Martyn Griffiths - One of the longest serving members of Castell Nedd Chess Club

One of the longest serving members of the club, along with Dennis Thomas, and the person who put together a club of Roman soldiers. With years of hard games on the top boards of our number one team and much experience behind him, what does this player’s profile look like?

Name: Martyn Griffiths
Best Grade: 2020
Current Grade: 1875
Current Team: Castell Nedd Emporers
Number of years playing chess: No comment
Usual board: 1 or 2
Best Title:
Bridgend Club Champion three times
South Wales Police Club Champion four times
Neath Club Champion three times
Castell Nedd Club Champion four times.

What’s the best team you’ve played for?

The strongest team has to be the Castell Nedd side before Nidum was formed, but Bridgend making the first Welsh appearance in the European Cup (against Rotterdam) was pretty strong with Howard Williams and John Trevelyan on top boards – I was board 5. I also played postal chess for Wales in the World, European and NATO Team Championships.

When did you start playing chess?

When I was 10 – my brother taught me but gave up chess a year later when I started beating him. He returned to the game 14 years later when we formed a Police Chess Club.

Why did you start playing chess?

I started playing seriously because I was reasonably good at it from the start. I taught all my friends at school and started in a chess club 10 miles away when I was nearly 18.

Is there any time you’ve stopped playing and why?

Twice I’ve taken a year out – once through injuries and once to recharge my batteries, but even then I still went to chess club and took part in club activities.
(Hywel: The first time I’ve seen a chess player drop out due to injuries!)

If yes how did you get back into it?

Starting again was easy – winning wasn’t!

What opening do you play?

Everyone knows I play the Petrof but I won’t disclose the others. Suffice to say that I believe we should all vary our openings to keep the opposition guessing and to keep our own games sharp. Something I don’t do enough of.

(Hywel: It doesn’t really matter if I keep my openings disclosed from the opposition – they’re so bizarre nobody recognises them…)

Best Game

Whether it’s my best game or not I don’t know but my win against International Master Leighton Williams has to be my best result. Our first game was played in a Cup match and drew to an exciting close with both of us in time pressure.

And anything else you’d like to say:

Enjoy the game at whatever level you feel comfortable. It’s a hobby not a job for life. I never had any training but played a lot of postal chess and in my friends’ houses which sharpened my game up a lot. You have to read books and do some pre-match practice otherwise you won’t improve. I would advise all young players to play as much chess as they can – not just club and league but also at weekends.

Best Moment in Chess

Winning the West Wales League Division One at our first attempt with Castell Nedd after working our way up from Division Five. Our success was in spite of losing our first match 0-6 away to Llandyssul.
My Greatest Regret

Not being awarded the Welsh Ladies title when I defeated all three ladies playing in the 1966 Welsh Championship Reserves. They said that the fact I had a twin sister did not make me eligible!!
(Hywel: I’d be seriously worried if they’d let you take the title!)

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2nd 1968 East Glamorgan Championships
• 2nd 1986 British Police Championships
• 2nd 1993? South Wales Rapidplay Championships
• Founding chess clubs at Bridgend (1968), South Wales Police (1970) and Castell Nedd (1978)
• Forming the Welsh Correspondence Chess Association and running events 1970-1977.
• Founded the Welsh Correspondence Chess association and ran it 1970-1977 (Welsh Championships, Interzone, International matches)
• Writing a book on the History of Chess in Wales (hopefully soon to be published).
• Ran the Neath & District Junior Chess Championships 1978-2002
• Elected President of West Wales Chess League in 1991. I was in hospital at the time so perhaps they didn’t think I’d last this long! I’m now the league’s longest serving President (Hywel: They’ve been trying to get rid of him for years…)
• Helping so many young players to develop into reasonable club, county and even international chess players. Their success gives me a lot of pleasure. The three best youngsters I have seen at our club are probably Chris Walsh, Rob Saunders and Carl Davies.(Hywel: Probably the greatest achievement of all – the development of chess comes through the development of youngsters and of all the players in the league, Martyn and Ian Eustis have aided this the most!!)