V. R. Parton | |
|---|---|
 V. R. Parton demonstrating 3D chess to a reporter for the Birmingham Post, 9 September 1957 | |
| Born | Vernon Rylands Parton 2 October 1897 Cannock, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 31 December 1974 (aged 77) Liverpool, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Known for |
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Vernon Rylands Parton (2 October 1897 – 31 December 1974) was an English chess enthusiast and prolific chess variant inventor, his most renowned variants being Alice chess[1][2] and Racing Kings.[3][4] Many of Parton's variants were inspired by the fictional characters and stories in the works of Lewis Carroll. Parton's formal education background, like Lewis Carroll's, was in mathematics.[5] Parton's interests were wide and he was a great believer in Esperanto.
Parton's early education stemmed from his father's schools, where he also assisted. Parton's father was principal of Cannock Grammar School and a small international boarding school for children. After completing mathematics at Chester Teaching College, Parton returned to his father's school to give private instruction to older children in Latin, French, German, English, shorthand, typing, bookkeeping, and mathematics.[5] In the 1920s he was left in charge of the school while his father returned to teach in state schools. Ill health cut short Parton's teaching career.
In 1960 Parton moved from Cannock to Liverpool, into a terraced house near Penny Lane, and published a series of nine monographs from 1961 to 1974 (also 1975 posthumously) detailing his inventions. He died from emphysema at age 77 in Liverpool on 31 December 1974. The same year, variant inventor Philip M. Cohen created the variant Parton Chess in his honour.
I have distinct memories of sitting on his knee and listening to these [Lewis Carroll] stories, and not a book in sight.
I always knew him as a gentle and kindly person, and rarely saw one of his dark moods. He seemed to relate best to children.
I saw Vern often until about 1950, frequently accompanying him to his favourite location, the town library, or to the tobacconist, he having become a smoker. He seemed very reluctant to go out on his own. He had a favourite uncle, who was blind, and Vern was content to escort him around.
Vern never wanted to benefit financially from his work, but asked only for a contribution to charities for the blind.
— Peter Parton (nephew)[5]