by Nigel Dennis and Roger Brugge,
July 2013
The first congress was for children aged under 13. There were few 13-17 year old chess players around Maidenhead, as they had not had the benefit of the Junior Chess Club during their early years. Each year the age range of the Congress was increased until it catered for all players aged under 18.
After 1983, when there were over 200 entries, the Junior Chess Club lost the use of its premises and the Congress continued, during the Easter holidays, without the support of a local junior chess club. In the early years the Congress purchased chess equipment and later, as funds became available, trophies for the section winners. Names were engraved on the trophies - currently these are:- Under 18 (Bruton), Under 13 (Bristow), Under 12 (Dennis), Under 11 (Brugge) and Under 9 (Foister).
Mike Bruton started the congress and was in charge for the first ten years. Earlier, he had started the Maidenhead Junior Chess Club and organised it throughout its time at the High Street Methodist Church Hall. He is now a Councillor for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Pam and Mike Foister were involved in the organisation of the Congress for some ten years while son Steven was winning the trophies (or trying to). Many others have helped on Congress days with the playing sessions and in other supporting roles - far too many to mention although without them the Congress could not have been held over the years.
This short history, published on the occasion of the 25th Congress, lists all the section winners and shows how some of them have gone on to play at the British Championships.
Some of the tabular information was extended in May 2006 and July 2013 to cover the congresses up to that of 2013.
1975 | Dr M. J. Bruton |
---|---|
1976 - 1977 | Mrs M. Campbell |
1978 - 1988 | Mrs P. Foister |
1989 - 2013 | Dr R. Brugge |
1975 | Methodist Church Hall, Maidenhead |
---|---|
1976 - 1994 | Desborough School, Maidenhead |
1995 - 1996 | Altwood School, Maidenhead |
1997 | Desborough School, Maidenhead |
1998 - 2002 | Altwood School, Maidenhead |
2003 - 2007 | All Saints Junior School, Maidenhead |
2008 - 2012 | Ridgeway School, Maidenhead |
2013 | Claires Court School, Maidenhead |
A steady decline in the number of entries from Berkshire took place over ten years from 163 in 1982 to 34 in 1992. Fewer schools were running chess clubs, children were taking part in other activities with less chess played, and families were travelling away from home during school holidays. However, a greater willingness to travel brought more entries from other parts of the south of England, particularly in the under 9 and under 11 sections.
Entries in the under 13 and under 18 sections, though, remained well below the level of earlier years. The British Chess Federation Junior Squad were holding their annual event over a weekend close to the date of the congress, and organising training events and trips abroad during the Easter holidays. However, The Royal Grammar School, Guildford, has brought a group from the school to the under 13 and under 18 events every year since 1983.
The number of entries in the Maidenhead Junior Chess Congress, 1975-2013:
Year | Total number of entries | Berkshire entries | Number from other counties |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | 80 | 70 | 10 |
1976 | 127 | 110 | 17 |
1977 | 161 | 137 | 24 |
1978 | 155 | 139 | 16 |
1979 | 150 | 115 | 35 |
1980 | 138 | 106 | 32 |
1981 | 202 | 160 | 42 |
1982 | 207 | 163 | 44 |
1983 | 208 | 143 | 65 |
1984 | 177 | 111 | 66 |
1985 | 134 | 75 | 59 |
1986 | 140 | 76 | 64 |
1987 | 153 | 89 | 64 |
1988 | 154 | 68 | 86 |
1989 | 125 | 46 | 79 |
1990 | 136 | 52 | 84 |
1991 | 121 | 47 | 74 |
1992 | 87 | 34 | 53 |
1993 | 93 | 37 | 56 |
1994 | 101 | 47 | 54 |
1995 | 101 | 35 | 66 |
1996 | 75 | 27 | 48 |
1997 | 92 | 32 | 60 |
1998 | 115 | 37 | 78 |
1999 | 105 | 28 | 77 |
2000 | 68 | 20 | 48 |
2001 | 111 | 30 | 81 |
2002 | 80 | 31 | 49 |
2003 | 93 | 45 | 48 |
2004 | 82 | 26 | 56 |
2005 | 72 | 25 | 47 |
2006 | 50 | 25 | 25 |
2007 | 46 | 19 | 27 |
2008 | 69 | 22 | 47 |
2009 | 54 | 19 | 35 |
2010 | 46 | 15 | 31 |
2011 | 62 | 26 | 36 |
2012 | 55 | 26 | 29 |
2013 | 76 | 31 | 45 |
One day sections were held from 2011. Players taking part in two one day sections have been counted as one player entering.
The All-Play-All sections gave the players valuable playing experience towards participitation in adult congresses, but as entry numbers dropped the sections became impracticable, By then, the BCF Junior squad was providing the best players with a tournament during the Easter holidays.
When it ran, the under 18 section had 6 or 8 players, the under 15 section 8 or 10 players and the under 12 section 10 or 12 players (once 8 players). The winners were as follows (a gap indicating no tournament that year):
Under 18 | Under 15 | Under 12 | |
1977 | Jeremy Hart, Maidenhead | ||
1978 | Stephen James, Camberley Timothy Lawrence, Winnersh | ||
1979 | Kevin Beedle, Chesham | Martin Alster, Iver Heath | Stephen Bird, Yateley; Alexander Buckland, Maidenhead |
1980 | Kevin Beedle, Chesham | Brian Church, High Wycombe | Mark Seymour, Charvil |
1981 | Kevin Beedle, Chesham | Jonathan Beedle, Chesham | Mark Seymour, Charvil |
1982 | Stephen Piercey, Maidenhead | Alexander Buckland, Maidenhead | Christopher Doe, Bourne End |
1983 | Simon Knight, Burnham | Andrew Melvin, Maidenhead | Steven Foister, Maidenhead |
1984 | Alexander Buckland, Maidenhead | Steven Foister, Maidenhead | Martin Faulkner, Wokingham |
1985 | Simon Duck, Wokingham | Stephen Warry, Wokingham | Nicholas Brisbourne, Gerrards Cross |
1986 | David Lee, Abingdon | Thomas Townsend, Earley; Nicholas Brisbourne, Gerrards Cross | Simon Ansell, Oxford |
1987 | Simon Ansell, Oxford | Neil Anderson, Farnborough; Christopher Blake, Southampton | |
1988 | Ali Shahrukhi, High Wycombe | Neil Anderson, Farnborough | |
1989 | Lucy Smith, Oxford | ||
1990 | James Cobb, Swindon | Charles Cobb, Swindon | |
1991 | Ashley Cox, Maidenhead; Peter Hamborg, Twyford |
Under 18 | Under 13 | Under 11 | Under 9 | ||
1975 | D Seawert, J Stanton | T Aston, M Kendall | M Gerrard | ||
1976 | S James | A Clayfield, J Watkins | D Hallett | ||
1977 | G Tubb | S Lockwood, R Jobbons | J Willder | ||
1978 | M Cogan, M Johnstone, R Lockwood, D Mander | P Ball | D Burns, S Maidment | M Seymour | |
1979 | I Conway, R Lockwood | T Freeman | R Meacock, K Nevols, A Sharpe | C Lindsey | |
1980 | I Conway | S Knight, P Ash, P Evans | B Collins, P Utting, L Huxley | S Foister | |
1981 | I Smith | R Meacock | C Doe, M Eastgate | S Follett | |
1982 | P May, P Bennet | P Masters | F Lilley, C Forbes | G Warren | |
1983 | D Hallett | W Asghar, S Hopewell | M Faulkner | J Hastings, D Woods | |
1984 | N Wood | M Ball | P Golding, N Brisbourne | D Woods | |
1985 | S Roberts | S Follett (under 14 section) | N Mallen | M Mumford | |
1986 | S Roberts | J Hastings | Jason Lee | A George, S Crawford-Phillips | |
1987 | S Foister | N James | I Edwards | D Clifton | |
1988 | T Townsend, M Anderton | M Bryant | A P George | J Conlon | |
1989 | S Foister | J Cobb | C A Cobb | A Edmans | |
1990 | S Hampton | N J Harmer | A P Mills | L McShane | |
1991 | E D Savory, A P George | G S Reyatt | K D Smallbone, M P George | L J Debbage | |
1992 | M Houska | M P George | A Huntley | L J Debbage, R Pike | |
1993 | M Houska | J Houska | R Pike, L J Debbage | M Broomfield | |
1994 | J Houska | R A Hogg | J J Foster, I Houska, C J Milton, R D Knight, E Cormack, R Scott | J Fish | |
1995 | E Dearing, J Houska, M C Campbell | J J Foster | D Kay, M Broomfield | T Thiruchelvam | |
1996 | D A Gold | M Bovey | C Hansell | J Ridout | |
1997 | M Broomfield | A Smith | C Hansell | J Zhang, J Hillman | |
1998 | K B Nicholas | C Hansell, D Bareham | G P Morris | D J Hall | |
1999 | A Thorpe | D W-L Howell | S Pozzo, J D W Hall | J Peet | |
2000 | C M Linford | M Harborne | J T Peet | E Geidelberg | |
2001 | C M Linford | D Barraclough | S Barraclough | L Martin | |
2002 | C Kay, M Harborne | H Kingston | L Martin | P Butler | |
2003 | M Harborne | M Amery | P Williams | G Tunstall | |
2004 | P Williams | R Coats | D Chan | J Holland | |
2005 | S Cairns | D Chan | G S Tunstall | N Pillai | |
2006 | S Cairns | J Adair | R White | R Zhang | |
2007 | J Adair | J Holland | R Zhang, P A Archer-Lock | D Redman | |
2008 | F Ynojosa | R Fitzgerald | M Cleeves | D Redman | |
2009 | R Jain, J Holland, T Fitzgerald | A Harris | V Lee, P Waddingham | R Wong | |
2010 | M Oliver | A Zhang | T Slade |
Under 18 (2-day) | Under 12 (1-day) | Under 11 (1-day) | Under 10 (1-day) | Under 9 (1-day) | |
2011 | R Starling, P Waddingham | D D'Souza-Eva | H Phillips | M French | C McLaren |
2012 | K Dixit | R Bennett, T McLaren | A Smailes | C McLaren | B Pastukhov |
2013 | H Anbukumar | E Bains-Gillespie | B Pastukhov, E Bains-Gillespie | P Isaksen | M Miller |
The tournament enables many players, not just the eventual section winners, to play games that can have a bearing on the outcome of a competition. It also enables the youger players to compete against the older ones on an equal footing.
Team tournament winners, 1989 - 2009:
Winners | |
1989 | Holmer Green Combined School, Bucks. |
1990 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
1991 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford; Dolphin School, Hurst, Berks.; Holmer Green Middle School, Bucks. |
1992 | Holmer Green Middle School, Bucks. |
1993 | Dolphin School, Hurst, Berks.; Gateway School, Great Missenden, Bucks. |
1994 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford; Beenham Primary School, Reading; Hamilton County Combined School, High Wycombe |
1995 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
1996 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
1997 | Garden Suburb Junior School, London NW 11 |
1998 | Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Amersham; Garden Suburb Junior School, London NW11 |
1999 | Frideswide Middle School, Oxford; Lethbridge Junior School, Swindon |
2000 | Garden Suburb Junior School, London |
2001 | Commonweal School, Swindon; Hamilton County Combined, High Wycombe |
2002 | Hamilton County Combined, High Wycombe; St. Nicholas School, Hurst |
2003 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
2004 | Hamilton Primary School, High Wycombe |
2005 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
2006 | Hamilton School, High Wycombe |
2007 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
2008 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford |
2009 | Ridgeway School, Maidenhead |