BRITISH ISLANDS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

[Martyn Griffiths]

Between c1977 and C1984 there was a British Islands Chess Championship. I have found very little about it on BNA and am wondering if there are any records elsewhere eg BCM. I am particularly interested in the matches concerning Anglesey - who played for them and how they got on. I'm surprised that these matches aren't still going, especially with the current means of playing remotely.

[John Upham]

Between c1977 and C1984 there was a British Islands Chess Championship. I have found very little about it on BNA and am wondering if there are any records elsewhere eg BCM. I am particularly interested in the matches concerning Anglesey - who played for them and how they got on. I'm surprised that these matches aren't still going, especially with the current means of playing remotely.

Was the event titled

The British Isles Championships

or

The British Islands Championships?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

In 1983 the competition was called The Lloyds Bank Islands Trophy. The six entries that year were: Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Jersey, Shetland, Guernsey and Anglesey. A report of the competition refers to the Isle of Wight and Anglesey rejoining the fold, suggesting that they didn't take part in 1982. The report also says that the Isle of Wight won the first competition, in 1978, and that the 1983 final was between Anglesey and the Isle of Man (the winners in 1982).

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I also found a slightly mangled report from a 1978 article in The Times, by "LEONARD &ARDEN" (I tried, without success, to determine who this might be).

THE CONTlNUr.N'G increase in
transport costs has induced
chess organisers to look again
at alternative arrangements for
Ions distance matches, (lames by
telephone are one obvious possi-
bility, and the thriving clubs on
Britain's offshore islands are
currently competing by this
means for the Lloyds Bank
Islands Trophy. Teams of !;evcn,
from Guernsey. Jersey, the
Sbetiands. and the Isles of Man,
Anglesey, and Wight, are taking
part, with two groups of three
and a final scheduled for this
summer.

[Matt Mackenzie]

IIRC the whole thing ended with a whimper rather than a bang in the mid 80s, with the two finalists unable to put together a match.

[Gerard Killoran]

I also found a slightly mangled report from a 1978 article in The Times, by "LEONARD &ARDEN" (I tried, without success, to determine who this might be).

THE CONTlNUr.N'G increase in
transport costs has induced
chess organisers to look again
at alternative arrangements for
Ions distance matches, (lames by
telephone are one obvious possi-
bility, and the thriving clubs on
Britain's offshore islands are
currently competing by this
means for the Lloyds Bank
Islands Trophy. Teams of !;evcn,
from Guernsey. Jersey, the
Sbetiands. and the Isles of Man,
Anglesey, and Wight, are taking
part, with two groups of three
and a final scheduled for this
summer.

Financial Times, April 21, 1979, p.21.png (1.45 MiB) Viewed 6063 times

[Dave Lightfoot]

Between c1977 and C1984 there was a British Islands Chess Championship. I have found very little about it on BNA and am wondering if there are any records elsewhere eg BCM. I am particularly interested in the matches concerning Anglesey - who played for them and how they got on. I'm surprised that these matches aren't still going, especially with the current means of playing remotely.

The current isle of Wight team would be very keen to get this going again. Something like every two years, new host each time.

[Roger de Coverly]

Something like every two years, new host each time.

Wouldn't you want to play it on-line, using the rules for remote play devised during Covid?

[GrahamStuart]

After advising Martyn I did not have anything in the HCA Archives, I found the following two articles in the 1979 Chess News, which had details on the first two matches played by the IOW. Unfortunately these Chess Notes were the ones in the archives and the last one was June 11th, which meant no details on who won the final between IOW and Anglesey / Guernsey.

When the British Newspaper publishes for this period (they have published before and after) this may have details on the winner. As Anthony Fulton played for Jersey he may have additional details on the competition?

Details can also be seen on the website. https://hampshirechesshistory.co.uk/chess-notes/

[Event "British Islands Chess Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "1979.??.??"] [Round "?"] [Board "4"] [White "Read, SJE"] [Black "Ratcliffe, JM."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B54"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "53"] [EventDate "1979.??.??"] [EventType "team-match"] [SourceTitle "Chess Notes 99 March 5 1979"] [WhiteTeam "Isle of Wight"] [BlackTeam "Isle of Man"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 d6 7. Be3 Qc7 8. O-O Be7 9. f4 Bf6 10. Ndb5 axb5 11. Nxb5 Qd8 12. Nxd6+ Kf8 13. e5 Bxe5 $2 (13... Be7 $11) 14. fxe5 Nxe5 15. Qd4 Ra4 16. Nxf7 Qxd4 17. Nxe5+ Ke8 18. Bxd4 h5 19. Nf7 Rh6 20. Nxh6 Nxh6 21. Bd3 Nf5 22. Bxf5 exf5 23. Bxg7 Kf7 24. Bc3 Rc4 25. Rae1 Be6 26. Re5 Rc6 27. Rfe1 1-0

[Martyn Griffiths]

Isle of Wight won in 1979
Shetland won 1981

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Board 7 for Jersey, Mrs A Von Pantzer, must be Valerie Von Pantzer (1926-2010), wife of Alfred Von Pantzer. I'm surprised to see her being referred as Mrs <husband's name> as late as 1979 - I thought that sort of thing died out by the 1930s!

[Dave Lightfoot]

Something like every two years, new host each time.

Wouldn't you want to play it on-line, using the rules for remote play devised during Covid?

Possibly if we had to. Teams of four every two years is more fun though. Perhaps a mix.