British Schools Chess Championship

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The British Schools Chess Championship is an annual competition for school chess teams that has been in existence continuously from 1958. The tournament is administered by the English Chess Federation and is open to all schools from the United Kingdom. The competition has been won by teams from all four countries of the UK.

At the height of the tournaments popularity in the 1970s, in excess of 1000 teams took part. Unfortunately since the teacher strikes of the mid-1980s a continuous decline in the number of teams has taken place. In 2007-08, the accepted entry increased from 93 teams to 135 teams.[1] This represents the highest number of entries for four years.

Contents

[edit] Eligibility

Entry is open to any school in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All players must be under-19 on 31 August of the year in which the competition begins. Teams are made up of six players, with an age handicap system in operation based on the average age of each team.

Age Handicap
Age Difference Winning Score for older team
0 to 11 months No handicap - board count
1 year to 1 year 11 months 3.5-2.5
2 years to 2 years 11 months 4-2
3 years to 3 years 11 months 4.5-1.5
4 years or more 5-1

Teams initially compete in regional zones with the winner of each zone progressing to the National stage of the competition.

[edit] Finals

The tradition used to be that the final four teams got together at a top London hotel for the finals. For a long time the finals were contested at the St Ermin's Hotel, but with the diminishing numbers the finals are now held at 'less prestigious' venues outside London. Since 1994 there has also been a Plate Competition for regional zone runners up.[citation needed]

[edit] Notable Players

The competition has been graced by many top players over the years. These include: -

[edit] Sponsorship

In 1938 The Sunday Times (UK) made an offer to the then British Chess Federation to donate a trophy for a competition between teams from Public schools.[2] Before further investigation of this offer could be completed the war intervened. Finally in 1957-58 competition got under way under the sponsorship of The Sunday Times (UK) newspaper. Their patronage continued until 1983, when their sister paper The Times took over. Since the withdrawal of sponsorship by The Times after the 2001 finals, the championship has continued without a sponsor.

[edit] Current status of competition

Entering the 2007-08 season (the competition's 51st year) fortunately the tournament can once again be called a UK championship, as a zone including teams from Scotland and Northern Ireland has been accepted. Sadly, only one school from Scotland has entered.

[edit] National finalists

Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
1958 Calday Grange GS, Wirral 241
1959 Calday Grange GS, Wirral Nottingham High School 247
1960 Wolverhampton Grammar School Manchester Grammar School Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 331
1961 Colfe's School 358
1962 Liverpool Institute 390
1963 Hove Grammar School Magdalen College School, Oxford 489
1964 Liverpool Institute Dulwich College 580
1965 Dulwich College Allan Glen’s School, Glasgow 673
1966 Dulwich College 703
1967 Battersea Grammar School Trinity School, Croydon 706
1968 Bolton School Dulwich College Battersea Grammar School Great Yarmouth Grammar School 789
1969 Dundee High School King Edward's School, Birmingham Trinity School, Croydon King Edward VII School (Sheffield)
1970 Dulwich College Ayr Academy Methodist College Belfast Manchester Grammar School 761
1971 Ayr Academy Manchester Grammar School Ilford County High School Plymouth College
1972 Ayr Academy Dulwich College Trinity School, Croydon Manchester Grammar School 760
1973 Bolton School Latymer Upper School Bristol Grammar School Glyn Grammar School, Ewell 846
1974 Southern Grammar School, Portsmouth Bedford Modern School King Edward's School, Birmingham Paisley Grammar School 961
1975 St Paul's School, London Ilford County High School Southern Grammar School, Portsmouth Bristol Grammar School
1976 Bolton School Great Salterne, Portsmouth Glyn Grammar Grammar School, Ewell Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1977 Bluecoat School, Liverpool Glyn Grammar School, Ewell Paisley Grammar School Bristol Grammar School
1978 St Paul's School, London St Albans School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Bluecoat School, Liverpool
1979 St Paul's School, London Bolton School Methodist College Belfast King Edward VI School, Southampton
1980 King Edward VI School, Southampton Watford Grammar School for Boys Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1981 St Paul's School, London Watford Grammar School for Boys Manchester Grammar School King Edward VI School, Southampton
1982 St Paul's School, London Nottingham High School St John's College (Portsmouth) Bluecoat School, Liverpool
1983 Queen Mary's GS, Walsall Paston Grammar School, North Walsham Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Grove School, St Leonards
1984 Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Plymouth College St Paul's School, London Queen Mary's GS, Walsall
1985 St Paul's School, London Nottingham High School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle King Edward VI School, Southampton
1986 Plymouth College Colchester Royal Grammar School Bluecoat School, Liverpool Methodist College Belfast
1987 Queen Mary's GS, Walsall St Paul's School, London Millfield School Greenwood Academy, Irvine
1988 St Paul's School, London Abingdon School Queen Mary's GS, Walsall Antrim Grammar School 358
1989 St Paul's School, London Manchester Grammar School Truro School Antrim Grammar School
1990 St Paul's School, London Truro School [3]
1991 Manchester Grammar School Sutton Manor School, Surrey Hymers College, Hull St Columb's College, Derry [4]
1992 Nottingham High School 'A' Truro School City of London School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle [5]
1993 Truro School Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Manchester Grammar School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle [6]
1994 Ipswich School Manchester Grammar School St Columb's College, Derry Westminster School [7]
1995 Methodist College Belfast Maidstone Grammar School Truro School Ipswich School [8]
1996 Manchester Grammar School Maidstone Grammar School Oakham School St Columb's College, Derry
1997 Manchester Grammar School Oakham School Hampton School Methodist College Belfast
1998 Manchester Grammar School Torquay Boys Grammar School St Paul's School, London Queen Elizabeth GS, Wakefield
1999 St Paul's School, London Oakham School Manchester Grammar School Torquay Boys Grammar School
2000 St Paul's School, London Manchester Grammar School Nottingham High School Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet
2001 Oakham School Manchester Grammar School St Paul's School, London Yateley Manor Prep School 246
2002 Hampton School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Oakham School Manchester Grammar School 192
2003 Oakham School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Southend High School Blue Coat School, Oldham 153
2004 Monmouth School Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Blue Coat School, Oldham Southend High School 143
2005 Nottingham High School 'A' Blue Coat School, Oldham Monmouth School Royal Grammar School, Guildford 126
2006 Nottingham High School 'A' Dulwich College Millfield School Lancaster Royal Grammar School 93
2007 Nottingham High School 'A' Royal Grammar School, Guildford Magdalen College School, Oxford Manchester Grammar School 93
2008 135

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ Competition entry list at Southern Counties Chess Union web site. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  2. ^ Belfast Newsletter Chess Column 24/03/1938 Page 12
  3. ^ The Times 29/06/1990 Page 2 and 30/06/1990 Page 3
  4. ^ The Times 05/07/1991 Page 2 and 06/07/1991 Page 2
  5. ^ The Times 03/07/1992 Page 2 and 04/07/1992 Page 2
  6. ^ The Times 02/07/1993 Page 9 and 03/07/1993 Page 9
  7. ^ The Times 02/07/1994 Page 7
  8. ^ The Times 01/07/1995 Page 2

1966 runners up were Manchester Grammar School

[edit] External links