< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing> Jun-21-09

ray keene : thanks for the foto ref-very sad indeed Jun-21-09

roberts partner : First, the 1947 match was definitely Britain v USSR (as were the preceding 1946 radio match and the subsequent 1954 match in London) and not England v USSR as domdaniel claims and as chessgames.com now mistakenly states in its changed introduction. The book of the 1947 match by William Winter and Gregory Levenfish (you can find references to it online) is entitled Great Britain v USSR. The 1947 team included a Scot, Dr James Aitken, who played Vyacheslav Ragozin. Aitken also played against Igor Bondarevsky in 1946, while in 1954 the Scot William Fairhurst played, scoring a draw against Isaac Boleslavsky in the British team's crushing 1.5-18.5 defeat. Second, as to the circumstances of Crown's death. The finger of blame must be pointed at the family doctor for failing to make a timely correct diagnosis. On Sunday 16 November 1947 a chess friend visited the Crown home at Ingledene Road, Liverpool, and found Crown in bed. He explained that his doctor had diagnosed a stomach upset and had recommended rest. The friend and Crown played and analysed together for several hours, and Crown did not appear in any physical discomfort. But that night sfter the friend left his condition deteriorated and he was rushed to hospital where he died in the early morning hours of 17 November. There was also a belief among some Liverpool chessplayers that the hospital procedures could have been better. On another thread some CG posters expressed surprise at the Ritson Morry v Crown game where Morry fell into a well-known opening trap. The British championship at Harrogate in August 1947 was played in a spa building where the underfloor heating was still switched on. This coincided with one of the warmest summers on record (it was the year in which Compton and Edrich made their memorable cricket achievements for Middlesex). By the second week of the BCF congress older and overweight players (the latter group including Ritson Morry) were wilting. Ritson also had some long adjourned games, and by the time of his game with Crown in the final round was exhausted. The game finished in 15-20 minutes so by the time other players went to spectate after their opening moves there was just a reset board with no sign of the players and no indication of what had transpired. Other final round results went Crown's way so that he finished third outright and thus got selected on a high board for the USSR match. Crown was a hard chess worker, very well versed in opening theory, ambitious and self-critical, and improving fast at the time of his death. He was also charmingly pleasant, articulate, outgoing, and an excellent and prolific writer. If he had had a normal lifespan he would probably have reached a higher level than Penrose and English chess would have become competitive at world level much earlier than it did. Jun-21-09

ray keene : incredibly well informed-this kibitzer must be someone with a highly detailed knowledge of british chess-my guess is peter c gibbs -but of course i cd easily be wrong! Jun-21-09

Benzol : Was the visiting chess friend Len Barden? Jun-21-09

Domdaniel : Hmm ... I seem to have been wrong about the Britain/England team thing -- apologies all round. I made my assumption on two main grounds: British teams play as a unit relatively rarely, and the Crown-Kotov game is given as being from an ENG-USSR match in several sources. But it certainly now looks as though they're wrong, and <ray keene> is quite right to compliment the degree of erudition shown by <roberts partner> . Indeed, he shows more than a detailed knowledge of British chess in the 1940s: A knowledge of British cricket and weather is also apparent. I have trouble remembering the 1960s & 1970s, despite actually living through them: such knowledge of the 1940s, 20-30 years earlier, is impressive. That said, I think the modified section of the biog regarding Crown's illness and death is now more apt. Thanks, <chessgames> . Jun-21-09

Benzol : They say if you remember about the 60's you didn't live through them. :) Sep-18-09

Benzol : Over the 4th, 5th and 6th of October 1947 in a wireless match Great Britain defeated Australia over ten boards 7 points to 3. Great Britain Australia

1.C H O'D Alexander 0 L Steiner 1

2.H Golombek = C J S Purdy =

3.R J Broadbent 1 G Koshnitsky 0

4.G T Crown 1 M Gellis 0

5.W Winter = M E Goldstein =

6.P S Milner-Barry 1 F A Crowl 0

7.W A Fairhurst 1* M Green 0*

8.Dr J M Aitken 1 B Y Mills 0

9.G Abrahams = H Klass =

10.R H Newman = G Karoly =

*The Fairhurst - Green game was adjudicated by Znosko-Borovsky The ( White ) Gellis - Crown ( Black ) game reached the following position with White to play his 37th move. -

click for larger view Play proceeded

37.Re3 Rd3

38.Qa7 Rd2+

39.Kh1 Qc7

40.Kg1 g5

41.b3 gxf4

42.R3e1 f3

43.Rf2 Rd3

44.Rc1 e3

45.Rxf3 Rd1+

46.Rf1 Rxf1+

And Gellis resigned 0-1.

What, however, would have happened if White had played 37.f5? Sep-19-09

vonKrolock : <Benzol> Maybe Gellis was concerned, in the case of 37.f5, about 37...♖d2+ - looks at least very sharp... ♗ut after the actual 37.♖e3 ♖d3?, the simple ♖ takes, ♙ takes, ♕ check and take ♙ 'd3' looks safe for white. <38.♕a7> gives Crown a new chance for a complex struggle, with a better place for the black ♕ in 'c7'. After <40...g5> ! the position becomes periclitating, and <41.b3> was certainly not an ▢ move for the difficult defense .... Good fighting game - complete score <not> available ?! Sep-19-09

Benzol : <vonKrolock> < Good fighting game - complete score <not> available ?!> Unfortunately no. However, I have some of the other games from this match which I'll upload as soon as I'm able. The analysis that C J S Purdy gives is the following: 37.f5 Rd2+ 38.Rf2 e3 39.Rxd2 exd2 40.Qd4+ Kg8 41.Qxd2 Qe4 42.Re3 and White should win. Or 37.f5 gxf5 38.Rfg1 Qe4 ( checking with 38...Rd2+ is followed by 39.R1g2 Rxg2+ 40.Kxg2 ) 39.Qf6+. Or 37.f5 Rd6 38.f6.

I was just wondering if Black could improve somewhere? Jun-20-10 BIDMONFA : Gordon Thomas Crown CROWN,Gordon T.

http://www.bidmonfa.com/crown_gordo...

_ Jun-20-10 theodor : chapeau, mon vieu! Aug-29-10 thegoldenband : Just found this interesting bit at Edward Winter's Chess Notes site (#6742), from an old article by William Hartston: ‘Some time ago the great Russian player David Bronstein gave me this advice: “Look at the games of Gordon Crown. He really understood chess”.’ Apr-09-11

roberts partner : The full story....

http://www.ukgamesshop.com/Merchant... Apr-19-11 GrahamClayton : <Benzol> The ( White ) Gellis - Crown ( Black ) game reached the following position with White to play his 37th move. <Benzol> ,

This was Crown's last competitive game before his tragic death. Apr-19-11

Benzol : <Graham> thanks. :) Any chance of finding the full gamescore somewhere? Apr-19-11 GrahamClayton : <Benzol> thanks. :) Any chance of finding the full gamescore somewhere?

<Benzol> ,

I have the full score in one of Anthony Wright's excellent books on Australian chess. I will post the game and also upload it to the database shortly. Apr-22-11

Benzol : <I have the full score in one of Anthony Wright's excellent books on Australian chess. I will post the game and also upload it to the database shortly.> <Graham> that's great news. I look forward to its appearance. Apr-22-11 GrahamClayton : <Benzol> ,

Here is the full game score:

[Event "Australia versus Great Britain Radio Match"]

[Site "?"]

[Date "1947.??.??"]

[Round "?"]

[White "Gellis, Dr Max"]

[Black "Crown, Gordon Thomas"]

[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Be3 O-O 9. Nb3 Be6 10. f4 Qc8 11. h3 Rd8 12. g4 d5 13. e5 Ne4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Qe1 f6 16. exf6 exf6 17. c3 f5 18. Qh4 b6 19. gxf5 Bxf5 20. Kh2 Qc7 21. Rg1 Kh8 22.Rg2 Qe7 23. Qf2 Bf6 24. Bb5 Rac8 25. Bxc6 Rxc6 26. Bd4 Bxd4 27. Nxd4 Rc5 28. Rg3 Bc8 29. Qe3 Rf8 30. Re1 Bb7 31. Rgg1 Qd6 32. Rgf1 b5 33. a3 a6 34. Ne6 Rd5 35.Nxf8 Qxf8 36. Qb6 Qe7 37. Re3 Rd3 38. Qa7 Rd2+ 39. Kh1 Qc7 40. Kg1 g5 41. Rg3 gxf4 42. Rg4 f3 43. Rf2 Rd3 44. Rf1 e3 45. Rxf3 Rd1+ 46. Rf1 Rxf1+ 0-1 Source, "Australian International Chess: 1946 to 1972", Anthony Wright, Melbourne, 2001 Mar-11-12

wordfunph : i just read his name from the book 101 Chess Opening Traps by Steve Giddins.. rest in peace, master Crown.. Jun-20-12 LoveThatJoker : Gordon Thomas Crown, today you are remembered!

LTJ Jun-20-12 Abdel Irada : Here lies one whose name was writ in tactics. Jun-20-12 brankat : A tragic loss indeed. Such a fine talent gone so early in life. Jun-20-12

Eggman : I'd never heard of this player. And I thought I knew everything there was to know about chess history. 18 years old! Very sad. Jun-20-16

TheFocus : Happy birthday, Gordon Thomas Crown. Mar-06-19

Jean Defuse : ...

<Gordon Thomas Crown. Only the good die young> https://www.chess.com/blog/ddtru/go... ... search thread:

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>