pgn British championships

The British championships started with the Challenge Cup of the British Chess Association in 1866. De Vere became the first winner. When Wisker won the cup for the second time in a row, he owned it and the series ended in 1872. Ten British Amateur Championships were played from 1886 until 2002. The level was unimpressive. Atkins won three times.
Regional organizations were brought together in the British Chess Federation. The annual championships began in 1904. Napier won the first BCF title by beating Atkins in a playoff. Thereafter, Atkins won seven times in a row. Yates dominated when Atkins retired. British chess stopped during the Great War. The events were numbered after the BCF Congresses. Five times the main national tournament was replaced by an international event, i.e. Hastings 1919, London 1922, London 1927, Scarborough 1930 and Bournemouth 1939. When Atkins returned, he won two more events.

Cecil De Vere	John Wisker	Henry Atkins	Frederick Yates

The championship was open for the whole British empire. So, the Indian Mir Sultan Khan could win three times. British chess was interrupted by World War II. Alexander, Milner Barry and Golombek were code breakers at Bletchley Park during this awful time. The BCF championships were closed events for twelve participants from 1904 until 1948. Thereafter, the number of players increased. They carried out eleven rounds according to the Swiss system. A fine attacking player was Jonathan Penrose. He won the title a record number of ten times.

Mir Sultan Khan	Conel O'D Alexander	Bletchley Park	Jonathan Penrose