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Reminiscences

Harry Woolverton

This by Harry Woolverton which was included in the display at the Association's Centenary Dinner in 1998:

Herbert Gosling (Goz) ... was a warm hearted and generous man with a born sense of humour. At an early Ilford Congress I happened to glance at his board and was pleased to note that he was two pawns up. This was unusual, for Goz was generally two pawns down at any stage of a game.

In those days absolute silence reigned at these congresses for Laurie Glyde, the controller, was very firm and would not tolerate the slightest noise and on occasion all that could be heard was the ticking of a hundred clocks.

But the silence was suddenly shattered by a loud and explosive "Damn and blast!" Goz had fallen for a back-rank mate!

.....

The Saturday lightning tournaments were the highlight of the week. They were run in sections on an all-play-all basis with games played in any order the players wished.

The two strongest quick players were Dr. Fazekas and Dr Freedman, both had come from Czechoslovakia before the War. They would avoid meeting each other until the last round or the next to last when negotiations would commence - they always seemed to be seated far apart and one would call to the other "Dr Freedman I will now play you".

"Yes Dr Fazekas, will you come and sit over here?"
"No you come and sit here".
"I cannot see there the light is bad."
"What!" in mock surprise, "you cannot see? What is your ocular strength?"
"Why should I tell you what my ocular strength is?"

And so it would go on, until, to avoid loss of face, they would settle for a midway table. I never ceased to be amazed that two professional men could behave in such a manner. But it was probably more done in fun for they were quite friendly with each other.

Those indeed were the days for there does not seem to be much humour in chess now.

Harry Woolverton

John Nunn

The following item regarding John Nunn's participation in Ilford Congresses in the 1960s was researched by the prolific John Philpott:

John Nunn's appearances at Ilford are indicated in his book, "Secrets of Grandmaster Chess", to have been as follows:

1964 - the start of his tournament career at the age of 9 in Junior Group G, the lowest group where he was second with 4/5, losing in the first round to S Pierce who won with 5/5.

1965 - joint first with with M Frankel on 4/5 in Junior Group B.  Game: Klein-Nunn in DGT Chess Theatre

T.H. George's comments were: 'He has a very quick sight of the board and sums up a situation speedily and with uncanny accuracy.  A natural attacker, he can also defend dourly when necessary.  Time and experience will equip him with the finer points of the game.  Yes, definitely a young man who could one day be heard of in British chess'.

1966 2½/6 - Junior Group not specified, although Nunn was delighted with the conclusion of his game with R Loveridge which he provides with annotations from move 52.

1967 - Won Junior Group B with 5/5.

1968 - Scored 2/5 in Open A.

1969 - 3/6 in Premier Reserve.

1970 - Decided to break with tradition and compete in the Bournemouth Congress instead.

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