Minor Pieces

You’ve seen this before: (You might also have spotted a much later game between the Twickenham Board 5 and the Isleworth Board 1 in my previous Minor Piece.) You’ll notice Twickenham fielded two military men in this match. We need to find out more about them. The rank of Lieutenant-General is the third highest in… Continue reading

You saw this result in my recent article about the Coward family. There are some other names of interest in this Twickenham team. On board 5 for Twickenham was Sydney Meymott. Many players, like Arthur and Randulph Coward, only play competitive chess for a few years before moving on to another stage in their lives. There are… Continue reading

Working Mens’ Clubs in Twickenham and surrounding areas had been meeting each other for friendly competitions since the early 1870s. These would typically involve some combination of activities such as chess, draughts, whist, cribbage, dominoes and bagatelle. Twickenham Chess Club, for its first few years, seemed to content itself with internal handicap tournaments along with… Continue reading

On 8 April 1882, Edward Griffith Brewer posted an advertisement in the Surrey Comet. The great Joseph Henry Blackburne was going to give a blindfold simultaneous display at Twickenham Chess Club. The following week, they published a report: As local papers usually did, and still do, they got it wrong, quite apart from calling a simul a tournament. George Edward Norwood… Continue reading

Last time I wrote about Oliver Harcourt Labone. Further research has revealed more information about his mother and both his (probable) biological and step-fathers, along with further coincidences. No chess, this time, I’m afraid, but some great stories. Let’s start with Richard Austwick Westbrook. He was a solicitor, born in 1815: his father, also Richard, would,… Continue reading

There are a few chess players who, while not being outstanding exponents themselves, achieved immortality through a flash of inspiration. Saavedra is one example, and another is the subject of this article: Oliver Harcourt Labone. You might have seen something like this before, either this position or a similar position published by Lasker ten years… Continue reading

We’re going to leave Twickenham for a bit, but don’t worry. We’ll be back there soon. I’ve received a couple of requests for information on other players, both of whom (and they had a few things in common) seemed suitable for a Minor Pieces post. I received an email the other day from my friend… Continue reading

Continuing my series of articles on members of Twickenham Chess Club between 1880 and 1906, I consulted the 1882 edition of the Chess player’s Annual and Club Directory, edited by W R Bland. This confirms that the club was established in 1880, met at the Town Hall, had 60 members, the entrance fee and subscription were… Continue reading

The chess players of Richmond and Twickenham had more than two decade to wait before another club arose in their area. A chess club in Twickenham opened its doors for the first time, probably in Autumn 1880. This is the first of a series of articles looking at some of their members between 1881 and… Continue reading

If, like me, you enjoy family and social history, you’re probably a fan of David Olusoga’s documentary series A House Through Time. Here’s an idea for a new series: A Book Through Time. If you’ve read my article about Henry George Bohn, you’ll have seen this before.  It’s my first edition of Staunton’s Chess-Player’s Handbook. I acquired this… Continue reading