SCCU County Chess Matches 1960 / 61

Hampshire were playing in the Southern Counties Chess Union (SCCU) South section in the 1960/61 season, against a number of the Southern County heavyweights. Hampshire entered three competitions the Championship (Shannon) which was played over 20 boards and the Amboyna which had an additional 30 boards. For the Amboyna the result is on the whole 50 and not the 30 boards, which were not part of the Championship. The third competition was the Montague Jones & Stevenson South section, which is also over 20 boards, but you don’t play all counties – a complicated process!

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For the record of Hampshire County matches and links to any articles I have written the table on the Hampshire County Chess Matches page will detail these. The Hampshire County Chess History page summaries the leagues Hampshire have played in and the successes Hampshire have achieved. Both of these are available from the menu at the top of the site as well.

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For the final tables in all competitions check out the SCCU Bulletin no 20 page 3 and 5.

In the 1960/61 season four of the opposition teams played in the Amboyna, which meant Hampshire played two matches over 20 boards and four over 50 boards.

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In the Championship (Shannon) section Hampshire won two, drew one and lost three matches, whist in the Amboyna they won and lost two matches.

SCCU – County Matches 1961

• Surrey vs Hampshire – 8 Oct 1960
• Hampshire vs Berkshire – 29 Oct 1960
• Sussex vs Hampshire – 3 Dec 1960
• Hampshire v Buckinghamshire – 21 Jan 1961
• Hampshire v Kent – 18 Feb 1961
• Hants A vs Oxfordshire – 11 Mar 1961

Hampshire Player Performance

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Surrey v Hampshire 8th October 1960 – Guildford

In the late 1950’s to the mid 1960’s the SCCU Shannon Championship was won by either Middlesex, Essex or Surrey. The first two counties played in the Northern section, but Surrey were always a tough opponent for Hampshire in the Southern section. Hampshire did have some success later in the 1960’s beating Surrey in the Shannon Championship in the 1965/66 and 1969/70 seasons.

In the Amboyna Hampshire met (and struggled against) Essex and Middlesex sporadically but played Surrey each year. Similar to the Championship Hampshire only managed to defeat them twice in the 1960’s, in the 1961/62 and 1969/70 seasons.

Therefore, the two results this season were not unusual with Surrey coming out on top.

• Championship – Surrey 11½ – 8½ Hampshire
• Amboyna -Surrey 33½ – 16½ Hampshire (22 – 8)

A number of familiar Hampshire (and Surrey) players took part including Hampshire Individual Champions past and present (see below). These performed very well scoring four points from the six games, but Hampshire lost the Championship match 8½ – 11½ and Surrey’s strength in depth proved even more decisive in the Amboyna with Hampshire losing 16½ to 33½.

Hampshire Individual Chess Champions playing in match against Surrey

• M Thompson 9 times – 1958 to 1977 – Bd 1
• PA Ursell 1956 – Bd 2
• AM Edmonds 1962 – Bd 7
• D McCue 1955 – Bd 8
• A Barton 1968 – Bd 10
• Sq-Ldr L Vine 1952 – Bd 18

Also of note was Surrey’s board 27 VJ Dunleavey which the John Dunleavy Best Game Prize at the Hampshire Chess Congress is in memory of (as sponsored by Steve Dunleavy his nephew.)

Surrey – Hampshire Championship 8 Oct 1960

Board	Surrey	Surrey Res	Hampshire	Hants Res
1	F Parr	0	Marshall WJ Thompson	1
2	WEC Richards	1	PA Ursell	0
3	HG Feloe	0	Michael Ventham	1
4	R Smith	½	Cdr AJ Peters	½
5	EJ Simpson	1	Peter L Marshall	0
6	T Jover	½	DK Bevis	½
7	RE Borland	½	AM Edmonds	½
8	HP Lieske	½	D McCue	½
9	B Bielshki	1	CH Henshaw	0
10	CH Jago	1	AC Barton	0
11	RG White	0	Len C Walters	1
12	R Weiss	1	Dr AJ Pointon	0
13	FJ Prouse	1	J Borland	0
14	GC Nurse	0	DA Rawden	1
15	B Lyons	½	Dr BG Wells	½
16	D Mattingly	1	Arthur F Brameld	0
17	M Colquheun	1	HL Parsons	0
18	AJ McMinn	1	Sq-Ldr L Vine	0
19	DW Haigh	0	GL Pritchard	1
20	RE James	0	RS Learmouth	1
		11½		8½

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Surrey – Hampshire Amboyna 8 Oct 1960

Board	Surrey	Surrey Res	Hampshire	Hants Res
21	BC Gould	1	PL Eastwood	0
22	R Bott	1	BD Harding	0
23	A Weber	1	SHC Lucas	0
24	DHT Spencer	1	AS LaLond	0
25	VA Nye	½	W Makar	½
26	RE Mattocks	½	DK Butler	½
27	VJ Dunleavy	0	HM Ewans	1
28	SC Love	0	GC Comber	1
29	GW Smith	1	RJ Brown	0
30	B McCabe	1	L West	0
31	TW White	1	MD Thompson	0
32	RT Shaw	1	DJ Groves	0
33	JH Manners	1	DJ Blackman	0
34	A Monkhouse	½	PM Collins	½
35	D LeSurf	1	G Richards	0
36	WJ Fergusan	0	JB Parker	1
37	MJ Ridgewell	1	JB Price	0
38	JJ Lauder	1	AJ Evans	0
39	CH Broughton	0	JEC Grant	1
40	T Wisher	1	P John Patience	0
41	AG Cooke	1	AF Garner	0
42	AE Saunders	½	HE Dell	½
43	D Parr	1	JM Popiel	0
44	EF Fairbrother	1	S Savage	0
45	HF Cook	1	J Brown	0
46	DW Cay	1	Mrs W Pond	0
47	B Mason	1	Mrs K Phelan	0
48	JF Lane	0	Gillian A Moore	1
49	L De Vasueel	1	EW Engert	0
50	FA Winter	0	GW Goggin	1
		22		8

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Hampshire v Berkshire 29th October 1960

This match was for the Championship and the Montague Jones & Stevenson and despite Hampshire defaulting board five ran out reasonably comfortable winners 12 to 8. Marshall Thompson and Michael Ventham continued their excellent start to the season both winning their games again.

Another Hampshire Individual Chess Champion played in this match; SL Russell on board 18 was the 1935 Champion. He first played for Hampshire in 1930 and would continue to play until the 1972 season. Surprisingly he never played higher than board 7.

• Championship – Hampshire 12 – 8 Berkshire

Hampshire – Berkshire Championship 29 Oct 1960

Board	Hampshire	Hants Res	Berkshire	Berks Res
1	Marshall WJ Thompson	1	A Tadiello	0
2	Michael Ventham	1	H Brykiert	0
3	Cdr AJ Peters	½	G Blackburne	½
4	Len C Walters	0	Major E Woelner	1
5	Default	0	Default	1
6	Peter L Marshall	0	A Boyce	1
7	CH Henshaw	0	E Du Puget	1
8	AC Barton	½	M Tarrant	½
9	Dr T Pointon	½	K Ballard	½
10	J Borland	½	S Kissim	½
11	GL Pritchard	1	M Duck	0
12	RS Learmouth	½	W Quittner	½
13	Dr BG Wells	1	Major Harett	0
14	M Ewans	1	F Sesky	0
15	Sq-Ldr L Vine	1	Sir P Waterfield	0
16	AS Hacking	½	H Clacy	½
17	BD Harding	1	RT Silk	0
18	SL Russell	1	DG Cooke	0
19	AS LaLond	0	R Castle	1
20	JB Parker	1	H Heppinstall	0
		12		8

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Sussex v Hampshire 3 December 1960 – Bognor Regis

The match on the 3rd of December was over 50 boards as included both the Championship and the Amboyna. In the Championship, Hampshire drew the match against Sussex with 10 points each. Meanwhile over the additional 30 boards to make up the Amboyna, Hampshire were comfortable 29½ – 20½ winners. This was a great result against a team which normally had the upper hand in our matches. It would take Hampshire another nine years to beat Sussex again (over 50 boards), as despite a few close matches Sussex proved too strong.

Marshall Thompson and Michael Ventham both won again, this time on the top two boards.

• Championship – Sussex 10 -10 Hampshire
• Amboyna -Sussex 22½ – 29½ Hampshire (10½ – 19½)

Sussex – Hampshire Championship 3 Dec 1960

Board	Sussex	Sussex Res	Hampshire	Hants Res
1	A Hall	0	Marshall WJ Thompson	1
2	CH Stacy	0	Michael Ventham	1
3	J McLeod	½	TO Read	½
4	B Simister	0	Cdr AJ Peters	1
5	HGT Marchett	1	DK Bevis	0
6	AB Bamford	½	Len C Walters	½
7	T Guy	1	AM Edmonds	0
8	Rev JA Bickerstaff	1	EW Hollington	0
9	GM Norman	1	J Borland	0
10	GF Ramsey	0	AC Barton	1
11	MJ Warner	0	M Evans	1
12	JP Simpole	1	DA Rawden	0
13	L Cannon	½	Peter L Marshall	½
14	ED Ovenden	1	CH Henshaw	0
15	BJ Hole	½	Sq-Ldr L Vine	½
16	Rev HW Blackett	0	SL Russell	1
17	JB Garr	1	HL Parsons	0
18	EA Horn	1	G Richardson	0
19	R Durell	0	SB Baker	1
20	CRP Clifton	0	RS Learmouth	1
		10		10

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Sussex – Hampshire Amboyna 3 Dec 1960

Board	Sussex	Sussex Res	Hampshire	Hants Res
21	AT Watson	0	CC Harding	1
22	L Lindheimer	1	Arthur F Brameld	0
23	HP James	½	BD Harding	½
24	AG Stubbs	½	FR Carter	½
25	N Fishlook-Lonex	0	JG Shepherd	1
26	GH James	0	W Makar	1
27	DAW Hamilton	0	J Jarvis	1
28	L Stephens	0	TJ deBuriatte	1
29	RJ Manfield	½	DG Groves	½
30	D Wood	½	JB Parker	½
31	M Instone Brewer	0	AS LaLond	1
32	R Upton	0	SHC Lucas	1
33	L Winter	½	DJ Blackman	½
34	Dr R Smith	1	G Yates	0
35	EJ Bowley	0	JP Price	1
36	Maj CD Balding	0	GW Kilmister	1
37	LF Grasty	½	MD Thompson	½
38	BW Young	0	JEC Grant	1
39	GA Hollis	1	C Newly	0
40	Miss A Gammans	1	CH Baverstock	0
41	A Buckle	1	Default	0
42	FP Pounce	½	L Pretty	½
43	P Kirtlan	0	PM Collins	1
44	FW Appleby	0	Gillian A Moore	1
45	FA Streater	0	WPJ Munro	1
46	L Firman	0	John H Jones	1
47	JS Chirgwin	0	S Savage	1
48	Miss p Renwisk	1	E Engert	0
49	JM Miller	0	A Pragnell	1
50	R Capildeo	1	R Capildeo	0
		10½		19½

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Hampshire – Buckinghamshire 21 January 1961 – London

Hampshire were not troubled by Buckinghamshire in the Championship winning 12½ – 7½, but they lost the 30-board match 14½ – 15½ (Hampshire defaulted five boards). As the Amboyna is over 50 boards Hampshire won this match 27 – 23. Like a lot of the County matches at this time the venue was at John Lewis in Oxford Street London, when there could also be other matches being played at the same time. This must have been a great experience for the players, although this was an advantage for the counties closer to London.

• Championship – Hampshire 12½ – 7½ Buckinghamshire
• Amboyna – Hampshire 27 – 23 Buckinghamshire (14½ – 15½)

Hampshire – Buckinghamshire Championship 21 Jan 1961

Board	Hampshire	Hants Res	Buckinghamshire	Bucks Res
1	Marshall WJ Thompson	½	Dr EN Bramley	½
2	Michael Ventham	1	Mrs E Pritchard	0
3	Cdr AJ Peters	½	EB Sandercock	½
4	Len C Walters	½	MJ Smith	½
5	PA Ursell	½	WG Whitaker	½
6	Arthur F Brameld	1	Dr J Harwood	0
7	AC Barton	½	CJ Stapley	½
8	Peter L Marshall	½	A Niedzwiedzki	½
9	Dr AJ Pointon	1	DG Summers	0
10	JG Shepherd	½	EO Seymour	½
11	CH Henshaw	½	EG Exell	½
12	HM Ewans	1	JS Henshaw	0
13	BD Harding	½	AWH Lorman	½
14	Sq-Ldr L Vine	0	DJ Cornes	1
15	SL Russell	½	W Fryer	½
16	JAC Borland	0	S Pearson	1
17	GL Pritchard	1	H Treke	0
18	John H Jones	½	WE Gammon	½
19	TJ deBuriatte	1	CAV Vivis	0
20	PM Collins	1	EW Woolford	0
		12½		7½

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Hampshire – Buckinghamshire Amboyna 21 Jan 1961

Board	Hampshire	Hants Res	Buckinghamshire	Bucks Res
21	FR Carter	1	EJ Seymour	0
22	W Makar	1	R Binks	0
23	Default	½	Default	½
24	SHC Lucas	1	JW Roff	0
25	JEC Grant	1	Dr HB James	0
26	MD Thompson	½	G Morduch	½
27	DJ Groves	0	AJ Hart-Davies	1
28	JP Price	0	AIN Brodie	1
29	Gillian A Moore	0	M Slater	1
30	AF Garner	0	J Bryant	1
31	JB Parker	½	WD Muir	½
32	DL Paige	1	AA Clery	0
33	W Munro	½	PT Carr	½
34	DT Cliderc	1	G Grumbridge	0
35	L Pretty	1	HL Senior	0
36	Default	½	Default	½
37	M Tulloch	0	AT Ludgate	1
38	H Dell	1	R Pidgeon	0
39	MH Jarvis	0	KG Kyde	1
40	E Egmont	0	William Adaway	1
41	Mrs W Pond	1	AA Rush	0
42	G Baverstock	1	C Swain	0
43	CI Patience	0	RS Henshaw	1
44	Default	0	JD Stuart	1
45	Default	0	RJ Harding	1
46	Default	0	J Goulding	1
47	M Grant	0	G Lancaster	1
48	J Brown	0	H Pidgeon	1
49	J Poto	1	RN Smith	0
50	C Hollick	1	S Bird	0
		14½		15½

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Kent – Hampshire 18 February 1961 – London

Hampshire did not play Kent that often and it was normally Kent who came out on top. In fact, the last time they had beaten Kent at this time was in 1901, although they had drawn against them in 1957. This did not change in the Championship or Amboyna in this match, where Kent won 12 – 8 and 29 – 21. The final results are known, but there were a number of adjournments in the Amboyna which the results are not known (and cannot be worked out).

For those who were wondering when Hampshire did beat Kent, this was not too long from this time, with an Amboyna win in 1962/63 and a Championship one in 1963/64. These were the last time they managed this though.

• Championship – Kent 12 – 8 Hampshire
• Amboyna – Kent 29 – 21 Hampshire (14½ – 11½ with 4 adjudications)

Kent – Hampshire Championship 18 Feb 1961

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Board	Kent	Kent Res	Hampshire	Kent Res
1	A Phillips	½	Marshall WJ Thompson	½
2	FB Cook	1	Michael Ventham	0
3	WJE Yeeles	½	Cdr AJ Peters	½
4	JW Boelson	0	TO Read	1
5	J Edge	1	Len C Walters	0
6	Cannon AE Smith	0	DM Coe	1
7	CF Girling	1	DK Bevis	0
8	WL Brierley	½	AC Barton	½
9	RE Smith	1	M Evans	0
10	G Chapman	1	Dr AJ Pointon	0
11	G Pope	½	AM Edmonds	½
12	KF Champion	1	A Rawden	0
13	BE Glaze	½	Peter L Marshall	½
14	EL Hobbs	1	SL Russell	0
15	Default	0	Sq-Ldr L Vine	1
16	GP Robinson	½	EL Aldbasivy	½
17	GF Steele	½	RS Bearmouth	½
18	JE Slaughter	1	CH Henshaw	0
19	W Gilhespy	0	Arthur F Brameld	1
20	J Llewellyn Jones	½	TJ deBuriatte	½
		12		8

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Kent – Hampshire Amboyna 18 Feb 1961

Board	Kent	Kent Res	Hampshire	Kent Res
21	MC Lewis	½	HL Parsons	½
22	CF Sheppard	0	G Paithard	1
23	P Hammerton	0	PM Collins	1
24	AK Henderson	a	SHC Lucas	a
25	A Johnson	½	W Makar	½
26	TL Herdman	½	JG Shepherd	½
27	HJ Calbraith	½	TR Carter	½
28	L Luinberg	½	AS LaLond	½
29	MJ Reddle	1	Lt DK Butler	0
30	Lt Col Knox	1	A Groves	0
31	Mike V Lambshire	1	TE Hollington	0
32	S Paul	0	JEC Grant	1
33	AA Maris	½	JP Price	½
34	F Comber	0	DM Haywood	1
35	J Koop	½	P Leastwood	½
36	HG Samek	a	DM Thompson	a
37	R Rayment	1	DJ Blackman	0
38	OJ Fox	½	WP Munro	½
39	BPA Falconer	0	Gillian A Moore	1
40	AC Pearson	½	l Pretty	½
41	R Middleton	1	Mrs W Pond	0
42	JD Davis	0	AF Garner	1
43	GG Homan	a	John H Jones	a
44	T Fullor	½	IA Hamilton	½
45	D Henderson	1	S Stevans	0
46	M Hood	½	H Dell	½
47	EW Baker	1	J Brown	0
48	Miss A Jarno	a	T Hartnup	a
49	GWR Greig	1	C Hove	0
50	A Dyos	1	J Peto	0
		14½		11½

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Hampshire – Oxfordshire 11 March 1961 – Oxford

The match against Oxfordshire was just for the Championship and it was close. But Oxfordshire came out on top winning 11 to 9. Hampshire winners were Southampton stalwart Len C Walters, Gosport’s Arthur F Brameld, CH Henshaw, JG Shepherd, Sq-Ldr L Vine, AS LaLond and another Gosport strong player John Jones who like Arthur would have been very young at this time.

At the end of the match, it was all level seven points each, with six games going to adjudication, from which Oxfordshire obtained four wins, whilst Hampshire achieved two.

• Championship – Hampshire 9 – 11 Oxfordshire

Hampshire – Oxfordshire Championship 11 Mar 1961

Board	Hampshire	Hants Res	Kent	Kent Res
1	Marshall WJ Thompson	½	J Walker	½
2	Cdr AJ Peters	0	A Hollis	1
3	Michael Ventham	½	M Collins	½
4	D McCue	½	J Footner	½
5	PA Ursell	0	W Turner	1
6	Len C Walters	1	H Booth	0
7	AC Barton	0	N Wilson	1
8	J Borland	0	A Footner	1
9	Arthur F Brameld	1	P Ralph	0
10	CH Henshaw	1	A Baker	0
11	JG Shepherd	1	M Bruton	0
12	BD Harding	0	A Leggett	1
13	TJ deBuriatte	0	M Brigden	1
14	Sq-Ldr L Vine	1	B Dickinson	0
15	FR Carter	0	R Watts	1
16	SL Russell	½	Dr N Lawrence	½
17	AS LaLond	1	Rev H Taylor	0
18	JB Parker	0	A Coluson	1
19	DG Groves	0	D Del Nevo	1
20	John H Jones	1	F Wood	0
		9		11

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Hampshire Player Performance

98 players represented Hampshire during the season and below is the performance for the players who played more than three games. The players with the highest percentage scores were JEC Grant with 100% and PM Collins with just one draw from his four games. Some players have adjourned games which has affected the percentages e.g., John Jones who had two wins, one draw and one adjourned game which is not 83.3%. The table can be sorted by each column.

Marshall Thompson and Michael Ventham both scored four and a half points from six games with Thompson playing board one for all his games and Ventham on board two or three for his. Marshall Thompson results included some excellent wins, especially his win against Frank Parr who played in 25 British Championships (and was second in 1956). He also drew against 1954 joint British Champion Alan Phillips.

Marshall Thompson’s results are below, and the grades (where known) are the very old BCF ones, and I have included the conversion to the previous BCF ones, as per the details on Britbase.

• Won – F Parr (2b 217-224)
• Won – CL Tadiello (5a 177 – 184)
• Won – A Hall (4a 193 – 200)
• Draw – Dr EN Bramley (5a 177 – 184)
• Draw – A Phillips (Alan Phillips) who was joint BCF Champion 1954). No grade in the 1960 list, but was 2a (225 – 232) in 1957
• Draw – J Walker (no grade, but 5b (169 – 176) following year

Hants Player	Win Percentage	Points Scored	Games Played
Michael Ventham	75.0%	4½	6
Marshall WJ Thompson	75.0%	4½	6
JEC Grant	100.0%	4	4
PM Collins	87.5%	3½	4
Sq-Ldr L Vine	58.3%	3½	6
JG Shepherd	75.0%	3	4
W Makar	75.0%	3	4
Gillian A Moore	75.0%	3	4
SL Russell	60.0%	3	5
Arthur F Brameld	60.0%	3	5
JB Parker	60.0%	3	5
Len C Walters	50.0%	3	6
Cdr AJ Peters	50.0%	3	6
John H Jones	83.3%	2½	4
TJ deBuriatte	62.5%	2½	4
AS LaLond	50.0%	2½	5
AC Barton	41.7%	2½	6
SHC Lucas	66.7%	2	4
BD Harding	40.0%	2	5
Dr AJ Pointon	37.5%	1½	4
Peter L Marshall	30.0%	1½	5
CH Henshaw	25.0%	1½	6
JAC Borland	10.0%	½	5

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Acknowledgements and sources:

• British Chess News for details on Alan Phillips
• Britbase for old BCF grades
• SCCU for SCCU Bulletins

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