1955 British Chess Championship, Aberystwyth, 22 August - 2 September • 1954« »1956

1955 British Chess Championship		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Harry Golombek	Chalfont St Giles	♦ ½/5	◊ 1/25	♦ 1/28	◊ 1/3	♦ ½/7	◊ ½/4	♦ 1/15	◊ 0/2	♦ 1/24	◊ 1/10	♦ 1/12	8½
2	Robert Graham Wade	London/NZ	◊ 1/32	♦ ½/8	◊ ½/17	♦ ½/12	◊ 0/5	◊ 1/9	♦ 1/6	♦ 1/1	◊ 1/15	♦ ½/7	♦ 1/3	8
3	Barry,Philip Stuart Milner	London	◊ 1/11	♦ ½/4	◊ 1/8	♦ 0/1	◊ ½/20	◊ ½/17	♦ 1/16	♦ 1/28	◊ 1/7	♦ 1/5	◊ 0/2	7½
4	Alan Phillips	London	♦ 1/31	◊ ½/3	◊ 1/24	♦ ½/15	◊ 1/6	♦ ½/1	◊ 1/5	♦ 0/7	♦ ½/10	◊ 1/16	♦ ½/9	7½
5	Frank Parr	Sutton	◊ ½/1	♦ ½/33	♦ 1/30	◊ 1/24	♦ 1/2	◊ 1/7	♦ 0/4	◊ ½/10	♦ 1/8	◊ 0/3	♦ 1/16	7½
6	Brian J Moore	Birmingham	◊ 0/8	♦ 1/11	◊ 1/14	◊ 1/31	♦ 0/4	♦ ½/24	◊ 0/2	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/12	♦ 1/15	◊ 1/7	7
7	Jonathan Penrose	London	♦ 1/10	◊ 1/26	◊ ½/15	♦ 1/16	◊ ½/1	♦ 0/5	◊ 1/18	◊ 1/4	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/2	♦ 0/6	6½
8	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	Tiverton	♦ 1/6	◊ ½/2	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/28	♦ 1/29	◊ ½/16	◊ ½/24	♦ 1/17	◊ 0/5	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/15	6½
9	Michael John Haygarth	Leeds	◊ 0/15	♦ ½/19	◊ 1/23	♦ 1/27	◊ 0/18	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/32	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/17	♦ 1/25	◊ ½/4	6½
10	James Macrae Aitken	Cheltenham	◊ 0/7	♦ 1/18	◊ 1/29	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/31	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/12	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/4	♦ 0/1	◊ ½/11	6
11	Arnold Yorwarth Green	London	♦ 0/3	◊ 0/6	◊ 1/34	♦ 1/14	◊ 1/21	♦ 0/12	♦ ½/20	◊ ½/9	♦ 1/28	◊ ½/8	♦ ½/10	6
12	Michael J Franklin	London	♦ 0/26	♦ 1/36	◊ 1/33	◊ ½/2	♦ ½/16	◊ 1/11	◊ ½/10	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/6	♦ 1/24	◊ 0/1	6
13	Percy Baldwin Cook	London	◊ ½/27	♦ 1/23	◊ 0/16	♦ 0/18	◊ ½/30	♦ ½/22	◊ ½/21	♦ 1/33	◊ ½/25	♦ 1/29	◊ ½/19	6
14	(Nicholas) Anthony Perkins	London	◊ 1/19	♦ 0/15	♦ 0/6	◊ 0/11	◊ ½/34	♦ 0/25	◊ 1/36	♦ ½/27	◊ 1/35	♦ 1/30	◊ 1/24	6
15	Thomas John Beach	Liverpool	♦ 1/9	◊ 1/14	♦ ½/7	◊ ½/4	♦ 1/17	♦ ½/18	◊ 0/1	◊ 1/12	♦ 0/2	◊ 0/6	♦ 0/8	5½
16	Baruch Harold Wood	Sutton Coldfield	♦ ½/20	◊ 1/21	♦ 1/13	◊ 0/7	◊ ½/12	♦ ½/8	◊ 0/3	♦ 1/19	◊ 1/30	♦ 0/4	◊ 0/5	5½
17	Peter Hugh Clarke	Ilford	♦ ½/28	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/2	◊ 1/10	◊ 0/15	♦ ½/3	♦ ½/29	◊ 0/8	♦ 0/9	◊ 1/31	♦ ½/22	5½
18	John Spencer Purdy	Australia	♦ ½/25	◊ 0/10	♦ 1/22	◊ 1/13	♦ 1/9	◊ ½/15	♦ 0/7	◊ 0/24	♦ ½/29	♦ ½/19	◊ ½/21	5½
19	Leonard William Barden	London	♦ 0/14	◊ ½/9	♦ ½/21	♦ ½/33	◊ ½/27	◊ ½/26	♦ 1/22	◊ 0/16	♦ 1/20	◊ ½/18	♦ ½/13	5½
20	George Shorrock Ashcombe Wheatcroft	London	◊ ½/16	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/25	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/3	♦ 0/10	◊ ½/11	♦ 0/30	◊ 0/19	♦ 1/36	◊ 1/29	5½
21	Kenneth William Lloyd	Birmingham	◊ ½/23	♦ 0/16	◊ ½/19	♦ 1/35	♦ 0/11	◊ 0/29	♦ ½/13	◊ 1/32	♦ ½/22	◊ 1/28	♦ ½/18	5½
22	Reginald Walter Bonham	Worcester	◊ 1/36	♦ 0/24	◊ 0/18	♦ ½/30	♦ ½/26	◊ ½/13	◊ 0/19	♦ 1/35	◊ ½/21	♦ 1/27	◊ ½/17	5½
23	Edward Guthlac Sergeant	Kingston Hill	♦ ½/21	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/9	♦ 1/25	◊ ½/33	◊ ½/27	♦ 0/26	♦ 0/34	◊ 1/36	♦ 1/35	◊ 1/31	5½
24	Gerald Abrahams	Liverpool	◊ 1/34	◊ 1/22	♦ 0/4	♦ 0/5	◊ 1/28	◊ ½/6	♦ ½/8	♦ 1/18	◊ 0/1	◊ 0/12	♦ 0/14	5
25	Stanley Clifford Davey	Ipswich	◊ ½/18	♦ 0/1	♦ 0/20	◊ 0/23	♦ 1/36	◊ 1/14	♦ 1/27	◊ ½/29	♦ ½/13	◊ 0/9	♦ ½/26	5
26	Peter Campbell Gibbs	Bradford	◊ 1/12	♦ 0/7	◊ ½/27	♦ 0/20	◊ ½/22	♦ ½/19	◊ 1/23	♦ 0/6	◊ ½/33	♦ ½/34	◊ ½/25	5
27	J Neale	Cheltenham	♦ ½/13	◊ ½/35	♦ ½/26	◊ 0/9	♦ ½/19	♦ ½/23	◊ 0/25	◊ ½/14	♦ 1/32	◊ 0/22	♦ 1/34	5
28	Stefan Fazekas	Buckhurst Hill	◊ ½/17	♦ 1/29	◊ 0/1	♦ ½/8	♦ 0/24	◊ 1/33	♦ 1/30	◊ 0/3	◊ 0/11	♦ 0/21	◊ ½/32	4½
29	Harold Israel	London	◊ 1/30	◊ 0/28	♦ 0/10	♦ 1/32	◊ 0/8	♦ 1/21	◊ ½/17	♦ ½/25	◊ ½/18	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/20	4½
30	John H Beaty	Doncaster	♦ 0/29	♦ 1/34	◊ 0/5	◊ ½/22	♦ ½/13	♦ 1/31	◊ 0/28	◊ 1/20	♦ 0/16	◊ 0/14	♦ ½/35	4½
31	Slade Milan	Stockport	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/32	◊ 1/35	♦ 0/6	♦ 0/10	◊ 0/30	♦ 0/33	◊ 1/36	◊ 1/34	♦ 0/17	♦ 0/23	4
32	Theodore Watts1	Southport	♦ 0/2	◊ 0/31	♦ 1/36	◊ 0/29	♦ ½/35	◊ 1/34	♦ 0/9	♦ 0/21	◊ 0/27	◊ 1/33	♦ ½/28	4
33	Geoffrey J Martin	Ilford	♦ ½/35	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/12	◊ ½/19	♦ ½/23	♦ 0/28	◊ 1/31	◊ 0/13	♦ ½/26	♦ 0/32	◊ 0/36	3½
34	Joseph Maurice Soesan	Ilford	♦ 0/24	◊ 0/30	♦ 0/11	◊ 1/36	♦ ½/14	♦ 0/32	◊ ½/35	◊ 1/23	♦ 0/31	◊ ½/26	◊ 0/27	3½
35	J Walker	Sulhampstead	◊ ½/33	♦ ½/27	♦ 0/31	◊ 0/21	◊ ½/32	♦ ½/36	♦ ½/34	◊ 0/22	♦ 0/14	◊ 0/23	◊ ½/30	3
36	Arthur Stanley Griffiths	Blackwood	♦ 0/22	◊ 0/12	◊ 0/32	♦ 0/34	◊ 0/25	◊ ½/35	♦ 0/14	♦ 0/31	♦ 0/23	◊ 0/20	♦ 1/33	1½

Geoffrey Martin was ill and defaulted his last-round game against Arthur Griffiths

¹ Theodore Watts (born 5 August 1930, Leicester, died 29 September 1964, Salford) was the son of Harold Horace Watts (born 24 June 1892, Stockton-on-Tees, died 2 September 1967, Southport) who played in the 1954 British Championship and 1956 BCF Major Open. Harold was a civil servant, employed by HM Customs & Excise as a surveyor. Theodore was a chemical engineer. They were both living at 45 Crescent Road, Birkdale, Southport, at the time of the 1939 Census.

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1955 British Ladies' Chess Championship • 1954« »1956

1955 British Ladies Championship		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1=	Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew)	Plymouth	&;	1	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	7
1=	Joan Frances Doulton	London	0	&;	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7
3	Dorothea Denise Alma (Dody) Bourdillon (née Rodwell)	London	1	½	&;	1	0	1	1	0	½	1	6
4	Mary A E A Henniker-Heaton 1	London	0	0	0	&;	1	1	½	1	1	1	5½
5=	Deirdre Colmer	London	0	½	1	0	&;	1	½	1	0	1	5
5=	Sarah Margaret (Peggy) Steedman (née Wilson)	Glasgow	1	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	1	1	5
7=	Leah Margaret Hogarth	Glasgow	0	0	0	½	½	0	&;	1	1	0	3
7=	Hilda Florence Chater	Belfast	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	3
9	Beryl E F Kenyon	Cardiff	0	0	½	0	1	0	0	0	&;	1	2½
10	Myrtle Barnes	Bromley	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	&;	1

¹ The player's full name was in fact Mary Araluen Elizabeth Anne Henniker-Heaton (1904-1972).

Bruce-Doulton Play-off Match (reported in BCM, November 1955): One win each and two draws - agreed to share title

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1955 BCF Major Open

Ranking	1955 BCF Major Open	Total
1-2	Herbert Gibson Rhodes (Southport), Dr. Jakob Adolf Seitz (Argentina)	8½
3	David Edward Lloyd (Birmingham)	7½
4-5	Peter A Harris (Oldbury), John H Pollitt ((Stockport)	7
6-10	Charles Reuben Gurnhill (Sheffield), Brian Halliwell (Preston), Harry Gethin Thorp Matchett (Birmingham), Victor John Anthony Russ (Birstall), F Smith (Blackburn)	6½
11-13	Richard Frank Holmes (Cambridge), Alan Edgar Nield (St Leonards), Douglas Saunderson (Chesterfield)	6
14-18	Kenneth Leslie Gardner ((Birmingham), Herbert Francis Gook (South Croydon), James Roderick Nicolson (Manchester), John James O’Hanlon (Dublin), Stephen Wilkinson (Loughton)	5½
19-23	Philip Edward Collier (Leicester), B Howard (Blackpool), William Souter Mackie (South Africa), Leonard W Oliver (South Shields), Cyril Owen Welch (Bristol)	5
24-25	Otto Henry Hardy (Batley), Arthur T Watson (Southwick)	4½
26	J Johnson (Liverpool)	4
27	Philip B Sarson (Harrow)	3½
28-29	Harry Booth (Oxford), George Henry Simmons (Scunthorpe)	2½
30	K Marsh (Australia)	2

1955 British Junior [Under 21] Championship.—(1) John Dudley Taylor (Oakham) 10½; (2) Thomas Anselm Landry (London) 10; 3 G. H. Davies (Wallasey) 6½; 4 R. Marshall (Leicester) 5; 5 J Gordon Lloyd (Nottingham) 4; 6-7 R. A. Coulson (Leighton Buzzard), M. J. Walker (Aberystwyth) 3. ["The British Junior Championship tournament had to he rearranged because only 7 of the original 10 competitors were able to play. This compelled the controllers to convert it into a double-round event of 14 rounds and there were two rounds per day on Tuesday 23 Aug, Thursday 25 Aug and Monday 29 Aug." (Bulletin)] n.b. CHESS, 30 September 1955, has different initials, scores and rankings of players from 4th place onwards, thus: 4 A. [sic - think this initial is wrong as R appears throughout the bulletin - JS] Marshall (Leicester) 5; 5 R. A. Coulson (Leighton Buzzard) 4; 6-7 J. G. Lloyd (Nottingham), M. J. Walker (Aberystwyth) 3. N.B. The tournament bulletin does not include results of non-prize-winners.

1955 British Boys’ [Under 18] Championship.—1-2 Clifford G Tayar (Birmingham), David A Tidmarsh (London) 8; 3 Michael Macdonald-Ross (London) 7½; 4-5 J. M. Dawson (Bristol), S. A. Harding (Ipswich) 7; 6-8 W. S. Deeth (London), Bruce J McGreevy (Liverpool), J. B. Thomas (Epsom) 6½; 9-14 Raymond B Edwards (Harrogate), M. Lipton (London), Alan K May (Richmond), R. H. Northage (Quorn), W. S. Powell (Stoke), Michael E Ventham (Southampton) 6; 15-18 C. Burton (Birmingham), Kenneth Hilton (Liverpool), W. Turner (Lewes), John F Wheeler (Plympton) 5½; 19-21 B. J. N. Blight (Plymouth), P. McLaren (Edinburgh), D. K. Peters ((Port Talbot) 5; 22-24 Brian Ewart (Wallasey), Anthony James Leggett¹ (Staines), P. M. Thomas (Leicester) 4½; 25 P. M. Hodkinson (Manchester) 3½; 26-27 A. Oakes (Doncaster), A. P. Needham (Denton) 3; 28 G. W. Wheeler (Plympton) 5.
¹ Now Sir Anthony James Leggett, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize for Physics - biography.

BCF First Class.—1 (Derek) George Ellison (Bolton) 9½; 2-5 T. Harman (Coventry), Alfred Milner (Didsbury), Rev. Kenneth Stuart Procter (London), C. A. H. Russ (Sutton) 7½; 6-9 G. F. Barnard (Cardiff), Thomas E. L. Chataway (Clent) , A. L. Homer, D. Gould (Leicester) 7; 10-16 J. Bate (Chester), C. Hatch (Southport), Rev. Arthur Percival Lacy-Hulbert (Ludlow), H. S. Littlechild (Wisbech), Patrick Humphrey Sullivan (Dartford), D. Thomas (Bristol), J. W. Thornley (Manchester) 6; 17-19 A. Archer (Stoke), A. H. Kirkman (Liverpool), O. Serck (Knighton) 5½; 20-21 W. J. Matthews (Bristol), Christopher Baruch Wood (Sutton Coldfield) 5; 22-25 B. K. Jeary (Plymouth), H. E. Baxter (Manchester), P. H. Fudge (Bristol), Sir J. C. Walton (Hastings) 4½; 26-28 W. J. C. H. Burges (Blockley), J. Taynton Evans (Newport), G. A. Peck (Rugby) 4; 29 G. G. Homan (Rochester) 3½; 30 H. Taylor (Manchester) 3; 31 P. Laurent 2 (France - withdrew after Round 6); 32 A. Terrett (Norwich) 1½.

BCF Second Class.— 1 F[rederick?] C[larence?] Shorter (London - Islington CC) 8½; 2-3 S. H. Jackson (Liverpool), G. O. J. Melitus (London) 7½; 4 (Rex) Frank T Wood (Sutton Coldfield) 7; 5 L. J. Worsell (Chesterfield) 6½; 6-8 D. R. R. Ellis (Chester), Miss N. Harris (London), R. Samuels (Liverpool) 5½; 9 W. H. Reynolds (Rugby) 4½; 10 T. W. Crabb (Sheffield) 3½; 11 J. E. Mort (Middleton) 2½; 12 J. Salt (Chesterfield) 2.

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The 1955 British Girls' Under-18 Championship was held at the Bognor Regis Congress in April 1955. The results were as follows:

1955 British Girls’ Under-18 Championship

1955 British Girls Under-18 Chess Championship		Resid.	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Margaret Eileen Elizabeth (Peggy) Wood	Sutton Coldfield	&;	0	1	1	1	1	4
2	Margaret Wood	Bicester	1	&;	0	½	1	½	3
3	Susan Smith	London	0	1	&;	1	0	1	3
4	June Beckett	Bromley	0	½	0	&;	1	1	2½
5	Sheila A Corbyn	Birmingham	0	0	1	0	&;	½	1½
6	E Shirley Mann	Birmingham	0	½	0	0	½	&;	1

Round 1: S Mann ½-½ M Wood; Beckett 0-1 Smith; Corbyn 0-1 P Wood
Round 2: P Wood 1-0 Mann; Smith 0-1 Corbyn; M Wood ½-½ Beckett
Round 3: Mann 0-1 Beckett; Corbyn 0-1 M Wood; P Wood 1-0 Smith
Round 4: Smith 1-0 Mann; M Wood 1-0 P Wood; Beckett 1-0 Corbyn
Round 5: Corbyn ½-½ Mann; P Wood 1-0 Beckett; Smith 1-0 M Wood

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File Updated

Date	Notes
28 March 2018	Two games amended to show the correct date (Milner-Barry-Green, Round 1 and Franklin-Aitken, Round 7)
29 March 2018	Name amendment - 'Moore, BJ' changed to 'Moore, Brian J'
23 September 2020	Some cosmetic changes, plus amended Arthur S Griffiths to Arthur Stanley Griffiths.
10 May 2021	Some more cosmetic changes - added residential info for all players, etc.
10 May 2021	Four more games, from the Aitken collection - Rd 3 v H Israel, Rd 6 v G Wheatcroft, Rd 9 v A Phillips, Rd 11 v AY Green.
27 April 2022	Added two games from the First Class section: (1) Lacy-Hulbert 1-0 Sir John Walton; (2) NN 0-1 Lacy-Hulbert. Contributed by Gerard Killoran via the English Chess Forum, for which many thanks.