1952 British Chess Championship, Chester, 18-29 August • 1951« »1953

1952 British Chess Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Robert Graham Wade	♦ ½/16	◊ 1/24	♦ 1/13	◊ 1/11	♦ 0/3	◊ 1/9	◊ 1/2	◊ 1/14	♦ ½/4	◊ 1/6	♦ 0/7	8
2	Ronald Frank Boxall	♦ 1/8	♦ ½/5	◊ 1/17	◊ ½/10	♦ 0/16	◊ 1/11	♦ 0/1	◊ ½/4	♦ ½/7	♦ 1/14	◊ 1/3	7
3	Alan Phillips	◊ ½/22	♦ 1/12	◊ ½/5	♦ 1/7	◊ 1/1	◊ 1/4	♦ 1/14	◊ 1/16	♦ 0/6	◊ 0/9	♦ 0/2	7
4	Harold Israel	◊ ½/19	♦ 1/11	◊ ½/8	♦ ½/5	♦ 1/12	♦ 0/3	◊ 1/17	♦ ½/2	◊ ½/1	♦ 1/16	◊ ½/6	7
5	Peter Hugh Clarke	♦ 1/26	◊ ½/2	♦ ½/3	◊ ½/4	♦ ½/8	◊ ½/10	♦ 1/9	♦ 0/6	◊ 1/14	◊ ½/13	◊ 1/15	7
6	(Edward) Leslie Stuart	♦ 1/20	♦ 1/7	◊ ½/10	◊ 0/16	♦ 0/9	◊ 1/25	♦ 1/15	◊ 1/5	◊ 1/3	♦ 0/1	♦ ½/4	7
7	Philip Norman Wallis	♦ 1/24	◊ 0/6	♦ 1/18	◊ 0/3	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/8	♦ ½/16	◊ ½/10	◊ ½/2	♦ 1/17	◊ 1/1	7
8	Baruch Harold Wood	◊ 0/2	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/4	♦ 1/17	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/7	♦ ½/10	◊ ½/15	♦ 1/21	◊ ½/11	♦ 1/9	6½
9	Arthur Henry Trott	♦ ½/17	◊ 0/14	♦ 1/27	◊ 1/13	◊ 1/6	♦ 0/1	◊ 0/5	♦ 1/12	◊ 1/16	♦ 1/3	◊ 0/8	6½
10	James Macrae Aitken	♦ 1/28	◊ 1/25	♦ ½/6	♦ ½/2	◊ 0/14	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/8	♦ ½/7	◊ 0/13	♦ 1/18	◊ 1/17	6½
11	Victor John Anthony Russ	♦ 1/14	◊ 0/4	◊ 1/19	♦ 0/1	◊ ½/7	♦ 0/2	◊ ½/23	♦ 1/24	◊ ½/18	♦ ½/8	◊ 1/16	6
12	Gerald Abrahams	♦ ½/25	◊ 0/3	♦ 1/20	◊ 1/18	◊ 0/4	◊ 0/15	♦ 1/22	◊ 0/9	◊ ½/24	♦ 1/19	♦ 1/21	6
13	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	◊ ½/23	♦ 1/21	◊ 0/1	♦ 0/9	◊ 0/17	◊ ½/26	♦ 1/28	◊ 1/27	♦ 1/10	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/14	6
14	Arnold Yorwarth Green	◊ 0/11	♦ 1/9	◊ 1/26	♦ 1/23	♦ 1/10	◊ 1/16	◊ 0/3	♦ 0/1	♦ 0/5	◊ 0/2	♦ ½/13	5½
15	Peter James Oakley	♦ ½/27	◊ 0/17	♦ ½/25	◊ ½/22	♦ 1/26	♦ 1/12	◊ 0/6	♦ ½/8	◊ ½/19	◊ 1/23	♦ 0/5	5½
16	Edward Guthlac Sergeant	◊ ½/1	♦ 1/22	◊ 1/23	♦ 1/6	◊ 1/2	♦ 0/14	◊ ½/7	♦ 0/3	♦ 0/9	◊ 0/4	♦ 0/11	5
17	Donald Daniel Leslie	◊ ½/9	♦ 1/15	♦ 0/2	◊ 0/8	♦ 1/13	◊ 1/27	♦ 0/4	♦ ½/21	♦ 1/23	◊ 0/7	♦ 0/10	5
18	William Ritson Morry	◊ ½/21	♦ ½/19	◊ 0/7	♦ 0/12	◊ ½/24	♦ 1/28	♦ ½/25	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/11	◊ 0/10	◊ ½/20	5
19	Peter A Harris	♦ ½/4	◊ ½/18	♦ 0/11	◊ 0/25	♦ 1/20	◊ ½/22	♦ 0/21	◊ 1/28	♦ ½/15	◊ 0/12	♦ 1/26	5
20	Thomas H Wise	◊ 0/6	♦ 0/8	◊ 0/12	♦ ½/28	◊ 0/19	♦ ½/24	♦ ½/27	◊ 1/22	♦ 1/25	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/18	5
21	Percy Baldwin Cook	♦ ½/18	◊ 0/13	♦ ½/22	◊ ½/26	♦ ½/25	♦ ½/23	◊ 1/19	◊ ½/17	◊ 0/8	♦ ½/24	◊ 0/12	4½
22	Richard Hilary Newman	♦ ½/3	◊ 0/16	◊ ½/21	♦ ½/15	◊ ½/23	♦ ½/19	◊ 0/12	♦ 0/20	◊ 1/28	♦ ½/27	◊ ½/24	4½
23	Herbert Gibson Rhodes	♦ ½/13	◊ 1/27	♦ 0/16	◊ 0/14	♦ ½/22	◊ ½/21	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/25	◊ 0/17	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/28	4½
24	John Edwin Jones	◊ 0/7	♦ 0/1	♦ ½/28	◊ ½/27	♦ ½/18	◊ ½/20	♦ ½/26	◊ 0/11	♦ ½/12	◊ ½/21	♦ ½/22	4
25	John H Pollitt	◊ ½/12	♦ 0/10	◊ ½/15	♦ 1/19	◊ ½/21	♦ 0/6	◊ ½/18	♦ 0/23	◊ 0/20	♦ 0/28	◊ ½/27	3½
26	Roger John Tayler	◊ 0/5	◊ 1/28	♦ 0/14	♦ ½/21	◊ 0/15	♦ ½/13	◊ ½/24	♦ 0/18	◊ 1/27	♦ 0/20	◊ 0/19	3½
27	Stanley Archibald Seale	◊ ½/15	♦ 0/23	◊ 0/9	♦ ½/24	◊ 1/28	♦ 0/17	◊ ½/20	♦ 0/13	♦ 0/26	◊ ½/22	♦ ½/25	3½
28	Eileen Betsy Tranmer	◊ 0/10	♦ 0/26	◊ ½/24	◊ ½/20	♦ 0/27	◊ 0/18	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/19	♦ 0/22	◊ 1/25	♦ ½/23	2½

British Ladies' Chess Championship - this was not held in 1952 as the result of a decision made in 1951 to hold it biennially from 1951. However, this decision was soon rescinded and 1952 was to be the only year it wasn't held for this reason. (ref. 1953/54 BCF Yearbook, page 234)

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1952 BCF MAJOR OPEN

Kenneth Ray Smith (1930-99) won the 1952 BCF Major Open. He was an American Sergeant stationed at the Burtonwood U.S.A.F. base. He scored 7 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss (to A. E. Nield).

Ranking	1952 BCF Major Open	Total
1	Kenneth Ray Smith (USA)	8½/11
2	Slade Milan	8
3-5	Jeffrey Ansell, Kenneth Leslie Gardner, John Bertram Goodman	7½
6-9	Henry Holwell Cole, GS Davidson, Charles Reuben Gurnhill, Alan Edgar Nield	6½
10-12	(Lewis) John Cannon, Philip Edward Collier, J Jarvis	6
13-17	Edmund George Ansell, John H Beaty, Roman Starosolsky, James Ernest Pattle, Douglas Saunderson	5½
18-21	Viliam Teodor Buchwald, Brian G Dudley, Alfred Eva, R Smith	5
22-25	Brian J Moore, Arthur T Watson, Philip Bernard Sarson, D A Thomas	4½
26	D F Wagstaffe	4
27-28	Daniel Castello, S Roberts	3½
29	W A Sutcliffe	3
30	John Herbert McLardy	2½

FIRST CLASS

Section A: Donald Smith 7½ (out of 9); Peter M. Shaw 7; D. J. Pearce 6½; J. Wright 5½; A. A. Archer, Norman Clissold 5; Rev. H. Peach 3; C. A. Saban 2½; H. Golding 2; G. J. Craddock 1.

Section B: Rev. Henry Middleton Blackett, Thomas E. L. Chataway, P. Starling 7½ (out of 10); Rev. Arthur Percival Lacy-Hulbert, V. H. F. Norman, R. H. Rushton 5; J. R. Cheshire, A. L. Homer 4½; M. L. Barnaby, George Arthur Peck 3; G. O. J. Melitus 2½.

SECOND CLASS

Section A: (1) S. H. C. Lucas 8 (out of 10); (2) F. V. Chorley 7; (3-4) E. F. Fardon, John H Wall 6½; (5) M. L. Cudworth 5½; (6) B. M. Williamson 5; (7-8) A. C. Bannister, T. E. Barnett 4½; (9) T. Rawlinson 4; (10) G. R. Maw 3½; (11) D. Woodall 0.

Section B: H. Taylor 8½ (out of 11); Harry Starbuck Littlechild, E. C. Patmore 8; H. T. H. Piaggio 7; D. Brydon 6½; G. G. Homan, A. Terrett 6; H. E. Baxter 5½; J. Salt 4; R. Preen 3½; F. Passingham 2½; Mrs. M. McConnell ½.

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1952 British Boys' [Under 18] Chess Championship (27th in the series)

Hastings Chess Club, 21-26 April 1952 - 10 rounds - trophy named Ginner Cup.

1-3 Bernard Cafferty (Blackburn, Birmingham Univ), Peter Campbell Gibbs (Bradford Grammar School), Peter Darrell Sanderson (Ashby-de-la-Zouch Grammar School) 7½/10;
4 Michael Davis (Bexhill Grammar School; vital dates 1935-1998) 7;
5-6 Derek Francis Kenneth Griffiths (King's Norton Grammar School, Birmingham; vital dates 1934-2000), James B Phipps (King Edward's School, Birmingham) 6½;
7-13 M Philip Allfrey (born 1935, Buffalo, New York; Westminster City School - 1952 London Boys' Champion), Robert Edmond Borland (Plympton Grammar School, Devon; vital dates 1934-2017), Julian T Farrand (Haberdasher's Aske's School, Hampstead; vital dates 1935-2020), Michael Frederick Grimstead (Hastings CC - won the Rider Shield for the best score by a local boy - vital dates 1934-1996), Thomas Anselm Landry (William Ellis School, Highgate; vital dates 1935-1996), David E Lloyd (King Edward's School, Birmingham) and Leon Rosselson (William Ellis School, Highgate) 6;
14-16 Gilbert Jessup (Wm Ellis School, Highgate), D Leonard (Varndean Grammar School, Brighton), Brian J Moore (Erdington CC, Birmingham) 5½;
17-26 A Ayriss (King's Sutton, Oxfordshire), B Burrows (Bridgend County Grammar School, Glamorgan), George Dutton (Bolton County Grammar School), Denis John Pereira Gray (Exeter School, Devon), H A Lee (Surbiton County Grammar School), B P Morris (Surrey), Clifford G Tayar (King Edward's School, Birmingham), W Turner (Steyning Grammar School, Sussex), Michael E Ventham (King Edward VI School, Southampton), C/B Ward (Ilford County High School) 5;
27-33 Kenneth L Filleul (Taunton's School, Southampton), Ronald A Fuller (Northgate Grammar School, Ipswich), Lawrence M Gaunt (Ilford County High School), Geoffrey J Martin (Ilford County High School), R E Miles (Chipping Norton Grammar School), David G Springgay (Moulsecombe Secondary School, Sussex), David A Tidmarsh (Wilson's Grammar School, Camberwell) 4½;
34-36 Laurie J Burtt (Leyton CC, Essex), R Kewley (Birkenhead School), C J MacDougall (Merchant Taylors School, Crosby, Lancs) 4;
37-39 R Banks (Isleworth County School, Middlesex), Michael D Fox (Ilford County High School), Oisin O'Siochru (St Mary's School, Dublin) 3½;
40 G P Kelley (Hendon School, Middlesex) 3;
41 J M Banks (Isleworth County School, Middlesex) 2.

There was also an open section, with 26 players divided into four sections. Winners - Section A: 1 T Rich (St Leonard's Secondary Modern Sch), 2 CM Upton ; Section B: 1 J Hyde (St Leonard's Secondary Modern Sch), 2 R Walker; Section C: 1 CJ Driver (Hastings Grammar School), 2-3 C Leach, R Goddard; Section D: 1 D/B Martin (Hastings Secondary Modern School), 2-4 R Astell, B Bailey, George Frederick Ramsay (Hastings).

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4-Page Tournament Programme, with details of competitors, schedules, etc (PDF)

(Report BCM, June 1952, pps 174-175; also newspapers, notably the Hastings & St Leonard's Observer, April/May 1952)

BCM report (by Richard Clewin Griffith)

The twenty-seventh annual congress was held at the Hastings C.C., from April 21st to 26th [1952]. The large entry of forty-five boys was reduced by illness to forty-two, and one entrant, H. Shirley, of Truro, as on a previous occasion and also at Southsea, did not put in an appearance, thus leaving a bye each round. It was felt an extra round should be played on Saturday—curiously enough, had this not been arranged a single Champion, P. C. Gibbs, would have emerged. As it was, the result of the 10th round left three players with a score of 7½, and they preferred to share the prizes and honour. A rather unsatisfactory ending, which should be provided against another year. It is rather silly to think of three reigning champions in the same year.

The three were: B. Cafferty, of Blackburn, now at Birmingham University, P. C. Gibbs, of Bradford Grammar School, and P. D. Sanderson, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Grammar School—with 7½. They were followed by M. Davis, of Bexhill Grammar School, who had tied for the Hastings C.C. Championship, whose chance of winning was spoiled by M. F. Grinstead [sic], also a member of Hastings C.C., who won the Rider Shield with 6 points, the best score of any Sussex-born boy, with the following game.

[Grimstead-Davis]

Unquestionably the play was generally better than last year—but there was no one quite as adept as last year’s winner, N. M. Barker. Book knowledge was evidenced by several boys, as this game from the 1st round shows.

[Farrand-Burrows]

As one might expect, end-game play was often mismanaged, and there were several pawn endings won, or drawn by the wrong player!

[Burrows-Davis]

Following the leaders were D. F. Griffiths and J. B. Phipps, with 6½, and seven finished with 6, including R. E. Borland, who had won at Southsea the week previously.

There were thirty entrants for the open event, but owing to last minute withdrawals, only twenty-six took part in four sections.

The winners were: Section A - T. Rich, St. Leonards Secondary Modern School; Section B - J. Hyde, St. Leonards Secondary Modern School; Section C, - J. Driver, Hastings Grammar School; Section D - B. Martin, Hastings Secondary Modern School.

Sir George Thomas’ prize for brilliancy was awarded to L. Rosselson, of William Ellis School, Highgate, for the following game against R. B. [sic] Fuller.

[Rosselson-Fuller]

And the best-played game to M. P. Allfrey, the London Boy Champion, for his game against G. Jessup.

[Allfrey-Jessup]

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1952 British Girls' [Under-18] Chess Championship

Southsea, 16-19 April 1952; 38 players - no. of rounds, scores not reported

(tournament announced in BCM, Feb 1952, p42; result reported, BCM, June 1952, p164)

1st Margaret Eileen Elizabeth Wood (daughter of BH Wood); 2 Myrtle Barnes

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File Updated

Date	Notes
23 April 2016	Six games from the Major Open - many thanks to Brian Denman.
12 November 2017	(minor cosmetic amendment)
29 April 2018	Name given in full - Stanley Archibald Seale (8 July 1924—1993)
10 December 2019	Added details of the junior events held prior to the main BCF congress, plus 15 available junior games.
7 March 2021	Minor (mainly) cosmetic amendment.
24 April 2021	Now contains all Dr JM Aitken's games, from his scorebooks, input by Geoff Chandler.
9 August 2021	Added all 11 of L John Cannon's games from the 1952 Major Open. Thanks to Brian Denman for submitting them. Running totals now are 54 complete games and 6 part-games from the Championship, 17 from the Major Open, 1 from First Class A, 2 from Second Class B, plus 15 from the British Junior Championship held in Hastings in April.
27 April 2022	Added three games from First Class B: (1) R Rushton 0-1 P Starling (rd 2); (2) P Starling 0-1 Lacy-Hulbert (rd 1); (3) H Brackett 1-0 Lacy-Hulbert (rd 6). Contributed by Gerard Killoran via the English Chess Forum for which many thanks.
4 August 2022	Another nine games added from the April 1952 British Boys' Under 18 Championship, including all of Leon Rosselson's games, plus Dutton-Grimstead. I have also added a link to a PDF of the Under-18 programme which has all the Under-18 players' names, plus details of tournament schedules at the Easter event. My thanks to Leon Rosselson for supplying the scores of his games and the programme.
9 October 2024	Added all the outstanding Championship games played by Victor Russ. My thanks to Steve Russ for loaning his father's scorebooks. Running totals now 62 Championship games and 8 part-games, plus 51 games from other sections.