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Yorkshire Chess History |
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Silver Rook |
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A third division of the Yorkshire League was first contested in 1959-60, the first winners being YEN Doncaster II. It appears there was no trophy for the winners until 1960-61, as the trophy bears a plaque with the inscription:
YORKSHIRE CHESS ASSOCIATION 1961
The first winner’s name to be inscribed on the trophy was Leeds III for 1961 (i.e. season 1960-61).
The uppermost part of the trophy consists of a small silver rook, whose main body is approximately four inches high and is surmounted by a flag on a spiral pole which adds a further one-and-a-half inches to the rook’s height. This rook is made of a thin sheet of metal, which has the pattern of stonework embossed on it and is moulded round a wooden core. The rook is mounted on eight pillars, each of three-quarters of an inch in height. The pillars stand on a section of plinth with is similarly covered with thin metal sheeting. There is no hallmark, either because the item is too small to require an assay mark or because it isn’t sterling silver – though it looks like silver.
The “silver rook” surmounts a slightly wider section of black-lacquered wooden plinth bearing the plaque with the above inscription. There is in fact no plaque bearing a trophy name, hence the term “Silver Rook” is more a literal description than a formal name of the trophy, though the trophy and the competition in which it is contested both are referred to by that name.
Below that is a wider section of wooden plinth with a metal strip extending three-quarters of the way round. This bears inscriptions of winners’ names from 1961 to 1986. A further metal strip, probably added in 1987, fills the gap between the ends of the first strip and has the names of the winners from 1987 to 1991.
The next, wider still section of wooden (MDF?) plinth appears to be an addition to the original trophy, presumably added in 1992. It carries two strips of metal to receive engraving, and it bears the names of winners from 1993 onwards.
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Created 19/06/2016 |
Copyright © 2016 Stephen John Mann |
Last Updated 19/06/2016 |