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Updated 30.3.08

The Adult Champions page has large gaps. If you can remedy blunders or omissions, please do.
     There seems to be no complete central record of winners. What we have has been gleaned largely from the engraving on the trophies, supplemented by as yet unfinished research in old BCMs. All the SCCU's pre-war records are thought to have been destroyed in the blitz; with the exception of the minute book from 1930 which, being then current, was no doubt stored separately. We have this book, and have just (10.7.99) acquired all subsequent minute books up to the present day.



SCCU TEAM CHAMPIONS: ADULT

Structure of the Competitions
For more than half a century, with a Union which at its largest stretched from Norfolk to Cornwall (it spilled over into Wales at least once), the Championship was played in two or more regional sections. Five sections, on at least one occasion. Matches were over 20 boards, sometimes 16. At some point the western counties began competing in what was effectively a "Minor Counties" competition, but their winner proceeded to a play-off for the Championship proper. The Montague Jones trophy was originally applied to this western competition. Matches in the "Metropolitan" group could be, and often were, played over 50 or 100 boards with the top 16 or 20 counting for the Championship, the top 50 for the Amboyna trophy, and all 100 for the Ebony.
     When the western counties broke away in 19571 to found the WECU, the SCCU competitions were inevitably re-structured but they continued along essentially the same lines. The split between "Major" and "Minor" counties was retained, with the Montague Jones mantle assumed by the smaller and weaker of the remaining counties. The method of deciding who was small and weak has not been determined.
     This structure continued until 1962, when the distinction between first-class and second-class counties was dropped. All sections were now in two groups with play-off. In the Championship section, teams finishing third played off for the Montague Jones and teams finishing fourth played off for the Stevenson Trophy. By this stage, Ebony matches were going down to board 80 rather than 100.
     From 1970-71 the competitions were re-organised in four divisions, not split geographically. Div 1 remained the Shannon. Div 2 became the Montague Jones, Div 3 the Amboyna, and Div 4 the Ebony. The Stevenson Trophy may have gone to the Div 1 runner-up, as it now does. Divisions 3 and 4 were sometimes combined, with both trophies awarded. Promotion and relegation was introduced in 1972 (and naturally led to constant discussion and rule changes). From 1970 to 1992, with or without promotion and relegation, Div 1 was for first teams only. But the weaker first teams competed with second teams in the Montague Jones.
     Then in 1992 we re-structured again, with grading limits (and four genuinely separate divisions). The introduction of a fifth, U100, division in 1993-4 brought a new trophy, the Harry Woolverton.

1 Note 30.12.99. Not 1947 as originally stated. The WECU entry in the BCF's 1999 Yearbook actually gives 1947 as the year of foundation, but it is wrong. SCCU minutes from 1948 onwards refer frequently to a West of England Chess Association, formed by the western counties in or around 1947. However, it was not yet a new Union and it had no direct BCF representation. Its members remained affiliated to the SCCU, and continued to play in SCCU competitions. A new Union was always envisaged, and the minutes track its varying imminence over the next few years. The foundation of the WECU, announced two years in advance, took place in July 1957. Correspondence between the BCF and the SCCU, reported to the counties in January of that year, discusses the representation of the new Union at BCF level. The SCCU handed over to the WECU a sum of £30 as its share of the Union's cash assets.
     The founding WECU members were Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Glos, Wilts, and Somerset. Hampshire remained in the SCCU up to and including the season 1971-2.


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  Championship (Shannon)
1893-94 Surrey
1894-95 Sussex
1895-96 Surrey
1896-97 Surrey
1897-98 Cambs
1898-99 Surrey
1899-00 Surrey
1900-01 Surrey
1901-02 undecided
1902-03 Surrey
1903-04 Devon
1904-05 Surrey
1905-06 Surrey
1906-07 Kent
1907-08 Middx
1908-09 Middx
1909-10 Middx
1910-11 Surrey
1911-12 Kent
1912-13 Middx
1913-14 Middx
war years no competition
  Championship (Shannon) Montague Jones Stevenson Amboyna Ebony
1919-20 Surrey        
1920-21 Sussex        
1921-22 Surrey       Middx
1922-23 Middx       Middx
1923-24 Surrey       Kent
1924-25 Middx Somerset   Middx Kent
1925-26 Surrey Somerset   Middx Middx
1926-27 Middx Herts   Middx Middx
1927-28   Hants   Middx Middx
1928-29 Surrey Berks   Sussex Middx
1929-30 Surrey Hants   Sussex Kent
1930-31 Middx Devon   Surrey Surrey
1931-32 Middx Hants   Surrey Surrey
1932-33 Surrey Hants Dorset Middx Middx
1933-34 Middx Herts Glos Middx Middx
1934-35 Middx Devon Cambs Middx Middx
1935-36 Middx Cambs Dorset Middx Surrey
1936-37 Middx Cambs Dorset Surrey Surrey
1937-38 Surrey Hants Herts Surrey Surrey
1938-39 Surrey Cambs Herts Sussex  
war years
no competition       
  Championship (Shannon) Montague Jones Stevenson Amboyna Ebony
1945-46 Middx Cambs   Middx  
1946-47 Middx Devon Dorset Middx  
1947-48 Hants Hants Cornwall Surrey  
1948-49 Middx Devon Herts Middx  
1949-50 Middx Cambs Monmouth Middx  
1950-51 Devon Devon Glos Surrey  
1951-52 Middx Devon Somerset Middx  
1952-53 Middx Hants Beds/Somerset Middx Essex
1953-54 Surrey Oxon Cambs Surrey Surrey
1954-55 Middx Devon Somerset Middx Surrey
1955-56 Middx Hants Devon Middx Surrey
1956-57 Essex Herts Devon Sussex Middx
1957-58 Essex Hants Surrey Middx  
1958-59 Middx Sussex Cambs Middx  
1959-60 Essex Kent Cambs Middx  
1960-61 Essex Cambs Kent Middx Surrey
1961-62 Surrey Essex Middx Sussex Middx
1962-63 Middx Kent Bucks Middx Middx
1963-64 Surrey Sussex Hants Surrey Middx
1964-65 Middx Sussex Cambs Middx Middx
1965-66 Essex Kent Herts Middx Surrey
  Championship (Shannon) Montague Jones Stevenson Amboyna Ebony
1966-67 Middx Middx Oxon Middx Middx
1967-68 Kent Hants Norfolk Kent Middx
1968-69 Middx Hants Beds Kent Middx
1969-70 Cambs Hants Beds Hants Middx
1970-71 Cambs Sussex   Sussex II Middx III
1971-72 Middx Herts   Essex II Kent III
1972-73 Cambs Middx II   Middx III Essex IV
1973-74 Middx Middx   Herts II Sussex
1974-75 Cambs Essex II   Oxon Surrey IV
1975-76 Kent Middx II   Surrey III Essex IV
1976-77 Kent Middx Herts Surrey III Essex IV
1977-78 Kent Oxon   Essex III Essex IV
1978-79 Middx Essex II   Surrey III Essex V
1979-80 Middx Essex II Kent Middx III Kent V
1980-81 Kent Kent II   Essex III Middx III
1981-82 Kent Kent II   Essex III Kent IV
1982-83 Cambs Kent II   Essex III Kent IV
1983-84 Kent Middx II   Kent III Kent IV
  Shannon Montague Jones Stevenson Amboyna Ebony Harry Woolverton U180 KO  
1984-85 Kent Middx II   Kent IV Sussex II   Berks*  
1985-86 Kent Middx II   Middx III Essex III   Kent  
1986-87 Middx Kent II   Essex III Middx III   Herts  
1987-88 Essex Surrey   Kent III Middx III   Sussex  
1988-89 Middx Surrey   Kent III Surrey II   Herts  
1989-90 Kent Middx II   Sussex II Surrey II   Kent  
1990-91 Kent Oxon   Essex II Surrey II   Oxon  
1991-92 Kent Middx II   Middx III Surrey II   Oxon  
1992-93 Kent Middx   Middx Essex   Surrey  
1993-94 Sussex Kent   Sussex Kent B Essex Berks  
1994-95 Cambs Kent   Sussex Middx Kent Surrey  
1995-96 Essex Kent   Kent Essex Kent Oxon  
  Shannon Montague Jones Stevenson Amboyna Ebony Harry Woolverton U180 Jamboree U135 Jamboree
1996-97 Essex Essex   Essex Herts Surrey Surrey  
1997-98 Kent Essex   Kent Oxon Surrey Oxon  
1998-99 Cambs Essex   Sussex Essex Surrey    -  
1999-00 Essex Essex Bucks Essex Cambs Surrey Essex  
2000-01 Cambs Essex Sussex Essex Herts Kent Herts  
2001-02 Kent Essex Sussex Essex Herts Surrey Middx Middx
2002-03 Kent Sussex Essex Sussex Herts Kent Essex Herts
2003-04 Kent Essex Essex Surrey Middx Essex N Circular Lgue N Circular Lgue
2004-05 Kent Essex Sussex Essex Herts Kent Middx Herts
2005-06 Kent Essex Sussex Essex Middx Essex    -    -
2006-07 Kent Essex Surrey Middx Essex Essex Essex Surrey 1
2007-08 Herts Essex Surrey Essex Middx Surrey Middx Surrey

*1984-5: U180 KO. It is not clear that the grading limit was U180 in this first year, and the trophy is engraved only from 1985-6. The U180 was a KO up to and including 1995-6, and has been a Jamboree since then.


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THE FLEMING TROPHY

The Fleming Trophy, not to be confused with the Fleming Board for junior competition, was donated in 1932 by RHS Stevenson to mark the achievements of RM Fleming, joint Hon Secretary of the Union, who was instrumental not only in founding the Buckinghamshire Association but also in bringing Wiltshire and the East Anglian counties into the SCCU competitions. The Trophy is for annual competition between Beds (then a member of the Union) and Bucks. Mr Fleming himself played for Bucks in the inaugural match, and presented the trophy to his own victorious match captain. Apart from the war years, and an apparent interruption from 1947 to 1957, the series has continued into the 21st century despite Bedfordshire's migration to East Anglia in 1983. But it shows signs of failing. Having been played (acts of God apart) every year from 1958 to 1997, the competition has been held only three times since. In 2005, after three years of inactivity, the Trophy was restored to the safekeeping of the Union's Tournament Controller.
     Tie-breaks were applied in 1939 and 1990, but the 1965 match was declared drawn on the casting vote of the Executive chairman. You'd think there'd be some rules. The other two drawn matches, as far as we have discovered, are simply recorded as draws. The 1972 match was cancelled "because of a power strike".

1931-32
1932-33
1933-34
1934-35
1935-36
1936-37
1937-38
1938-39

1945-46
1946-47

1957-58
1958-59
1959-60
1960-61
1961-62
1962-63
1963-64
1964-65
1965-66

Bucks
Beds
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Beds
Beds
Bucks

Bucks
Beds

Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
(shared)
Bucks

1966-67
1967-68
1968-69
1969-70
1971-72
1972-73
1973-74
1974-75
1975-76
1976-77
1977-78
1978-79
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88

Bucks
Bucks
(drawn)
Bucks
  -
Beds
Bucks
Beds
(drawn)
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Beds
Bucks
Beds
Bucks
Beds
Bucks

1988-89
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05

Beds
Beds
Beds
Beds
Beds
Bucks
Bucks
Bucks
Beds
  -
  -
Bucks
Bucks
Beds
Beds w/o
  -
  -

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ANNUAL TEAM JAMBOREE
for the
HENLEN SHIELD

The Jamboree was first held, to mark the 80th birthday of Sir George Thomas, at John Lewis's on the 4th November 1961. It was a prestigious affair, preceded by a luncheon, for teams of 10. The Jamboree was so successful that it was decided to make it an annual event. The Second and Third Jamborees, at the same venue, were equally prestigious, culminating both times in the presentation to Jonathan Penrose of the British Championship trophy. The Jamboree continued through the sixties, always with several Junior teams alongside their seniors. Other participants were the Thames Valley and Insurance Leagues and London and Cambridge Universities. There was at least once a President's Ten and a guest appearance from Leicestershire. In later years the event was not always at John Lewis's, and in the early seventies it moved to a date in the spring. The last Jamboree of which we have a record was in April 1973. We have found no reference to the 1970-71 event, and only an indirect reference to 1968-69. If you can fill the gaps, please do.

1961-62
1962-63
1963-64
1964-65
1965-66
1966-67
1967-68
1968-69
1969-70
1970-71
1971-72
1972-73		 1-2 Essex Seniors, Surrey Juniors 7½/10 (16 teams)
1 Essex Seniors 8½/10 (18 teams)
1 Middx Seniors 8/10
1 Surrey Juniors 8/10 (20 teams). Surrey Seniors scored 5½.
1 Cambridge Univ 7½/10 (20 teams)
1-2 Kent Seniors, Middx Seniors 8/10 (20 teams)
1-2 Middx Seniors, Surrey Seniors
result not known
1 London Univ 8/10 (23 teams: "not so many as last year")
no information available
1-2 Cambridge Univ, Essex 8/10 (16 teams)
1 Cambridge Univ 7½/10 (11 teams)

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