At school in the early 1950s I used to send in solutions to chess problems set by "Assiac" (Heinrich Fraenkel) in his New Statesman column and won quite a few prizes. I quickly became familiar with the names of other regular prize-winners, one of whom was "JW Cornforth".
Some years later I was due to play in a match for Cambridge University against Hampstead Chess Club and found that my opponent was the same JW Cornforth. I had no idea that he was a distinguished organic chemist nor that he was profoundly deaf, but knowing that he was a good player I was hoping for an enjoyable game and, perhaps, the opportunity to compare notes on the New Statesman column. In the event our game was hard fought and ended in an honourable draw. I cannot remember how we agreed upon the draw; presumably by sign language. In continental circles the proposal of a draw between players ignorant of each other's language was often made by one player holding up the first and second fingers of one hand crossed over the same fingers of the other, accompanied by a questioning glance. Whatever happened, I have happy memories of an encounter with such a remarkable and amiable man.