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Cecil Purdy

Most played openings

A07		King's Indian Attack (6 games)
E43		Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation (4 games)
B01		Scandinavian (4 games)
E49		Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Botvinnik System (3 games)
A00		Uncommon Opening (3 games)
A56		Benoni Defense (3 games)
C91		Ruy Lopez, Closed (3 games)
B18		Caro-Kann, Classical (3 games)
D37		Queen's Gambit Declined (3 games)
A28		English (3 games)

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CECIL PURDY (born Mar-27-1906, died Nov-06-1979, 73 years old) Australia [what is this?] Cecil John Seddon Purdy was born in Port Said, Egypt. His father was Dr. J. S. Purdy, England's representative on the International Quarantine Board for the Suez Canal. Hobart was his first Australian home and at the age of nine he went to Sydney where he has lived thereafter. He did not take up chess until he was nearly 15 years of age. During a rainy school holiday in the country he looked up "Chess" in the "Encyclopaedia Britannica." He copied out the rules carefully and after returning home started to pursue his new hobby.1 Other accounts stated he was 13 when he took up chess: "He was 13 when he began chess. He received useful instruction from from Mr. L. S. Crakanthorp father of Mr. Spencer Crakanthorp, ex-champion of New South Wales and New Zealand, and present champion of Australia. Only a year after Mr. Purdy learned the moves he was encouraged by the late A.E.N. Wallace, then Suite champion to enter for the State tourney of 1923." 2 Awarded the IM title in 1951 and the GMC title in 1953 he won the 1st Correspondence World Championship (1950) - (1953). He won the New Zealand Championship twice, 1924-25 and 1935-36 and was Australian Champion on four occasions, 1934-35, 1936-37 (after a play-off), 1948-49 and 1951. He was also Australian Correspondence Champion in 1940 and 1948. In 1952, Purdy played the New Zealand Champion Ortvin Sarapu in a 10-game match for the Sarapu - Purdy Australasian Championship (1952). After nine games, the score was 5-4 in Sarapu's favour. Purdy won the 10th and final game to tie the match (+4, =2, -4). He was the founder, editor, and publisher of a splendid chess magazine from 1929 to 1967 which went through three incarnations, 'Australasian Chess Review' (1929 - 1944), 'Check' (1944 - 1945) and 'Chess World' (1946 - 1967) and his writings are considered first class. His father-in-law Spencer Crakanthorp and his son John Spencer Purdy have both been Australian Champions. He was married to Anne Purdy. Sadly whilst playing at a tournament in Sydney in 1979 he suffered an aneurysm leading to his death. His last words to his son (who was also competing in the same tournament) were allegedly "I have a win, but it will take time". 1. "The West Australian" (Perth), Monday 13th July 1953, p.16 2. "Evening News" (Sydney, NSW), Friday 15th November 1929, p.2 Wikipedia article: Cecil Purdy Last updated: 2023-07-07 11:56:07

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page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 193  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. C Purdy vs G Dodds 1-0 37 1924 NZL-ch D33 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch 2. C Purdy vs A Burr ½-½ 25 1926 NSW versus Victoria correspondence match C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 3. J Sayers vs C Purdy 0-1 55 1926 AUS-ch C13 French 4. C Purdy vs B Hill 1-0 59 1926 AUS-ch D37 Queen's Gambit Declined 5. S Crakanthorp vs C Purdy 1-0 26 1926 AUS-ch C14 French, Classical 6. C Boyce vs C Purdy 1-0 38 1926 AUS-ch C13 French 7. C Purdy vs E Ingledew   1-0 42 1926 AUS-ch D31 Queen's Gambit Declined 8. W Viner vs C Purdy 0-1 44 1926 AUS-ch C00 French Defense 9. C Purdy vs S Woinarski 0-1 35 1927 Pietzcker tourney C58 Two Knights 10. C Purdy vs J Kinman 1-0 36 1928 AUS-ch+ D30 Queen's Gambit Declined 11. S Crakanthorp vs C Purdy   1-0 57 1930 Australian Championship 1930/31 E00 Queen's Pawn Game 12. C Purdy vs E M Cowen   1-0 28 1930 Australian Championship 1930/31 C28 Vienna Game 13. C Purdy vs J Sayers   1-0 47 1930 Australian Championship 1930/31 A15 English 14. F Crowl vs C Purdy   0-1 50 1930 Australian Championship 1930/31 A06 Reti Opening 15. M E Goldstein vs C Purdy 1-0 23 1931 NSW-ch D02 Queen's Pawn Game 16. C Purdy vs G Gundersen   1-0 54 1931 Australian Championship 1930/31 C82 Ruy Lopez, Open 17. C Watson vs C Purdy   0-1 36 1931 Australian Championship 1930/31 D00 Queen's Pawn Game 18. C Purdy vs G Koshnitsky   1-0 36 1931 Australian Championship 1930/31 B13 Caro-Kann, Exchange 19. M E Goldstein vs C Purdy   0-1 56 1931 Australian Championship 1930/31 D11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 20. C Purdy vs W F Coultas   0-1 68 1931 Australian Championship 1930/31 D46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 21. G Koshnitsky vs C Purdy   1-0 39 1932 Sydney D04 Queen's Pawn Game 22. F Crowl vs C Purdy   0-1 68 1932 corr A00 Uncommon Opening 23. G Koshnitsky vs C Purdy 1-0 22 1932 Sydney D04 Queen's Pawn Game 24. C Purdy vs G Koshnitsky 0-1 47 1932 Sydney A13 English 25. C Purdy vs F Crowl 1-0 46 1934 corr E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 193

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing> May-03-07    Carl Sbad: I once had the great good fortune to meet Purdy on two occasions. The first was a very pleasant morning in Sydney spent with him evaluating a then recently released chess computer.The second was in Perth at the Australian Championships. He was delightful and unassuming company. Aug-23-07    whiteshark: Always investigate threatening moves and see if they are really serious. For both sides, of course, for it is as bad to miss an opportinity as to give one. -- C.J.S. Purdy Sep-08-07    whiteshark: By far the most important thing about waek pawns and weak squares is not to overrate their importance. -- C.J.S. Purdy Nov-01-07    whiteshark: Golden Purdy endgame rule no. 31: " Avoid putting a ♖ in a position of <IMMOBILE DEFENSE>. In the case of an attacked, unmoved a- or h-♙, usually prefer to give up the ♙ rather than to tie up a ♖ for its defense - instead, use your ♖ for attack in some way. " May-16-08    GrahamClayton: Purdy was playing against Ian Parsonage in the 1979 City of Sydney championship when he passed away. Jul-26-08    whiteshark: Quote of the Day <In endings with bishops of opposite color, material means NOTHING, position EVERYTHING.> -- Purdy Where is SOMETHING ? Sep-15-08    whiteshark: Olimpbase: http://www.olimpbase.org/players/7l... Oct-05-08    Karpova: Amatzia Avni's interesting article: "C.J.S. Purdy: An Unconventional Chess Thinker" Link: http://www.chesscafe.com/text/avni.... Some of his unique views (in the article there is elaboration and examples from chessgames): <1.Combinations, says Purdy, can arise at any time. [...] the possibility of executing a (sacrificial) series of forcing moves is not dependent on the assessment of positional factors.> <2. Forming a plan is desirable but not absolutely necessary. [...] Purdy puts tactics and avoidance of mistakes before planning> <3. The well-known device of “double attack” is explained by Purdy in an original way.> In chess you can only make one move at a time so the chessplayer should be <“trying to force his enemy into the often impossible task of doing two things at once.”> Oct-06-08    whiteshark: Thanks for this nice find, <Karpova>. Oct-06-08    whiteshark: < Castling is like marriage - not to be embarked on irresponsibly. <<<<>>>>> -- Purdy Dec-06-08    GrahamClayton: <benzol>I was interested to learn that Purdy's competitive correspondence career comprised only 46 games. His score was +34 =10 -2 which was fairly impressive. Benzol, Those 46 games included 2 Australian correspondence chess championships and the inaugral ICCF World Championship. Has any other player, either OTB or CC, achieved so much success with so few games? Jan-15-09    KingG: Silman claims that it was to his brother that Purdy said his last words. <The most stirring story of a chess player dying with his boots on concerned world-class postal player and renowned chess teacher Cecil Purdy. He was playing in an over the board chess event and was up an Exchange in his game. It was clear that he was eventually going to win, but his well-wishers' smiles soon turned to horror when he fell off his chair and collapsed in a heap on the ground. His brother (who was also playing at the event) rushed to his side and Cecil whispered something into his ear. Then he died. His final words? One might imagine something like, "Tell my wife I love her." Or "The gold is hidden under the bedroom floorboard." But no, this is a chess player and so his last thoughts were about chess. His dying message to his brother: "I have a win, but it will take time!"> http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_r... Jan-15-09    ughaibu: Did they adjudicate it as a win? Jan-15-09    kellmano: I like Silman's story so much that I am prepared to believe it. Jan-23-09    Benzol: <KingG> <kellmano> Did you read the bio? Mar-27-09    WhiteRook48: happy birthday! Jul-05-09    whiteshark: Quote of the Day < In endings with bishops of opposite color, <<material means NOTHING, <position EVERYTHING. >>>> -- Purdy Jan-27-10    Oliveira: Thanks for the nice quotes, Whiteshark! :) Feb-25-10    whiteshark: <Oliveira> You're welcome. <You aren't playing in a tournament to paint pictures, but to win points. <<<<<>>>>>> -- Cecil Purdy Mar-03-10    whiteshark: <One should not allow oneself to be cramped for the sake of avoiding a very small theoretical disadvantage. <A small advantage in development will usually compensate for such slight troubles. <Play a game of mobility and do not be scared by small theoretical weaknesses of whose actual significance you are not fully aware. <>>>> -- Cecil J. Purdy Mar-27-10    wordfunph: Australian Master CJS Purdy...one of my favorite chess book authors, Happy Birthday CJS! Feb-18-11    Benzol: <GrahamClayton> <Benzol, Those 46 games included 2 Australian correspondence chess championships and the inaugral ICCF World Championship. Has any other player, either OTB or CC, achieved so much success with so few games?> Offhand I can't think of any. Maybe some player's run to the world title. I'm thinking of Capablanca and Fischer. And Botvinnik's win in the 1948 tournament. Do these qualify? Feb-23-11    rapidcitychess: < In endings with bishops of opposite color, <<material means NOTHING, <position EVERYTHING. >>>> -- Purdy 2+ pawns is often the material necessary for a win. Mar-27-11    Benzol: Happy Birthday. :) Jun-27-11    GrahamClayton: I was always intrigued why Purdy was born in Egypt, and I have found the reason why. His father, Dr JS Purdy, was the English representative on the International Quarantine Board in for the Suez Canal. The family moved to Hobart, and then to Sydney, where he remained for the rest of his life. Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 4) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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