Bernard Cafferty
Encyclopedia
Bernard Cafferty is an English chess
master, columnist, writer, magazine editor and translator.
grading scale). He was British Boys' Champion in 1952 (jointly) and British Junior Champion in 1954. He was British Correspondence Chess Champion in 1959/60 and won the British Lightning Championship (ten-seconds-a-move) in 1964 (jointly), 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 and is the only player ever to have won this title on four successive occasions. He played on top board for Warwickshire in the English Counties Final of 1961 when his team beat Yorkshire. He played in every British Chess Championship
between 1957 and 1971, beating Peter Clarke, Sir Stuart Milner-Barry
and Gerald Abrahams
on his debut. His best placing was in 1964 when he finished second equal with three other players behind Michael Haygarth. He reached a peak Elo rating of 2440 (in July 1971) and played internationally for England on several occasions, both at over the board and correspondence chess.
Originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, he went to Birmingham University in 1951 and was resident in the Midlands for many years as a student and later a school master, teaching Geography and, from 1964, Russian. In 1981 he moved to Hastings to take up his post as general editor of British Chess Magazine
. He stood down from the general editorship in 1991 but has remained as associate editor of the magazine until the present day (2009). He was chess columnist for the Sunday Times between 1983 and 1997, and for the Birmingham Evening Mail from 1967 to around 2002.
Cafferty has for many years been in demand in the chess world for his profound knowledge of (and passionate interest in) the Russian language and he has translated several books from Russian to English. He has produced translations of Botvinnik
's Best Games 1947-70 and the Soviet world champion's autobiography Achieving the Aim) as well as collections of the best games of Mikhail Tal
and Boris Spassky
. Perhaps the most notable of his translations was Alexander Kotov
's Think Like a Grandmaster (Batsford
, 1971), a book which is sometimes associated with the major upsurge in the quality of competitive chess in the UK in the 1970s. For 'The Chess Player' publisher, he translated two books by Lisitsin
(extracted from his 1958 work Strategiya i Taktika Shakhmat) (both 1976) and Sokolsky's Pawns in Action (1976) and co-authored (with Tony Gillam) Chess with the Masters (1977).
He became less active as a player from the early 1970s but he acted as second to Tony Miles
when Miles won the 1974 World Junior Chess Championship
in Manila
, Philippines
. Miles remains the only British player to have won this title to date (2009).
He has for many years been a member of Hastings Chess Club and was president of the club from 1999 to 2009. He won the Hastings club championship in 1994 and 2001 and was joint winner in 1995 and 1996. He won the Sussex Chess Championship in 1996 and 2003.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
master, columnist, writer, magazine editor and translator.
Chess career
Cafferty was one of the leading English chess players of the late 1950s and 1960s, ranking amongst the top ten players in 1959 and 1960 (2b on the old grading scale which is equivalent to 217-224 on the present English Chess FederationEnglish Chess Federation
The English Chess Federation is the governing chess organisation in England and is affiliated to FIDE. The ECF was formed in 2004 and was effectively a re-constitution of the extant governing body, the British Chess Federation , an organisation founded in 1904...
grading scale). He was British Boys' Champion in 1952 (jointly) and British Junior Champion in 1954. He was British Correspondence Chess Champion in 1959/60 and won the British Lightning Championship (ten-seconds-a-move) in 1964 (jointly), 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 and is the only player ever to have won this title on four successive occasions. He played on top board for Warwickshire in the English Counties Final of 1961 when his team beat Yorkshire. He played in every British Chess Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
between 1957 and 1971, beating Peter Clarke, Sir Stuart Milner-Barry
Stuart Milner-Barry
Sir Stuart Milner-Barry KCVO, CB, OBE was a British chess player, chess writer, World War II codebreaker and civil servant. He represented England in chess both before and after World War II...
and Gerald Abrahams
Gerald Abrahams
Gerald Abrahams was an English chess player, author and barrister.He is best known for the "Abrahams Defence" of the Semi-Slav, also known as the Abrahams-Noteboom variation:...
on his debut. His best placing was in 1964 when he finished second equal with three other players behind Michael Haygarth. He reached a peak Elo rating of 2440 (in July 1971) and played internationally for England on several occasions, both at over the board and correspondence chess.
Originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, he went to Birmingham University in 1951 and was resident in the Midlands for many years as a student and later a school master, teaching Geography and, from 1964, Russian. In 1981 he moved to Hastings to take up his post as general editor of British Chess Magazine
British Chess Magazine
British Chess Magazine is the world's oldest chess magazine in continuous publication. First published in January 1881, it has appeared at monthly intervals ever since. It is frequently known in the chess world as BCM....
. He stood down from the general editorship in 1991 but has remained as associate editor of the magazine until the present day (2009). He was chess columnist for the Sunday Times between 1983 and 1997, and for the Birmingham Evening Mail from 1967 to around 2002.
Cafferty has for many years been in demand in the chess world for his profound knowledge of (and passionate interest in) the Russian language and he has translated several books from Russian to English. He has produced translations of Botvinnik
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
's Best Games 1947-70 and the Soviet world champion's autobiography Achieving the Aim) as well as collections of the best games of Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
and Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
. Perhaps the most notable of his translations was Alexander Kotov
Alexander Kotov
Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov was a Soviet chess grandmaster and author. He was a Soviet champion, a two-time world title Candidate, and a prolific chess author. Kotov served in high posts in the Soviet Chess Federation and most of his books were written during the period of Cold War between the...
's Think Like a Grandmaster (Batsford
Batsford
Batsford is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 99. The village is about 1½ miles north-west of Moreton-in-Marsh...
, 1971), a book which is sometimes associated with the major upsurge in the quality of competitive chess in the UK in the 1970s. For 'The Chess Player' publisher, he translated two books by Lisitsin
Georgy Lisitsin
Georgy Lisitsin was a Russian chess master.He won thrice Leningrad City Chess Championship in 1933/34 , 1939 and 1947 . He participated many times in USSR Chess Championship. His best result was in 1933 when he shared 3rd...
(extracted from his 1958 work Strategiya i Taktika Shakhmat) (both 1976) and Sokolsky's Pawns in Action (1976) and co-authored (with Tony Gillam) Chess with the Masters (1977).
He became less active as a player from the early 1970s but he acted as second to Tony Miles
Tony Miles
Anthony John Miles was an English chess Grandmaster.- Early achievements in chess :Miles was born in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham...
when Miles won the 1974 World Junior Chess Championship
World Junior Chess Championship
The World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament organized by the World Chess Federation ....
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Miles remains the only British player to have won this title to date (2009).
He has for many years been a member of Hastings Chess Club and was president of the club from 1999 to 2009. He won the Hastings club championship in 1994 and 2001 and was joint winner in 1995 and 1996. He won the Sussex Chess Championship in 1996 and 2003.