546 The British Chess Magazine
rounds; in 1957 he was second equal, undefeated. Success in Swiss System events is hard won, while an all-play-all will inevitably give one game against those doing badly. In a Swiss if you are leading then all you meet are other players in form.
Penrose gradually developed the stamina for eleven round events and success soon followed. In 1958 he won his last four games to tie with Leonard Barden and duly won the play-off match. Penrose again tied first in 1959, but Harry Golombek and Michael Haygarth were no match for him in the play-off tournament. He went on to win the next four events, losing just one game in the process, to Leonard Barden in 1961.
Penrose was slow to recover after a first round loss in 1964 and finished sixth equal, well behind Haygarth. There was another Yorkshire success the following year when Peter Lee took the title. Penrose was undefeated, but finished half a point behind. The dip in form was purely temporary: four more successes followed at Sunderland 1966, Oxford 1967, Bristol 1968 and Rhyl in 1969. His tenth victory established a record which seems unlikely to be challenged.
All eras come to an end. Dr Penrose lost three times in the first week at Coventry 1970, but recovered to finish second equal, a point behind the winner, Bob Wade. Penrose struggled at Blackpool, 1971, losing a key game to Raymond Keene, who won the event, but he was back in the leading group the next year at Brighton, where he was undefeated and shared second place. Illness and diminishing stamina caused him to abandon otb play in favour of correspondence play where he excelled, obtaining the grandmaster title in 1983.
Here is an example of his ability to bounce back. In Round 8 Penrose lost to the
1964 Champion, Michael Haygarth. In the next round he faced the 1965 Champion, and uncorked a novelty.
G J Penrose O PN Lee
Bristol, 1968 Sicilian, Najdorf B93 [ Smith ]
1 e4 c5 2 �f3 d6 3 d4 c × d4 4 � × d4 �f6 5 �c3 a6 6 f4( This is not the sharpest line against the Najdorf, but it requires careful defence by Black) 6 … �c7 7 �d3 g6 8 0-0 �g7( 8 … �c5 is met by 9 �h1) 9 �h1 b5( The 1966 edition of“ Die Sizilianische Verteidigung” by Schwarz considered this a viable alternative to 9 … 0 – 0, but it proves inferior) 10 a4!( A novelty, Schwarz only considered 10 a3) 10 … b4 11 �a2 �b7( 11 … a5 allows 12 �b5 and suddenly the black queen lacks a good square) 12 �e2 � × e4 13 � × e4 d5 14 �f3 � × d4 15 � × b4 �d6 16 �d2 �e3 17 � × e3 � × b4( Black has escaped without losing a pawn, but White’ s bishops soon force him to make further positional concessions) 18 �d2 �d6 19 �c3 0-0 20 �d4 f6 21 �ad1 �d8 22 �a5 �d7 23 c4 �g7 24 c × d5 e6 25 �b4 �c7 26 d6 �d8 27 �c1 a5 28 �a3 �a6 29 � × b7 � × b7 30 �e4 �d7( Averting the loss of the pawn, but allowing a winning combination) 31 � × b7! 1 – 0( 31 … � × b7 32 �c7 + � × c7 33 d × c7 and the pawn queens).‘ The Times’, 7th September, 1968.
Any doubters who do not find his record impressive should take note of these further triumphs. Penrose defeated: Rossolimo at Hastings 1950 – 51; Olafsson at World Junior, 1953; Lothar Schmid at Amsterdam 1954; Bobotsov at Munich in 1958; Gurgenidze at Budapest, 1959; O’ Kelly at Madrid, 1960; Robatsch at Hastings 1960 – 61; Portisch at