Profiles
Roland Smith
Revenue & Customs
1. What are your earliest chess memories?
The big wins against other schools in Northumberland when I captained the team for three years after the war and we never lost a match. We drew with the Newcastle Royal Grammar School and even against the Newcastle Chess Club who fielded eight county players.
2. How long have you been playing chess?
From the age of 16, I and several keen 14-year-olds spent most of our school lunch hour studying opening positions, and it was due to this intensive study that the team became so successful. I have been playing for 64 years.
3. How active are you in the chess world? (e.g. number of games a year)
In my very active years in the 60s I played about 25 games but for the last 25 years I have restricted my games to the Revenue with a maximum of 10. Since 1980 I have been more involved with correspondence chess for the Revenue and at county and international level. However, much of my time has been devoted to chess administration as Secretary of the Civil Service Chess Association and the London Civil Service Chess League. I also captained the Revenue & Customs 1st team and both their correspondence chess teams. My services for chess have been tolerated by my very understanding wife and recognised with Merit Awards from the Inland Revenue Sports Association, the British Chess Federation and the Civil Service Sports Council.
4. What was your best chess experience?
This is difficult. On board 1 for West Wickham I beat Daniel Friedgood (Charlton), and on board 1 for Revenue I will never forget my win against P S Milner-Barry and the gracious way that he accepted defeat. The perfect gentleman.
My chess life has two parts, and postal and e-mail chess have been more important to me since 1985 as anno domini took its toll with the quality of my over the board chess. In contrast my correspondence and e-mail chess has reached new peaks; I have been board 1 or 2 for Kent for over 30 years. I have won six best game prizes for Kent and the Revenue but my greatest satisfaction was selection for England in the European Finals 2004 and attaining the IM norm. I drew with 4 GMs including Darius Zagoriskis (Lithuania) who had beaten Conquest and drawn with Gormally in the Olympiads.
5. And what was your worst?
Playing in a Russian Correspondence chess tournament and analysing a won position on a plug-in set on the train. But I didn’t reset the position correctly nor check it afterwards and in 3 moves had lost my queen. This cost me the runners-up spot in a strong tournament.
6. Which historical (i.e. dead) chess player do you most admire and why?
It must be Alekhine because he showed the way with his inventive style. He did not have the benefit enjoyed by the current GMs of immediate access to games from all over the world nor the chess programmes which are used for analytical training.
7. Who is your current chess hero / heroine, if any?
Kasparov for his original and attacking style.
8. Which part of the game do you enjoy the most?
Many years ago I would have relished games with complications, but in recent years I prefer the post mortem in the pub!
9. What piece of advice would you give to a young player who was just starting out?
Study games starting with 1.e4 and especially those where white develops his pieces quickly. This will develop your attacking ideas which are easier to understand. Other opening moves require a much deeper understanding.
10. You are going to be marooned on a desert island with only a chess set for company. Which chess book would you take with you?
None! Having only studied specialised opening books and 96 volumes of New In Chess for most of my chess life I would prefer to lie on a desert island and sunbathe.