Robert V Elliston (also known as Bob) died on 29 December 2024, but I have not seen a chess obituary written about him. He was born at Dartford in 1938 and while at Eltham College was a member of the Kent junior team. In 1955 he became a student at Brighton and showed real potential by coming close to winning the strong Brighton Chess Club Championship. However, for nearly twenty years after this he seems to have played little competitive chess.

In 1975 he married Margaret Kelly at Hastings and it appears that this was the first year in which he joined the local chess club. He moved to Ticehurst and ran a local pharmacy while living in the nearby Cherry Tree Cottage. For many years he represented two chess clubs. He played for Hastings in the McArthur Cup and other representative matches and competed in the strong internal championship. He also represented Crowborough CC in the Mid-Sussex League. In addition he became a regular player for the Sussex first team.

He won the Hastings CC Championship outright in 1981, 1983 and 1989, while sharing the title with Richard Almond in 2012. He reached the county final in 1984 and 2013, losing on both occasions against Feliks Kwiatkowski. In 2006 he won the East Sussex Queen competition and in 2011 and 2012 he came first equal with Geoffrey James in the county veterans’ competition. He was also a strong correspondence player and in 1989 reached the final section of the British Correspondence Championship. In addition he represented Great Britain and England in several international correspondence matches.

In 2005 he competed in the British Seniors Championship at Douglas, Isle of Man, and scored a creditable 4.5 points out of 7. He also represented Sussex Smart Controls in the 4NCL competition in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.

He was elected to the position of president of the Sussex Chess Association in 2010. He was in post until 2022 when ill-health forced him to step down.

He had a pleasant and sincere personality and got on well with his chess colleagues. He was a local councillor and on his death was greatly missed by people living in his neighbourhood.