John Saunders posted a report on Hastings 1963-64 at BritBase, and I was interested to note that J. J. Walsh had finished second in the Challengers Reserves A ‘Pelton’, behind Michael Basman.
The report had none of J. J.’s games. A quick search in the normal places failed to turn up anything, but by sheer coincidence I saw the game against Basman very shortly afterwards in the Irish Chess Journal.
The 17-year-old Basman had a slight advantage out of the opening, but then erred badly, and was lost as early as move 12. Thereafter it was all simply a matter of time, and the game ended much later with the diagrammed picturesque position.
Final position
[Click to replay the full game.]
J. J. won his first five games, of which this was the fourth, and still was in the clear lead heading into the last round. Unfortunately a loss allowed Basman to leapfrog his way to first.
I prepared the game and was about to send it to John Saunders this morning, when I found that it had already been added earlier today, sent by regular contributor Ulrich Tamm, who found it in J. J.’s From My Games. You have to move quickly in these matters!
It’s a small world!