I recently came across what must surely be the nastiest and most offensive obituary ever published within the chess world. It was Bill Hartston's obituary of W Ritson Morry, published in The Independent newspaper on 16 February 1994. The title alone was enough: "Chess: The world is now a less smelly place". The full piece is now available online, and can be found here.
Readers are invited to read the above piece, and then consider what the reaction within the chess world would be, if say, Nigel Short were to have authored the piece. His numerous termitic detractors never cease to harp on about his (admittedly rather tasteless) quip about sleeping with Tony Miles' girlfriend, in his own obit. of Miles. None are more vociferous in this regard than the Bedlam Brigade, especially Justin "CITC" Horton. Yet some 18 months ago, the Bedlam Brigade published a fawning interview with Hartston and they have never, to my knowledge, uttered a word of criticism of him.
As I have said many times before, the chess world needs its moral compass re-calibrated.
