English Chess Forum

Hello Everyone,

We are reaching out to you, as the family of Frank & Vera Winter. For a while, we have been looking through our historical paperwork, to find out more about the Frank Winter Chess Cup.

Our Dad died on 7th November 1979, some 43 years ago now, but he, like our Mum, are forever in our hearts.

After we lost Dad, the family started to have an annual get together on the May Bank holiday, as Mum’s birthday was 2nd May. After some good, but mostly chilly days, we moved our annual get together to the Summer months, and now we always meet up on the first Saturday in July.

There is around 140 of us, directly descended from Mum & Dad. We can’t all be together on the annual get together, but as many of us that can, are always there. As great great grandparents, to some, who never had the fortune to meet Frank & Vera, we would like to bring their memories to life this year, and each and every year in the future.

I realise this is a long read, and the reason for contacting you in this way, is to find out if the Frank Winter Chess Cup is still being played for, and if anyone has a photograph of the Cup, or anything else which will be of interest to us, such as who was the first recipient, and who is the current holder?

We are aware, there was The “Frank Winter” Memorial Open Tournament during 1994, and again any details anyone may have, would be very much appreciated by us all.

We sadly lost our eldest brother, Cyril during 2021, he was a keen chess player, and taught chess during his retirement, and we suspect a lot of our Dad’s Chess history, has been lost when we lost him.

I attach a photograph of my Dad, at our wedding, and his travelling Chess board, which I was lucky enough to receive & cherish, just after he passed.

It would be fantastic to hear any news of our Dad, especially after all this time.

With kind wishes
Mandy Higginson
Youngest of the 10 of us!

It looks like this has been previously discussed.

see viewtopic.php?t=11283


The Trophy is connected with a long running series of Surrey tournaments.

Yes, the Surrey "Open" became a Memorial event, which was fair enough, he did run rather a lot of tournaments.

Mandy Higginson wrote: ↑

Sat May 27, 2023 3:07 pm

We sadly lost our eldest brother, Cyril during 2021, he was a keen chess player, and taught chess during his retirement, and we suspect a lot of our Dad’s Chess history, has been lost when we lost him.

I'm delighted to have found this thread.

Cyril John Winter and I worked together at Elvetham Heath Primary School (Fleet) where Cyril assisted me with the school chess club. He loved every minute of working with the children and used his expertise within the print industry to produce aids and tip sheets for the children which they loved.

Cyril was a keen member of Crowthorne Chess Club (as was I which I joined in around 1974 with Mark A. Johnstone from Yateley School.

When Cyril passed away he willed me his chess items which included a demonstration board which I collected from a mobile home park near Ascot.

A lovely gentleman and I'm sure Frank was also.

Hello John,

I’m delighted to hear from you, and I will definitely share your comments with my Siblings and our wider family, in July this year, when most of us will be together.

If it’s not too cheeky, do you have any copies of Cyril’s Chess Aide Sheets, it would be lovely to share them around the family.

Thank you for responding.

Mandy

Bill Pettigrew used to give Frank Winter the occasional lift at the BCF Congress at Ayr 1978. John Upham and I, as teenagers, were amongst other passengers along with Norman Littlewood.

James Pratt wrote: ↑

Sun May 28, 2023 5:10 pm

Bill Pettigrew used to give Frank Winter the occasional lift at the BCF Congress at Ayr 1978. John Upham and I, as teenagers, were amongst other passengers along with Norman Littlewood.

WJ Pettigrew recounted a number of tales of his times in the Police force (Yorkshire I presume) as a driver. He attempted to provide demonstrations of his driving prowess. I had not learnt to drive then but was to go on to earn an FIA International B Rally license together and became an Member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) at the first attempt on April 9th 1988.

We went for various tours around Ayr.

For many years I was one of the organisers of the Surrey Chess Congress. We continued the previous tradition of calling the top section of the tournament "the Frank Winter Open" although I (for one) had no idea who Frank Winter was and I never saw an actual (physical) trophy being awarded in all that time. The last time the Surrey Chess Congress took place was in October 2018 at Kingston University and that would be the last time the title "winner of the Frank Winter open" was awarded. An attempt to continue the event at the same location in 2019 collapsed due to a lack of entries, and there has been no Surrey Congress since then.

If anyone reading this would like to resuscitate the Surrey Congress under the aupices of the Surrey County Chess Association then get in touch with me and I will put you in touch with the people who may give you permission to do so. I still retain some historic documents relating to the running of the congress when it started (in 1975) and the later years 2000-2018.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Sat May 27, 2023 5:55 pm

Mandy Higginson wrote: ↑

Sat May 27, 2023 3:07 pm

We sadly lost our eldest brother, Cyril during 2021, he was a keen chess player, and taught chess during his retirement, and we suspect a lot of our Dad’s Chess history, has been lost when we lost him.

I'm delighted to have found this thread.

Cyril John Winter and I worked together at Elvetham Heath Primary School (Fleet) where Cyril assisted me with the school chess club. He loved every minute of working with the children and used his expertise within the print industry to produce aids and tip sheets for the children which they loved.

Cyril was a keen member of Crowthorne Chess Club (as was I which I joined in around 1974 with Mark A. Johnstone from Yateley School.

When Cyril passed away he willed me his chess items which included a demonstration board which I collected from a mobile home park near Ascot.

A lovely gentleman and I'm sure Frank was also.

I'm currently researching the winners of the SCCA individual tournaments, and a C. J. Winter won the Wernick Cup in 1955. I was wondering if it was Cyril. Also, the note I have from Martin Cath was that he played for a club beginning with 'HAN' in or around Surrey (in the fifties obviously), which totally escapes me.