“He was commonly known as Otto Clarke”

  Sir Richard William Barnes Clarke (13 August 1910 – 21 June 1975) inventor of the British grading system.

  He was a first-class Chess player and a leading figure in the higher management of British Chess. FIDE awards traditional Chess titles on the basis of a players rating or grading.

  Some players were rated by the handicap they received (odds of 1, 2 or 3 moves, an extra Rook, Knight, etc). Today, the expression top board is used to indicate the best player in a club or team.

  Clarke died in the University College Hospital, in London, on 21 June 1975 and was cremated at Golders Green three days later. He was survived by his wife Brenda Pile and their three sons.