Obituary: Peter Morrish

Peter died peacefully on Wednesday 26 September at the age of 85.

He first came into chess administration when he was master in charge at Ashmole School. He never played competitive chess, but was probably about 100 playing strength. I remember he brought 20 player teams to play against my own school when I was still a schoolboy. My own first experience as a controller was as his assistant for the London Under 16 Championship. He remained an extremely effective arbiter/organiser and indeed was main organiser of the London Junior Congress for many years. When he retired from the London Junior Congress in 1994, he was presented with a clock stating that he had organised chess for over 15,000 juniors just in that event alone. He worked with me on the Evening Standard Congresses; the first Lloyds Bank Masters in 1977, an event the format of which has been copied world-wide; and the 1980s Phillips & Drew/GLC series.

Bob Wade found a source of inexpensive chess sets in Hong Kong. Peter Morrish gave up teaching and formed Tournament Chess Supplies partly to distribute these. Thus, when the Fischer Spassky match attracted great attention in 1972, England was able to supply anybody with their chess needs. By contrast they ran out of sets in the US. Thus Peter played a key role in the English Chess Explosion.

Peter was a craft teacher. It is likely you use some of his products without being aware of this. The London set marketed by TCS was of his design. Their demonstration boards are truly fit for purpose. Bob Wade had the idea of pairing boards and Peter designed them. Without them, there is little doubt that the BCF Swiss Pairing System would have had different rules.

Peter was recipient of the President's Award for Services to Chess in 1988. Sadly, his ill-health has meant that younger players and organisers will not have met him.

Our condolences to his family. The funeral will take place Thursday 4 October at the Crematorium, Gravel Hill, Poole at 12:30pm. Peter's family would welcome any friends as we pay final respects to a gentle and much loved man of chess.
Please contact Tony Corfe 07973 516718 for further information. Any donations, in Peter's name in support of Juniors, can be sent to the Celebration 83rd Hastings International Chess Congress c/o Con Power, 418 Harold Road, Hastings East Sussex, TN35 5HG.

Tony Corfe, Stewart Reuben