Roger Tuddenham

<BODY TEXT=#000000 LINK=#0000FF VLINK=#FF0000 BGCOLOR=#F0F0F0 > <BASE TARGET="_top"> <DIV class=s3> <B></B><FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Robert J. Sutcliffe writes </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B> "</B><B>I had the pleasure of knowing Roger Tuddenham for almost 30 years.</B></FONT><B>  </B></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <B></B><FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>I first met him as a student at Huddersfield New College in 1981 where he was a superlative modern languages tutor and ran the college's renowned and much-feared chess team.  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Later I was to play alongside him at the Travellers Rest pub in Kitchinroyd, a tiny hamlet near Denby Dale where we enjoyed for several years a time of almost unparelleled chess glory. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>When I moved from Scissett to Huddersfield I still took the trouble to bounce along Huddersfield's windy and uneven roads on two buses for the pleasure of sitting alongside the Master for a convivial evening of erudition, wit and unbeatable company. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>No-one else came close to Roger for a winning sally - but he was never unkind - his wit was always of the best - sharp and amusing but never descending into any kind of personal rancour. He was also a very entertaining mimic. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>In recent years it has been painful to witness his slight physical degeneration as he struggled with pain in his legs and sometimes walked upstairs with difficulty. But his mind was always as sharp as a razor. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>To my chagrin, although he was in many ways like a second father to me, I never saw him close to the end and my conscience smites me as I write this. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B></B><B>Oh, well, Roger, we played some 'champagne' chess as you once kindly called it and we shall not see your like again, soon if ever. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Dave Toulson and I will always remember those happy nights of you reciting poetry, recalling aphorisms and blasting out some great chess moves - you could never dance but on the board you could weave moves that were pure magic ! </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B> </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B></B></FONT><FONT style='font-size:16pt;'><B><I>Dave Toulson writes </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B></B><B>Dear Robert </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B></B><B>I have just read your eulogy to Roger, which was so accurate, so observant, and absolutely spot on. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Recalling the memories that you described reduced me to tears, and as you said Roger is irreplaceable he is lost to humankind forever. The times that you described can never ever be replicated but I am so grateful that I shared those memories which you portray so brilliantly. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Best wishes </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B></B><B>Dave Toulson </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B> </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Bill Lumley at the HDCA AGM 2010 </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>"</B><B>In the space of two weeks, HDCA has lost 2 members who will be justifiably remembered as true icons in the history of the HDCA. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Edgar </B><B>Priestley and Roger Tuddenham were similar in many respects.  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>They both l</B><B>oved the game of chess </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Bo</B><B>th were tireless in their desire to promote the spirit of the game, and to foster its development within their Clubs and in the HDCA. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Both were totally unselfish in the tim</B><B>e and effort which they were prepared to freely give, so that others might share their passion and enjoyment in playing chess and in being part of a Chess Club. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Roger and Edgar</B><B> were both experts in the art of Chess, but they were also experts in the art of human behaviour in which field they never failed to conduct themselves with dignity and understanding. The cut and thrust of competition is part of the attraction of the great game of chess, but Roger and Edgar never lost sight of the importance of showing respect for colleagues and opponents alike. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>They were both outstanding Club men, a</B><B>nd I know from personal experience how indebted we all are for the enormous contribution which they made to HDCA over the past 40 years.  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>I say 40 years because this is the length of time which I knew them both.</B><B>  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Edgar </B><B>‘s involvement went back much longer in fact (1941). </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>I </B><B>First met Edgar in 1972 when Polytechnic affiliated to HDCA- at the AGM at 20 Macaulay Road I watched as Team Captains approached Edgar one at a time to pay fees!- He had meticulous attention to detail. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>They both valued the h</B><B>istory and heritage of Huddersfield Chess Club and HDCA. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Roger w</B><B>as a teacher/ chess captain at New College, then at Denby Dale, Chartist, West Bretton. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Robert Sutcliff</B><B>e has written a touching tribute on Geoff Peake’s website, supported by Dave Toulson. Reading this brought tears to my eyes. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>I remember </B><B>AGMs at ICI with many questions about Fide Rules and so on from Roger Tuddenham  -  fuelled by many pints of Guinness ! </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Rog</B><B>er once went to visit chess-playing optician Horace Walker, and solemnly requested “ I would like a pair of spectacles that see at least two moves ahead !”. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>I know that I speak on behalf o</B><B>f all of you, who like me had the privilege of knowing Edgar and Roger through chess. It was indeed a privilege and we can all count ourselves fortunate to have enjoyed the company and friendship of two of the nicest men we could ever have wished to meet.  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Edgar and Roger, you will be sadly missed. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>May </B><B>you both RIP." </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B> </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Geoff Peake </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Roger was married to his wife Sue for 43 years. He leaves a son Richard, dau</B><B>ghter Sara, and grandson Oliver. He helped look after Sue's father for the last seven years of his life without complaint. Roger was a very religious man, in fact he was a creationist and spend time studying books trying to find information to disprove Darwin's theory of evolution. He was a classics "professor" and had little time for modern technology, computers and email, though he did eventually purchase a lap top in the final year of his life and received email messages from HDCA, possibly under pressure from his children who wanted to email him photographs of his grandchild. He was a great reader. If he went anywhere he would disappear for long periods of time only to be found browsing a local second hand book shop. He spent most of his time reading, so much so that he decided he did not need a television in the last few years of his life. He and Sue's last trip to the cinema was to see the Railway Children in the sixties. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>He loved chess, particularly chess openings, especially open games 1.e4 e5. He studied them for years and became a dangerous oppo</B><B>nent with his expert knowledge of chess openings. His general play was not at the top level, however, possibly because he did not learn chess until his very late teens. His grade was about 120 "old money". He was 137 New Grade in his final season. He never made the transition to using modern chess computer databases or chess engines. He did however discover the delights of internet chess and played enthusiastically as "Damoetas" on the Free Internet Chess server in his final year. He had a dangerous attacking style of chess and played very sharp openings such as The Blackmar Diemer Gambit, Schlieman defence to the Ruy Lopez, Albin Counter Gambit etc. When he played chess he was fuelled by 6/7 {or even more!} pints of Guinness ! On Leo Keely's 18th birthday Leo played and lost to Roger, who imbibed seven pints of Guinness during the game. The other players had fun scolding Roger saying "Couldn't you have been easy on him on his birthday ?" Roger answered "I gave him the present of a chess lesson !"  </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B></B><B>After many years of entering he finally won the Individual Knock Out section 2 in 2007.  He was President of the HDCA 1996 to 2001. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s3> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>His favourite chess</B><B> quote, which he often recited with relish and a glint in his eye, was "Lies and hypocrisy do not survive long at the chess board !" He was a very rational, logical man, always true to his word. He lived absolutely true to his beliefs. Although he was a stickler for correct procedures at meetings he was never pompous. There were no artificial airs or graces. He was down to earth. He called it as he saw it. You knew where you were with Roger. Many a time he would contact me to correct my grammar in emails or on my web site, and patiently explain the grammatically correct form. - He was doing me a favour. The motive behind that was simply to inform and get it right. He was a very "particular" man and kept going until it was right. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s4> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'></FONT><FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>Whilst a teacher at the Huddersfield New College Roger was responsible for chess at that school, which had produced many fine players in the recent past. He was also captain of the Huddersfield Club’s Woodhouse Cup team, but he will be remembered chiefly as the organiser of the club at Denby Dale, later Chartist and later West Bretton. He managed to attract many strong players from the Wakefield Club, and they have been a very competitive team in the league, winning trophies almost every year. You can see the names Denby Dale / Chartist / West Bretton littering the honours boards. This is where Roger excelled - as a chess captain. He had great organisational skills. He was a very determined and capable captain, but most of all he had a strong competitive instinct. This is probably why he loved sports, especially rugby and cricket {as a fast bowler he once had figures of 7 for 11! - though fast bowling left him with the legacy of a damaged knee}. He had the respect of all his players and was a colossus at Denby Dale Club. He was an amusing mimic and conversationalist. With his dry humour, love of lively debate and winning personality he was excellent company -  everyone loved him. He was a leader of men. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s4> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>He was resistant to change which he regarded with great suspicion. When I first proposed a new Handicap system based on grade he dismissed it. However as I persisted with the analysis he started to analyse his own Handicap team's results, and soon understood the de</B><B>ficiencies of the old system. He finally gave wholehearted support to the new Ratings system, and even improved it with his own half-ratings proposal which was adopted and is still used today. Whenever you discussed any issue with Roger his penetrating mind would soon get to the heart of the matter and you would be stimulated and go away from him full of new angles and new ideas. </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s4> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>In his later</B><B> years he suffered badly with his knee, but nevertheless hobbled on without complaint. Even on one knee he saw off his golf buddies Geoff Peake and Stewart Thompson no problem. He would carefully score the golf round three ways - medal play, holes won, points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd per hole, though he agonized about whether a hole that was halved should count one third of a point each or half a point ! Eventually his knee worsened and he had to give up golf. He actually "retired" and had a celebration Champagne Retirement party at the Chartist. But then he soon realised that his life without chess was much poorer and he returned to chess with a vengeance for the new season ! He had to give up booze when the iron level in his blood became too high. But he never complained. He never became cynical or resentful about his illness. He never lost his faith. A man of compassion, integrity and wit. The curtain may have fallen on his earthly life but he has left us all memories to cherish. Roger it was a privilege ! </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=s4> <FONT style='font-size:18pt;'><B>When he became ill at the end I asked him for details of his chess career -  he replied in his gruff voice "I don't do </B><B>biographies !" </B></FONT></DIV>