No, that would actually be the <USS Goldsby>, which was commissioned in Pensacola, Florida in the year of our Lord 2015, as recognition of his uncovering the numerous cheating scandals that had threatened to end world chess as we know it.

I'm pleased to know there might be legs to the chess story. Why not? O'Nolan may well have played Johnny in a simul.

Johnny played simuls all over the UK and Ireland.

As for *beating* him in a simul- well that happened too. Not too often.

lol when Johnny went to do a simul in Latvia he got pounded at a a "meet the local club players social simul" and the Latvians were close to, or at, what Russkies used to call "first category" rank.

Actually let me look I have the simul score here in a book.

It's in "Vladimirs Petrovs- a Chessplayer's Story" by Andris Fride.

Aha I have it here:
In 1935, against 40 Riga club players Johnny scored <+9 -15 =16>.

OUCH!

<Johnny on the Spot>:

<"This is the first time in my life where I have scored below 50%... I can say that Moscow and St. Petersburg have now been joined by another city where the <<<chess standards>>> are exceptionally high. The players here were just as strong as those who did not permit Flohr to get more than 40% in Moscow.">

If it is indeed something I said, I have no recollection of it whatsoever, still, memory recall has never been one of my eh...whatchamacallit... strong points ;)

I'll need time to work this one out.>

Jess I thought it was you but I couldn't take the chance of a security breech of a Screwhead breaking into my Forum!! There can be no exceptions with Screwheads Bwahahahahaha!!

<Jess> I reckon that, yes, Brian O'Nolan was a good enough chess player to score against Johnny in a simul -- his younger brother, the prof, had a rating of about 1800 in the 1970s, and Myles/Flann/Brian may well have been stronger.

The reason I ask is that I have a fairly comprehensive record (spread over many books which are in turn spread all over my floor around me at the moment) of Johnny's Simul events, and they usually list the winners.

Of course, it could have been a casual game. Also, what name would "Flann" have entered under.

<I had a look at the 1934 'Neue Wiener Schachzeitung' again but sadly, I didn't find information on the financial conditions. If you are unsure about your own source, you could put the info in a footnote to label it as putative.>

AAHHHHHHHHH

This <Senor Wencelas> is so great! I never heard of this before.

"Johnny" even looks like the young <Alekhine>:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJiY>... Madame Queen Jessica, I am glad you like my act, that particular performance was on The Ed Sullivan Show 1966. I must take exception to your wording of my name for I am The Great 'Senor Wences', the greatest ventriliquist, juggler and smoker ever to perform on zee stage! I also play The Spanish opening with the white pieces. ; P

P.S. They call me a genius for when I came to America from the old country my two dummies Johnny & Pedro were partially destroyed in the ships cargo. Poor Johnny's head was smashed & poor Pedro's body was crushed so I have 2 dummy with pieces missing. In order to put bread on thee table, I used my hand for Johnny's head with a wig and put Pedro in the box so he no need the body. ; P

Here ees pictures of my two good boys Johnny & Pedro. http://www.nnmagic.com/nielsenprint...