President's Awards for Services to Chess 2007

Paul Littlewood

International Master and accomplished bridge player, Former British chess champion (1981) Paul has presided over the 4NCL as chairman during its most successful period. When he became chairman over ten years ago the league consisted of two divisions and 32 teams. The league has now expanded to four divisions and a total of 72 teams. Most of England ’s juniors play 4NCL. During this time 4NCL became one of the strongest leagues in Europe, at one time boasting a Division 1 rivalling the Bundesleaguea in strength in the top matches.

Paul has demonstrated the sound judgement of Solomon when dealing with league disputes and has drawn on his business acumen, honed during a successful career in the City with Goldman Sachs to make 4NCL the financially stable and expanding league it is today

Roll of Honour:
• British U18 Champion 1972
• British U21 Champion 1975
• British Chess Champion 1981
• As a junior represented England in Glorney Cup
• International Master

Robert Milner

As a colleague in the teaching profession and as a club member I have known him for thirty years.His main claim rests on his pioneering work in introducing chess as a timetabled subject in a state school as early as 1969.
His enterprise in convincing the heads of a small Leek School (West Street) and its larger successor St Edwards Middle School that chess had value in developing logical thought and concentration were matched by persistence in promoting this cause through the remainder of his career and into his retirement. Drawing on a normal cross-section of the community, his schools of moderate size produced teams that performed well above their peers in EPSCA and Times competitions, holding their own against larger and more favoured opposition. In this area he has helped several youngsters gain recognition at junior international level, one of whom, Clare Whitehead, went on to represent England in the Women’s Olympiad team. He established a chess tradition within the schools and within the local community that survives his retirement from teaching. He continues his work as a volunteer helping to develop talent to its potential and to preach the merits of chess within an educational framework. In this respect he has enlisted the support of the local MP who has actively campaigned for chess as a sport and an activity deserving charity status.

Anxious to give these school youngsters a club to join after their education finished, he built from scratch a club (Cheddleton and Leek) that provides this continuation.. It is now clearly the strongest and healthiest in North Staffordshire . His tireless efforts and enthusiasm lie behind its success. In 2006-7, it entered nine teams in the local league, won three of the four divisions, and secured second place in three divisions. The first team won the Staffordshire knock out competition and the 4NCL squad gained promotion to the second division. Yet his major pleasure lies in attracting and encouraging juniors to play chess at every level. Some reach a high level. His club currently has three juniors who have represented England in international competitions. Molly Moruzzi, Yangshan Yu, and Craig Whitfield. Remarkable for a club outside a major city.

Further evidence of the degree of his commitment to chess is the work he put into establishing two chess congresses at Leek, a rapid play event in June and a weekend congress in September which once attracted five GM entries. During the recent period when the weekend chess calendar is diminishing., this in itself is a remarkable achievement. Of course it is inevitable that chess associations will exploit the energies of such an individual: he is secretary of the local league and done his stint at county and regional level but his main interest lies in the youngsters of his local area.

The fact that his achievements are little known derives from his total lack of interest in self promotion. He would be most unlikely to encourage me in making this nomination.

Michael James O'Hara (Posthumous)

Mike died suddenly at home on 4th September 2007. He was quite a strong chess player, hovering around 190-200 grade for many years. However he was more drawn to chess administration than the game itself. He was an accountant by profession and lectured at Salford University.

Mike was a leading member of Atherton chess club for over 30 years, was the captain of the 1st team in the Manchester League for several years and led the club to national honours in the National Club Championship Open section. He will be remembered for his solid chess play and for his position as the No. 1 player at the club.

Mike was also a regular over several decades for the Lancashire Open County team. It is fitting that his beloved Lancashire won the National County Open Championships for the first time in 30 years this year before his death.

Mike began representing Lancashire at NCCU meetings in the 1970's, often bringing experience to bear on new officers, and continued to do so until 2005. He also held many positions within the British Chess Federation over several years.

Besides Chess, Mike was a connoisseur of good food and wines, and was a particularly strong golf addict.

Always fair, always in pursuit of logic to solve problems, although he did not suffer fools too easily, Mike would offer help to anybody who asked for clarification of complicated issues, particularly financial.

The service and committal for Mike took place at Overdale Chapel, Bolton on Monday 17th September. It was very well attended, which would have brought solace to his partner Joyce and his family. Besides his family, friends and many of his chess friends, there were golf and university colleagues.

Chess has lost a good servant at club, county, Union and National body levels.

Bill O'Rourke, Lancashire President

Ivor Smith

Ivor has made a massive contribution to Essex chess over many years in a whole variety of different ways as the following bullet point listing, which barely scratches the surface, indicates. His extensive administrative services have been combined with a successful playing career which have led him to be a long term mainstay of the Open and more recently the U175 teams. He has remained a strong player into his 60s, winning the British Seniors Championship in Scarborough in 1999 and representing England, most recently in the February 2007 European Senior Team Championship in Dresden.

Some of the noteworthy features of Ivor’s career as a chess administrator are: Founder of Writtle Chess Club in the early 1970s and its guiding light ever since, currently holding the posts of Secretary and Match Captain.

Extensive involvement in junior chess, running the chess section at Beal Grammar School in Ilford in the early 1960s, organising the Essex Schools League and then succeeding Bob Wade as Essex Junior Organiser until 1974.
One of the founding Managing Trustees in 1969 of the David Wood Memorial Trust (which supports junior chess in Essex), a post he retains to this day.

Publicity Officer for the Essex Chess Association, publishing 6 issues a year of Chessex Magazine for 7 years before relinquishing the post in 2003.

Current Congress and Tournament Secretary for the Essex Chess Association, running several successful Ilford Congresses.
Long term service on the Essex Chess Association Executive, but with characteristic modesty declining the opportunity to become President.

Acting as the County’s unofficial chess historian, and producing much fascinating archive material at the time of the Essex Centenary in 1998.

Maurice Thevenin

Maurice Thevenin has been coming to our school to teach chess to the children since 1987, twenty years in fact. Maurice is a Frenchman and was a prisoner of war in Poland. After the Second World War he moved to London and worked as a Concierge at the Savoy Hotel in London. After his retirement he came to live in Broughton where he has lived for the past thirty years. Broughton is approximately two miles away from our school.

Sister Marion was our Head teacher in those days and is still one of our school Governors. Sister Marion instigated the idea of chess for the children and so Maurice was approached. He has turned up religiously every week regardless of the weather. Until the last few years he used to walk the two miles to school, he also sings in the church choir. He is a wonderful gentleman and the children look forward to their game of chess every Wednesday afternoon. Morris is now ninety seven years young and will be ninety eight on the 15th April (and is still coming to school) what an achievement that is!

David Welch

David Welch started chess organisation early being captain of the Chesterfield Grammar School team that played both in the school’s league and in the local adult league. He joined Liverpool Chess club after leaving university in 1968 and has held various posts with them, he is now their president. He set up the Liverpool chess congress in about 1978. Additionally, he was the director of the Liverpool chess congress. Although now defunct this was in its day the largest junior event in the UK (perhaps even the world) having 2000 entrants at the time of Fisher v Spassky. He has also been involved in the Liverpool city of culture initiative.

He has also had a considerable involvement with the ECF. He is the Merseyside representative to the ECF. He has been helping run the British Championships since 1981; starting as one of the arbiting team he has been Director/Manager of congress chess since 2005. He has been the Chief Arbiter of the Federation since about 1992. He also does the arbiting at a number of congresses and is, in particular, the Chief Arbiter of the 4NCL.

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