Sandy Cordon‘s son Ian Cordon is the only player from Bedfordshire to participate in an Olympiad according to the research I have conducted so far. He played Board 1 for Bermuda twice. Old Tom Sweby also claimed he was the Bedfordshire first team’s youngest ever player, so I thought I should contact him:
MarkJMcCready
‘Hi there, I am being asked by a number of your father’s former friends whether you have any of his games? There is one in particular where he played a stunning queen sacrifice at Hitchin in 83. GM Plaskett mentioned it to me as well as Paul Habershon. Don’t have it do you by chance?‘
cordonian
‘Unfortunately no. I suspect all his old chess stuff got thrown out when the house was sold after he and his wife died. If I come across anything I will get back to you.‘
MarkJMcCready
‘Also, I have a question. Columnist Tom Sweby, who wrote for the Luton News and Dunstable Gazette claims you were the youngest ever to play for the county first team. Is there any truth to this? Can you remember when you first played and how old you were?‘
cordonian
‘I was 11, so in 1966. I tagged along with my Dad to watch a match between Beds. and Cambridge University and the Beds. team turned out to be a player short so I played on board 20. To everyone’s surprise, not least the student, I won.’
MarkJMcCready
‘Sweby claims you were only 10, was he wrong there?‘
cordonian
Hi Mark.
‘Yes I could have been 10, but quite honestly my memory of 60 years ago is a bit fuzzy! (Although weirdly I can still picture having to sit on a cushion to see the board.)‘
‘My Dad spent a lot of time and energy helping with chess administration. He was proud as president of the BCF of successfully changing the focus and finances to grassroots chess and away from the elite. I also remember him doing the gradings for everyone in southern England by hand.‘
‘As a player he was obviously a decent club player, but probably he was most proud of beating Tal when he came to give a simultaneous display (Luton I think in the 1960’s).‘
MarkJMcCready
‘This was not reported on in the luton news. 75 wasn’t it or 74?‘
cordonian
‘Yes he told me about his game against Tal (Tal sacrificed a piece for an attack and eventually my Dad returned the piece to defuse the attack and remain a pawn up). But I don’t know the date – I thought it was 1960’s but if it was 1970’s I would have been at university and only have heard about it later (which makes sense).‘
What can be gleaned from this? Until further research has been completed Ian Cordon remains the youngest to play for Bedfordshire first team and the only Bedfordshireonian to have participated at an Oympiad (1986 & 1988).
Update Dec 8th 2024, I am informed by former county team member Brian Valentine that Ian’s record as the youngest to participate for Bedfordshire has recently been broken by a certain Daniela Dairi, aged 9, who played on board 16 for Bedfordshire in the recently held Fleming Trophy.
Mark. J. McCready, Mandalay
Read Full Post »
McCreadyandChess 