Arthur Brameld – Hampshire Chess Player My chess life – laid bare!
Arthur Brameld has been a stalwart of Hampshire Chess for over 60 years, frequently playing on the top board for the County and his individual results include a win against a 10 year old (but already over 2000 Fide) future World Champion Magnus Carlsen and a draw against 7 times Norwegian Champion GM Simen Agdestein. He has kindly supplied the material below (with a few additions by me). In his own words, which I think you would agree with in regards to his playing style “He never played boring chess !!?” unsound on occasions, but always worth watching …”
Arthur learnt to play chess in 1955 (age 11) at Gosport County Grammar School, subsequently many times School Champion. Among his numerous achievements:
- 1962 Southern Counties Champion (Joint).
- 1975 thru 2000 Royal Navy Champion / Victor Ludorum.
- International chess player competing in tournaments in Norway, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Jersey, Guernsey and Curacao in the Dutch Antilles.
- Portsmouth Summer Tournament 1971 Winner by a clear 1.5 points (5.5 out of 7).
- In August 1977, gave a simultaneous display against all-comers in Fareham Shopping Centre over a period of 5 days scoring :- Played 400, Won 389, Drew 7, Lost 4.
- Blindfold Simultaneous Display @HMS DRYAD 1978 : P 8, W 6, D 1, L 1.
During the years 1978 thru 1981, was BCF-rated at 200 plus, playing on the top board for Hampshire on 16 occasions and 58 times played on the top 5 boards.
In 1982-1985, playing top board for Cosham Chess Club in local league chess, helping them to win the Division 1 Title for three years running.
In 2004, playing top board for Gosport Chess Club in local league chess, helping them to win the Division 1 Title for the last five consecutive years, creating an all-time record.
Winning various tournaments @Fareham Chess Club over several years.
Represented the United Kingdom at numerous NATO Team and Individual championships in several countries.
Hampshire Team Postal Chess record (on Boards 1 or 2) :- P 13, W 7, D 6, L 0. (Estimated Postal Grade around 2346)
In January 2001 at Gausdal High Mountain Hotel, Norway playing in the Gausdal Troll Masters Tournament in Round 2, played against Magnus Carlsen (with the Black pieces) and duly beat him in 35 moves – he has subsequently gone on to become the highest ranked chess player of all time, World Chess Champion in all three formats of the game defending his title at classical chess successfully three times to date. In 2022, is still the World Chess Champion in the three main formats of the game, has remained throughout, the highest ranked player in the world. Has also drawn with IGMs Simen Agdestein and Chris Ward (see Games below).
Over the past 15 thru 23 years, has been an active chess journalist, contributing to the preservation of a vast number of chess games into electronic format for inclusion in the world’s chess databases and on the Internet mainly through The Week In Chess (TWIC) (Mark Crowther). (Arthur has keyed in the games from the Hampshire Congress numerous times to make available ed.)
Important Note :– A lot of the above might never have happened, because when Joan and I met and married (in 1970), I had given up playing chess. We subsequently went to a local Portchester St Mary’s Church Parish meeting – and the PCC Secretary was a certain Jack (J.E.C.) Grant who, when talking to us, suggested that I go back and start playing again for Fareham Chess Club (he, (JECG) was also the chess club secretary). On hearing this, Joan said – Yes, why don’t you go back – and so I DID !!?
(For many, many years, Jack Grant used to write a column entitled “CHESS NOTES” for the Portsmouth Evening News / Evening News). And very good it was, always !! (I have added numbers 1 to 113 (Sept 76 to June 79) of these to the website.
Arthur has kept a record of his performances against strong local opposition, which is detailed below. As to the standard of these players the players below have won the Hampshire Individual Championship 33 times between them! Although he never defeated Marshall Thompson they always had tough, hard fought games – the highlight, if you can call it that, was the game that wasn’t drawn – the twist was, He RESIGNED in a DRAWN POSITION !!!
Games played against high class local opposition
Colour Split
Royal Navy Championship 1977
As Arthur mentions he won the Royal Navy Championship / Victor Ludorum from 1975 to 2000. An account of his 1977 win is included in the archives and made available below. As well as Arthur, six other current (at that time) or ex Fareham Chess Club members also participated.
It is well worth a read, especially the part of the side bet which I duplicate here:
“The 8 pint side-bet Mike Day and I had on the result of this individual game (I paid if Rod won, Mike paid if Martin won) turned a bit sour as no contingency plans were made in the event of a draw – a thirsty result for both of us!!”
Arthur Brameld
Life outside Chess
In completing the article I came across article in the Portsmouth News on Arthur and Joan’s 50th wedding anniversary which was in 2020. This is an excellent article, which gives more insight into Arthur’s life outside chess.
Portchester couple celebrate 50 years of marriage and laughter | The News (portsmouth.co.uk)
Games
Arthur has played over 1,300 competitive chess games in his career and has supplied 43 of these to be played through. Some of these are annotated and include the win against future world champion Magnus Carlsen and the two draws against GMs. At the other end of the spectrum Arthur has included his win against me in the Southampton League!
With regards to the games Arthur advises that although he lost against both Lukosius and Szmetan, the lines given show how he should have played. Against Szmetan who is an IM, he (Szmetan) used more than 90% of his allotted time by move 10 !!! and the game also drew crowds of other players, interested in the mess on the board. Against, Luko, in his prime he would have worked out all the combinations, and played it in a flash – but in his own words he is a lot older now!!!
The game against Garner won me the Brilliancy Prize (after much lobbying by Tony Corkett, on my behalf) (The Judge was Susan Lalic).
The win against Magnus Carlsen may have been when he was 10, but he was already extremely strong and was only 2 years away from when he became an international Master.
Gallery
In the first picture where Arthur is doing a simul – is the person whose board he is at John Grant? I only have very dim memories of Mr Grant from my days at Fareham Chess Club in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I think he was one of those who used pipe smoke as a weapon.