"Former junior chess champ" is the new UK Chancellor

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  • "Former junior chess champ" is the new UK Chancellor

    The BBC has a chess-related angle, on the new government... the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, is a "former junior chess champ". Be warned, we all know that journalists rarely let mere facts get in the way of an article. As far as I can discover Rachel last played about 20 years ago, and has an inactive ECF rating of 2024. No Fide rating that I can discover.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjjw6l53xe2o

  • #2
    Rachel, born in 1979, apparently won her junior U-14 title through the now-defunct British Women's Chess Association. I have been searching online for games played by her, so far unsuccessfully.

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    • #3
      Rachel Reeves is registered as a player at chessbase.com, which has four of her games on file.

      Her strongest win there is quite a decent game from the English 4 Nations Chess League (4NCL) 1994-95 season, as White in an Advance French, 74 moves. Her opponent could have resigned much sooner, a piece down from the middlegame. Rachel showed competent technique to prove the win; in the ending, she had two bishops vs one bishop, four pawns each, all pawns on the same side. She would have been about age 15-16 at that time.

      English writer John Saunders features her play in two games, which were recorded by onlooker GM Jon Speelman, from a British House of Commons chess event in 2011. Rachel was by that juncture a Labour Party MP. She loses the first game, facing a Mr. Moss. For the second game, against the same opponent, Rachel receives some 'consultation advice' from a surprising source: GM / former World Champion Gary Kasparov!! Gary appears in photos with the article! Rachel wins from the Black side of a King's Gambit!!! It's quite an entertaining game. Perhaps Gary has a future as a coach!!

      Prior to the recent UK election, Rachel, from the post of Labour Party Shadow Chancellor (direct counterpart to Canadian Opposition Finance critic) challenged British Conservative PM (now former PM!) Rishi Sunak to a chess match; he accepted the challenge, but I couldn't find any news on the outcome, or if the match was actually held.

      One can google search 'Rachel Reeves chess' to obtain these links.

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