Club History
The club was founded in 1883. Click here for a page recording Club Champions back to the 1920s.
Gillian Moore: a chess player and poet!
Longstanding club member Gillian Moore has now written four books on the theme of chess - most recently two collections of poetry, and before that a collection of travel memoirs and a selection of games with commentaries. Gillian writes in the introduction to her latest book:
My readers who are familiar with The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam will recognise the pattern of the 73 quatrains in my book. Each verse has four lines, in which three rhyme and the fourth does not. This book is intended to be complete in itself, but at the same time can be a companion to my earlier, longer poetry work entitled ‘In Praise of Chess’.
Both books deal with many similar themes of interest to me regarding chess and life. My approach is that life is a game, play it well, and that chess has a sort of life to it that mirrors our own. In the last analysis, we know that chess is not ‘just a board game’, but a great deal more. I invite you to explore these themes with me.
You can download all four books from the Hampshire Chess History website:
Gillian Moore - British Seniors Ladies Chess Champion, Torquay 2013
Congratulations to Gillian, in being jointly the first to win the new trophy (donated by the Gibraltar Tourist Office) for this event.
Gillian writes:
Yes, I confirm that I am British Seniors Ladies champion, jointly with Dinah Norman. At the 100th British Chess Championships just finished at Torquay, we finished with equal points in the British Seniors, so share the title and the trophy. We will hold the trophy for 6 months each. I let Dinah have it first, as she and her husband came by car which made it easier to take home than myself on the trains!
So, I am a National chess champion again, of sorts - 47 years after winning the British Ladies title at Sunderland in 1966.
British Championships 2013
Two of our members, Michael Yeo and Oliver Gill have been competing amongst very strong competition in the main section of the British Championship at Torquay and have finished with a very creditable performance.
Michael managed 6 points in 11 rounds against opposition that included four grandmasters and two International Masters, including draws against GM Tony Kosten and IM Jack Rudd, and a win against the Australian International Master (and ChessCafe columnist) Gary Lane.
Michael Yeo
In an apparently pre-planned decision, following his successful entry in the British Championship, Michael Yeo has decided to retire from active chess competition. He will be greatly missed by all members of the club, many of whom will hope that he'll relent at some future date.