The information below is what I have located from the Hampshire Chess Archives, or other sources (mainly the British Newspaper Archives). I welcome updates to correct any incorrect details, or to supply additional information. Cosham Chess club was formed in 1946 and were one of the founding members of the Portsmouth and District Chess League which started in 1947.
Picture above of current home of the Cosham Chess club, the Cosham Community Centre (source Play Youth Community).
Club History
Cosham Chess club was formed just after the 2nd world war and although I cannot find an article on its formation1, it is mentioned this was in 1946 in numerous AGM’s. The chairman was Charles F Way, who was a stalwart of the club for many years.
The Portsmouth Evening News published details of the local clubs in 1957. Cosham was one of the original teams who were part of the 1st season of the PDCL. Although there were six teams, this was from five clubs2, Portsmouth (A&B), Cosham, Fareham, St Johns and Municipal College. The article below indicates that Cosham were struggling at this time, but the club survived this and has been a regular member of the PDCL since its formation.
Cosham did play in the Hampshire League, but their mainstay was the Portsmouth League. They managed to win the Hampshire League Division Two title twice, but never managed to win Division One.
Roger L Paige
Roger L Paige played for Cosham from 1959 and produced several self published chess books on his games, Wilf Pratten and Hampshire chess. His book on Wilf Pratten has been a valuable contribution to Hampshire Chess History, and the games (572) are held on Britbase.
His book on Hampshire Chess Games (1950 – 1970) included numerous games from his time with Cosham Chess Club. He also supplied some background information on the club which I give below.
Cosham Chess Club
Roger L Paige – Hampshire Chess Games
Cosham, when I joined the club in 1959, met in Cosham Park House, the former residence of the Squire of Cosham. At that time the House was being used by the Education Department & it stood rather elegantly in Cosham Park Drive, just a minute’s walk up the High Street from the railway station.
The book also included the Club champions, although this is only for a ten year period and stated “
In the years prior to 1961/62 there was a club championship, in which I played, and my recollection is that Geoff Richardson was the champion at the time I joined the club (September 1959)”
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1959 – 1960 | GR Richardson (?) |
| 1960 – 1961 | GR Richardson (?) |
| 1961 – 1962 | RL Paige |
| 1962 – 1963 | SC Noke |
| 1963 – 1964 | AD Crossin |
| 1964 – 1965 | GR Richardson |
| 1965 – 1966 | GR Richardson |
| 1966 – 1967 | A Langley |
| 1967 – 1968 | M Leggett & G Ratter |
| 1968 – 1969 | T Bell & J Bogart |
A short game from the 1959/60 winner, where he beat the well known Portsmouth Congress organiser Terry Hollington in a Evans Gambit.
Additional information on some of these players, GR Richardson was a strong player, who stopped playing in 1968, SC Noke won the Portsmouth Individual in 1958/59 and AD Crossin won the Hampshire Individual late in his career in 1979. Mike Dymond was also a very strong player who represented Cosham.
More recently John Wheeler, David Cordner, David Pye, Arthur Brameld and Tony Carter have been among their strongest players.
Portsmouth & District Chess League
Cosham first won the PDCL Division 1 in the 1952/53 season, beating Fareham on match points. They have continued to win the league numerous times, and as with many clubs these wins have come in specific periods. Their most dominant period was their 5 consecutive wins from 1980/81 to 1985/86.
Trophies
Cosham league / cup wins in the Portsmouth and Hampshire Leagues. Full details of the PDCL League winners can be found here.
| Season | League | Club | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-1953 | PDCL League | Cosham | Division 1 |
| 1954-1955 | PDCL League | Cosham | Division 1 |
| 1973-1974 | PDCL League | Cosham | Division 2 |
| 1974-1975 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 1976-1977 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 3 |
| 1977-1978 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 1978-1979 | Hampshire League | Cosham | Division 2 |
| 1980-1981 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 1980-1981 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1981-1982 | Hampshire League | Cosham | Division 2 |
| 1982-1983 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1982-1983 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Cup |
| 1983-1984 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1984-1985 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1984-1985 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Cup |
| 1985-1986 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1988-1989 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 2 |
| 1988-1989 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 5 |
| 1989-1990 | PDCL League | Cosham D | Division 5 |
| 1990-1991 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 4 |
| 1991-1992 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1992-1993 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 3 |
| 1992-1993 | PDCL League | Cosham D | Division 4 |
| 1993-1994 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 1993-1994 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1995-1996 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1995-1996 | PDCL Cup | Cosham B | Cole Plate |
| 1996-1997 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 3 |
| 1997-1998 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1998-1999 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 1999-2000 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 1999-2000 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Cup |
| 2000-2001 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 3 |
| 2001-2002 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Cup |
| 2002-2003 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Plate |
| 2004-2005 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 2004-2005 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 3 |
| 2005-2006 | PDCL League | Cosham A | Division 1 |
| 2005-2006 | PDCL Cup | Cosham B | Cole Plate |
| 2006-2007 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 2006-2007 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Cup |
| 2008-2009 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
| 2010-2011 | PDCL Cup | Cosham | Cole Cup |
| 2017-2018 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Plate |
| 2018-2019 | PDCL Cup | Cosham A | Cole Plate |
| 2019-2020 | PDCL League | Cosham C | Division 3 |
| 2021-2022 | PDCL League | Cosham B | Division 2 |
Additional Information
Please do contact me if you have any additional information to add to this brief history of Cosham Chess Club.
Acknowledgements and Sources
- British Newspaper Archives
- Portsmouth Evening News
- Roger L Paige
- Hampshire Chess Archives
- The main source for Portsmouth Chess is the Portsmouth Evening News, unfortunately 1945 to 1948 have not been digitised. ↩︎
- Source – Fareham Club History ↩︎