Roger Lancaster – ECF President’s Award for Services to Chess
Citation: Watford Chess Club
Roger Lancaster, a much-loved junior coach and organiser at Watford Chess Club, is nominated for his long and valued service to the chess community over many years.
Roger was born in 1945 and became a founding member of the famous King’s Head Chess Club in central London. He was among the first people (with future international master Andrew Whiteley and tournament organiser Tony Suttill) who started playing friendly chess games in the bar at King’s Head Pub, Bayswater, in 1966.
By the 1970s and 1980s a formidable club took shape that won the British National Club Championship on multiple occasions and played in the European Club Cup, with Roger as secretary.
In recent decades, Roger has been a dedicated junior coach and organiser at Watford Chess Club, growing the junior club and producing several strong players.
In 2013 he was elected junior secretary at Watford Chess Club, and quickly set up junior coaching sessions on Sunday afternoons in a local pub, as well as putting on weekly coaching on weekday club nights.
From eight juniors in 2013, the club grew its junior membership to 25 by 2016, and the number has continued to rise.
Roger organised opportunities for junior members, including teams in local leagues and the junior 4NCL and main 4NCL, matches against other clubs’ juniors, open tournaments in Watford, and the opportunity to play graded games in the club.
With only a break during the pandemic, Roger has attended Watford Chess Club almost every week to coach and encourage the juniors.
During Covid the club’s activities moved online, and Roger organised online junior teams and tournaments on Lichess, and teams in the junior 4NCL online tournament and Eastern Counties online league.
Following the lifting of Covid restrictions Roger restarted the junior club with weekly coaching and playing opportunities, and the club has since moved to new premises with a wide range of activities.
Roger’s contribution to both King’s Head and Watford Chess Clubs has been immense, and is highly valued by all his many club colleagues and friends.
Here is an exciting game by Roger from his King’s Head days, which displays his love of enterprising play and indomitable fighting spirit.
White: Eric Schiller (2230)
Black: Roger Lancaster (2200)
Kings Head International, London 1982
Modern Defence
1 d4 g6 2 e4 d6 3 Nc3 c6 4 Bg5 Qa5 5 Qd2 f6 6 Be3 e5 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 Bc4 b5 9 Bb3 Nd7 10 Nge2 Bc5 11 Bxc5 Nxc5 12 Qd6 Qb6 13 Bxg8 Rxg8 14 Qxf6 b4 15 Qxe5+ Kf7 16 Nd1 Ba6 17 Ng3 Rae8 18 Qf4+ Kg7 19 Ne3 Rgf8 20 Qg4
20…b3!
A lovely pawn sacrifice to expose the white king.
21 axb3 Nd3+
An enthusiastic follow-up. Winning was 21…Qb4+ 22 c3 Nd3+ 23 Kf1 Qb6. Now White should win, but Roger fights back, and the adventures continue…
22 cxd3 Qb4+ 23 Kf1 Bxd3+ 24 Kg1 Qd2 25 Ngf5+ Rxf5 26 Nxf5+ Kh8 27 Qd1 Qxb2 28 Rxa7 gxf5 29 h4 Bxe4 30 Rh3 Rg8
Now 31 Rf3 should defend, but instead Eric Schiller cracks under pressure.
31 Rg3? Rxg3 32 fxg3? Qxg2 checkmate! 0–1
Paul Littlefair: Secretary, Watford Chess Club