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SHEFFIELD Chess History |
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Contents: |
Bruce Trophy |
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When G. W. Moses won outright the T. W. Ward Trophy, a jeweller by the name of John Heron Bruce donated another trophy to replace it. The new trophy took the form of a small silver cup, with lid, on a square base.
The inscriptions on the front of the cup read as follows:
Sheffield Chess Championship
Trophy
Presented by
J.H. BRUCE ESQ
1919
The cup bears the sterling silver mark, the London assay marks for 1901, and the maker’s mark “WK”. This may well be the mark of Walter Keith, though there were a number of “WK” London maker’s marks. Around the sloping base of the square plinth are twelve shields with the names of the winners from 1919 to 1930, three on each side, bearing the maker’s mark: H Bs & Co (possibly meaning Hardy Bothers [&Co.])
One of those twelve shields (the one with 1920 on it) bears the sterling silver mark and the Chester assay marks for 1916.
The fate of the T. W. Ward Trophy befell the Bruce Trophy, with W. H. Sparkes winning it outright in 1926 by virtue of winning it a third time. On the vertical face of the plinth, above the shield with the winners for 1925 to 1927, is a plate inscribed:
Won outright by Mr. W. H. Sparkes 1926 AND GIVEN BACK TO THE ASSOCIATION FOR PERPETUAL COMPETITION
The trophy was thus saved. On the other three vertical faces of the plinth, above the twelve shields mentioned above, were added nine more shields, three on each of the three vertical faces apart from the one bearing the above-described plate. Seven of the nine bear the maker’s mark “G.P” or “C.P”, the sterling silver mark, and the Chester assay marks for 1931, showing the shields to be secondary additions. These new shields bear the names of the winners from 1931 to 1939.
After a break for World War II, engraving of the names of winners resumed on the lid, which carries the names of the winners in 1945 to 1959, the from 1960 engraving was done on the cup itself.
After space ran out, the trophy seems not engraved for 15 years. Eventually, an extra plinth below the original plinth to carry winners’ names from 1983 onwards. On each face of the plinth is a plate measuring 95mm by 55mm, with the Sheffield (Tudor rose, being post-1975) sterling silver hallmark for 1998 (letter “y”). 16 years’ engraving was apparently done on the new plinth in 1998.
In recent years the trophy has experienced physical abuse. Both handles have been broken off, one being held in place with tape, the other seemingly having been lost forever, though in time the second handle was found again. Its sad condition does not allow a photograph to been shown.
Successive winners of the trophy, as engraved thereon except items in italics, have been as follows:
* No mention of 2000 on trophy, but “2001 P Blackman” engraved twice. ** misspelt as “C.C.W. Shepard on trophy”
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Created 14/05/2012 |
Copyright © 2012 Stephen John Mann |
Last Updated 22/09/2025 |