Richard Taylor: I met Court and Phillips. Glen Turner and I went to see Court who had won the NZ Corres. Chess Champs and the National. He, I was told, was influenced to avoid the medicine or maybe an inhaler for his asthma. He died not a long time after we went to see him in Ellerslie (Auckland).Here is the result of the School Championship 1961
1. C A Evans 7 points He won every game.] 1st
(Te Awamutu Coll.)
2. N. M. Cooper 4 points
(Christchurch B.H.S) 2nd=
[Nigel who I played last month and drew with then and in our game in 1961 would later play in the NZ Champs.He came back into chess about 11 years ago, and now lives on Waiheke.]
3. M. N. Robb 4 points
2nd=
(Otago B.H.S.)
4. R. Taylor 3.5 points 4th
(Tamaki Intermediate)
5. R.M. Bibby 3 points 5th=
(Otago B.H.S)
6. D. H. Simpson 3 points 5th=
(Wellington Coll.)
7. R. D. Campbell 2 points 7th
(Hutt Valley H.S.)
8. A. Innes 8 points 8th
(Shirley B.H.S.)
Chris Evans was 16 and I was 13. It said of me that I showed considerable promise.
But the next time I lost to Roly Metge (older brother of Nigel Metge who just recently came back and played in the Qualifiers (George Trundle) and the NZ Open) in a play off. Roly was singing "Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to work we go!" We were laughing and clowning until I realised that I was losing. Roly was pretty good and my father and I.R.Mitchell (the Communist who was a good fellow despite or because of) were always talking about him...then they started talking about Fischer...so when I realised I couldn't beat Roly easily or Glenn, and certainly not Ewen...or Chris (who was likable and was a friend of Brian Douglas who I also became a friend of around the time of the birth of my son in 1972 or so, Brian had been a Championship player but suffered from Schizophrenia -- as he told me -- but I had good talks with him and used to visit him and his father they were in a house on Jervois Rd. Later he was committed to Lake Ellis Psychiatric Hospital and we used to send parcels to him but I lost contact when my marriage broke up in the late 80s).
And I don't know where Chris is or if he is alive even. I once went to see him, but only his father, a warden at Waikeria boys prison, of Welsh extraction I think, was there: I had a talk with him. Nice man. Chris went into biochemistry I think and his brother became a geologist.
Ashley Innes's family billeted myself and Chris. Ashley and his family
were very kind. Everyone was good. Chris and I got on well. I was looked
after by Chris! I was excited getting sent off on the train from Auckland
by Ian Mitchell and my father who was a tourney director by this time
and on Club committees etc. He had learnt chess with me at the age of
about 52. We both got library books and so on about chess. And we bought
Tal's Best Games, Capa's Fundamentals, various opening books and a book
of tactics and Edward Lasker's book about chess as well as Lasker's, and
Fischer's first book including the 1957/58 US Champs which I am playing
over again just now, and it had the Interzonal he played in then.
Also around then a book of Petrosians games, Rubinsteins, Capablanca and
Alekhines. Endgame books etc...Learning or discovering chess was almost more exciting than playing games or winning tournaments (which rarely
happened for me)...
The good old days...
Alan Wilkinson I recall your name and indeed you were mentioned in despatches. On one of the old mags. I have there is a picture of Roger Clark who was heading overseas...
Kibitzing
