English Chess Forum

I am saddened to announce the death of Brian Foster on his 83rd birthday in late June, after a lengthy illness.
In 1972, as President of Pencarrow Chess Club in New Zealand, he organised weekly training for around 100 keen juniors inspired to take up the game by the famous Fischer-Spasky match.
Remarkably this group from the tiny town of Wainuiomata went on to produce three New Zealand champions:
Murray Chandler, Brian and Colleen's daughter Fenella (Now Fenella Gordon), and Mark Noble.
Brian and his wife Colleen founded New Zealand Chess Supplies and ran it to only a few years ago.
January this year Brian and Colleen received a New Zealand Chess Federation President's award for services to New Zealand Chess.
There is a very lengthy obituary and picture on the New Zealand Chess Federation website.

I met Brian only once. in a rapid-play tourney, not that long after emigrating from the UK. You'd never have suspected from his demeanour at the board that he was such a notable figure in NZ chess life. A sort of counterpart to my old London club-mate Eddie Penn (who ran Tournament Chess Supplies for so long, and organised some great chess events as well).

He served the game well, did Brian, and left a fine legacy - one that arguably benefited the UK almost as much as New Zealand, seeing that Murray C represented England internationally for over a decade, and was editor of the BCM for much of the 1990s. My belated condolences to Colleen and Fenella.