Past Winners Briant Poulter Chess League

[Neill Cooper]

I am trying to complete the list of past winners of the Surrey based Briant Poulter Chess League, at least since the first name on the championship trophy dated 1938. The trophy is reasonably complete except for a big gap between 1970 and 1985. Glyn School old Boys website lists some victories in the 1970s. If anyone at school in Surrey in the period 1970 to 1985 knows that their team won please could they let me know. The complete list can be found at http://www.cchess.org.uk/SCCAJ/bphistory.html.

Lower down that web page is the list of winners of the related Russell jamboree trophy (missing since about 2006). Here I do not know of the winners before 1999 - again news of any earlier winners would be appreciated.

Thanks

[David Brock]

Hi I played for Beverley boys school between 1978 and 1982 along with Jeremy leake of streatham chess club. I am sure that we won it one year but I think it had different divisions at the time. However maybe the best person to speak to maybe ken Coates as he was our teacher at the time and ran the chess club. I do believe that Glynn grammar school may have won it on several occasions as we used to struggle against them and they were the team we wanted to beat the most. The trouble is your memory fades after time.

[Neill Cooper]

Thanks David - I've been in contact with Ken.

This photo shows what the distinctive trophy looks like.

[Mike Gunn]

1977/78: Whitgift School (source is BCF yearbook 1978/9. It is the 9th yearbook I consulted and the first one to have the Briant Poulter results.)

[Mike Gunn]

and:

1978/9 Whitgift

1979/80 Glyn

1980/81 Hampton

1981/82 Glyn

1982/83 Sutton Manor

1983/84 Glyn

and there stops my run of yearbooks.

Disclaimer: actual years are not given (I have assumed 78/79 results are in the 79/80 yearbook which seems reasonable but some competition results are for a year earlier).

I have also got Div 2 to Div 5 results for all these years and Guildford area results for later years.

[David Brock]

Mike can you post the div 2 and below results as I played in the Beverley Boys team at the time and I am sure we won a lower division around then. Also do they list the game results etc.

Thanks

[Neill Cooper]

Thank Mike. I've updated the list at http://www.cchess.org.uk/SCCAJ/bphistory.html.
I would be interested in Div 2 to 5 and Guildford League results

[Paul Dupré]

Does anyone know when the Briant Poulter League started ?

[Neill Cooper]

Does anyone know when the Briant Poulter League started ?

The first winners in 1937 were John Ruskin School.
I think it started as a Croydon Schools League.

My list of past winners:
2023/24 Hampton School
2022/23 Kings College School (Wimbledon)
2021/22 Kings College School (Wimbledon)
2019/20 Hampton School
2018/19 Hampton School
2017/18 RGS Guildford
2016/17 RGS Guildford
2015/16 Hampton School
2014/15 RGS Guildford
2013/14 Hampton School
2012/13 Wilson's School
2011/12 Wilson's School
2010/11 Wilson's School
2009/10 Wilson's School
2008/09 RGS Guildford
2007/08 Hampton School
2006/07 RGS Guildford
2005/06 Tiffin School
2004/05 RGS Guildford
2003/04 RGS Guildford
2002/03 RGS Guildford
2001/02 Hampton School
2000/01 RGS Guildford
1999/00 Tiffin School
1998/99 Tiffin School
1997/98 Tiffin School
1996/97 Hampton School
1995/96 RGS Guildford
1994 RGS Guildford
1993 RGS Guildford
1992 Hampton School
1991 RGS Guildford
1990 RGS Guildford
1989 RGS Guildford
1988 Sutton Manor School
1987 RGS Guildford
1986 Trinity School
1985 Trinity School
1984 Trinity School
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978 Godalming Grammar School
1977
1976 Glyn Grammar School
1975 Glyn Grammar School
1974
1973 Glyn Grammar School
1972
1971
1970 Glyn Grammar School
1969 Trinity School
1968 Trinity School
1967 Trinity School
1966 Trinity School
1965 Battersea Grammar School
1964 Battersea Grammar School
1963 Tiffin School
1962 Whitgift School
1961 Whitgift School
1960 Whitgift School
1959 Glyn Grammar School
1958 Glyn Grammar School
1957 Whitgift School
1956 Glyn County School
1955
1954 Whitgift School
1953 Whitgift School
1952 Glyn County School
1951 Selhurst Grammar School
1950 Purley County School
1949 Whitgift School
1948 Sutton County School
1947 Whitgift School
1946 Whitgift School
1945 Whitgift School
1944 Whitgift School
1943 Whitgift School
1942 Whitgift School
1941
1940
1939
1938 Sutton County School
1937 John Ruskin School

[Paul Dupré]

Hi Neil,

Great amount of research already.

here's my short list
https://www.surreyrapidchess.org.uk/#section4 - 1984 we disagree. I think I got it from Mike Gunn.

Briant Alfred Poulter
born 24-Feb-1881 Frimley, Surrey
died 25-Jan-1972 Warlingham, Surrey

Briant was a member of Camberley in the 1930s with his 2 nephews Charles and George.
He must have started the league after he moved to Warlingham.

Paul

[Leonard Barden]

I suspect that there was no contest in 1940 and 1941. When I was first taught chess moves by a fellow pupil at Whitgift, probably in the autumn of 1941, it was in the air raid shelter in the school grounds where we sometimes spent several hours a day until the all-clear sounded. I don't think there were many inter-school activities then, and it would have been worse in 1940 when the blitz was in full swing. By early 1942 the situation was much improved, and I can recall my first visit to the chess club classroom and dismally failing to mate with king and rook against king.

[NickFaulks]

Leonard, I have just read this in your Wikipedia entry. Presumably it is not quite accurate.

"Barden learned to play chess at age 13 while in a school shelter during a World War II German air raid."

[Leonard Barden]

Leonard, I have just read this in your Wikipedia entry. Presumably it is not quite accurate.

"Barden learned to play chess at age 13 while in a school shelter during a World War II German air raid."

Thanks for spotting, Nick, that's now corrected.

[Paul Dupré]

from the BCF year book 1937-1938 - Surrey County Chess Association section, under the heading School Chess
In response to circulars sent to Surrey Schools.....blah blah blah.... It is hoped at the beginning of next season to form District Schools Chess Leagues in Clapham, Guildford and Sutton.

from the BCF year book 1938-39 - Surrey County Chess Association section, under the heading School Chess
Two tournaments were played. The Clapham and district competition for the Silver Knight Trophy was won by the Bec School, and the Croydon and district competition for the Briant Poulter Shield was won by the John Ruskin School (Whitgift tied but lost on tie-break).

So, it seems initially their were two leagues.

[Paul Dupré]

from SCCU bulletin 163 (1983)

Briant—Poulter League 1982—3: Div I Sutton Manor 17/20; Div II Emanuel 13/18; Div IIIA Rutlish 14/16; Div IIIB John Griffiths 11/12; Div IV KCS 16/16.
Guildford I RGS I 14/14; Guildford II Wavell 8/8.

Sorry we can’t identify all these schools.