British Chess Champions of the past

[James Pratt]

Gillian Moore gave-up for many years. Her story is on the Hampshire Website entitlled 'Gillian the Conqueror' which the interested can Google. This is also in RL Paige's book now along with many stories and games. I lack the exact title I'm affraid but, once again, Google will reveal I hope.

[Paul Bielby]

I first played in the British Championships in 1959 in York and am both playing and arbiting this year. However the only record I might claim is that, as NCCU President, I welcomed the Congress to Morecambe in 1975, and, as Northumberland President, performed the same function at North Shields this year.

[JustinHorton]

Gillian Moore gave-up for many years. Her story is on the Hampshire Website entitlled 'Gillian the Conqueror' which the interested can Google.

...or check the first page of this thread....

[Jonathan Bryant]

Well 46 years is an impressive figure - record or no record. Obviously the format of the championship and the various fringe events has changed over the years making it hard to compare like with like but it would be interesting to see who does hold the record.

The subsidiary events maybe, but I doubt there's anybody playing in the Championship who was playing before the current format. I know it's been an 11 round swiss since 1971 at least and Richard James tells me it's sixty years (or more).

[Paul McKeown]

Last British Championship held as a round robin was Bishopsgate 1948; first Swiss was Felixstowe 1949.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Last British Championship held as a round robin was Bishopsgate 1948; first Swiss was Felixstowe 1949.

Thanks Paul.

Do you happen to know if it's always been an 11-round Swiss and has the rest day always been on the Sunday for a tournament that starts on Monday one week and ends on Friday the next. In other words, has the format always been exactly the same as now?

[Richard James]

Last British Championship held as a round robin was Bishopsgate 1948; first Swiss was Felixstowe 1949.

Thanks Paul.

Do you happen to know if it's always been an 11-round Swiss and has the rest day always been on the Sunday for a tournament that starts on Monday one week and ends on Friday the next. In other words, has the format always been exactly the same as now?

I believe so, yes. I suspect that the 11 rounds 2 weeks with rest day middle Sunday has been the case a lot longer than that, quite possibly since the British Championship started.

We've always done it that way so why on earth would we want to change it?

[Malcolm Clarke]

Back to the subject of Gillian Moore, I can confirm that she is currently Treasurer of the Hampshire Chess Association, Chairman of the Southampton Chess League and took over as coordinator of the Hampshire Individual Championship from myself three years ago.

She plays in both the Southampton and Portsmouth Leagues and is currently playing in the Seniors championship of the British, where on another thread Jack Rudd pointed out an unusual feature of a game she won.

[James Pratt]

Still listed as qualifiers for Torquay 2019:
two ladies no longer with us, Margaret Clarke and Joan Doulton. (So is Bryon Jacobs for that matter)

[Richard Bates]

So is Bryon Jacobs for that matter

?

EDIT: oh, you mean there's no such person!

[Neil Graham]

In response to the last post I suggest a visit to Newstead Abbey, the home of Lord Bryon

https://www.newsteadabbey.org.uk/

[Stewart Reuben]

Richard James >I believe so, yes. I suspect that the 11 rounds 2 weeks with rest day middle Sunday has been the case a lot longer than that, quite possibly since the British Championship started.

We've always done it that way so why on earth would we want to change it? <

That's odd. The British Championship is 9 rounds and has been for a few years. Jonthan Bryant should also note this.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Stewart, both the posts you quote/mention were written in 2012, when the British was still 11 rounds. This thread was started in 2012, and only recently resurrected by a new post made by James Pratt on 23 March 2019. The British Chess Championships have been a nine-round Swiss since 2017 (i.e. for two years so far).

See also: British Chess Championship 1949-2016: Comparison of 11 round scores with 9 round scores (by John Saunders)

[IM Jack Rudd]

There's one error I can spot on that list - the 2012 actual winners should have Stephen Gordon in brackets.