Simultaneous Chess Display
Napoleon's Casino and Restaurant, Hull hosted a display of simultaneous chess on 11th January 2012. 48 year old John Cooper, the strongest player in East Yorkshire and top board in the Hull and District Chess Association Yorkshire League Team, took on 26 local chess enthusiasts in order to raise funds for charity. The Smile Foundation - established in 2009 to help positively change the lives of people in Hull and East Yorkshire - was the beneficiary. Playing 16 games at the same time, Cooper won 15, drew 4 and lost 7. The £500 prize money was donated to the Smile Foundation and CSSC Representative Chess Match Team Captain, David G. Mills, won a limited edition Queen's Diamond Jubilee Commemorative chess set donated by Hull company, Studio Anne Carlton, for what Cooper judged to be the best game played against him during the display.
As a junior in 1978, Cooper played in a simultaneous display against the then World Number 6, Czechoslovak, Vlastimil Hort. Mills, who organised that display and currently captains the Hull and District Chess Association Yorkshire League Team, put his win against Cooper into context. "John was playing for over four hours and probably devoted around ten minutes to my game while I was able to study it for around 2½ hours! In a similar display in 2009 he beat me in 21 moves. Having a player of John's standard available for the Hull and District Chess Association Yorkshire League Team is a great asset to me as captain. 2012 is the 60th Anniversary of the Hull and District Chess Association and arrangements are in hand for a visit by a Civil Service Representative Chess team. As captain of both teams, I will then have an awkward decision. For which one should I play? Perhaps the best option would be to remain on the sidelines and concentrate on organising a successful event!"
Chess - Report
