Bedfordshire’s finest ever player, GM James Plaskett, once decided that it was too difficult to make money in chess and tried showbiz instead. He entered the tv show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ and did rather well. When I last returned home to study, I spoke to friends about this, since his former teacher and mentor Paul Habershon still plays for Bedfordshire, and one of my friends remembers James very well, describing him as ‘learned’ from an early age, and likely to do well on such a show.
I found James’s performance to be intriguing on many levels, he seemed totally focused and completely unphased by the whole thing. The presenter Chris Tarrant didn’t know how to handle him at times, and showed great respect throughout I thought. I won’t say how well James did, or ‘Jim’ as he is known amongst friends, all I will say is that I only got half as far as he did, and I’m pretty strong on general knowledge. Anyway, enjoy.
(Video 1 – please go to 5.50 to Jim in action)
The last question which the author was able to answer.
Bedford Modern School. Though Mr.Habershon, still in the 190’s, beat my 1f4 when I was most active, one of his proteges, a certain Ben McFarlane, who had reached 170 before he left school was not so fortunate, resigning on move 28 if memory serves me correctly.
For a detailed account of James’s performance, click on the following link http://en.chessbase.com/post/james-plaskett-almost-became-a-millionaire
McCreadyandChess 
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