When the present writer played in the Scunthorpe Congress on a few occasions around 50 years ago, the leading lights of the local chess scene were the Hutchinsons: older brother Norman A Hutchinson, younger brother Paul A Hutchinson, and “kid” sister Mary A Hutchinson. Norman and Paul then both had grades in the 190s. Three other siblings seem not to have taken up chess seriously. A curious family tradition with the naming of these six siblings was a middle initial “A”, which in the case of the boys perhaps stands for “Alfred”.

Father Alfred T Hutchinson had been born and married in the North Riding of Yorkshire, and the first two children, the second being Norman, were born in the North Riding. Third and fourth children Paul and Mary, however, were born in Scunthorpe (Lincolnshire). Norman now resides in Cambridge, and still plays chess. Mary seems to have got married and given up chess. Paul seems to have given up competitive chess around 2009, but recently surfaced in his father’s native North Riding of Yorkshire (as was), more specifically as a member of Scarborough chess club.

In the currently on-going Scarborough Chess Club championship, Paul and John Jarmany are the only players still with 100% after the first three rounds, and it will be interesting to see the result of the clash between the two when they meet in a later round.

Perusal of the entrants in the Hastings Congress currently in progress did not throw up many notable Yorkshire participants, which is hardly surprising way down south in Hastings, but among the entrants in the “Masters” (now seemingly open to all, and run as a Swiss) is the said Paul A Hutchinson.

After 6 rounds, Paul had scored a modest 3 points (with Tim Wall of Newcastle/Leeds on 2 points). Of his first six games, the most exciting was that in round 6. Admittedly, his opponent, Kent junior Patrick Damodaran, had a grade of 108, so the final result came as no great surprise, yet the game was far more exciting than many at the top end of the pairings!

Click here to play through Paul A Hutchinson v Patrick Damodaran on screen.

(The notes are superficial, having been done late at night, and leave scope for analysis.)