I have, on numerous occasions, argued that the strongest player ever to appear in the Bedfordshire league at the time of his presence was the Italian Sergio Mariotti. That was the 70-71 season. (Please refer to the History of Bedfordshire chess) category. He was a strong IM at the time and appeared 3rd in England on the BCF rating list of that year (about 240). Within a few years he became Italy’s first Grandmaster and could hold his own against the current world champion Karpov, and also beat just about everyone else in the years to come.
Mariotti’s draw against Karpov in 75
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067879
GM Matthew Sadler has had a look at quite a few of his games, which show just how strong he was. At the beginning of the first video, GM Sadler tells us that Tal once said had Mariotti been born in the Soviet Union, he would have been world champion.
Mark. J. McCready
Bangkok/Mandalay
McCreadyandChess 