Fred Appleton

Fred Appleton died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack this morning, Sunday 15th March.

Fred was the Bristol League's 4NCL Team Manager and a member of our League Management Committee. He was also a member of the 4NCL Management Board, and had recently been elected to the post of BCF Director of Coaching. And he was, of course, a leading member of Bath Chess Club.

I did not know Fred outside the chess world, and I had only come to know him there in the last few years. He was a born organiser and wonderful at handling people. It was only ten days ago I saw Fred for the last time. He was his usual cheerful self at a League Management Committee meeting. The previous night my club, Horfield, had played Bath in the KO semi-final. We were leading 3½-½ with four continuations, but Fred was telling everyone it wasn't all over yet.

We will all miss Fred greatly. He was one of life's optimists and great company. He would throw himself into the organisation of events, and had kept our 4NCL side going when the results refused to come. Last season, when Bristol had lost its first five matches and looked certain to be relegated, Fred never lost hope, and we won all the last seven matches. British (and Bristol) chess has lost a wonderful man and a great organiser.

An obituary written by Nigel Johnson is available on the 4NCL web site.

Fred was no mean chess player in his own right. Here is an example of Fred's play from last season's 4NCL match against Northumbria.

Waters,C - Appleton,F [A36]
4NCL967-BR:NO (1), 1996
1.c4 g6 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.a3 a6 6.Rb1 Rb8 7.Qa4 b5 8.cxb5 axb5 9.Nxb5 Nf6 10.e3 Qb6 11.Nc3 Ne5 12.Bf1 Bb7 13.f3 Nxf3+ 14.Nxf3 Bxf3 15.Rg1 0-0 16.Qf4 Bc6 17.Be2 d5 18.b4 d4

19.bxc5 Qxb1! 20.Nxb1 Rxb1 21.Kf2 Ne4+ 22.Kg2 Ng5+ 23.e4 Bxe4+ 24.Qxe4 Nxe4 25.Bd3 Nxd2 26.Bxd2 Rb2 27.Rd1 Bh6 28.c6 Rc8 29.Bb5 Rxd2+ 30.Rxd2 Bxd2 31.Kf3 f5 32.Ke2 Bc1 33.a4 Ba3 34.a5 Bc5 35.Kd3 Rc7 36.Kc4 Ba7 37.Kd5 Kf7 38.Bc4 Kf6 39.h4 h6 40.Bd3 e5 41.Kd6 Bb8 42.a6 e4 43.Bc4 d3 44.Kd5 d2 45.Be2 Ra7 0-1

John Richards
General Secretary, Bristol & District Chess League
15 March 1998