The GazetteNovember 2019

Registered Charity Number 263049

Supporting Chess Players with Sight Loss.This issue has kindly been sponsored by The

Ulverscroft Foundation BCA Website Address: www.braillechess.org.ukEmail: customerservices@braillechess.org.ukTwitter: https://twitter.com/braillechess @braillechess

Facebook: 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.......................................................................................................................................................................Forthcoming Events.....................................................................................................................................................Congress Support Scheme...........................................................................................................................................All Under One Roof.....................................................................................................................................................Windermere Chess Theme Break 2020.......................................................................................................................Call for Haaksbergen 2020..........................................................................................................................................4th FIDE World Chess Championship for Disabled People.........................................................................................Millennium Club, the BCA’s monthly lottery.............................................................................................................Julia Scott is Retiring...................................................................................................................................................Treasurer’s Report.......................................................................................................................................................Membership Secretary’s Report..................................................................................................................................Calling All Associate Members!..................................................................................................................................Coaching for Beginners and Improvers.......................................................................................................................BCA Email Address List.............................................................................................................................................Correspondence Chess Director’s Report....................................................................................................................David Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Prize 2019.......................................................................................1011th BCA Email Tournament....................................................................................................................................10The BCA Geoff Patching Memorial British Championship 2019.............................................................................12Joan Shorrock’s Poem: BCA British Championship Torquay 2019.........................................................................13Torquay Revisited!....................................................................................................................................................142nd IBCA European Team Championship................................................................................................................15ECF Grades for BCA Members July 2019................................................................................................................15All’s “Fareham” Chess and War!..............................................................................................................................16Puzzles Selected by Chris..........................................................................................................................................16Personalia...................................................................................................................................................................16

EditorialIn August chess players around the world mourned the passing of Grandmaster Pal Benko at the age of 91. Most of us know his name on account of the gambit that shares it, having been popularised by him in the late 1960s. Ironically, when I read of his death, I realised that I knew virtually nothing about his life, apart from that he was

Hungarian. For the benefit of readers who are as uninformed as I was, here is a summary of his extraordinary story.Benko was born in 1928 and learned chess when he was a boy. During World War II he was captured by the Russians while digging ditches for the Hungarian army. He escaped and returned home. In 1946 he played in the Hungarian Championship, where prizes were in the most valuable currency of the day - food. By 1948 he was Hungarian champion. In 1952, while playing in East Berlin, he tried to defect to the American embassy in West Berlin, and was sent to a prison camp where he was held for 16 months in terrible conditions. Many fellow inmates died. Benko was eventually released following the death of Stalin. In 1957 he defected while playing in Iceland, then emigrated to the USA. He was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1958.It’s timely to read about Benko’s experiences just as we in the BCA are about to have a tournament in memory of Hans and Stefi Cohn, two remarkable members whose lives were also dramatically shaped by the competing ideologies and socio-political upheavals in Europe in the middle of the 20th century. Within international Braille chess circles, the achievements of Hans, supported by his wife, Stefi, are surely equal to those of Benko in the sighted chess world. Might they all three have accomplished even more if their early decades had not been so cruelly affected? Or perhaps those very ordeals served to hone their fighting spirit and survival skills on and off the chessboard? We shall never know but either way we can be thankful for their fortitude and hard work.We are also grateful to the Ulverscroft Foundation, which has sponsored our gazette several times in the past, and has once again given funds to cover four issues. We have benefitted from this and so many other generous donations as a result of the unstinting hard work put in by our fabulous fundraiser, Julia Scott. You can read more about the amazing job that she has done for us in this issue.This gazette also contains a report on our 2019 British Championship and the latest news from our correspond-ence tournaments. Members have also been flying the BCA flag high at mainstream events in the last few months with several prize-winners among them!As an association we have a lot going on and much more that we want to do in terms of raising our profile to at-tract more members, with a strong focus on juniors. Help is desperately needed from members if we are to achieve all of this while continuing to offer such a wide range of activities and support for members. So please do read carefully the reports asking for coaches, assistance from associate members and a volunteer to take over from Mark Kirkham as Congress Support Officer. If you can help with anything at all, even if it’s just one small task, your committee wants to hear from you. As we all know, many hands make light work!Please send me your contributions for the February issue by the end of December. As the decade of the twenty-teens draws to a close, we wonder what the twenty-twenties will bring us. Will they roar like the 1920s and if so, what about? Whatever it is, I hope the New Year will bring happiness and success to all readers.Julie Leonard

Forthcoming Events

15 th – 17 th November 2019: The Hans and Stefi Cohn Memorial International Autumn Tournament This year’s International Autumn Tournament is being dedicated to the memory of Hans and Stefi Cohn for all the tremendous work they did to support chess for blind and partially sighted players, not only in the BCA but more widely around the world. The tournament will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Solihull, located a short taxi ride from Solihull Railway Station, and convenient for Birmingham International Airport. It has extensive grounds, a fitness centre, a sauna and a heated indoor pool and is adjacent to Solihull’s indoor shopping centre. The event will consist of two five round Swiss tournaments – an Open and a Challengers for those whose grade or estimated grade is 100 or below. Both are open to blind and partially sighted players and to associate members of the BCA. The entry fee for both tournaments is £10.Prices at the hotel have increased but we are doing our best to minimise the effect of this to members. The cost for dinner, bed and breakfast for the Friday and Saturday nights is £45 per person per night for BCA members and associate members irrespective of room type. The cost for members and associate members staying the Sunday night will be £65 per person per night irrespective of room type. The closing date has passed and the tournament is nearly upon us but if you’d like to go please contact Voldi immediately in case there has been a cancellation. Queries about the tournament should also be sent to Voldi. Please see the list of BCA Officers for contact details.

17 th to 19 th April 2020: AGM Weekend Chess Congress This will take place at The Hallmark Hotel, Derby. The AGM will be held at 2pm on Saturday 18th April. We are pleased to be returning to this popular hotel with its excellent facilities. The hotel 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. The cost of dinner, bed and breakfast for members and associate members is £44 per person per night for Friday and Saturday nights in a single room, and £40 per person per night in a double/twin room. For those staying on the Sunday night, the cost will be £65 per person in a single room and £54 per person in a double/twin. For non-members of the BCA, please contact the organiser for the cost of accommodation. The closing date for entries is 21st February. 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 January 2020. 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

Friday 12 th to Friday 19 th June 2020: The Sheila and David Milsom Memorial Chairman’s Cup. This will take place once again at the Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, which proved to be a very popular venue for our 2018 event. It is very friendly and comfortable and we also have use of an outdoor heated pool. The parking and green areas are also very good. The Chairman's Cup is open to all visually impaired players whose grade or estimated grade is ECF 140 (equates to FIDE 1750) or below in either the July 2019 or January 2020 grading lists and to BCA associate members within the same grading limit. The event is played over 7 rounds with one round each day. Players may request a half point bye in any one of the first six rounds. If there are sufficient numbers there will be two sections. Entry fee: £10. Cost of dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation to members and associate members of BCA: £300 for the week irrespective of room type. The cost to those booking for less than the full week will be £45 per day for members and associate members. For anyone wishing to stay additional nights at the beginning or end of the tournament, the cost per night will be £65 per person regardless of room type. In addition to the chess tournament there will be a varied programme of social activities. Anyone with ideas for social events, or who wants further information is invited to contact the organisers: John and Pam Jenkins. The closing date for bookings is 27th April 2020. Bookings accepted after that date, at the discretion of the organiser, will be subject to a late booking fee of £10 per person. Bookings, including full payment, should be sent to: Mrs Gill Smith (see list of BCA Officers for contact details). Please note: Rooms will not be reserved until full payment has been received.

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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 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.

Congress Support SchemeFor many years now, Mark Kirkham has done a fine job as Congress Support Officer while also holding down a committee post. Mark has decided to stand down as Congress Support Officer at the next AGM. We are extremely grateful to Mark for all his hard work! Members are asked to consider whether they could take over from Mark, who would be happy to discuss the role with anyone who is interested.Stan Lovell attended the 4th Crewe Chess Congress, 27th to 29th September 2019, where he scored 2.5 from 5 in the Intermediate section. Stan has kindly provided the following report on the event for the gazette.The congress is organised by the Crewe Chess Club. The senior arbiter was Matthew Carr. The event was held in the Ibis Styles Crewe Hotel, which is a £6 taxi journey from Crewe rail station. Crewe station is conveniently situated towards the central part of the country. It has direct rail links to many areas and one change to other major rail stations. The staff at Crewe station were extremely helpful.The hotel is a modern building with five floors. The ground floor is taken up with the reception area, the bar, lounge, dining area and conference suite. The reception, bar, lounge and dining area are open plan, running into each other. At first I thought this would be difficult. After a while I realised it meant one was also visible to a member of staff. The staff were very helpful at all times.Floors 1 to 4 each have 23 bedrooms and all have the same layout. There is a fully accessible bedroom for disabled guests on each floor. The bedrooms have a large double comfortable bed and a comfortable couch that can also be opened as a double bed. The bathroom is compact with a wash basin, WC and walk in shower. There are two lifts, side by side, serving these floors with easy to read embossed numbers and Braille numbers and voice.For guide dogs, there is a pathway running around the hotel bordered by grass. Around the back of the hotel this opens out into a wider area with some trees. this is where guide dogs can free run safely.

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The chess tournament was played in the conference suite. There were over 100 participants, Matthew put me in a side room. One part of me is a little against being put apart, but another part of me appreciated the excellent quiet conditions it provided. Matthew and the various members of the Crewe chess club who were assisting were always on hand and very attentive. Perhaps I have never been better looked after in a mainstream event. I strongly recommend this event for other blind people, particularly those travelling alone.I should mention the one minus point. the food. The price included accommodation plus breakfast. A buffet containing English cooked or continental. The staff were excellent at serving me but the food was mediocre. The evening meals are paid for according to what you choose. The menu consisted of burgers, pizzas, pasta, curry of the week, pie of the week, a chicken dish, a fish dish, fish and chips. There were also steaks 'at a price'. Over the three evenings I had a curry, a pie of the week and a chicken stroganov they were all 'not good'. The food was the only blot on a good weekend.

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. Anyone who was previously deterred by the bind of writing a report on the event, 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.If you are considering entering one of the events listed below you may well find yourself in good company as some of them are popular with BCA members. In order to make a claim there are three simple steps:-

1. Contact the Congress Support Officer at least one week prior to the event. Retrospective claims will not normally be accepted. (See list of officers for Mark’s contact details.)2. Send a receipt or proof of expenditure to the Treasurer on return from the congress. Claims can include entry fee, accommodation, travel and any other reasonable expenses. The Congress Support Scheme does not cover claims for insurance.3. Provide feedback on the event to the Congress Support Officer. This does not need to be formal, and will be stored as an anonymous record for our database. It may benefit other BCA members thinking of attending the same event in the future.

Please note that, in the spirit of the Congress Support Scheme, failure to complete all of the above steps may mean that we cannot guarantee that your claim will be processed successfully, as the scheme is subject to available funds. (Contact details for the Congress Support Officer and the Treasurer are in the list of officers.)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 Marc Shaw. The website www.castlechess.co.uk gives the email address enquiries@castlechess.co.uk. 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 Open 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.22nd – 24th November, 2019, 7th Dudley Congress, Quality Hotel, DudleyCastle Chess held a congress in Dudley in May this year at the same hotel, so it looks as if this is becoming a regular part of their programme.

Other EventsIrish Chess Union tournaments: There are a number of chess events put on 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, email: tournaments@icu.ie.

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1st – 3rd November 2019, Hampshire Congress, Lysses House Hotel, 51 High Street, Fareham Six round Swiss with sections: Open, Major (U160), Minor (U125). Ladies prize and £100 Best Game Prize. Contact: Gillian Moore Email: congressentry@hampshirechess.co.uk Web: http://www.hampshirechess.co.uk1st – 3rd November 2019, Hull 4NCL International Congress, Royal Hotel Hull,170 Ferensway, HullFive round Swiss with sections: FIDE Open, FIDE U2000 (ECF U175), ECF U135. Contact: Mike Truran Email: mike@truranfamily.co.uk Web: http://www.4ncl.co.uk/fide/information_hull_2019.htm4th – 10th November 2019, Southwest Chess FestivalThis consists of two events. The first is the 20th Royal Beacon Seniors at the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth which runs from 4th to 8th November, contact R. H. Jones. The second event is the 52nd Torbay Congress at the Livermead Hotel, Torquay which runs from 8th to 10th November. Contact P. McConnell. Details of grading bands are not provided, though in the past for the Torbay congresses they have been an Open, a U-170, a U-140 and a U-120.8th – 10th November 2019, Torbay Chess Congress, Livermead House Hotel, Seafront, TorquayFive round Swiss with sections: Open, Major U170, Intermediate U140, Foundation U120. Contact: Phil McConnell Email: secretary@torbaycongress.com Web: http://www.torbaycongress.com30th November – 1st December 2019, Hereford Chess Congress, The Green Dragon Hotel, HerefordFive round Swiss with sections: U175, U145 & U120. Contact: Rebecca & Colin Gardiner Email: congresssecretary@hotmail.com Web: http://www.cornwallchess.org.uk/Hereford/info.shtml11th – 12th January 2020, 4th Somerset New Year’s Congress, Walton Park Hotel, ClevedonThis is a five-round Swiss with three sections: a Major (U-175), an Intermediate (U-145) and a Minor (U-120). I assume there must be an Open. Contact Rebecca or Colin Gardiner, email congresssecretary@hotmail.com.17th - 19th January 2020, 24th 4NCL FIDE-rated Congress, Old Swan Hotel, HarrogateThe sections are an Open, A FIDE U-2000 (ECF u-175) and an ECF U-135. Contact Mike Truran,email mike@truranfamily.co.uk.24th – 26th January 2020, Simon Bartlett Memorial Congress, Livermead House Hotel, Seafront, TorquayFive round Swiss with sections: Open, U170, U140, U120 plus a Simon Bartlett Loudest Shirt Prize. Contact: John Constable Email: chess@budechess.co.uk Web: http://www.budechess.co.uk/simon-bartlett-memorial.php 2nd – 7th February 2020, Rothay Manor Chess Holiday, Rothay Manor Hotel, AmblesideFive night residential chess holiday/course with tutor Winston Williams. Seminars, lectures, presentations, simultaneous display, tournament league play and rapid-play. For club level players and improving regular players looking to improve their chess knowledge and ability. Contact hotel to book your place.Contact: Peter Sinclair Web: http://www.rothaymanor.co.uk 13th – 15th March 2020, 44th Blackpool Chess Conference, The Imperial Hotel Blackpool FY1 3HBFive round Swiss with sections: Lancashire Open, Major U181, Intermediate U155, Minor U135, Standard U115. Email Bill O’Rourke: blackpoolchessconference@virginmedia.com Web: http://www.blackpoolchess.org.uk

Windermere Chess Theme Break 2020It may not be too late to book your place at the 2020 Windermere Chess Theme Break! Details are in your May gazette. If you’ve already booked but haven’t yet informed the organisers, Peter and Celia Gibbs, please do so im-mediately! If you don’t have their contact details you can send a message via any committee member.

Call for Haaksbergen 2020Next year's Haaksbergen tournament will take place over the weekend of 25th - 26th April. Normally we allow a couple of days travel time either side of that because we've used the ferry from Harwich, but if anyone interested in going wants to make their own travel arrangements that's fine as long as they let me know.I'd encourage people to give this tournament a try; you get to stay with host families, play some chess, enjoy some entertainment and go out for a meal on the Sunday evening with your host families. It's the most relaxed of the chess events that I've been on. Maybe some people who have been in the past might like to consider going again and renewing some old acquaintances?The committee has agreed a £75 subsidy for those who wish to attend. Please get in touch with me if you would like to go.Guy Whitehouse

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4th FIDE World Chess Championship for Disabled PeopleThis seven round event for players who have a physical disability or a hearing or vision impairment will take place at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay CF10 5AL from 26th November to 4th December. If you would like to find out more, please contact the organiser Mr Jon Luxton, Email: jon@worlddisabledchesschampionships.com.

Millennium Club, the BCA’s monthly lotteryOver the last 12 months the BCA has gained £216 from the Millennium Club. To take part in this monthly draw it is just £12 per number per year. You may have as many numbers as you like at £12 each. Every 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. Or, even better, you could set up a standing order then next year’s subs will not be forgotten.Recent Millennium Club winners: August: Denis Warren, number 1.

September: Chris Ross, number 81.October: Irene Elbourn, number 25.

Gill Smith, TreasurerJulia Scott is Retiring

After more than 20 years of remarkable work for the BCA, our fundraiser Julia Scott has decided for health reasons that it is time to hang up her magic wand and retire. During this period she has raised over half a million pounds for us, a truly astonishing amount which has made it possible for us to fund wide ranging chess opportunities for our members. We are greatly indebted to Julia and sincerely grateful to her. At our AGM in March 2014 she was made an honorary member of the BCA in recognition of her tremendous contribution. We have advertised for a new fundraiser and at the time of writing in early October we are in the middle of sifting candidates for interview: Julia will stand down as soon as a successor has been appointed. We would also like to thank Julia’s husband, Roy, for his assistance in recent times and we hope they will both enjoy spending more time with their family.Norman Wragg

Treasurer’s ReportYou may have noticed that this issue of the Gazette is sponsored by the Ulverscroft Foundation. They have generously given sponsorship for producing and distributing four issues of our Gazette.Our financial year ended on the 30th September. We finished the year in a strong position financially, largely thanks to Julia Scott who in 12 months raised an amazing £33,500. Julia’s fundraising for the BCA has been so phenomenally successful we have been able to offer all our members generous subsidies especially at our over-the-board tournaments and for talking digital chess clocks. Julia has been such a pleasure to work with and we will miss working with her.We have also benefitted from many others. Joy very kindly gave £200 in memory of her parents, David and Sheila Milsom. We received £300 in donations from individual members, and raffles organised by Moira and her helpers raised £586.If you are shopping online please remember that at no cost to you there are fundraising initiatives available to raise funds for the BCA. Amazon Smile donates 0.5% of a purchase price and Give as you Live allows you to shop with many different retailers, including holiday firms and utilities, and a percentage of the total is given to the BCA.Gill Smith

Membership Secretary’s ReportI’m very pleased to welcome two new visually impaired members who have just joined our Association. They are Paul Inglis from the Isle of Man, who has taken out life membership, and a young lady, Eimear, from Warrington, who has joined as a junior member. I wish them well with their chess studies and hope they reap many benefits from joining our Association.Mark Hague

Calling All Associate Members!The BCA needs you! We're looking for guides for overseas trips and some new names to add to our pool of tournament room stewards. If you're interested, please contact me as soon as possible to find out more about the roles and what we offer in return. Without the help provided by stewards and guides it would be impossible to

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operate the domestic and overseas programme that we do; all those of us who have been active as visually impaired chessplayers acknowledge this and we'd like to thank in advance anyone who feels they can help us in this way in the future.Guy Whitehouse

Coaching for Beginners and ImproversAt our Committee meeting on 12th October we discussed, amongst other things, training initiatives and one idea is that any member who is willing could welcome new members by organising a correspondence game, either by e-mail, Skype, phone, post or any suitable mutually agreed medium. The idea would be that those of us with any kind of experience could help complete beginners with advice relating to the game in question. This would help to integrate new members into our association and offer them a welcoming hand of friendship and rivalry.This could be broadened out to the general membership, where more experienced players could help those with lesser experience. As an association we have always prided ourselves on the spirit of friendliness and helpfulness we have amongst our members and it may be that such an initiative could really help to deepen an individual's perception and understanding of the game. Such games could, of course, be either on a one-off basis or a regular one, according to the wishes of the people concerned.I envisage situations where a coach would suggest ideas to a trainee, who can then go away and analyse them and, if desired, to try them out in games. The purpose is to spark the imagination rather than necessarily to provide truths, so nobody should feel shy about getting involved in either camp - trainee or coach. The aim of the scheme is to bring people together, to swap ideas and to improve our chess.I have started a list of members today with my own name as being happy to train or to coach. I hope to receive many additions to this list, including associate members.If anyone is interested in taking part then please contact me, stating whether you wish to train, coach or both and by which medium you are happy to undertake either and I will compile a list of suitable volunteers and will undertake to arrange suitable opponents for those who wish to learn or teach. I look forward to hearing from as many of you as possible.Voldi Gailans

BCA Email Address ListThe BCA Email Address List was suspended for a time as we sought permission to include people on it in accord-ance with the GDPR legislation that came into force last year. The good news is that the list is now up and run-ning once again. If you’re not already on it and would like to be added please write to gazette@braillechess.com.The aim of the list is simply to help members keep in touch with each other via email. It is only circulated to those members who have consented to share their email addresses.

Correspondence Chess Director’s ReportThe BCA LEAGUE 2018-19 has finished, a big thank you to the group leaders who have shared the workload. Entries to the BCA LEAGUE 2020-21, starting on 1st January 2020, are now being accepted, closing date 23rd November 2019. Correspondence play can take place using a variety of methods, braille, cassette, email, telephone, according to mutual agreement. For further information contact the Correspondence Chess Director, details as shown in list of Officers.

45th BCA CORRESPONDENCE TOURNAMENT 2019-20Premier - Group Leader Paul BensonWarren 0 - 1 McElroy, Giuoco Piano, 24.McElroy 1 - 0 Phillips, Queen's Pawn, 18.Whitehouse 1 - 0 Warren, Sicilian, 30.Scores: Ernie McElroy 2-2, Alec Crombie 1.5-2, Guy Whitehouse 1.5-2, George Phillips 1-2, Denis Warren 0-4.Challengers - Group Leader Gary WickettTew 0 - 1 Mike Hague, Reti, 29.Mike Hague 1 - 0 Gailans, Centre Counter, 29.Gallacher 1/2 - 1/2 Mike Hague, 27.Mike Hague 1 - 0 Cuthbert, French, 32.

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Tew 0 - 1 Cuthbert, Reti, 34.Scores: Voldi Gailans 4-5, Mike Hague 3.5-4, Eric Gallacher 1.5-3, Jim Cuthbert 1-3, Arthur Greatrex 0-1, Eleanor Tew 0-4.BCA LEAGUE 2018-19Division 1 - Group Leader Guy WhitehouseFinal scores: Ernie McElroy 3-3, Alec Crombie 1.5, Mike Hague 1, Mark Hague 0.5.Division 2 - Group Leader Voldi GailansFinal scores: Derek Heyes 2-2, Voldi Gailans 1, Denis Warren 0.Division 3 - Group Leader George PhillipsFinal scores: Guy Whitehouse 4.5-5, George Phillips 4, Jim Cuthbert 3.5, Eric Gallacher 1.5, Eleanor Tew 1.5, Arthur Greatrex 0.

FRIENDLY LADDER TABLEAnyone 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, cassette, email, telephone, can qualify as a Friendly Ladder game. Please report such games and let your efforts be reflected in your accumulating score.Flood 0 - 1 Benson, Slav, 20.Benson 1 - 0 Flood, English Opening, 18.Smith 1 - 0 Warren, 14.Scores: 10 Paul Benson; 7 Jim Cuthbert; 6 Eleanor Tew; 5 Stan Lightowler; 4 Mark Hague, Dorothy Hodges, Stan Lovell, Denis Warren; 3 Ernie McElroy, Lea Ryan; 2 Lionel Bryant, Derek Couchman, Tony Elbourn, Jason Pearce, Gill Smith, Bill Tatum; 1 Christopher Huby.In closing, to those about to start a game: Break a peg!Paul Benson

David Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Prize 2019Members (including associate members) in the British Isles are reminded that they can enter games for the 2019 competition by sending them to any committee member in the format of your choice. The year is drawing to a close so if you play a game that you’re pleased with in our International Autumn Tournament, the 11th Email Tour-nament or any other eligible event, please send it in without delay!The judge for 2019 is Stan Lovell. 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. Julie Leonard

11th BCA Email TournamentThe 11th BCA email tournament attracted 24 entries, which broke the previous record of 20 players! As a result, the tournament has five divisions. The first four will have five players each, with the remaining players competing in the fifth division. The divisions were based on BCA grades, performance in previous email tournaments where applicable, and where possible, incorporated promotion and relegation. Play started on the 1st of September.The composition of the divisions, early results and scores at the time of writing are given below. Already we have two clear-cut victors in divisions 2 and 4. Colin Chambers is preparing for a quick return to Division 1, and one of our debutants, Mike Flood, has won division 4 with a clean sweep of four victories. A fine performance!Philip Doyle and Eamonn CaseyDivision 1: Malola Prasath, Rod MacDonald, Peter Gibbs, Bill Armstrong, Steve Burnell. Gibbs beat PrasathGibbs beat ArmstrongArmstrong lost to MacDonaldArmstrong drew with BurnellPrasath lost to MacdonaldMacdonald beat BurnellBurnell lost to Prasath

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Scores: MacDonald 3/3, Gibbs 2/2, Prasath 1/3, Burnell and Armstrong 0.5/3Division 2: Colin Chambers, Philip Doyle, Ernie McElroy, Stan Lovell, Eamonn Casey.Chambers beat LovellChambers drew with DoyleMcElroy drew with ChambersDoyle drew with McElroy Lovell drew with DoyleDoyle beat CaseyCasey lost to ChambersCasey beat McElroy Scores: Chambers and Doyle 3/4, Casey and McElroy 1/ 3, Lovell 0.5/2Division 3: Mark Kirkham, Steve Thacker, Voldi Gailans, Gill Smith, Tony Elbourn.Kirkham beat SmithThacker drew with GailansKirkham beat ThackerScores: Kirkham 2/2, Gailans 0.5/1, Thacker 0.5/2, Smith 0/1 (No results yet for Elbourn)Division 4: Denis Warren, Anthony Borg, Tony Lawton, Ednun Pourtahmasbi, Mike Flood.Borg lost to FloodBorg lost to LawtonFlood beat WarrenLawton lost to WarrenWarren beat Borg Pourtahmasbi lost to FloodFlood beat LawtonPortahmasbi beat BorgScores: Flood 4/4, Warren 2/3, Pourtahmasbi 1/2, Lawton 1/3, Borg 0/4

Division 5: Donna Jodhan, Glen Graham.No results yet.Originally there were four players in Division 5 but sadly two of them had to withdraw, so Donna and Glen will play each other twice with reverse colours.

Here is a miniature from Division 1, with comments by Peter Gibbs.GIBBS-PRASATH1. e4 Nc61...Nc6 is a rare reply to 1e4. Aron Nimzowitsch was the first to give the opening deep study and concluded it was sound but most modern masters disagree with him. However, there has recently been a resurgence of interest. The French GM Christian Bauer has recently produced a DVD lasting 3 hours 44 minutes entitled 'The Nasty Nimzowitsch Defence'.2. d4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 4. Nf3 Ng6 5. h4 h5On move 6 I did consider playing 6 g3.. I liked it because it rendered Black's N on g6 out of play and I felt White has more space and a potential build-up on the q-side. In the end I decided there could be nothing wrong with a developing move, hence 6 Bg5.6. Bg5 Nf6 7. Nc3 Bc5 8. Na4 Nxe4I have traced a game from the 1996 US Championship between Ivanov - Benjamin where Black played 8...Bb4+ 9 c3 Be7. I never expected what Malola did play on his 8th move 8...Nxe4. I know it sets a trap. Of course, if I take his Q with 9 Bxd8 he mates in 2 moves with 9...Bxf2+ 10 Ke2 Nf4 mate. I decided to win piece instead and the rest is history.9. Nxc5 Nxg5 10. hxg5 d6 11. Ne4 Bf5 12. Qd3 Bg4 13. Qb3 Qc8 14. Bb5+ Ke7 15. Nh4 Nf8 16. 0-0 a617. f4 axb5 18. fxe5 dxe5 19. d6+ cxd6 20. Qxf7+ Black resigns

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The BCA Geoff Patching Memorial British Championship 2019Dan Rugman writes:This event was held in memory of Geoff Patching, longstanding member and life and soul of the party.It turns out that travelling to Torquay from London is not as difficult as I first expected. Especially when I changed to a second train only to find other Londoners who were smart enough to work out that there was a direct service! And welcome to the Livermead House Hotel, Torquay. A small but friendly hotel on the sea front.After the usual business of settling in it was time for the first meal of the week. And what a meal. The food was of such an excellent standard that I want to go back just for the catering. In fact, choosing courses was almost as difficult as deciding on chess moves!Then it was on to the chess. Civic Mayor, Mrs Maggi Douglas-Dunbar, attended the opening ceremony and made the first move on the top board. For me, round one was frankly a bust. Maybe it was the fact that I was facing a much stronger opponent but tossing a knight out the window was not a good way to start. After that, I settled down to some pretty good chess and was pleased with my overall performance.As is always the case with our week long events, entertainment was laid on every night. And we must now take a moment to thank Gary and Tanvi for doing a truly excellent job.Gill and Paul ran a quiz that apparently caused some trouble at home as the Smiths squabbled over the questions. This was followed on the next night by Gary and Tanvi’s carefully thought out and highly entertaining 70s game show quiz incorporating Punchlines, Name That Tune and Call My Bluff. Then another Wickett, Gary’s brother, Steve, gave us an evening of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis which set the place on fire! The usual soirée was then followed by Julie’s murder mystery (full cast production) in which moustaches fell off, brains were taxed, and Clare Gailans lost the trust of the association as the crimes committed by her character were revealed.The tournament was a seven round event with two sections. The Championship had fifteen players and the rate of play was 40 moves in 2 hours with 30 minutes to finish. Paul Benson was the undisputed champion with 2nd place shared by Bill Armstrong and Steve Burnell. The Challengers was an 8 board all play all with a rate of play of all moves in 2 hours. Tony Elbourn lost to his wife, Irene in round 1, then went on to win the rest of his games to take first place. Second place was shared by Denis Warren and Gill Smith.On the final evening we were delighted to have Geoff Patching’s stepson, Mike, join us to share memories of Geoff and applaud the prize-winners. An excellent time had been had by all - even if we struggled with the heat! Sincere thanks to the organisers: Gary Wickett and Tanvi Muir; the arbiters: Gerry Walsh and David Clayton; and our steward, Roger Waters.Championship Final StandingsBCA British Champion, on 6 points: Paul BensonEqual second on 5 points: Bill Armstrong and Steve BurnellOn 4 points: Norman WraggAlso on 4 points, winning Grading prize A: Joe McAloonAlso on 4 points, winning Grading prize C: Dan RugmanOn 3.5 points, sharing Grading prize B: Philip Gordon and Richard MurphyAlso on 3.5 points: Philip Doyle, Colin Chambers and Ernie McElroyOn 3 points: Mark Hague and Eamon CaseyOn 2.5 points: Voldi GailansOn 2 points: George PhillipsChallengers Final Standings1st on 6 points: Tony ElbournEqual second on 5 points: Denis Warren and Gill Smith On 4.5 points: Tony LawtonOn 3 points, winning the Grading prize: Lea RyanOn 2.5 points: Jim CuthbertOn 1 point: Irene Elbourn and Richard Harrington

Post Script from Tournament Organiser, Gary Wickett. Unfortunately, due to coming down with a bad throat and chest infection, Dan was unable to take part in the chess theme murder mystery evening, which was written by our very own Agatha Christie, whose other jobs include editing this Gazette! All the parts of this dark chequered tale were played by the Budding Chess Actors, otherwise known as the BCA! It was a very entertaining evening

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and proved that chess brains can also solve murder mysteries, as three teams convicted the right character, albeit not entirely for the right reasons! If Julie is the new Agatha Christie, the rest of us are a long way off from being the new Poirot!

Joan Shorrock’s Poem: BCA British Championship Torquay 2019Gary and Tanvi are the organisersSo they are here to adviseAnd are ‘in charge’ of this week.Tell me, is that wise?

Stopping in Cockington tea rooms Gary went to the extreme.Instead of having one sconeHe had two with jam and cream.

We walked and walked up this laneWhich Moira said she knewBut that was twenty years agoWhatever shall we do?

We walked back by the hedgeOvergrown and weedyThen Gary just had a pot of tea.It was Tanvi’s turn to be greedy.

Antoine again caused havocWanting a room with a pool‘The weather has been so hot’ he said‘It’s one way to keep cool.’

‘Don’t put me in your poem’ said Roger‘Too late!’ you hear me shout.‘Roger, the steward, you are in my poem.Roger, Roger and out!’

Poppy’s Players won the quiz.Luck was on their side.They romped home, only because Poppy was their guide.

The hotel is good, food nice and hotUnfortunately, so is the weather.Jump into to the swimming poolAnd play chess in the ‘altogether’!

Perhaps that is a good ideaWater-chess just mightCatch on, but looking at our players, Not a pretty sight!

We’re all one happy family I think you will agreeAnd very glad to welcome our friends From across the Irish Sea.

Who were set to go to churchBut mass times, according to Jim, Were not quite right so had to missYou can blame it all on him.

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Father Gerry will say mass by the poolAnd as a slight diversionAll can come to be baptisedIn the pool by total immersion.

The soirée again was fantasticJoan certainly can rely On the talent with words and musicSo varied with standards high.

We’re really sorry that Dan Can’t sing for our delightUnless he’s going to do An impression of Barry White.

On Saturday the Murder Mystery The acting a bit overdone.Antoine with a dodgy moustacheCorny, but lots of fun.

I don’t think we’ll enrol for RADAOr take part in a Shakespeare playMore likely the local amateursEven they would turn us away,

So thank you Julie ChristieFor your clever complex plot.Three teams guessed ‘who dunnit’ How they got there I know not!

Top marks to all the staff hereAt the Livermead House HotelThe service was excellentAnd they looked after us so well.

The organising of entertainmentWith Gary and Tanvi togetherMade the tournament a success Even organising the weather.

Congratulations Paul and TonyThe winners of the chess. What will happen in two years’ time Is anybody’s guess.

It’s always nice to see friendsOn a tournament holidayWe’re one big happy familyThe AMAZING (as Antoine would put it) BCA!

Torquay Revisited!BCA members simply couldn’t get enough of Torquay this year! In addition to our own BCA British championship, some members returned to the town to play in mainstream events later in the summer.Firstly, the British Chess Championships, 17th to 31st July. With twenty other sections alongside the main British Championship itself, and a total of 1104 entries across all events, this was a somewhat larger gathering than ours. However, when it was pointed out to the Mayor at our opening ceremony that the main British Chess Championships were also being held in her town this summer, she looked surprised and commented that she hadn’t been invited, so we were one step ahead of the ‘other British’ in that respect!

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Jijjith Thukaram scored 2/6 in the Under 11 age group. Ben Graff scored 3/5 in the Under 2050 rated section and 4/5 in the Under 1900, where he finished joint third with two others.Norman Andrews scored 2.5/5 in the Under 1750Voldi Gailans scored 1.5/5 in the U120Secondly, the 69th DCCA 'Paignton' Chess Congress took place in Torquay from 31st August to Saturday 7th September. Half a dozen BCA members took part and all gave good accounts of themselves!Challengers U180: Paul Benson 3.5 / 7Intermediate U150: Ian Blencowe 3.5 / 7Minor U120: Roger Waters and Phil Gordon 3, George Phillips 2.5 / 7Morning Tournament U135: Norman Andrews 3.5 / 5 Congratulations to them all, but especially to Norman, who was one of eight players to finish joint top in the Morning Tournament U135.

2nd IBCA European Team ChampionshipFifteen teams from thirteen countries competed in this event in Romania from the 5th to 13th of October. Poland 2 and Russia finished joint top of the table on 16 match points, with Poland 2 winning the tie-break (the result between the teams) to become IBCA European Team Champions for 2019! Other scores were: 15 points: Ukraine13 points: Serbia10 points: Spain9 points (in tie-break order): Poland 1, North Macedonia and Bulgaria8 points (in tie-break order): Germany, Romania 1, Slovenia and Croatia7 points: Hungary6 points: Romania 22 points: Netherlands

ECF Grades for BCA Members July 2019A new grading list was published by the English Chess Federation in July and revised on the 29th of September. Below is a list of the new grades of BCA members, with Rapidplay grades noted in parentheses where applicable.Ali, Ahsan 2 Andrews, Norman G 128 Armstrong, William 139 (140R)Bailey, Stephen 60 Baxter, Colin R 125 Benson, Paul J 162 Blencowe, Ian P 128 Brown, Geoffrey D 148 (132R)Burnell, Steve 140 Carr, Matthew 143 (139R)Casey, Eamonn 104 Chambers, Colin R 119 Chambers, Duncan 125 Chapman, Gordon 111 Clarke, Geoffrey 85 Clayton, David G 102 Cloudsdale, Peter 156 Cuthbert, Jim 72 Elbourn, Anthony J 52 Elbourn, Irene 0 Fisher, Colin 129 (124R)

Gailans, Voldi 78 Geraughty, Graham 0 Gibbs, Peter C 169 Gordon, Philip L 105 Graff, Ben 158 (149R)Hague, Mark 89 Harrington, Richard 0 Holtz, Steve 80 Jenkins, John H 84 Khare, Shivank 104 (96R)Khare, Shubh 16 Kirkham, Mark 107 Lawton, Tony 46 Lovell, Stan E 120 Mabbs, David J 172 (165R)McElroy, Ernie 141 Mills, David G 135 Mohammed, Javaid 12Murphy, Richard LW 120 Osborne, John 37 Pennington, Graham 123

Phillips, George W 100 Phillips, Owen S 171 Pomeroy, Raymond J 109 Pourtahmasbi, Ednun 0 Prasath, Malola TS 188 (190R)Rafferty, Philip 35 Ross, Chris N 211 Rugman, Daniel 87 Ryan, Lea 18 Shimwell, Efe 119 (122R)Smith, Gill 52 Thacker, Steve M 104 Thukaram, Jijjith 87 (92R)Walsh, Gerry F 118 Waters, Roger G 118 Whitehouse, B Guy 112 Wickett, Gary M 90 Willis, Graham 136 Wragg, Norman A 136

As always, I have tried to make this list as complete and accurate as I can, but please do let me know of any errors or omissions.Julie Leonard

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All’s “Fareham” Chess and War!Three BCA members took part in the 15th Fareham Castle Chess Congress from 4th to 6th October 2019. Tony Elbourn and Gary Wickett finished on two points each in the U115 section. Dan Rugman played in the same group and scored 4 from 6 to finish 3rd! Well done to all three!

Puzzles Selected by ChrisAugust Puzzle Gazimon 1969FEN: 8/8/8/8/1R1P1R2/3k4/B7/3K4White: king d1, rooks b4 and f4, Bishop a2, pawn d4 Black: king d3White to play and mate in two. Solution: A: 1. Bd5 Ke3 2. Rf3# B: 1. Bd5 Kc3 2. Rb3#

November Puzzle AbdurahmanovicFEN: 5QKB/2P5/8/3k4/8/1R4N1/8/8White: king g8, queen f8, rook b3, bishop h8, knight g3, pawn c7 Black: king d5White to play and mate in two. The solution will appear in the February issue.Chris Ross

PersonaliaOn the 18th of August Chris Ross and other members of the Northamptonshire Steelbacks visually impaired cricket team took on the Lancashire Lions in a match that would decide the Blind Cricket England & Wales National League Title. The Steelbacks had led the table for most of the season and refused to settle for the draw which would have been enough to clinch the title. Instead they won in style and took the title for the first time in the team’s history. Congratulations to Chris and his teammates!Let’s move on from the Steelbacks to the Steel City of Sheffield, where not one but two of our committee members will be celebrating milestone birthdays in the coming months!Firstly, Mark Kirkham, will be 40 in December. Mark has been our Audio Librarian for about fifteen years! However, chess is not the only game Mark plays where Kings and Queens are involved. He has also taught himself to play bridge. In order to guarantee himself a skilled partner, he taught his mum, Liz, too and now they have friends around for bridge evenings. Mark doesn’t miss a trick where current affairs are concerned either. He has a keen interest in economics and politics. One wonders what he makes of Mr Trump and the latest Brexit deal! Mark, I know that your BCA friends will follow suit wholeheartedly when I bid you an ace 40th birthday!Secondly, Norman Wragg, will be 80 in January. Norman has been our Chairman for nearly eight years! Non-committee members might not be aware of the tremendous amount of behind the scenes work that Norman puts into this role. He devotes so many hours for our benefit that it’s a miracle he has time to do anything else! Yet in fact he has countless other strings to his bow, including guitar strings! Norman is a gifted performer who’s strummed and sung beautifully for BCA members at our soirées. At AGMs Norman carefully notes whatever members are fretting over and reaches an accord to restore harmony. He’s a plucky competitor in mainstream chess congresses as well as at his local club where he also serves as Chairman, no doubt barring discord just as effectively for them as he does for us. He keeps in tune with nature by going for long walks and I’ve heard he’s no stranger to bars of a non-musical nature either! Norman, in so many ways you’re a major player in the BCA and I know that all members will chime in to wish you an upbeat and thoroughly enjoyable 80th birthday!Mark and Norman have so much in common and they are of course good friends but their views are poles apart on the subject of football. They’re keens fans of the game but although they’re both from Sheffield they support different teams! How shall we remember which is which? Well Mark is the card player, who cuts the pack, like a knife; so he supports The Blades (Sheffield United); and the BCA is skilfully chaired by Norman, whose owl-like wisdom never fails; so he follows The Owls (Sheffield Wednesday). You’re welcome!Many thanks to Liz Kirkham and Pauline Wragg for supplying the details that went into these birthday tributes.

Please let me know if you have any news for the next issue.Julie Leonard

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