1951 British Chess Championship, Swansea • 1950« »1952

1951 British Chess Championship		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Ernst Ludwig Klein	London	◊ 1/4	♦ ½/7	◊ ½/2	♦ 1/14	◊ 1/9	♦ 1/3	◊ 1/20	♦ 0/5	◊ 1/10	♦ 1/13	♦ ½/6	8½
2	Reginald Joseph Broadbent	East Grinstead	♦ ½/19	◊ 1/5	♦ ½/1	◊ 1/11	♦ 1/12	◊ ½/4	♦ 1/13	◊ 1/9	♦ 1/6	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/8	8
3	Harry Golombek	Chalfont St Giles	♦ ½/27	◊ ½/12	♦ ½/19	◊ 1/13	♦ 1/7	◊ 0/1	◊ ½/6	♦ ½/8	♦ ½/21	◊ 1/2	♦ 1/5	7
4	William Ritson Morry	Birmingham	♦ 0/1	◊ 1/29	♦ 1/23	◊ 1/22	♦ 1/10	♦ ½/2	◊ 1/9	◊ 0/13	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/8	♦ 1/16	7
5	Leonard William Barden	Croydon	◊ ½/14	♦ 0/2	◊ ½/17	◊ ½/19	♦ 1/16	◊ 1/7	♦ 1/15	◊ 1/1	♦ ½/4	♦ ½/9	◊ 0/3	6½
6	Barry,Philip Stuart Milner	London	◊ 0/7	♦ 1/25	♦ 0/15	◊ 1/27	♦ ½/19	◊ 1/11	♦ ½/3	◊ 1/20	◊ 0/2	♦ 1/10	◊ ½/1	6½
7	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	Tiverton	♦ 1/6	◊ ½/1	♦ ½/11	◊ ½/20	◊ 0/3	♦ 0/5	◊ 1/26	♦ 0/16	◊ 1/18	♦ 1/17	◊ 1/9	6½
8	Theodore Henry Tylor	Oxford	♦ ½/12	◊ ½/23	♦ 1/21	◊ ½/10	♦ ½/20	◊ ½/15	♦ ½/14	◊ ½/3	♦ ½/13	◊ 1/4	♦ ½/2	6½
9	Alfred Maurice Hallmark	Harrogate	♦ 1/29	◊ 1/21	♦ ½/10	◊ 1/15	♦ 0/1	◊ 1/12	♦ 0/4	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/16	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/7	6
10	Denis Victor Mardle	Cambridge Univ	♦ 1/13	◊ 1/15	◊ ½/9	♦ ½/8	◊ 0/4	♦ 0/20	♦ 1/12	◊ 1/21	♦ 0/1	◊ 0/6	♦ 1/22	6
11	Gerald Abrahams	Liverpool	◊ 1/17	♦ ½/24	◊ ½/7	♦ 0/2	◊ ½/26	♦ 0/6	◊ 1/22	◊ ½/14	♦ ½/12	♦ ½/21	◊ 1/13	6
12	Jonathan Penrose	London	◊ ½/8	♦ ½/3	◊ 1/30	♦ 1/24	◊ 0/2	♦ 0/9	◊ 0/10	♦ 1/29	◊ ½/11	♦ ½/14	◊ 1/21	6
13	Arnold Yorwarth Green	London	◊ 0/10	♦ 1/28	◊ 1/18	♦ 0/3	◊ 1/14	♦ 1/24	◊ 0/2	♦ 1/4	◊ ½/8	◊ 0/1	♦ 0/11	5½
14	David Vincent Hooper	Reigate	♦ ½/5	◊ 1/27	♦ ½/22	◊ 0/1	♦ 0/13	◊ 1/19	◊ ½/8	♦ ½/11	◊ ½/17	◊ ½/12	♦ ½/15	5½
15	Victor John Anthony Russ	Leicester	◊ 1/30	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/6	♦ 0/9	◊ 1/22	♦ ½/8	◊ 0/5	♦ 0/17	♦ ½/23	♦ 1/25	◊ ½/14	5½
16	Philip Norman Wallis	Loughborough	◊ 0/22	♦ 0/30	◊ 1/25	♦ ½/17	◊ 0/5	♦ 1/28	◊ 1/24	◊ 1/7	♦ 0/9	♦ 1/19	◊ 0/4	5½
17	William Winter	London	♦ 0/11	◊ ½/26	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/16	♦ ½/29	◊ 1/27	♦ 0/21	◊ 1/15	♦ ½/14	◊ 0/7	◊ 1/19	5½
18	Arthur Henry Trott	London	♦ ½/23	◊ ½/19	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/21	♦ 0/25	♦ 1/30	◊ ½/28	◊ 1/27	♦ 0/7	◊ 1/20	♦ 1/26	5½
19	Alan Phillips	Buxton	◊ ½/2	♦ ½/18	◊ ½/3	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/6	♦ 0/14	◊ ½/29	♦ 1/26	♦ 1/20	◊ 0/16	♦ 0/17	5
20	Richard Hilary Newman	London	◊ 1/25	♦ ½/22	◊ ½/24	♦ ½/7	◊ ½/8	◊ 1/10	♦ 0/1	♦ 0/6	◊ 0/19	♦ 0/18	◊ 1/28	5
21	Harold Israel	London	◊ 1/28	♦ 0/9	◊ 0/8	♦ 1/18	◊ ½/24	♦ ½/26	◊ 1/17	♦ 0/10	◊ ½/3	◊ ½/11	♦ 0/12	5
22	Martin Blaine	London	♦ 1/16	◊ ½/20	◊ ½/14	♦ 0/4	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/29	♦ 0/11	◊ ½/25	◊ 1/26	♦ 1/23	◊ 0/10	5
23	David Bernard Scott	London	◊ ½/18	♦ ½/8	◊ 0/4	♦ 0/26	◊ 0/28	♦ ½/25	◊ 1/30	♦ 1/24	◊ ½/15	◊ 0/22	♦ 1/29	5
24	Dr. Stefan Fazekas	Buckhurst Hill	♦ 1/26	◊ ½/11	♦ ½/20	◊ 0/12	♦ ½/21	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/16	◊ 0/23	♦ 1/30	♦ 0/28	◊ 1/27	4½
25	Jeffrey Ansell	Perivale	♦ 0/20	◊ 0/6	♦ 0/16	♦ ½/28	◊ 1/18	◊ ½/23	♦ ½/27	♦ ½/22	◊ 1/29	◊ 0/15	♦ ½/30	4½
26	Baruch Harold Wood	Sutton Coldfield	◊ 0/24	♦ ½/17	♦ ½/27	◊ 1/23	♦ ½/11	◊ ½/21	♦ 0/7	◊ 0/19	♦ 0/22	◊ 1/30	◊ 0/18	4
27	Edward A Isles	London	◊ ½/3	♦ 0/14	◊ ½/26	♦ 0/6	◊ 1/30	♦ 0/17	◊ ½/25	♦ 0/18	♦ ½/28	◊ 1/29	♦ 0/24	4
28	Reginald Walter Bonham	Worcester	♦ 0/21	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/29	◊ ½/25	♦ 1/23	◊ 0/16	♦ ½/18	♦ 0/30	◊ ½/27	◊ 1/24	♦ 0/20	3½
29	John H Pollitt	Manchester	◊ 0/9	♦ 0/4	◊ 1/28	♦ ½/30	◊ ½/17	♦ ½/22	♦ ½/19	◊ 0/12	♦ 0/25	♦ 0/27	◊ 0/23	3
30	Philip Ashby Ursell	Bournemouth	♦ 0/15	◊ 1/16	♦ 0/12	◊ ½/29	♦ 0/27	◊ 0/18	♦ 0/23	◊ 1/28	◊ 0/24	♦ 0/26	◊ ½/25	3

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1951 British Ladies' Chess Championship • 1950« »1953 (n.b. there was no British Ladies Championship in 1952)

1951 British Ladies Championship		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Mrs Rowena Mary Bruce	Plymouth	&;	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8
2	Miss (Patricia) Anne Sunnucks	London	0	&;	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	6½
3	Miss Mary Henniker-Heaton	London	0	0	&;	½	1	1	1	1	1	5½
4	Miss Hilda Florence Chater	Bath	0	0	½	&;	1	0	1	1	1	4½
5	Miss Deirdre Colmer	London	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	1	1	4
6	Mrs Jane Sadler Rees	Derby	0	½	0	1	0	&;	0	1	1	3½
7	Miss K Newton	Norfolk	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	½	1	2½
8	Mrs Violet Hilda Caine	Suffolk	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	&;	1	1½
9	Mrs Helen Muriel Cobbold	Cambridge	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	&;	0

n.b. Monica Henniker-Heaton corrected to Mary Henniker-Heaton (16 Aug 2017). The player's full name was in fact Mary Araluen Elizabeth Anne Henniker-Heaton (1904-1972)
Biographical note: Jane Sadler Rees (née Davidson, b 25 May 1884, d 1974)

SWANSEA CONGRESS, 1951 (from the 1950-51 British Chess Federation Yearbook, pps 31-32)

The Annual Congress in 1951 was held in the University College, Swansea, by kind permission of the Senate, and was run under the auspices of the South Wales Chess Association. The opening on August the 20th, was presided over by Mr. R. H. Seel, J.P., President of the S.W.C.A. [South Wales Chess Association], and the Congress was declared open by the Deputy Mayor of Swansea.

The Championship resolved into struggle between last year’s champion, R. J. Broadbent, and E. Klein, who was runner-up, and the result was in doubt until the last round, when the latter established a half point lead over his rival to take the title with 8½ points. H. Golombek and W. Ritson Morry, each with 7 pts., shared 3rd place.

In the Ladies’ Championship, Mrs. Bruce was in her best form and made no mistake in running out the winner with 8 points out of 8, a very fine performance. Miss Sunnucks, a newcomer to the competition, came second with 6½, and Miss Henniker-Heaton, 3rd with 5½.

1951 BCF MAJOR OPEN

R. F. Boxall, twenty-nine-year-old Kent player and winner of the 1948 "Battle of Britain" Tourney, qualified for next year’s British Championship by winning the Major Open, a strong "Swiss" field of thirty-two, with a score of eight wins, one draw, and two losses. This score is an indication of keen competition provided by a talented group of young players like Geoffrey Harris, Peter Oakley, Peter Harris, from the Birmingham area, Grant Berriman of Australia, and Ian Bradley, of Doncaster.

Rank	1951 BCF Major Open	Total
1	Ronald Frank Boxall (Erith)	8½
2	Geoffrey F Harris (Stourbridge)	8
3	Peter Harris (West Bromwich)	7½
4-6	Grant Berriman (Australia), Alfred Joseph Butcher (Wolverhampton), Peter J Oakley (Chesham)	7
7-10	Ian R Bradley (Doncaster), Percy B Cook (Faversham), Charles Reuben Gurnhill (Sheffield), D F Wagstaff (Ipswich)	6½
11-15	Brian G Dudley (Stourbridge), Herbert Francis Gook (Croydon), William Souter Mackie (South Africa), James E Pattle (Guildford), Stephen Wilkinson (Loughton)	6
16-18	Philip Edward Collier (Leicester), John James O'Hanlon (Dublin), Alan Forrest Stobo (Altrincham)	5½
19-23	Henry Holwell Cole (London), Philip B Sarson (Harrow), Douglas Saunderson (Chesterfield), Roy A Wagstaff (Wanstead), Francis Samuel Woolford (Cinderford)	5
24-28	Daniel Castello (London), Dr. John Edward Hodgson Creed (Reigate), B Hirst (Dunstable), Austen Lacey Homer (Stourbridge), Arthur T Watson (Southwick)	4½
29	Ralph Carter Woodthorpe (St. Leonards)	3½
30-31	Rev. Herbert Peach (Cirencester), James Leo (Jim) Phelan (London)	2½
32	(Edward) Douglas Fawcett (London)	1½

1951 BCF FIRST CLASS

Section A: (1) J. H. Beaty (Cardington) 10½ (out of 11); (2-3) A. Archer (Kidsgrove), D. A. Thomas (Bristol) 7½; (4-5) C. H. Matthews (Stockport), George Arthur Peck (Rugby) 6½; (6) Norman Clissold (Wallasey) 6; (7) Edgar Priestley (Huddersfield) 5½; (8-9) W. J. C. H. Burges (Blockley), V. H. F. Norman (London) 5; (10-12) E. Evans (Blackwood), G. R. Maw (Hereford), and H. Taylor (Manchester) 2.

Section B: (1) B. Adams 7 (out of 10); (2-4) Rev. Arthur Percival Lacy-Hulbert (Ludlow), E. H. Milner (Bedford), Kenneth Stuart Procter (London) 6½; (5) Dr. W. C. Barb (London) 6; (6-8) T. E. L. Chataway (Stourbridge) R. McLeod (Dereham), William David Minty (Swansea) 4½; (9-10) F. Matthews (Grantham), G. O. J. Melitus 4; (11) C. W. Elsey (London) 1.

Section C: (1) Edwin Breckon Chapman (Leicester) 7 (out of 9); (2-3) Oliver Cordery Gardiner (River-in-Dover), A. G. Midgley (Huddersfield) 6; (4) E. A. Hull (Kenton) 4½; (5-7) Rev. Henry Middleton Blackett (Nottingham), W. T. Chamberlain (Pembrokeshire), N. H. F. Heneage (Brighton) 4; (8-9) T. W. Crabb (Sheffield), Harry Starbuck Littlechild (Wisbech) 3½; (10) L. R. Griffin 2½. (n.b. Vincent Dwelly Pavord (Leicester) had been due to play in this section but had collapsed and died a few yards from the venue before the first round. See below.)

1951 BCF SECOND CLASS

F. G. H. Nicholson (Glasgow) 7½ (out of 9); M. P. Allfrey (London) and B. K. Jeary (Plymouth) 7; J. B. Crayston (Peakdale) 5½; H. E. Baxter (Manchester) 5; A. Dodd, F. Passingham (Grantham), and A. Terrett (Dereham) 3½; R. G. Cable (Blackwood) (withdrew) 1½; A. A. Woolford (Cinderford) 1.

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Birmingham Daily Post, 3 September 1951 (columnist B H Wood)

Championship Play Reviewed By Our Own Correspondent [B H Wood]

To Midlanders the outstanding feature of the British championship just concluded was W. Ritson Morry’s success. After leading the field at one stage he finished third, equal with a former champion, Golombek, behind Broadbent, last year’s champion, and Klein, his successor, in front of 26 other contenders.

At his first try for the championship in 1936 Morry finished equal second. He has never done so well since. His latest feat is the more impressive. The entry this year was far stronger both qualitatively and quantitatively than in 1936—and there has been a definite advance over the years in technique and intensity of competition.

His achievement was no fluke; his rivals had what luck there was. Mardle threw away first a win and then a draw against Klein; Green, with much the superior game against Broadbent, handed away a piece: and Barden can rarely have played so wretchedly as in the last round against Golombek.

R. W. Bonham (Worcester), bottom last year, avoided a similar disgrace by only half a point this time. That he had previously beaten Morry in the preliminaries for this same championship makes it clear that congress chess conditions in a strange environment seriously exaggerate the handicap of his blindness.

A Curious Score

T. H. Tylor, the Oxford don, one of our leading players 20 years ago, reappeared to tie with three others for fifth place with the curious score of two wins, nine draws, no losses. Content to coast along without overplaying his hand, he is probably satisfied to have gone through such an event unbeaten. The undergraduate L. W. Barden, who made, though twice beaten, the same score, had probably been ambitious of a better. A devoted student of chess with a technical equipment rivalling any veteran's, he has now twice within four months failed in a crucial last round. He probably realises that to reach the heights he must develop a steadier nerve for the big occasion. He was the only player to defeat Klein, for the second year in succession.

V. J. A. Russ (Leicester) and P. N. Wallis (Loughborough) finished equal 13th with 5½ points. Wallis, fifth last year, is probably disappointed. Russ, who was only admitted at the last moment through the withdrawal of Alexander is probably thoroughly pleased.

In the Major Open tournament three Midlanders, none I believe yet of age, held the stage throughout and show high promise. These were G. F. Harris, of Stourbridge, P. J. Oakley (Chesham and Birmingham University) and P. Harris (West Bromwich). All are deep students and dour fighters—contrary to many people’s ideas sheer grit counts for a lot in congress chess. B. G. Dudley (Stourbridge) also showed real promise in scoring six points on his first appearance. A. J. G. Butcher (Wolverhampton), with seven points, maintained his reputation without advancing it. B[aruch]. H[arold]. W[ood].

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Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, 20 August 1951

DIED ON WAY TO CHESS CONGRESS

On his way to compete in the British Chess Federation Congress which opened at the University College, Swansea, today, Mr. V. D. Pavord, of Lexham Street, Leicester, collapsed within a few yards of the hall in which play was about to start. Two other Leicester competitors went to his assistance, but he was dead on arrival at hospital. He was in his seventies. (Vincent Dwelly Pavord, born 23 October 1873 (Somerset), died 20 August 1951 (Swansea) - a longer report appeared in the Leicester Evening Mail, 20 August 1951, mentioning that Leicester colleagues V J A Russ and P E Collier had assisted Pavord when he collapsed and that he had been one of the founders of the Leicestershire Chess League in 1909, a former president of the county association and a Midlands CCU representative on the BCF Council. He had been due to play in the First Class C section.

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1951 BCF JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

(n.b. not held concurrently with the main British Championships)

1951 British Boys' Chess Championship, Hastings Chess Club, 2-7 April

1951 British Boys Under-18 Championship		Residence/School	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Malcolm Neil Barker	King Edward's, Birmingham, aged 16	♦ 1/33	1/22	◊ 1/17	◊ 1/14	1/3	◊ ½/2	1/7	♦ 1/13	♦ ½/8	8
2	Robert Edmond Borland	Plymouth CC, aged 16		◊ 1/10				♦ ½/1	½/15		½/6	7
3	Michael Davis	Bexhill Grammar School		◊ 1/15			0/1	♦ 1/10			½/7	6½
4	Peter Campbell Gibbs	NCCU, Bradford	1/25	◊ 1/18							1	6
5	Gilbert E Jessup	William Ellis School, Highgate				½/16			½/10	♦ 1/15	1	6
6	Ronald A Fuller	Ipswich				◊ 1/30					½/2	5½
7	Denis John Pereira Gray	Exeter Grammar School			1/22				0/1		½/3	5½
8	Derek Thomas Anthony Lamport	Brighton	1/30				◊ ½/10	½/15			◊ ½/1	5½
9	Julian Thomas Farrand	Haberdashers Aske's, Hampstead		½/26		♦ 1/25					1	5½
10	James B Phipps	King Edward's School, Birmingham	1/28	♦ 0/2	1/25	♦ 1/29	♦ ½/8	◊ 0/3	½/5		◊ 1/15	5½
11	R Mansfield	East Ham Grammar School				◊ ½/27	1/26			♦ 1/16	0	5
12	John F Risby	Haberdashers Aske's, Hampstead	½/19	◊ ½/27							◊ 1/16	5
13	Anthony Beckett Bamford	Bexhill Grammar School	1/26				◊ 1/18	1/16		◊ 0/1	(0?)	(4½)
14	C Ward	Ilford County High School	1/27		½/16	♦ 0/1	◊ 0/15	1/19			(0?)	(4½)
15	David Edward Lloyd	King Edward's School, Birmingham	1/21	♦ 0/3	½/27	◊ 1/32	♦ 1/14	½/8	½/2	◊ 0/5	♦ 0/10	4½
16	Derek Francis Kenneth Griffiths	Birmingham	½/18	◊ 1/19	½/14	½/5	1	0/13	1	◊ 0/11	♦ 0/12	4½
17	B R Barry	Woking, Surrey			♦ 0/1	◊ 0/26			½/18		◊ ½/19	4½
18	David Newell Gallon	King Edward's School, Birmingham	½/16	♦ 0/4	½/20	◊ 1/22	♦ 0/13	½/25	½/17	◊ 1/23	◊ ½/21	4½
19	Kenneth William Lloyd	King Edward's School, Birmingham	½/12	♦ 0/16	½/23			0/14	½/26	◊ 1/28	♦ ½/17	4½
20	Laurie J Burtt	Leyton CC			½/18		½/30		1/25		♦ ½/22	4
21	J A Cohen	Cardiff	0/15	◊ 0/25			½/22	½/27			♦ ½/18	4
22	Eric Leyns	Rugby School (aged 17)	1/31	0/1	0/7	♦ 0/18	½/21	1/30	0	1/26	◊ ½/20	4
23	Robert D Banks	Isleworth Grammar School			½/19					♦ 0/18	(½?)	(4)
24	Michael Frederick Grimstead	Hastings CC									(½?)	(4)
25	William Callaway	Wednesbury High School	0/4	♦ 1/21	0/10	◊ 0/9	1/34	½/18	0/20	◊ ½/31	◊ ½/26	3½
26	John B Huskins	King Edward's School, Birmingham	0/13	½/9	1/28	♦ 1/17	0/11	0/29	½/19	0/22	♦ ½/25	3½
27	A B M(a)cNab	King Edward's School, Birmingham	0/14	♦ ½/12	½/15	♦ ½/11	0	½/21	0/28	◊ 1/30	♦ ½/33	3½
28	Daniel E Cohen	Balliol College, Oxford	0/10		0/26				1/27	♦ 0/19	(½?)	(3½)
29	G[eoffrey?] G Lucas	Purley County Grammar School			1/30	◊ 0/10		1/26			(½?)	(3½)
30	A D Newton	Wednesbury High School	0/8	♦ ½/33	0/29	♦ 0/6	½/20	0/22	1/34	♦ 0/27	◊ 1/31	3
31	Leslie M Finch	Steyning Grammar School (aged 16)	0/22							♦ ½/25	♦ 0/30	3
32	Martin J Zissell	Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet				♦ 0/15					(½?)	(3)
33	L Gaunt	Ilford County High School	◊ 0/1	◊ ½/30							◊ ½/27	2
34	N R Cole	Bexhill Grammar School					0/25		0/30		(½?)	(2)

Note: this partial crosstable was compiled mainly from newspaper reports in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 7 April 1951, and the Birmingham Daily Post, 7 April, since neither BCM nor CHESS featured detailed results. The Hastings newspaper gives the scores of all players after the penultimate round 8 but, frustratingly, there is no equivalent record of all scores after the final round, though the Birmingham newspaper has most of the individual round 9 results and we have definite scores for all those with 5½ or more points. Hence the final scores of eight players are not known for certain. I have shown each of their possible or likely scores in brackets: the number given is their known round 8 total plus either 0 or ½. Zero is the likely outcome for Bamford and Ward (since it is known that neither of them reached 5½ and we need to find losers for two of the winners who we know finished with 6/9) but a completely arbitrary ½ point for the other six. JS.

BCM, May 1951, ppn 150-151

BOYS’ EASTER CONGRESS

The twenty-sixth British Boys’ Championship, played between April 2nd and 7th, at Hastings, had an entry of thirty-four boys. For the third time in succession, Malcolm N. Barker, of King Edward’s School, Birmingham, was the winner. His predecessors as winners three times were: J. B. Craddock and A. R. Duff.

The Swiss System in the hands of F. A. Rhoden worked very well and unquestionably Barker was the star boy. In no game, with one possible exception, had he the worst of it. [Eric] Leyns (Rugby) might have had better chances than a draw, if after sacrificing a Knight he had pursued his combination and won Barker’s Queen for a Rook.

Sir George Thomas’s two prizes for the best-played games were both won by Barker and the two brilliancy prizes, presented by Mr. Du Mont, were awarded to M. Davis for his games against P. C. Gibbs and J. B. Phipps. The latter game went [see viewer/download].

The final scores were: [Malcolm Neil] Barker 8 [out of 9], [Robert Edmond] Borland (Plymouth) 7, [Michael] Davis (Bexhill) 6½, [Peter Campbell] Gibbs (Bradford) and [Gilbert] Jessup (William Ellis School, Highgate) 6.

D T A [Derek Thomas Anthony] Lamport, of Brighton, with 5½ won the Rider Shield for the highest score of a Sussex born boy, as he had done also in 1948.

The players generally concentrated far better than in previous years. There was far less wandering about and some really “chessy” ideas were shown by several boys, though they sometimes failed in their execution, often because they had used up too much time.

On the first day, one boy announced to a friend: "I have sacrificed my Queen.” In due course, however, he only got three pieces for it and failed to win.

A Scots boy missed an opportunity to win a piece. A compatriot spectator commented: “He canna be a Scot if he refuses something for nothing.”

Besides the Championship there were three Open Sections comprising twenty local boys. Results were—

Open A: G. Dengate (King’s College, St. Leonards) and G. C. Thompson (Steyning Grammar School) tied first with 4 each.

Open B: D. Smith (Bexhill Grammar School) 4; B. Unsworth (St. Leonards Modern School) 3½.

Open C: C. M. Upton (Hastings Grammar School) 6; and four boys shared second prize, J. Driver, B. E. Naish, R. H. Walker, and B. Phillips.

The prizes were presented by the Mayor, Alderman J. D. Cooper, J.P., supported by the President of the Hastings Club, Mr. P. J. Morren and A. A. Rider, Honorary Secretary. The boys presented gifts to Miss Lankey and Mrs. Robinson for their kind attention.

E. H. F.

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Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 14 April 1951 [full forenames supplied by JS]

1951 British Boys Under-18 Championship: (1) Malcolm Neil Barker (aged 16, King Edward's School, Birmingham) 8/9; (2) Robert Edmond Borland (aged 16, Plymouth Chess Club) 7; (3) Michael Davis (Bexhill Grammar School) 6½. (4-5) [Special prizes were awarded to] Peter Campbell Gibbs (Northern Counties Chess Union, Bradford) and Gilbert E Jessup (William Ellis School, Highgate), who tied for fourth place on 6.

Open tournament—
Section A: 1-2 G Dengate (King's College, St. Leonards), G. C. Thompson (Steynlng Grammar School).
Section B: 1 D. Smith (Bexhill Grammar School); 2 B Unsworth (St. Leonards Secondary Modern School).
Section C: 1 C. M. Upton (Hastings Grammar School); 2-5 J. Driver (St. Mary-in-the-Castle School), B. Phillips (King’s College. St. Leonards), B. E. Naish (St. Leonards Secondary Modern School), R. H. Walker (St. Leonards Secondary Modern School).

Brilliancy prizes were awarded to M. Davis and prizes for the best played games to Malcolm Barker.
The Rider Shield for the Sussex-born boy making the best score in the championship was presented to Derek Thomas Anthony Lamport (Southern Counties Chess Union, Brighton), and he was presented with a certificate bv Mr W. F. Freeman.

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1951 British Girls' Championship

The 1951 British Girls' Championship was held as a seven-round tournament during the Stevenson Memorial / SCCU Congress at Southsea, 11-21 April 1951. (For further details click on the link. A few other details appear below.) The tournament ran from 11 to 14 April. (Link to previous year's British Girls' Chess Championship.)

1951 British Girls' Under-18 Chess Championship		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	8	7	6	Total
1-2	Ann Elizabeth Bennett1	Godalming	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6
1-2	Sylvia Epps	Bromley	0	&;	1	1	1	1	1	1	6
3-4	June Barker	Oxford	0	0	&;	1		1	1	1
3-4	Myrtle Barnes	Bromley	1	0	0	&;	1		1	1
5	Antoinette Fletcher2	Richmond	0	0		0	&;	1	1	1
8	Rosemary Horsman	Leeds	0	0	0		0	&;	0	1
7	Jennifer Mann	Bromley	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;
6	A Schanche	Bicester	0	0	0	0	0	0		&;

Results from the last (7th) round of the tournament have not come to light but it can be deduced that Ann Bennett beat Sylvia Epps in that round in order to equal her score. The two players who shared 3rd place must have had the same result in the final round, in all probability wins, but at least draws, else Fletcher would have tied with them.

¹ Ann Elizabeth Bennett beat Sylvia Epps in a subsequent play-off for the Championship. Ann Elizabeth Bennett, b 1934 (2nd qtr, Surrey North Eastern), married RAF Sgt. David W Young at Godalming in September 1958. (Info from BMD records & West Sussex Gazette, 18 September 1958)
² Antoinette Mary Hope (Elliott-)Fletcher, b 1936, married Peter McLeod in 1958.

BCM, July 1951, p207 (News in Brief)

"The tie between Ann Bennett and Sylvia Epps for the British Girls' Championship has been played off and Miss Bennett is the new title holder."

A report from three years earlier, in the West Sussex Gazette, 15 April 1948, referred to Ann Bennett as a (then) 13-year-old pupil at Godalming County Grammar School, living at Busbridge Lane, Godalming.

The Portsmouth Evening News for 16 April 1951 mentioned the tie for first place - Sylvia Epps was from Bromley - and that June Barker (Oxford) and Myrtle Barnes (Bromley) tied for third - JS.)

Portsmouth Evening News 12 April 1951: "British Girls’ Championship (under 18), organized by the Chess Education Society (seven rounds). [round 1]—June Barker (Oxford) beat Jennifer Mann (Bromley); Antoinette Fletcher (Richmond) beat A Schanche (Bicester); Myrtle Barnes (Bromley) beat Ann Bennett (Godalming); Sylvia Epps (Bromley) beat Rosemary Horsman (Leeds). Round 2: Barker beat Schanche; Barnes beat Fletcher; Bennett beat Horsman; Epps beat Mann.

Portsmouth Evening News 13 April 1951: British Girls’ Championship (under 18) - Third round. J. Barker beat M Barnes; A Fletcher beat R. Horsman; A Bennett beat J Mann; S. Epps beat A. Schanche. Fourth round: Barker beat Horsman. Fletcher beat Mann. Bennett beat Schanche: Epps beat Barnes.

Portsmouth Evening News 14 April 1951: British Girls' Championship, under 18 (fifth round) - S Epps bt J Barker: A Bennett bt A. Fletcher. J Mann bt R Horsman; M Barnes bt A Schanche. Sixth round. A Bennett bt J Barker. S Epps bt A Fletcher. M Barnes bt J Mann; R. Horsman bt A. Schanche.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
9 April 2018	Minor typos corrected
9 April 2018	Added the game Morry-Blaine (Round 4)
12 April 2018	Small cosmetic amendment.
22 April 2022	Added the game W.Minty 0-1 Lacy-Hulbert (First Class B), contributed by Gerard Killoran via the English Chess Forum, for which many thanks.
21 June 2022	The number of Championship games has now gone up to 52, with 19 part-games and 6 from subsiidiary sections. I have also added three games from the 1951 British Boys' Championship played at Hastings at Easter.
9 October 2024	Added six games played by Victor Russ, from his scorebooks, lent by his son Steve Russ, for which many thanks. (Victor Russ's other five games were already included.) There are now 58 Championship games and 19 part-games, from a possible 165, plus 9 games from other sections.
5 November 2024	Added the game Rev. H Peach 1-0 J Phelan (Major Open).
6 November 2024	Added the part-game PS Milner-Barry 1-0 G Abrahams, Championship, rd 6.