John Saunders
@johnchess.bsky.social
Chess archivist http://BritBase.info & freelance chess photo-journalist. Associate Editor, CHESS Magazine, press officer GibChess and IoMchess tournaments.
Pinned
John Saunders
@johnchess.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Danny Gormally won the UK Blitz Championship and Bodhana Sivanandan won the UK Women's Blitz Championship in Leamngton on 22 November. All the games and information on BritBase: www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
BritBase Chess: UK Blitz Championships 2025
www.saund.org.uk
November 23, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Danny Gormally won the UK Blitz Championship and Bodhana Sivanandan won the UK Women's Blitz Championship in Leamngton on 22 November. All the games and information on BritBase: www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
Mary Rudge won first prize at the first women's international chess tournament in London in 1897. Her prize was £60... which is the equivalent of £6,756 in 2025. More about the tournament here: www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
July 16, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Mary Rudge won first prize at the first women's international chess tournament in London in 1897. Her prize was £60... which is the equivalent of £6,756 in 2025. More about the tournament here: www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
New at BritBase: a collection of 1,209 games played by Sir George Thomas - even allowing for the inclusion of 164 stubs, that makes it the largest collection of his games available to date. saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
July 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
New at BritBase: a collection of 1,209 games played by Sir George Thomas - even allowing for the inclusion of 164 stubs, that makes it the largest collection of his games available to date. saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
The Varsity chess match dates back to 1873 and this shot from the 2025 match captures some of the Victorian elegance of a century and a half ago. The Polish player (right) would be my nomination for the best dressed player, closely followed by his French adversary.
March 11, 2025 at 10:51 AM
The Varsity chess match dates back to 1873 and this shot from the 2025 match captures some of the Victorian elegance of a century and a half ago. The Polish player (right) would be my nomination for the best dressed player, closely followed by his French adversary.
Now that's what I call Freestyle Chess.
January 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Now that's what I call Freestyle Chess.
Reposted by John Saunders
Billed at the time as the strongest young player's (under-22) chess tournament of all time, the line-up for the 1992 Oakham Young Masters International still looks very impressive: not just lots of famous GMs but even a Nobel prize-winner. www.saund.org.uk/bri.../pgn/1...
January 21, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Billed at the time as the strongest young player's (under-22) chess tournament of all time, the line-up for the 1992 Oakham Young Masters International still looks very impressive: not just lots of famous GMs but even a Nobel prize-winner. www.saund.org.uk/bri.../pgn/1...
The 1991/92 Hastings Challengers was a triumph for the late IM Colin Crouch who surpassed the GM norm by a clear point. Also recording a GM result was Matthew Sadler. Games and details at BritBase: www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
January 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM
The 1991/92 Hastings Challengers was a triumph for the late IM Colin Crouch who surpassed the GM norm by a clear point. Also recording a GM result was Matthew Sadler. Games and details at BritBase: www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn...
Enjoyed listening to Malcolm Pein being interviewed by Ben Johnson on Perpetual Chess podcast... open.spotify.com/episode/1xZ3...
EP 416- IM Malcolm Pein: The Award-winning Journalist and Organizer on the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz, and Why He Is Optimistic about Chess Despite Recent Stumbles
open.spotify.com
January 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Enjoyed listening to Malcolm Pein being interviewed by Ben Johnson on Perpetual Chess podcast... open.spotify.com/episode/1xZ3...
The Mayor of Cambridge makes the first move for Bertram Goulding Brown (1881-1965), watched by club president Horace Bernard Coulson (1907-1979), in a telephone match on 6 April 1954 between the Cambridge City and Oxford City clubs, won by Cambridge 5-3. Photo Cambridge Daily News, 7 April 1954
December 18, 2024 at 12:14 PM
The Mayor of Cambridge makes the first move for Bertram Goulding Brown (1881-1965), watched by club president Horace Bernard Coulson (1907-1979), in a telephone match on 6 April 1954 between the Cambridge City and Oxford City clubs, won by Cambridge 5-3. Photo Cambridge Daily News, 7 April 1954
The Guardian's 95-year-old chess columnist Leonard Barden today drew attention to Firouzja's opening error which he himself had refuted in a British Championship game in 1950.
December 11, 2024 at 6:05 PM
The Guardian's 95-year-old chess columnist Leonard Barden today drew attention to Firouzja's opening error which he himself had refuted in a British Championship game in 1950.
XTX Markets London Chess Classic winner Gawain Jones played the spectacular 1 Bxg7 in this position. How did Table 17, including Supratit Banerjee and Bodhana Sivanandan, reply?
December 10, 2024 at 6:01 PM
XTX Markets London Chess Classic winner Gawain Jones played the spectacular 1 Bxg7 in this position. How did Table 17, including Supratit Banerjee and Bodhana Sivanandan, reply?
World number one Magnus Carlsen was guest of honour at the XTX Markets London Chess Classic prizegiving dinner last night.
December 10, 2024 at 12:22 PM
World number one Magnus Carlsen was guest of honour at the XTX Markets London Chess Classic prizegiving dinner last night.
Two of the more unusual photos I've taken at a chess tournament: Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium after dark #arsenalfc #londonchessclassic #xtxmarkets
November 30, 2024 at 12:59 PM
Two of the more unusual photos I've taken at a chess tournament: Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium after dark #arsenalfc #londonchessclassic #xtxmarkets
Do you want to see three chess brevities perpetrated by the Resigning Rector of Beckbury? Of course you do... johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/11/to-r...
To Resign or Not to Resign...
I was intrigued by this brevity I found in the Wolverhampton Express and Star for 11 October 1950... The print is a bit fuzzy so here's the...
johnchess.blogspot.com
November 28, 2024 at 5:19 PM
Do you want to see three chess brevities perpetrated by the Resigning Rector of Beckbury? Of course you do... johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/11/to-r...
Reposted by John Saunders
Reposted by John Saunders
richard915.substack.com/p/introduction
If you're interested in chess, or childhood, or would just like to know more about my life and views on junior chess, you'll want to subscribe to my Substack. It is, and always will be, totally free.
If you're interested in chess, or childhood, or would just like to know more about my life and views on junior chess, you'll want to subscribe to my Substack. It is, and always will be, totally free.
Introduction
I’m Richard James. I'm writing about the intersection between chess and childhood.
richard915.substack.com
November 23, 2024 at 11:10 AM
richard915.substack.com/p/introduction
If you're interested in chess, or childhood, or would just like to know more about my life and views on junior chess, you'll want to subscribe to my Substack. It is, and always will be, totally free.
If you're interested in chess, or childhood, or would just like to know more about my life and views on junior chess, you'll want to subscribe to my Substack. It is, and always will be, totally free.
To sort or not to sort (your ChessBase database) - that is the question. And, if you do, how to do it. Read my Chessbase tutorial here... johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/11/usin...
Using ChessBase: To Sort or Not to Sort, That is the Question
This is the second in what could become a series of occasional technical posts about using ChessBase software. The first such post was a gui...
johnchess.blogspot.com
November 23, 2024 at 10:45 AM
To sort or not to sort (your ChessBase database) - that is the question. And, if you do, how to do it. Read my Chessbase tutorial here... johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/11/usin...
A cold but sunny morning in Richmond Park: snapped these three birds of prey: Tawny Owl, Kestrel and Little Owl.
November 22, 2024 at 1:51 PM
A cold but sunny morning in Richmond Park: snapped these three birds of prey: Tawny Owl, Kestrel and Little Owl.
Mike Healey puts both rooks en prise and wins. Don't try this at home, children. kingstonchess.com/mike-healey-...
Mike Healey (Kingston) v James McCarthy (Epsom)
This was the board 4 game in the crucial Kingston 1 v Epsom 1 Surrey League division 1 match. Mike’s win helped Kingston to an emphatic 6.5-1.5 victory and was memorable in its own right, cha…
kingstonchess.com
November 17, 2024 at 11:40 PM
Mike Healey puts both rooks en prise and wins. Don't try this at home, children. kingstonchess.com/mike-healey-...
An entertaining game from the 1938 Surrey Chess Championship between FW Allen and Dr. M Benger (Black)... lichess1.org/game/export/...
lichess1.org
November 15, 2024 at 6:52 PM
An entertaining game from the 1938 Surrey Chess Championship between FW Allen and Dr. M Benger (Black)... lichess1.org/game/export/...
Loved this chat about the Hastings Chess Congress between GMs Daniel King and Stuart Conquest... www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0W-...
Interview with Stuart Conquest, tournament director of the Hastings International Chess Congress
YouTube video by PowerPlayChess
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2024 at 5:49 PM
Loved this chat about the Hastings Chess Congress between GMs Daniel King and Stuart Conquest... www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0W-...
In my happy place: birdwatching in Richmond Park #Richmondpark
November 14, 2024 at 11:34 PM
In my happy place: birdwatching in Richmond Park #Richmondpark
November 14, 2024 at 1:00 PM