1964 (19th) West of England (WECU) Championship, Torre Abbey, Torquay, 26-30 March

1964 West of England Championship		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Jeffrey Ansell	3b	Cheltenham	b11+	w5=	b6+	w2+	b3=	w4=	4½
2	Denis Victor Mardle	2b	Cheltenham	b7+	w13+	w4+	b1-	b5+	w3=	4½
3	James Macrae Aitken	3a	Cheltenham	b16=	w17+	b5+	w6+	w1=	b2=	4½
4	Denis John Pereira Gray	4b	Exeter	b20+	w14+	b2-	w10+	b11+	b1=	4½
5	Andrew Rowland B Thomas	3a	Tiverton	w18+	b1=	w3-	b16+	w2-	b13+	3½
6	Robert H Wildig	5a	Bristol	b19+	w9+	w1-	b3-	w15+	b12=	3½
7	Brian William Clapp	5b	Exeter	w2-	b12+	w8=	b15=	w16+	b9=	3½
8	Maximilian Ernst Poolake	4a	Bristol	b9-	w20+	b7=	w11=	w13=	b14+	3½
9	Joseph Andrew Flood	-	Exeter	w8+	b6-	w10-	b18+	w20+	w7=	3½
10	Ivan Robert Napier	5b	Lelant	w13-	w19+	b9+	b4-	w12=	b15=	3
11	Philip E Walker1	4a	Gerrards Cross	w1-	b18=	w20+	b8=	w4-	b17+	3
12	John Crowle Cock	4a	Cheltenham	b14-	w7-	b19+	w17+	b10=	w6=	3
13	David Ellis	5b	Leeds / Scillies?	b10+	b2-	w15=	w14=	b8=	w5-	2½
14	Arthur William Busby	5a	Camborne	bye+	b4-	w16-	b13=	w18+	w8-	2½
15	Colin Durston	6a	Winfrith	b17=	w16=	b13=	w7=	b6-	w10=	2½
16	Ronald Owen Powis	5a	Stroud	w3=	b15=	b14+	w5-	b7-	b19-	2
17	J Anderson	4b	Weymouth	w15=	b3-	w18=	b12-	w19+	w11-	2
18	John Cullum	5b	Kingswood	b5-	w11=	b17=	w9-	b14-	b20=	1½
19	Peter J M Edwards	6a	Twyford House	w6-	b10-	w12-	b20=	b17-	w16+	1½
20	Reginald Samuel Thynne	5a	Teignmouth	w4-	b8-	b11-	w19=	b9-	w18=	1

¹ Philip E Walker (born 1941) was originally from Weston-super-Mare. His father was Ernest George Walker, the congress secretary. In the late 1960s Philip Walker managed the Buckinghamshire junior team, of which I was a member - JS

1964 West of England (WECU) Championship Reserves, Torquay, 26-30 March

1964 WECU Championship Reserves		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	H J Owen	6b	Bath / Bristol	w3+	b4+	w2+	b8+	b5+	w6+	6
2	Gilbert Leslie Pritchard	6b	Southampton	b6+	w9+	b1-	w5+	w3+	b8+	5
3	Thomas Austen Rayner	-	Weston-super-Mare	b1-	b11+	w10+	w6+	b2-	w4=	3½
4	Michael F Robins	8a	Bristol	bye+	w1-	b5-	w7+	b9+	b3=	3½
5	George Edgar Nash	8a	Dorset	w8=	b10+	w4+	b2-	w1-	b7=	3
6	Samson Parker Lucas	6b	Liskeard	w2-	bye+	w11+	b3-	w8+	b1-	3
7	William H Millett	8b	Bristol	w10=	b8-	bye+	b4-	w11+	w5=	3
8	James A R Cousins	9b	Western	b5=	w7+	b9+	w1-	b6-	w2-	2½
9	Thomas Arthur Hey	8a	Weston-super-Mare	w11+	b2-	w8-	b10=	w4-	bye+	2½
10	Harold Hurrell	8b	Weymouth	b7=	w5-	b3-	w9=	bye+	b11-	2
11	Derek G Huggins	8a	Weston-super-Mare	b9-	w3-	b6-	bye+	b7-	w10+	2

1964 West of England Women's Championship

1964 WECU Women's Championship	Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	Total
Mrs Sally H Jefferies		Stroud	1	1	0	1	3
Miss D Sayers	11a	Paignton	0	0	1	0	1

1964 West of England Junior (Under-18) Championship

1964 WECU Under-18 Championship		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Leon P Burnett	5b	Weston-super-Mare	w11+	b4=	w5=	b13+	w6=	b3+	4½
2	R Evans	7b	Bristol	b9=	w3-	b15+	w10+	w14+	b6+	4½
3	Anthony M M Hurman	6a	Somerset	w5=	b2+	w4+	b6=	b8+	w1-	4
4	Geoffrey A Young	6b	Bristol	w10+	w1=	b3-	w9+	b5=	w8+	4
5	David John Shire	6a	Gloucester	b3=	w9+	b1=	w8=	w4=	b11+	4
6	B A Lewis			b16+	w12+	b8=	w3=	b1=	w2-	3½
7	I Young			b12-	w16+	b10=	b14-	w15+	b13+	3½
8	D G Hunter			w15+	b13+	w6=	b5=	w3-	b4-	3
9	John M Baguley	7b	Dartmouth	w2=	b5-	w11+	b4-	b10=	w16+	3
10	P A Leonard			b4-	b14+	w7=	b2-	w9=	b15+	3
11	I Drummond	6a	Bristol	b1-	w15+	b9-	w12+	w13+	w5-	3
12	Peter R Wood	5b	Exmouth	w7+	b6-	w13-	b11-	b16+	w14+	3
13	M J Gray			w14+	w8-	b12+	w1-	b11-	w7-	2
14	Alan J Nelder	7a	Weston-super-Mare	b13-	w10-	b16+	w7+	b2-	b12-	2
15	M A Duncombe			b8-	b11-	w2-	w16+	b7-	w10-	1
16	Robert Ian Iredale			w6-	b7-	w14-	b15-	w12-	b9-	0

1964 West of England Minor (Under-14) Championship

1964 WECU Under-14 Championship		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Derek Maurice Wise		Downend & F	b13+	w5+	b7+	w2+	b3=	w4+	5½
2	R Hedges	7a	Totterdown	w10+	b8+	w4+	b1-	w5+	w3=	4½
3	Joseph V A Franks			w9+	b4-	w8+	b6+	w1=	b2=	4
4	Trefor H Thynne	7b	Teignmouth	b12+	w3+	b2-	w10+	b11+	b1-	4
5	R C Dunn	9a	Mevagissey	w6=	b1-	b13+	w7+	b2-	w10+	3½
6	D Jones	8b	Weston-super-Mare	b5=	w7=	b9+	w3-	b10=	b12+	3½
7	A V Saunders			w11+	b6=	w1-	b5-	w8=	w14+	3
8	C Hall			b14+	w2-	b3-	w9=	b7=	w13+	3
9	Mary Cousins			b3-	w14+	w6-	b8=	w12=	w11+	3
10	P Smith			b2-	w12+	w11+	b4-	w6=	b5-	2½
11	Peter J Bloodworth	8b	Devon	b7-	w13+	b10-	b14+	w4-	b9-	2
12	M L Miller			w4-	b10-	w14-	b13+	b9=	w6-	1½
13	D Lee	10a	Bristol	w1-	b11-	w5-	w12-	b14+	b8-	1
14	R E Bishop	8b	Bristol	w8-	b9-	b12+	w11-	w13-	b7-	1

1964 West of England Open Championship

1964 West of England Open Championship		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Leslie Charles Alfred Lewis	5a	Exmouth	&;	1	1	½	½	1	4
2	Terence D Crawford			0	&;	1	½	½	1	3
3	Peter Douglas Ralph			0	0	&;	1	1	1	3
4	David S Reed	6b	Bruton	½	½	0	&;	½	1	2½
5	Ernest George Walker	5b	Weston-super-Mare	½	½	0	½	&;	½	2
6	Richard E Boxall			0	0	0	0	½	&;	½

1964 West of England All-Play-All A

1964 West of England All-Play-All A		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	G Wood	6b	Coventry	&;	0	1	1	½	1	3½
2	R J Berry		Coventry	1	&;	0	½	1	1	3½
3	William Robert Provis		Truro	0	1	&;	1	0	1	3
4	Ivor Stanley Annetts		Poole	0	½	0	&;	1	1	2½
5	Waldemar Przybora		Bristol	½	0	1	0	&;	1	2½
6	John G Jefferies	11a	Stroud	0	0	0	0	0	&;	0

1964 West of England All-Play-All B

1964 West of England All-Play-All B		Grade	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Steadman Louis Russell		Broughton	&;	1	0	½	1	1	3½
2	Raymond John Pomeroy		London	0	&;	1	1	½	1	3½
3	Laurence J Guard	7a	Plymouth	1	0	&;	0	1	1	3
4	J W Fisher			½	0	1	&;	0	1	2½
5	A B Cole	7b	Teignmouth	0	½	0	1	&;	1	2½
6	Frederick William Bassett	7a	Helston	0	0	0	0	0	&;	0

Congress Report (from the bulletin)

The 1964 Easter Congress was held in the delightful setting of Torre Abbey by kind permission of the Borough of Torquay. It was opened by Councillor J W Kellow, Mayor of Torquay, after introduction by Devon's President President Mrs. Rowena M Bruce. The players and families were invited to tea at the Abbey.

81 players competed, and competition was as keen as ever. Mrs. O M Pitt-Fox presented the prizes and also earnt our thanks for running the book-stall.

The Championship consisted of 20 players, of whom 5 were previous holders. The 6 rounds resulted in 4 players with 4½ — J Ansell, D V Mardle & Dr. J M Aitken of Cheltenham, and Dr. D J Gray of being placed in that order after the "sum of opponent s scores" had been applied. J Ansell won by the narrowest possible margin and-we offer him our congratulations for winning his second championship.

The reserves section was depleted by last minute changes, but H J Owen (Bristol) won with the only 100% of the Congress; second was G L Pritchard, and these two qualify for the 1965 Championship.

The Open Championship was won by L C Lewis (Exmouth), who had so ably acted as local secretary with the difficult task of doing the work from afar.

The "All Play All" was split into two groups, and both had ties for first place — Section A — G Wood & R J Berry both of Coventry; Section B — S L Russell (Broughton) & R J Pomeroy (London). This year a Ladies' Championship was started; unfortunately it only attracted 2 competitors and Mrs. S H Jefferies beat Miss D. Sayers by 3-1; we hope to expand this in future years.

For the second successive year it was not possible to hold the Girls' Championship.

The Junior (under 18) Championship was tense to the end. L P Burnett (Weston-s-Mare) retaining his Championship but having to share with R Evans (Bristol). The 3 third places once again included A M Hurman, who was later awarded the Brigadier Morris best game Cup — this was adjuducated by our President [Andrew R B Thomas].

The Minor (under 15) Championship was well won by D Wise (Bristol) with 5½; R Hedges was a good second with 4½.

We heartily congratulate all of these winners!

The Congress success was aided by the geniality of the Controler, Mr. A M Shirley, who at very short notice agreed to do the work for a second year. Refreshments, although some distance from actual play, were well managed by Mr. Harris of the Torquay Club and his lady helpers. Mr. Shirley was grateful at various times to a number of players' wives who helped to prepare for the different rounds.

Special thanks are due to Dr. Aitken for preparing the games in this souvenir - it is a monumental task. Thanks, too, to Devon and Somerset for the loan of sets and to all who brought clocks.

Lastly I would like to add my wife's name to the list for her invaluable help just before Easter when I was hors de combat following a garden mishap.

Next Congress - WEYMOUTH, Easter 1965; let's hope you all come again.

E[rnest] G[eorge] WALKER, Hon. Congress Secretary.

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West of England Grading List 1963/64 / National Grading List 1963/64

BCF Grade / Elo Rating Equivalents

Old BCF	BCF/ECF	ECF Elo
2b	224-217	2392-2336
3a	216-209	2328-2272
3b	208-201	2264-2208
4b	192-185	2136-2080
5a	184-177	2072-2016
5b	176-169	2008-1952
6a	168-161	1944-1888
6b	160-153	1880-1824
7a	152-145	1816-1760
7b	144-137	1752-1696
8a	136-129	1688-1632
8b	128-121	1624-1568
9a	120-113	1560-1504
9b	112-105	1496-1440
10a	104-97	1432-1376
10b	96-89	1368-1312
11a	88-81	1304-1248
11b	80-73	1240-1184

 

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File Updated

Date	Notes
7 October 2025	First upload. 16 Championship games, plus 5 from other sections, crosstables, reports. I am grateful to Sir Denis Gray and Chris Kreuzer for sight of the bulletin. Chris Kreuzer very kindly agreed to make contact with Sir Denis who shared the paperwork with him. All the JM Aitken games were input some years ago by Geoff Chandler. Many thanks to all three.
23 January 2026	The bulletin is now available online.