British Schools Chess Championship

The British Schools Chess Championship is an annual competition for school chess teams that has been in existence continuously from 1958. The tournament is administered by the English Chess Federation and is open to all schools from the United Kingdom. The competition has been won by teams from all four countries of the UK.

Eligibility

Entry is open to any school in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All players must be under-19 on 31 August of the year in which the competition begins. Teams are made up of six players.

Sponsorship

In 1938 The Sunday Times (UK) made an offer to the then British Chess Federation to donate a trophy for a competition between teams from Public schools.[1] Before further investigation of this offer could be completed the war intervened. Finally in 1957-58 competition got under way under the sponsorship of The Sunday Times (UK) newspaper. Their patronage continued until 1983, when their sister paper The Times took over. Since the withdrawal of sponsorship by The Times after the 2001 finals, the championship continued without a sponsor until 2008.

At the height of popularity in the 1970s, in excess of 1000 teams took part, but since then a decline in the number of teams has taken place. In 2007-08, the accepted entry increased from 93 teams to 135 teams, which represented the highest number of entries for four years. Yateley Manor School, from Yateley in Hampshire, sponsors from 2008-2011, supported the event through a difficult period and deserve special mention.

The competition, now known as the National Schools Chess Championships, was relaunched by the English Chess Federation in 2012 with sponsorship from St Catherine's School, Bramley to support a tournament for girls, with both U11 and U19 sections, Heathside Preparatory School, from Hampstead, London for a new U11 open section and Winchester College for the U19 open section.

National finalists

1950s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
1958 Calday Grange GS, Wirral Varndean Nottingham High School Colfe's School 241
1959 Calday Grange GS, Wirral William Ellis, London Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet Glyn Grammar School, Ewell 247

1960s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
1960 Wolverhampton Grammar School Huddersfield New College Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Winchester College 331
1961 Colfe's School Hove Grammar School Weston-Super-Mare Grammar School Bradford Grammar School 358
1962 Liverpool Institute Bemrose School King Edward's School, Birmingham Whitgift School 390
1963 Hove Grammar School Colfe's School Liverpool Institute Magdalen College School, Oxford 489
1964 Liverpool Institute Dulwich College Hove Grammar School Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys 580
1965 Dulwich College Wallasey Grammar School Allan Glen's School, Glasgow Hayes County Grammar School 673
1966 Dulwich College Manchester Grammar School Hove Grammar School Bradford Grammar School 703
1967 Battersea Grammar School King Edward VI School, Nuneaton Wintringham Grammar School Trinity School, Croydon 706
1968 Bolton School Dulwich College Battersea Grammar School Great Yarmouth Grammar School 789
1969 High School of Dundee King Edward's School, Birmingham Trinity School, Croydon King Edward VII School (Sheffield)

1970s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
1970 Dulwich College Ayr Academy Methodist College Belfast Manchester Grammar School 761
1971 Ayr Academy Manchester Grammar School Ilford County High School Plymouth College
1972 Ayr Academy Dulwich College Trinity School, Croydon Manchester Grammar School 760
1973 Bolton School Latymer Upper School Bristol Grammar School Glyn Grammar School, Ewell 846
1974 Southern Grammar School, Portsmouth Bedford Modern School King Edward's School, Birmingham Paisley Grammar School 961
1975 St Paul's School, London Ilford County High School Southern Grammar School, Portsmouth Bristol Grammar School
1976 Bolton School Great Salterne, Portsmouth Glyn Grammar Grammar School, Ewell Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1977 Bluecoat School, Liverpool Glyn Grammar School, Ewell Paisley Grammar School Bristol Grammar School
1978 St Paul's School, London St Albans School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Bluecoat School, Liverpool
1979 St Paul's School, London Bolton School Methodist College Belfast King Edward VI School, Southampton

1980s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
1980 King Edward VI School, Southampton Watford Grammar School for Boys Calday Grange GS, Wirral Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1981 St Paul's School, London Watford Grammar School for Boys Manchester Grammar School King Edward VI School, Southampton
1982 St Paul's School, London Nottingham High School St John's College (Portsmouth) Bluecoat School, Liverpool
1983 Queen Mary's GS, Walsall Paston Grammar School, North Walsham Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Grove School, St Leonards
1984 Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Plymouth College St Paul's School, London Queen Mary's GS, Walsall
1985 St Paul's School, London Nottingham High School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle King Edward VI School, Southampton
1986 Plymouth College Colchester Royal Grammar School Bluecoat School, Liverpool Methodist College Belfast
1987 Queen Mary's GS, Walsall St Paul's School, London Millfield School Greenwood Academy, Irvine
1988 St Paul's School, London Abingdon School Queen Mary's GS, Walsall Antrim Grammar School 358
1989 St Paul's School, London Manchester Grammar School Truro School Antrim Grammar School

1990s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
1990 St Paul's School, London Truro School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Nottingham High School [2]
1991 Manchester Grammar School Sutton Manor School, Surrey Hymers College, Hull St Columb's College, Derry [3]
1992 Nottingham High School 'A' Truro School City of London School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle [4]
1993 Truro School Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Manchester Grammar School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle [5]
1994 Ipswich School Manchester Grammar School St Columb's College, Derry Westminster School [6]
1995 Methodist College Belfast Maidstone Grammar School Truro School Ipswich School [7]
1996 Manchester Grammar School Maidstone Grammar School Oakham School St Columb's College, Derry
1997 Manchester Grammar School Oakham School Hampton School Methodist College Belfast
1998 Manchester Grammar School Torquay Boys Grammar School St Paul's School, London Queen Elizabeth GS, Wakefield
1999 St Paul's School, London Oakham School Manchester Grammar School Torquay Boys Grammar School

2000s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
2000 St Paul's School, London Manchester Grammar School Nottingham High School Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet 208
2001 Oakham School Manchester Grammar School St Paul's School, London Yateley Manor Prep School 246
2002 Hampton School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Oakham School Manchester Grammar School 192
2003 Oakham School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Southend High School Blue Coat School, Oldham 153
2004 Monmouth School Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Blue Coat School, Oldham Southend High School 143
2005 Nottingham High School 'A' Blue Coat School, Oldham Monmouth School Royal Grammar School, Guildford 126
2006 Nottingham High School 'A' Dulwich College Millfield School Lancaster Royal Grammar School 93
2007 Nottingham High School 'A' Royal Grammar School, Guildford Magdalen College School, Oxford Manchester Grammar School 93
2008 Millfield School Nottingham High School 'A' Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Royal Grammar School, Guildford 140
2009 Wellington College, Berkshire Nottingham High School 'A' Norwich School Dulwich College 157

2010-2015
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place ENTRY
2010 Wellington College, Berkshire Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Wilson's School, Wallington Manchester Grammar School 165
2011 Manchester Grammar School Reading School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Norwich School 153
2012 Manchester Grammar School Wellington College, Berkshire Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Millfield School 114
2013 Manchester Grammar School Reading School Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Wilson's School, Wallington 135
2014 Reading School Manchester Grammar School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Hampton School 102
2015 Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Reading School Nottingham High School Hampton School 102

2016 onwards

From the 2016 final onwards 16 schools played at the final, with the plate trophy going to the best result by a first round loser.

Winners Runners Up 3rd Place= Plate winner ENTRY
2016 Reading School Hampton School Millfield School, Royal Grammar School, Guildford, King Edward VI Chelmsford City of London School 124
2017 Royal Grammar School, Guildford Hampton School Reading School, Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree, Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet King Edward's School Birmingham 130
2018 Reading School Royal Grammar School, Guildford City of London School, Hampton School, Nottingham High School Brighton College 163
2019 City of London School Hampton School Reading School, Royal Grammar School, Guildford, Royal Grammar School, Newcastle St Olave's Grammar School 142
2022[8] Westminster School King's College School Wilsons School, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, St Olave's Grammar School Brentwood School 112

Plate

1990s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place
1994 Methodist College Belfast Winchester College
1995 St Columb's College, Derry
1996 Tiffin School
1997 St Olave's Grammar School, Orpington King Edward's (Camp Hill), Birmingham
1998 King's College, Wimbledon
1999 King's College, Wimbledon

2000s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place
2000 Oakham School
2001 Hampton School Greenwood Academy, Irvine King Edward VI Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham & Dr Challoners GS, Amersham
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place
2002 Blue Coat School, Oldham King Edward's Camp Hill, Birmingham St Olave's Grammar School, Orpington Torquay Boys' Grammar School
2003 Manchester Grammar School Nottingham High School B Team City of London School St Olave's Grammar School, Orpington
2004 Nottingham High School Commonwealth School, Swindon St Olave's Grammar School, Orpington Lancaster Royal Grammar School
2005 Hampton School Nottingham High School B Team Oakham School Southend High School
2006 Monmouth School Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree Royal Grammar School, Guildford Yarm School
2007 Monmouth School King Edward's School, Birmingham Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet Aughton St Michael's Primary, Ormskirk
2008 Wilson's School, Wallington Wellington College, Berkshire Nottingham High School B Team Leeds Grammar School
2009 Wilson's School, Wallington Reading School Winchester College Aughton St Michael's Primary, Ormskirk

2010s
Winners Runners Up 3rd Place 4th Place
2010 Homefield Prep School Millfield School King Edward's Camp Hill, Birmingham Aughton St Michael's Primary, Ormskirk
2011 Wellington College St Olave's Grammar School Grammar School at Leeds Magdalen College School
2012 Reading School Wilson's School, Wallington King Edward's School, Birmingham Not Awarded
2013 Hampton School Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet Royal Grammar School, Guildford Nottingham High School B Team
2014 Wilson's School, Wallington Queen Elizabeth's GS, Barnet Torquay Boys' Grammar School Newcastle-under-Lyme School
2015 Eltham College King's School, Chester Royal Grammar School, Guildford Mill Hill County High School

Until 2015 there was an age handicap system in operation based on the average age of each team.

Age Handicap
Age Difference Winning Score for older team
0 to 11 monthsNo handicap - board count
1 year to 1 year 11 months3.5-2.5
2 years to 2 years 11 months4-2
3 years to 3 years 11 months4.5-1.5
4 years or more5-1

Teams initially compete in regional zones with the winner of each zone progressing to the National stage of the competition. There were four occasions where Primary Schools won their Regional finals against older teams. Two of these occasions were by St Teresa's RC Primary School, Colchester.[9], the school being awarded a one-off "Best School in Chess" title in 1996[10]

Sources
  1. Belfast Newsletter Chess Column 24/03/1938 Page 12
  2. The Times 29/06/1990 Page 2 and 30/06/1990 Page 3
  3. The Times 05/07/1991 Page 2 and 06/07/1991 Page 2
  4. The Times 03/07/1992 Page 2 and 04/07/1992 Page 2
  5. The Times 02/07/1993 Page 9 and 03/07/1993 Page 9
  6. The Times 02/07/1994 Page 7
  7. The Times 01/07/1995 Page 2
  8. "National Schools Championships Final – National Schools Chess Championships". englishchess.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  9. Walker, P: "Times Schools Zone", Ilford Recorder, 1997-02-06
  10. "Top award for school". Essex County Standard. 1996-01-19.
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