English Chess Forum

The Team Lightning Championship, inaugurated in 1954, was last played in 1992 (when Widnes were apparently the winners). Does anyone know if there was a trophy for the event, and if so whether it is still in existence?

The inaugural event was held at the Ilford congress of 1953, not 1954. A photo of the winning team (no trophy shown) can be viewed on the BCM chess blog in Raaphy Persitz's obituary.

I was also present in 1986 when England U16 (Adams, Hennigan, Mortazavi, Sadler) won and don't recall a trophy then either. If there had been a trophy, Bill Adams as team manager and I would have needed an interesting discussion on who should take it home, with the implied chore of delivering it to the 1987 event.

Many thanks Leonard. As the BCM blog says, the ECF yearbook (from which I took my information) has the start date wrong.

Mike Truran wrote:The Team Lightning Championship, inaugurated in 1954, was last played in 1992 (when Widnes were apparently the winners). Does anyone know if there was a trophy for the event, and if so whether it is still in existence?

I am pretty sure that there was a trophy... I organised the event once in the late 70s during my time as General Secretary of the BCF, and vague memory remembers having to get the trophy on site; and I think I would have had a less vague memory of there not being one, if you see what I mean.

PB

I understand from the ECF office that there was indeed a team trophy, which was apparently in Keith Brown's possession when he died a few years ago. There was also apparently a trophy for the individual winner.

Any ideas from anybody??!!