As a "noob" I am curious if any other noob like me has ever played the top guys? When I was a kid I played Alfred Lenton in the back of his shop in High Street Leicester (he sold model railway, skelextric and stamp stuff amongst many things). I was a strong youth player before giving up playing until recently. He thrashed me without mercy and told me in no uncertain terms I played schoolboy chess. 45 years later and with Alf long gone his son still runs the shop (which is exactly the same). I am proud to have played this sleeping giant from my own town of Leicester. He passed away in 2004 and was apparently still playing for Thurnby Lodge.
Alf Lenton was a notable player immediately before WW2, playing in the first three Anglo-Dutch internationals and the last four pre-war British Championship tournaments. He made his debut in the British Championship in Great Yarmouth in 1935, when he finished 3rd= (with Golombek, Michell and Tylor) behind Winter and Sir George Thomas. In 1936 he improved to 2nd= with Ritson Morry, once again behind Winter. Had he taken a good chance to beat Winter he might have won the championship that year.
You should put his name in the topic. There might be a few people who know of him or his shop.
There is a page about Lenton on chess games.com- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=58969
He beat Alekhine in a simul.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1921235
As a "noob" I am curious if any other noob like me has ever played the top guys? When I was a kid I played Alfred Lenton in the back of his shop in High Street Leicester (he sold model railway, skelextric and stamp stuff amongst many things). I was a strong youth player before giving up playing until recently. He thrashed me without mercy and told me in no uncertain terms I played schoolboy chess. 45 years later and with Alf long gone his son still runs the shop (which is exactly the same). I am proud to have played this sleeping giant from my own town of Leicester. He passed away in 2004 and was apparently still playing for Thurnby Lodge.