Many players will be saddened to hear that Peter Keffler passed away on Tuesday 22nd December 2015 at 92 years of age.
The funeral will be held on Monday 18th January, 2016, 2pm at Weeley Crematorium.
For many years Peter was a strong player of Clacton club who also played county chess for Essex, Suffolk and in his earlier days for Somerset.
Following WWII, as RAF aircrew Peter worked as an interpreter, having completed a combined services course in Russian at Cambridge University. He obtained an honours degree in French and Russian at Oxford University and then did a postgraduate year for MA. He took up an academic career teaching languages in the Bath/Somerset area and later moved to the Essex area as Senior lecturer at St Osyth College.
At the peak of his chess playing Peter had good scores against many well known players with many of his games and ideas being quoted in the chess literature of the day. He made contributions to Openings such as the Two Knights Defence that were acknowledged by authoritative writers.
Peter would often combine his chess knowledge and experience to teach chess to juniors and many of us have been grateful for the time he often spent to analyse our games and encourage less experienced players to improve their game. He kept a large stock of chess literature and for many years ran a bookstall at most local and some national tournament events.
In his later years Peter succumbed to ill health and reduced mobility. He also had difficulty adapting to his gradually failing eyesight, but we will best remember him for the many years when he was a formidable opponent who played with great ‘style’.
Other articles about Peter:
Peter Keffler Celebrates 90th birthday
Peter Keffler Celebrates 88th Birthday
Peter Keffler again wins the Club Handicap
Peter Keffler wins the Club Handicap Tournament
Peter Keffler & Jonathan Hills win Club Swiss Quick Play Tournament
Peter Keffler wins newly introduced Club Handicap Tournament to mark 80th birthday
Comments from Colleagues (English Chess Forum)
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References and Game samples:-
‘Chess Openings for the Average Player’ – T. D. Harding, Leonard Barden – 1976
Section: How Openings Evolve, p12
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IMHskoEyxiUC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=Keffler+chess&source=bl&ots=lbG2FI5dnM&sig=AEVHPRqJhVHQqhdwKkKXEwoNaH0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrtpyQ-PTJAhULQBQKHV8uCdsQ6AEILTAC#v=onepage&q=Keffler%20chess&f=false
Similar content also in ‘Openings for the Club Player’ by same authors, p221.
Leonard Barden also mentions Peter on p235 of Chess Treasury of the Air by Terence Tiller, published by Penguin Books in 1966, in an article about his favourite game against American master Weaver Adams.
‘The Two Knights Defence’ I︠A︡kov Ėstrin Anova Books, 1983
Aitkin v Keffler · 0-1
Edinburgh 1954
Peter (black) arrived at this position where he saw he had a 4 move mate.
Would you spot this against the clock in a real game?
https://gameknot.com/comment.pl?t=2&k=7415
also quoted at http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=274
and published in ‘Build Up Your Chess with Artur Yusupov 2’ p9
Peter Keffler v Ernst Kotzem · 1-0 http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1233484
corres ICCF (1969) · Scotch Game: Göring Gambit. Bardeleben Variation (C44)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 ed4 4. c3 dc3 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. O-O Bc3 8. bc3 d6 9. e5 de5 10. Qb3 O-O 11. Rd1 Bd7 12. Ba3 Na5 13. Qb4 Nc4 14. Qc4 Re8 15. Ng5 Qc8 16. Qf7 Kh8 17. Be7 Ng8 18. Bf8
Gerhard Niemand v Peter Keffler 1970
http://clactonchess2.org.uk/wordpress/peter-keffler-celebrates-90th-birthday/
+ http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224960
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense. Traxler Counterattack Bishop sac line (C57) · 0-1
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bf7 Ke7 6. Bb3 Rf8 7. O-O d6 8. Nc3 Qe8 9. Nd5 Kd8 10. Nf6 gf6 11. Nh7 Rh8 12. Nf6 Qg6 13. Nd5 Bg4 14. Qe1 Bf3 15. g3 Qxg3
Keffler P v Kocem E · 1-0 http://www.chess.com/games/view?id=196127
World Tournament (corr.), 1972
Opening: Scotch Game: Goering Gambit, Main Line (C44)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 Bb4 6. Bc4 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. O-O Nf6 9. e5 dxe5 10. Qb3 O-O 11. Rd1 Bd7 12. Ba3 Na5 13. Qb4 Nxc4 14. Qxc4 Re8 15. Ng5 Qc8 16. Qxf7+ Kh8 17. Be7 Ng8 18. Bf8 Rxf8 19. Rxd7
‘The Spectator’ 1979, Vol 242, p63
Peter Keffler v Tim Lunn · 1-0 http://clactonchess.org.uk/games/samplegames.htm
Ipswich A v Clacton A, Suffolk League Match, 15.12.2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Nc6 6.Bb2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nbd2 Qc7 9.c4 cxd4 10.exd4 Re8 11.c5 Bf8 12.Re1 b6 13.cxb6 Qxb6 14.Rc1 Ba6 15.Bb1 Rec8 16.a3 Rab8 17.Re3 Ng4? 18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Ng5+ Kg8 20.Qxg4 g6 21.Qh4 Bg7 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Nxe6+ fxe6 24.Rf3+ Ke7 25.Qxg7+ Kd6 26.Rf7 Rb7 27.Qe5+ Nxe5 28.dxe5#