Southampton and Bournemouth have always had a close relationship in chess, and for a long time there was an annual chess match. This continued into at least the 1980’s but has more recently been replaced with a Bournemouth v Poole match. I hope to compile a list of as many of these as I can locate, but the one I have found was from 1967 and was an impressive 50 board match.
Photo above as Paul Errington (on the right, obviously as Martin Simons would have been 3 or 4 years old) from the 2022 B&DCL AGM. Paul played on board 26.
A post about this match has also been added to the Dorset Chess website.
Update Aug 2023: I have added a number of other matches and these are available here.
Southampton vs Bournemouth 1966 / 1967
The Hampshire Bulletin I obtained this from was the 2nd edition of the 1966 / 1967 season, and although there was no date for the match, there was also a result from the Middlesex county match, which was on the 25th February 1967. My assumption was that this match was played in 1967.
But if anyone knows the actual date the match was played, please do let me know.
There were a few typos in the Bulletin, some of the Southampton ones I noticed and Martin Simons advised on the Bournemouth errors. I am sure there are more, but the below table reflects the ones which were spotted.
This was Bournemouth’s third straight win, I am hoping that I can locate some where Southampton came out on top! These matches, like the Hampshire vs Dorset friendly county matches at this time were there to give all players an opportunity to play, rather than bringing your strongest teams. That said, I am sure they were competitive and even persuading 50 players from each area to play was an achievement in itself.
How many players do you recognise from the teams?
| Board | Southampton | Result | Bournemouth | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Len C Walters | ½ | RHK Mann | ½ |
| 2 | John R Wilkinson | ½ | EW Chandler | ½ |
| 3 | Peter L Marshall | 0 | Dr P Merrett | 1 |
| 4 | RJM Compton | 1 | DK Bevis | 0 |
| 5 | DH Smith | 1 | MJ Roth | 0 |
| 6 | JG Shepherd | 0 | MER Minvalla | 1 |
| 7 | AC Barton | 0 | R Altyzerr | 1 |
| 8 | Sq-Ldr L Vine | 1 | TF Johns | 0 |
| 9 | GL Pritchard | 0 | Gerald H Bennett | 1 |
| 10 | RW Hedge | ½ | MA Cartwright | ½ |
| 11 | SL Russell | ½ | J Graham | ½ |
| 12 | RL Parsons | ½ | A Cornwall | ½ |
| 13 | RJ Smith | ½ | HN Dulson | ½ |
| 14 | RE Randall | ½ | DP Lock | ½ |
| 15 | LA Pretty | 0 | D Papworth | 1 |
| 16 | HG Dell | 1 | D Marples | 0 |
| 17 | J De Garis | 0 | PD Hibbs | 1 |
| 18 | JA Felder | ½ | SJ Leith | ½ |
| 19 | EW Engert | 0 | WG Poulton | 1 |
| 20 | JM Popiel | 0 | MJ Pryce | 1 |
| 21 | AW Cooke | 0 | A Bernegger | 1 |
| 22 | B Robinson | 0 | B Stuart | 1 |
| 23 | N Collins | 0 | NA Symes | 1 |
| 24 | D Paradine | 1 | JE Butchart | 0 |
| 25 | JL Welch | ½ | S Errington | ½ |
| 26 | D Blake | 1 | PT Errington | 0 |
| 27 | D Gooch | 1 | H Stay | 0 |
| 28 | CJ Bratcher | 0 | G Fordham | 1 |
| 29 | D Friend | ½ | EW Seagroat | ½ |
| 30 | M Johnson | 1 | RAG Marples | 0 |
| 31 | W Tanser | 0 | W Bigwood | 1 |
| 32 | J Bennett | 0 | DV Kinsey | 1 |
| 33 | JF Warner | ½ | B Davis | ½ |
| 34 | D Love | 0 | A Taylor | 1 |
| 35 | D Doidge | 1 | P Bytheway | 0 |
| 36 | FW Pragnell | 1 | CJ Ridyard | 0 |
| 37 | HG Burkett | ½ | Mrs C Guppy | ½ |
| 38 | JD Carroll | 1 | AE MvGowan | 0 |
| 39 | F Grumby | 1 | G Knott | 0 |
| 40 | K Day | 0 | CB Orton | 1 |
| 41 | Bob A Cleave | ½ | GW Kilmister | ½ |
| 42 | J Ozanne | 0 | D Deller | 1 |
| 43 | R Evans | 1 | Miss S Grims | 0 |
| 44 | I Carnaby | ½ | P Maddocks | ½ |
| 45 | G Earwood | 1 | A Carter | 0 |
| 46 | C O’Toole | 0 | R Valentine | 1 |
| 47 | RG Taylor | 1 | P Colmer | 0 |
| 48 | MJ Fithvan | 0 | D Cannings | 1 |
| 49 | M Myers | 0 | R Lee | 1 |
| 50 | C Cahill | 1 | A Hope | 0 |
| Total | 23 | Total | 27 |
If anyone has any additional information on the match please do let me know in the comments and you never know it may be that players would be interested in re-starting these annual matches?
Gallery
Photographs of players from the match, most of these are more recent ones, if you have older ones I would be happy to add. Many thanks to Martin Simons for the Paul Errington and Mike Minvalla ones.
Acknowledgements and Sources
- Hampshire Chess Archives
- Martin Simons for current Bournemouth photos and additional information
- Britbase for 1974 Gerald Bennett photo