Yorkshire Chess History

SHEFFIELD Chess History

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Weston Trophy

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(Click here for a photo of the Weston Trophy.)

The Weston Trophy was presented by councillor Edward Weston as the trophy for what was in effect a minor-club team tournament, as a junior partner to the Davy Trophy Competition. There was at this stage no question of promotion and relegation between the two competitions. This happened at an unfortunate moment in world history; the first season the trophy was contested was 1914-15, at the start of the first World War. Fortunately, one of the Davy’s cafes was made available for chess matches at a time when other premises were less readily available, and both the Davy Trophy and the Weston Trophy competitions were conducted without interruption throughout Word War I.

The Weston Trophy took the form of a silver knight sitting on a plinth. As the knight is a “minor” piece, it neatly represented the new trophy’s junior status relative to the Davy Trophy which took the form of a rook, which is a “major” piece. The knight is about 13.5 cm high, and its base is about 8.5 cm in diameter. The plinth is about 8 high, and its base is about 15 cm in diameter. The overall height of the knight on its plinth is thus about 21.5 cm.

The titular engraving is simply

The

Weston Chess Trophy

The trophy is of sterling silver, bearing the Sheffield assay mark for 1915. The makers mark is “H.W”.

The plinth originally bore three shields for engraving the names of winners. These bore the same hallmark as the trophy itself. Winners in 1915 to 1936 were engraved on these original shields. Three more shields were then added, seemingly not hallmarked, and these received the names of the winners from 1937 to 1962. After that, plaques around the base were added to receive further winners’ names.

Successive winners of the trophy, as engraved thereon except items in italics, have been as follows:

1914‑1915	Stocksbridge Works Institute
1915‑1916	Heeley Friends
1916‑1917	Hartshead
1917‑1918	Heeley
1918‑1919	Hartshead
1919‑1920	Y.M.C.A.
1920‑1921	St. Augustines II
1922	Walkley Reform
1923	Firth Park
1924	Wadsley Church
1925	Rotherham
1926	The Moor
1927	Rutland Hall
1928	Button Lane
1929	The Moor II
1930	Y.M.C.A.
1931-2	Woodseats Friends II [2 seasons]
1933	Sheffield University
1934	Woodseats Friends [actually II]
1935	English Steel Cpn.
1936	Handsworth W.M.C.
1937	West End
1938	U.A.B.
1939	Chesterfield
1940	no contest
1941	no contest
1942	no contest
1943	no contest
1944	no contest
1945	no contest
1946	Worksop
1947	Chesterfield
1948	Shrewsbury
1949	Shiregreen
1950	Rotherham
1951	Limes
1952	Ecclesfield
1953	University II
1954	Kimberworth
1955	Talbot
1956	Spa Club
1957	Limes W.M.C.
1958	YMCA II
1959	Thorncliffe
1960	YMCA Fargate
1961	Meersbrook
1962	University II
1963	Southey
1964	Kimberworth II
1965	Hillsborough ‘B’
1966	YMCA III
1967	YMCA ‘B’
1968	Barnsley
1969	Hillsborough Juniors
1970	YMCA ‘B’
1971	Hillsborough ‘B’
1972	Sheffield University ‘B’
1973	Southey
1974	Rotherham ‘B’
1975	Rockingham ‘A’
1976	University ‘C’
1977	University ‘C’
1978	Rotherham B
1979	Chesterfield A
1980	Worksop B
1981	SASCA A
1982	Aughton A
1983	Worksop A
1984	B & J B
1985	B & J B
1986	Barnsley A
1987	S.A.S.C.A. A
1988	D & H A
1989	Barnsley A
1990	Chesterfield B
1991	Barnsley A
1992	Hoyland
1993	Barnsley A
1994	Rotherham
1995	Rotherham
1996	SASCA
1997	Chesterfield A
1998	Worksop A
1999	University A
2000	Aughton A
2001	Barnsley A
2002	Nomads B
2003	Phoenix A
2004	SASCA A
2005	Barnsley A
2006	SASCA A
2007	Barnby Dun
2008	Worksop A
2009	Nomads B
2010	Woodseats
2011	Nomads B
2012	Phoenix A
2013	Phoenix B
2014	Nomads C
2015	Chesterfield B
2016	Darnall & Handsworth A
2017	Worksop A
2018	University
2019	Worksop A
2020	Hillsborough B

Created

14/05/2012

Last Updated

16/02/2021