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Northern Counties Chess Union Established 1899 A constituent unit of the English Chess Federation |
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History |
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1. How it All Began
The organisation of county chess in Lancashire took longer than in Yorkshire or Cheshire, possibly because of the rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool. However the battles between Lancashire and Yorkshire teams, begun in 1871, had continued in 1883, 1884, 1887, 1889 and 1890. 1884 had been a mammoth production of 80 boards and in 1887 there were 50. In 1887 the players wore White and Red roses and timekeepers were provided by Fattorini and sons, the time limit being 20 moves an hour. In 1883, at a Liverpool v. Manchester match the Rev. John Owen had put forward the idea of a northern chess association. but the Lancashire County Association was to come first, and when it did, in 1897, the British Chess Magazine commentated that “the formation of an association for Lancashire will enable the county to appoint accredited representatives to take part in any effort to establish a Northern Union.” The BCM also commented “it is understood that the first duty of the executive will be to send a challenge to the Yorkshire Chess Association”. In 1898 the match duly took place, Lancashire winning 20-15. At the dinner after the match Amos Burn promised to assist in any steps taken to found a Northern Chess Union. Both Counties were agreed that such a Union be formed. The inaugural meeting of the Northern Counties Chess Union took place at the rooms of the North Manchester Chess Club on January 28th 1899. Mr. A. E. Moore (North Manchester) was appointed Chairman and Mr. I. M. Brown (Leeds) was appointed Secretary. The 1900 Lancashire Chess Association Annual Meeting voted to enter the “Northern Counties Union Challenge Trophy”, donated by Mr. A. E. Moore.
Mr. A. E. Moore of North Manchester President Northern Counties Chess Union (1899 – 1906)
The competition for the trophy began with a Lancashire v. Cheshire match in 1901. After 4 hours play the unfinished games were adjudicated by Dr. Lasker and a powerful Lancashire team had won 17 games, drawn two and lost only three. The 1901 Lancashire v. Yorkshire match was reported in the BCM as “the tenth meeting of the counties but the first under Northern Union rules”. Lancashire won 16.5-8.5 and Mr. A. E. Moore presented the trophy to the winners. He hoped that the trophy would do something to stimulate an interest in Chess in the North of England. Dr. Lasker, who had again done the adjudications, wished prosperity to the Northern Counties Chess Union.
The First NCCU County Match
The early years of the twentieth century saw the first competitive county matches organised by the new Northern Chess Union. Usually Cheshire, Cumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire competed, there being two semi-finals and a final. The matches were well reported in the British Chess Magazine.
In the 1900-01 semi-final Cheshire met Lancashire “at the rooms of the North Manchester Chess Club, Dyson’s Restaurant, Church Street, Manchester on Saturday 26th January 1901.” Since Cumberland had been unable to raise a team to play Yorkshire the week before, this was the first county match organised by the Northern Union.
“By agreement between the officials of the two counties, the teams were to consist of 20 players and 5 reserves. The number of games actually scored was 21. Play commenced at 3.40 and ceased at 7.40, after which both teams had tea together. The arrangements made by the North Manchester Club were of the usual elaborate and complete description and the match attracted a large number of spectators, who followed the varying fortunes of the games with the keenest interest. Play took place in the spacious dining room of the restaurant, which has already been the scene of important county contests, and which bids fair to become identified with the royal game in the North.
One pleasing feature was the use at most boards of the new “Congress” chess clocks, the handsome cases and large white dials of which gave quite a scientific air to the tables. The clocks were also appreciated by the players on account of their accuracy, subdued ticking, and the noiselessness with which the starting and stopping was effected. Dr Lasker was amongst the spectators, evidently taking an interest generally in the games, and particularly watching with a fatherly eye several of the players with whom he has already come in contact during his short connection with the North Manchester Club. When the scoring sheet was posted it was at once seen that the Cheshire team had a stiff fight before them; the Lancashire team contained the names of many prominent players for the county.
Somewhat to the general surprise, the Lancashire captain (Mr Amos Burn) elected to play second board, placing the Lancashire champion, Dr JH Shaw, of Liverpool, at the head of the team, a graceful compliment to the Doctor’s position as champion of the county, and a very useful and desirable precedent for future matches. The game at No 1 board between the two champions (Mr Rhodes Marriott and Dr Shaw) was still in progress when the time expired, but Dr Lasker (who at the request of the captains acted as adjudicator) had no difficulty in awarding a win for the Lancashire representative. The game at No 2 board between Mr Amos Burn and Mr EA Greig attracted a great deal of attention, especially when it was found that the Cheshire representative was holding his own against the famous player and making a really good fight; just before the close of play, however, Mr Burn was able to obtain a definite winning advantage, and scored the game for his county. After Dr Lasker had concluded his adjudications on the four games left unfinished.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The article above appeared in the 1999 Centenary Booklet. What follows was added here by Steve Mann, 10/10/2022.
The Inaugural Meeting
On the 28th of January 1899, representatives of northern counties held a meeting at the rooms of the North Manchester Chess Club on Church Street. Those in attendance were
Two appointed delegates could not make it to the meeting: Climenson Yelverton Charles Dawbarn (Liverpool) for Lancashire, and J McDonald for Cheshire. (All but Burtinshaw, Platt and McDonald can be found on the Yorkshire Chess History website; see its People Index.)
I M Brown of Yorkshire presided.
The meeting resolved that a Northern Counties Chess Union be formed, to include Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Westmorland, Lincolnshire and any other counties whose membership may be accepted by the governing body.
The defined objectives were
It was resolved that the union be governed by a council to be formed of delegates - not more than three from each county - elect annually by county associations and by the clubs of such counties as have no county association.
An initial committee was appointed to immediately set about formulating a scheme to implement the objectives, and then report to a meeting in April of the following year. This committee consisted of the following.
After the meeting, the company was entertained to dinner by Mr. Moore, in the manner traditional with such events of the era.
The First NCCU County Match
The first NCCU County Championship to be played was that between Lancashire and Cheshire on 26/01/1901 in Manchester, as described above. The first-scheduled match was in fact that between Yorkshire and Cumberland, the latter in fact being Cumberland & Westmoreland combined. This was due to be played a week earlier, on 19/01/1901, in Leeds, but it was abandoned due to the inability of the Cumberland secretary to raise a team.
It is interesting to note, as an aside, that the following season, the same first-round fixture arose but with venue reversed, and, although Yorkshire won by 14 points to 8, it is interesting to note that Cumberland actually had the better score over the top 8 boards. Yorkshire managed to win only by relying on strength in depth resulting from the disparity in size of the two counties.
Northern Counties Championship 1901-02, First Round played at the Viaduct Temperance Hotel, Carlisle, on Saturday, 18/01/1902 (Underlined names contain hyperlinks to biographical pieces on the Yorkshire Chess History website.)
(@ = adjudicated)
The First NCCU Individual Championship
The first competition of which the winner was to be declared NCCU Individual Champion was held in 1900-01. Each member county was to put forward its official champion, or in lieu of that, a nominee. The participants were
(* Those marked with an asterisk can be found on the Yorkshire Chess History website; see its People Index.)
The event was contested as a knock-out, so one player (probably Doyle) must have had a first-round bye. Players travelled to meet their opponents for their individual game, usually to a neutral venue.
Marriott beat Musgrove after an initial draw, then beat Doyle. Meanwhile, Downey beat Birks and Wilson. Marriott (as Black) then beat Downey in the final, on 18/05/1901, at Leeds Chess Club. Marriott thus became the first NCCU Individual Champion. Marriott’s prize was 4 guineas and Downey’s prize was 2 guineas.
The First NCCU Congress
At an NCCU meeting held in Manchester on 23/11/1901 it was decided to hold a chess congress in Blackpool for four days, and that the games of the NCCU Individual Championship be held at the congress, with one player from each county. First and second prizes were again to be 4 guineas and two guineas respectively. The congress was held at the Park House, Blackpool, from 05/03/1902 to 08/03/1902. The Individual Championship was again run as a knockout, but the limited time meant the event could not be finished. Francis Charles Carroll of Lancashire reached the final and had to wait for Victor Leonard Wahltuch of Lancashire and Joseph Algernon Woolard of Yorkshire to determine a winner, but the pair ground out three draws whereafter time had run out. The organisers decided to give Carroll half the prize money, 3 guineas, and to give the other two £1 11s 6d each,. (These three players mentioned can be found on the Yorkshire Chess History website; see its People Index.)
From 1902 onwards, the Individual Championship continued to be played at a congress in Blackpool, but was run as an all-play-all, when draws present no intrinsic problem.
The First NCCU Match v Scotland
The Yorkshire Chess Association had challenged Scottish chess Association to a correspondence match. The SCA had declined, but had expressed a wish to meet Yorkshire over the board at Glasgow in April or May 1901. Yorkshire doubted they could manage that on their own, so passed the matter to the NCCU, whose acceptance of the challenge result in the first NCCU match with Scotland taking place in the rooms of the Glasgow Athenaeum on 25/05/1901. The Linlithgowshire Gazette described the match as the most important match the Scottish Chess Association had ever engaged in.
At the end of time available for play, which ran from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the score stood as NCCU 6-13 Scotland, with 6 games to be adjudicated. (Tracking down historic adjudication results is often difficult.)
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