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Last update: Monday December 19, 2005 10:41
David Pritchard
David Brine Pritchard died recently after a fall.
He was a strong British amateur who, had the opportunites been there as today, would no doubt have reached international master standard. He was Southern Counties Champion on at least one occasion.
He was author of several books, all on mind games, including ones on chess variants. He said of his book 'The Right Way to Play Chess' that this was the best paid work he ever did due to the ongoing royalties.
He and his wife Elaine represented Britain in an airforce event in Russia relatively recently. He was Squadron Leader in the RAF and won the Malaysian Championship in 1955 during his period in the service. He also won the Battle of Britain Chess Competition of which organisation he was the President for some years.
He was an affable man with a dry sense of humour who was in no sense old-fashioned in his views.
It is amusing that one of his games on chessbase is against Elaine from 1959 in the Stevenson Memorial in Bognor. Their encounter was a no holds barred contest which Elaine should have won, but David eventually triumphed. He was not a player from whom one expected a quick draw. He was still playing in the 4NCL as recently as 2003.
His funeral is at Gloucester Crematorium, on Thursday 22 December at 13:30.
Our condolences to his wife Elaine and daughter Wanda.
Stewart Reuben