Chess club folds

[Mike Gunn]

Clubs lost to Surrey League (recently)

O4C's 2007 as mentioned above they lasted for a couple of years
Dulwich Plough 2005 left after being promoted - against their will
Sutton 2003 lack of willing officers

Clubs recently joined:

Beckenham 2014
Castles 2008

Examination of old yearbooks shows a regular turnover of clubs with just a few remaining since 1883: South Norwood, Wallington and Streatham/ Brixton (or "Endeavour" as it was known then.

[Peter D Williams]

! I saw Ray at CCF yesterday.

Should have asked Ray why the chess club failed when you saw him yesterday

Right time for a nice cup of tea.

[MSoszynski]

Code: Select all

Over the years many a chess club name has disappeared [...] To the unknowing record studier, it may seem that many players changed clubs, but most often it was the club that changed not the player.

I recommend reading the rest of the Names section at the bottom of the page devoted to the history of Birmingham & District Chess League: http://records.birminghamchess.org.uk/History.htm

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Code: Select all

Over the years many a chess club name has disappeared [...] To the unknowing record studier, it may seem that many players changed clubs, but most often it was the club that changed not the player.

I recommend reading the rest of the Names section at the bottom of the page devoted to the history of Birmingham & District Chess League: http://records.birminghamchess.org.uk/History.htm

Those are hilarious, thanks for that!

"...before splintering into Solihull & Solihull Youth. Solihull Youth got old and rejoined Solihull..."

"The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Ante ... _Buffaloes

So not a made up name, then.

[Roger de Coverly]

Those are hilarious, thanks for that!

Both the Birmingham list and the parallel list from Manchester rather refute the assertion that

Then (1950s) chess was largely a pastime of the privately educated from London & SE.

[Stewart Reuben]

> (1950s) chess was largely a pastime of the privately educated from London & SE.<

In London schools, chess was dominated by grammar schools in the 1950s. My own school, William Ellis, was dominant; winning the London Schools League 6 years in a row. No secondary moderns played and there were very few comprehensives. It also reached the quarter finals of the National Club Championship once and also won the adult Middlesex League once. In the late 50s, St Paul's rose up to become second.
But Manchester Grammar won the first-ever Sunday Times National Schools Championship.
Later on of course the grammar schools were mainly done away with and chess did become the preserve of private schools.
Dulwich College became immensely strong when Ray Keene was there.
St Paul's holds a world record I believe. 4 GMs attended the school though not all at the same time: Speelman, Hodgson, Watson and Kumaran. Hodgson and Watson were in the same year.

Sorry to have derailed the thread. So returning:
North London Club was a powerhouse. It withered away and merged with Islington. Thus Islington & North London. I was told the older club virtually brought only a few sets to the merger. I later donated those sets to one of the schools in which I later taught.
1951 I joined I & NL. They made a small 12 year old in shorts very welcome. They were in the 4th division of the London League. The club later became utterly dominant in English chess and many initiatives still stem from it. The club was running a tournament every other week for some years under George Goodwin. But it all slowly died away and the club no longer exists, nor does the Islington Congress which had 1500 entries in 1973. All very sad.

[Roger de Coverly]

Later on of course the grammar schools were mainly done away with and chess did become the preserve of private schools.

What is new over the past twenty years is the rise of boarding schools. Although scholarships blur the issue, strong school age players of the years before then may have come from the fee paying sector, but they were invariably from day schools.

[Stewart Reuben]

Adrian Hollis attended Eton.
James Plaskett Bedford Grammar. I don't know whether he boarded.
Michael Adams was 'on the books' of Truro School until 18. But he went professional at 16 and only went for one day in the U6th.
Of course Millfield, Oakham, Harrow, that Northern Catholic School, (Uppingham?) all had or have chess scholarships. Some also have chess teachers.
Some players were/are home schooled.

[Ian Kingston]

Adrian Hollis attended Eton.
James Plaskett Bedford Grammar. I don't know whether he boarded.
Michael Adams was 'on the books' of Truro School until 18. But he went professional at 16 and only went for one day in the U6th.
Of course Millfield, Oakham, Harrow, that Northern Catholic School, (Uppingham?) all had or have chess scholarships. Some also have chess teachers.
Some players were/are home schooled.

A small correction: Jim Plaskett's school was Bedford Modern School. We faced each other once on top board in a school match in 1977, as well as twice in the Bedfordshire Junior Championship in 1978.

[Neill Cooper]

I believe the name of the club was the O4Cs - shorthand for something more meaningful, perhaps?

Old Coulsdon and Caterham Chess Club.

[Neill Cooper]

In London schools, chess was dominated by grammar schools in the 1950s. My own school, William Ellis, was dominant; winning the London Schools League 6 years in a row. No secondary moderns played and there were very few comprehensives. It also reached the quarter finals of the National Club Championship once and also won the adult Middlesex League once. In the late 50s, St Paul's rose up to become second.
But Manchester Grammar won the first-ever Sunday Times National Schools Championship.
Later on of course the grammar schools were mainly done away with and chess did become the preserve of private schools.

It was Calday Grange GS, Wirral who won the first National Schools Championship in 1958. Manchester Grammar (an independent school) won it for the first time in 1991.
Chess, though, is no longer the preserve of private schools. 4 of the 8 schools at this year's national finals were state schools. Including the winners, Reading School - who themselves have a limited number of boarding pupils.

However, the really important thing in my view is that it is the numbers and types of schools participating, not dominating, that is important. Hence my aim, as ECF Manager of School Chess, is to organise school events which ALL schools involved can enjoy. That way school chess clubs and teams will continue rather than fold.

[Stewart Reuben]

Oops I got muddled up. Of course Calday Grange. I actually played in the first one of 1957-8, my third year in the 6th. But we only reached the quarter-finals. My school once played a 100 board match against Harrow County. We won about 70-30. 2 primary schools once played 109 boards.
I look forward to your getting the number of teams back over 1000!

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Clubs lost to Surrey League (recently)

O4C's 2007 as mentioned above they lasted for a couple of years
Dulwich Plough 2005 left after being promoted - against their will
Sutton 2003 lack of willing officers

Clubs recently joined:

Beckenham 2014
Castles 2008"

Didn't Woking go off in a huff as they were not promoted? Admittedly, they didn't attend the meeting deciding these things, (or explain why they were eager for promotion) which weakened their case.

[Mike Gunn]

Woking withdrew from playing in the league when they weren't promoted (from being 2nd in the Beaumont [2nd division for non Surrey people]) but they are still affiliated to the County Association.

[John McKenna]

Continuing on the subject of chess clubs fold instead of 'chess club folds' - what happened to Hampton?