News has been received of the untimely death of John G Bycroft of Hull, at the age of 62. It appears he died during, or as a result of, his customary cycle-ride home after work on Tuesday, 29/12/2020.

John was born in Hull in 1958, to Hull-born parents Jack and Muriel Bycroft, so he was “Hull”, born-and-bred. He will obviously be best-remembered by chess-players in Hull and District, but many Yorkshire chess-players of comparable age will have agreeable memories of him dating back to the mid-1970s through encounters with Hull chess teams.

He seems not to have played in the Woodhouse Cup since 2005-06, but continued playing in the Hull league to at least 2017.

John Cooper (Hull chess’s other “J.G.”) has put his personal tribute on the Hull Chess Club website. His references to cycling remind me (SJM) of once, some decades ago, approaching a location in Hull, believed to be the venue of an impending Woodhouse Cup match, and being told this must be the right venue on account of the figure rolling up on a bicycle; “He always arrives on a bike.” This was perhaps the aptly named John Bycroft. Strongly reminiscent of him is the photograph below (lifted from the HCC website), as it shows a characteristic, slightly-inquiring, welcoming smile.

John Cooper’s tribute, and such other comments as have been added, can be read on the Hull Chess Club website at https://www.hullchess.co.uk/john-bycroft. [That tribute explores various aspects of John Bycroft’s personality, and touches on Hull Chess Club's "falling out" with the YCA. For the wider Yorkshire audience, John (Cooper), has asked that it be made clear that John (Bycroft) was not, in any general way, at all negative or hostile to the YCA or to chess in Yorkshire or outside of Hull.]