The Battle of Britain event was run as a knockout regionally until eventually 4 (I think) players qualified for an all-play-all final somewhere in the Midlands (Leicester I think).
I played a few times in the 60s and usually got paired in round 1 against someone from my club, once I got someone not from my club, but luckily he (as white) started 1.e4 e5, 2.h4... If I reached round 2, I played someone from another nearby club. Surrey has a lot of nearby clubs. So the Surrey zone minimised the travel even more. Winners of the zones played winners of other zones etc.
I imagine "Chess" covered it, so if someone wants to dig out their 1950s to early 1970s editions, they can illuminate us more.
Battle of Waterloo
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Roger de Coverly
- Posts: 21318
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm
Re: Battle of Waterloo
I wonder when it finished. Earlier in the thread it's suggested it was still running as late as 1979. The attractions of that type of event faded once there was a Congress or several somewhere in the UK almost every weekend. I suppose as it was run externally to the BCF, it's been almost totally forgotten. I've never seen the roll call of winners.Kevin Thurlow wrote:I imagine "Chess" covered it, so if someone wants to dig out their 1950s to early 1970s editions, they can illuminate us more.
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Ken Norman
- Posts: 166
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:07 pm
Re: Battle of Waterloo
There are several items about the Battle of Britain Tournament in the 1956 British Chess Magazine.
January BCM Page 8 “ Entries are invited for the 1956 Battle of Britain Tournament, held in aid of the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund. The winner will hold the Battle of Britain Trophy for one year, and in addition there will be prizes of £8, £4, £2, £1, four of 10 shillings each and special prizes of 10 shillings each for the best performance by a Lady and by a junior(under eighteen). All players resident in Great Britain are eligible to compete, though matches must be played in the Greater London Area.”
Then in September BCM page 233
“Battle of Britain Finalists
Out of the record entry of 186 competitors who have been fighting an eight –zone battle during the past months the following four players have won their way to the final pool: M.J.Franklin, J.A.Fuller, J.B.Hawson and K.C.Messere. These four will play in an American tournament at the National Chess Centre, Bishopsgate, when it re-opens on September 4th to decide the eventual winner.
Air Vice- Marshall Sir John Cordingley, K.C.B., C.B.E., Controller of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, will present the prizes at the centre on Thursday September 13th at 6.30pm.”
Finally in October BCM page 285
“Battle of Britain Final
This took place at the National Chess Centre during the first two weeks of September and resulted as follows
1) J.A.Fuller 2.5 2) M.J.Franklin 2 3) K.C.Messere 1.5 4) J.B.Hawson 0
The best performance by a Lady in the competition was by Miss J. Doulton, a well-known competitor in congresses up and down the country.
The prizes were distributed on Thursday, September 13th at a pleasing ceremony at the National Chess Centre by Air Vice Marshall Sir John Cordingley, who received a cheque for £36 for the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund, a record for this event.”
January BCM Page 8 “ Entries are invited for the 1956 Battle of Britain Tournament, held in aid of the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund. The winner will hold the Battle of Britain Trophy for one year, and in addition there will be prizes of £8, £4, £2, £1, four of 10 shillings each and special prizes of 10 shillings each for the best performance by a Lady and by a junior(under eighteen). All players resident in Great Britain are eligible to compete, though matches must be played in the Greater London Area.”
Then in September BCM page 233
“Battle of Britain Finalists
Out of the record entry of 186 competitors who have been fighting an eight –zone battle during the past months the following four players have won their way to the final pool: M.J.Franklin, J.A.Fuller, J.B.Hawson and K.C.Messere. These four will play in an American tournament at the National Chess Centre, Bishopsgate, when it re-opens on September 4th to decide the eventual winner.
Air Vice- Marshall Sir John Cordingley, K.C.B., C.B.E., Controller of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, will present the prizes at the centre on Thursday September 13th at 6.30pm.”
Finally in October BCM page 285
“Battle of Britain Final
This took place at the National Chess Centre during the first two weeks of September and resulted as follows
1) J.A.Fuller 2.5 2) M.J.Franklin 2 3) K.C.Messere 1.5 4) J.B.Hawson 0
The best performance by a Lady in the competition was by Miss J. Doulton, a well-known competitor in congresses up and down the country.
The prizes were distributed on Thursday, September 13th at a pleasing ceremony at the National Chess Centre by Air Vice Marshall Sir John Cordingley, who received a cheque for £36 for the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund, a record for this event.”