Fellow Bedfordshire chess players: the only player who emerged from the Bedfordshire league and went on to become a GM was James Plaskett, and thereafter British champion in 1990 in sunny Eastbourne.
But just how good was he whilst still playing in the Beds. league? Well, he did finish second in the British championship in 78, however, that is just a statistic, so can hardly be classified as being heuristic for the average club and county player if drawing direct comparisons is the name of the game. What if I said his rating in the 1979 B.C.F list was 222, of further help? Let’s shift the goalposts somewhat.
In completing Norwood’s spiffing The Chess Traveller’s Quiz Book, I did notice that the very last puzzle comes from one of GM Plaskett’s games; an impressive victory accomplished while he was still playing in the Beds. league at the time. If you fancy it, I suggest you try to solve it, then decide for yourself how graspable it is, or is not! From that you should be able to deduce any disparity in ability there may be between yourself and that of a young Plaskett’s. You should bear in mind it is the very last puzzle of the book thus the hardest, (unsurprisingly, I couldn’t even get the first move right!). It is hoped that such endeavour should offer up some indication of his strength comparatively but do bear in mind this pertains to solving a puzzle, so you know something is afoot in the postion. That said, may I suggest you set aside a good few minutes for this if not more and, perhaps, put the right sort of thinking cap on? I should also add the solution to the puzzle is below.
Solution is below. Please refrain from reaching for it initially as it is somewhat self-defeating. Unhelpful clue -as I found out to my surprise, the first move is not Bxg6!
For further information on the game it should be pointed out that it was played in the European Junior Chess Championship, and that GM Plaskett finished 3rd, behind Soviet Union GM Sergei Dolmotov (2nd) and Dutch GM Jon Van Der Wiel. Some information can be found in the following link. https://www.olimpbase.org/~~V/ind-eicc/eu20b-1979.html?__r=5.8830a57d4c3c59c6d5e85f1c4c551575
NB. Comments placed on this site along the lines of ‘What in the devil’s name was the point in asking me to try and solve that!’ I shall not reply to. Praise along the lines of ‘Ah thanks, so that’s how good one of our own once was while still playing for Bedfordshire’ shall be welcomed.
“The Eleven Home Counties, which are thought in Land Taxes to pay more than their proportion, viz. Surrey with Southwark, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Kent, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk, Berks, Bucks, and Oxfordshire.“
An Essay upon Ways and Means of Supplying the War, 1695 Charles Davenant
Mark. J. McCready
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