John H Jones – Obituary - Hampshire Chess History

Arthur Brameld has supplied an Eulogy of his friend John Henry Jones (John at the far right). A separate post of John’s games is now available.

John H Jones – 31st July 2024

John Henry Jones’ Eulogy – Arthur Brameld

I started at Gosport County Grammar School (Bay House site) in September 1960. I always thought that John was just a year or so ahead of me (In fact, he was two to three years’ ahead of me !!). Although we were both at the same school, I don’t remember actually meeting him in those early years.

Fairly soon, after joining, I got interested in the game of Chess. One of the masters, a Mr C.A.Beck, who taught Mathematics, was also the teacher looking after Chess Activities. I have always thought that John was a year or two behind me in taking up the game. This is just a feeling, of course, …….

Also I guess this is probably when I might have first met John.

Round about this time, myself and another Jones (Roger Jones) both joined Gosport Chess Club which used to be held in the old original part of Bury House. (Oooooh All that smoke …..???) A year or two later, John must have joined the Club. Initially, both John and I played the French Defence with the Black pieces.

The earliest detailed match score I have unearthed is as follows :-

**Hants vs Berks 1965** **– John Jones on bd 7**

After a match somewhere in the West Country I was driving home approaching Titchfield around the time of dusk. John was in the passenger seat, and the other passengers included a certain Seth Saverymuttu, (a youngster of exceptional promise). It was in the days when some roads in this country were “three lane roads”, meaning that the middle lane became a free for all. The visibility was very poor and I was in the middle line, and I saw at the very last moment a large car heading straight at us, How I managed it I’ll never know but I just about managed to swerve to the left and missed it by a whisker, Otherwise ….!!!

I drove on to Gosport and dropped the others off – John and I proceeded to go to the Wimpy Bar in Gosport’s High Street, where we both then realised what might have happened.

With reference to “Chess Notes”, John EC (Jack) Grant produced the Chess Notes articles for many years up to 1978. I think John then took over and continued Jack’s excellent work with just about the right amount of vigour (and humour?)

Another motoring tale, this time much more amusing.

The team had finished playing a match in Swindon, and it was dark when we started home. I was driving an Old Style “London Taxi” in those days and, when I pulled the manual choke to start the car, it came away in my hands, so we couldn’t start the car. No tools in the car, so what do we do now? Then John had the bright idea that he should perch on the front mudguard / running board and operate the choke from there. Well it worked, with John hanging on for dear life as I drove through the streets of Swindon. Once the engine had warmed up, we let him back inside the car !!!!

Back to Chess ……

When John, I and several other youngsters (all members of the Portsmouth Chess Club, which met in Southsea Community Centre) felt somewhat undervalued by the older members of the Club, we decided to do something about it :- (Article from the Portsmouth Evening News (Circa 1961) …..

“CHESS FEAT BY YOUNG POMPEIANS”

Six young chess-players who formed their own club nine months ago have just made chess history by winning the Hampshire League’s annual competition in their first season.

They are the young Pompeians, a group of youths whose ages range from 16 to 20, and who joined forces last September because they wanted to find “some stronger opposition” than that they met at Southsea Youth and Community Centre.

Under the captaincy of 17-year-old Arthur Brameld, an electrical engineer, of Gosport, they became one of the smallest teams in the county, as well as one of the youngest.

In the first game of the competition, which came shortly after their formation, the Young Pompeians were beaten by Fareham. But after that, all the matches but one were carried. The team drew with Southampton.

Throughout the eight matches the positions were the same. Board one was taken by Michael Dymond (20), an art student, Board two was Peter Collins (17), a Portsmouth Grammar School pupil, Board three was Arthur Brameld (17), Board 4 was Michael March (16) a pupil of the Southern Grammar School, and John Jones (20), a laboratory trainee was Board five.

Reserve was Clive Campion (19), an articled clerk to a chartered accountant.

A seventh member of the group who played early in the season, 21-year-old Gordon Comben, of Leigh Park has left temporarily as he has just been married.

Three members play also for the Hampshire Chess Team. The captain, Arthur Brameld is number six, out of 50 boards, John Jones is 18, and Peter Collins plays 20.

In the future the club wants to “have a crack” at the National Club Championships and some at least of them will be attending the British Championships and subsidiary tournaments at Aberystwyth.” On games other than Chess, you would not want to take on JHJ on the table-tennis table. A very mean opponent!! I would guess that John left Chess for Bridge approx. 1975 –

I must conclude (apologies to the non-chess players !!?) with two of John’s Games :-

Mr Mazitis, genial R.A., accepted the resignation as a tribute to the concealed threats he had built up, but the more he tried to demonstrate these, the less convincing they seemed. Somebody suggested that White wanted to go off and sun-bathe, others that he had an important academic interview. Another suggestion was that his girl friend had turned up …. Comments by Baruch H Wood, Chess, Sutton Coldfield.l”

Subsequent Comment (by AFB)

Stockfish, however, judges that Black is clearly better here, so perhaps John was right to resign.
Private conversation AFB with JHJ ; John later admitted to me that (through his own moves) he had, in fact, reached an absolutely horrible position – so resignation seemed the best course of action…..