Elaine Pritchard

Elaine Pritchard
Country	England
Born	(1926-01-07)January 7, 1926
Died	7 January 2012(2012-01-07) (aged 86)
Title	Woman International Master (1957)

Elaine Zelia Pritchard (7 January 1926 – 7 January 2012), née Saunders, was an English chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master (WIM, 1957). She was a four-time winner of the British Women's Chess Championship (1939, 1946, 1956, 1965).

Biography

Learned to play chess at the age of five. She's known for being a child prodigy.^[1] For two consecutive years, she won the World Girl Chess Championships (1936, 1937), and also successfully participated in simultaneous exhibitions against Alexander Alekhine and Rudolf Spielmann.^[2]

Later, for decades, she has been among England's leading women chess players. Elaine Pritchard four times won the British Women's Chess Championships (1939, 1946 — after winning an additional match against Rowena Mary Bruce,^[3] 1956, 1965).^[4]

Elaine Pritchard played for England in the Women's Chess Olympiads:^[5]

• In 1957, at first board in the 1st Chess Olympiad (women) in Emmen (+6, =4, -4),
• In 1972, at second board in the 5th Chess Olympiad (women) in Skopje (+1, =2, -4),
• In 1974, at second board in the 6th Chess Olympiad (women) in Medellín (+4, =2, -2),
• In 1976, at second board in the 7th Chess Olympiad (women) in Haifa (+4, =2, -2) and won the team silver medal,
• In 1978, at second board in the 8th Chess Olympiad (women) in Buenos Aires (+2, =3, -1).

In 1957, she was awarded the FIDE International Women Master (WIM) title. She was author of two chess books and an Honorary Life Member of the English Chess Federation.^[6]

Literature

• Elaine Pritchard. Chess For Pleasure. London. 1971. ISBN 9780571092017
• Elaine Pritchard. Young Chess Player. London. 1976. ISBN 9780571105670

References

External links

• Elaine Pritchard player profile and games at Chessgames.com
• Elaine Pritchard chess games at 365Chess.com