 there were 1500 players and this was the peak. One year there were 250 entries to the open. An IM from Belgium said to me, 'More than one player will get 6/6.' I responded, 'That won't happen.Nobody even had 4/4. The IM came back to me and said, 'It's magic.' Of course, it was extremely accelerated Swiss Pairings. Bojan Kurajica (who I still see in Tenerife) won with 5.5/6. At its peak, the first prize was £1200.
We are still reaping the benefits of the English Chess Explosion. We first gained the silver medals in 1984 in the Chess Olympiad behind the Soviet Union. 2022 we gained three of the four team Gold Medals in the World 50+, Women's 50+ and World 65+ Team Championships. Several of our players also secured individual gold medals for their board. John Nunn not only got gold on board 1 of the 65+, but also won the World Individual 65+.
Leonard Barden celebrated his Platinum Jubilee as a chess correspondent in 2022. I celebrate my Platinum Jubilee as a chess administrator in September this year, having started at 14.
Stewart Reuben, written while on a Caribbean cruise, arriving back 5 January,"
only one person guessed right - 1968! thanks to Gary Senior for this article