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British Chess Championship, Torquay 2009The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. 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. Since 2006 the Commonwealth Chess Championship has been organized on an annual basis.
These were the first large tournaments organised by the British Chess Association, international players were allowed to participate.
| Year | City | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1857 | Manchester | Johann Loewenthal (Austrian Empire) / Hungary |
| 1858 | Birmingham | Johann Loewenthal (Austrian Empire) / Hungary |
| 1860 | Cambridge | Ignaz von Kolisch (Austrian Empire) / Hungary |
| 1861 | Bristol | Louis Paulsen (Germany) /  Lippe |
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 Hermann Zukertort (22 points ouf of 26) ahead of Steinitz (19/26).
| # | Year | City | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1* | 1862 | London | Adolf Anderssen (Germany) / Prussia |
| 2* | 1872 | London | Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria-Hungary) / Bohemia |
| 3* | 1883 | London | Johannes Zukertort (German Empire) / Poland |
In 1884, a new British Chess Association was inaugurated. In July 1885, Isidor Gunsberg won the first British Chess Federation championship in London. In August 1886, Blackburne and Amos Burn tied for first in the second British Chess Federation championship, held in London. Blackburne won the play-off. In December 1887, Burn and Gunsberg tied for first in the third British Chess Federation Congress in London.
| # | Year | City | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1885 | London | Isidor Gunsberg (United Kingdom) / Hungary |
| 2 | 1886 | London | Joseph Henry Blackburne (United Kingdom) / England |
| 3 | 1887 | London | Amos Burn (United Kingdom) / England Isidor Gunsberg (United Kingdom) / Hungary |
| 4 | 1888 | Bradford | Isidor Gunsberg (United Kingdom) / Hungary |
| 5 | 1889 | London | Henry Bird (United Kingdom) / England |
| 6 | 1890 | Manchester | Siegbert Tarrasch (German Empire) / Prussia |
| 7 | 1892 | London | Emanuel Lasker (German Empire) / Prussia |
| 8 | 1895 | Hastings | Harry Nelson Pillsbury (United States) |
| 9 | 1899 | London | Emanuel Lasker (German Empire) / Prussia |
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.
| Year | City | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1866 | London | Cecil De Vere (Scotland) |
| 1869 | London | Joseph Henry Blackburne (England) |
| 1870 | London | John Wisker (England) |
| 1872 | London | John Wisker (England) |
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.
| Year | City | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Price Michell |
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 12th British Chess Congress at Hastings 1919 and the 15th BCC at London 1922, Alexander Alekhine won the 16th BCC 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.
| Year | City | Men's Champion | Women'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 on 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 contest | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1983 | Southport | Jonathan Mestel | Rani Hamid Helen Milligan (née Scott) |
| 1984 | Brighton | Nigel Short | Vasanti Unni (née Khaldikar) |
| 1985 | Edinburgh | Jonathan Speelman | Rani Hamid |
| 1986 | Southampton | Jonathan Speelman | Susan Arkell (née Walker, now Lalic) |
| 1987 | Swansea | Nigel Short | Cathy Forbes |
| 1988 | Blackpool | Jonathan Mestel | Cathy Forbes |
| 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 |
| 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 Akshaya Kalaiyalahan |
| 2014 | Aberystwyth | David Howell, Jonathan Hawkins | Amy Hoare |
| 2015 | Coventry | Jonathan Hawkins | Akshaya Kalaiyalahan |