1984 Oakham Young Masters, 8-17 April, Oakham School

1984 Oakham Young Masters		Fed	Residence	D.O.B.	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Niaz Murshed	BAN		13.5.66	2410m	◊ 1/29	♦ 1/6	◊ 1/19	♦ ½/18	◊ ½/2	♦ 1/14	◊ 1/15	♦ ½/9	♦ ½/5	7
2	Maxim Dlugy	USA		29.1.66	2460m	♦ 1/32	◊ ½/30	♦ ½/14	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/1	◊ ½/9	♦ 1/7	◊ ½/4	♦ ½/6	6
3	Julian M Hodgson	ENG	Streatham	25.7.63	2440m	◊ 1/7	♦ ½/20	◊ 0/18	♦ 1/38	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/6	♦ 1/11	◊ ½/10	♦ 1/14	6
4	Nigel D Short	ENG	Atherton	1.6.65	2500m	◊ 1/12	♦ ½/38	◊ ½/10	♦ 1/24	◊ 0/14	♦ 1/16	◊ ½/19	♦ ½/2	◊ 1/9	6
5	Igor Stohl	CZE		27.9.64	2405m	◊ 1/35	◊ ½/26	♦ ½/31	♦ ½/10	◊ ½/3	♦ 1/24	◊ ½/14	♦ 1/18	◊ ½/1	6
6	Jozsef Horvath	HUN		13.8.64	2370	◊ 1/40	◊ 0/1	♦ 1/35	◊ 1/31	♦ ½/15	♦ ½/3	◊ ½/8	♦ 1/19	◊ ½/2	6
7	Carlo D'Amore	ITA		13.1.64	2310f	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/28	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/25	♦ 1/38	♦ 1/27	◊ 0/2	♦ 1/16	◊ 1/15	6
8	Greg Hjorth	AUS		14.6.63	2415f	♦ ½/21	◊ 0/31	♦ ½/28	◊ 1/29	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/6	◊ 1/24	♦ 1/23	6
9	Kiril Georgiev	BUL		28.11.65	2430m	◊ 1/25	♦ ½/18	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/14	◊ 1/12	♦ ½/2	◊ ½/10	◊ ½/1	♦ 0/4	5½
10	Jonathan P Levitt	ENG	Oxford Uni	3.6.63	2345	♦ ½/17	◊ 1/22	♦ ½/4	◊ ½/5	♦ 1/26	◊ ½/19	♦ ½/9	♦ ½/3	◊ ½/13	5½
11	Josef Klinger	AUT		6.6.67	2310	◊ ½/15	♦ 0/24	◊ ½/7	♦ 1/37	◊ ½/8	♦ 1/20	◊ 0/3	♦ 1/27	◊ 1/18	5½
12	Peter K Wells	ENG	Portsmouth	17.4.65	2320f	♦ 0/4	◊ 1/39	♦ 1/25	◊ 1/30	♦ 0/9	♦ ½/13	◊ 0/18	◊ 1/21	♦ 1/19	5½
13	Pia Cramling	SWE		23.4.63	2405m	♦ 1/28	◊ 0/14	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/35	♦ 1/31	◊ ½/12	♦ ½/21	◊ 1/25	♦ ½/10	5½
14	Joseph G Gallagher	ENG	Wimbledon	4.5.64	2260	◊ 1/16	♦ 1/13	◊ ½/2	◊ ½/9	♦ 1/4	◊ 0/1	♦ ½/5	♦ ½/15	◊ 0/3	5
15	Daniel J King	ENG	Bromley	28.8.63	2435m	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/21	♦ ½/30	◊ 1/17	◊ ½/6	♦ 1/18	♦ 0/1	◊ ½/14	♦ 0/7	5
16	Zdenko Kozul	YUG		21.5.66	2405f	♦ 0/14	◊ 0/35	♦ 1/39	◊ 1/21	♦ 1/32	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/17	◊ 0/7	◊ 1/24	5
17	Craig R Dawson	ENG	Birmingham	6.12.63		◊ ½/10	♦ ½/34	◊ 1/13	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/20	♦ ½/33	◊ 0/16	♦ 1/35	♦ 1/25	5
18	Elvar Gudmundsson	ISL		19.11.63	2330	♦ 1/27	◊ ½/9	♦ 1/3	◊ ½/1	♦ ½/19	◊ 0/15	♦ 1/12	◊ 0/5	♦ 0/11	4½
19	John C Hawksworth	ENG	Oxford Uni	6.12.63	2355f	◊ 1/24	♦ 1/37	♦ 0/1	◊ 1/27	◊ ½/18	♦ ½/10	♦ ½/4	◊ 0/6	◊ 0/12	4½
20	Mark L Condie	SCO		12.2.65	2340f	◊ 1/36	◊ ½/3	♦ 0/9	◊ ½/22	♦ ½/17	◊ 0/11	◊ 0/23	♦ 1/34	♦ 1/30	4½
21	Berge Ostenstad	NOR		16.9.64	2310	◊ ½/8	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/33	♦ 0/16	◊ 1/36	♦ 1/32	◊ ½/13	♦ 0/12	◊ 1/27	4½
22	Piotr Staniszewski	POL		4.9.66	2405	◊ ½/37	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/36	♦ ½/20	◊ 0/24	♦ 1/29	◊ 0/25	♦ ½/26	◊ 1/33	4½
23	Robert Zysk	FRG		4.5.66		♦ 0/30	◊ 0/25	♦ ½/40	◊ 1/28	◊ 0/33	◊ 1/38	♦ 1/20	♦ 1/32	◊ 0/8	4½
24	Gavin Crawley	ENG	Richmond	8.5.63		♦ 0/19	◊ 1/11	♦ 1/29	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/22	◊ 0/5	◊ 1/33	♦ 0/8	♦ 0/16	4
25	Gary W Lane	ENG	Paignton	4.11.64	2310	♦ 0/9	♦ 1/23	◊ 0/12	♦ 0/7	◊ 1/37	◊ 1/31	♦ 1/22	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/17	4
26	Craig SM Thomson	SCO		2.8.63	2215	◊ 1/33	♦ ½/5	◊ 1/38	♦ 0/2	◊ 0/10	♦ 0/8	♦ ½/30	◊ ½/22	♦ ½/28	4
27	David R Norwood	ENG	Bolton	3.10.68		◊ 0/18	♦ 1/33	◊ 1/34	♦ 0/19	♦ 1/30	◊ 0/7	♦ 1/28	◊ 0/11	♦ 0/21	4
28	Mika Ebeling	FIN		21.8.64	2295	◊ 0/13	♦ ½/7	◊ ½/8	♦ 0/23	♦ 1/35	◊ ½/30	◊ 0/27	♦ 1/38	◊ ½/26	4
29	José Manuel Gil González	ESP		19.8.65	2300	♦ 0/1	♦ 1/40	◊ 0/24	♦ 0/8	◊ 1/34	◊ 0/22	♦ 0/35	◊ 1/39	◊ 1/36	4
30	Sebastien Luce	FRA		18.10.63	2330	◊ 1/23	♦ ½/2	◊ ½/15	♦ 0/12	◊ 0/27	♦ ½/28	◊ ½/26	♦ ½/33	◊ 0/20	3½
31	Michael Hofmann	SUI		16.4.63	2230	◊ ½/34	♦ 1/8	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/6	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/25	◊ 0/32	♦ ½/36	◊ 1/40	3½
32	James C Howell	ENG	Harrogate	17.5.67	2320	◊ 0/2	♦ ½/36	◊ ½/37	♦ 1/34	◊ 0/16	◊ 0/21	♦ 1/31	◊ 0/23	♦ ½/39	3½
33	Efstratios Grivas	GRE		30.3.66	2375f	♦ 0/26	◊ 0/27	♦ ½/21	◊ 1/40	♦ 1/23	◊ ½/17	♦ 0/24	◊ ½/30	♦ 0/22	3½
34	Neil H Bradbury	ENG	Barnet	9.5.64	2395	♦ ½/31	◊ ½/17	♦ 0/27	◊ 0/32	♦ 0/29	◊ 1/39	♦ ½/36	◊ 0/20	◊ 1/35	3½
35	Stuart C Conquest	ENG	Hastings	1.3.67	2260f	♦ 0/5	♦ 1/16	◊ 0/6	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/28	♦ 1/40	◊ 1/29	◊ 0/17	♦ 0/34	3
36	Alex Kuznecov	CAN		16.11.65		♦ 0/20	◊ ½/32	♦ 0/22	◊ ½/39	♦ 0/21	♦ 1/37	◊ ½/34	◊ ½/31	♦ 0/29	3
37	Miles Ardaman	USA		28.12.63	2240	♦ ½/22	◊ 0/19	♦ ½/32	◊ 0/11	♦ 0/25	◊ 0/36	♦ 0/39	♦ 1/40	◊ 1/38	3
38	Meng Kong Wong	SIN		18.9.63	2365m	♦ 1/39	◊ ½/4	♦ 0/26	◊ 0/3	◊ 0/7	♦ 0/23	◊ 1/40	◊ 0/28	♦ 0/37	2½
39	Susan K Walker (Lalic)	ENG	Croydon	28.10.65	1900	◊ 0/38	♦ 0/12	◊ 0/16	♦ ½/36	◊ ½/40	♦ 0/34	◊ 1/37	♦ 0/29	◊ ½/32	2½
40	Teresa M Needham	ENG	London	30.11.65	2100	♦ 0/6	◊ 0/29	◊ ½/23	♦ 0/33	♦ ½/39	◊ 0/35	♦ 0/38	◊ 0/37	♦ 0/31	1

IM norm recorded by Carlo D'Amore (ITA)

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BCM, June 1984, ppn 231-239.

OAKHAM SCHOOL YOUNG MASTERS TOURNAMENT - by John Nunn
8-17 April 1984

Oakham School is a co-educational public school situated in the heart of rural England, a marvellous setting for a chess tournament. This event was organised as part of the school's 400th anniversary celebrations, with finance provided by the Jerwood Foundation, a body set up by a former pupil who later made a fortune in Japan by dealing in pearls. John Jerwood himself flew over from Japan to watch the last round and present the prizes. A BCF team co-operated with the school to arrange a very efficiently-run tournament.

The playing conditions were excellent by the standards of junior competitions and better, indeed, than at many adult GM tournaments. The same can be said of the food provided at the school, which I find hard to reconcile with my own memories of school fare!

The entry was very strong, far stronger than the average standard of the world junior championship, and competition was fierce. Apart from a few quick draws near the top, all the games were fought out to the bitter end, even in the last round. The final scores (out of nine) were:

7 Murshed (Bangladesh)

6 D'Amore (Italy), Dlugy (USA), Hjorth (Australia), Hodgson, Horvath (Hungary), Short, Stohl (Czechoslovakia)

5½ P. Cramling (Sweden), Georgiyev (Bulgaria), Klinger (Austria), Levitt, P. Wells

5 Dawson, Gallagher, King, Kozul (Yugoslavia)

4½ Condie (Scotland), Gudmundsson, (Iceland), Hawksworth, Ostenstad (Norway), Staniszewski (Poland), Zysk (W. Germany)

4 Crawley, Ebeling (Finland), Gil-Gonzalez (Spain), Lane, Norwood, Thomson (Scotland)

3½ Bradbury, Grivas (Greece), Hofmann (Switzerland), Howell, Luce (France)

3 Ardaman (USA), Conquest, Kuznecov (Canada)

2½ Walker, Wong (Singapore)

1 Needham

There weren’t many surprises in the final placings. Murshed gained a GM norm shortly before this tournament, so he was obviously going to be one of the main contenders. Nevertheless, I was impressed by the convincing nature of his victory. He has a mature style and seems to be as much at home in defence and in the endgame as he is in sharper positions. He was in the lead throughout and in a Swiss tournament a full point winning margin is a major achievement.

The players on six points contained few surprises. Horvath and Stohl were clearly the strongest of the East European players, just as Short and Hodgson were the favourites amongst the English contingent. Julian Hodgson is exceptionally dangerous in attack (see Wong v Hodgson, below), but he is less comfortable in other types of position (see Hodgson v Gudmundsson). Carlo D’Amore’s final position gave him an IM norm, but this was mainly as a result of Danny King overpressing in the last round.

Joe Gallagher was perhaps the most unlucky player in the tournament. After an excellent start of 4(5) (see Short v Gallagher) he only needed 1½(4) to make an IM norm, seemingly an easy target. However, he then lost to Murshed and, after two draws in rounds 7 and 8, he needed a draw with White against Julian Hodgson in the last round. This game continued the tradition of English players depriving each other of norms in the last round when Julian exploited Joe's nerves to finish joint second.

David Norwood was, at 15, the youngest player in the tournament, but he created a lasting impression with his incredibly chaotic games. I am sure that most of these were gigantic swindles; Ebeling v Norwood is given below to allow readers to judge for themselves. David clearly has great talent, but if he could switch it on before arriving at a dead lost position his results would improve dramatically.

My own function as patron of the tournament included giving a game demonstration a couple of hours before the round each day. These were well attended by the players and, with an average rating of about 2350 among the audience, there was plenty of backtalk!

It may be that there will be another similar event at Oakham in the future. I personally hope so and I am sure that the players in the tournament and the BCF would echo this wish.

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CHESS, May 1984, Vol.48/921-2, ppn 324-327

A mighty Junior Chess event

John Jerwood came from a family with a tradition of love and support for Oakham School going back more than a century.

He won a scholarship to the school in 1930 but left after four years, giving up plans for Cambridge, his father having been killed in the war and the family business having suffered through the world slump.

In the second world war, enlisting as a private before the start, he won the Military Cross for heroism and ended up as acting major. In 1947 he went to Japan where he founded a pearl culture business which thrived beyond all expectations.

His gifts to Oakham school have exceeded a million pounds, have enormously expanded it and earned him the title of “Second Founder”.

In 1978 he sponsored a chess congress with a prize for every competitor, which we at CHESS helped to organise.

Another followed. This year he gave £30,000 to finance “the strongest junior chess event ever held in Britain and possibly in the world”— Paul Buswell.

John Jerwood doesn’t play chess, even Japanese chess. Gerald Botteley, music master at Oakham is a fine player. Very good at chess too is John Buchanan, headmaster 1958-1978, who has written a superbly produced book about the school.

He attended personally for the last two days, a fine figure with an army man’s erectness, and a gracious host.

40 youngsters came from 22 lands to compete for prizes of £1250, £1000, £800, £600, £500, £450, £400, £350, £300, £250, £200, £150, £100, £50 plus £10 per game won for non prizewinners.

The Swiss system fell to pieces. Luckily Murshed’s supremacy was beyond doubt. What went wrong below that? The gaps tell a puzzling tale. Joe Gallagher had harder opposition than Murshed. That he should have received a prize of £12.50, as against Greg Hjorth’s £583, is wickedly unfair. He did get the best game prize, £50 as some consolation.

John Nunn gave superb talks on the games each morning — to an audience of players in the tournament. He also annotated a selected game each round for excellent bulletins (sets available at £3 from Oakham School or the B.C.F.)

The Tournament should have been better publicised in advance. Hardly a handful of spectators attended throughout. Curiously we are told that the Kasparov-Smyslov match in Vilnius drew very small attendances.

Conditions were perfect, hospitality lavish, results service fine. Sponsor and school are talking happily of a repeat.

Only one norm was registered: by d'Amore, an I.M.

The last round swung the figures with several upsets. Nerves? Weariness? Short 1 Georgiev 0, d’Amore 1 King 0, Hodgson 1 Gallagher 0 were the respective winners’ best efforts.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
8 August 2023	File first uploaded. All 180 games played in the tournament, input from the tournament bulletin and supplied by Andy Ansel, for which many thanks. Only a handful of these games have previously seen the light.