The original “Yorkshire Chess Association” (1) started up in 1841, but fairly soon expanded to a much larger regional organisation (“The Northern & Midlands Chess Association”) and then became a national organisation (The “Chess Association”, soon to be renamed “British Chess Association”). So, to replace the original Yorkshire Chess Association as a purely Yorkshire-based organisation, the “West Yorkshire Chess Association” was formed, intentionally limiting its scope to what was practical i.e. Yorkshire’s West Riding. Eventually the “Yorkshire County Chess Club” was formed when a county-wide scope became practical, and in time the present “Yorkshire Chess Association” was formed by the merger of WYCA and YCCC. However, there was another “Yorkshire Chess Association” in existence, albeit briefly, between the two just referred to.

The Rev. Arthur Bolland Skipworth, who had organised two chess events at Caistor in his native Lincolnshire, continued pursuing his own ideas after moving to North Yorkshire. Starting with Redcar as a venue for tournaments he adopted for his essentially one-man show the name “North Yorkshire & District Chess Association”, but on relocating to York as the venue he adopted then name of (relatively unknown) “Yorkshire Chess Association”. This change caused consternation in West Yorkshire, but that dissipated as Skipworth’s organisation, in turn, went national, becoming the “Counties Chess Association”, in parallel with the more elevated (overambitious?) British Chess Association. Skipworth held meetings at York in 1867, 1868 and 1869.

At York in 1869, the Class I tournament, for the Challenge Cup, was contested by four players, who included Skipworth himself, who was the winner. Making the games seem interesting is a bit difficult, but the game between Skipworth and Edmund Thorold was of some interest, with Thorold sacrificing Q for R + B in the hope of freeing his game.

Click here to play through the game Skipworth v Thorold.

The game between the Reverends Charles Edward Ranken (White) and A B Skipworth (Black) reached the following position after White had a little incautiously played 32. a4.

How should Black best continue in this position?

Click here to play through the game and find out.

In the Class II tournament, Huddersfield bank clerk Joseph Henry Scott Finlinson of Huddersfield had White against Whitby pawnbroker Walter Grimshaw who at that stage was probably not that good but would be “improving”. Grimshaw played a speculative piece sacrifice in the opening, managed to get it back, developed an inferior position, but managed to pull off a “cheepo” in order to win. After a certain amount of grovelling, the following position was reached, where Grimshaw (Black) had just played his queen from a dysfunctional station at c8 to d7. White now blundered.

How did White, to move, now blunder?

Click here to play through the whole game and find out.

Finlinson came third in Class II, but won the Handicap event, beating Edmund Thorold (giving odds of P and 2 moves) en route, as follows.

Click here to play through the Finlinson v Thorold game.

A success for a local player came with a win by “Mr. Ball” over “Mr. Wayte” in the Handicap event. “Mr. Ball” was clearly Alfred Ball, surgeon, of York, who was Skipworth’s assistant, or in effect the congress secretary. The position after Black’s 13th move was as follows. At his point White inexplicably blundered horribly, though equally inexplicably (if not more so) Black failed to exploit the blunder.

White played 14. Qf2, allowing 14. … Ng4, winning a knight. The Chess Player’s Quarterly Chronicle said of White’s 14th, “This is not good; he ought now to lose a piece by his adversary playing Kt. to K. Kt. fifth, and it is strange indeed that Mr. Waite should have overlooked that simple move; but this is another proof that the best players are not infallible. White might have played Q. R. to K. square, with full scope for attack.” In the event, Black continued with 14. … Nxe3 15. Qxe3, and Arthur Ball went on eventually to win after that.

Click here to play through the whole Ball v Wayte game.