London Boys' Chess Championship

[Richard James]

The inaugural London Boys' (as it then was) Chess Championship started 101 years ago, on 31 December 1923.

Ten boys took part in an all-play-all tournament. While none of them would achieve lasting eminence over the board, Max became a world-famous philosopher while Clement's life took a very different course, ending in a still unexplained tragedy.

I'm sure you'll want to read about them and their fellow pioneers of schoolboy chess in my latest Minor Piece.

https://britishchessnews.com/2024/12/24 ... onships-1/

[John Townsend]

According to P.W. Sergeant's A Century of British Chess (page 273), the April of 1923 had seen a boys' tournament for the first time at Hastings, though it was not officially recognised as a championship event. The winner was P.S. Milner-Barry, of Cheltenham College, "whose subsequent achievements are matters of more important chess history".

[Roger de Coverly]

The inaugural London Boys' (as it then was) Chess Championship started 101 years ago, on 31 December 1923.

Golombek was always writing that he had won the London Boys' title. Presumably in a later year.

[John Townsend]

Roger,

Edward Winter reveals the year as 1929 in his article Harry Golombek (1911-95). He quotes from an obituary by Hartston in the Independent, and from the Daily Herald:

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/golombek.html

[Leonard Barden]

From an earlier thread about Spassky v BCF Junior Squad 1979:

We ran six 25-30 board simultaneous displays together that day, the others being by Evgeny Vasyukov and Alexander Kochiev who had been competing in the Hastings Premier, Murray Chandler, Harry Golombek who was celebrating 50 years since he became London Boys Champion, and (I think) Dave Rumens.

[Richard James]

According to P.W. Sergeant's A Century of British Chess (page 273), the April of 1923 had seen a boys' tournament for the first time at Hastings, though it was not officially recognised as a championship event. The winner was P.S. Milner-Barry, of Cheltenham College, "whose subsequent achievements are matters of more important chess history".

Newspaper reports at the time claim that it was officially recognised by the BCF, although it was run as a separate event (and would be for many years) by Hastings Chess Club. Here's just one example (Saffron Walden Weekly News 20 April 1923).

Milner-Barry.jpg

Milner-Barry's name also appears on the list of boys' champions on BritBase (here) and the ECF website here, where, if you're observant, you'll note they have O'Neill's first name wrong.

The first boys' tournament in Hastings was held in 1921, when, attracting 18 players from local schools, it was won by Laurie Glyde, who, almost half a century later, would become the Director of the Hastings Congress.

It was repeated in 1922 when Glyde won again: the prize winners in the other sections included W Arthur Winser and Alfred Mortlock. Local organiser AG Ginner died while the event was in progress, and a cup was presented in his memory. The following year the tournament became recognised as a national championship, playing for the Ginner Cup, and boys from a much wider area (Hull, Rhyl, Norwich) took part. John Saunders again provides excellent coverage here.

[David Shepherd]

Interesting reading I noticed this in the articles "Take a chessboard with two opposite corners removed. Is it possible to fill the whole board with 2×1 dominoes? If you stop and think for a moment, the solution is obvious, but not everyone is able to think like that." I think the answer is yes (depending on what assumptions you make), include the phrase 31 dominoes then no.

[John Townsend]

Richard,

To establish whether the boys' championship was officially recognised by the BCF, an official BCF source would be preferable to the Saffron Walden Weekly News. Sergeant said it wasn't (though he is frequently wrong!).

[Richard James]

Richard,

To establish whether the boys' championship was officially recognised by the BCF, an official BCF source would be preferable to the Saffron Walden Weekly News. Sergeant said it wasn't (though he is frequently wrong!).

From the British Chess Magazine (May 1923):

This event, promoted by the very enterprising chess enthusiasts of Hastings and held between April 6th and 12th in the rooms of the local Chess Club, proved an unquestionable success; and, considering that it was a first attempt at a British boys’ championship, and that measles at certain schools caused a number of withdrawals, the entry was very satisfactory for the main event. There were 24 competitors, representing 14 different schools, in this, and 18 competitors in the minor tournaments. Some excellent chess was seen among the championship aspirants, though one must make due allowance of course for nervousness inspired by the novelty of the occasion, unfamiliarity with clocks, and so on.

... and ...

The British Chess Federation, it may be added, is giving a gold medal to the champion and a silver medal to the second boy, and is offering a shield to the school represented by the champion. It is to be trusted that this fact will encourage entries from more of the great public schools, of whom only Cheltenham and St. Paul’s sent representatives on the present occasion.

The report is online here:

https://www.saund.org.uk/britbase/pgn/1 ... iewer.html

[Kevin Thurlow]

I seem to remember a wooden honours board at Hastings Chess Club giving PSM-B as first winner, which is evidence, if not proof.