Minor Pieces

You might have noticed that all the Minor Pieces to date have featured gentlemen. The main reason, I suppose, is that most of them have been about members of early chess clubs in the Richmond and Twickenham area which specifically advertised as being for gentlemen. No ladies, and certainly no plebs. Here’s Twickenham Chess Club, Continue reading

You might have seen this in the previous Minor Piece. Consider for a moment the Thames Valley team. There on board 6 or thereabouts is Arthur Coward, father of Noël. A board (or possibly two) below him is Mr HJ Lanchester, another man with an interesting family. (I note, en passant, that Augustus Campbell Combe on board 10, Continue reading

Any chess problem aficionados at any point from the late 1880s to the late 1940s, which, you might think was the golden age of chess problems, would have been familiar with the initials PGLF above compositions, with a location of, perhaps, Twickenham, Staines or Isleworth. The name G Fothergill was often seen in connection with Continue reading

We left Thomas Francis Lawrence in 1901, living in Westminster with his mother and brother, and now established as one of England’s leading players, having won the prestigious City of London Chess Club Championship on five occasions and represented his country in the Anglo-American cable matches. In 1901-02 William Ward won the City of London Club Championship Continue reading

Here’s some 1899 news from Richmond Chess Club. This seems to have been TF Lawrence’s second visit, the first having been the previous year. This would soon become established as an annual event, continuing for many years either side of the Great War. Here’s how the 1904 simul was reported. TF Lawrence (not to be Continue reading

Back in 1975 I played in a weekend tournament celebrating the centenary of Kingston Chess Club. I’m still in touch with two of my opponents, Kevin Thurlow and Nick Faulks, today. They both post regularly on the English Chess Forum and I also see (and, on occasion, play) Nick at Thames Valley League matches between Continue reading

There are many of us who enjoy an intellectual challenge over the breakfast table. These days we might solve a crossword or a sudoku. In the days before crosswords and long before sudokus, there were those who would solve a chess problem over breakfast. Many daily and weekly publications would carry a regular chess problem, Continue reading

You’ve seen this a couple of times before: a 1902 Surrey Trophy match between Richmond and Redhill. It’s time to meet Richmond’s Board 8: Cecil Frank Cornwall. Cecil had been born in Chorlton, Manchester on 16 November 1883, so he was still in his teens at the time of this match. His father, Frank Edward Continue reading

There are those who are of interest because, like William Ward, they’re strong chess players who had distinguished careers. We can follow their results and study their games. There are others who might have had shorter or less distinguished chess careers but who are of interest because of their lives outside chess, or perhaps because Continue reading

Last time we left William Ward in 1909, when he had just competed in his fourth British Championship. As it happens, it would be his last appearance (perhaps his legal work was more pressing) but he continued playing in the City of London Championship, as well as in county matches. Here, as you can see, Continue reading