The 1961 Hampshire Individual Chess Championship was held during the 1960/1961 season. The tournament originally started with 16 players with the format being a 7 round Swiss tournament played over the season.
For a list of the winners of the Hampshire Individual Championship and links to any articles I have written the table on the Hampshire Individual Championship is the best place to look. In addition, the table on the Hampshire Tournaments will detail these and any other tournament articles I have completed. Both of these are available from the menu at the top of the site as well.
Tournament Details
The Hampshire Individual Chess Championship has used numerous formats in the last 90 odd years, from the Knockout format in 1930, qualifying sections e.g. 1932 to the current Swiss tournament held over three days. The format used for the 1961 Championship was a 7 round Swiss Tournament held over the season. The tournament controller was JEC Grant.
The only information I have on this tournament is from the Newspapers (apart from very brief details in the HCA Minutes), namely the Portsmouth Evening News “Chess Notes” column which detailed a number of the results.
I was trying to determine all of the results, whilst there is a lot of information on the rounds it has still proved tricky. Rather than make assumptions I have missed out most of the round 5 parings completely, and not added results where it was not recorded, apart from a couple which I am pretty sure are correct. If anyone decides to calculate this from the information, please do let me know!
The list of original entrants and their clubs is detailed below. As can be seen there were a number of current and future champions and also other strong Hampshire players.
- AC Barton – Southampton
- DK Bevis – Bournemouth
- AF Brameld – Gosport
- AM Edmonds – Woolston
- BD Harding – Southampton
- CH Henshaw – Basingstoke
- A Hocking – Southampton
- TE Hollington – Cosham
- PL Marshall – Southampton
- SL Russell – Andover
- JE Smith – Portsmouth
- M Thompson – Southampton
- J Valler – Southampton
- Sq-Ldr L Vine – Eastleigh
- Dr BG Wells – Portsmouth
- L West – Portsmouth Comm
It was detailed that there was a Ladies Individual Championship with four entries, in a double round all play all. The players included Gillian Moore who would have been around 15 or 16 when this was played. I have asked Gillian if she remembered the tournament.
Hampshire Chess Ladies Individual Championship 1961
Gillian Moore – July 2024
I don’t remember much about it, or whether or not I won it, except that “Mrs Pond” rings a bell. I remember playing the match at her home, and her father kindly gave me a chess board, which I still have. He inscribed it on the back, “Gillian Moore, from Mrs Pond and her father”, and he signed it.
The four competitors in the Ladies Championship were:
- Miss M Elliott – Stockbridge (although played for Fareham)
- Mrs M Pond – Farnborough
- Mrs K Phelan – Ringwood
- Miss Gillian Moore – Southampton
Apart from Gillian, I do not know anything on the other players, if anyone can throw light on them let me know. The only additional information I have is that Mrs M Pond played nine times for the County (boards 32 to 44) winning, losing and drawing three times. This was between 1959 and 1962. Mrs Phelan played the one game against Surrey in Oct 1960 on board 47 which she lost. Hampshire lost this 70 board match 25 – 45 so this was not an unexpected result. Gillian played one board lower in the same match and won.
The tournament details were included in the Portsmouth Evening News, which also mentioned the above county match.
Round 1
The first round results were detailed in the Portsmouth Evening News, and there may have been some seedings completed, as a number of the stronger players avoided each other. It is also noticeable that for the majority of players they were paired with someone from the same region / club. This ensured less travelling was required, and was certainly a sensible decision.
Maybe for later rounds, some players decided that the travelling was too far and withdrew, which is the downside of this method.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL Russell | Andover | 1 | J Valler | Southampton | 0 |
| L West | Portsmouth Comm Ctr | 0 | JE Smith | Portsmouth | 1 |
| AF Brameld | Gosport | 0 | Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | 1 |
| Dr BG Wells | Portsmouth | 1 | BD Harding | Southampton | 0 |
| DK Bevis | Bournemouth | 0 | AC Barton | Southampton | 1 |
| CH Henshaw | Basingstoke | 0 | AM Edmonds | Woolston | 1 |
| A Hocking | Southampton | 1 | TE Hollington | Cosham | 0 |
| PL Marshall | Southampton | 0 | M Thompson | Southampton | 1 |
There were wins for all the previous champions, Russell, Vine and Thompson. Others winners were JE Smith, Dr BG Wells, AM Edmonds and A Hocking.
Round 2
Four players moved onto two out of two. SL Russell, JE Smith, M Thompson and Sq-Ldr L Vine. All other players were at least one point behind. In the first two rounds there was only the one draw, this continued in round three where all games were decisive. Arthur Brameld beat Terry Hollington, I think Arthur would have been 16 years old at this time.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Thompson | Southampton | 1 | A Hocking | Southampton | 0 |
| AM Edmonds | Woolston | 0 | SL Russell | Andover | 1 |
| JE Smith | Portsmouth | 1 | Dr BG Wells | Portsmouth | 0 |
| Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | 1 | AC Barton | Southampton | 0 |
| TE Hollington | Cosham | 0 | AF Brameld | Gosport | 1 |
| BD Harding | Southampton | ½ | CH Henshaw | Basingstoke | ½ |
| J Valler | Southampton | 1 | L West | Portsmouth Comm Ctr | 0 |
| PL Marshall | Southampton | 1 | DK Bevis | Bournemouth | 0 |
Round 3
The four leaders met in round three and Marshall Thompson and Sq-Ldr Leslie Vine came out on top against JE Smith and SL Russell. The losing two players were joined on two points by Alf Edmonds and Arthur Brameld who beat AC Barton and Dr BG Wells respectively. The Hocking vs Marshall result was a calculated one, based on the only pairing left, and the subsequent scores of the two players.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JE Smith | Portsmouth | 0 | M Thompson | Southampton | 1 |
| SL Russell | Andover | 0 | Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | 1 |
| AC Barton | Southampton | 0 | AM Edmonds | Woolston | 1 |
| AF Brameld | Gosport | 1 | Dr BG Wells | Portsmouth | 0 |
| CH Henshaw | Basingstoke | 1 | J Valler | Southampton | 0 |
| L West | Portsmouth Comm Ctr | 0 | BD Harding | Southampton | 1 |
| DK Bevis (def) | Bournemouth | 0 | TE Hollington | Cosham | 1 |
| A Hocking | Bournemouth | 0 | PL Marshall | Southampton | 1 |
Round 4
The two players on maximum points met, and drew their game. SL Russell beat JE Smith and Alf Edmonds did the same against Arthur Brameld, which meant these two winners were now just half a point behind the two leaders. J Valler also won his game against AC Barton.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | ½ | M Thompson | Southampton | ½ |
| PL Marshall | Southampton | 0 | CH Henshaw | Basingstoke | 1 |
| AM Edmonds | Woolston | 1 | AF Brameld | Gosport | 0 |
| SL Russell | Andover | 1 | JE Smith | Portsmouth | 0 |
| BD Harding | Southampton | ½ | A Hocking | Southampton | ½ |
| AC Barton | Southampton | 0 | J Valler | Southampton | 1 |
| Dr BG Wells | Portsmouth | ½ | TE Hollington | Cosham | ½ |
Round 5
Round 5 pairings and results have not been able to be confirmed, but we know that after this round Marshall Thompson and Sq-Ldr Leslie Vine were in the lead on 4½ out of 5, and their nearest rivals were CH Henshaw with 3½ points and BD Harding, AM Edmonds and SL Russell a further half point behind on 3.
From this we know that they both won their games and these would have been against the two players who were half a point behind at the end of round 4 (AM Edmonds and SL Russell). The other results I cannot be sure about and have left out.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM Edmonds | Woolston | 0 | Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | 1 |
| M Thompson | Southampton | 1 | SL Russell | Andover | 0 |
Round 6
In round six some results were published in the Portsmouth Evening News, and in a key game Marshall Thompson beat the player half a point behind (CH Henshaw), but Sq-Ldr Leslie Vine lost to BD Harding. The Henshaw result was not giving, but as the round 7 pairings with results were supplied it can be seen that with Marshall Thompson on 5½ out of 6 he had won this game.
This meant Marshall Thompson only required a draw in the last round to win the championship.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Thompson | Southampton | 1 | CH Henshaw | Basingstoke | 0 |
| BD Harding | Southampton | 1 | Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | 0 |
| TE Hollington | Cosham | ½ | PL Marshall | Southampton | ½ |
| A Hocking | Southampton | 0 | AF Brameld | Gosport | 1 |
Round 7
The pairings were available and a number of the final positions. With this I know some of the results for round 7, but not all of them. Marshall Thompson duly won this game against Alf Edmonds and Sq-Ldr Leslie Vine beat CH Henshaw. This saw Marshall Thompson win his third championship (he would win another six), with Sq-Ldr Leslie Vine half a point behind. BD Harding was in third, with the respective scores being 6, 5½ and 5 points.
Alf Edmonds, Dr BG Wells and Arthur Brameld shared equal 4th on 4½ points.
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Thompson | Southampton | ½ | AM Edmonds | Woolston | ½ |
| Sq-Ldr L Vine | Eastleigh | 1 | CH Henshaw | Basingstoke | 0 |
| SL Russell | Andover | 0 | BD Harding | Southampton | 1 |
| TE Hollington | Cosham | AC Barton | Southampton | ||
| PL Marshall | Southampton | 0 | Dr BG Wells | Portsmouth | 1 |
| JE Smith | Portsmouth | A Hocking | Southampton | ||
| AF Brameld | Gosport | 1 | J Valler | Southampton | 0 |
Ladies Tournament
Unfortunately there does not seem to be much more information on the ladies tournament, and it may be that this was not completed. There is nothing in the HCA minutes on the tournament, but I do know that some games were played. The ones I have located are below, although the colours may not be correct, as the two Elliott and Moore games were reported as Miss Elliott having White (I have swapped one around).
| Player | Club | Result | Player | Club | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miss M Elliott | Stockbridge | 1 | Miss G Moore | Southampton | 0 |
| Miss G Moore | Southampton | 1 | Miss M Elliott | Stockbridge | 0 |
| Mrs W Pond | Farnborough | 1 | Miss G Moore | Southampton | 0 |
| Miss M Elliott | Stockbridge | 1 | Mrs W Pond | Farnborough | 0 |
From the known results this has:
- Miss M Elliott on 2 out of 3
- Miss Gillian Moore 1 out of 4
- Mrs W Pond with 1 out of 2
- Mrs K Phelan 0 out of 0
As the plan was for each player to play the other twice (6 games each) there is not enough information to know more on the tournament than this.
The HCA currently have a Ladies Trophy included in the Hampshire Congress, kindly donated by Gillian Moore.
The highest scoring Hampshire lady in the Congress receives the Gillian Moore Cup. This is named after the prominent Southampton Chess Club player, Hampshire officer and ex joint British Ladies Chess Champion (1966) Gillian Moore.
Gillian was an improving junior, and was soon moving on to higher competitions. As well as sharing the British Ladies Championship in 1966 she was also British Girls U18 champion in 1962 and 1963 (jointly). The report on the 1962 Girls Tournament summed up Gillian’s win very well.
Gillian also provided a profile for the site.
1962 British Girls U18 Championship
Sunday Times, 2 September 1962 – by C. H. O’D. Alexander (from Britbase)
The British Girls event proved a far better one than has often been the case in recent years and all the players really played chess the hard way. Miss Gillian Moore with a score of six wins and one draw from her seven games won worthily.
Summary
It is a shame there are no games from the tournament, but it was unusual for Newspapers to publish them in this period. I also found it frustrating that I could not work out the full rounds. But the majority of the information is there. Marshall Thompson was a deserving winner, but Sq-Ldr Leslie Vine took him to the wire, just faltering in round 6.
Gradings were a bit different in the 1960’s and only the top players were published in the SCCU grading lists. From this you can see that Wilf Pratten was at the top (3b – 201 to 208) but Marshall Thompson and Lesley Vine were both 5a (177 – 184).
Below them other players in the tournament were DK Bevis (5b – 169 to 176), AC Barton and CH Henshaw (6a – 161 to 168). This gives an indication of which players went in as favourites.
Woolston were a very strong club at this time, playing in the Southampton Chess League, with four of their players in this list.
M. Thompson name on the Silver Rook plinth for 1961 (and 1964, 1965 ,1967 and 1972 (shared)).
Acknowledgements and sources:
- Hampshire Chess Archives
- Portsmouth Evening News
- Britbase
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