RETURN OF THE WOMAN WOOD-PUSHER

Gillian Moore

In my heyday, I’ve enjoyed many chess holidays all over England , and in Jersey and Wales .  In this article, I’ll describe my return to three of the venues where annual tournaments are still held.  I’ll also anticipate my first ever visit to Scotland .

Once a chess player, always a chess player.  The magic game wove its spell on me to lure me back after a 20-year absence from serious play.  For years I seemed to be swallowed up with other duties at weekends or to feel too tired after work (I teach computing) to go out mentally extending myself again over a chequered board and set. 

All I managed during my long break was regular friendly games with Mr Greg Dell, an elderly club player who lived near me.  Pipe-smoking Mr Dell was a real gentleman.  It wasn’t far, but he always saw me home and raised his hat when he left me at my door.  He, along with several other chess associates of yore, have long since now passed away.

COMING BACK TO CHESS

I’m a “has been” chess champion, decades ago, including “British Ladies Champion (joint)” in 1966.  Since my return in 2001 I have won some prizes again.  I bear the title of Under 125 Hampshire Champion and hold the silver cup. That is I am the champion of those with a British Chess Federation grading of under 125.  My BCF grading is currently 124, although it used to be distinctly higher and I’m aiming up.  

And it is good to be back: back to a chess club, playing for a team in the local league against other clubs, and playing for Hampshire county against other counties.  Last but not least, I’ve returned to competing individually in tournaments at various locations.  

My former club, Sholing Community Centre, does not exist any more, so I chose to join the venerable Southampton Chess Club, which has been going for over 100 years and has plenty of strong players among the membership.   

I am the only woman at my club and the only woman who plays for Hampshire!  But a player is a player and above gender for the purposes of the game.  

MY OLD HAUNTS  

Paignton, Devon

Last year during the first week in September 2002, I returned to Paignton on the Devon coast,  for a week’s holiday and to compete in the Challengers tournament once more.  Run by Devon County Chess Association, the 52^nd annual congress was held at Oldway Mansions, by courtesy of Torbay Council whose premises it is.  Oldway Mansions is a grand old building up on a hill amid lovely grounds.

Tournaments that I enter, I would classify as either tough, tough tough or tough tough tough, depending on the playing strength of the fellow competitors.  The Challengers was tough tough, with players with gradings up to BCF 170. Anyway, I achieved what I hoped for in scoring 3 ½ points out of a possible 7 ~ there were 7 rounds.  This is as good as I used to do long ago.

Paignton is in the best tradition of English seaside resorts.  Golden sands, deck chairs, crazy golf, donkey rides, hotels, restaurants, shops, hotels, taverns, guest houses, boat trips around the coast, cliff-top walks with splendid views, guest houses, amusement arcades, seafront illuminations at night ~ nothing is lacking for a good holiday. 

And the Paignton Zoo/Wildlife reserve deserves a special mention, for it is an expansive, special zoo with masses of space for the animals and birds, and one could spend all day there.  I spent a thoroughly enjoyable few hours there before one of my rounds.

During my stay, I also made trips to Torquay and Brixham.  Together with Paignton, these constitute the part of the Devon coast known as The English Riviera.  It is a very lovely area of sun, sands and all the usual tourist attractions. 

One day I took myself off to Brixham.  Brixham is a quaint town with its harbour of assorted privately-owned boats moored there, bobbing and tinkling.  I was so engrossed in looking over The Golden Hind, a spectacular replica of Francis Drakes’ famous ship, that I was a bit late getting back to Oldway Mansions for my round that day. 

Another day, I took a bus trip with Raymond, my friend, to Torquay.  He treated me to a delicious meal at a local Wetherspoons pub.  Raymond has shares in Wetherspoons, though they do not pay well, and he is interested in seeking out any Wetherspoons wherever he goes.  The illuminations there along the seafront afterwards were just stunning. 

Hastings , Sussex

Hastings is also a seaside delight, though in January 2003 when I returned there it was cold and I even saw a bit of snow.  The delights of the seaside did not apply, except from my hotel window.  It was a warm and comfortable hotel along the seafront. 

I stayed at Hastings for an extended weekend, to compete in the Minor tournament.  For gradings up to BCF 130, it would be tough but I knew I stood a chance of a prize if I worked hard.

I won £250 as joint first prize winner.  This was the most I have ever won at chess.  After taking off my expenses of hotel, travel etc, I donated my winnings to a favourite charity.  I had it in mind, before I started, that I’d like to win for that purpose.  My wish was granted.  I am happy that there are ways to make one’s chess playing useful to others.

I have written about my adventures at Hastings , in my article entitled, “Gillian the Conqueror”. 

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA 2003

The Journey There

Over Easter I returned to this venue for the Open tournament.  That means that there was no ceiling on the gradings and hence the playing strength of the players.  I knew it would be tough tough tough and I wouldn’t stand a bat in hell’s chance of  winning anything.  There were lots of players graded over 190!  There had to be other gains from such hard work of around 8 hours of intense concentration per day.

I travelled by train on Maundy Thursday ~ play was due to start on the following day, Good Friday.  My journey to Southend via London went smoothly ~ there were railway employee strikes that day, but luckily none that affected my train companies.  Just one incident made me think. 

It was the matter of hoisting up my suitcase onto the overhead wrack on the train from Southampton to Waterloo .  It was so heavy (I now realise that I needn’t have packed so many clothes) that I had difficulty lifting it far enough.  A young woman fellow passenger assisted me!  Well, I am used to young men offering their seats to me on the buses.  I feel no loss of vigour or strength, but it is true that am due to receive the State Retirement Pension at the end of next year, when I reach age 60.

Cheap and Cheerful!

I found my guest house in a down market area.  The building needed a lick of paint.  My room was fine for my needs: clean and spacious, though not en-suite, which I knew it wouldn’t be.  I was very pleased with the kettle and tea-making facilities.

I laughed when I examined one of the towels provided for my use: I counted four distinct holes in it with a fifth one coming!  At least the bathroom was right next to my room, though I had to remember to take my own soap and towel with me each time.  My bedroom door had an annoying continuous rattle, which I fixed by stuffing my folded bus timetable underneath the door to firm it up.

The breakfasts were the usual full English breakfasts, which is more than one ever eats at home.  My non-meat eating was no trouble.  First came the cereals and fruit juice.  For the cooked course, I was given scrambled egg with baked beans, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Then one was “finished off” with toast and marmalade.  Naturally, it all came with a pot of tea.

Towards the end of my stay, I decided to try sitting in the one simple wooden chair in my bedroom.  When I did so it tilted to the left and was in danger of making me lose my dignity in a heap on the floor.  I examined the chair and found it to be unhinged and unsafe.  I couldn’t fix it so dismantled and folded it.  When I mentioned my plight to the proprietor next morning at breakfast, she was most apologetic and vowed to have the chair  replaced straight away.  “Miss Moore’s chair has collapsed!”, I heard her declare to her husband. 

Well, what can you expect for £17.50 a night bed and breakfast!  I would, however, be happy to go there again.  At least nothing bit me in the night or ran out from under the bed at me!  Who needs to be posh when you can have more fun and save lots of money going cheap?

Highlights

Southend-on-Sea boasts the longest pier in the country.  Having unpacked my things at the guesthouse, I ventured out to stroll along the promenade and I took the miniature train along the pier.  Disembarked at the end, I sat awhile sunning myself overlooking the sea, then wound up with a cream tea in the little restaurant.  I avoided having fish and chips, though tempting, as I had brought plenty of sandwiches and other foods with me for the day, and what’s more it’s fattening.

I rode back to the shore.  I called into Raymond’s hotel (we never stay at the same place) and was pleased to find him in.  He was delighted to see me.  Raymond is my chess friend since we were both aged 20, an awful long time ago!  He goes to the same chess tournaments every year, with now and then a new one as well.  Now I am joining him for my return to some of my old haunts. 

Raymond and I spent some time together before and after supper that first day of arrival.  We sat in a shelter poring over his pocket chess set discussing opening theory.  It was bracing along the seafront, but we toughed it out until the wind seemed to get into my bones and we decided to retire to our respective accommodations.

On Good Friday, before I started my chess round, I came across the Salvation Army about the start an open-air service there in the shopping precinct.  It was so good to join in the good old rousing hymns, backed up with their trombones and drums.  This was the only bit of music I had during my weekend stay, as I hadn’t managed to pack my Walkman this time.  I was thoroughly moved by the whole service, the singing, the words of the hymns, and missing loved ones who have died and couldn’t be with me at this time, or any time, any more.  Raymond would have enjoyed this religious service, but I had no means of quickly fetching him to join me.

Petticoat Prize

My performance in the Open chess tournament was unremarkable, as I knew it would be.  I was an “also played”.  I won two games and lost five, so that my final score was 2 points out of 7.  I feel I should have won the last game, since the player was graded distinctly below me.  I was however, just so tired and with a nasty headache still dogging me from the day before.  I had slept only three hours the night before.  I was suffering from “chess poisoning”.  Oh yes, you can have too much of a good thing, even this one!

Anything from six to twelve hours a day of intensive concentration involved in competitive chess takes it toll.  The seven rounds, with two rounds a day, is heavy going.  Either one round a day, as at Paignton, or just five rounds in three days as at Hastings suits me better I have discovered.  Here at Southend, the playing hours were from 9.30 am to a possible 3.30 pm and then again from 5 pm until a possible 11 pm .

Mind you, there was a Lightning Tournament on the Saturday, open to all and which I entered.  Thrown in with a line-up of some of the same ferociously strong players, I managed to draw or win some games.  I ended up with a 50% score, an excellent result in such a challenging event. 

Lightening chess means that the players must play make all the moves very speedily on the buzzer.  It went off every ten seconds, the usual speed.  Everyone moves at once; plonk!  No matter how unready to move you might be, in a dire situation of being threatened with losing a piece, your queen or the game, you must move on the buzzer! There is no time to analyse at all, but fortunately, I am fairly good at seeing threats and parries at a few glances.

There were three women, including myself, who entered in the Lightening tournament.  I don’t know how they scored at the end, but we were all equally awarded a “Ladies Prize”.  What was it, my reader will ask: was it money or something that ladies like to have?  Yes, it was the latter!  While engrossed in my game that evening, in the second game of the day, the Controller handed me my useful prize: a delicious, tiny cream filled chocolate egg!

RAYMOND AND I

Raymond did not enter the Lightening tournament.  He did well in the main event, finally scoring 3 ½ points out of 7.  Part of that score consisted of his usual quota of half points for drawn games. 

With due admiration for his playing skill ~ he always had the edge over me (he’s a former Derbyshire county champion) ~ his games can be dull and drawish.  Not like me, I’m more adventurous, in chess as in life.  He takes more care at defence than I do, and I am more of an attacking player.  My gung-ho tactics can get me into deep water, but at least make for exciting and memorable play.

I believe that a player who takes winning and losing too seriously is a fool. There has to be other good motives, such as mental challenge and development and sheer love of our greatest game of skill.  But if one wins and does well and relatives and friends take delight in that, then that is an added joy.

It was good to have Raymond to hang out with in-between our games.  He is easy to be with.  His is company that one slips into like a comfortable pair of slippers!  On the Sunday, he took me out to a slap up meal in a Wetherspoons pub ~ they always do delicious cooked meals, including vegetarian options.  It was a welcome treat. 

HOME AND AWAY!

On Monday after the end of the tournament, I wasted no time in journeying home.  Arrived at Southampton Central station, I treated myself to a taxi to my door.  I slept for about nine hours that night. 

Going away can be very pleasant, but so is coming home.  There is no other place I would rather be.  My headquarters and place to be me, my respite, my retreat, my meditation cave, I love my flat in Bitterne.  I’ve lived here since 1977.  It felt like home as soon as I stepped inside it when originally looking it over in this “sought after block”, according to the Estate Agent’s description.  That feeling of rightness to be here has never left.  I’ve been very happy here and still am.

Edinburgh 2003, Here I Come!

My next tournament will be at Edinburgh in July. This year the British Championships are on there and then, though I will not compete in a championship event.  I will enter one of the weekend tournaments.  They will be held at the distinguished George Heriots’ School, aesthetically sat at the feet of the country’s most famous landmark, Edinburgh Castle .

Dinah, a chess friend and former rival back in the 1960s, is also going.  She tells me that she couldn’t get an en-suite hotel room in Edinburgh for less than £40 a night and that hers was the last room at such a price.  Well, I’ll have to settle for a guest house shared bathroom facilities once more.  Of course, I could always take myself off with plenty of wraps up the Castle and sleep there cheapest and roughest of all!

I’ll be staying on an extra day or two to go sight-seeing in Scotland .  I have never been to Scotland in my life and it is about time.  The more I hear about it, the more I am looking forward to it.  A friend of mine tells me that it is not just a place but a state of being.  I understand what she means and I am much looking forward to that.