English Chess Forum

These International matches are interesting. Maybe they're something I can try to do in future...

Just to conclude my trawl of the 80's:

1986 – 22 teams. Held in Manchester April 1-4. London, Manchester 27, Southampton 21, Warwick, Leeds 20.5, Oxford, Cambridge 20, Liverpool, Lancaster 19.5, Birmingham 19, Bristol, London II, Exeter 18.5, Manchester II, Edinburgh 18, Kent 17.5 …

1987 – 24 teams. Held at Leeds University. Leeds 26, Southampton 25, London 24, Cambridge 21.5, Manchester, Leicester 21, Newcastle 20.5, Bristol 19.5, Edinburgh, Warwick, Liverpool 19, Sheffield 18.5 … Board prizes – 1. P Caute Durham 5/6, 2. B Jenks Leeds 5/6, 3. B Horrocks London 5.5/6, 4. P Gayson London 5.5/6, 5. R Cannell Manchester 5.5/6, 6. R Walker Southampton 6/6. [There is also the gamescore that took best game prize].

1988 – 22 teams. Held at Bristol March 28-31. Cambridge winners without losing a game. Oxford did not compete. Cambridge 27.5/36, Warwick 24, Manchester 23, London 22.5 …

1989 – Scheduled for Warwick University, but not held (1990's report alludes to a period of hibernation).

1990 – 15 teams. Held Birmingham (Edgbaston) March 26-29. Cambridge 25.5/36, London 25, Leicester, Southampton, Warwick 21.5, Cambridge II, Edinburgh 21, Nottingham 20.5, Lancaster, Southampton II 17.5 … Board prizes – 1. S Dishman Nottingham 5/6, 2. JP Sharp Cambridge 5/6, 3. DA Jarvis Lancaster 4.5, 4. JD Lee Cambridge 5/6, 5. AR Baker Cambridge, P Pals London, T Vout Cambridge II 4.5/6, 6. K Gelly Edinburgh 5/6. [There is also the gamescore that took best game prize].

ref the 1980 report - I double-checked Mr Crorie's initials - they are definitely given as JD Crorie in CHESS, but clearly ID must be correct if we know his name is Ian.

Colin Patterson wrote:1989 – Scheduled for Warwick University, but not held (1990's report alludes to a period of hibernation).

This agrees with the trophy. Why a period of hibernation?

Thanks Colin. I remembered the result, not the board or the opponent. And apologies for not taking in your earlier post, like everyone else!

Simon

I played twice in the BUCA event for Leeds University in the late sixties.

At Swansea in 1967 I played Jim Montgomery (draw) and a Mr Clough (win); the other games and opponents' names have vanished without trace.

In the 1970 edition in Manchester I somehow ended up playing Craig Pritchett twice! Unsurprisingly I lost both, but one was apparently a decent enough game for Pritchett to annotate it in Chess magazine and also in Levy's book Sacrifices in the Sicilian. That's so often the fate of the patzer - to be known only for the instructive losses!

My other two games from Manchester were wins against T.Bimpson and J.Blumson.

Philip Adams wrote:My other two games from Manchester were wins against T.Bimpson and J.Blumson.

Possibly Tom Bimpson now of Atticus in Liverpool?

Mick Norris wrote:

Philip Adams wrote:My other two games from Manchester were wins against T.Bimpson and J.Blumson.

Possibly Tom Bimpson now of Atticus in Liverpool?

The same. I remember feeling a quite nervous, because I was told that he had previously beaten a certain RD Keene, but luckily for me he blundered a piece.

[Event "England (BUCA)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1970.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bimpson, Tom"]
[Black "Adams, Phil"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B93"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "1970.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 Qc7 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. Nf3 Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 g6 11. O-O Bg7 12. Be3 O-O 13. g4 e6 14. Qf2 d5 $5 15. Bb6 Qb8 16. Rad1 Nd7 $1 17. Be3 $2 d4 18. e5 dxc3 19. Be4 Qc7 20. Rd6 cxb2 21. c4 Rac8 22. Rfd1 Ndxe5 23. fxe5 Nxe5 24. Bb1 Qxc4 25. Bd4 Qb4 26. Bxb2 Nxg4 27.hxg4 Bxb2 28. Qf3 Rc4 29. Rd8 Rxg4+ 30. Kh1 Rh4+ 31. Kg1 Qb6+ 32. Qf2 Rh1+ 0-1

CHESS July 1991 - 1991 event:
15 teams. Held Swansea (Univ Campus) at Easter. Event opened by Rt. Hon. Lord Callaghan [Photo of him shaking hands with Sec. Richard Warriner].

First year of BUPCA, heralding the inclusion of Polytechnics. None entered!
Nottingham 25.5, Leicester 23.5, Bristol 23, Oxford, Cambridge 21, Southampton 19 ...
Michael Hennigan (Bristol) tied with Graeme Buckley (Bath) for Board 1 and best individual score prizes. Hennigan took best game prize for his effort against Adam Collinson. [Best Game score included].

Alex Holowczak wrote:These International matches are interesting. Maybe they're something I can try to do in future...

There was some kind of European Student Open tournament in 1995 or 96. No idea who organised it. Bristol sent a team. It was in Lille over an Easter weekend IIRC, 11 rounds of rapid chess. The teams didn't play matches, everyone just played as individuals as in a normal Open tournament and the team scores were aggregated. I don't have any record of the event but I think we (Bristol) possibly finished as high as 6th or 7th - we had a strong team in those days, even without Mike Hennigan who was at Bristol at the time but didn't play in Lille. I know I finished reasonably high (4th or 5th?) in the individual standings, cos I won a cheap trophy and some primitive chess software that came on about six floppy disks!

Can anyone confirm for me the location of the 1951, 1952 and 1953 BUCA Championships please?

In the BCM Office there is a debate as to whether the 1952 event was held in Swansea or Bristol.

Thanks for any help!

This link suggests that the 1952 championship was in Bristol.

The August 1952 issue of Chess confirms Bristol University as the venue. Won by Peter Oakley from Neil Honan with Bernard Cafferty and Peter Clarke filling the next two places.

Jon's link to Mr Lerchs is interesting. Chess relates that some Bristol notable said that the chess had attracted more publicity for Bristol than Danny Kaye. Mr Lerchs who was a student from Lithuania said who is Danny Kaye - is he a chess player. Goodness, B H Wood was a card - how they must have roared.

Oh and by the way, before somebody jumps on me, I know that BHW did a great deal for chess over many many years. His sense of humour throughout the entire period when he was in charge of Chess, however, leaves me struggling.

Jon D'Souza-Eva wrote:This link suggests that the 1952 championship was in Bristol.

Thanks and Bernard wins his bet with another member of the Editorial Team!

Re the 1990 event ... 2nd was Imperial College (rather than London Uni) - I remember some funding 'discussions' at Imperial at the time ... both Cambridge and Imperial put-out decent squads and I think the best game prize went to the draw between Kev McCann and Graeme Burgess. As I recall the Cambridge-Imperial match had 6 draws and the event was decided on the outcome of the last game to finish.

Paul Lamford came for the prizegiving and provided an entertaining discourse....

Seems a very long time ago now...

Paul

John Upham wrote:Can anyone confirm for me the location of the 1951, 1952 and 1953 BUCA Championships please?

In the BCM Office there is a debate as to whether the 1952 event was held in Swansea or Bristol.

Thanks for any help!

Oxford won the 1951 Championships, with Leonard Barden on top board. Oxford is indicated as the venue; perhap's Leonard could confirm.