Crumpton Clarke
Favourite Colour:
Blue (see next answer!) Favourite Football Team: Ipswich Town. My Dad took me to my first match when I was 5. I have been a season ticket holder for 23 years and try and get to a few away games each season. I once went a whole year without missing a single match, home or away. Pets: none |
Hobbies other than Chess:
Sport: I used to love play football (I still like play but it gets harder with advancing years). I have been playing squash for about 6 years and I have recently joined a gym to try and get fitter. I am also on the committee of Norwich Civil Service Sports Association which arranges sports and social trips etc. for members. Beer: Norwich is a great place to live for real ale fans. I have just started Portuguese lessons as I want to visit my cousin in Brazil again and not many Brazilians speak English. |
The First World War: I am a member of the Western Front Association and I try and attend local meetings where there is a different speaker every month. I go over to Belgium / France twice a year with 3 like-minded colleagues to visit battle sites, cemeteries and museums, and to indulge in our love of Belgian beer.
Marital Status: Single. Favourite Music Band/Singer: The Killers. I am also a big Queen fan. Favourite Film of all time: The Shawshank Redemption. Last book read (excluding Chess): A Piano in the Pyrenees by Tony Hawks. The only time I seem to get to read now is on holiday on when travelling. I currently like to read books with a sporting or travelling theme. Favourite Holiday Destination: Australia (I have followed 3 Ashes tours before it became fashionable, though thankfully I decided to give the most recent tour a miss!). The climate is much better than ours and a welcome relief from our winter if you go at that time of the year. Country you would most like to visit: I am lucky to have already visited many places that I have wanted to see – USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and have visited several European countries to follow Ipswich’s UEFA Cup campaigns a few years ago. If I was to visit one new place, it would be China because of the famous sites and the different culture. Now for some Chess Stuff! When did you start playing? I can’t remember exactly but I have always enjoyed playing games. My grandfathers liked nothing better than to play chess over a beer and I used to play my surviving grandfather in my teens. When did you first join a club: I joined Diss Chess Club when I was 18. I was still living with my parents and Diss was the closest club. A friend from school also played there. After buying my own place in Norwich in the early 1990s, I joined the Woodpushers as another friend played for them. Most memorable Chess Moment: Winning the BCF U125 trophy as captain of Norfolk U125s a few years ago. Worst Chess Moment: I was playing in a tournament many years ago and I was paired with a young girl. I thought that I would win easily but I lost. A harsh lesson but I learnt never take to take any opponent lightly. Funniest Chess Moment: Many times after many beers. What are your strong points and weak points? Strong – solid, patient player. Weak – lack of knowledge of chess openings. Do you have a copy of your best ever win? It is difficult to select a best ever win but one of my best wins was with the county first team last year when I demolished a player graded over 130. The game was published in En Passant with analysis by Mike Read. Your aims for the future: To carry on enjoying playing, improve my game and help my team to win matches. |