McCreadyandChess

The missing link?

May 2, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Chess lovers: what is the missing link between The Damned —– and —– Nirvana and how could there be a chess connection? Any ideas? Tough questions huh? Okay let’s make it easier then.

Nirvana. Truly fantastic trio from Seattle (and surrounding areas). Have a listen to this:

———–missing link ———-missing link————missing link ————— missing link ———-missing link————missing link —————missing link ———-missing link————missing link missing link ———-missing link————missing link ————- missing link ———-missing link————missing link —————- missing link ———-missing link————missing link ————– missing link ———-missing link————missing link———missing link ———-missing link————

The Damned. Top notch UK punk outfit. Attention please.

The missing link is this: Killing Joke. Tune in.

The Damned ‘life goes on‘ —– Killing Joke ‘eighties’ —— Nirvana ‘come as you are’. ‘Come as you are’ was borrowed (for want of a better term, perhaps ~~ripped off~~ lifted is better) from the song ‘eighties’, everyone knows this. But what most people don’t know is that the song ‘eighties’ was borrowed (~~ripped off~~ lifted) from ‘life goes on’ by The Damned.

So where lies the chess connection? The missing link Killing Joke wrote a song which alludes to chess in the chorus and uses chess metaphors. It’s called ‘Chessboards’ and can be found on their album ‘Brighter than a Thousand Suns’. In my opinion, it is a strong contender for being the best song written about chess ever -truly great chorus! Here it is. Please do have a listen.

Best Nirvana song: Lounge Act

Best Killing Joke song: Euphoria

Best The Damned song: New Rose

Are you converted? In case you don’t know, music is much better than chess.

Mark. J. McCready

Posted in Chess | Leave a Comment »

W. Ward plays for Luton

May 2, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Before the motorization of vehicles, there is evidence that matches were played at mutually agreed venues, halving journey times. We find William Ward, future champion of London, playing for Luton in such an arranged match. Please see the reportage below.

This is quite an important find as it helps us understand William Ward’s movements between Luton and London better. Not before Feb. 18th 1897 then, but before November 1898? Why was St. Albans chosen? It is important to note that at the tail end of the industrial revolution when rail was made available, most matches were between cities and towns who were connected by it. At the time of the match it was possible to travel to St. Albans by train from both Luton and Watford. As the links below show you trains were up and running from 1868 and 1858 respectively.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Line

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford_railway_station

William Ward has been written about numerous times in this blog. The best post is, I think this. https://mccreadyandchess.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/our-clash-of-future-champions/

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | 1 Comment »

Local Chess Presentations, 1905

May 2, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | Leave a Comment »

Luton’s early matches against St. Albans

May 2, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Chess in Bedfordshire (1933), pg. 1

Chess in Bedfordshire (1933), pg. 2

We can assume, then, that arranging matches with local clubs was a priority. Regarding the renewed matches with St. Albans, at least one has been reported on.

Reportage which refers to the matches against St. Albans and embellishes them can be found below.

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | Tagged Luton Chess Club | Leave a Comment »

The Luton News & Bedfordshire Chronicle 1986 by columnist Tom Sweby

May 1, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Wednesday December 31st 1986, The Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle

Thursday, November 27th 1986, The Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle

Thursday, November 6th, 1986, The Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle

Thursday, October 16th 1986, The Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle

Thursday, September 25th 1986, The Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle

I feel obliged to comment here due to a lack of clarity. As Mr. Sweby knows all too well since he reported on him numerous, GM Sergio Mariotti played in the Beds. league in the 70/71 season. He was an IM at the time and went on to become a GM 4 years later. James Plaskett also was not a GM when he played in our league and became one afterwards in 1985. But since GM Plaskett developed as a player in Bedfordshire and played in our league for many years as well as play for Bedfordshire, he is perceived as homegrown talent. But strictly speaking, the first person to play in out league and go on to become a GM later was in fact GM Sergio Mariotti.

I have to comment here. As this website shows, no one but no one has put more effort into preserving Tom Sweby’s column than I have -not one single person on this planet has done more than I. Yes of course I used to know him personally and even called him up to borrow books once. Close friends were taught by him also. I know what his style is and what his limitations are. I hate to say it but he is sloppy as a writer and frequently lacks precision. In attempting to draw attention to great players who preceding those present I am quite sure Tom has made a rather embarrassing mistake. If an Irish champion had played for Luton before, I would already know. I have since done research and been in contact with more than one chess historian over the matter. There is no evidence anywhere to suggest this is true and Sweby never mentioned this before ever also. We had a Welsh champion yes, Donald Curtis. Why would he mention an Irish champion but then leave out a Welsh champion, whom he has reported on and knew personally? I suspect Tom simply got mixed up during the writing process and I can assure you, it was not the first time that happened, nor the last for that matter.

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | Leave a Comment »

Tournament audio files

April 30, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

For a reason which eludes me somewhat, I made some audio files during the tournament I played in most recently. I strongly suspect I wanted to be sure I didn’t forget how hard I found the whole thing, and I’m fairly sure it’s because I don’t want a repeat of that ever again.

Posted in My own endeavours | Leave a Comment »

Hats off to Luton

April 26, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Luton A team has won Division 2 of the Bedfordshire League with only one loss all season.

So who makes up the Luton A team this season?

Congrats on a fine season, now its time for division 1!

Mark. J. McCready

Posted in Bedfordshire Chess, History of Bedfordshire Chess | Leave a Comment »

Bedford as national champions

April 26, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Back in the 2000/2001 season, Bedford proved they are the best in the land. They beat the more fancied Wood Green in the final of the National Club Championships, with the Ledger brothers in fine form. This is of course before the 4NCL took shape. Details can be found here: https://sccu-chess.com/archive/0001/nc.htm

In addition, I am once again indebted to Mr. Paul Habershon, long standing member of Bedford Chess Club for his first hand account of the match. The text below is his response to my query.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the only instance of a club from the Bedfordshire league becoming national champions.

Mark. J. McCready

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | Leave a Comment »

Could not find that killer blow

April 24, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

MJM

Posted in Chess | Leave a Comment »

Wonderful work by Saunders

April 23, 2024 by mccreadyandchess

Once again, archivist, English chess supremo, and dedicated admirer of our online proletariat John Saunders has done a fine job by placing the 1979 Lloyds Bank Masters on line for all and sundry to wonder over.

https://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/197908lloyds-viewer.html

My fellow Bedfordshire county team mates, for our purposes this tournament signifies our top end strength well. Participating for Bedfordshire we have:

50th James Plaskett of Bedford (2410) [still untitled, classified as a junior]

63rd Michael MacDonald-Ross of Milton Keynes (2265)

79th Colin. P. Garwood of Dunstabubble (No FIDE rating, est. 2200 classified as a junior)

Something of a discrepancy? (See below)

Did Colin. P. Garwood play in the main event and a junior tournament?

Quick trivia question: The venue was the hotel Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is the name of a novel by which author?

Another quick trivia Q: James Plaskett achieved his first ever norm, what norm was it?

MJM

Posted in History of Bedfordshire Chess | Leave a Comment »

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…on what this site initially became…on what this site is now becoming…on what this site cannot become…

On what this site initially became…

…once upon a time, the chess-related musings of an adrift academic were bound playfully and electronically in this online journal of sorts. They grew and grew as the decade did too. I kept on because I love to write whether I had much to say or not; therefore, being read by others was usually of little or no importance, comparatively speaking. Content was based on personal thoughts and experience on various topics with no intended audience borne in mind. With topics broadening, my own take on things always shaped the narrative I constructed: I often thought I was insightful but never that I was right. Sometimes imagination gave rise to originality: and of that I have always remained proud. I often introduced humour, believing that I am funnier than I really am. Sometimes, I found my own style antithetical to the conservatism I believe chess is plagued by -oftentimes that has put a gracious smile on my face… .

On what this site is now becoming…

…this site is now becoming a collaboration of chess in Bedfordshire: much more so of the past than the present -that has become the dominant trend. I document the history of chess in Bedfordshire as much as I can, and as time has passed I have become more thorough and resourceful. However, I am not a trained historian as my background lies principally in philosophy but yes it is true I did study some modules on history as both an undergraduate and a post-graduate too; furthermore, I have trained myself up, particularly in terms of postmodern history. Since 2015, I have only read history and historiography as well as those philosophers who have been so influential on postmodern history, such as Nietzsche (whom I once wrote a 19,000 word dissertation on, entitled: Can the Will to Power be Found in The Birth of Tragedy?), also Richard Rorty and Foucault and I suppose certain structualists such as Claude Levi-Strauss too. Regarding postmodernism, mostly I keep to Hayden White, Keith Jenkins and Alan Muslow.

Some friends and former playing partners back home describe me as the ‘go to guy’ for the history of chess in Bedfordshire. This compliment says more about the lack of interest in the subject than my own endeavour. As mentioned, I am too adrift from academia to feel chuffed by it. Rather, I tend to lament that my historical research, like my chess, just isn’t what it should be. Even though I may well have a broad understanding of Bedfordshire chess history courtesy of the volume of research put into it, all of which began in 2014, this is not something I am particularly proud of. Nonetheless, out of courtesy compliments are graciously received. If the truth be told, I just see it as my job and only that – after all someone’s got to do it and no one else is that interested!

Amongst the many others, I have created three categories: ‘Bedfordshire Chess’ and ‘History of Bedfordshire Chess’ and ‘Luton Chess Club’. This website is slowly moving towards a consolidation of those (all of which can be found in one of the toolbars to the right).

On what this site cannot become…

…I like to be both creative and amusing when I can be, factor in that playfulness has been an ever-present factor, the content of this site should be thought of as multifarious. It could be said I continue to enjoy undermining the conservatism I believe chess is underpinned by even after all these years, and often try to use humour to do it still, believing I have got better at it. Consequently, despite the general direction its going in, this site cannot only be about Chess in Bedfordshire and nor will it be. It may become noted for that yes -in fact that’s been the case for years already even by established historians, archivists, and whoever else. External factors aside, this site is titled McCreadyandChess. I cannot, nor will I not, remove my own personal thoughts and experiences of chess from the posts of this site -especially if I think they are funny or original for they constitute my writing at its very, very best. In addition, the number of categories alone tells you that breadth of content is important to me. I am proud of my site, it is identity conferring and that is how it shall stay -end of story. All you really have are: ‘Some thoughts on the beautiful game’, which, incidentally, just happen to be my very own; nothing more, nothing less, take of it whatever you please… .

Mark. J. McCready

9.56 pm Monday, October 28th 2024

Bangkok, Thailand
Categories
Posts which McCready is mighty pleased with

Malpractice — Replete with dark humour and literary devices

Bedfordshire Chess in the 70s its past and its future — Local History

Our Clash of Future Champions — Local History

Fond Memories of Bedfordshire Chess — Humour & Reflection

Meme 16 — Dark Humour & Parody

Reflections 20— Reflection & Warm Condolence

Reflections 17 — Colourful reflections from afar
Luton & The University of Bedfordshire Chess Club
The University of Bedfordshire Library, Vicarage St. Luton
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A side note on how to read old Tom Sweby's columns
Not perhaps, but quintessentially, Old Tom Sweby is best thought of as a passionate devotee to the newspapers he wrote for. He was well read and knowledgeable of the Bedfordshire chess scene and well beyond, given that he was the president of the S.C.C.U. once upon a time. He was generally well-respected and rubbed shoulders with many, if not all, of those eminent within British chess circles. It would, however, be a critical mistake to see his column is primary source material entirely. That it is not. You will also find secondary source material quoted too, and the reliability of that is not quite as Tom hoped. Given that he wrote for decades, this is to some degree inevitable, and after all we are all prone to error whether we realize it or not. Thankfully, with regards to old Tom Sweby, they are infrequent and for the most part old Tom continued to document events and developments in the Bedfordshire league from the get go as best he could but, of course, everything lies open to interpretation. Despite this, and generally speaking. this does indeed make him informative and thus worth reading. Dare I say his columns constitute a narrative describing the latest developments, match reports and changing nature of the Beds league...he knew his audience and wrote according. This manifested itself over decades but brevity was always in play courtesy of the restictions imposed by writing a column. Should you wish to read a in instrumental figure of the Beds' league post WW2, you are quite welcome to peruse what has been posted here... . :-) I should, however, point out that as the decades wore on he gradually moved on away from narratives concerning the Bedfordshire league towards affairs both historical and international. The reasons for this are multifarous, old age was a predominante factor presumably, however, the bottom line is with regards to how the Bedfordshire chess scene developed post WW2: old Tom Sweby is your go to guy. He wrote more about chess in Bedforshire than anyone else did but given he was a Lutonian and writing for a Luton newspaper there is both bias and greater coverage of his hometown than the rest of the county.
Gallery

I’m either 10 or 11 here

1982, myself versus Brian from Sunderland.

At the Thai Junior chess championships. My daughter of course.

Pattaya 2011

2011

Thai Junior Championships

2008

2011

Around 2011

2011

Pattaya 2009

2011

Kuwait 2008

2012

2012

2011 BKK Chess club

2011

2011 Thai Open

2011 Thai Open

2013 approx

Around 2014

2010

2012

Around 2011

2011

2011

2013

Around 2011

Around 2011

2020

2011

2008

2011

2013 or thereabouts

2010

2017

2014?

2010

2024

2024

2024
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