County & District Correspondence chess competition
Worcestershire currently have one correspondence team currently playing in Division 3 of the County & District Correspondence Chess competition. Since 2012, the event has been run on a server maintained by the International Correspondence Chess Federation and this organisation hosts a complete archive of league tables, players’ scores, and game scores for this English team competition since 2012.
Worcestershire has competed in the C&DCC competition since it was started in 1922. During the inter-war years correspondence play was favoured by players with disabilities and by strong players living in remote areas. Some women also preferred to play at a distance because they disliked the smoke and male banter found in many clubs in former years. The costs of postage tended to restrict participation to players who were at least moderately well-off and for these players there was a reliable UK postal system to support them. From the start, C&DCC competitions were organised as "jamboree" events where players of each team have opponents in each of the other teams. There was just a single division with up to thirty teams participating up to 1955 and players had one game only. Thereafter the competition was split into divisions, but one game only was still played possibly until 2011 when the competition was transferred to play by web-server hosted by the International Federation for Correspondence Chess. In the new format players have two games with colours reversed against the same opponent.
For some years before this change there had been attempts to move players from postal play to communicating moves my e-mail. The progress towards electronic communication was caused by increases in postal charges, which had caused a pronounced fall in participation from the 1950s. The WCA minutes reported that captains were finding difficulties in recruiting teams because of players’ costs in 1968 and 1971. The lengthy postal strikes in 1971 and 1988 also put off many players using the postal format.
States and regions international competition
Worcestershire fielded a four-player team in an international team competition organised by the International Correspondence Chess Federation and played by web-server in 2021. Each player had twelve games against opponents playing on the same number board of each of the other teams in the competition. Stephen Woodhouse captained the team which finished mid-table.
MCCU team postal competition
Worcestershire routinely entered a team in the Midland Counties Chess Union competition from1960 until the regional competition fizzled out about 2005. Like the national competition there was a single game only between opponents until 1983. Initially teams played 16 boards but was increased to 20 in the early 1970s until the marked reduction in the numbers of correspondence players led to teams of ten by 1979.
Worcestershire Friendly matches
Worcestershire has played a number of friendly matches, but none since 1977. The earliest recorded county matches had fifty boards and were played against Warwickshire in the early part of the 1920s when Worcestershire lost against its much larger neighbour. During the 1940s and 1950s there were matches against The Braille Correspondence Chess Association, Cornwall, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and Surrey. There was a long series of matches against Lancashire starting 1959 with the last definite record of a match in 1971.
Worcestershire Correspondence honours
Worcestershire is one of few English counties in which a world chess champion was an active member of its association. Reg Bonham (1906-1984) attended Worcester College for the Blind (now RNIB Worcester College) as a pupil and returned as a teacher finishing his career as its head teacher. He was a strong over-the-board player and pre-eminent in correspondence chess. He was a prime mover in the formation of the International Braille Chess Association in 1951 and was its president until 1974. He was World Correspondence Chess champion in 1958 and won the International Braille Chess Association Correspondence World Championships six times between 1955 and 1963. Worcestershire teams have won national competitions. In 1979 Worcestershire II won the Brown-Pond trophy in Division 3 of the C&DCC tournament. In 1986 Worcestershire topped Division 2 winning the Sinclair trophy and most recently in 2004 the second team won Division 3 for the second time. In the days before everyone had a telephone let alone the internet, correspondence team captains will have had to be very organised to ensure scores were reported. The longest recorded term of office held by a Worcester CA "conductor for correspondence chess" was twenty years by RG (Graham) Bird 1959-1979. Records are incomplete for the pre-war years, but it is likely that RE Jeffes also held the position for many years.
Sources for records
Worcestershire Chess Association has been fortunate in choice of officers and records of overall match results and team scores of some matches are available back to the late 1920s. Gaps in recent records have mostly been filled by using records generously copied for Worcestershire CA by John Knee (1974 to 2008) and Maurice Bissell (1989 to 1994). One mystery yet to be resolved is results for the 1993-4 C&DCC season for which the web editor has two different versions and another is whether the ECF Year Book is in error in not listing Worcestershire as winning the Brown-Pond trophy in 1977. Meanwhile any player who has team lists for any of the matches missing from these web pages, please contact Ray Collett.
| Season | Competition | Team, Captain | Result | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-3 | C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas | Worcs Jim Keene | 9½/16 pts | 3rd/6 |
| 2021-2 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair
States & Regions Div 4 |
Worcs Jim Keene
Stephen Woodhouse |
2/16 pts 13 match, 25 game pts |
8th/8 demoted 6th/13 |
| 2019-20 | C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas | Worcs, Jim Keene | 12½/16 pts | 1st/5 promoted |
| 2018-9 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair | Worcs, Jim Keene | 3½/16 pts | 8th/8, relegated |
| 2017-8 | C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
10/16 pts 6½/16 pts |
2nd/11, promoted 6th/11 |
| 2016-7 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
4½/16 pts 9/16 pts |
9th/10, relegated 4th/9 |
| 2015-6 | C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
11½/16 pts 5½/16 pts |
2nd/11 9th/11 |
| 2014-5 | C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas C&DCC Div 3 Butler Thomas |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
6½/16 pts 7/16 pts |
9th/10 6th/10 |
| 2013-4 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
4½/16 pts 2/16 pts |
16th=/20 relegated 20th/20 relegated |
| 2012-3 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
4/20 pts 5½/16 pts |
10th/10 relegated 8th/12 |
| 2011-2 | no C&DCC competitions | |||
| 2010-1 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
no record | partial results only |
| 2009-10 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
7/22 pts 3½/10 |
5th/5 4th/5 |
| 2008-9 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
no record | no record |
| 2007-8 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 3B Brown Pond |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene |
7/22 pts 2½/10 pts |
5th/5, relegated 6-7th/8 |
| 2006-7 note 13 |
C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 3B Brown Pond MCCU |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Tony West Worcs C, Dave Bissell |
11/22 pts 5/?10 pts may not have run |
3rd/5 8th/10 no record |
| 2005-6 note 20 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond MCCU |
Worcs A, Jim Keene Worcs B, Jim Keene Worcs C, Dave Bissell |
6½/26 pts 6/16 pts no record |
12th/12 4th/4 no record |
| 2004-5 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU (note 17) |
Worcs A Worcs B, Tony West Worcs C, Dave Bissell |
9/? pts 6/? pts no report |
11th/12 4th/4 no record |
| 2003-4 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond MCCU Corres Ch |
Worcs A, Gray Worcs B, Gray Worcs C, Dave Bissell |
10/16 pts 6½/10 pts at May 9 pts/18 u7 to Apr |
7th at May 1st partial |
| 2002-3 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward Higgs C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond MCCU Corres (c) |
Worcs A Worcs B Worcs C, David Bissell |
11½/26 6½/16 11/32 pts |
7-8th/14 4th/5 5th/6 |
| 2001-2 Note 16 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond |
Worcs I Worcs II |
12/26 pts 10/16 pts |
9th/14 2nd/6 |
| 2000-1 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond |
Worcs I Worcs II |
8½/26 pts 9/16 pts |
14th/14 2-4th/9 |
| 1999-2000 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond |
Worcs I Worcs II |
11/26 pts 7/16 pts |
12th/14 5th/6 |
| 1998-9 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond |
Worcs I Worcs II |
12½/26 pts 9½20 pts |
8th/14 4th/5 |
| 1997-8 note 7 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond |
Worcs I Worcs II Capts not stated in minutes |
12½/26 pts 9/20 pts |
7th/14 4-5th/8 |
| 1996-7 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray |
13/28 pts 8½/20 |
11-12th/15 5th/8 |
| 1995-6 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU Div ? |
Worcs, Charles Gray Worcs, Charles Gray Worcs, Eric Myers |
13/30 pts 10½/20 pts 8/? pts |
10-11th/16 5th/9 no report Sep |
| 1994-5 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU (c) |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Eric Myers |
12½/30 pts 7/20 pts 8/16 pts |
12-13th/16 10th/12 9th/9 |
| 1993-4 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
14/30 pts 11/20 pts 9½/32 pts |
9th/16 6th/14 7th/8 |
| 1992-3 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div ? Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
14/30 pts 11½/20 pts 2½/10 pts to Apr |
9-11th/16 7th/15 no record |
| 1991-2 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 4 Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
15½/30 pts 9/20 pts 15/32 pts |
?/16 ?/16 6th/9 |
| 1990-1 | C&DCC Div 1 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
18½/30 pts 9½/20 pts 15 pts +1adj to Jul |
2nd/16 7-8th/12 4th/9 at Jul |
| 1989-90 | C&DCC Div ?Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Brown-Pond MCCU (c) |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
17/30 pts pts 9½/20 pts 14½ pts |
4th=/16 9th/16 6-7th/9 |
| 1988-9 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, Charles Gray Worcs 2, Charles Gray Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
14½/30 pts 9/20 pts 9/20 pts |
9th/16 10-11th/16 9th/9 |
| 1987-8 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 4 Brown Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, Alan Copeman Worcs 2, Alan E Copeman Worcs, Alan Ruffle |
10/30 pts 10½/20 pts 15/32 pts |
15th/16 relegated 4-5th/10 5th |
| 1986-7 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, E Alan Copeman Worcs 2, E Alan Copeman Worcs, WW (Bill) Watson |
15/30 pts 4½/20 pts 19½ pts |
9th/16 11th/12 relegated 2nd |
| 1985-6 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, E Alan Copeman Worcs 2, E Alan Copeman Worcs, WW (Bill) Watson |
20½/30 pts |
1st/16 promoted 4th/16 3rd/8 |
| 1984-5 | C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Butler Thomas MCCU |
Worcs 1, E Alan Copeman Worcs 2, E Alan Copeman Worcs, WW (Bill) Watson |
16½/30 pts pts 12½/20 pts 15/? pts |
5-7th/16 2nd/12 promoted 5-6th/8 |
| 1983-4 note 12 |
C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 4 Butler Thomas MCCU Friendly vs Sussex |
Worcs, E Alan Copeman Worcs, E Alan Copeman Worcs, WW (Bill) Watson Worcs, E Alan Copeman |
15½/30 pts 10/20 pts 14/23 pts to Apr 12 boards no score |
7th/16 7th/11 ?/7 teams . |
| 1982-3 note 11 |
C&DCC Div 2 Sinclair C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs 1, E Alan Copeman Worcs 2, E Alan Copeman Worcs, Derek Digger |
20½/30 pts 7½/20 pts 1½/8 + 3 adj + u5 to May |
3rd/16 15-16th/16 relegated in progress |
| 1981-2 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs, K Morgan Worcs, K Morgan Worcstershire, Derek Digger |
11 pts 9½ pts 3½/16 pts |
15-16th/16 relegated 8th/16 not stated |
| 1980-1 note 10 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Ponds |
Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, ER Cox |
15/30 pts 13/20 pts |
"half-way in the table"/16 2nd/15 |
| 1979-80 note 9 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond |
Worcs, L Heathcock Worcs, ER Cox |
15 pts 13 pts |
7th 2nd |
| 1978-9 note 8 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU |
Worcs, R Graham Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox |
13/30 pts 15½/20 pts no record |
12th/16 1st no record |
| 1977-8 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, FR Dollin |
12½/30 pts pts 12/20 pts 8½ pts match not started |
12th/16 3rd/13 3rd . |
| 1976-7 note 15 |
C&DCC Div 1Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs,
RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, FR Dollin |
16/30 pts 13/20 pts 8 pts 8 - 6 +4adj to Apr |
5th/16 1st/12 (j) 3rd . |
| 1975-6 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire II |
Worcs I, RG Bird Worcs II, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, FR Dollin |
15/30 pts 11½/20 pts 6½/16 pts 17½ - 21½ |
not stated 3rd/10 "bottom" lost |
| 1974-5 note 14 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs I, RG Bird Worcs II, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, FR Dollin |
13½/30 pts 12½/20 pts 4 pts + 3 adj 12 - 10 at Sept (2 adj) |
11-12th/16 5th/16 "bottom" . |
| 1973-4 note 22 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs I, RG Bird Worcs II, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, ER Cox |
. |
. . . Won |
| 1972-3 note 21 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs I RG Bird Worcs II RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, ER Cox |
no records |
2nd 2nd . . |
| 1971-2 | C&DCC MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, ER Cox |
. "doing well" +5 "doing badly" |
no records |
| 1970-1 note 5 |
C&DCC C&DCC MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs I, RG Bird . Worcs, ER Cox Worcs, RG Bird |
. . 10pts . |
. . 3rd . |
| 1969-70 note 4 |
C&DCC Ward-Higgs C&DCC Brown-Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs I, RG Bird Worcs II, RG Bird Worcs, ER Cox Worcs A, RG Bird |
9/17 pts to May 5½/ 11 pts to May 6½/12 pts to Sep 6/9 pts to May |
6th 2nd 4th won 14½ - 13½ |
| 1968-9 | C&DCC Div 1Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU (note 3) |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
6½/13 pts 6/9 pts 4/7 pts |
5th 4th 2nd |
| 1967-8 | C&DCC Div 1Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire II |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
6/12 pts to May 3/4 pts to May 2/5 2½/9 |
3rd 4th to May 1968 to May 1968 |
| 1966-7 | C&DCC Div 1Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire II |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
5½/13 pts to May 1/5 pts to May 6/9 pts to May 10/12 pts to May |
7th 12th 2nd not stated |
| 1965-6 | C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs C&DCC Div 3 Brown-Pond MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire II |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
+4 =8 -4 to May +5 =1 -3 to May 5+ 3= -1 to May 23 - 12 |
14½ pts, 8th/15 9½ pts, 11th/16 10½ pts, 1st/10 won |
| 1964-5 | CDCC Div 1
Ward-Higgs MCCU Div 1 MCCU Div 3 Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
17 - 13
8½ - 5½ +2adj 8 pts 13½—13½ |
5th/16 . 14th/16 draw |
| 1963-4 | CDCC Div 2 Sinclair MCCU Div 1 ?MCCU Div 3 Friendly vs Lancashire II |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs Worcstershire II, RG Bird |
. . . 22½ - 26½ |
2nd 2nd . lost |
| 1962-3 note 18 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
+2 =3 -3 to June +0 =0 -2 to June +13 =6 -14 to June |
no record no record no record |
| 1961-2 note 19 |
C&DCC Div 1 Ward-Higgs MCCU Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
+4 =3 -2 to June +2 =1 -1 to June 25 - 16 |
8th/16 4th/ 8 won |
| 1960-1 | C&DCC Ward-Higgs MCCU Friendly vs Lancshire |
Worcs, RE Jeffes (note 2) Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
. 9½ pts/16 (c) 14½ - 14½ (c) |
. 2nd drawn |
| 1959-60 | C&DCC Ward-Higgs MCCU Friendly vs Lincolnshire |
Worcs, RE Jeffes Worcs, RG Bird Worcs, RG Bird |
+8 =4 -8 u10 8½/16 4/7 u? |
not recorded 3rd/6 to June 1960 |
| 1958-9 | C&DCC Ward-Higgs Friendly vs Lincolnshire A |
Worcs, RE Jeffes Worcs A RG Bird |
+5 =3 -6 to May 20½ - 17½ |
7th won |
| 1957-8 | C&DCC Div 2 (note 1) Friendly vs Braille Corres CA II |
Worcs, RE Jeffes Worcs II |
"not doing as well as last year" |
no records |
| 1956-7 | C&DCC Ward-Higgs Friendly vs Lincolnshire II |
Worcs, RE Jeffes Worcstershire II |
14½ - 8½ pts to June 9½ - 10½ pts to june |
no records |
| 1955-6 | C&DCC Friendly vs Staffordshire II |
Worcs, RE Jeffes Worcs II |
(+7 =2 -4 to June) 17 pts final 14½ - 21½ |
10th/? lost |
| 1954-5 note 6 |
C&DCC Ward-Higgs Friendly vs Braille Corres CA II |
Worcs, RE Jeffes Worcs, RE Jeffes |
(+15 =9 -5) 19½ pts 17½ - 23½ |
5th/36 lost |
| 1953-4 | C&DCC Ward-Higgs Friendly vs Staffordshire II |
Worcs Worcs II |
20 pts, 15 bds 20½ - 20½ |
7th/? drawn |
| 1952-3 | C&DCC Friendly vs Braille Corres CA II |
no record Worcester II |
no record 23½ - 15½ |
no record won |
| 1951-2 | no information | |||
| 1950-1 | C&DCC Friendly vs Lancashire II |
no record Worcs II |
no record 16½ - 31½ |
no record lost |
| 1949-50 | C&DCC Friendly Cornwall II Friendly vs Braille Corres CA |
Worcs Worcs II Worcs III |
+14 =9 -7 12½ - 7½ 8 - 8 |
6th/32 won drawn |
| 1948-9 | C&DCC Friendly vs Lancashire II |
Worcs Worcs II |
7½/30 pts 8½ - 21½ |
6th/31 |
| 1947-8 | no information | |||
| 1946-7 | C&DCC Friendly vs Surrey Friendly vs Staffordshire II |
Worcs Worcs Worcs II |
20/30 pts 15 - 15 9 - 11 |
3rd drawn lost |
| 1945-6 | C&DCC Friendly vs Warwickshire |
Worcs I Worcs II |
15/30 pts 21 - 29 |
16th lost |
| 1944-5 | C&DCC Friendly vs Lancashire |
Worcs I Worcs II |
6½/20 pts 21½ - 18½ |
25th won |
| 1943-4 | C&DCC | Worcs | 11½/20 pts | 9th |
| 1942-3 | C&DCC | Worcs | 10½/20 pts | 11th |
| 1941-2 | C&DCC | Worcs | 10/20 pts | 11th |
| 1940-1 | C&DCC | Worcs | 14/20 pts | 1-4th On tie-break 4th |
| 1939-40 | C&DCC | Worcs | 12½/30 pts | 5th |
| 1938-9 | C&DCC | Worcs | 12/30 pts | 12th |
| 1937-8 | C&DCC | Worcs | 18½/30 pts | 4th |
| 1936-7 | C&DCC | Worcs | 18½/30 pts | 3rd |
| 1935-6 | C&DCC | Worcs | 20½/30 pts | 3rd |
| 1934-5 | C&DCC | Worcs | 16/30 pts | 7th |
| 1933-4 | C&DCC | Worcs | 15½/30 pts | 13th |
| 1932-3 | C&DCC | Worcs | 17½/30 pts | 6th |
| 1931-2 | C&DCC | Worcs | 17/30 pts | 6th |
| 1930-1 | C&DCC | Worcs | 15½/30 pts | 12th |
| 1929-30 | C&DCC | Worcs | 15/30 pts | not recorded |
| 1928-9 | C&DCC | Worcs | 17/36 pts | 12th |
| 1927-8 | C&DCC | Worcs | 13/30 pts | 14th |
| 1926-7 | C&DCC | Worcs | 11/30 pts | 15th |
| 1925-6 | C&DCC | Worcs | 14/30 pts | 15th |
| 1924-5 | C&DCC | Worcs | 17/32 pts | 6th |
| 1923-4 | C&DCC Friendly vs Warwckshire |
Worcs I Worcs II |
15/30 pts 21 - 32 |
8th lost |
| 1922-3 | C&DCC Friendly vs Warwckshire |
Worcs I Worcs II |
17½/30 pts 23½ - 33½ |
3rd lost |
| Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| note 1 | EC minutes 9 Oct 1958. "The disqualification of R.W. Bonham in the Ward-Higgs competition, for lack of a B.C.F. Registration scheme qualification, had resulted in Worcs being placed in the new Second Division. ... the meeting agreed with acclamation the call to win Division II and secure promotion". A later minute reports that the MCCU had created a corres competition, but Worcs decided not to enter this [1958-9] year.(b) | ||||
| note 2 | AGM held 18 May 1968 noted that RE Jeffes was no longer listed as a vice-president having died presumably beween then and the previous AGM. (b) | ||||
| note 3 | EC held 2 October 1968 stated Mr Bird was experiencing difficulties in recruiting because of increase in price of postage to 5p, and he recommended withdrawal from MCCU, but the EC wrote asking him to continue that team. It also congratulated Mr Bird on his appointment as general conductor for the C&DCC competitions. (b) | ||||
| note 4 | EC held 29 Sep 1970 congratuted RW Bonham on his MBE award. The EC meeting held 22 May 1971 heard the MCCU was considering raising team size to 20 boards. (b) | ||||
| note 5 | EC held 18 May 1971 stated Mr Bird will soon be moving from Worc and he feared increased postal charges will make it difficult to find players. At the AGM on 22 May1971 it was noted that the postal strike meant there were few results.(b) | ||||
| note 6 | AGM held 11 June 1955. EC agreed to support proposal from Bedfordshire that Ward-Higgs competition should be split into two divisions. (b) | ||||
| note 7 | Secretary's annual report stated Ward-Higgs competition in 1997-8 would have fewer teams and each team fewer players (b) | ||||
| note 8 | EC held 23 Apr 1979 decided to discontinue attempts to organise a Lancs friendly match initiated in Apr 1978. (b) | ||||
| note 9 | EC held 19 Sep reported RG Bird had resigned at end of 1978-9 season and the AGM held 17 May 1980 recorded a tribute to him for 20 years as C&DCC captain and that PJ Oakley won the best corres game prize in C&DCC. There was no MCCU correspondence team in 1979-80. (b) | ||||
| note 10 | EC held 9 April 1981 and AGM held 16 May 1981 stated there was no MCCU team and the EC held on 9 April 1980 heard that the MCCU tournament "had not got off the ground". (b) | ||||
| note 11 | AGM held 21 May 1983 notes RW Bonham had been awarded the Golden Needle by the International Braille Chess Association (b) | ||||
| note 12 | EC held 27 September 1983 heard that players in the MCCU match would have pair of games rather than a single game. EC held 26 April 1984 reported that RW Bonham had died.(b) | ||||
| note 13 | Minutes of the AGM of MCCU held on 24 June 2007 stated that there had been no communication with the competition's controller and the team competition had not run in 2006-7. The same minutes stated that a volunteer had been found to run 2007-8 correspondence events for the MCCU. (b) | ||||
| note 14 |
Controller Avison wrote that GF Harris (Worcs) was awarded the best game prize in Division 1.(b). At the EC held on 18 September 1974, it was stated that Lancashire wanted to reduce the number of boards for the annual friendly from over 60 match to 40 and heard that ER Cox had taken responsibility for running the MCCU correspondence tournament. "Mr Widdows [was congratulated] on his victory over PC Gibbs in a correspondence game. Mr Widdows had stepped in at the last minute to take top board in the Vale Men team and had beaten his illustrious opponent in a remarkable game". At an EC held on 23 April 1975, "Mr Dollin ... asked members to considerthe whole question of postal chess in view of the great rise in postal charges" and it was suggested players should have two, rather than a single game againsttheir opponent. At the EC held 17 September 1975, Hagley were congratulated for winning the Division II Postal Chess League. | ||||
| note 15 | The ECF Year Book listed Wiltshire as winners in 1977, but the score sheet from John Knee - presumably sent by the RG Bird to his team - states 1st. The following year the captain reported that the team had failed to retain the trophy. (b) | ||||
| note 16 | Jeff Heath (Redditch) scored 4/9 and was placed 6th/10 in the MCCUCounties Correspondence Individual Championship (c) | ||||
| note 17 | MCCU Middlegame reported that consultation about email rules had not taken place and the AGM suggested the BCF rules be adopted for union cometitions. Vol 1 issue 20 (Jan 2006) reported there was no individual competition "last year" and implies no team tournament since it it was not listed as an MCCU activity. (c) | ||||
| note 18 | Report from the captain noted that there were 80 Worcestershire players in all three matches (c) | ||||
| note 19 | Report from the captain noted that there were 72 Worcestershire players in all three matches (c) | ||||
| note 20 | John Philpott’s blog stated that the Butler Thomas competition was reintroduced in 2005-6 as an experimental ten-board competition by e-mail, while the sister Brown Pond ten-board competition was played by post. | ||||
| note 21 | An EC meeting held 11 April 1973 reported the MCCU team tournament had four entries only and had started late. There were10 more boards than before in the friendly match against Lancashire and there were plans to organise a correspondence match for junior players. | ||||
| note 22 | The AGM held on 27 April 1974 heard that 67 boards were being played in the match against Lancashire. | ||||
| Sources | |||||
| a | BCF and ECF Yearbooks | ||||
| b | WCA handwritten team lists, typescript records, and minutes of business meetings. | ||||
| c | MCCU archived Newsletters and results supplements from MCCU website. | ||||
| d | |||||