British Correspondence Chess Championship, 1989-90

Mil  Bow  Cha  Sli  Mar  Bri  Giu  Sin  Ell  Geo  Wat    TOTAL
Peter Millican-½1½½1½11118
Ken Bowyer½-1½1½½1½11
Cliff Chandler00-0½½1111½
Tony Slinger½½1-½½000115
Brian Martin½0½½-1½½½½½5
Leo Bridges0½½½0-11½½½5
Philip Giulian½½01½0-01½½
Mike Singleton    0001½01-1½½
Robert Elliston0½01½½00-½14
Ian George0000½½½½½-1
Ron Watson00½0½½½½00-

 

Bowyer – Millican, ½-½;   Millican – Bridges, 1-0;   
Millican – Chandler, 1-0;   Millican – Elliston, 1-0;   
George – Millican, 0-1;   Giulian – Millican, ½-½;   
Millican – Martin, ½-½;   Millican – Singleton, 1-0;   
Slinger – Millican, ½-½;   Watson – Millican, 0-1

 

After winning my section of the British Correspondence Chess Association's 1986-7 "Premier" league, I was nominated for the British Championship "Candidates" league of 1988-89, which I won thanks to a fiercely tactical game against David Anderton (Captain of the England over-the-board Chess Olympiad team, whose inside knowledge nearly slaughtered me). This qualified me for the British Championship itself, victory in which brought the "British Master" title and a nomination into the Semifinal of the following World Championship. I therefore stopped competing in British competitions, and moved to the international arena ...


Semifinal 1 of World Correspondence Chess Championship 19, 1991-96

Country   Mi  Ve  Do  Be  Cr  St  Gl  Kr  Pe  KaJaÅhSh    TOTAL
Peter MillicanENG-½½½½1111111110
Hans VeenBEL½-½½½1½½111½1
Risto DonevMCD½½-½111½½01½18
Norbert BensiekGER½½½-½11½½½011
Ramón CrespoARG½½0½-0½11½½½1
Manfred StockGER00001-½½1½111
Helmut F. GlaserSIP0½00½½-½1½1½16
Dušan KriškoSLK0½½½0½½-0½½11
Giora PeliISL00½½0001-111½
Fritz KayserGER001½½½½½0-½½0
Pertti JaatinenFIN0001½00½0½-½14
Harry ÅhmanSVE0½½0½0½00½½-½
Jurii A. Schorochov    MOL00000000½00½-1

 

Millican – Åhman, 1-0;   Bensiek – Millican, ½-½;   
Millican – Crespo, ½-½;   Millican – Donev, ½-½;   
Millican – Glaser, 1-0;   Jaatinen – Millican, 0-1;   
Kayser – Millican, 0-1;   Millican – Kriško, 1-0;   
Peli – Millican, 0-1;   Millican – Schorochov, 1-0;   
Stock – Millican, 0-1;   Veen – Millican, ½-½

 

This World Championship Semifinal was my best-ever tournament result, coming 1½ points ahead of a strong field. It brought me the title of "International Master" and a "supergrandmaster" rating of 2610 (though it didn't count towards the Grandmaster title, because no existing grandmasters or 2600+ players were involved). It also qualified me to enter for the following World Championship "Candidates" section, but I never followed that up because thanks to my high rating, an even more enticing invitation intervened ...


Norwegian Postal Chess Federation 50th Jubilee, "NPSF-50", 1994-98

Rating   An  Ti  vO  El  Mi  FN  Ba  Pi  Ve  BeMcDMKaTe    TOTAL
Ulf Andersson (FIDE)2620-1½½½½111111½1111½
Gert Jan Timmerman27100-½½½1½11½1111110½
Joop van Oosterom2630½½-½1½½½½½1111110
Hans-Marcus Elvert2625½½½-½½½0½111111
Peter Millican2610½½0½-½½½½1½1½½18
Nils Jørgen Fries Nielsen    2645½0½½½-½½½½½½11½
Erik Bang26800½½½½½-½½½½½½11
Zygmunt Pioch259000½1½½½-½½01½11
Itzhak Veinger258500½½½½½½-½½½111
Wolfgang Häßler26500½½00½½½½-½1111
Ivar Bern25800000½½½1½½-½½01
Colin McNab252000000½½0½0½-11½
Joseph DeMauro2570½000½0½½00½0-½½
Pekka Kauppala26150000½0000010½-13
Henk Temmink248400000½00000½½0-

 

Andersson – Millican, ½-½;   Millican – Bang, ½-½;   
Bern – Millican, ½-½;   Millican – DeMauro, ½-½;   
Millican – Elvert, ½-½;   Millican – Fries Nielsen, ½-½;   
Häßler – Millican, 0-1;   Kauppala – Millican, ½-½;   
McNab – Millican, 0-1;   Millican – Pioch, ½-½;   
Temmink – Millican, 0-1;   Millican – Timmerman, ½-½;   
Millican – van Oosterom, 0-1;   Veinger – Millican, ½-½

 

NPSF-50, organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Norwegian Postal Chess Federation, was the first "Category 15" tournament ever, and as such gave the prospect of qualifying for the title of "International Grandmaster" with a score of only 50%, or 7/14. In the event I was delighted to come fifth, after four of the strongest players in the world, and ahead of at least one future World Champion (Ivar Bern) and the famous Erik Bang – who prior to this tournament hadn't lost a game for 20 years. The tournament also brought my only ever internationally rated loss, to Joop van Oosterom, who outplayed me after I had failed to claim a draw by repetition early on (in the hope of winning with the White pieces). This was more than made up for by a draw with Black in a difficult ending against Ulf Andersson, one of the great endgame players of all time and famous for relentlessly grinding opponents down (in his games with White, he scored a frightening 6½/7, so this was his only draw). However the tournament brought home to me just how difficult it is to win at this level. Against both Timmerman and Fries Nielsen I had very promising attacking positions, but was unable to get through against ingenious defence. With the "International Grandmaster" title achieved, and no prospect of finding the sort of time that would be necessary to have a realistic attempt at going further in the World Championship, I retired from correspondence chess for the foreseeable future.