I was very sorry indeed to hear of the passing of John Gibson, announced on RIP.ie and the ICU web site.
I saw him in September, when he seemed in excellent form in all ways. He was interesting and entertaining, as always: it was striking how many different roles he played within chess. He played every role from junior international in the Glorney Cup and at the Student Olympiad in the 1960’s, to Leinster champion in 1978, international in senior events in later years, club player, correspondence player, and administrator. In this latter role he did a vast amount of work in the early days of the ICU rating system in the 1970’s, and he was controller of the 1972 Irish championship. And all this is just within chess: he also had a wide range of other interests, including Go.
I’m particularly grateful for the extensive information and help on Irish chess history he provided me over the years, including regular parcels of tournament flyers, documents, clippings, and games from a vast and meticulously maintained archive.
Deepest sympathies to all his family.
I was very sad to learn of John’s death. He was one of the most important members of the Irish Go Community, see https://senseis.xmp.net/?JohnGibson. I never had the opportunity to play Chess against him, although I do remember once discussing with him the creation of a triathlon Chess, Go and Bridge event. He was a charming man, and I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute I spent with him.