Reginald Bonham
Encyclopedia
Reginald Walter Bonham was a blind
chess
player from St. Neots, England
known for his achievements in both blind and sighted chess. After founding the International Braille Chess Association
in 1951, he became the Blind World Chess Champion in 1958 and the Correspondence Blind World Champion in 1957, 1959, 1961, 1964 (jointly) and 1966. He died in Worcester
, England at the age of 78.
, 1906 to a family of butcher
s. Like others in his family, Bonham was born visually impaired
, and was sent to enter Worcester College for the Blind
at age 16. During 1922-1925 at Worcester, he revealed a talent for both rowing
and chess
, which he learned in 1922. In 1926, he attended St Catherine's College, Oxford
where he won the Oxford sighted chess championship in 1929, as well as made the final trials for the Oxford rowing team.
. He taught mathematics
and braille
as well as coached rowing, amateur drama
, bridge
, and chess. "Bon", as he was known by staff, headed four separate chess teams in the local and county leagues, of which all won multiple championships. In his later years, one of his students was Peter White
, who later became a prominent radio broadcaster. Bonham is described in detail in White's 1999 autobiography
, See It My Way. Bonham taught at Worcester until he retired in 1970.
himself throughout Worcester
and the English Midlands
. In 1934, he founded the Braille Chess Magazine (BCM), which he wrote and edited for 25 years, and after World War II
, he took up correspondence chess
, and founded the first correspondence chess tournament for the blind in 1951. In 1951 he founded the International Braille Chess Association
which became affiliated with FIDE in 1964. Bonham won the first English Blind Chess Championship in 1956. In addition to his achievements against the visually impaired, Bonham also had many victories against sighted competition. He won the Hastings Reserve Tournament in 1931, the Birmingham Tournament on three consecutive occasions, was Worcestershire County Champion twenty times, was champion of the nine Midlands Counties
three times and won the Birmingham Post Cup twice. On six occasions he competed in the British Chess Championship
where his best result was ninth place.
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player from St. Neots, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
known for his achievements in both blind and sighted chess. After founding the International Braille Chess Association
International Braille Chess Association
The International Braille Chess Association is organization for blind and visually impaired chess players. The IBCA is a FIDE-affiliated chess organization as well as a part of the International Blind Sports Federation. The International Braille Chess Association was formed in 1948 by Reginald...
in 1951, he became the Blind World Chess Champion in 1958 and the Correspondence Blind World Champion in 1957, 1959, 1961, 1964 (jointly) and 1966. He died in Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, England at the age of 78.
Biography
Reginald Bonham was born in St. Neots, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 1906 to a family of butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
s. Like others in his family, Bonham was born visually impaired
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
, and was sent to enter Worcester College for the Blind
New College Worcester
New College Worcester is a residential secondary school for students, aged 11–19, who are blind or partially sighted. It caters for around 80 students including those who have other special needs or disabilities along with their visual impairment. It is located in the city of Worcester, England...
at age 16. During 1922-1925 at Worcester, he revealed a talent for both rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
and chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, which he learned in 1922. In 1926, he attended St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
where he won the Oxford sighted chess championship in 1929, as well as made the final trials for the Oxford rowing team.
Teaching career
In 1929, Bonham returned to the Worcester College for the Blind as a teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He taught mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
as well as coached rowing, amateur drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
, and chess. "Bon", as he was known by staff, headed four separate chess teams in the local and county leagues, of which all won multiple championships. In his later years, one of his students was Peter White
Peter White (broadcaster)
Peter White MBE is a British broadcast journalist and DJ.-Career:Blind since birth , he attended New College Worcester, which was then known as the Worcester College for the Blind...
, who later became a prominent radio broadcaster. Bonham is described in detail in White's 1999 autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, See It My Way. Bonham taught at Worcester until he retired in 1970.
Chess achievements
Reginald Bonham won numerous tournamentsChess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard form of chess competition among serious players.Today, the most recognized chess...
himself throughout Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
and the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. In 1934, he founded the Braille Chess Magazine (BCM), which he wrote and edited for 25 years, and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he took up correspondence chess
Correspondence chess
Correspondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, usually through a correspondence chess server, through email or by the postal system; less common methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon...
, and founded the first correspondence chess tournament for the blind in 1951. In 1951 he founded the International Braille Chess Association
International Braille Chess Association
The International Braille Chess Association is organization for blind and visually impaired chess players. The IBCA is a FIDE-affiliated chess organization as well as a part of the International Blind Sports Federation. The International Braille Chess Association was formed in 1948 by Reginald...
which became affiliated with FIDE in 1964. Bonham won the first English Blind Chess Championship in 1956. In addition to his achievements against the visually impaired, Bonham also had many victories against sighted competition. He won the Hastings Reserve Tournament in 1931, the Birmingham Tournament on three consecutive occasions, was Worcestershire County Champion twenty times, was champion of the nine Midlands Counties
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
three times and won the Birmingham Post Cup twice. On six occasions he competed in the British Chess Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
where his best result was ninth place.