The Gazette
August
2026
Registered
Charity Number 263049
Bringing Chess to Visually Impaired People.
BCA Website Address: www.braillechess.org.uk
Email: info@braillechess.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrailleChess
BCA User Group: BrailleChess@groups.io
To contact a member of the
committee, please go to the Contact page on the Braille Chess Association’s
website.
https://braillechess.org.uk/contacts
Honorary Members
Christine and Norman Andrews, Bill Armstrong, Hazel and Steve Burnell, Colin Chambers, Alec Crombie,
Celia Gibbs, Julie Leonard, Stan Lovell, Richard Murphy, Joan Shorrock, Gill Smith, Gerry Walsh,
Roger Waters, Norman Wragg.
Trustees
Bill Armstrong (Chair of Trustees), Voldi Gailans, Abi Baker, Tristram Cole, Clare Gailans, Gary Hogan, Mark Kirkham, Julie Leonard, Brandan Read, Gill Smith, Gerry Walsh, Guy Whitehouse.
Note: The
views expressed in the Gazette do not
necessarily reflect the policies or views of the BCA, nor those of the editor
CONTENTS
Annual
Award in Memory of Graham Lilley
Update
from Director of Remote Chess, Bill Armstrong
2026
David Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Competition
International
Chess Highlights
From
Starting Chess to Playing for a Club
RIP Eleanor Tew-
4th March 1951 to 27th December 2025
In Memoriam FM
Jörgen Magnusson 1967 — 2026
I think it is silly to welcome readers to a publication, as though it were a house. I was determined not to do it, but just in time I thought to check my editorial in the May gazette and, ahem, I did just that there. The only two excuses are that I was rushing (not much time between election and copy deadline) and that so many other periodicals do it that I forgot to remind myself that it is silly. It won't happen again, but I do hope everyone finds something in the Gazette to inform, educate and entertain, as the BBC used to say.
There are many exciting events and opportunities to enjoy your chess and your social life, either in person or remotely. There's some BCA nostalgia, and you can follow a member on his chess journey from a little boy in school and hospital through many years' association with his local club to a decade or so of happy involvement with his wife in the BCA. There are games, Mark's puzzle and appreciations of the lives of two people from the world of chess for the visually impaired who have died. Unfortunately we have not received the promised eulogy from Mike Murphy's family, but if it comes through we will include it in a later issue. It's never too late to remember such a wonderful friend.
Two mentions of breaking news: Brandan Read is our new British Visually Impaired chess champion, with Mark Hague winning the challengers’ event. Much more on this in November, and on our website. Also your Chairman and I are delighted to let you know that our daughter’s partner Ellis is running the 2027 London Marathon in aid of the BCA. More on this later too.
I wish everyone a pleasant late summer and autumn, enjoying playing and supporting chess and many other good things.
Please send me any comments and contributions to the Gazette address at the front of the magazine no later than the 30th of September 2026.
Clare Gailans
Booking Conditions and Procedures
All bookings must be made through the named event organiser or via an online form on the BCA website.
See particular events for details.
The organiser will confirm the amount to be paid to the BCA and will notify the Treasurer to expect this payment from the entrant. Only when full payment has been received will the booking be complete.
When booking, please supply the organiser with the following:
1.
Name/names of everyone the booking is
for.
2.
Dates of arrival and departure.
3.
Room type (single/double/twin/accessible
room).
4.
If you will be bringing a guide dog.
5.
Any special dietary requirements.
6.
Any special requests: For example, a
preference for a bath or shower or a need for a walk-in shower; a preference to be near the lift or stairs; a need for support in case of
a fire alarm at night.
7.
Consent for your name, dates booked, room
type and any special requirements to be sent to the hotel.
8.
Whether you require a braille, print or
large print event programme. (The programme will
be emailed to all participants for whom an email address is held.)
9.
An emergency contact number. This is important as otherwise it puts a great responsibility on the organiser
if an emergency arises. The organiser will keep this information confidential and
destroy it after the event.
10.
Details of any
known medical condition that you have, which could require urgent treatment
during the event. For example, if you
carry an auto injector or similar device for a severe allergic reaction or
other life-threatening emergency. With
your agreement, the organiser may share this information with people who will
help to keep you safe.
If you are taking part in the chess, please also give:
11.
Consent for your forename, surname, club,
results and gender to be sent to the ECF and possibly also FIDE, for rating
purposes.
12.
The section you would prefer to play in
if you are under the rating limit for the Challengers.
If you have any queries about the hotel or the tournament please contact the event organiser, not the Treasurer.
Blind and partially sighted UK residents under the age of 25 receive free entry and free accommodation when playing in BCA events. In appropriate circumstances, free accommodation is also available to a parent or guardian accompanying a junior.
Visually impaired UK resident members receive a refund equivalent to two nights’ accommodation after attending their first BCA event. They may also be accompanied by a guide or companion who will receive the same concession. For a first event we ask for payment in advance and we then make a refund at or after the event.
The Treasurer will acknowledge receipt of your payment and let the organiser know. You may pay in these ways:
Cheques payable to Braille Chess Association should be sent to the Treasurer.
Online or telephone payments may be made to:
Account name: Braille Chess Association, sort code: 40 52 40, account number: 00082456.
If you pay by direct payment, you should inform the Treasurer when the payment has been made.
Bookings accepted after the closing date are at the discretion of the organiser and are subject to a £10 late booking supplement for each person.
Bookings can only be cancelled and payments refunded within the time limit set in the conditions by the hotels. Members may consider it advisable to take out holiday insurance to cover themselves.
The BCA reserves the right to exclude from its events anyone whose behaviour towards participants and tournament organisers was unacceptable or who is currently serving a time ban for cheating.
Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September 2026:
BCA International Autumn Tournament
This year's International Autumn Tournament will be held at the Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth. The closing date has passed, but it just might be possible to be fitted in if you contact the organiser, John Jenkins.
Payment for all accommodation (including Sunday if required) together with the entry fee should be sent to the Treasurer, Tristram Cole. Bookings accepted after the closing date of 31st July are at the discretion of the organiser and will be subject to a late booking fee of £10 per person. Please note that rooms will not be reserved until full payment has been received.
Saturday 23 January to Saturday 30 January
2027 - Chess Theme Break.
Due to the Lauriston no longer having catering facilities, the 33rd Chess Theme Break will be held at the Royal Hotel, 1 South Parade, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 1JP (not to be confused with the Royal Grosvenor Hotel). Please note that, as well as a change of venue, due to the fact that many of the coaches who used to attend this event, for various reasons, are no longer able to attend, and the fact of course that the trainees are just getting too good at chess, we've had to bring the rating level for trainees down to 1200. The positive to this of course is that it gives those who have received coaching for many years the opportunity to take on the role of coach and share what they've learned. So if your rating exceeds 1200, don't be shy, please consider volunteering as a coach as we need all the coaches we can get. I'm aware that the rating system is quite precarious and also that some people may be uncertain of their rating. The figure used will be the one at time of booking and there will be some leeway. If you're uncertain of your approximate rating at time of booking, please just tick your preference for coach or trainee and if you don't fall into the relevant category, I will contact you to discuss the matter further. Coaches will obviously be allocated appropriate trainees according to their rating. We will also do our best to try and provide some coaching to coaches who request it. Coaches will also have the opportunity to attend up to two How Good is Your Chess sessions.
This will be the first time we've stayed at the Royal, but we've checked it out and it appears to be an ideal venue, with an allocated area for guide dog spending. Please note, however, guide dog owners from now on will need to bring their own bowls, food, dog beds etc. The Royal Hotel is about a mile from Weston-Super-Mare railway station and a short walk from the seafront and the town centre shops. During the winter, dogs are allowed to run on the nearby beach.
As usual, the week will closely follow the tried and trusted programme developed by Peter and Celia Gibbs. It will include coaching and an unrated rapid handicap tournament, where the champion wins a small trophy, and is free to enter. There will be many social events you could join in and they might include a trip to a local pub. I like to think of the Chess Theme Break as a chess holiday. It's a great way to improve your chess and catch up and meet new friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Even if you don't wish to participate in the chess and just want to come along for the company and the sea air, all are welcome. To get a full flavour of the week, please refer to Mark's article in the May Gazette. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the organiser, Gary Wickett.
For members and associate members the cost of dinner, bed and breakfast for the week is £455 per person for single occupancy of a single or double/twin room (rooms will be allocated according to need) and £420 per person sharing a double or twin room. The cost of individual nights for any member not staying the whole week is £65 per person for single occupancy and £60 per person per night sharing. Before paying, please fill in the online form - see https://braillechess.org.uk/events.
The closing date may be subject to change, but as this is a new hotel, booked at a late stage in the day, to secure your place please book by Friday 13 November. Any extension to the booking date will feature in the November Gazette.
Gary Wickett
Friday 12 March to Sunday 14 March 2027 - BCA
AGM and Congress:
Prices are not yet finalised for this weekend, but we have booked to return to the Mercure Parkway Hotel, Sheffield, which did us proud earlier this year. More details in the November Gazette.
The Congress Support Scheme aims to encourage members to take part in
mainstream congresses in the UK or overseas by offering financial
assistance. During the period of the BCA
financial year (1st October to 30th September) an eligible member can claim up
to £300 over a maximum of four mainstream or non-BCA chess events. To be eligible you must be a visually
impaired UK resident BCA member, you must have played in at least one BCA over
the board or remote tournament in the past year and you must not have received
international funding, for example to take part in an IBCA tournament.
Eligible members attending their first ever mainstream event or non-BCA
overseas event, or their first one for ten years or more, may also be able to
claim up to £150 for a sighted guide. At
the discretion of the committee, limited funding for a personal assistant may
also be granted to a profoundly disabled member who needs to be accompanied to
non-BCA events.
If you are considering entering a mainstream event you may well find
yourself in good company as some of them are popular with BCA members! See the All Under One Roof article for
details of events that may be suitable.
HOW TO CLAIM
In order to make a claim there are three
simple steps:
1. Contact the Congress Support Officer by telephone or email at least
one week prior to the event, giving full details of the tournament in which you
wish to compete. (See list of officers’
contact details.) Retrospective claims
will not normally be accepted. The
Congress Support Officer must have enough time to check your eligibility and
establish whether funding exists to cover your claim. This scheme is subject to available funds so
if there are a lot of claims in a financial year the money may run out.
2. Send a receipt or proof of expenditure to the Treasurer on return
from the congress. Claims can include
the entry fee and reasonable expenses for accommodation, travel or other
justifiable costs. All claims should be
appropriate to expenditure. The Congress
Support Scheme does not cover claims for insurance.
3. Provide feedback on the event to the Congress Support Officer. This
does not need to be formal and will be stored as an anonymous record for our
database. It may benefit other BCA members thinking of attending the same event
in the future.
Please note that, in the spirit of the Congress Support Scheme, failure
to complete all the above steps may mean that we cannot guarantee your claim
will be processed successfully.
Tony
Elbourn, Congress Support Officer
Many
thanks to Guy Whitehouse for compiling the following list of mainstream
tournaments where the accommodation and chess playing room are in the same
hotel.
Fareham FIDE Congress, 5th – 6th September 2026, Lysses
House Hotel, Fareham.
Psyon Chess will run its inaugural 2-day Fareham FIDE
Congress as five round Swiss tournaments: U2300, U1800 and ECF rated
U1550. For more details, see the website
https://www.congress.org.uk/congress/816/home. Note that ECF Gold Membership is required.
4th Torquay Riviera Congress, 5th - 11th
September 2026, TLH Carlton Hotel, Torquay.
There is a seven-round event during the afternoon and evening with an Open and a U1750 section. There's also a six-round event in the morning with an Open and a U1700 section. For more details contact the organiser John Constable.
4th Weymouth Chess 4U Congress, 16th – 18th October 2026, Weymouth Hotel Rembrandt, Wemouth
A five-round seeded Swiss Congress with three sections: Open, U1750 & U1550. Organiser: Rebecca Gardiner. Further details can be found here: https://www.congress.org.uk/congress/802/home
50th Guernsey Chess Festival, 1st – 7th
November 2026, Peninsula Hotel, Les Dicqs Vale,
Guernsey
For details, please contact the organiser, Marc Jongerius, see the website:
https://guernseychessfestival.org.gg
This will be a brief report as much of what we discussed at the May committee meeting will be covered in future articles in the gazette.
Finances: Our accounts have been certified and we have completed our annual return to the Charity Commission, always an important milestone. Our new fundraiser, Freya Smith, told us that some organisations had been reluctant to donate money to us as they thought we were holding too much in reserve. A definitive list of those organisations is being put together and the matter will be discussed further at the next meeting of the Finance Sub-committee, currently scheduled for 23rd September.
Publicity: We will be involved in Chess Fest in London and there will be another match against a parliamentary team. We're looking into the best way of getting maximum publicity out of these events.
Junior matters: Gary and Brandan offered to organise an online tournament for our juniors, but with only one respondent expressing any interest. Much more encouraging was a visit to Joseph Clarke School which went very well. We intend to maintain contact with the school and hope to be able to get some regular chess activity going there.
Tournament venues and participation in our events: We will be returning to the Sheffield Mercure hotel for next year's AGM and spring congress. We are getting an up-to-date assessment of the Carlton Hotel in Blackpool and are looking into hotels in Coventry and one outside Stoke station which is no longer being used to house asylum seekers. We would appreciate feedback from guide dog owners as to whether a grassy spending area is essential or whether something more basic would do.
We discussed the participation of deafblind players in our events. We want to do everything possible to enable them to participate fully in and enjoy our events, but this cannot be at the cost of preventing someone else participating in the way they want to. We are looking into this further, though the feeling at the meeting was that deafblind players would need to attend with a friend or companion, at least if they would experience difficulty hearing an opponent's move or at mealtimes.
Website issues: The results and pairings page generated by James Connors during the AGM congress had been a great success and this would be a feature of all our tournaments going forward. A large print score sheet is now available on our resources page. We also had some links on the ECF's accessible chess webpage corrected.
Chess equipment: We are having a sample set produced by Cooper Chess (Brandan uses a set they produced for him). We have found large peg-based sets hard to obtain, mainly because Chess Baron has not been able to import any for quite some time. There has been some confusion on the prices of sets and these will be fixed at the next Finance Sub-committee meeting. Phill Clayton produced a high quality magnetic set, though we don't know if this is an activity Phill will feel able to undertake on a regular basis.
Sub-committees: Finally the sub-committees were re-constituted and a new Finance Sub-committee was formed. Chairs of all of these sub-committees are listed at the front of the gazette. Any message sent to a sub-committee address goes to the whole of that sub-committee.
Guy Whitehouse.
Each year before our accounts are submitted to the Charity Commission, they are independently examined by a firm of accountants. We have worked with the same firm for many years, but rising charges due to inflation have gradually pushed them up outside our price range. Ever since I took over as treasurer, we have been looking into the possibility of changing the firm that we use. Our new Membership Secretary Ashar Smith has helped us to do this by introducing us to an accountant that he has successfully worked with before. I am very grateful for all his help and look forward to working with the new accountant from October.
Our financial situation continues to be extremely positive. This is partly due to the fact that since the previous gazette our fundraiser Freya Smith has helped to raise another £29,000. By continuing to approach new donors and deal with existing ones, her work in this role helps to make my job a lot easier.
If you are shopping online, please consider using Give As You Live which raises funds with many different retailers at no cost to you. Simply search for "give as you live online", sign up and choose the BCA as the charity you are supporting.
If anyone has any questions relating to these or other related matters please get in touch via the Officers' Contact Details. I look forward to seeing many of you in upcoming events.
Tris Cole.
Greetings BCA members, I'm pleased to report that since me writing to you in the last gazette we have welcomed sixteen new members to the wonderful world of the BCA. We have welcomed members from across the country and overseas, juniors beginning their chess journey to a seasoned club player who almost won the BCA championship on his first attempt.
Big BCA welcomes to: New VI Juniors Muhammad Husnain (Stockport), Lauren Downie (Scarborough), Abdul Khan (Bradford); new life members Sergio Harnandan (Netherlands), Bryan Wood (Sheffield) and new associate life member Sawsan Bastawy (Rhondda Valley); new five-year members Beryl Hall, Denise Patterson, Sandra Lathbury, Ian Smith, Margret Chataika, Raymond Murphy and Tracey Lee, who are all part of a chess coaching group in Newcastle, and Felix Clutson (Reading); new associate five-year members Peter Cloudsdale (York), who has rejoined the BCA after a short break, and Imogen Wathen (Huddersfield).
As I write, Ben Ashcroft (Lincoln) and Don Connigale (London) who met BCA members at the 2026 Chess Fest in Trafalgar Square are also in the process of joining us as one year associate members.
I attended my first championship and BCA event in Harrogate; it was lovely to meet some of our members both on the board and at the social times in between matches. If you've always wondered what an over the board BCA tournament is like, please feel free to get in touch with me so I can share my experience and encourage you to attend one in the future. Similarly if you have ideas and suggestions for how we can continue to build a thriving organisation then please get in touch or keep an eye on your inbox as I hope to be sharing a BCA membership survey with you all very soon.
May I take this opportunity to remind everyone that BCA membership fees are going up as of the 1st of October 2026. Annual membership will be £15, five-year membership will be £30, and life membership will be £75. If you’re an existing member who is considering upgrading to a five-year subscription or life membership and would like to do so before the price increases, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
I'm signing off now so you can enjoy reading all the other fantastic news in the gazette. However, my last humble request: if there's someone in your life that you've always wanted to invite to join us at the BCA please do! The community of chess lovers is a huge strength of the organisation and we all want more people to be able to join us and benefit from all that we can provide at the BCA.
Ashar Smith.
Julie Leonard writes:
The August 2026 ECF ratings will have been published on the first of the month. I look forward to doing the calculations and discovering which member has won the 2026 Graham Lilley Award for the greatest rating increase over a twelve month period! The winner will be announced in the November gazette.
For those members who didn't have the chance to meet Graham, he was a former UK VI champion who represented us countless times in international events spanning more than three decades. He was very well liked and hugely respected as a skilled and tenacious chess player who also showed great determination in life generally. In particular, his loud and infectious laugh won him many friends at home and around the world.
Visually impaired UK members who've been with the BCA for at least a whole year, August to August, and who have played in at least one BCA rated OTB tournament during those twelve months are eligible for the award. The winner will be the player whose ECF Standard OTB rating in August has increased the most over the year. He or she will receive an engraved medal and a prize of £50. In the event of a tie, the money will be shared, and
each winner will receive a medal.
The Graham Lilley Award has one more year to run so you can now start working on pushing up your ratings to be in with a chance of winning in 2027!
The arbiter of this remote event, James Connors, Writes:
First, a HUGE thanks to our top timekeepers!
1st- Voldi Gailans- 13 Games
2nd- Nene Clayton- 10 Games
3rd- Gill Smith- 6 Games
To Voldi, Nene and Gill, please accept enormous gratitude on my behalf and on behalf of the whole NY Cup for your help and support in timekeeping so many matches! But in addition to that, thank you to everyone else who kept time for games: Philip Doyle (4), Lea Ryan (4), Mark Hague (3), John Ramm (2), Mark Noble (2), Joseph D'Mello (2), Malcolm Jones (2), Tony Lawton (1), Eamonn Casey (1), Stan Lovell (1), Brandan Read (1), Norman Wragg (1), Steve Burnell (1), Gary Wickett (1) and James Connors (1)
I do hope I haven't missed anyone in that list but thank you to each of you who gave up some of your time to help this event run — it couldn't be done without each of you supporting your fellow chess players.
I'd also like to thank our 'zoomers' who have set up and started zoom meetings throughout this tournament — especially Julie Leonard and Gill Smith who have run so many from the BCA account alongside myself but also to Ollie Leonard and my sister Danny Connors who have started zoom meetings from the BCA account. And to Voldi Gailans, Lea Ryan, Abi Baker and Joseph D'Mello who have very kindly lent their zoom accounts to others to play games on.
Lastly, my thanks go to Gerry and Julie who have supported me in the wings in the running and arbitering of this event and answered lots and lots of queries over the last 3 months!
So, without further ado, it's time for the results. Drumroll please!
Open Section
1st- Brandan Read- 4.5 Points
2nd- Joseph D'Mello- 4 Points
3rd- Ben Fletcher-Harris- 3.5 Points
Congratulations to the Inaugural New Year Cup Open section champion, Brandan Read who triumphed without losing a game, winning 4 and drawing 1. Well done also to Joseph D'Mello for second place, only losing to the champion and to Ben Fletcher-Harris who secured 3rd with a superior tie-break. The other scores are written below:
3.5 Points- Eamonn Casey and Norman Wragg
3 Points- Stan Lovell, Colin Fisher, Olivier Deville, Neda Koohnavard and Gary Hogan
2.5 Points- Mark Hague
2 Points- Steve Bailey, Norman Andrews, Anthony Borg, Paul Inglis, Nene Clayton, Gary Wickett and Voldi Gailans
1.5 Points- Malcolm Jones and Tony Elbourn
1 Point- Paul Baldwin
Challengers Section
1st- Jennifer D'Mello- 4.5 Points
2nd- Jyoti D'Mello- 4.5 Points
3rd- Ashar Smith- 3 Points
It was extremely close at the top of the challengers with it going to sum of opponents scores to separate the top 2 and Jennifer narrowly outscored her mum Jyoti there by 16 points to Jyoti's 15.5. Well done to Jennifer for being our first NY Cup Challengers Section champion! Ashar Smith secured 3rd place on tie-break over a number of other players who also scored 3 points. The other scores are written below:
3 points- Tony Lawton, Gill Smith, Marilyn Bland, Mark Noble
2.5 points- John Ramm, Lea Ryan, Abi Baker
2 points- Richard Hayward, Martin Sullivan
1.5 points- Irene Hampton
1 point- Catherine Turner, Donna Jodhan
So, that wraps up this first BCA New Year Cup. Regardless of how you've scored, I really do hope you've had fun and enjoyed playing chess with other BCA players across the UK and even across the world! I think
it's been a wonderfully successful event — and that is mostly due to the fact that all the players have been outstanding in both organising and sportsmanship throughout the event!
Here is Jennifer's choice from her New Year Cup games.
Jennifer D'Mello V. Ashar Smith
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. 0-0 a6 5. Bc4 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. d4 b5 8. Bb3 Bg4 9. h3 Bf5 10. a3 Bd6
11. Bxd5 Qd7 12. Nc3 g5 13. Bxg5 f6 14. Bxf6 Rg8 15. Bxg8 h6 16. Bd5 Be7 17. Bxe7 Kxe7 18. Nxe5 Nxe5
19. Bxa8 Ng6 20. Qf3 Be6 21. Rae1 c6 22. d5 cxd5 23. Nxd5+ Kd6 24. Qg3+ Kc5 25. b4+ Kc4 26. Re4#
Gerry Walsh's monthly "How Good Is Your Chess?" training, held over Zoom, continues to grow in popularity! Students are taken through the opening moves of a game, then asked to predict the succeeding moves for one side or the other. Points are given to those who guess correctly, and sometimes fewer points are given for other moves. Recordings of recent sessions are available for anyone interested in finding out more. Newcomers are welcome!
The sessions are very informal, the points awarded are subsidiary to the main objective, which is to provide instruction, to give us an opportunity to work together as a group to find solutions and to enjoy some very exciting chess. For those not used to solving chess problems it is a wonderful way to start, and an encouragement to become involved by suggesting moves at each stage of the game. There is no criticism of individuals' suggestions, and anyone is free to suggest any possible move. I highly recommend these sessions to players of all standards!
Every month, I liaise with Gerry and our scorekeepers, Julie Leonard and Gill Smith, to find a suitable day. I then send a note to the email user group, informing everyone when the next session will be. (Contact Julie or the Audio Librarian if you have not yet joined the email user group and would like to do so.) Shortly before the session, a Zoom invitation is sent to an email distribution list containing everyone who has expressed an interest in the current session or a previous one. For those not familiar with Zoom, help is available, either for accessing the sessions online on a PC or an iPhone. You can also dial in to the Zoom meeting from any phone, though when doing so it is important to use the correct number for your country to avoid incurring hefty charges.
Please contact Gerry Walsh or me (see Officers' Contact Details) if you have any questions regarding the sessions or would like to take part.
Voldi Gailans
RECENT SESSIONS:
May 2026
The regular attendees were delighted to welcome Bryan Wood from Sheffield, who had recently joined the BCA, and was wasting no time in trying out the various activities on offer. He has even entered the BCA British Championship in Harrogate this summer!
For this session, Gerry had chosen a game between GM Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) and GM Boris Spassky (USSR), played in Clermont-Ferrand in 1989. The opening was a Queen's Gambit Declined and the game was quite a bit longer than the ones we usually study. It was initially hoped that we would get through the whole game, including the very interesting endgame, in one session, but after a while it became apparent that two sessions would be needed so we paused after move 41 and held back the remaining moves to look at in June.
The scores at the end of the first session were: Steve Bailey 35; newcomer Bryan Wood 28; Gary Hogan and Gill Smith 27; Eamonn Casey and Martin Sullivan 25; Philip Doyle 24; Voldi Gailans, Phil Gordon and Mark Hague 22; Richard Harrington and Gary Wickett 21; Irene Hampton 19; and Nene Clayton 17.
June 2026
Sadly, some of the people who'd attended How Good is Your Chess in May could not join us for the follow-on session. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable evening, and the participants welcomed the chance to have a bit more time to study the fascinating endgame in the Korchnoi v Spassky game that we'd begun in May.
The scores for the second session were all very close: Gary Wickett 19; Bryan Wood, Irene Hampton, Philip Gordon and Voldi Gailans 18; Marilyn Bland and Mark Hague 17; Gill Smith 16; Philip Doyle 15; and Richard Harrington 14.
The combined scores for those who had attended both sessions were: Bryan Wood 46; Gill Smith 43; Gary Wickett, Philip Gordon and Voldi Gailans 40; Mark Hague and Philip Doyle 39; Irene Hampton 37; and Richard Harrington 35. Again, all very close! Congratulations to newcomer Bryan, whose score was ranked as that of a strong club player with a rating of 1800 to 2200!
Julie Leonard
Our 24th Email tournament is now concluded. Once again we have had a very enjoyable and successful tournament with 20 players taking part. In division 1 we had a very hard fought competition with only one victory and five draws. As a result, Eamonn Casey with that win takes the title. Voldi Gailans had a decisive victory in division 2 with full points, as did Julie Leonard in division 3 on her first appearance in the event for some time. Tony Lawton and Ashar Smith shared the spoils in division 4 and Maria Dod won division 5 with full points. Congratulations to all the winners, and more importantly, we hope every one enjoyed their games.
The next email tournament will be our 25th, so we are hoping to have a record number of participants. It will commence on 1st October, and a request for entries will be sent out in early September.
Philip Doyle and Eamonn Casey.
Results
Division 1: Final scores: Eamonn Casey 2 out of 3, Steve Burnell and Philip Doyle 1.5, John Fullwood 1.
Division 2: Final scores: Gailans 3 out of 3, Bland, Elbourn and Emery all 1.
Division 3: Final scores: Leonard 3 out of 3, Noble 2, Jones 1, Flood 0.
Division 4: Final scores: Lawton and Ashar Smith 2 and a half out of 3, Gill Smith 1, John Ramm 0.
Division 5: Final scores: Dod 3 out of 3, Sullivan 2, Harrington 1, Turner 0.
Here is Eamonn’s win, which gave him the top position.
Eamonn Casey-John Fullwood, Queen's Indian
Defence, 24th BCA Email Competition, 2026
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 Bb7 4. Bf4 e6 5. a3 Be7 6. Qc2 c5 7. e3 Nh5 8. Bg3 cxd4 9. exd4 Nxg3
10. hxg3 h5 11. d5 exd5 12. Nxd5 Nc6 13. Nf3 Rc8 14. Bd3 Na5 15. Qe2 Bxd5 16. cxd5 Nb3 17. Rd1 Nc1
18. Qe3 Nxd3+ 19. Rxd3 Kf8 20. Rc3 Bc5 21. Qe2 d6 22. Kf1 a5 23. Rh4 Rc7 24. b4 axb4 25. axb4 Qa8
26. Rd3 Qa1+ 27. Rd1 Qa7 28. bxc5 bxc5 29. Re4 g6 30. Re8+ Kg7 31. Qb2+ f6 32. Rxh8 Qa6+
33. Kg1 black resigns.
And here is a game from Julie, marking her triumphant return to competitive chess after a long break.
Comments from Julie Leonard: I know Malcolm to be a hugely experienced player with extensive knowledge of openings, so when I carelessly dropped a pawn early on, I was expecting to be thrashed! However, after I got a rook to the second rank and started to exploit Malcolm’s delayed queenside development, the game just seemed to flow for me. At the same time, I was playing Mark Noble, who was punishing my undeveloped queenside with a fiery kingside attack. They were such contrasting encounters! I spent most of the game against Mark defending and only managed to escape by the skin of my teeth. Anyway, here’s the game between Malcolm and me.
24th BCA Email Tournament. Division 3. Malcolm
Jones v Julie Leonard
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bb5 a6 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 Nxe4 8. Qe2 Nd6 9. O-O Be6
10. Re1 O-O-O 11. Nxf7 Bxf7 12. Qxe7 Bxe7 13. Rxe7 Rhe8 14. Rxe8 Rxe8 15. Bd2 Re2 16. h3 Ne4
17. Kf1 Rxf2+ 18. Ke1 Rxg2 19. Kd1 Rg1+ 20. Kc2 Nxd2 21. Kxd2 Bg6 22. a4 Rxb1 23. Ra2 Bf7
24. Ra3 Rxb2+ 25. Kd3 Ra2 26. White resigns.
[This relates to a match, played by email and begun on 22 June, between the BCA and the USBCA. – Editor.]
Our match has 30 games. Each board is being contested twice so that each player has one game with white.
Games (by agreement of the players on that board) are being played concurrently or consecutively or with a compromise default plan involving an overlap between the later part of one game and the early part of the second.
The match pairings with USBCA names first.
1. Ejaz Husain vs Bill Armstrong
2. Mario Montalvo vs Philip Doyle
3. Glenn Crawford vs Eamonn Casey
4. Viral Trivedi vs Steve Burnell
5. John Denny vs Stan Lovell
6. Edward Zolotarevsky vs Guy Whitehouse
7. Evan Reese vs Philip Gordon
8. Vinny Beatty vs Malcolm Jones
9. Anthony Horton vs Voldi Gailans
10. Dammie Onafeko vs Tony Elbourn
11. Marylin Bland vs Ashar Smith
12. David Rosenkoetter vs Anton Emery
13. Rohan Shardha vs Mike Flood
14. Ginny Alverson vs Mark Higgins
15. Jim Homme vs John Ramm
Every year BCA members and associate members are invited to submit a game for entry into the David Hodgkins Memorial Best Game Competition. With the British Championship and the 24th Email Tournament behind us, now is a good time to remind members of this competition.
Any competitive game which is played in a BCA event, or by a BCA member representing the BCA in an overseas event is eligible. All games published in The Gazette will automatically be considered. The competition is open to members (including overseas members) and associate members. Please have a go and submit a game you were proud of regardless of your chess strength — it's open to all members.
Please send your games to me to forward to Philip Doyle who is the judge for 2026. I am able to take games in braille, by phone or by email.
Steve Burnell — Coordinator
The IBCA World Team Chess Championship took place in Montenegro from the 18th to the 27th of April 2026. This nine-round Swiss tournament attracted entries from twenty-one countries including Venezuela in South America, Uzbekistan in Asia, and Kenya in Africa, as well as a whole host of European nations. The French squad included BCA member, Olivier Deville. After two rounds, Poland, Ukraine and Spain were neck and neck at the top of the table. In round three, Poland had a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, and Ukraine beat Spain by the same margin, meaning that Poland and Ukraine were now joint leaders. Just behind them were Serbia and Venezuela, who'd beaten Germany and Hungary respectively. Round four saw Poland and Ukraine facing each other. Poland narrowly won and became the sole leaders for the first time in the event. They tenaciously held on to that lead for the rest of the tournament to take gold! The battle for silver and bronze was fought out between Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine, with Ukraine eventually taking silver and Serbia claiming bronze after a convincing win over Bulgaria in the penultimate round. Well done to all the medal winners!
Congratulations to IM Chris Baker on scoring 4 points from 7 games in the over 65s section of the FIDE World Senior Team Championships 2026 in Albania in April! Chris's team, England 2, finished in 10th place, exactly in accordance with their seeding! In August, Chris will be competing in the British Championship in Warwick, before heading out to Crete later that month for the European Senior Team Championships. Best of luck to Chris for both of those events! In September, Chris has very kindly offered to run another online coaching session for BCA members. After playing in those top-level tournaments, he's sure to have lots of exciting games to talk through!
The 28th Six Nations Chess Cup for Blind and Visually Impaired Players, which took place from 13th to 20th June 2026 in Rimini, Italy, was won by the host nation! Congratulations to them, not only for finishing first, but also for organising the event, which is an all-play-all tournament for teams of up to four players from six nations. Slovenia came second, France third and Sweden fourth. At the other end of the table, Italy's second team finished narrowly above the Netherlands.
Julie Leonard
I started at the Bristol School for the Blind when I was seven. When I was about eleven or twelve, one morning breaktime we discovered two or three complete sets on a bookshelf, so we started setting them up — incorrectly. One of the older boys who knew more about the game showed us where we were wrong, and also introduced us to the correct moves. I now know that the boards were almost certainly the larger Merrick boards but the set of men were definitely the Staunton pattern. The white pieces each had a screw in the top so you could feel which colour you were moving.
In the school library I had found "More Chess Questions Answered" by R. W. Bonham and R. D. Wormald in two volumes, but I had only been able to locate Volume 2. Nevertheless I found the book very hard going as I did not understand the Braille signs used, but using a chess set I started working through some of the openings. Slowly my knowledge grew. For a Christmas present that year I had one of the RNIB's Merrick sets, which I still have.
In April 1961 I went into hospital — The Queen Victoria at East Grinstead, where I stayed until the middle of July. I was pleased that I had taken my chess set and I found one or two players including one of the Staff Nurses who was very good. A month later I went for an out-patients appointment only to go back into East Grinstead supposedly for three days. A mass of problems ensued and I finally went back to school at the half term in February.
One of the handymen at the school was very interested in chess and in my last term at Bristol he arranged a match between the blind school and one of the local secondary modern Schools. We took a team of six players with Terry, whom Bic had been training on board 1. I was placed on board 4 and won my first game. There being sufficient time I played a young lad and this time lost.
In September I was transferred to the RNC, then known as The Royal Normal College for the Blind, which at that time was based in Shrewsbury. I first went to Rowton Castle which was 8 miles to the west of Shrewsbury. I found a keen chess player and we had many games. At the end of our first term he purchased an old style chess clock from the RNIB. Three chess episodes stand out in my mind at this time, one of them being that I played in a simultaneous event against the Rowton Castle Doctor who at that time was the Shropshire Champion and he took on eight of us and won all games in one hour.
Twice a year teams from Rowton were played at Handball and Football by a team from Worcester College for the Blind (now New College Worcester). On one occasion they also brought a team to play chess and again I found myself playing on Board 4. I well remember my opponent calling out to his mates that on our board it was very close and was one of those positions where "whoever takes first loses". Three or four moves later he took one of my pawns, and he proved to be quite right.
The third event was a match between Albrighton and Rowton Castle. For the third time I was lucky.
In the April of 1964 I was moved from Rowton Castle to Albrighton Hall which was the other branch of the RNCB (now known as the "Royal National College for the Blind" and based in Hereford.) My Chess friend Roger also moved from Rowton Castle. At that time Albrighton Hall was on a reasonable bus route and the students were able to go into Shrewsbury. Those who wanted could take lessons in finding their way around the Town.
On one of these occasions I was shown the way to the front door of a building which on a Friday evening was the Chess Club. Roger and I then contacted the Secretary and asked if we would be welcome. The reply being in the affirmative we paid regular visits and met some members of the Club. After some time we raised the question of whether they would be able to send a team to play at Albrighton Hall. The reply being "yes" we set about finding another three or four players to form a scratch team. The Club's team consisted of members we had not previously met and on board 1 I found I was playing The Shropshire Junior Champion. I was very impressed by his knowledge of openings and realized how much I had to learn.
On 1st September 1966 I started work at the Gosport Town Hall. As new members of staff joined I would occasionally find one who would have a game in the lunch hour, until about 1973 when a new Solicitor arrived to work for the Council and I found he was a keen chess player. We played most lunch hours, swapping colours at each turn of the board. Geoff told me that I was getting better which was forcing him to improve his game.
I then decided to see if I could join the local Gosport Chess Club. At the time I was receiving some training in mobility and used one of these sessions to have a look at the home of the Chess Club which was at the Thorngate Halls. The Chess Club met on Friday evenings and after a phone discussion with the Secretary, Sid Williams, I arranged to go along the next Friday evening.
As I entered the building I was greeted by one of the staff who conducted me to the White Room where the Chess Club met. As I entered it seemed to be totally silent and then I noticed the sound of several clocks ticking. Then Sid came over and introduced himself and he brought another member who sat down opposite me, set up my board and we spent a pleasant evening. I won the first game and he won the second. When all the games had finished, several other members came to speak with me and one, Chris, asked if I would like to play in the Club's Championship, to which, of course, I said yes — obviously a good way of meeting the other members over the board. After a couple of weeks Chris offered to pick me up each week and help me back home which he continued to do for several years.
At the beginning of March Chris was reviewing the results before drawing up the next round. He then declared to the meeting that they had to watch me as I had won the last three games. Towards the end of March I was asked if I would play for the second team, an opportunity not to be missed. I was keen to make a reasonable performance and once again found I was on Board 4. The rate of play was thirty moves in one and a quarter hours. The match was due to start at 7.30 and end at 10.00 p.m. I looked at what I thought was going to be a good move, Qb5, picked the Queen up and then realised that it was a bad move, but as I had picked the Q up it had become a touched piece. I decided that nearly the same effect could be achieved if I placed it on c4. Having announced my move my opponent sat back and said, "you are too strong for me." Our Captain then told me that we had lost the match 4.5 to 1.5 and mine was the win.
The following September I was invited to join the C Team and my first three games I won. Quite often now I was on Board 3. One thing I discovered quickly in the Club and throughout the Portsmouth League was that most of my opponents were playing the Sicilian Defence and knew it far better than myself. So I started looking for openings which would allow me to ignore the Sicilian Defence. Now as white I normally play d4 and as black I often play The French Defence.
In our own club I was well catered for as we always played at Bridge tables so there was room for my large Merrick board, my opponent's board and of course the clock. When playing away circumstances could change from one club to another. One or two clubs put up an extra table for me, whereas one or two left it for me to fit in. One Christmas my wife Irene purchased for me a folding Merrick chess set so when going away for a match I usually carried two sets.
On one occasion there was a force eight gale blowing and when I arrived the clocks were already running. I could only sit down squashed between two other players, set my board up, hand my clock to my opponent and ask him to set the time that his clock was showing. I had to set my folding set up on my knee and start playing. I was rather annoyed at this treatment and changed my style of play. I was black and pushed down the centre of the board and crushed my opponent.
Most Clubs allowed a bit of laxness, as we at Gosport did. On one occasion our opponents were late for the start of the match and our captain instructed us to move white's clock forward a quarter of an hour. Suddenly the door burst open and a flood of youngsters burst in. Usually the home team plays black on board 1, 3 and 5. A shrill squeaky voice called out, "where is board 4?" then looked at the clock and exclaimed that twenty minutes had gone. No trouble for him, he won easily.
On a club evening a member not playing for the team could be asked to replace a member who had not turned up for the match. This indeed happened to me when I was playing another member: the A team captain came half an hour into a match and said, "Tony, I need you." That meant I had to play 30 moves in 45 minutes, whilst my opponent still had 75 minutes for his remaining 29 moves. I was still playing at the end of time but it was soon adjudged that I had lost — not surprising as my grade was around 100, against somebody around 170 or thereabouts. I think that was the only time I played board 1 for the A team.
Under Portsmouth League you could stop playing at 30 moves and then either agree the result, send it for adjudication or decide to play on. The best players from both sides would gather around unfinished games and start making suggestions as to how they thought the game would or should go, and either agree a result or send it for adjudication. I was always conscious that my opponent may be watching my hands and get some clue as to what my next move may be. I feel convinced that this is sometimes happening, so I try not to give away my thoughts.
In one match I won on board 3 and my captain told me that I had been the banker. Our opponents had changed the board order for that game and their board 1 had put himself against me — presumably assuming that he would win on a lower board.
I enjoyed going and playing at other clubs. Although of course the chess was always competitive, friendship grew up among the players all over the area. I always found it useful to play in a normal club evening because you could try out new openings before trying them in a match. On a couple of occasions I played e4 and got the customary c5 as a response. I had read of the Wing Gambit against the Sicilian and played it against a normally stronger player who promptly exclaimed, "you can't play that!" only for them to lose. Later against the same player I naturally lost. More recently I tried the same in the email tournament and had a very good game which I eventually won.
I also played a few games for Gosport in the then Hampshire League which were longer games played on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed playing a longer game.
For some years I had practised playing Irene from memory. In 1988 I decided that I would try playing in the Portsmouth Congress. I arranged to go with another member of the Club. I believe my Companion was playing in the Major competition whilst I was entered in the Minor. I needed a guide as the displayed lists gave the names of the players and indicated the board number and the name of your opponent, and of course which colour you were to play.
When my opponent arrived he checked my name and I then informed him of the notation I would be using and confirmed that I would operate the clock when I had made my move, and I asked him to speak clearly when he was giving me his move. The time control was set at 42 moves in one and three quarter hours. When the 42 moves had been made the clocks were put back 25 minutes and then you played until the first flag fell. Playing black I naturally played the French Defence and just settled into the game. After the first fifteen moves I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that they had taken me 45 minutes to play. I didn't bother about that although I was well down on time and continued to play with the same care. At about move 40 I won the game and my Companion reappeared and congratulated me on playing the ending so well.
The next four games I lost but in the Sunday afternoon game, approaching the 40th move, my opponent offered me a draw. I advised him that he should make the offer after he had made his move. He moved a pawn and I decided to accept. At home I set the position up and after about two minutes' consideration saw I could take a pawn with check — losing my queen — but then I had a checkmate!
After that I played the Portsmouth Congress each year. On my second attempt I won five out of six games and won the Minor. I played the Portsmouth until 2006 when I managed to come joint first. That was the last time they ran the Portsmouth Congress.
There have been other Congresses played locally but these were organised by Castle Chess. Unfortunately things changed and around 2007 the Committee that ran the Community Centre put the fees up to such an extent that we moved out and started playing in a local pub. As none of the pubs had a room which we could use for matches, our matches were played in a pub in the Fareham area. The idea of a chess evening was now no longer possible and I found that although I attended several A Team matches, as basically a reserve player, I only got one game in the 2008/9 season. The following September the Club's AGM was to consider moving further away from Gosport, so in advance of the AGM I decided to submit my resignation. From then until I joined the BCA I didn't play any serious chess.
How did I come to join the BCA? Irene and I were attending a literary week which was held at the Lauriston Hotel in Weston-Super-Mare. Voldi and Clare were also members of the literary group and when Voldi heard that I had been a chess player he persuaded me that I ought to join the BCA. I had known of the BCA since the 1970s but had been under the impression that they mainly played correspondence chess to which I was not drawn.
Tony Elbourn.
Last year there was a BCA match against a Parliamentary team, and at the time of writing we expect to play another in July. But these were not the first.
Alec Crombie writes:
A little historical note. I captained a BCA team against the Commons and Lords on November 11 1992. We registered wins for Colin Chambers, Jack Horrocks and Sean O'Brien, and draws for Hans Cohn, myself and Garth Jenkins.
Our associate member David Mabbs kindly sent the following entry from the BritBase chess website. We are grateful to John Saunders, owner of this site, for his permission to reproduce it in the Gazette. Mr Woodley's Varsity games have not found their way onto the site, and may well be lost, but I intend to do more digging, as his name rings a distinct bell from my blind history researches. — Editor.
Edmund Samuel Woodley (12 February 1892 — 20 September 1942). St Edmund Hall, Oxford. Varsity matches 1919 and 1920. Educated Worcester College for the Blind (as an adult, aged 22 - he was later hon. sec. of their old boys' union). Represented his old school as a past member in representative matches into the 1930s. Married (in 1919 to Gladys Violet Stevens) and living in Newbury with his wife in 1921. College magazines show him to have been active as a chess player and singer in college in 1921.
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Saturday 22 July 1922:
"Another instance of victory over blindness was demonstrated last evening at the concert given in aid of the National Institute for the Blind. One of the performers was Mr. E. S. Woodley, B.A. (Oxon), a blind tenor, and, naturally, he received a well-merited ovation. Mr. Woodley is a brother of Mrs. Ware, of 73, St. Leonard's Road, Exeter, with whom he is staying with his wife on a visit. An accident while employed under H.M. Government in the Electrical Engineers' Department deprived him of his sight in 1914. The following year he went to Worcester Blind College, and in less than three years he mastered in the Braille system Greek, Latin, French, mathematics, etc. In 1918 he passed the entrance examination for Oxford University, and has since taken his B.A. degree. Eventually he hopes to be ordained in the Church of England. Mr. Woodley is well known as a rower, and annually journeys to Worcester to take part in the regatta of his old school: he has rowed in St Dunstan's regatta at Putney on different occasions. Another of his recreations is swimming, and he is captain of his College Swimming Club. Keenly interested in chess, he is a player of merit, and has for two years in succession represented Oxford in the Inter-Varsity chess match. He has, furthermore, played for the county, and is a member of the Newbury Club. Mr. Woodley, whose vocal efforts last evening were much appreciated, is now representing the National Institute for the Blind for Berkshire."
May 2026 Puzzle
Wilfried Paulsen vs Adolf Anderssen, Frankfurt, 1878.
White to mate in 2.
5rk1/1p1q2bp/p2pN1p1/2pP2Bn/2P3P1/1P6/P4QKP/5R2
White: King g2, Queen f2, Rook f1, Bishop g5, Knight e6, pawns a2, b3, c4, d5, g4 and h2.
Black: King g8, Queen d7, Rook f8, Bishop g7, Knight h5, pawns a6, b7 c5, d6, g6 and h7.
Solution:1. Qxf8+ Bxf8 2. Rxf8#
August 2026 Puzzle
Joseph Blackburne vs Smith, Simul, 1882,
White to mate in 2
r1nk3r/2b2ppp/p3b3/3NN3/Q2P3q/B2B4/P4PPP/4R1K1
White: King g1, Queen a4, Rook e1, Bishop a3 and d3, Knights d5 and e5, pawns a2 d4 f2 g2 and h2.
Black King d8, Queen h4, Rooks a8 and h8, Bishops c7 and e6, Knight c8, Pawns a6 f7 g7 and h7.
Hint: a Queen can sometimes be expendable!
Mark Hague
[These games were played at the AGM Tournament earlier this year and were sent to me. As we have space, you might enjoy them. The first is from the winner of the Challengers section, Steve Bailey, who shared his first choice of his AGM games in the May Gazette. Steve comments that this is an interesting pawn endgame. The second comes from two players who did not win prizes, but I am including it by special request from the arbiter, Gerry. – Editor.]
Steve Bailey v Tony Lawton, BCA AGM Congress,
22/03/2026, Round 5
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 d5 5. fxe5 Nxe4 6. Qe2 Nxc3 7. bxc3 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Qd7
10. d4 Qe6 11. Bd3 Ne7 12. O-O h5 13. Bf5 Qxf5 14. Qxf5 Nxf5 15. Rxf5 Be7 16. Bg5 Bxg5 17. Rxg5 g6
18. Re1 c6 19. e6 Rg8 20. exf7+ Kxf7 21. Rf1+ Kg7 22. Re1 Rae8 23. Rge5 Rxe5 24. Rxe5 Kf7 25. Kf2 Re8
26. Kf3 Rxe5 27. dxe5 Ke6 28. Kf4 Kf7 29. Kg5 c5 30. e6+ Kxe6 31. Kxg6 Ke5 32. Kxh5 Ke4 33. g4 d4
34. g5 Ke5 35. g6 Kf6 36. Kh6 1-0
Voldi Gailans v Ben Fletcher-Harris, BCA AGM Congress, 21/03/2026,
Round 3
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Nd5 0-0 6. a3 Bd6 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd5 9. cxd5 Nxd4
10. Qxd4 c6 11. Bc4 b5 12. Bb3 Bb7 13. Bd2 c5 14. Qg4 c4 15. Bc3 g6 16. Bc2 Re8 17. O-O-O a5
18. Kb1 b4 19. axb4 axb4 20. Bd4 b3 21. Be4 Qa5 22. Kc1 Bb4 23. h4 Bxd5 24. Bb1 Be6 25. Qf3 c3
26. Qf6 cxb2 27. Bxb2 Rc8+ 28. Resigns.
Julie Leonard writes:
This tribute to Eleanor is heavily based on the Memorial Minute written for her by her Quaker Friends.
Eleanor was born with sight impairment. With courage, her own determination and that of her mother, she joined all school activities. A friend she had from age five until her death recalls childhood fun, activities at Girl Guides and school years at Nottingham Girls' High School. Eleanor won a place at Newnham College, Cambridge, to read modern languages but her eyesight failed after the first year, so she did not continue. Her interest in Quakers began in these years as an Attender at Jesus Lane Quaker Meeting.
After recovering from sight loss, Eleanor completed a degree in economics at Nottingham University, then trained as a piano tuner. Living and working in London, she tuned for recording studios and private customers, such as Paul McCartney and Danny La Rue. She loved music and sang, played the recorder and harpsichord all her life.
Eleanor became a Member of Westminster Meeting and Co-clerk for Area Meeting. London travel became onerous, so she changed direction. Interested in computers, she began teaching herself programming languages and was at the forefront of using adaptations enabling blind people to interface with IT. She went to annual events of the British Computer Association of the Blind where the latest technologies were showcased and featured in an article in the Guardian in 1988 using her Eureka, the first computer to take Braille input and a speech output.
With IT skills and the latest technologies, she embarked on a second career as a civil servant for the Charity Commission. They relocated to Taunton, where Eleanor lived and worked until retirement. She joined Taunton Quaker Meeting and was very active there. Eleanor also worked with the Quaker Christian and Inter-faith Relations Committee for more than seven years. Eleanor's memory was excellent; her grasp of the detail of documents was second to none. She asked insightful questions and was not satisfied until she received an adequate answer.
On retiring, Eleanor moved to Hartrigg Oaks in New Earswick, York and lived there for twelve years. She was a valued member of yoga, French conversation, cultural excursions, knitting, singing and concert groups. She enjoyed her landscaped garden and employed a gardener. Neighbours helped with gardening and shopping.
She was a Member of New Earswick Quaker Meeting where her roles included Co-Clerk and Convener of Elders. She excelled in giving out notices, greeting new attenders, asking visitors to introduce themselves and always asked the children what they had been doing, showing a genuine interest in them. She gave reports on Area Meetings and Quakers in Yorkshire Meetings, where she often asked searching questions of presenters. She was appointed a member of Quakers in Yorkshire Arrangements Committee and was Membership Clerk for Area Meeting for six years. She served on Quaker Christian and Inter-faith Relations Committee and continued her involvement with this group all her life. She served on Meeting for Sufferings, providing reports for Area Meeting. Eleanor also completed the 'Equipping for Ministry' course with Woodbrooke Quaker College and was one of their associate tutors. Her studies involved a detailed study of James Naylor, a complex character with many interpretations. Eleanor reported on this both to Friends and the York Inter-faith Group of which she was a member. She enjoyed going to both Yearly Meeting and Summer Gatherings, where she ran Quaker Disability Action Group workshops. Quakers were impressed by her resourcefulness, determination and commitment to the Quaker Way and its discipline. Friends remember her support for the monthly Peace Vigil outside the Minster.
A leading member and trustee of My Sight York, Eleanor tried out tennis, rock climbing and other sports, went on trips and ran a discussion group. She also helped newly blind people use a cane to navigate. Eleanor was a much loved 'stoker' of the York and Selby Open Country Tandem Club for many years. A good listener and talker, she shared her life and reflections on wide ranging subjects with fellow cyclists. She also enjoyed U3A walks.
From childhood Eleanor was a strong swimmer. Her brother Jerry remembers her swimming around a mile across the harbour in Portpatrick, Scotland, when she was about eleven years old, with her mother yelling instructions from the cliff. She raised money for My Sight York by swimming the equivalent of the channel at Yearsley Swimming Pool. This was a distance of 33.7km over a six-week period, usually covering over 2km per swim.
Eleanor's friends in the Braille Chess Association sent many tributes, remembering her taking part in 'How Good is Your Chess' sessions and attending tournaments and Chess Theme Breaks where (as well as chess) she would play her recorder, sing and recite poems at the soirees. She competed in national championships.
There were many issues in the world about which Eleanor felt strongly, from the environment to peace, disability rights and inter-faith issues. She contributed to the Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment at York Hospital. Eleanor also worked with the North Yorkshire Disability Forum and supported the Network for Social Change which gives charitable grants to projects aiming to address the root cause of problems. She financially contributed to the Chaffinch Charity for disadvantaged children. Eleanor did not consider herself 'disabled': she was a talented, exceptional Quaker woman who lived life to the full and touched the lives of so many others.
Hugo Roman, our BCA friend in Belgium, writes:
Jörgen went blind when he was three years old. Retinoblastoma is more common in children. The cancer often recurs later.
Jörgen attended Tomtebodaskolan, Sweden's national school for the blind, for four years, where he also learned to play chess and was advised to join a club where he developed rapidly. Later, he even trained young people at the request of the Swedish Chess League because he got along well with young chess players.
Among the visually impaired, he was Youth World Champion 4 times. He had 19 Swedish championship titles. He earned a doctorate in Theology and taught the history of religions at Uppsala University. He never allowed his blindness to define or limit him.
He had been president of the International Association for the Blind (IBCA) for 2.5 years. Shortly before his passing, he delivered 50 adapted boards and pieces at his own expense to the Kenyan association for visually impaired chess players and paid for the training, visas, and tickets for their team's trip to the Olympiad in Montenegro, where he himself was absent.
Jörgen can be found on YouTube with 44 matches. And here is a game:
Piotr Dukaszewski —
Jörgen Magnusson Stockholm 1986.
Youth World Championship for the Visually
Impaired.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. O-O Be7 9. f4 Bb7! 10. e5 dxe5
11. fxe5 Bc5! 12. Be3 Bxd4! 13. Bxd4 Nc6 14. Rf4 Qc7! 15. Qe2 O-O-O 16. Rd1 Nxd4 17. Rfxd4 Rxd4
18. Rxd4 Qc5 19. Qe3 Nd7 20. a4? Kb8! 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ne4 Bxe4 23. Rxe4 Qxe3 24. Rxe3 Rc8
25. c3 Rc5 26. Bd1 Rxe5 27. Rxe5 Nxe5 28. Be2 Nc4 29. b3 Nd6 30. Bd3 f5 31. Kf2 Kc7 32. h4 e5
33. Ke3 Kc6 34. g3 Kd5 35. Bf1 g6 36. Bg2+ Kc5 37. Kd3 e4+ 38. Ke3 b4 39. c4 Nxc4+ 40. bxc4 b3
41. Kd2 e3+ 0-1