Talk:Cecil Purdy

Purdy's last words
Quoth the article:


 * He died playing chess OTB (Over The Board, meaning face to face), his final words being "I have a win, but it will take some time".

I don't want to sound like a rotten skeptic, but does anybody have a reputable source (ie, not some random webpage itself unsourced) for this? If it's probably apocryphal, that's fine, but we should probably say that "there is a story that..." rather than just state it as a bald fact. --Camembert

This can be verified (or debunked) as I know some of the witnesses to this event, including the doctor who treated him when he collapsed. However it is not likely I will speak to them for a few months. shaunpress

I believe this story to be true. In the book "How Purdy Won: The Correspondence Chess Career of a World Champion" (ISBN 0-7255-1439-6) which was co-authored by Frank Hutchings (CJS Purdy's son-in-law) the story is repeated with the quote exactly as you describe above. stephen.frost


 * I have read it in print somewhere, from a reliable source. I can't remember where though.  Bubba73 (talk), 15:53, 9 May 2007 (UTC)


 * shaunpress left the following comment on my Talk page back in July 2007: On another matter, the CJS Purdy entry contains the apocryphal last words story ("I have a win but it may take some time") without any citation. I was going to add "Cite Needed" but reading your comments on this matter, you may want to take sterner action. I've spoken to a few people who have better knowledge of the incident than me (including Dr Vasil Tulevski who was present) and (a) no one has confirmed he said those words and (b) according to Ian Rogers it was unlikely he would have said that as in the final position he stood worse after being better earlier in the game. Peter Ballard (talk) 03:03, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

last words, last game?
The last game of Purdy's in ChessBase is one against Ian Rogers and this as the final position. White just moved 43. Ka1. Since Rogers is quoted regarding Purdy's last words and game, this may be it. He may have sealed Ka1, in a lost position. Bubba73 (Who's attacking me now?), 21:20, 26 December 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, probably not. Rogers said that Purdy would not have mistaken a drawn position from a win, but this position is a loss.  Bubba73 (Who's attacking me now?), 21:25, 26 December 2009 (UTC)