The British Chess Problem Society
Friday 29th January: David Shire will present some problems by Andrei Lobusov.
Friday 26th February: Michael McDowell will show some entertaining Soviet items from the 1930s.
This will be preceded by a meeting of the Committee at 1700.
Friday 28th May: An open evening designed to allow members to show problems and engage in discussion on topical issues.
The Society's annual gathering will take place at Grant's Hotel, Harrogate, from Friday 26th to Monday 29th March 2010. The inclusive cost for the three nights will be £210 for single occupancy, or £405 for two sharing a double room. Information about the hotel can be found at www.grantshotel-harrogate.com. Please book by writing to Grant's Hotel, Swan Road, Harrogate HG1 2SS, by telephoning 01423 560666 (fax 01423 502550), or by sending an e-mail to enquiries@grantshotel-harrogate.com. A deposit or credit card number will be requested.
Problem collections on cards and as computer databases
There seem as yet to be few if any direct mate databases on computer such as are proving so valuable in the endgame study, helpmate, and retro fields. The Society has several collections of problems on cards whose use will greatly reduce the labour of compiling such databases, and is willing to make them available on long-term loan to anyone who is doing so. They include many problems which appeared in publications now not easily found, they present material in a standard format, and their use will enable database compilers to make very much faster progress than would be possible working direct from the primary sources.
In particular, the Society recently came into possession of ten of the missing boxes of the White-Hume collection. Some of this material is in poor condition, and should be transcribed before it deteriorates further.
The matter has been tabled for discussion at the AGM, and a paper describing the collections in greater detail will be posted on the web site three or four weeks before the meeting.** Any member who would like to make use of them and who will not be at the AGM should contact either the Secretary or the Librarian in advance of the meeting. In the circumstances, consideration will be given to waiving the normal rule that Society property be not taken outside the UK.
John Beasley
In connection with this note see also the
Problem Collections section of the Library Catalogue.
**This now incorporates the further details referred to above.
Paul Valois has produced an index for Volumes 1-6 of The Problemist
(covering the years 1926-61). It can be downloaded here.
Index
Chris Ravilious has produced an index for problems published in the BCM
between 1950 and 2009. It can be downloaded here.
Index
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