2017
January-February 2017 The tales of games played under rather more than "adverse" playing conditions Number 1 (Donnelly-George 1969), Number 2 (Donnelly-Morley 1971).
Although the games annotated above were indeed played under difficult conditions, methinks I protest perhaps too readily having just come across this old picture (below left ) from the Oct. 1953 edition of Chess (Sutton Coldfield) Magazine. At least the cigarette ashtrays, common in those days I have been informed are not here visible, but I'm sure one Bobby Fischer would complain bitterly about these playing conditions.
Incidentally I have played by correspondence chess two players, with the same home towns details as mentioned with the picture: W.Broome (standing far left) in 1978 and B.Cafferty (standing second right) in 1996. Similarly a possible relative of B.Halliwell seated in the corner of the picture (namely T.Halliwell) both from London in 1988.
The second picture (above right) shows the playing room of the famous Anglo-Soviet Radio Match of 1946. The British players shown in the London playing room (with their tellers opposite) include Baruch H.Wood (founder of the World Famous magazine "Chess") and Harry Golombek. I recollect having extensive conversations with both famous players, on chess and many other matters, at several events many years ago when I first started playing competitive chess.
February-March 2017 Focus on post-WW2 Events (3) Games from the "Sunday Chronicle" International Chess Tournament London 1946: Number 1 (Devos-Euwe), Number 2 (Denker-Abrahams).
March-April 2017 Two selected games of the legendary Belgian player Edgard Colle: Number 1 (Colle-Euwe 1923/24), Number 2 (Saemisch-Colle 1930).
April-May 2017 The exchange sacrifice Rxc3-a key resource in the Sicilian Dragon Opening: Number 1 (Harris-Donnelly 2000), Number 2 (Staples-Donnelly 1999).
May-June 2017 Senior Moments-An interesting win and loss on returning to o.t.b chess after almost a decade: Number 1 (Donnelly-Bowman 2015), Number 2 (Donnelly-Surtees 2015).
June-July 2017 Proper Correspondence Chess: Number 1 (Thomas-Kuperman 1987-90), Number 2 (Wickens-Toothill 1978-9). First game submitted by Senior International Master Trevor Thomas.
July-August 2017 Selected games by Coventry Chess Club's top board played in the 4NCL: Number 1 (Ireland-Girdlestone 2017), Number 2 (Cooke-Ireland 2017). Games submitted by Coventry CC 2017 Summer Cup winner Dave Ireland.
August-September 2017 Decisive games watched in person at the World Championship Candidates, Savoy Place, London 2013: Number 1 (Svidler-Ivanchuk), Number 2 (Radjabov-Carlsen).
(Many pictures from this event are viewable on this web site at the "My Stuff" section-Memorabilia Corner 2009-2013.)
September-October 2017 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays I: Number 1 (P.H.Clarke-Donnelly 1967), Number 2 (V.Smyslov-Donnelly 1969)
October-November 2017 Brevities XIII : Number 1 (Levenfish-Monoszon 1912), Number 2 (Bogoljubov-Hakansson 1920), Number 3 (Riumin-Poliak 1929).
November-December 2017 Games from the British Forces v Allied Forces Match, Nottingham 1941: Number 1 (Tartakower-Golombek), Number 2 (Simek-Wheatcroft).
2018
December 2017-January 2018 Memories and Games of Grandmaster Keith Richardson : Number 1 (Richardson-Estrin 1977-79 corr.), Number 2 (Maeder-Richardson 1978-80 corr.)
January-February 2018 A study of Some Irregular Openings: Number 1 (as a zipped Word doc), Number 2 (as a zipped PDF file). Article and analysis submitted by current Indian International and former Indian Correspondence Champion T. Pavan Kumar.
February-March 2018 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays II : Facing the dazzling play of former World Champion Mikhail Tal. Number 1 (Tal-Stephenson 1964), Number 2 Tal-Stephenson 1974). Annotated games submitted by many times Teesside, and twice British Veterans Champion Norman Stephenson.
March-April 2018 International Master level correspondence chess miniatures: Number 1 (Thomas-P.Littlewood 1982-3), Number 2 (Adams-Brockbank 2017-18). First game submitted by Senior International Master Trevor Thomas.
April-May 2018 The elegant Hypermodern style of Andy Baruch: Number 1 (Baruch-Smith 2016), Number 2 (Baruch-Turner 2018). Games submitted by Regional Master and many times Whoberley CC Champion Andy Baruch.
May-June 2018 Examples of the double bishop sacrifice as an attacking concept against the opponent's king: Number 1 (Konig-Cornforth 1952), Number 2 (Thornton-Sharp 2017-18 corr.).
June-August 2018 Brevities XIV-six annotated short games from GM through to beginner level: Number 1 (Petrosian-Korchnoi 1962), Number 2 (Vasiukov-Hartston 1965/66), Number 3 Basman-Griffiths 1968), Number 4 J.Littlewood-Tadielle 1963/64 corr.), Number 5 (Buckler-Donnelly 2017), Number 6 (Donnelly, M.J-Donnelly, I.J 1967).
August-September 2018 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays III: Number 1 (Korchnoi-Stephenson 1972), Number 2 (Larsen-Stephenson 1973). Games submitted, and annotations predominantly, by Norman Stephenson.
September-October 2018 Hypermodern style as Black: Number 1 (Yurenok-Baruch 2016), Number 2 (Selway-Baruch 2016). Games submitted by Regional Master and many times Whoberley CC Champion Andy Baruch.
October-November 2018 Beginner's to mid-club players articles- Time loss in the Opening (aka how to lose quickly as Black): Number 1 (Nicholson-Donnelly 1971), Number 2 (Hutcheson-Donnelly 1971).
November-December 2018 Another look at the double bishop sacrifice as an attacking concept against the opponent's king: Number 1 (Dus Chotimirsky-Rotlevi 1911), Number 2 (Pachman-Neikirkh 1958). Some Derived Guidance Rules. (for 2 classic Lasker and Tarrasch games featuring a double bishop sacrifice, and May-June 2018 and November-December 2018 web-site articles games).
2019
December 2018-January 2019 The Effective Cunningham Defence to the Kings Gambit: Number 1 (Kitson-Stephenson 1973), Number 2 (Bielby-Stephenson 1987). Games submitted by twice British Veteran Champion Norman Stephenson. Much useful historical and analytical information on the Cunningham Defence can be found here. (link supplied by Norman Stephenson).
January-February 2019 Brevities XV: The good and the bad way-Short games with the Cunningham Defence: Number 1 (Dus-Chotimirsky-Robine 1910), Number 2 (Donnelly-Brown 1981), Number 3 (Donnelly-Pyrich 1999 corr.).
February-March 2019 Fine games of two times refugee Paul List: Number 1 (List-Mieses 1927), Number 2 (List-Milner Barry 1939).
March-April 2019 Norman Stephenson returns to chess!: Number 1 (Stephenson-Oates 2016), Number 2 (Stephenson-Harding 2017). Games submitted and annotated by Norman Stephenson.
April-May 2019 Match games by Chess Legends (1): Number 1 (Spielmann-Mieses 1910, second match game), Number 2 (Spielmann-Mieses 1910, fourth match game).
May-June 2019 Selected games of Soviet Master Fyodor Dus-Chotimirsky: Number 1 (Dus-Chotimirsky-Salwe 1911), Number 2 (Romanovsky-Dus-Chotimirsky 1927).
June-July 2019 Mayhem in the Wilkes Barre (Traxler Counter Attack) Opening: Number 1 (From the player of the Black pieces perspective: based on Niemand-Keffler 1970), Number 2 (From the player of the White pieces perspective: based on Schroeder-Lea 2005). Originating from a game enquiry by Senior International Master Trevor Thomas.
July-August 2019 Play the enigmatic Budapest Gambit!: Number 1 (Akehurst-Stephenson 1987), Number 2 (Hamilton-Stephenson 1960). Games submitted and predominately annotated by Norman Stephenson.
August-September 2019 A winning innovation twice in two days!: Number 1 (Baruch-Shepley 2019), Number 2 (Baruch-Cundy 2019). Games submitted by English Seniors Team Gold Medalist Andy Baruch.
September-October 2019 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays IV: Number 1 (Prof. Farrand-Baruch 1974), Number 2 (Nunn-Graff 2014). Games submitted by author and Leamington Chess League Chairman Ben Graff and Regional Master Andy Baruch.
October-November 2019 An early "Bete Noire" opponent of World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik: Number 1 (Kan-Botvinnik 1929), Number 2 (Kan-Botvinnik 1935).
November-December 2019 Beginner's to mid-club player articles-Facing and dealing with "Shock and Awe" tactics: Number 1 (Compton-Donnelly 2001), Number 2 (Sayers-Donnelly 1976).
2020
December 2019-January 2020 Focus on pre-WW2 events (3) Birmingham 1939 : Number 1 (Mieses-Prins 1939), Number 2 (Prins-Price 1939).
January-February 2020 Development of a new opening 1. d4 Nf6 2.c3 : Number 1 (Stephenson-McElligott 1993), Number 2 (Stephenson-Cummings 1994). A database featuring Norman Stephenson's games using this opening (and in one case facing it) can be downloaded here. All games, and detailed description of opening ideas, provided by Norman Stephenson.
February-March 2020 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays V: Number 1 (Sachdev-Graff 2017), Number 2 (Korchnoi-Graff 2009). Games submitted (and notes to the first) by author and Leamington Chess League Chairman Ben Graff.
March-April 2020 Resisting the Kings Gambit with Fischer's 3...d6 : Number 1 (Bielby-Stephenson 1984), Number 2 (Vincent-Stephenson 1981. Games submitted by Norman Stephenson (notes by FNS and MJD).
April-May 2020 Brevities XVI: Pub-brawls and hard personal experiences: Number 1 (Basil-Grischuk 2014), Number 2 (Donnelly-Staples 1997), Number 3 (Buckley-Donnelly 2001).
May-June 2020 The Chess Legacy of Charles W. Warburton : Number 1 (Warburton-Dancer 1950), Number 2 (Warburton-Broome 1961 corr.).
June-July 2020 Final two Correspondence Chess wins: Number 1 (Donnelly-Ikegami 2016, corr),
Number 2 (Donnelly-Vohl 2016, corr.) Picture left of chess stamps kindly
sent by Senior International Master Gregor Vohl (together with many pictures of
beautiful scenery of Slovakia).
July-August 2020 "Getting there fustest with the mostest"-military tactics on the chess board: Number 1 (Burnett-Stephenson 1996), Number 2 (Stephenson-Humphries 1966), Number 3 (Stephenson-Schussler 1973), Number 4 (Werbickas-Sourek 2005). Games submitted and annotated by Norman Stephenson.
August-September 2020 Beginner's to mid-club player articles-Suffering opponents rapid wing attacks, a potential consequence of lack of centre of the board influence: Number 1 (Holliday-Donnelly 1968), Number 2 (Donnelly-Killey 1967).
September-October 2020 Focus on pre-WW2 events (4) Additional Games from Bournemouth 1939 : Number 1 (Aitken-Flohr 1939), Number 2 (Klein-Wallis 1939)-the latter game re-analysed in more detail from that published on this site in 2011.
October-November 2020 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays VI: Number 1 (Stein-Donnelly 1968), Number 2 (R.Thomas-Donnelly 1968).
November-December 2020 Chess Perspectives Part 1 (before/during/after a chess game) : Number 1 (Stephenson-T.Wise 1957), Number 2 (Stephenson-T.Wise 1958), Number 3 (Stephenson-T.Wise 1959). Articles written and games annotated by Norman Stephenson.
2021
December 2020-January 2021 Chess Perspectives Part 2 (chess player's toolbox): Number 1 (T.Wise-Stephenson 1958), Number 2 (Stockham-Jones 1999), Number 3 (Stephenson-Rayner 1998-includes an article summary). Articles written and games annotated by Norman Stephenson.
January-February 2021 Supplement to Focus on pre-WW2 events (3) Jan. 2020 and pre-WW2 events (4) Sept.2020: Number 1 (Price-Mieses, Birmingham 1939), Number 2 (Abrahams-Aitken, Bournemouth 1939).
February-March 2021 An examination of the concept of attacking by advancing ones own castled king's pawn cover: Number 1 (Riumin-Euwe 1934)-Initial attacking success overridden by opponent's pawn advances; Number 2 (Thomas-Wood 1947)-Eventually a complete success for the attacker; Number 3 (Hall-Donnelly 2000)-Failure for the attacker.
March-April 2021 Focus on the Smith-Morra Gambit: Number 1 (McNally-Carpenter 2016), Number 2 (Holt-Cooksey 1993), Number 3 (Donnelly-Rayner 1981).
April-May 2021 Effective systems to challenge Bird's Opening (1.f4): Number 1 (Chamberlain-Stephenson 1997), Number 2 (Hall-Stephenson 1971). Games submitted and annotated by Norman Stephenson
May-June 2021 Remembering Ludek Pachman: Very Strong Grandmaster, World Leading Opening Theoretician, Czechoslovakian Champion, Political Activist: Number 1 (Pachman-Pilnik 1959), Number 2 (Pachman-Unzicker 1964).
June-July 2021 Mildly lamenting the demise of Newspaper Chess Columns (1) : Number 1 (Rhodes-Learner ca 1964), Number 2 (Plukker-Wheeler 1963).
July-August 2021 Focus on pre-WW2 events (5) Margate 1939 (Battling the Giants of Chess): Number 1 (Flohr-Wheatcroft 1939), Number 2 (Capablanca-Wheatcroft 1939).
August-September 2021 The Importance of Endings (4): Number 1 (Stephenson-Wise 1959 *), Number 2 (Peace-Donnelly 2021). First game submitted and annotated by Norman Stephenson [* a second different game from this year for these two players cf. Nov-Dec 2020 articles].
September-October 2021 The true tale of an unexpected simultaneous display: Number 1 (Donnelly-Rusk 1968), Number 2 (Donnely-Elliott 1968).
October-November 2021 Whom the Gods Love...Klaus Junge (1): Number 1 (Lachmann-Junge 1941), Number 2 (Zollner-Junge 1942).
November-December 2021 Focus on pre-WW2 events (6) Boston USA 1938:
(Picture to left shows the top section of the amazing Holland Trophy awarded to
the winner of the Boston 1938 event.)
Number 1 (Horowitz-Polland), Number 2 (Kashdan-Blumin).
2022
December 2021-January 2022 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays VII: Number 1(Donner/Janosevic-Stephenson 1958: tandem display), Number 2 (Golombek-Stephenson 1958). Games submitted by Norman Stephenson and annotations based on comments by Norman.
January-February 2022 Examples of predominantly intuitive play in Rapid games on the Internet (I): Number 1 (Donnelly-Evans 2021), Number 2 (Donnelly-Manickam 2021).
February-March 2022 Nepomniachtchi and Chigorin play the Centre Game Opening! : Number 1 (Nepomniachtchi-Leko 2014), Number 2 (Chigorin-Przepiorka 1906).
March-April 2022 Mildly lamenting the demise of Newspaper Chess Columns (2): Number 1 (Krasnov-Panov 1963), Number 2 (Ciocaltea-Kozma 1963).
April-May 2022 Inspiration from meeting Master players in Simultaneous Displays VIII (Final of this series): Number 1 Keene-Stephenson 1985, Number 2 Werbickas-Donnelly 1968. First game contributed by Norman Stephenson with additional annotations based on Norman's comments.
May-June 2022. Examples of predominantly intuitive play in Rapid games on the Internet (II), in Capablanca style in not compromising one's position: Number 1 (Taw-Batchelor 2021), Number 2 Kasafir-Batchelor 2020).
June-July 2022 Ed Goodwin at the English Seniors Chess Championship: Number 1 (Goodwin-Tucker 2022), Number 2 (Goodwin-Snape 2022). Games submitted by junior chess trainer Ed Goodwin.
July-August 2022 Instructive short games from the English Seniors Championship held in Kenilworth (Warwickshire): Number 1 (Stokes-Norman 2022), Number 2 (Hutchinson-Kane 2022), Number 3 (Di Matti-Hall 2022).
August-September 2022 Head to Head with players who have won the British Championship (1): Number 1 (Stephenson-Hennigan 1994), Number 2 (Stephenson-Penrose 1968). Games contributed by Norman Stephenson.
September-October 2022 Key games from the Coventry Chess Summer Cup: Number 1 (Stamper-Donnelly 2022), Number 2 (Pink-Donnelly 2022).
October-November 2022 Mildly lamenting the demise of Newspaper Chess Columns (3): Number 1 (Rozantalis-Schneider 1987), Number 2 (P.Donnelly-Lee ca 1994).
November-December 2022 Focus on pre-WW2 events (7) Plymouth Jubilee Congress 1938: Number 1(List-Thomas 1938), Number 2 (Alekhine-Milner Barry 1938).
2023
December 2022-February 2023 (Bumper articles months) Lessons from very short games (1) : Number 1 (Euwe-Duffield 1924), Number 2 (Thomas-Tylor 1926), Number 3 (Donnelly-Cresswell 1967), Number 4 (Donnelly-Killey 1967), Number 5 (Donnelly-Walton 1967), Number 6 (Donnelly-Rigby 1968), Number 7 (Clayton-Donnelly 1971), Number 8 (Veitch-Penrose 1950).
Picture above shows the 6th Form of Bede Hall GS ca 1967 or 1968 at the time several of the games listed were played in Bede Hall GS Chess Club (Billingham, Teesside).
Sometime members of the Bede Hall GS Chess Team are (with row 1 at front and from left hand-side of picture):
Alan Race (row 2, 7th); myself (row 2, 8th), Alex Ayton (row 3, 5th), Henry Robson (top row, 4th), David Foster (top row, 5th). Unfortunately I'm unable to identify Ainsley Killey (another regular team member who may have been in the 5th Form and not the 6th Form who was outstanding at Physics; similarly for Geoffrey Hockaday against whom I also played many match games).
Not to be omitted are the delightful Linda Winstanley (row 2, 2nd) and Patricia Rennison (front row, 5th). The names of girls outstanding at Music and Athletics, also a Head Prefect (front row, 8th and 12th respectively are not recalled.
The location of the picture is outside the Art Classroom a true artist studio, ran by Mr Peacock in somewhat bohemian style. Amongst the diverse items occupying much space were literally mountains of magazines meant to inspire paintings and other artistic endeavours. However, I noted several chess columns in different magazines, and having just started playing chess relatively seriously, became intrigued by the beauty and difficulty of the chess problems and awed by the quality of the chess games presented in these magazines. Whether Mr Peacock knew I spent much of the Art lessons trying to solve the problems and playing over the games on a small pocket set is of course not known. I did however, usually find him at my elbow as the lessons came to a close so that at least some very modest artistic item was actually produced in time. Somehow I managed to pass an Art "O" Level (GCSE) exam too....
The scrap book, made during lessons between 1966 and 1967 from cuttings from the slightly older magazines, still exists today (pictures below) and was in effect my first chess book.
