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British Chess Federation

President's Awards for Services to Chess 2004

Mike Bolan

An early member of Ashtead Chess Club and has been first team captain for at least 20 years until fairly recently when he stepped down to run the second team. He attends the club every Tuesday and is always on hand to help with new members, advise on team matters and generally keep in touch with what is going on in the chess world. He has been coaching at the junior section of the club at least since 1978 and is unstinting in the effort he puts in to helping juniors, encouraging them to play and to play better.

He is a founder member of Wey Valley Chess, Surrey’s primary school chess organisation. He started with the group very close to 1976 when it was set up and probably has not missed a tournament since. This means he must have attended at least 150 Wey Valley events to support players from Danes Hill (the school where he was once Headmaster) and many other children who show an interest in chess. He is a member of the council of EPSCA and has been Vice President and President. He also helps Ian Cowan every year with the selection of the England U11 team and in organising the national and international matches.

Mike very rarely says “no” to a plea for help and with anything connected with chess. This means that he is busy almost every weekend throughout the year supporting one event or another.

Joseph French

Jo has worked tirelessly for Hampshire Chess as a junior organiser and has organised tournaments in Basingstoke- Quick Plays on Sundays at the Bridge and Chess Club and other tournaments at Vyne School until the venue got too expensive. After Richard Boxall sadly died Jo French took over running these tournaments. He has turned out some excellent junior players, e.g. Matthew Harborne who competed in the British Championship in 2003,and has worked hard for Hampshire County Chess. His dedication at county matches, where he sets up all the pieces and his hard work, mean he deserves an award.

Paul Watson

Secretary of the Sussex County Chess association since the 1970’s and currently the U150 Sussex match captain. Paul is currently running the U175 Sussex county team because the current captain is unwell. This in addition to running the Holt Club in Sussex for many years.

Paul ran the Open Sussex County team for eighteen years between 1985 and 2003 and in all that time his team never defaulted a game which is a great tribute to an excellent match captain. Paul would always step in to cover a no show and scored some notable wins despite starting well down on the clock.

In addition to the duties of raising a team, Paul organised venues, set up boards, arranged chairs and provided refreshments. On Paul’s well earned retirement a match captain of this team he could not get anybody to take on all these tasks that he performed so well and in the end all his jobs were split among four different people with Paul still arranging venues. Another measure of Paul’s success is the large number of players who have loyally supported Sussex over many years.

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