Steve Owen writes:
I joined Exeter Chess Club at the age of thirteen and remained a member until 1990, when I became a district councillor and found that I had not sufficient time for other interests. I can remember at 14 watching Denis Gray demolish a strong opponent in a dozen moves or so during a National Club Match played by telephone, when I acted as ‘runner’. My own best years were from 1973, when I returned from university , until about 1985. During that time, I used to play board six (bottom board) for the Bremridge team and top board for the Mamhead.
I had quite good results for the Bremridge, as my opponents were often older players, perhaps past their best.
Top board in the Mamhead competition was often more difficult, as I faced young whizz-kids playing twenty or thirty points above their grading. Typically contrasting games were played in the Exeter-Plymouth matches of 1981...
Game Owen,SM - Bruce,R, Exeter-Plymouth (Bremridge), 1981
I especially enjoyed playing Rowena Bruce, who had actually been World Girls' Champion in the 'twenties, and British Ladies' Champion several times thereafter. So I can claim to have beaten a world champion! She was much stronger than I positionally, but sometimes crumbled against aggression. — SMO
Centre Counter (Scandinavian)
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. Ne5 Bxe2 8. Qxe2 c6 9. O-O Be7
10. f4 O-O 11. f5 Qb6 12. Rf4 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. c3 Qd6 15. f6 Bxf6 16. Rxf6 gxf6 17. Qg4+ 1-0
[Notes by Steve Owen]