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The 1949 Durban championship was won by John Earp, who was the son
of long time member Bob Earp. A newspaper article on his aunt, Mrs Constance Fisher,
revealed that John was brought up in England by his aunt, as his mother died when
he was a lad, and Bob Earp spent the war years in southern Africa.
Mrs Fisher used to teach mathematics and chess, and she taught John
how to play chess when he was 10, and within weeks he was beating her.
He then joined the Cheltenham chess club, where he became a strong
player. The family were reunited after the war in Durban in 1947.
The Earps were a talented chess family, as John's grandparents
were also keen chess players, and his uncle Charles Earp played
chess for Cambridge University.
The following game was played in the Inter Club tournament held
in Harrismith. Black was the reigning South African champion
(source: SA Chessplayer, November 1953).
1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 g6 3.Bd3 Bg7 4.Nd2 d6 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.c3 0-0 7.0-0 e5
8.e4 Nh5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Nc4 f5 11.Bg5 Qe8 12.Be3 b6 13.Qe2 f4
14.Bc1 Bf6 15.b3 Kh8 16.Ncd2 Na5 17.Ba3 Rg8 18.Nc4 Nb7 19.h3 a6
20.Bb2 b5?
(Falling into the rather obvious trap)
21.Ncxe5! Nc5
(Since 21...Bxe5? 22.Nxe5 Qxe5 23.c4 wins)
22.c4 b4 23.Ng4?
(Extremely timid; simply 23.Rad1 was winning)
23...Bxg4 24.hxg4 Nxd3 25.Bxf6+ Nxf6 26.Qxd3 Qxe4 27.Qxe4 Nxe4
28.Rfe1 Rge8 29.Nd4 Rad8?
(Losing a vital pawn; 29...c5 draws easily)
30.Nc6 Rd2 31.f3! Nd6 32.Rxe8+ Nxe8 33.Nxb4 Rd6 34.Re1 Nf6
35.g5 Nh5 36.Re8+ Kg7 37.Re7+ Kg8 38.Rxc7 Rd1+ 39.Kh2
(Not 39.Kf2?? Ng3 then ...Rf1#)
39...Ng3 40.Kh3 and White won 1-0
Earp,John - Eriksen,John
Inter Club (3), Harrismith, Sep 1953