Hi – some biographical notes.

I grew up and was educated in Glasgow. I played some chess while at school, and more frequently while at Glasgow University: at that time it was more fashionable than later to play for University chess clubs and Glasgow had a very strong club in the 60s and 70s including Roddy Mackay, Craig Pritchett, Peter Jamieson and David Levy along with many other strong less well known players. I played in one Scottish Championship with a middling score.

I was in Bolton for a year in 1974-75 where I played in one large tournament: an opponent told me he had just scraped a draw with a well known child player, Nigel Short.

I moved to Hastings in 1975 and worked at Hastings College until 1980. It was a very enjoyable chess period, playing at and for the club, a couple of matches for Sussex, and some large tournaments. I recall some interesting games against Howard Winser, Paul Carey and one exciting attacking game, eventually a draw, against a well known young player – Stuart Conquest.

In 1980 I moved to Berkshire with my wife and daughter where I have lived since, and played only some local league chess – quite strong in Berkshire, and rather more Bridge – in some ways less arduous to prepare for and keep up with than Chess. I’ve remained interested in Chess and followed some major tournaments online.

I am not sure I have managed to retain any Hastings game scores through various house moves, though I suspect the couple you have are lightning games.

Best wishes to all of you at the Hastings and St Leonards Chess Club

Mike Gallagher

March 2019

Here is a winning game from Hastings CC, Anslow Cup, 1977

Gallagher,M – Elliston,R
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.h3 0-0 8.Bb3 Nc6 9.Be3 Bd7 10.0-0 Rc8 11.f4 Qa5 12.Nf3 Rfd8 13.Qe1 h6 14.Rd1 Qh5 15.Ng5 hxg5 16.fxg5 Be6 17.gxf6 Bxf6 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Rd2 Ne5 20.Bd4 Nc4 21.Bxf6 Nxd2 22.Qxd2 exf6 23.Rxf6 d5 24.exd5 exd5 25.Qd3 Rc6 26.Rf3 Qe5 27.Re3 Qf5 28.Qxf5 gxf5 29.Rd3 d4 30.Rd2 Kf7 31.Ne2 Ra6 32.Nxd4 Rxa2 33.c3 Rd5 34.Rc2 Kg6 35.Kh2 b5 36.g4 fxg4 37.hxg4 1-0 Black lost on time

and a losing game from the same event, brilliant play by Arthur Winser

Gallagher,MC – Winser,W Arthur
1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.exd6 Bxd6 5.d4 Nf6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bf2 Ne4 9.e3 g4 10.Bh4 gxf3 11.Bxd8 f2+ 12.Ke2 Bg4+ 13.Kd3 Nb4+ 14.Kxe4 f5# 0-1

And another winning game from Hastings CC Championship, 1978

Conquest,S – Gallagher,MC

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Bd3 e5 7.Nge2 0-0 8.f3 Nh5 9.Be3 a6 10.Qd2 Nd7 11.g4 Nf4 12.Nxf4 exf4 13.Bxf4 Ne5 14.Be2 b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Bxe5 Bxe5 17.Bxb5 f5 18.gxf5 Qh4+ 19.Qf2 Qf6 20.Qc2 Bd4 21.0-0-0 gxf5 22.Bd3 Bd7 23.h4 Rfb8 24.Rh2 Rb4 25.exf5 Ba4 26.Nxa4 Rbxa4 27.b3 R4a7 28.Re1 Bf2 29.Rxf2 Rxa2 30.Re8+ Rxe8 31.Rg2+ Kf8 32.Qxa2 Qc3+ Source: ‘Kingpin’, Spring 2000 issue. 0-1