# British Chess Championship

The British Chess Championships are organised by the English Chess Federation. The main tournament incorporates the British Championship, the English Chess Championships and the British Women's Chess Championship so it is possible, although it has never happened, for one player to win all three titles in the same competition. The English Women's Chess Championship was also incorporated into this event but did not take place in 2015 and was held as a separate competition in 2016. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been held in different locations in England, Scotland, Wales and once on the Isle of Man.
The championship was originally open to citizens of any Commonwealth country and has previously been won by Mir Sultan Khan (India) and Abe Yanofsky (Canada). After the Indian R. B. Ramesh finished first in 2002 and several other Indians took top prizes at the same event, many top Britons declined to compete in the 2003 championship. Following the victory of Indian Abhijit Kunte in 2003 and criticism that the British Championship was not serving the interests of British players, it was announced that starting in 2004 only British and Irish players would be eligible to take part. Players excluded by these rules are however welcome to participate in the Commonwealth Chess Championship.

## BCA Congress (1857–1861)

These were the first large tournaments organised by the British Chess Association, international players were allowed to participate.
    YearCityWinner 1857Manchester Johann Löwenthal (Austrian Empire) / Hungary 1858Birmingham Johann Löwenthal (Austrian Empire) / Hungary 1860Cambridge Ignaz von Kolisch (Austrian Empire) / Hungary 1861Bristol Louis Paulsen (Germany) / Lippe

## London international tournaments (1862–1883)

In July 1862, Adolf Anderssen won the first international tournament organized by the British Chess Association (BCF Congress), held in London. Second place went to Louis Paulsen, followed by John Owen. This was the first round-robin tournament. In August 1872, Wilhelm Steinitz won the second British Chess Federation international tourney, held in London. Second place went to Joseph Henry Blackburne. The great London 1883 chess tournament was won convincingly by Johannes Zukertort (22 points ouf of 26) ahead of Steinitz (19/26).
    #YearCityWinner 1*1862London Adolf Anderssen (Germany) / Prussia 2*1872London Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria-Hungary) / Bohemia 3*1883London Johannes Zukertort (German Empire) / Poland

## BCA Congress (1885–1899)

In 1884, a new British Chess Association was inaugurated. In July 1885, Isidor Gunsberg won the first British Chess Association championship in London. In August 1886, Blackburne and Amos Burn tied for first in the second British Chess Association championship, held in London. Blackburne won the play-off. In December 1887, Burn and Gunsberg tied for first in the third British Chess Association Congress in London.
    #YearCityWinner 11885London Isidor Gunsberg (United Kingdom) / Hungary 21886London Joseph Henry Blackburne (United Kingdom) / England 31887London Amos Burn (United Kingdom) / England  Isidor Gunsberg (United Kingdom) / Hungary 41888Bradford Isidor Gunsberg (United Kingdom) / Hungary 51889London Henry Bird (United Kingdom) / England 61890Manchester Siegbert Tarrasch (German Empire) / Prussia 71892London Emanuel Lasker (German Empire) / Prussia 81895Hastings Harry Nelson Pillsbury (United States) 91899London Emanuel Lasker (German Empire) / Prussia

## BCA Challenge Cup (1866–1872)

The first British Championship was organized by the British Chess Association as an event at the 1866 London Congress. A rule awarded the B.C.A. Challenge Cup permanently to a player who won two consecutive titles. John Wisker accomplished this in 1872 by defeating Cecil De Vere in a play-off. The British Championship was then discontinued until 1904.
    YearCityWinner 1866 London  Cecil De Vere (Scotland) 1869 London  Joseph Henry Blackburne (England) 1870 London  John Wisker (England) 1872 London  John Wisker (England)

## British Amateur Championship (1886–1902)

Ten amateur championships were held between 1886 and 1902, but they did not include the strongest players and were unrepresentative, especially in the earlier years.
    YearCityWinner 1886 London Walter Montague Gattie 1887 London Charles Dealtry Locock 1888 Bradford Anthony Alfred Geoffrey Guest 1889 London George Edward Wainwright 1890 Manchester Daniel Yarnton Mills 1892 London E. Jones-Bateman 1895 Hastings Henry Ernest Atkins 1897 Southampton Henry Ernest Atkins 1900 Bath Henry Ernest Atkins 1902 Norwich Reginald Pryce Michell

## British Championship (1904–present)

The current championship series was begun by the British Chess Federation in 1904. The championship was not held in war years. It was also not held in 1919, 1922, 1927, and 1930 as major international events were then being held in England. José Raúl Capablanca won the BCF Victory Congress held in Hastings 1919 and the 1922 London International tournament, Alexander Alekhine won the 16th BCC Major Open at Portsmouth/Southsea 1923, Aron Nimzowitsch and Savielly Tartakower won at London 1927, and Edgard Colle won at Scarborough 1930. In 1939 the championship was also not held as the British team was in Buenos Aires for the 8th Chess Olympiad. In that time, Max Euwe won an international tournament at Bournemouth 1939, played during the BCC. The women's championship was held in most of those years.
    YearCityMen's ChampionWomen's Champion 1904 Hastings William Ewart Napier Kate Belinda Finn 1905 Southport Henry Ernest Atkins Kate Belinda Finn 1906 Shrewsbury Henry Ernest Atkins Frances Dunn Herring (née Gwilliam) 1907 London Henry Ernest Atkins Frances Dunn Herring (née Gwilliam) 1908 Tunbridge Wells Henry Ernest Atkins Grace Curling (née Ellis) 1909 Scarborough Henry Ernest Atkins Gertrude Alison Anderson 1910 Oxford Henry Ernest Atkins Mary Mills Houlding 1911 Glasgow Henry Ernest Atkins Mary Mills Houlding 1912 Richmond Richard Griffith Gertrude Alison Anderson 1913 Cheltenham Frederick Yates Amabel Nevill Moseley (née Jeffreys) 1914 Chester Frederick Yates Mary Mills Houlding 1915–1918 – no contest no contest 1919 Hastings no contest Edith Holloway 1920 Edinburgh Roland Scott Agnes Stevenson (née Lawson) 1921 Malvern Frederick Yates Gertrude Alison Anderson 1922 London no contest Edith Charlotte Price 1923 Southsea George Alan Thomas Edith Charlotte Price 1924 Southport Henry Ernest Atkins Edith Charlotte Price 1925 Stratford-upon-Avon Henry Ernest Atkins Agnes Stevenson (née Lawson) 1926 Edinburgh Frederick Yates Agnes Stevenson (née Lawson) 1927 – no contest no contest 1928 Tenby Frederick Yates Edith Charlotte Price 1929 Ramsgate Mir Sultan Khan Mary Dinorah Gilchrist 1930 Scarborough no contest Agnes Stevenson (née Lawson) 1931 Worcester Frederick Yates Edith Michell (née Tapsell) Amy Eleanor Wheelwright 1932 London Mir Sultan Khan Edith Michell (née Tapsell) 1933 Hastings Mir Sultan Khan Miss Fatima 1934 Chester George Alan Thomas Mary Dinorah Gilchrist 1935 Great Yarmouth William Winter Edith Michell (née Tapsell) 1936 Bournemouth (M) Nottingham (W) William Winter Edith Holloway 1937 Blackpool William Fairhurst Rowena Mary Dew 1938 Brighton C. H. O'D. Alexander Minnie Musgrave 1939 Bournemouth no contested Championship Elaine Saunders 1940–1945 – no contest no contest 1946 Nottingham Robert Forbes Combe Elaine Saunders 1947 Harrogate Harry Golombek Eileen Betsy Tranmer 1948 London Reginald Broadbent Edith Charlotte Price 1949 Felixstowe Harry Golombek Eileen Betsy Tranmer 1950 Buxton Reginald Broadbent Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1951 Swansea Ernest Klein Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1952 Chester Robert Wade no contest 1953 Hastings Abraham Yanofsky Eileen Betsy Tranmer 1954 Nottingham Leonard Barden Alan Phillips Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1955 Aberystwyth Harry Golombek Joan Doulton Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1956 Blackpool C. H. O'D. Alexander Elaine Pritchard (née Saunders) 1957 Plymouth Stefan Fazekas Anne Sunnucks 1958 Leamington Jonathan Penrose Anne Sunnucks 1959 York Jonathan Penrose Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1960 Leicester Jonathan Penrose Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1961 Aberystwyth Jonathan Penrose Eileen Betsy Tranmer 1962 Whitby Jonathan Penrose Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1963 Bath Jonathan Penrose Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) 1964 Whitby Michael Haygarth Anne Sunnucks 1965 Hastings Peter Lee Elaine Pritchard (née Saunders) 1966 Sunderland Jonathan Penrose Margaret Eileen Clarke Gillian Moore 1967 Oxford Jonathan Penrose Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) Dinah Margaret Dobson 1968 Bristol Jonathan Penrose Dinah Margaret Dobson (later Mrs Norman) 1969 Rhyl Jonathan Penrose Rowena Mary Bruce (née Dew) Dinah Margaret Dobson 1970 Coventry Robert Wade Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1971 Blackpool Raymond Keene Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1972 Brighton Brian Eley Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1973 Eastbourne William Hartston Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1974 Clacton George Botterill Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1975 Morecambe William Hartston Sheila Jackson 1976 Portsmouth Jonathan Mestel Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1977 Brighton George Botterill Jana Hartston (née Malypetrova) 1978 Ayr Jonathan Speelman Sheila Jackson 1979 Chester Robert Bellin Jana Miles (née Malypetrova) 1980 Brighton John Nunn Sheila Jackson 1981 Morecambe Paul Littlewood Sheila Jackson 1982 Torquay Tony Miles Jane Garwell, Mrs Richmond 1983 Southport Jonathan Mestel Rani Hamid Helen Milligan (née Scott) 1984 Brighton Nigel Short Bhagyashree Sathe (now Thipsay) Vasanti Unni (née Khadilkar) 1985 Edinburgh Jonathan Speelman Rani Hamid 1986 Southampton Jonathan Speelman Susan Arkell (née Walker, now Lalic) 1987 Swansea Nigel Short Cathy Forbes (now Warwick) 1988 Blackpool Jonathan Mestel Cathy Forbes (now Warwick) 1989 Plymouth Michael Adams Rani Hamid 1990 Eastbourne James Plaskett Susan Arkell (née Walker, now Lalic) 1991 Eastbourne Julian Hodgson Susan Arkell (née Walker, now Lalic) 1992 Plymouth Julian Hodgson Susan Arkell (née Walker, now Lalic) 1993 Dundee Michael Hennigan Saheli Dhar 1994 Norwich William Watson Cathy Forbes (now Warwick) 1995 Swansea Matthew Sadler Harriet Hunt 1996 Nottingham Chris Ward Harriet Hunt 1997 Hove Michael Adams Matthew Sadler Harriet Hunt 1998 Torquay Nigel Short Susan Lalic (née Walker) 1999 Scarborough Julian Hodgson Harriet Hunt 2000 Street Julian Hodgson Humpy Koneru 2001 Scarborough Joe Gallagher Melanie Buckley 2002 Torquay Ramachandran Ramesh Humpy Koneru 2003 Edinburgh Abhijit Kunte Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 2004 Scarborough Jonathan Rowson Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 2005 Isle of Man Jonathan Rowson no contest 2006 Swansea Jonathan Rowson Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 2007 Great Yarmouth Jacob Aagaard Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 2008 Liverpool Stuart Conquest Jovanka Houska 2009 Torquay David Howell Jovanka Houska 2010 Canterbury Michael Adams Jovanka Houska 2011 Sheffield Michael Adams Jovanka Houska 2012 North Shields Gawain Jones Jovanka Houska 2013 Torquay David Howell Sarah Hegarty (now Longson) Akshaya Kalaiyalahan 2014 Aberystwyth David Howell Jonathan Hawkins Amy Hoare 2015 Coventry Jonathan Hawkins Akshaya Kalaiyalahan 2016 Bournemouth Michael Adams Jovanka Houska 2017 Llandudno Gawain Jones Jovanka Houska 2018 Hull Michael Adams Jovanka Houska 2019 Torquay Michael Adams Jovanka Houska 2020 – no contest no contest 2021 Hull Nicholas Pert Harriet Hunt 2022 Torquay Harry Grieve Lan Yao 2023 Leicester Michael Adams Lan Yao 2024 Hull Gawain Jones Trisha Kanyamarala Lan Yao