 
# A HISTORY OF MACCLESFIELD CHESS CLUB

By A R Soames

Cover: Club Members at Macclesfield Liberal Club.

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First published 2013

Published by PP Packaging  
Macclesfield, Cheshire.

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Website: http://macclesfieldchess.wix.com/macclesfieldchess

Email: tony.soames (at) ntlworld (dot) com

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E book Publisher Smashwords: **ISBN:** 9781311914736  
Version #9 Roy Gray  
Copyright © 2013 A.R. Soames

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**Author** : A.R. Soames

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the staff of Macclesfield Library and the Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies Unit for their help and to David Risley, Richard Beach and Alan Smith for providing the information that set this process rolling. David has also read the text and acted as style editor. For the more recent history the memories of Jeff Barlow, Terry Fielding, Roy Gray, Geoff Laurence, Neville Marshall, Peter Neal, Ray Pomeroy, Nick Riley, Sue Lynch and Alan Sime have been invaluable. All errors are my responsibility.

Published on line only as both an e- book and as a PDF. The PDF version, which is split over 7 files, has the footnote reference numbers omitted from the E book.

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Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal use/enjoyment only. It is **free** to download from _Smashwords_ and should not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with others please download an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this ebook and did not download it, or it was not downloaded for your use only, then please go to _Smashwords.com_ and download your own free copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

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##### Preface

All the research and writing required to produce this History is the author's work. However E books must be readable on screens that vary in size on the different devices readers may use. Hence there are problems with formatting an e book containing all the images, tables, lists, footnotes and references the author assembled

Although I (RG) included all those tables and lists in this E book they may well be unreadable on some devices, eg a standard Kindle and perfectly comprehensible on others eg Kindle Fire or iPad. However nearly 200 footnotes were incorporated and these do not work on E readers as there are no standard pages. They are listed here but not, in the main, hyperlinked. . I have assumed that any reader who wishes to see the manuscript as it was intended will go to the Chess Club website and download the PDF of the original MSS. Here is a link to the original manuscript and Macclesfield Chess Club Website for those who want to see those sources, footnotes & references as if in a printed version. The references and a very few of the many footnotes are hyperlinked in this ebook.

(Website <http://macclesfieldchess.wix.com/macclesfieldchess>)

 A R Soames' MSS as a PDF in 7 parts (<http://macclesfieldchess.wix.com/macclesfieldchess#!untitled/c1tzj>)

 Direct link to part 1 (<http://media.wix.com/ugd/ed73bd_96fd011d47b74ded953912ec8569c900.pdf>)

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#  CONTENTS

Introduction

Formation and Early Tribulations: 1886-1893

Interlude

Increasing Strength: 1895-1900

Thrice Cheshire Champions: 1901-1920

Lower Profile: 1921-1938

The Dark Ages 1939-1946

Just an Ordinary Chess Club: 1946-1986

The Forgotten Centenary: 1987-2012

So What

Appendix A: Members 1886-1937

Appendix B: Representative Games

Appendix C: Scorecards 1887-1920

Appendix D: Statistical Information

Appendix E: Internal Competitions

Bibliography and References

##### Abbreviations

BCA............British Chess Association

BCM...........British Chess Magazine

CC...............Congleton Chronicle

CCA ...........Cheshire Chess Association

C&NWCA..Cheshire and North Wales Chess Association

MCH............Macclesfield Courier and Herald

MC...............Macclesfield Courier and Cheshire Advertiser

MT................Macclesfield Times

NCCU..........Northern Counties Chess Union

NSDCA.......North Staffordshire & District Chess Association

NUT............National Union of Teachers

QGD.........Queen's Gambit Declined

SDCL..........Stockport and District Chess League

rb................Hyperlink return to the approximate starting point

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## INTRODUCTION

Why should anyone wish to chronicle an unimportant chess club and, more importantly, why should anyone else wish to read it? The initial motivation came from the discovery that the club was formed in 1886 and yet it did not receive even a cursory mention in the authorized History of Macclesfield _,_ which covers material up to the beginning of the twentieth century and has a section entitled 'Sports and Amusements'. This reflects a disappointing lack of awareness of chess as a social phenomenon amongst our local historians and their editor in the nineteen-fifties. There are histories of chess, but these usually cover national and international developments. An exception is _The Cheshire Hundred_ that Richard Furness compiled for the centenary of the Cheshire & North Wales Chess Association in 1988 and this has proved useful in putting the Macclesfield club into part of its local context.

Richard Eales briefly suggests some general ideas on chess clubs for this period and his generalisations could be tested in a particular example. A chess club is a paradigm of a small group and the dynamics of these is recognised to hold clues that might aid the study of larger groups and civil society. Beyond these rather quaint academic interests a history throws up the opportunity to collect the stories of some amateur chess players that might amuse while at the same time revealing aspects of social history. Each of these stories is intrinsically interesting though the facts therein may be the facts of fiction rather than history. There is no need to generalize from them: anecdote, by its nature, tends to select extremes rather than the mundane. The final challenge is to demonstrate that the 'unimportant' in my first sentence is not synonymous with 'uninteresting'.

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In the Doomsday Book Macclesfield is recorded as a substantial settlement ravaged by William the Conqueror during the harrowing of the North. It has been a borough since 1261 and in the eighteen-eighties was best known as a town of silk manufacturing, blessed with a damp climate and cheap labour. Apart from manufacturing, the town was, and continues to be, a service, retail and market centre for the surrounding villages. The impressive number of churches and chapels is greatly exceeded by the number of public houses. Three railway companies provided links to Manchester (1845), Congleton (1849), Leek (1850) and Marple (1872). Numerous stations along these lines gave access to the surrounding villages. Major roads connected the town to Buxton, Leek, Congleton, Knutsford and Stockport, but road transport was slower and less efficient than that achieved by a rail network more extensive than is currently available. The town has spread from its mediaeval core but has no rival conurbation with which it is likely to merge and so it remains a distinct Cheshire town. The population in 1886 was about 37,000, with slightly more women than men so that about 9,000 adult males were resident. At that time only adult males would be likely to attend chess clubs.

Eales comments on the strength of chess organization in the manufacturing towns of the north of England, pointing out that the roots of the British Chess Federation were in the Yorkshire Chess Association of 1841 and that the world's second international tournament was held in Manchester in 1857. The massive proliferation of clubs throughout the country after 1850 encouraged him to duck out of attempting a detailed survey while suggesting that this marks the emergence of the game as a middle-class, middle-aged, male, more or less intellectual social pastime. In an earlier survey of social history of the period from 1870 to 1886 Sir Robert Ensor similarly noted the rise of a suburban middle-class that was no longer aping its 'betters', but was becoming numerous enough and sufficiently self-confident to form habits and standards of its own. He writes: "Nothing is more characteristic of it than the development of organized games. This, which on any reckoning may rank among England's leading contributions to world-culture, has been far more recent than is often realised." Ensor is thinking primarily of rugby, soccer and tennis, but some aspects of this are applicable to chess.

To form any club a certain number of people are required with a common interest, sufficient leisure time and a degree of affluence, with the essential added ingredient of a small core prepared to take on the responsibility of arranging facilities and finance. If the club is to persist over a long period then members and organisers lost for whatever reason have to be replaced, and the social conditions enabling affluence and leisure have to persist.

The dynamics of small groups has been extensively studied. A chess club such as Macclesfield meets the criteria for secondary groups since although there is face-to-face association the relationships are not necessarily intimate; the numbers have only on rare occasions exceeded thirty; there has always been some form of group organisation; it has relationships with other similar groups and there are accepted group norms such as 'fair play' and 'competitiveness'. Such studies suggest that members of a group play different roles in its maintenance and its transformation to meet changing circumstances. Thus any history of a group ought to identify group leaders, coordinators, mediators, standard setters and followers as well as assessing the influence they have within and outside the group. Those who take on these roles will rotate over longer or shorter periods depending on their external commitments and pressures within the group.

This history, apart from the obvious attempt to mine facts hidden in a variety of sources concerning the club's formation and development, attempts to ascertain whether particular notions of class, age, gender, intellect, conviviality and a responsible core are reflected in the narrative of the Macclesfield Chess Club. To conduct a study on these lines is fraught with danger due to the paucity of information over much of the period and the partiality of the sources of information.

The sources are of four types, newspaper reports, oral reports, archived original data and artifacts. The local newspaper for the early period, the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ , is held in Macclesfield library on film. Other local newspapers from the region, such as the _Macclesfield Times_ , _Macclesfield Express_ , _Congleton Chronicle_ , _Manchester Guardian_ , _Stockport Advertiser_ , _Design and Work_ , and the _Manchester Weekly Times_ also contain relevant material. Newspaper reports and articles are invariably anonymous, but the probable source of the majority of the information is the club secretary, possibly adapted by the editorial staff. Although they mostly contain straightforward factual information there is also interpretation (and, inevitably, misinterpretation) that may be of use in assessing subjective features. Typographical errors are always a possibility. The most annoying problem is the ambiguity of names: often only surnames are given without initials and even the presence of initials and forenames with common surnames is of little help in secure identification. The quality of the newspaper reports varies considerably and is often reduced to cliché and statistics. Even when fuller reports are given their partiality is often a hindrance. I have been liberal with my quotes from the press: this is in part due to an interest in the rhythms, tropes and clichés of nineteenth and twentieth century prose and to a belief that at least a flavour of the primary material should be presented.

Oral reports, both direct and as passed down through a family, give subjective material that must be used carefully, and, where objective information is given in this way it has been corroborated against, or compared with, other information wherever possible. Archived data such as census data, births, deaths and marriages, deeds and estate details are only of use where individuals can be identified unambiguously; these tend to be persons of high status. Such data are usually taken on trust, but carelessness in recording and in transcription is a possibility. Artefacts are very limited. In the case of engraved trophies they are useful, but the utility of chess sets, boards and clocks is limited unless some identification of origin is available.

What is lacking is a series of diaries and papers from club officials and members over most of the period. As with all histories the description 'a mosaic with many pieces missing' is apt. There is no doubt that a wider, more assiduous investigation of sources would produce a better picture with further names, results and competitions, but many of the tesserae are lost forever and improvement in accuracy involves a considerable expenditure of time.

The main body of this work is accessible to those with little or no knowledge of how to play chess. It is primarily a work of local social history. However, there is information that is relevant to a more specialised history of the game at an amateur level and, since the reader (perhaps the use of the singular is justified) may be a chess player, it seems pertinent to include this, for the most part, in appendices.

Cheshire, showing the location of chess clubs and places associated

with the club's members.

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## FORMATION AND EARLY TRIBULATIONS: 1886-1893

Early in 1885 a short article appeared in the Macclesfield Courier. For most readers the item would have been nothing more than a titbit to read and consign to oblivion after smiling at the enthusiasm manifest in the rhetorical flourishes.

LORD TENNYSON AND THE GAME OF CHESS

"The _Standard_ remarks that in accepting the Presidency of the British Chess Association Lord Tennyson cannot of course be said to have added either to his own dignities or conferred honour on a game which is linked with so many great memories. But in lending the lustre of his name to a pastime at once among the most ancient in the world and the most intellectual among all the ways in which men while away the slowly moving hours, the poet laureate has performed a useful service to the cause of innocent recreation. Chess, except to an enthusiast, is not an exciting entertainment. To the uninitiated spectator it is almost as dull as dominoes. But to the man, woman, or boy, who has once tasted of its charms there is no other game under either sunlight or lamplight to be compared with the battle of pawns and pieces. Indeed the main difficulty is that, when once the joys of chess are properly appreciated, the mild gamester becomes a kind of harmless debauchee, who, for the sake of his newly won laurels, will desert all other diversions and pore for hours in silence over the checkered board. To be proficient at chess is no common accomplishment. Nor does it demand mere ordinary application. Yet unless we accept the legend of how the greatest of the Frankish Sovereigns lost his kingdom to Guerin de Montglave, who has ever heard of a player being ruined by this greatest of games? It is a meditative game, demanding long study and a deliberation which is quite out of keeping with the gambler's ways. It is too "slow" for the shallow, too thoughtful for the thoughtless, too silent for the noisy, and so entirely beyond the circle of those knavish tricks by which the unwary are fleeced, that it may safely be set down that no mere scamp ever remained long on the books of a chess club. Lord Tennyson will preside over an association of philosophers and gentlemen. He is the efficient head of a band of Englishmen who are the heirs of a glorious tradition and embody in the recreation of their leisure hours some of the quaintest of far-stretching memories."

If the author is the editor, Mr Robert Brown, then the game had a sympathetic champion in the media. England had played a significant role in the development of chess from the time of the famous match of 1843 when Howard Staunton, the champion of London, defeated Pierre Saint-Amant, the champion of Paris. Staunton built on his reputation thus gained through writing two influential books, the _Chess Player's Handbook_ (1847) and the _Chess Player's Companion_ (1849), negotiating an internationally agreed set of rules, designing an agreeable style of chess-pieces that is still the standard and putting a great deal of effort into arranging the first international tournament, which was held in London in 1851. The article seeks to establish with a flourish of historical anecdote that the antiquity and the intellectual status of chess place it above the pub game _par excellence_ , dominoes, and numerous gambling games based on probabilities, but it is really the moral qualities of the game that it wishes to highlight, the qualities of character, hard work, depth of thought, calm contemplation and accuracy of calculation. The consequence of the argument, on a pessimistic view of human intellect and powers of concentration, is that chess will forever be a minority cult.

This piece did not solicit letters to the editor and the newspaper's columns are empty of news on this subject for almost two years. It is not until the end of 1886 that chess is again mentioned and this time it is to announce the formation of a club.

**"MACCLESFIELD CHESS CLUB** – We are glad to learn that a club has been formed with the objective of focussing the chess-playing activities of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, for the practise of chess and for the playing of matches and tournaments. The club held its first meeting last Saturday evening Dec 4th], and, although the preliminary steps had only been taken a week before [Nov 27th], and no means had existed for making the movement widely known, the adhesion of the gentlemen applied to in the first insistence has been almost unanimously secured, and an influential committee has been formed. Arrangements have been made for the club to meet at the premises of the Young Men's Christian Association, Mill Street, and gentlemen interested in chess who have not yet been applied to are requested to attend the meeting of the members this (Saturday) evening, or to communicate with the honorary secretary of the club, Mr Blunden, Park-lane. The list of members already enrolled, and the names of the committee have been shown to us and give us confidence in predicting a very successful future for the [club."

This is again probably the work of Robert Brown in communication with Mr Blunden. It is in tune with the formality of the times that we do not come any closer to the first secretary of the club than to learn his initials, GH, and to know that he was the Surveyor of Taxes of Macclesfield, a high-ranking provincial civil servant. He was not evident in the 1881 census and so may have only recently entered the area. To hold such a position he is likely to be middle-aged. There are no published examples of his games, but he soon established himself as one of the stronger players in the club. His letters display caution and attention to detail and an ambitious outlook for the club.

Curiously, this first report on the club's formation does not mention a formal inaugural meeting that was supposed to have taken place on Thursday 9th December when William Bromley-Davenport MP is said to have accepted the post of President, and George Beach was elected Chairman. This later report is suspect, since Bromley-Davenport is not mentioned in any contemporary report until 1895; it would not be in the interests of a newly elected MP to fail to gain publicity, nor would the newspaper have intentionally withheld this information since his contribution to other social clubs is frequently cited.

When the club was founded George Beach was thirty-three years old and had arrived in the town about four years earlier to become headmaster of Christ Church Schools. He was born in Oldbury, Worcestershire, on November 7th 1852; served his apprenticeship as a pupil teacher from 1866-1870; went to Carmarthen Teachers' Training College with a First Class Scholarship, and left there equipped with a First Class certificate and a full qualification in drawing and science. Family stories suggest that he took a 'gap year' and travelled around Europe earning his keep through playing a penny whistle, picking up languages as he went along. He gained practical pedagogical skills at Wednesbury, Birmingham and joined the NUT around 1872. In 1874, aged 21, he married Kezia Hartwell. They settled initially in West Bromwich, where their first child, Elizabeth, was born in 1876 and then in Cheadle, Staffordshire, where a son, George Cope, and a second daughter, Mary, were born in 1879 and 1880 respectively. He was responsible for setting up the Cheadle Chess Club in 1879. With thirty-seven members this had the reputation of being one of the strongest small town clubs, though it is difficult to comprehend how this judgement could be substantiated. He wrote a weekly chess column for the _Cheadle Herald_ from August 1879 to March 1882. In March 1882 he matriculated at Trinity College, Dublin. This was the starting point for a series of University successes achieved concurrently with successful work in an expanding school in Macclesfield. He gained his BA in 1885, being the second in the First Class and an LLB in 1886. Just prior to the formation of the club he had stood in the local elections as a Conservative candidate with Col JWH Thorp, both of whom failed to be elected. Examples of his chess abilities from this period generally exhibit a keen tactical eye (games 1-4).

The original membership of the club comprised many of 'the great and the good' of the town, including medical practitioners, churchmen and military officers. Whether this was a true reflection of the club or a bias in reporting cannot now be ascertained, but it does seem to indicate a strong middle-class element and at this time it would have been more likely that these were the type of people to possess the required leisure time. The first members were 'applied to', that is to say an informal committee wrote to, or met, individuals to ask if they were interested in joining. After the club had been duly formed subsequent members were vetted by the Committee, and then required to pay their subscription. Such a system would tend to produce uniformity of moral superiority and homogeneity of class.

Macclesfield was not the only town to have a chess club in the region at that time. The city of Manchester, with a population in the central area of about 500,000, already had six well-established and flourishing clubs as well as numerous chess circles (chess playing sections within general social clubs). As has been mentioned the second International Chess Tournament was held in Manchester in 1857 and the city was proposing to host the meeting of the British Chess Association in 1887. In the last few years clubs had been formed in Bolton, Preston, Burnley, Wigan, Atherton, Rochdale, Shaw, Royton, Crewe and Northwich. There can be little doubt that it was the proximity of Manchester that had some influence on the formation of these clubs, but local factors, such as the possession of a nucleus of enthusiasts with some stronger players who were keen to play competitive matches, would also have been significant. While Macclesfield presented itself as a club for the middle classes, the organization in Crewe called itself the Crewe Mechanics' Institution Chess and Draughts Club, seemingly, in what was in essence a modern railway town, making less effort to place itself up market. The status of this and the other clubs mentioned needs to be investigated further.

Three months after its inauguration the club set out to play two matches in Manchester. Both matches, over nine boards, were heavily lost. The Macclesfield team for the first match against Piccadilly consisted of G Beach, Lieutenant Backhouse, T Johnson, GH Blunden, C Pierpoint, S Moss, J Albinson, T Simister and S Beesley. The last named recorded the only win and only Lieutenant Backhouse and Blunden gained draws; seventeen games were played. The newspaper report, presumably emanating from GH Blunden, puts this heavy defeat down to the inexperience of the Macclesfield players, but the population factor was greatly in favour of Manchester, even considering that the city possessed six clubs. For the second match the club thought they had reached an agreement to ensure they met a side equivalent in strength to their own. This was not to be the case, if there had been an agreement, the YMCA club chose to ignore it and again the novices from Macclesfield had to face experienced campaigners. In this second match Rev E Seeley replaced Lieutenant Backhouse and E Bullock replaced S Beesley. Beach and Simister each won one of their games and Blunden again took a draw; the moves of George Beach's game, a mate in eight moves, were published (Game 5). The poor quality of the play of the top board for YMCA rather undercuts the claim that the YMCA put out an exceptionally strong side, unless, they intentionally played their team out of order of playing strength, regarded as 'bad form' in chess circles.

In the return match against Piccadilly at Macclesfield the home side, again facing strong opposition, did a little better. Guttridge and Dr Fernie replaced C Pierpoint and E Bullock. Beach, Rev Seeley, Blunden, Dr Fernie and Albinson each won one of their games and the final result was 7 –11 in favour of the Manchester club. George Beach's game was again deemed worthy of publication (Game 6).

All these matches were played on a Saturday. There is no indication as to the rate of play; indeed it is likely that they were played without clocks. A possible scheme is to have a refreshment break at the halfway point. It is noteworthy that in most cases two games were played on each board. It is reasonable to assume that where only one game was recorded the second either could not be started because the first lasted the entire session or it could not be completed.

There are twenty-nine people accredited to the club in this first year of activity, twelve of them played in these first three matches. As far as can be ascertained all these came from Macclesfield town. Of those who can be unambiguously identified only Mr Thomas Simister, a builder's clerk, could be considered outside the normal social range. There are no detailed reports of activity within the club during this period, but it can be assumed that there had been either tournaments or off-hand games in which to gauge the relative strength of the players to put them in a reasonable playing order.

Lieutenant George Backhouse established himself as the second strongest player and also appears in the press at this time as a first rate marksman, usually topping the officers' competitions and well to the fore in mixed ranks exhibitions. He came originally from Shaw house, Wardleworth, near Rochdale, moving subsequently to Bollington in 1876 and then onto Macclesfield in about 1884. He had set up business as a paper manufacturer in about 1865 and while he was in Bollington he entered a partnership with Major Sidney Coppock from Stockport. In Macclesfield they first occupied a mill in Pickford Street before finding it necessary to move into larger accommodation, which led them to acquire Sutton Mills in 1891. It is curious that his chess results were unsatisfactory yet he continued to occupy a high board. This suggests he was able to perform well in offhand games and in internal tournaments. His chess ability is exaggerated by the information that he was one of only two players to defeat Mr H Jones, the holder of the Bateson Wood Cup at Manchester (effectively the Manchester Champion for that year), but put into perspective by the further information that the champion granted him an extra pawn and two moves. It does, however, indicate that Backhouse was competing in tournaments prior to the formation of Macclesfield Chess Club.

Since only the games of Mr Beach are available for inspection it is not possible to make an assessment of the general chess playing strength of the club, but the gradual improvement in the results over these three matches obviously should not have damaged too many egos (only C Pierpoint, S Moss and Guttridge vanish from future published matches). The schadenfreude generated through the even heavier losses suffered when Northwich Chess Club took on a similar venture may have been of some help.

In the second season the club played against Northwich, Crewe (twice), Manchester Chess Club 4th Class and Piccadilly Three Players Barred (twice). This doubling of the number of matches was accomplished with the use of twenty-seven players. The playing season extended from November to March. The messages from the first season had been learnt: the club was not strong enough to face the full strength of any of the established Manchester clubs. That there was no contest with Manchester YMCA would seem to suggest that the first match did indeed raise strong feelings about the alleged duplicity of that executive's behaviour. This season all the matches were more closely fought, but Macclesfield seemed to have some claim to be the strongest of the three Cheshire clubs, defeating Northwich by 9 to 5 and Crewe by10.5 to 5.5 and by 11.5 to 9.5. The Piccadilly Club retained its advantage at home, even without its three strongest players, and won by 7 to 6; when Macclesfield had the advantage of home territory they were able to turn the tables and win by 9 to 5. The home match against the Manchester Chess Club's 4th class team was drawn 4 to 4 with all Macclesfield's wins coming on the top four boards.

In George Beach the club had one good consistent player who seemed capable of holding his own on top board. His 75% score over the two seasons is far superior to that of other players, who were supposedly facing weaker opposition. Lieutenant Backhouse, Rev E Seeley and GH Blunden were chosen to occupy the next three boards, but had mixed fortunes. All four of these players had a recognized social standing in the town. T Johnson, later a councillor, began among the top boards, but soon dropped down the ranks. Albinson and Simister were regular members of the team, but usually occupied the lower boards with only the odd elevated outing.

Mr Arthur Isaac Solly JP made his first appearance in a competitive match at the beginning of 1888 on a low board and on being successful was promoted to board 3. He was at that time the paterfamilias of the wealthy and powerful Solly family of Congleton who owned and operated Brook and Stonehouse Green Mills under the name of Reade & Co. Mr Solly was the son of Isaac Solly of Leyton, Essex, a man of business, but his grandfather, also Isaac, enjoyed the greater fame. The grandfather was a Baltic merchant in the City and one of the principal promoters and first Chairman of the London and Birmingham Railway, which later became the London and North-Western Railway; he was also the Chairman of a Steamship Company and gave the order to sail to the first passenger steamer to leave for America. As Solly lived with his grandfather after his mother's early death he was used to hearing of the practical difficulties of persuading landowners to sell their land and of the immense sums that was required to be raised for such projects. His elder brother, Edward Harrison Solly, came down to Congleton in 1850 and through mutual friends was introduced to the Reade family. The Reade's business was failing and ceased trading in August 1850, leaving all debts due to Richard Clogg. Arthur Solly followed his brother later and they formed a partnership with John Fielder Hall and Richard Clogg in 1852. At this time Arthur Solly was twenty-three years old. In the new partnership Clogg put in ten thousand pounds, Edward Solly eight thousand and Hall two thousand. Mr Clogg died in 1854 and the other partners bought his shares from his wife. Arthur Solly also formed a marital partnership with Geraldine Reade, the sister of John Fielder Reade, the last Reade in the previous partnership.

Mr Solly joined the Volunteers in 1859. The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859; the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881. The first officers in the Congleton organisation were Captain Sir Charles Shakerley, Bart, Lieutenant F Wilbraham and Ensign Arthur Isaac Solly. The Shakerley's, who lived in Somerford, just outside Congleton, were the largest landowner in the district and this provides a pointer to the politics of the Volunteers. Mr Solly resigned in 1863, but retained an interest in the movement. (George Backhouse was an officer in the Macclesfield branch of this organisation.) On taking up his chess career, Mr Solly, now aged fifty-nine, was in the process of delegating the running of the firm to his son, Arthur John Solly and to his son-in-law, Mr George Albert Kessler, a process that was formalised in January 1891.

This promotion in the club of a dominating character and leading industrialist was, of course, caused by his success on the board, though his attendance would probably have been spasmodic since he relied upon a late train to take him back to Congleton.

Another from out of town and access to the railway was Rev Frederick Richardson of Bollington, who was the vicar of Bollington and who also gave Harry Backhouse, Major Backhouse's son, private tuition. A match over four boards was played between Bollington and Macclesfield; it is possible that all the players attended the Macclesfield club, or the intention was to encourage them to do so.

As well as extending the catchment area of the club the role of the railway was crucial in playing matches. Matches against Northwich and Birkenhead were played with both teams travelling to Manchester. The matches against Crewe, since this is a railway hub, were played at the rooms of either club.

The presence of increasing numbers of chess clubs in Cheshire, the fact that matches between them were on a relatively even footing and the presence elsewhere in the country of county based organisations suggested the next step.

The Cheshire Chess Association was formed in 1888 at a meeting of delegates from the Birkenhead, Crewe, Macclesfield and Northwich Chess Clubs, held at Crewe. The Rev. WG Rainsford MA (president of the Crewe Club) was elected first president of the Association, and Mr GH Blunden (hon. secretary of the Macclesfield Club and convenor of the meeting) was elected first hon. secretary. Mr A Solly JP, of Congleton, undertook the duties of treasurer. It is largely owing to the energies of these gentlemen, combined with Dr G Beach MA LLD (Macclesfield) and Dr DB Hewitt BA MD (Northwich), that the Association was successfully launched. That two members of the Macclesfield Chess Club were elected as officers and another singled out for special mention indicates the club, especially its secretary, played a proactive role. Mr Solly gave especial service to the County Association as he was Treasurer for nine years from 1888 to 1897 and served as its President for a further two years from 1897 to 1899.

When the Association was formed in September it was already clear that its primary purpose was to organize a knockout competition between the clubs to determine a Cheshire Club Champion. Even prior to the meeting it would seem that Mr Blunden was attempting to raise finances for a trophy. In the list of subscribers Macclesfield names are prominent: Rev Frederick Richardson, George Backhouse, Arthur Solly JP, Dr HM Fernie, FE Wilson and William Bromley-Davenport MP figure. As all Cheshire Members of Parliament contributed, the presence of Macclesfield's representative should not be adduced for evidence of a special relationship to the club at that time.

The reports of the third season's fixtures are restricted to matches against Cheshire clubs. The first, against Northwich, was won convincingly by 8 – 2, with no Macclesfield player scoring less than 50%. The second, against Crewe was a different matter and Macclesfield, despite having the advantage of home ground defaulted a board and lost heavily with only George Beach winning both games and GH Blunden, Mr Blunt and Thomas Simister junior scoring 50%. The Simisters are the first father and son to represent the club; the younger was an assistant teacher. These matches were obviously designed as practice runs for all three clubs in the forthcoming Cheshire Cup competition and Blunden noted the poor result against Crewe with concern. He went on to remark that Macclesfield had only just defeated Cheadle Hulme, a new club 'by an odd game'.

In the first round of the Cheshire Cup the club was drawn against Crewe and sent what was regarded as its strongest side. The result was a draw. Only one game was contested at each board and only one draw was recorded. A rate of play was announced and so for the first time it is certain that clocks were used. The victors were Dr Beach, GH Blunden, AI Solly, Dr Fernie and Rev Richardson. The terms of the contest required a re-match, this time at Macclesfield. Three weeks later Macclesfield succumbed 4.5 – 6.5; the victors were Dr Beach, GH Blunden and Lieutenant Backhouse on the first three boards, and Rev Richardson on board 11, Mr Solly held the draw on board 4, but the middle order collapsed. Thus Macclesfield's first campaign for the Cheshire Cup came to an early conclusion.

The closest the club came to holding the Cheshire Cup in these early years was to exhibit it in the windows of the local newspaper:

THE CHESHIRE CHESS CHALLENGE CUP

"The honorary secretary of the Cheshire Chess Association (Mr GH Blunden, Macclesfield) has this week received from the makers, Messrs Fattorini and Sons, Bradford, the very beautiful solid silver trophy which has for the last few days been on view in the window of the office of this journal. It has been specially designed for the Association by Mr Arthur North of Bradford, and represents a chess castle (Staunton pattern), flanked with gracefully curving handles, and surmounted by a figure of a king in crown and robes. The centre of the front of the cup is occupied by a representation in high relief of two mounted knights in deadly combat. Just above this is an enamelled chess board, upon which the Cheshire arms are richly enamelled in gold. On the reverse side the cup bears the following inscription: - "Cheshire Chess Association Challenge Cup, to be competed for annually by the Chess Clubs of the County of Chester, and held for one year by the winners. First Holders: the Birkenhead Chess Club, 1889". Round the lower part of the cup are chess pieces of the Staunton pattern, while above the centre panels are kings' and queens' crowns.

"The list of subscribers to the fund for the purchase of this unique specimen of the silversmiths' art is headed by his Grace the Duke of Westminster, Lord Lieutenant of the County; the Earl of Derby and Lord Vernon, and includes Mr W Bromley-Davenport, and five other Cheshire members of Parliament, six members of the County Council, and others interested in chess from this and all other parts of the county.

"As stated above, the first holders of the Cup are the Birkenhead Chess Club, but the second contest for this possession has already begun, and will be fought out between the Macclesfield, Crewe, Northwich, Liscard, Egremont, and Birkenhead Clubs before the close of the season. The Association also embraces clubs at Stockport, Cheadle Hulme, and Bredbury, which are expected to compete next season. The Cup competition has already evoked a great amount of interest, and has materially contributed to the recent development of chess activity in Cheshire, the latest feature being the formation of a powerful combined county team for match play. We congratulate the artist and maker on their very beautiful and original design and excellent workmanship, and the County Association on the possession of so handsome and valuable a trophy."

_MCH_ 1/3/1890

It will be evident from this article that the Association thought that the best way to raise its profile in society was to provide an ostentatious trophy and to enrol the aristocracy amongst its leading supporters. Apparently, the design owed much to the input of Lieutenant Backhouse, though there is no indication of whether he provided detailed drawings that Mr North worked up, or if he simply passed on general ideas. The investment of £32 in 1889 was professionally valued at £2,500 in 1981.

The club began its fourth season, 1889-90, with an easy victory over Cheadle Hulme. The match, over ten boards, was held at the mansion of the Cheadle Hulme player, Mr Ashwell, who also provided refreshments for both teams. In the Cheshire Cup Macclesfield decisively defeated Crewe and Northwich to reach the final where last year's winners, Birkenhead, faced them. The match was played in Manchester and the result was, on paper, a catastrophic defeat with only Dr Beach recording a win and T Johnson a draw. The report of the match, however, was much more positive about the standard of the Macclesfield players' chess, claiming that the losses came from the smallest of disadvantages and in only one case was an outright blunder the cause of defeat.

It may be that this was Mr Blunden's last supportive act for the club as he resigned the secretary's position of both the club and the Cheshire Chess Association, owing to his imminent move away from the region. Lieutenant Backhouse, on behalf of the Macclesfield Club, presented him with a 'handsome' set of loaded Staunton chessmen and a chessboard. Lieutenant Backhouse said Mr Blunden "had founded the club, had carried it on as secretary and had counseled it wisely in many difficulties. He had thus been the club's father, nurse and adviser, a union of capacities not often found in one individual". Mr Blunden replied to this and to remarks from Dr Fernie that "all his labours, which he thought had been too highly spoken of, had been works of love, and had been materially lightened by the cordial cooperation of every member. Wherever he went he should carry with him the most kindly feelings of gratitude to the club, and the most pleasant recollections. It was with great sorrow that he had to sever his connections with the club". This evidence for the importance of Mr Blunden has to be seen in the context of a retirement ceremony where strict accuracy is not demanded, but both the gift and the words are telling, especially as when he left the Cheshire Chess Association the compliments were equally fulsome. Clearly Mr Blunden was moving some distance, but it is not made clear whether he was retiring or taking up another position in the Inland Revenue.

Over the third and fourth seasons George Beach again played the top board and is described as captain. It is not certain what the duties of a captain were at that time, but Dr Beach was involved in adjudicating unfinished games – if this was the captain's role then obviously it had to go to the strongest player. In each of these two seasons only thirteen players were used in matches, a great reduction from that seen in the second season. Not only were there fewer matches reported, but also the number of boards in each match was reduced to seven on three occasions, either owing to a change in the rules for the Cheshire Cup or pressure from clubs to curtail the expense of travelling and the difficulty of organising large matches. Blunden and Lieutenant Backhouse had occupied boards 2 and 3, the absence of Rev Seeley, Mr Beesley or Mr Albinson, who had been prominent in the first two seasons, seemed to reduce the club's options. The final of the Cheshire Cup extended the season into the beginning of May, but the first match remained in November.

In the fifth season there is the scorecard, for the first time, of an internal club match. This was played on a Wednesday evening and two games were played on each of the six boards. Honours were shared in most of these mini-matches and this was surprising in the matches between Lieutenant Backhouse and Dr Beach, and that between Dr Beach's son, George Cope Beach, aged 11 years old, and William Smith. T Simister junior, H Rowson and J Smith won both their games. Henry Rowson, who was to have a long career in the club, was at that time a silk finisher.

The rules for the Cheshire Cup are available for this year and they state that teams were to consist of seven players, unless both sides were in agreement otherwise and then the minimum number was six and the maximum twelve. First boards drew for colours. The playing session was four hours with a twenty-minute break after two hours if either side so desired, with each player to make 18 moves per hour; the rules in Staunton's Chess Praxis were used and unfinished games were adjudicated in the first place by a representative of each club and when no agreement could be reached the position was to be sent to the Chess Editor of the Manchester Weekly Times. The speed of play is similar to that seen in World Championship matches and is almost twice as slow as is played in current local league games. The length of the playing session and the transport constraints demanded that matches were played on a Saturday afternoon.

In the first round Macclesfield defeated Crewe with wins for Dr Beach, H Rowson, W Hooley and Rev Richardson; the last of these was the result of an adjudication procedure. Macclesfield again reached the final of the Cheshire Cup and again had to face Birkenhead, or, as the jargon of those days described it, 'went to try conclusions' on Saturday, March 14th in the rooms of the Manchester Chess Club.

"The match was well contested and at one time it was thought that the state of affairs on all the boards was decidedly in favour of Macclesfield. This apparent win turned into a draw, by the regrettable absence of Mr Johnson, which caused a game to be scored to Birkenhead by default."

_MCH_ 21/3/1891

Victories were recorded for Dr Beach, A Solly and T Simister senior. No reasons were given for the default, but it is noticeable that Mr Johnson does not take part in any further matches in this season.

The replay took place at the same venue on the Saturday 11th April.

"Play was commenced at a quarter to four, a quarter of an hour later than intended, and continued until seven o'clock. Dr Beach gained victory, but the games of Messrs Backhouse, Solly and Rowson being unfinished had to be left to the decision of the arbiters, Messrs Charney and Beach, and the referee, Mr Shaw, of Manchester. Mr H Rowson's draw on board four was acclaimed as being 'highly meritorious', which should perhaps be interpreted as gained through an intense struggle against a nominally stronger opponent. This might seem to indicate that the draw gained by T Simister junior did not meet this criterion. To the great chagrin of all concerned the umpires announced another draw, so that the match had to be replayed on Saturday, May 9th."

_MCH_ 18/4/1891

In the second replay Birkenhead were victorious with the score 4 – 2. Dr Beach and A Solly won their games. The report is perfunctory and it is clear that the organisation was rather deflated by its proximity to success. The performance of Dr Beach in this series of three matches could not have been bettered; the 67% score of Mr Solly too was admirable and although Lieutenant Backhouse could only accrue 33% it was on a high board. Their prowess was recognised and these three Macclesfield players were selected to play for Cheshire against Manchester Athenaeum, in what was the first representative match of the Cheshire Association. That it was played against a club and not another county suggests that the executive wanted to see how they would perform before they pitted themselves against another association, though the good communication links with Manchester from both east and west regions of the county might have played a role in the decision.

The sixth season was a distinct anticlimax. The first recorded match was the first round of the Cheshire Chess Cup and again it was against Crewe. For the first time Dr Beach was absent from the side and Backhouse was on top board, where he defeated Mr Woolley. There were also victories by T Johnson, J Albinson, H Boston and H Corbishley, enabling Macclesfield to take the match by 5.5 – 2.5. There is no further news of the Cheshire Cup in this season in which Bredbury defeated Northwich in the final. Did Macclesfield lose to Northwich or did they withdraw because they were unable to raise a team? Instead a second match against Crewe, originally arranged over twelve boards, but reduced to seven as it was alleged that some members of the Crewe side preferred to be outside in the splendid early spring sunshine rather than inside testing their brains. Lieutenant Backhouse, Dr Beach, A Solly, J Albinson and Master GC Beach won their games; Dr Beach was on second board. The social side of chess is well captured in the final sentences of the report:

"After the struggle the opposing teams repaired to Mrs Bishop's, Chestergate and discussed a knife and fork tea in as lively a manner as to suggest participation in corporeal exertion rather than mental effort. Tea over, the usual complimentary speeches closed a very enjoyable meeting."

_MCH_ 26/3/1892

There are no further reports on the activities of the club for the rest of this season. Dr Beach's absence may be explained by preparatory work to support his decision to enter the Middle Temple in 1892 in order to study for the bar. He passed all the examinations (the pass rate was 40%) and thus became eligible to plead.

In the season 1892-3 Macclesfield was paired against Hyde in the first round of the Cheshire Cup, but if this match was played the result was not reported in the local press. Instead a friendly match against Leek over five boards with multiple games on each board was arranged. The opposition were unequal to the challenge and the Macclesfield team won by eight games to nil. A match against Crewe over eight boards was not advertised as being part of the Cheshire Cup and in the absence of Dr Beach was drawn four games each with wins from Messrs Backhouse (on top board), Solly, Boston and Beach junior. There is an absence of news about the club until the end of December 1893, when it was stated that owing to a shortage of members there had been a cessation of club nights.

Despite the reduction in activity the club again entered the Cheshire Cup and won its first round match against Stockport, with wins from Dr Beach, George Backhouse, FK Williamson, George C Beach and D Johnson. There are no further reports in the local press, leaving a question mark over whether they lost in the next round, or were unable to raise a team and so lost by default.

* * * * *

## INTERLUDE: 1894

It has been suggested that the leading members of the club came from a predominantly middle class set, but what does this mean? Neither schoolmasters nor curates were well paid: membership of the middle class is, at this time in particular, a matter of education, social standing and civic influence rather than just wealth or position within a private organisation. This can be shown in the role taken by one member of the club, Dr Beach, in a controversy that flared up in the town during this year in which chess went into hibernation. Civic debate, especially when it is conducted via sequential public meetings and letters to the press, has some parallels with the moves of a chess game.

The Large Sunday School sets the controversy in Macclesfield's history. Built four storeys high and ten bays broad in Roe Street to unite the numerous Sunday school groups John Whittaker and his co-workers had set up since 1796, it was opened in 1814, but not in a spirit of unity since Whittaker and his committee had refused to allow the teaching of what they termed sectarian dogma to the children. This annoyed both the Anglicans and the Roman catholics; the former opened a Sunday school in Duke Street in 1813.

This dissonance was echoed nationally in the debate over the type of religious instruction to be given in schools during the passage of the 1870 Education Act. This Act required districts to set up elected School Boards in those areas where a significant number of children were not in elementary education in order to reduce the numbers of the illiterate and the ill-educated, increase the numbers of well-trained teachers and improve the quality of school buildings. The Act permitted the boards to levy rates and insist upon attendance at school where this was deemed desirable. It was not until 1880 that elementary education was made compulsory nationwide, only then catching up with Prussia where such schooling had been required by statute since the 1820s.A clause inserted into the Bill through the intervention of W Cowper-Temple MP, echoing Whittaker's position, ensured that religious instruction in board schools should exclude 'catechism or religious formulary distinctive of any particular denomination'. Schools set up by religious bodies, the so-called voluntary schools, could teach whatever religious instruction they deemed appropriate, but were not permitted to receive aid from the rates, although they could, and did, receive grants from Government, the so-called 'Whisky Money" from 1890. (The local Government Act 1888 contained provisions to transfer liquor licensing from the justices to county councils, arming the latter with powers to close redundant public houses and a special revenue to compensate the licence holders. This met with resistance from the liquor trade and the temperance party.) In the Budget of 1890 Goschen put an extra 6d on a gallon of spirits to set up a new fund to compensate license holders. Again the same parties opposed the measure, but as the money had already been voted through he persuaded parliament to pass it on to councils for technical education. The consequence was that voluntary schools were financially at a disadvantage to board schools and so generally provided lower remuneration to their teachers.

By the 1890s elementary schooling was firmly established and the argument had moved on to the provision of secondary education and, therefore, the provision of funds to support its expansion. There were many church schools with suitable buildings, but, as they lacked resources from local funding via the rates, they were struggling to provide the facilities required. The question was, could they gain access to this source of income, or further funding from Government, and still retain their independence in the type of religious instruction provided? It was in this debate that Dr Beach crossed swords with Rev Joseph Freeston, the Unitarian minister and a member of the Macclesfield School Board.

The opening salvo was fired at a large meeting in the Drill Hall where the Conservative, Anglican and Roman Catholic parties were represented in force. The Bishop of Chester, Dr Jayne, moved the resolution:

"That inasmuch as voluntary schools possess _the confidence_ of the great majority of the parents of this country and are imparting an education of a value _at least equal_ to that given in the Board school, their claim to as favourable financial treatment as those schools is _just, politic and urgent_ "

(my italics)

Dr Beach was called upon to second this resolution: recognition that he was intellectually up to the challenge, confident in speaking at a public meeting that would be later addressed by William Bromley-Davenport MP and the Vicar of Macclesfield, Rev SA Boyd, and that those at the meeting would treat him with respect.

Dr Beach's speech is summarised by the newspaper's editor, or a reporter, and as he is the supporting speaker it is possible that gaps in the concatenation of his logic may have been created. It is certain that the reader is immediately thrust into argument without any formal introduction.

"DR BEACH, head master of Christ Church School in seconding the resolution was cordially received. He denied that his brothers and sisters in the profession had assumed that dictatorial manner on this question which was attributed to them and asserted that many of them had refused offers of advancement in order that they might be true to their Church, their religious teaching and their God. [Applause] He calculated out that in London the salaries of the Board schoolteachers were double those of the teachers of the voluntary schools although they might be of equal merit, and said they were going against their own pockets by upholding to voluntary schools."

In fact Dr Beach was responding to a point that the Bishop had made regarding the inadmissibility of the schoolteacher being able to dictate the form and content of religious education in schools. Dr Beach makes clear that the Bishop was at this point erecting a straw man argument since such teachers did not exist. He pointed out what was undeniable: that it is the churches that dictate the religious syllabus and that the teachers only apply it and do so willingly despite the fact that they, on average, receive a lower income than teachers at Board schools. A subtext, the raising of all teachers to a professional status, a process that still had far to go, should be noted. Applause followed the mention of 'God': the speaker is not some dry as dust academic; he is using emotive and poetic language. As the 'paragraph' ends on a logical point it does not elicit sufficient applause to be recorded in the report. It is, however, the sentence that Joseph Freeston, sitting in the body of the hall, notices. Its content is expanded in the forthcoming dialogue between them.

"Having pointed to the fact that at the meeting all were united on the broad general principles of religious education and the sacred right of the parent to choose the kind of religious education which should be given his child, Dr Beach went on to show that Voluntary schools possessed the confidence of the parents of the country by stating that whilst the number of Board schools throughout the country was 4,904 there were 14,673 [Voluntary] schools. Board schools provided accommodation for 2,108,319 children, but voluntary schools possess accommodation for 3,654,306. The average attendance at Board schools was 1,688,668 and in Voluntary schools 2,411,362. Out of every five children now being instructed in the elementary schools of the country, three were in voluntary schools against two in Board schools."

The barrage of precise statistics would be rather numbing when delivered orally, but this would seem to be a characteristic approach of the speaker. It would, of course, be unlikely that many hearing these for the first time could calculate that the average board school could accommodate 430 pupils, compared to an average of 249 in the voluntary sector; so that the latter might be expected to be economically less efficient. Nor are they likely to have calculated that 80% of the places were filled in board schools and only 66% taken up in voluntary schools; suggesting the voluntary schools were relatively less well planned. Efficient use of so-called 'taxpayers and ratepayers money' (that is to say, 'public money') is fundamental to many further arguments, though not always explicitly expressed. What it might also show is that voluntary schools were formed through local acts of charity, rather than as a planned response to a need, as the Act intended the case to be for board schools.

The measure of pecuniary support accorded to the voluntary school would also bear out this contention, the voluntary contribution last year from the various denominations towards voluntary schools was also 95.5% of that earned in Board schools.

"He wanted everything in their schools as perfect as possible, but give him the _slightly_ inferior secular instruction plus religious instruction rather than the highly cultivated secular instruction without the inculcation of religious instruction. [Loud applause.]"

[My italics]

The applause is in response to the argument for the desirability of religious instruction. The rate of voluntary contribution is challenged later on from the other side of the debate. It is difficult to be certain to what Dr Beach's figure refers as it is given very little context or reference in this summary. The comprehension of the reporter may have been taxed at this point. I take it that Dr Beach is speaking hypothetically concerning secular education in a voluntary being of a lower standard than in board schools since if that were the case then one of the premises of the resolution, that education in voluntary schools is at least as good as that in Board schools, would be denied.

"Whilst he was assistant master of one of the Board schools of Birmingham he never heard God mentioned in the school or heard a prayer said but they had what he thought was very suggestive, the multiplication tables instead. [Laughter] To show the vested interests which the promoters of voluntary schools had in their erection Dr Beach mentioned the significant fact that since 1870 4,820 voluntary schools seating 1,496,000 children had been erected, enlarged or improved without Government aid, at a cost to the promoters of at least £7,000,000 or £4 14s per head. [Loud applause.]"

The laughter and applause indicate that Dr Beach has swayed the audience. The provision of statistics continued. Those who could recall the previous figures would have calculated that the number of new schools provided by the voluntary sector was only a little less than that produced through School Boards, suggesting a degree of competition. This is obviously the case in Macclesfield where Christ Church Schools markedly expanded during this period so that no Board Schools were built despite the presence of a School Board since 1871. Dr Beach is concerned here with capital expenditure and not with the revenue required for the day to day running of the school.

"And even Mr Diggle, the chairman of the London School Board has pronounced in favour of equal treatment in Board and Voluntary schools. He also claimed that another reason why they should be supported in their just demands was because the good work which they were doing for the State in raising the moral tone by educating the children in the principles of religious knowledge and referring again to the question of expense said that up to the 1st of April last School Boards had borrowed £27,000,000 and had paid interest on that sum of £6,500,000."

These figures enormously outweigh the £7,000,000 from the voluntary sector, but it is not clear that they only refer to money the various boards spent on capital costs. They can be used to indicate either waste or necessary expenditure in the public sector, or parsimony or underinvestment in the voluntary sector. The next point would seem to indicate that there was a degree of under-funding in the voluntary school system.

"The question was also an urgent one in the force of the fact that 892 Church Schools had already gone over to School Boards – shame upon them for that! The Wesleyans had turned over 19, the British Schools had gone over to the tune of 242 but the Romanists had not in a single instance hauled down the flag. [Loud applause.]"

This emotive outburst indicates the passion behind the argument. The praise for the Catholics is indicative of the alliances formed in an industrial town where the dissenting chapels are seen by the established church as a greater threat to their hegemony than the 'Old Religion'. Dr Beach considers it a matter of pride for the churches to retain their schools rather than for them to move to the alternative funding that would enable the pupils to receive a 'slightly' better secular education.

"In conclusion he urged the supporters of religious education to stand by their voluntary schools, and to do everything that lay in their power to prevent religious instruction being separated from secular education in their schools [Applause]".

All _MCH_ 29/9/1894

Dr Beach provides statistics showing that voluntary schools educate more pupils, but this does not prove that they 'possess the confidence of the great majority of parents', since board schools were only built where the voluntary sector provided insufficient adequate accommodation. Nor does he prove that the education in voluntary schools is equal to that seen in board schools. The question is urgent because schools are leaving the voluntary sector because of the relative lack of funding. Whether it is 'just and politic' is contained in the various statistics. However, the applause indicates its effectiveness as an oration. Although the report states that the various resolutions were passed unanimously it is clear that there were many present who did not agree with the views expressed. The non-conformist element of the town responded in sermons given on the following Sundays.

Rev J Freeston on religious teaching in the elementary schools

"Rev J Freeston on Sunday evening delivered an address in King Edward-street Unitarian Chapel on 'A Solemn Question for the people – shall a practical religious or theological dogma be taught in the elementary schools of the nation"

He began by criticising in a rather light manner a number of speakers at the meeting in the Drill Hall. He was particularly 'disappointed' with the standard of discussion that the Bishop of Chester offered. In the report of the sermon his reference to Dr Beach is restricted to one sentence:

"The next speaker, Dr Beach, almost shed tears over the fact that some masters in Board schools got higher salaries than most masters in the sectarian schools."

In this single sentence is difficult to see where Rev Freeston is aiming except to make a slight joke. Rev Freeman continued in more measured tones to make his points. He thought that a compromise position between a purely secular education and the sectarian stance was possible.

"[I]n every elementary school of the country a practical religion should be taught – a religion that would affect the character, the lives, the conduct, the whole tone and spirit of those who were educated in these schools, and who would be the men and women of the next generation."

One can almost hear the uplifting and the gentle lowering of the voice as such thoughts were conveyed to a congregation that rejected creeds and based their faith on a close reading of the Bible and the free use of reason; thereby denying the doctrine of the trinity and the divinity of Christ. One can also anticipate the distrust with which such a message would be received by those who did not adopt this approach or hold those beliefs.

"[A] child should be taught a keen sense of right and justice; he would here implant the religious motive and tell the child that the voice of conscience was the voice of God, and instil in their minds the necessity for listening to that voice, and it would be a light within which would light up their path through life. The teachers who were State paid teachers could not do a more important work for the young than develop and strengthen their moral sense. He would also point out to the young minds the grandeur and glory of some of the works of God, for if they wanted the young to keep away from the law and grovelly pursuits they must raise their tastes to something higher than the mere fact that the doing of wrong would make them miserable, &c. So strong were his feelings on this point that he would make this higher religious education their first aim and object, and all the other subjects would then fall into their proper place."

The voluntary sector is now termed 'sectarian' in this rhetorical debate where an exchange of slogans often takes the place of an exchange of ideas. Perhaps he has Dr Beach's experiences at a board school in Birmingham in mind when he is talking about a secular education, but that was almost certainly not the norm for board schools. The School Board in Macclesfield included the Rev Freeston, the Anglican Rev AS Boyd, the Conservative Colonel Thorp and the Liberal W Smale, so a purely secular education would be unlikely to receive any support.

"He did not think the dogmatic and theological teaching of creeds should be carried out neither would it be. That battle was fought 25 years ago when the clergy of the Church of England were struggling in the same way for their own church, their own school, and their own sectarian denominational position; but when it was laid down in the Act of 1870 that no dogma or creed should be explained in the schools. Father Robinson was thoroughly consistent. He said at once and plainly – "We want in our schools dogmatic theological teaching." He honoured him for his plainness. Rev Mr Freeston then referred to the letter from Cardinal Vaughan, which he had recently written, in which he had said that in the sacrament the bread and the wine were changed into the body and blood of Christ – the doctrine of transubstantiation. Now did they think that the people of England were going to allow Parliament to pass a Bill and say that the State money should be used for the inculcation of such a doctrine as transubstantiation and the apostolic succession, – were they going to have in their schools ritualism taught and the doctrine of eternal punishment? No, he ventured for once _to prophecy_ and to say that had made too much progress in the nation to allow such a thing, and they would never go back to the teaching in the national schools of such doctrines. He did not say they should not teach these doctrines in their own schools, but they must not expect the ratepayers to pay for teaching them. By doing this they would compel the opposite party to become advocates of a purely secular education, and that was what was being done in London. They would never get the majority of English people to the education of their children in the day schools to the exclusion of the Bible, the name of Jesus Christ and of God. Never. But it would come."

[My italics]

The attitude to the Catholics shown here is characteristic of the Protestants, but he is creating a straw man since no one was proposing that such doctrines would be taught outside Catholic schools. This is, however, the type of language that would go down well with his listeners in the chapel. That it does not always read well may be the fault of the reporter.

"It was already springing up in London, where there was a party of clerics who were determined to introduce into the Board schools sectarian teachings. And what was the result? There was another party springing up in the opposite extreme, amongst whom he regretted to find the name of Dr Porter, who in a letter to the paper last week said that the only thing now was to have a secular education only."

"The reverend gentleman concluded his remarks by earnestly appealing to the audience to avoid these two extremes – the narrow sectarian theology on the one hand and the purely secular instruction on the other and to go between these two to train up the children of this great nation to a reverence for God, a reverence for everything high, quickened conscience, quickened intellects, well cultured minds, well stored with knowledge and though it would take time and money and work, if they were faithful to their duty they would succeed in establishing the law as it now stood and avoid sectarianism and secularianism, not having a practical and common sense religion taught in their schools."

_MCH_ 13/10/1894

Rev Freeston is attempted to suggest that his proposal is akin to an Aristotelian mean, a tolerant and rational compromise between what he and his congregation would see as undesirable extremes. The report does not attempt to write his sermon up as work of logic. It is, as is usual with this genre, couched in terms of exhortation. The response comes the next week.

DR BEACH'S REPLY TO REV J FREESTON

"To the Editor of the Macclesfield Courier and Herald

"Sir – I sat down to peruse the Rev J Freeston's address "Upon a solemn question for the people" with a mind reverently disposed for grave meditation over the words proceeding from so weighty a source upon so serious a topic.

"But for the second time within a short period Mr Freeston disappointed me. The amusement excited by his travesties and the magnificent audacity of his misrepresentations (arousing one's sense of the ridiculous) were certainly not calculated to promote solemnity. The rev gentleman upon our Diocesan, our Parliamentary Representative, the vice-chairman of our school board and the chairman of the county council were certainly ambitious attempts to speak from an elevation to which he has not yet attained.

"He was more upon his level in distorting the remarks of your humble servant, but even there Mr Freeston's powers of observation were as defective as his logical faculties and notions of fair play. He declared in his chapel on Sunday night that "Dr Beach almost shed tears over the fact that some masters in board schools got higher salaries than most masters in the sectarian schools."

"I flatly contradict this statement, indecent as to the time and place of its delivery, incorrect in fact and betraying bigotry in its expression. Yet it is a fair specimen of this critic's mode of controversy.

"Induced by some remarks from Dr Jayne I quoted statistics to show that in London the average board school teachers' salary was double that of the average of the denominational teacher, and this merely to demonstrate how many teachers were inseparably attached to the duty of imparting religious instruction, despite the great monetary sacrifice involved. Yet Mr Freeston accuse me of selecting the highest board teacher's salary and comparing these with the ordinary salaries of voluntary teachers. If Mr Freeston's statement means anything it charges me with garbling figures and with sophistical reasoning. Surely I can safely leave such jerrymandering tactics to so great a proficient as the rev gentleman himself.

"And Mr Editor, if, for the sake of argument, I plead guilty to the exhibition of a generous emotion, Mr Freeston neither fathomed its cause or its depth. How was I to know that my historian was present in the Drill Hall merely to carp, to sneer, to distort? When I saw Saul among the prophets I thought of the ninety-nine upon the platform and I rejoiced with an exceeding great joy over the spectacle of Mr Freeston repenting. The following stanzas seem rather appropriate:"

"If briny tears bedewed my eyes

"'Twas righteous pity bade them rise

"Me thought I saw a glorious sight

"(Vision than ninety-nine more bright,)

"A sight the angels well might feast on

"Repenting reverend Mr Freeston.

"This it was that may have suffused my eyes and nearly caused my tears to flow. But alas, for the vanity of human wishes! Mr Freeston was obdurate.

"However even a great man's errors are instructive and I have learned from the above recounted incident: first – Not to indulge in premature delight over hoped for conversions; second – that if Mr Freeston's address is a type of the religious education imparted by his cult on Sundays then the maintenance of daily religious instruction in our elementary school (if only as an antidote to such deliveries) is even more an imperative necessity than I had imagined –

Yours &c **GEORGE BEACH**

Stanley Mount, Macclesfield"

_MCH_ , 20/10/1894

The first part of the reply can be categorised as 'putting the man down'. The abuse is full throated, especially when one considers that Freeston had reportedly taken only a mild swipe at Dr Beach in his sermon. The information that Freeston had made fun of Beach's statistics is not in the newspaper report and as it is unlikely that Dr Beach was in the chapel when the "Solemn Question" was proposed this accusation has to come from another witness. The reply seems rather exaggerated bombast, creating an offence where none was intended. It would seem probable that previous clashes between the two men concerning deeply held convictions have taken place. Dr Beach's letter does give extra information on the statistics that he gave in his speech, details that were not mentioned in the newspaper report.

REPLY J FREESTON TO DR BEACH

"To the Editor of the Macclesfield Courier and Herald

"Sir – It was rather too bad on my part to say that Dr Beach almost shed tears because School Board teachers got higher salaries than the teachers of other schools, and when I read his letter and found how grieved he was I was disposed to make an apology, but after all I could not be far wrong about the tears because the Doctor himself says I did not even fathom the depth of his generous emotion. Let us then gently wipe away the tears and say no more about them.

"But the Doctor makes a much more serious statement. He says I charge him with garbling figures and with sophistical reasoning. How can this be? I had not the slightest intention of doing anything of the kind. What Dr Beach said about schoolmasters' salaries was perfectly clear, and I neither questioned the truth of his statement nor the accuracy of his figures and this nonsense about "garbling figures" "sophistical reasoning" and "jerrymandering tactics" is all too childish and wordy to come from a schoolmaster of high position and one who has a doctor's degree.

"But what about the poetry? Who dares to criticise? Rejoice ye muses! Surely the readers of the _Courier_ and the people of Macclesfield will duly appreciate the momentous fact that a new poet has arisen in our midst. And to think that I, though but a Saul amongst the prophets, am to have my name handed down to succeeding generations in the immortal verse of the immortal Dr George Beach!

"And now to speak seriously, let me say that I did not attend the meeting at the Drill Hall in any carping spirit. I went with the sincere desire to learn what the sectarians mean by religious education. On this point I came away seriously disappointed.

"But the time has come when the ratepayers and the taxpayers must and will be satisfied on this subject. A school building is not the school. The real school consists of the master, the teachers, the scholars, the classes, the lessons and the educational work carried on in the schoolroom. Now, wherever the education is chiefly paid for by the State, has a State Code and State Inspectors and Examiners it is more of a State School than anything else, and ere long all such schools will have to teach a religion approved of by the State, and be managed by men who represent taxpayers and parents.

"I regret the unwise passing remark in the introduction of my address, because it has drawn Dr Beach way from the main issue. Nevertheless it is a solemn question – Shall the education given in the National Schools be dogmatic and sectarian, purely secular, or morally and practically religious with the view to influencing the conduct, life and character of all those who come under its influence? I firmly believe it should be the latter.

Yours &c **J Freeston** Oct 25th."

_MCH_ 3/11/1894

It will be noted that the Rev Freeston has become demoted to J Freeston in the heading to the correspondence while Dr Beach retains his professional status. As in his sermon the Rev Freeston adopts a light tone, especially in his first three paragraphs, in reply to his pugnacious, indeed almost pugilistic, opponent. His response is one of incomprehension and that must have been the feeling of some of those who had read the report of the sermon and the letter it elicited.

He does try to divert the Doctor from his concentration on capital expenditure, on the buildings, to a concern with the school as a functional entity, energised by revenue. However, he makes two gaffes and it is here that the forensic skills of Dr Beach are able to penetrate his opponent's defence. One might almost imagine that the ferocious attack Dr Beach made in his opening letter was just an attempt to unsettle the overconfident preacher.

DR BEACH AND MR FREESTON

"To the Editor of the Macclesfield Courier and Herald

"Sir – I cannot but be grateful for and even flattered by certain portions of Mr Freeston's reply. He expresses regret for an unwise expression which he employed and confesses that his only chance of immortality is to cling to the skirts of my poetical reputation. I am compelled to agree with him, and do hereby promise that in my forthcoming poem entitled "Pulpit Peculiarities of Political Parsons" he shall occupy a prominent if not a grand position. But there are other parts of his letter not so amiable and not so accurate.

"Mr Freeston does not love figures and details, but delights in high-sounding phrases and flatulent generalities. I convicted him of garbling my utterances. In reply he admits the clearness of my statements and the correctness of my statistics and having cut the ground from under his own feet, instead of apologising, stigmatises my exposure of his tactics as "nonsense, childish, wordy," &c. Sir this is neither humour nor refutation, and will carry no weight with the thinking public.

"Further, Mr Freeston is not content without supplying us with fresh and marvellous examples of the sophistry which he repudiates. I not only assert that it is sophistry, but will classify it as the ' _petitio principii'_ , or ' _begging the question'_. He says "Shall the education given in the national schools be (1) dogmatic and sectarian (2) purely secular, or (3) morally and practically religious."

"Now, here he implies, without the shadow of a demonstration, that an education cannot be both dogmatic and sectarian, and at the same time morally and practically religious. Can religious intolerance and irrational assumptions go much further? To deny to sectarian teaching (other than his own I suppose) a moral and religious character is such an outrageous excess of bigotry as not many professed unbelievers would dare to indulge in.

"Again does not Mr Freeston pose as a disestablisher and disendower of the State Church? If so, where is his consistency, when he declares that "Ere long, all such schools (viz those paid for by the State and having a State code, and State inspectors and examiners) will have to teach a religion approved of by the State". On this point I can safely leave him after this blunder to the tender mercies of the Liberation Society."

The Liberation Society is the more usual name given to the rather long-winded 'Society for the Liberation of Religion from State Patronage and Control', founded in 1853 from a previous body, the 'British Anti-State Church Association' of 1844. These were the children of Edward Miall MP. They never succeeded in their primary aim, but they did have an influence on the number of dissenters standing for, and being elected to, Parliament. The long fight for the abolition of compulsory church-rates was finally successful in 1868, and then in 1870 Miall was prominent in the discussions aroused by the Education Bill, which have already been noted. In 1888 the education sub-committee of the Liberation Society became the National Education Association.

Dr Beach is aware that although the 1870 Education Act can be seen in some ways a victory for the Dissenters it does not follow that the State will not subsequently approve the established State religion, that of the Anglican Church. The Rev Freeston has naively or rather hopefully adopted the position that an Act will never be amended. Dr Beach's letter continues:

"The fact is that already many School Boards do teach at the expense of the rates the very religious opinions that Mr Freeston professes, or, at any rate, that he deems suitable to be taught. To this he has no objection. It is only when persons differ in religious belief from Mr Freeston that he would deny them the right to teach in their own schools to their own children their own beliefs at their own expense.

"Yes, _at their own expense_ , Mr Freeston. The average time spent upon religious teaching in any ordinary elementary school is about one-tenth. But of this one-tenth, a large share is devoted to moral instruction and to the inculcation of those principles common to all who profess and call themselves Christians. The fraction devoted to instilling distinctive denominational principles and peculiar sectarian tenets cannot be more than one-fortieth of the whole. Yet from subscriptions, endowments and entertainments denominationalists contribute more than one fifth of the total cost of education, secular and religious, besides providing buildings whose rent would not be less than £1,000,000 per annum. I challenge Mr Freeston to deny the accuracy of these statements. Last year several hundred thousand pounds of denominational money was expended upon the secular instruction whilst not a penny of public money was devoted to religious teaching. In educational matters the Church subsidises the State and not the State the Church. We therefore with all reason claim (and mean to secure) further public aid towards promoting the national object of secular instruction. The burden of religious teaching in our schools will be cheerfully borne denominationally.

"Moreover, Mr Freeston admits that already the National School is "more of a State school than anything else" – that is regulated by a State code and examined by State inspectors. Let Mr Freeston progress in his confessions that already the State controls the school more than its contribution warrant.

"I will give a few examples. The State decides with even grandmotherly care whether the school is necessary, approves or disapproves of its building plans, fixes the number of children it may accommodate, the number of times each year it must open, what subjects shall be taught, what religious instruction shall be given, what qualifications the teaching staff shall possess, what the minimum strength of the staff shall be (IE what conditions pupil teachers may be under, what registers shall be kept, what returns to local authorities shall be made, (and all these are furnished _gratia_ ) and a thousand and one other points. It also sends in its officers whenever it pleases, insists upon its schools being open for certain public processes foreign to education, temporarily closing schools for the benefit of public health without compensation, secures (where desired by parents) exemption from religious teaching, and is the sole arbiter upon disputed points. It is not too much to say that, with the important exception of appointing the teacher, the so-called managers of Voluntary Schools are in secular matters merely the administrators of the Education Department. What does Mr Freeston want? What more, except the care of religious instruction can legislation take away? People are apt to forget the representative nature of HM Inspector, who with the code is more dominant than all the managers put together. Have not Mr Acland's proceedings aptly demonstrated the despotic power of the Education department?

"Hide it as he may, it is evident that Mr Freeston wants his own tenets taught at the public expense, and denies to others the right to propagate their own opinions at their own cost to those willing to receive them.

"Yours etc **George Beach"**

_MCH_ 10/11/1894

This long and, in its final paragraphs, cogent letter, in which Dr Beach argues that only 0.25% of teaching is denominational, did not receive a reply from the Rev Freeston. There were, however letters from another correspondent Mr Horsfall, a liberal who expressed regret that Mr Acland should receive such unfair criticism. The main argument was taken up in another public meeting arranged by the Macclesfield Nonconformist Council in the Town Hall a fortnight later. Amongst those on the platform, but not in a speaking capacity, was Mr T Johnson. As the name is not unusual it is impossible to assert categorically that this was the chess player, but it is probable. While the meeting at the Drill Hall earlier was described as enthusiastic that at the Town Hall was punctuated by interruptions of dissent and annoyance at the late arrival of the speakers and hence the delay in commencing. The motion to be put was:

"Should dogmatic religious teaching be given in day schools and should voluntary schools have financial aid?"

This is not a motion in the proper sense since it is phrased as a question rather than as a proposal. In his introductory remarks the Chairman pointed out that Macclesfield had not had to build schools from the rates because there were already more than sufficient places provided by the voluntary sector and the population was not increasing dramatically as it was in many other northern towns. He made the point that religious education was different from denominational education. The Macclesfield Nonconformist Council were in favour of the former being aided from the rates, but not the latter; he supported for the moment the status quo. What he envisaged, however, was the School Board taking over all the schools in the town. He then introduced the main speaker, Principal A Holliday, from the Manchester School Board.

**"Principal A Holliday** , who was received with applause, referred to a report and a leader which appeared in our columns in connection with the meeting held recently at the Drill Hall on the Voluntary School Question at which the Bishop of Chester was one of the principal speakers, and at once began to reply to some of Rev Bishop's remarks. If there was to be a conflict on this subject as the Bishop had said the question would not have been missed by their side but by the side represented by the Bishop, and if there was to be a conflict they were prepared for it and they had no doubt as to what the result would be. [Applause]."

The speaker adopts the customary assertive attitude to his opponents, but it is muted. It will be noticed that this sort of approach goes down rather well with the partisan members of the audience.

The speaker went on to contend that if the Voluntary Schools must have a share in the rates they must come under the control of the ratepayers. The Bishop said that there was no political issue involved in this question before them. In the sense in which he made this statement it was no doubt perfectly true. But there was a political issue involved of the gravest kind, a principle was to be introduced into English life which they did not recognise today and that was that there should be taxation without the control of the money which the ratepayers paid. They paid their poor rate and their borough rate, but they elected their Board of Guardians and their Corporation to spend their money for them, but the ratepayers in this question were asked to pay towards the support of the schools over which they had no control. The primary object of the Voluntary Schools throughout the country the speaker stated was not to give education but to give them the distinctive religious instruction in accordance with the views held by the churches to which they belonged and the teaching of religious dogmas.

**"PRINCIPAL HOLLIDAY** then went on to deal with the compromise of 1870 and pointed out in this connection that the grant since the compromise was established had risen from 9d per child in 1870 to 18s per child last year. But whilst the grant had gone up the contributions for the Voluntary Schools had gone down. In 1870 the amount raised in voluntary subscriptions throughout the country per child was 7s 3d, last year it was 6s 10d, £3,000,000 being given towards the support of the Voluntary Schools during last year."

A barrage of statistics is about to hit the audience. Unlike Rev Freeston, Principal Holliday is happy to adopt this mode of analytical thought. The twenty-four fold increase in the grant was met with a 6% decrease in voluntary contributions; obviously the voluntary sector could not, or would not, compete with the School Board financially in the long run if this trend continued.

"He admitted that the Church of England had made a great concession when it was conceded that no catechism or distinctive formularies should be taught in Board schools. That compromise had since been carried out but the time had now arrived when there was no wish to disturb the compromise and when there was a demand that the Voluntary Schools should have a fair share of the public money. The speaker went on to argue that they had a fair share of the public money, and quoting Macclesfield as an instance said in 1891-2 the total income of the Christ Church Higher Grade School was £1323 8s 11d, of which some voluntary contributions, including collections, amounted to £101 3s 2d; at Crompton-road School for the same year, the total income was £305 1s 10d and the voluntary contribution was £16 3s; Hurdsfield Church School income amounted to £883 3 11d and the amount received from voluntary contributions £43 17s 9d; at Mill street Wesleyan School the amount of income was £683 15s 10d towards which they raised £22 14s 9d in voluntary contributions. This showed that some of these schools get a deal more than they ought to have if they were going to be carried on as Voluntary Schools."

The mean voluntary contribution for these schools on these statistics is 5.3% of the total income. Dr Beach claimed a 20% contribution, but this was presumably a national figure. Are they talking about the same statistic? If this is the case then not only is Dr Beach convicted of hyperbole but also Macclesfield people were relatively mean in their contributions. Dr Beach thought that 10% of the curriculum consisted of religious instruction but only 0.25% of the curriculum was denominational. Thus even the nonconformist statistics demonstrates that the voluntary contributions cover the cost of denominational education. How did Dr Beach arrive at his figures and is the estimate reasonable when the importance that the churches put on this type of education is considered; should only the time element be considered?

"The speaker then compared Voluntary Schools with the Board Schools and remarked on the pressure which the Voluntary Schools were being placed under in competing with the Board Schools, but instead of demanding a larger amount of grants from the rates to enable them to meet this pressure they ought to contribute more largely out of their own resources towards the maintenance of their schools. The speaker next dealt with the question of religious instruction which the Bishop demanded the parents had a right to choose for their children and contended that religious instruction was given in Board Schools.

"There was, however, as a rule 10,000 parishes in England where the parents could not chose the kind of religious instruction which should be given but were compelled to send their children to the Church school, and could not therefore be consulted on the kind of religious instruction which should be given in these parishes. He acknowledged that the Bishop was right when he said that parents should have religious instruction given to their children in harmony with the religious views they held, but not that it should be paid for out of the taxation of the country. The parent had the right to come to them and make them pay for something in which they did not believe. The religious instruction given in Board schools he asserted commended itself to the late Bishop Fraser and to the Bishop of Rochester and consisted in reading of the Bible, saying the Lord's Prayer, the ten commandments and challenged the Bishop to find anything in the religious curriculum of the Manchester Board schools which he did not accept or which violated his conscience. [Hear, hear]"

This is surely a valid point when considering whether the supporters of the original motion at the Drill Hall could claim that parents had confidence in voluntary schools merely because they sent their children to it. Convenience is the major element of the choice in many cases.

"To talk of tyranny, persecution and penalising he said was a false and misleading use of terms. With regard to the "league of passive resistance", Principal Holliday suggested that two could play the same game and referred to the refusal of the Welshmen to pay the Church rates, indicating that a similar state of things would come to pass if the ratepayers were free to pay rates towards support of the so called Voluntary Schools. What they had done in the past they would be prepared to do again – [Applause] – for he believed that if it was enforced there would be tens of thousands who would refuse to pay such rates, and such a state of things would be brought about that he did not wish to see.

"If this fight was to go on and to be driven to a final issue he had no doubt whatever that the action of the Church party today would bring about a system of purely secular education in the country. He quoted various opinions on this point adding that Archbishop Farrar believed that it would result in the exclusion of the Bible and religious teaching from the schools of the country. In conclusion the reverend gentleman appealed to those present to support an education which would teach their children moral fortitude, religious truth, the story of the one perfect man. If they put these thoughts in the minds and the hearts of the children as they grew up they would give stability and strength to the nation, and they would have a much brighter and better future. In Tennyson's words he would say:

"Let Knowledge grow from more to more,

"And more of reverence in us dwell,

"And mind and soul according well

"May make one music as before.

"But vaster. [Applause]"

_MCH_ 24/11/1894

The meeting continued with a scurrilous speech from Rev Hirst Hollowell that was interrupted in the meeting and the subject of close dissection by the newspaper in a leading article. This speaker's bad manners had the effect of distracting attention from the far better speech from his colleague. The meeting concluded with a short vote of thanks for the Chairman from Rev Freeston in which he repeated his call for the managers of voluntary schools "to give up all sectarian and dogmatic teaching"; he received a round of applause.

Rev Freeston continued to present his own point of view in public meetings and representatives from the Catholics, the Church of England and some Nonconformists continued to oppose him. Dr Beach had said enough in the press on this matter on this occasion and did not rise to contest the alternative analysis of costs that Holloway had given.

This debate still echoes today in the resurgence of Faith Schools under the previous Government and perhaps in the discussions as to whether children need to be taught the theory of intelligent design.

How does this episode display Dr Beach's character? A touchiness regarding his personal status as an intellectual, an incandescent desire not to suffer those whom he regarded as fools gladly, his lack of humour and apparent indifference to the humour of others, at least in a public debate, indicate that he would not be a good loser. How is this applicable to the chess club? It might explain why Dr Beach was accepted as a team captain and as a chairman, but never took on the more mundane, but politically sensitive tasks of coordinating and networking that are the desired qualities of a secretary.

* * * * *

## INCREASING STRENGTH: 1895-1900

**"MACCLESFIELD CHESS CLUB** : - This organisation after a considerable period of supineness and only qualified success has apparently taken a new lease of life. Its meetings on Thursday evening at the Old Grammar School House are now invariably well attended, and considerable enthusiasm has been aroused. The adjudicators have just announced for the club a most creditable win in the match Macclesfield v Hyde, by five games to three – the local winners being Dr Beach, Messrs A Solly, J Johnson, GC Beach and Heffernan. This achievement carries Macclesfield into the "Final for the Cheshire Cup", – a most massive and artistic trophy. We scarcely hope that the cup will not be dashed from the lips of our players....

"The member for the Division (Mr W Bromley-Davenport) takes in the Chess Club (of which he is the president) as well as in every other organisation calculated to promote the prosperity or pleasure of his constituents a great interest and will shortly visit the institution and break a friendly lance with the devotees of the royal game. The greatest share in the hard work which it has been necessary to base the club on its present sound condition has been taken by Lieutenant Backhouse, to whom the thanks of all local players are due."

_MCH_ 16/2/1895

The mention of William Bromley-Davenport is the first contemporary evidence of his attachment to the Club. He was elected MP for Macclesfield in July 1886. It is of course possible that he had been the President since that time, but it is almost certain that if he was he was only a figurehead and that would appear to be his role in the forthcoming years. He was earlier renowned as a cricketer, footballer (he played centre-forward for England, scoring two goals against Wales), an excellent shot and a horseman, but his prowess as a chess player has escaped detection. Many kind words were expressed over the years on Bromley-Davenport's contribution to the Club, but they were invariably expressed in vague generalities by those whose political opinions coincided with those of their Parliamentary representative. I think it more likely that he was brought in at this moment to enhance the prestige of an organisation that had rather lost its way. Other changes in the structure and fixtures arranged should also be examined in this light.

The above report also alluded to an internal match in the club in which the strong players from the earlier period remain, but there are some new personnel, such as Mr Davenport, Dr Etches, Mr Gee and Mr Hooley junior. Some of these may have been present before the hiatus but were not strong enough, or were unwilling, to play in highly competitive matches between clubs.

In 1895 Dr Beach played on board 3 for the County, below JP Kenrick and C Brevig; the only other representative from Macclesfield was Lieutenant Backhouse, who took board 19. This is a pointed reminder of the difference in strength between Dr Beach and the other members of the Macclesfield Club. In the East Cheshire v West Cheshire match at the beginning of the next season the newly promoted Major Backhouse played on board 13 and Mr Solly on board 16. At that time these were the three strongest players in the club.

The season 1896-7 began with the usual match in the first round of the Cheshire Cup. This year Macclesfield played Hazel Grove at the Macclesfield Drill Hall over seven boards and Macclesfield lost by six games to nil, with one game drawn. The absence of Dr Beach is surely insufficient to account for the ignominy of this disaster. Hazel Grove had previously defeated both Hyde and Stockport by large margins and so they should not have been taken lightly. The consequence of this early dismissal was that matches were arranged against local chess circles. A ten-board match was played against St Michael's Workingmen's Institute, and with multiple games on each board the club recorded victory by eighteen games to three. No doubt this improved morale, but it also demonstrated that there were other chess players in the town who could be drawn into the club. Christ Church Institute challenged St Michael's Institute over eight boards and won with fifteen games to one. At least four of the Christ Church players and two from St Michael's were from the Macclesfield Club, which suggests possible networks in the town. Christ Church won the return match by thirteen games to five. Of those who had not played in matches for the club previously the most impressive performance in this series came from Mr W Matthews, who beat Sergeant-Major Willis, defeated Mr JW Herringshaw by two games to nil and only lost to Mr Simister in a game so hard fought that only one contest was played over the whole evening.

In the 1897-8 season Macclesfield defeated Bowdon in the second round of the Cheshire Cup over eight boards by five games to two, with wins for Major Backhouse, GC Beach, Dr Proudfoot, H Rowson and H Corbishley. There is no information on any first round game (it could have been that Macclesfield were awarded a bye), or what happened in the third round (Sale & District won the cup that season for the second year in succession).

This was the last match in which Major Backhouse took part. He continued to be elected as vice-president until at least 1900. His partnership with Coppock was transformed into a limited liability company with his son and stepson responsible for its management. At some point the Major retired to Colwyn Bay, where he died.

A new venture for the club is recorded when a team entered the recently formed North Stafford & District Chess League and contested a match over six boards against Hanley. The match was won by three games to two with wins for H Rowson, H Corbishley and PG Byron. The top board was taken by Dr Etches who had played on board five in the previous Cheshire Cup match against Bowdon, suggesting that this league was regarded as an opportunity for the weaker players to gain experience in match play.

The annual meeting of the Cheshire Chess Association was held that year in Macclesfield at the Queen's Hotel. This is further evidence that confidence in the Club was on the rise and that it had the finances and organisation to entertain the other delegates. Arthur Solly JP, who had been appointed President of the CCA in September 1897 and retained the post to 1899, was in the chair. Also present at the meeting were Mr GB Gee, the club's secretary, and Dr Proudfoot (at previous meetings Mr Solly had often been the sole representative from Macclesfield).

The club came up with a new idea in 1898 to gain publicity and to help a professional player earn some money.

"VISIT AND EXHIBITION BY A MASTER CHESS PLAYER AT MACCLESFIELD

"The Macclesfield Chess Club which now numbers about thirty members and has the honourable member for the Division (Mr Bromley Davenport) as its president, and in fact all enthusiastic chess-players had a treat in store for them on Monday and Tuesday evenings last, when JH Blackburne, the celebrated chess master of London gave two exhibitions. Mr Blackburne was for many years the champion chess player of England and for some time of the world also. Probably his greatest achievement was at the Berlin tournament, when out of a possible sixteen games, he scored the unprecedented number of fourteen wins after losing the first and drawing the second games. This victory was enhanced by the fact that the strongest players, both of Europe and America were his antagonists. In blindfold play he can easily carry on 12 contests simultaneously and generally succeeding in coming off without a single defeat. His best performance in this direction was recently at Bristol, where he scored all the games against the strongest amateurs of this country.

"There was a large attendance of chess players and other interested in the game at both Monday and Tuesday evenings, but it was a matter of regret that the president of the club (Mr Bromley-Davenport) who was expected to be present was unavoidably prevented. Amongst the spectators the professional element of the town was strongly represented, and all the games were watched with considerable and intelligent interest.

"On Monday evening Mr Blackburne played six simultaneous blindfold games and the wonderful manner in which he stated the various moves was nothing less than marvellous. All the games were carefully played and included many interesting positions. Messrs Solly and Simister having lost "material" very properly resigned their games in order to save the Chess Master unnecessary trouble. Major Backhouse played on to the end of the exhibition but being a passed pawn to the bad the game was adjudicated against him. Rev. C Morris, Dr Beach and Dr Proudfoot all drew their games, the former getting out of a lost game with great ingenuity. Mr GB Gee and Mr T Rowson efficiently acted as tellers and the following was the result...

"On Tuesday evening Mr Blackburne played 24 games, won twenty-two and drew two. Drawn: Messrs A Solly JP (Congleton) and W Smith. Lost: Messrs Sipman, H Rowson, Mr Etches, Major Backhouse, G Mosely, A Carter, Sergeant-Major Willis, Matthews, WHL Cameron, J Albinson, R Bretune, Dr Proudfoot, PG Byron, J Stevens, J Smith, Forster, J Broadhurst, H Corbishley, V Hope, A Nicholson, Dr Beach and WH Pass."

_MCH_ 10/12/1898

There are several inaccuracies in this article. Mr Blackburne was never the champion of the world; he lost matches to Wilhelm Steinitz by seven games to one in 1863 and by seven games to nil in 1876 and to Emanuel Lasker by six games to nil in 1892. He did, however, win the BCA Challenge Cup and Championship of England in 1868 and did not finish behind an English player in any tournament until 1887. In the 1881 Berlin tournament he scored fourteen points, made up of thirteen wins and two draws, ahead of Zuckertort and Chigorin, who had both lost matched to Steinitz, but Steinitz himself was absent. In international tournaments after 1892 his accomplishments were unimpressive and in 1899 Sir George Newnes set up a national testimonial fund to safeguard his future income. The purpose of this misinformation is to increase the status of the event and thereby the club. This said he was still, as his performance at the club demonstrated, a powerhouse against amateurs. The number of games played blindfold was not excessive by his standards; the amount of time available in the evening would have restricted the number of boards contested. The approval given to Simister and to Solly for resigning early is indicative of the value put on good manners in the conduct of the game.

The information on the number of members, thirty, enables the health of the club to be quantified for the first time. It is almost certain that this is a record and it is as much as one would expect from current experience. Some of the names mentioned in the list of simultaneous players were well known in the town: Mr WHL Cameron from Prestbury, who besides his business interests in Macclesfield and Manchester was the President of the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce and an extremely wealthy man with four living in servants and Mr WH Pass was the owner of a chemist's shop; neither is mentioned later and it is probable that they were drawn to the club on this evening. The Club was happy to mention them in the report of this activity to boost their middle-class credentials.

"A somewhat hurriedly arranged "friendly" between teams representing the [Stockport and Macclesfield] clubs was played at the Mechanics Institute, Stockport on Saturday night. A very even and pleasantly contested match resulted. Play commenced at seven and it was agreed to conclude hostilities at 9.20. When the time arrived, it was found that there were three unfinished games. In two instances draws were agreed upon, but in the third case (board No. 2) the game was left over for adjudication. The result is a forgone conclusion, the Macclesfield representative being a piece and a pawn to the good, and having also a strong attack in prospect, whilst his opponent's onslaught – one of the old-fashioned dashing Scotch gambits, which though theoretically unsound often gives White an irresistible attack – had exhausted itself. Under the circumstances a win might be safely credited to the Macclesfield player thus making the result of the match a draw – two wins and four draws each."

_MCH_ 18/2/1899

There is a tinge of petulance in this report. The win by adjudication was not confirmed in a future report. In fact the number of reports in the local paper is now considerably reduced from what it had been earlier in the club's history. The blame for this has to be laid either at the door of the secretary or of the club for not organising matches.

**"Macclesfield Chess Club** – The annual general meeting of the above club was held on Monday last at the Drill Hall. The report was adopted and the accounts passed. Mr W Bromley-Davenport was re-elected president, and the Rev SA Boyd BCL MA and Lieutenant Colonel Thorp JP as vice-presidents. The vice-presidents elected were Dr Beach MA, Mr Solly JP and Major Backhouse; and the committee; Councillor T Johnson, Sergeant-Major Willis, Mr H Rowson, Mr PG Byron, Mr H Corbishley, Mr L Sipman, Dr Proudfoot and Mr Brehme. Sergeant-Major Willis was also elected librarian, and Mr Geo B Gee honorary secretary and treasurer. The club is open on Mondays and Fridays throughout the winter months."

_MCH_ 7/10/1899

This was the first annual meeting to be reported in the press and presumably is part of a publicity drive to encourage ordinary players to attend the club. The Rev Sydney Adolphus Boyd was the vicar of Macclesfield from 1892 until 1902. Lieutenant-Colonel Thorp was the commanding officer of the 5th Volunteers Battalion Cheshire Regiment, and a prominent businessman of the town (Thorp Mill and Thorp Street give a small indication of his influence), who lived in Bollington. Neither of these gentlemen was known to have played for the club, or to play in the club; nor did Colonel Thorp distinguish himself with a rifle and finished well below Major Backhouse, who came second, in the officers' shooting match for July 1900. The policy of nominating influential figures in society to feature as the nominal heads of the Club had reached a new extravagance.

Whilst the Club was settling down to a more secure existence the country was experiencing pangs of self-doubt. The war in Transvaal was increasing in intensity and initial setbacks caused consternation. The member for the Division gathered together a military force and appeals to help those who had lost their husbands and fathers in the conflict were loud in the press. The triumvirate of head teachers at Christ Church Schools were not backward in this regard:

".... We teach, and rightly teach, a fervent patriotism. But if this is not to degenerate into mere sentiment and national conceit, we should seize the melancholy opportunity now afforded to inculcate, be it in ever so small a way, the duty of self denial for one's country. A child will be all the better for devoting a week's pocket money to the nation's service.

"We can also, without effeminating our future citizens, show that war has two sides, and that behind the blare of the trumpet and the glitter of arms is the minor strain of the agonized wounded and the desolated bereaved and the melancholy spectacle of poverty stricken homes.

"Sweet and proper it is to assist one's Fatherland: so Pay! Pay! PAY!

"George Beach

"FA Tubs

"K Beach"

_MCH_ 4/11/1899

Such had been the success of last year's venture into simultaneous displays with a 'Grandmaster' that the Club went ahead with a repeat performance.

"On Monday and Tuesday [8-9th January] Macclesfield was for the second time honoured by a visit from the undoubted champion of English Chess, Mr JH Blackburne. Mr Blackburne came to the town under the auspices of the Chess Club, and on each evening gave exhibitions at the Drill hall of his marvellous powers in scientific chess. On Monday evening Mr Blackburne played six simultaneous blindfold games with Dr Beach and Dr Proudfoot and Messrs H Rowson, PG Bynon, G Beach and William Smith. Play commenced at about 7.30 and continued until ten minutes to one, Tuesday morning. Dr Beach was successful in winning his game. Dr Proudfoot and Messrs H Rowson, PG Byron (sic) and G Beach drew and Mr W Smith lost. Mr Blackburne at the finish remarked that the play had been much harder than usual.

"On Tuesday night he played 20 simultaneous sight games and of these he won 19 and drew 1. We understand that after the close of the present season Mr Blackburne does not intend to do any more blindfold playing.

_MCH_ 13/1/1900

Whilst the majority of the members were engaged in simulated warfare some in the military were in South Africa fighting the Boers. Sergeant-Major Willis, of the 4th Cheshire Militia sent a letter back to his fellow Mason Mr William Harrison, a Macclesfield Councillor.

"Bethulie Camp PO April 10th 1900

Dear Bro Harrison, just a few lines to let you know we are in the land of the living, and all well. I am pleased to inform you that we are arrived in Capetown on the 17th March, in HM Transport "Oratava", a splendid vessel, and after a splendid voyage. We were fed well; in fact we had everything we wanted and plenty of it. There were 1,500 men on board composed of the Cheshires, Norfolks, detachments of the Derbys, Volunteer Medical Staff Corps and St John's Ambulance Corps, and among the latter was young Abbot, the son of Mr Abbot the Inland Revenue Supervisor of Macclesfield. The two latter corps disembarked at Capetown. We took the troops round the town for a march, to stretch their legs. Capetown is a long sprawling town, with some magnificent buildings, poor streets and lighting, a motley lot of inhabitants. We were ordered to East London, three days sail, and embarked. On the way we had to rush through the surf, which generally meant a soaking. However we missed that for once, and proceeded up the Buffalo. A magnificent view met our gaze on entering. The river runs between high hills, beautifully wooded. We were landed at a little Jetty, and had to wait four hours whilst the luggage was landed from the lighters. (I saw nothing of East London but the outskirts). At 4pm we entrained for Queenstown. On our way, whenever we passed by houses, there were all the family out with "Union Jacks" and mottoes, "God bless our soldiers", "Welcome our defenders" and such like demonstrations. The country is sparsely populated. Queenstown looks like a very nice town. (I was not in it) Situated in a valley, we lay two miles from it on a sloping plain. Our arrival at Queenstown commenced the roughing of it. Our beds were a waterproof sheet and two blankets on a dusty floor. Very little grass is to be found, and water is scarce and dangerous to drink; beer, also, is scarce, also spirits, as the price is prohibitive and quality inferior. However, our food is good and plenty. Well we had one week at Queenstown, and we were split up, four companies going to Burghersdorp, and four to this place. The former four left first, and were accommodated in open trucks. We followed the next day in Kaffir trucks, and no seats. We left Queenstown at 2pm 31st March and landed 4pm next day. The distance is only 70 miles. The line is single, with loops, where one train waits for another. About five miles from Bethulie is a place, I mean a hut, called "Olive", and not another house for miles. We stayed there for five hours, and here we passed our first bridge blown up, and a neat smash it was. After our wait we proceeded slowly as the line was only new and rough after hasty repairs. As we ran along the splendid bridge of Bethulie came sight with five spans smashed, but three still remain. From the other side our Engineers have had to run their lines to a fine foot bridge about half a mile further up the river, which was saved from destruction by a plucky Cape policeman. All the traffic goes over the bridge a truck at a time, as the engine is too heavy for it. Men do the pushing, and when over there is an engine to take the train on the other side. This bridge makes Bethulie an important place, as, that gone, Lord Roberts would be practically out of it. Now we are always on the alert. Rumours of an advance on the post are flying around, which means that we every night we have to man the trenches. I have not been undressed for five days and nights, except Sunday, when I went for a bathe in the Orange River. All day on Sunday we were digging trenches. The men are very cheerful, and work well through the trying time. Just fancy lying down fully equipped, 200 rounds of ammunition, greatcoat as a cover, helmet as a pillow, and very cold. But Balaclava caps come in useful then. I shall be glad to move up; actual fighting would be better than the suspense of watching for that which never comes. We get no news, only scout rumours. We have had no post since we arrived although we knew letters were sent from Burgersdorp six days ago. But someone is to blame for that. Don't we treasure any little bit of newspaper that can be captured; it is passed all round and read with gusto, but you know this should not be, as we are in possession of the line, and trains arriving daily from East London, certainly four days late. I must tell you that it is pitch dark here at 6.30pm. We are supposed to be in bed by 8.30, all lights out by 8.45, and to tell you the truth, I shall sleep the first chance I have. The days are hot, and one is pestered with flies, that what sleep one gets is hurtful. We have just got the Rumour that Olivier has surrounded Brabant's Horse, but one cannot credit, and all these rumours do no good. I have written this in the hope that I can send it away by some means or other. I have no stamp, so you must "pay, pay, pay". Please give my fraternal greetings to all the brethren of both Lodges, and tell them I shall never forget our last Lodge, and brother Whittaker's hymn, "God be with you till we meet again", and may it be so. Bros Thompson and Jones wish me to convey their greetings to you all.

"I remain, yours sincerely and fraternally

"JG Willis"

_MCH_ 19/5/1900

The difficulty in quelling the rebellion of a few farmers led commentators to search for reasons for the military failure and ways to prevent its recurrence. Soldiers had commented on the poor physical state of recruits and there were remarks on the poor posture of the nation's youth. The headmasters of the town's schools, who were also chess players, Dr Beach, TH Hewitt and GH Moseley, agreed with this analysis and contributed to the setting up the Macclesfield Patriotic Association with intensive drilling. The notion that this was due to malnutrition stemming from low wages does not seem to have entered their minds, though, in fairness, even those amongst the upper classes, such as Eleanor Rathbone, who recognised the role of malnutrition put this down to the inefficiency of the poor in dealing with poverty, rather than to the low wages and uncertain employment.

* * * * *

## THRICE CHESHIRE CHAMPIONS: 1900-1920

The next season was a dizzy success for the club and a tragedy for some individual members. Dr Beach put his name forward for election to the Vice-Presidency of the NUT. In what amounts to an election address his pivotal role as Chairman of the Union's Law Committee is stressed, along with his skills as a logician, scholastic author and polemicist. He was the author of _Our Mother Tongue_ , _Girls' Arithmetic_ , _Elements of English_ , _Historical Readers_ , and _Entertaining Readers_. The platform on which he was fighting for the support of teachers had four planks: a reasonable security of tenure, the proper financing of rural and voluntary schools, the amendment of the Superannuation Act and giving teachers a voice in the issuing of their professional diplomas. In March 1901 Dr Beach withdrew his candidature, probably owing to the death of his eldest daughter, Elizabeth Ettie Beach, at the age of twenty-five.

**"Macclesfield chess Club Annual General Meeting** – Fourteenth annual meeting of the Macclesfield Chess club was held at Parsonage Street School on Monday evening, Mr A Carter being voted to the chair. The report and statement of accounts showed that notwithstanding a loss of £1 9s 8d on the visit of Mr JH Blackburne the season closed with a substantial balance in hand of £1 19s. The committee announced a gift by Dr Proudfoot of Freeborough's 'Chess Openings', to the library. The report stated that the sum of £3 3s 6d had been forwarded to Sir George Newnes MP as the amount contributed by members to the National Chess Testimonial to Mr JH Blackburne. The report and balance sheet were adopted, the accounts having been audited by Mr T Simister. A vote of thanks was passed to Dr Proudfoot for his gift to the library. In reply to Mr Arnold the Secretary stated that he thought the membership would be quite equal to that of last year, a number of new members coming forward to take the place of those who had left the town. The president (Mr W Bromley-Davenport, MP) was re-elected, as were the two vice-presidents (Colonel Thorpe and Rev SA Boyd) and the vice-presidents (Dr Beach, Mr A Solly and Major Backhouse). Owing to removals from the district etc there were three vacancies on the committee, and those were filled by the election of Messrs Nield, Carter and William Smith. The other members of the committee were re-elected viz Dr Proudfoot, Sergeant-Major Willis and Messrs Sipman, Brehme and Corbishley. Mr Watson was appointed librarian and Mr Simister auditor. Mr George Boughton Gee was unanimously reappointed honorary secretary, with hearty thanks for his past services."

_MCH_ 13/10/1900

Soon after this meeting the death was recorded of one of the original members of the Club, Mr George Peachy. Born in London within the sound of Bow Bells he applied himself to evening teaching and then took a teacher's training course at Battersea College. When he was qualified he taught at a school in Lambeth, but was soon selected to take on the National School in Duke Street in 1846. He attended and helped at St Michael's Church and at the Sunday school where he was superintendent for most of the time. He was one of he founders of the Macclesfield and District Teachers' Association in connection with the NUT; he was President on several occasions and spent 30 years on the Committee. In 1862 he had been given a purse of £20 pounds and a large Baxter Bible, handsomely bound. He was twice married to, firstly, Miss Humphries, headmistress of Christ Church Infant School, and, secondly, to Miss Potter, headmistress of Hurdsfield. The presence of teachers amongst the Club's members is not a rare event.

The Club's first success in the Cheshire Challenge Cup for which it had worked so hard to raise funds was in 1901, the thirteenth year of the competition. In the semi-final Macclesfield defeated Birkenhead, a team that had proved their nemesis on so many occasions, however, that club had lost many of its members to Liverpool based organisations. In the final against Altrincham, the score was an overwhelming 7 – 1, with no games being lost. The team consisted of G Mills Palmer, Dr George Beach, George C Beach, A Carter, H Rowson, Dr R Proudfoot, William Smith and Arthur Solly.

Dr Beach had represented the club since 1887, and had been a fixture on top board for most of that time; the second board had always proved a problem for the club and it was not solved until the arrival of a stronger player enabled Dr Beach to take it on. Solly and Rowson had both represented the club since 1888. The former was now in his early seventies, while the latter was about forty. George Cope Beach, Dr Beach's son, was also a member of Cambridge University Chess Club and was just finishing his mathematics degree at Magdalene College, where he captained the cricket and soccer team; later in the year he was ordained by the Bishop of Norwich and served his curacy at St Peter's Church in Ipswich. He had played at the club since 1891 when he was eleven years old and represented the club from 1892. Dr Proudfoot, a medical practitioner, represented the club from 1896 and was married later that year, receiving a gift from the ministers of the Free Churches, which suggests that he was not an Anglican. The name William Smith is unfortunately so common that it is impossible to be certain if the player of 1901 is the same as that seen earlier. Mr Carter was a relatively recent member of the club, apparently not having represented it until 1899. The latest recruit was G Mills-Palmer who had only just joined after moving to live in the town, but had long been recognised as a top player in Manchester. Between 1898 and 1915 he played seventeen games for Lancashire with a score of +9 =1 - 7.

At the next annual meeting Dr Beach, from the chair, hoped that the club would spare no effort to repeat their success. The club maintained its middle-class posture by reappointing Colonel William Bromley-Davenport MP as President and the Rev SA Boyd and Colonel Thorp JP CC as honorary vice-presidents. The club's active vice-presidents remained Dr Beach, Major Backhouse and Mr A Solly JP. The Committee consisted of Sergeant-Major Willis, Dr Proudfoot, H Corbishley, EL Sipman, A Carter, W Smith, FT Nield and CH Johnson. The honorary secretary remained George B Gee; the tournament secretary was EL Sipman and the librarian CH Johnson.

In 1902, Macclesfield again reached the Cheshire Challenge Cup finals, but on this occasion lost heavily to Sale by five games to none with three draws. Mr Blunden, the club's first secretary, died in this year from typhoid fever. His influence on the club in its formative years has already been noted, but his influence at a county level was not overlooked in the obituary in the BCM. No other Macclesfield member took on the responsibility of being secretary for the CCA.

"Chess Players and others acquainted with Mr GH Blunden, the originator and first secretary of the Cheshire Chess Association, will regret to learn that he died a short time ago from an attack of the enteric. It was mainly owing to Mr Blunden's energetic efforts that the money was raised wherewith to purchase the challenge cup, his chief supporters being members of the Macclesfield Club."

Furness p.19

The responsibility of the secretary in the Macclesfield Club at this time was particularly onerous as he usually also took on the role of treasurer. After GB Gee relinquished the post in 1902 Sergeant-Major Willis took it on for one year and then CH Johnson held it for five years. The members rewarded this honourable stint by presenting him with the gift of a chess set. GH Moseley then took on the post for two years before Sydney Wild held the position for ten years until his death in 1920. Mr Wild, who was an optician and a purveyor of laxatives, was particularly efficient at keeping the club in the public eye with his submissions to the press and was credited with 'tact', an indication that the club contained some brittle characters.

The post of internal competitions secretary would also have involved responsibility and organisational skills. At that time, with the Cheshire Challenge Cup being the major source of external matches and that often being completed in one match, there was plenty of time for internal competitions. Blitz and handicap competitions were arranged, but the major effort was put into the club championship. In 1915 Israel Rowson, a prominent manufacturer in the town's silk industry, donated a 'handsome silver cup' to the club, presented by Mr H Rowson, a veteran member. The first winner was W White, who went through the tournament undefeated. (W White 1915 is recorded on the present Macclesfield Chess Club Challenge Cup, but the hallmark on this is 1934. As S Wild won the cup in 1919 and died the next year it is possible that the original cup remained with his estate and a new one was engraved for H Matthews, who held it from 1933-36.)

After EL Sipman, Dr CA Newbald and then EJ Davies held the post until 1908, when it was taken over by CH Johnson, who held it until 1917, complementing his long stint as secretary.

Col W Bromley-Davenport held the Presidency of the club until 1911, despite losing his parliamentary seat in the 1906 election. He may have visited the club on a few occasions and he may have helped financially, but there is no evidence that he took any particular interest in it. After his resignation, Col JWH Thorp was appointed. He held the post for only a few months until his death in 1912 on a toilet seat at his London club prior to attending a meeting of the Rugby Union ruling body. There is little doubt that, though a friend of Dr Beach, he was more interested in athletic sports than in the mental gymnastics of chess. The election as Vice-President in 1909 of Mr John Charles Close-Brooks, chairman of the Conservative Party in Macclesfield, a County Councillor and the son of Mr John Close-Brooks of Birtles Hall, was at least grounded in his attendance at the club and at its business meetings. Is it a coincidence that all three were leaders of the Conservative Party and that George Beach was a strong supporter of the same party? From 1912 the Chess Club elected Dr Beach as its President, a post that he had held _de facto_ throughout its existence since, when present, he usually occupied the chair.

The Honorary Vice-Presidents included Col WB Brocklehurst MP from at least 1908 and the Mayor and Mayor elect from 1910. This is the pinnacle of patronage in the club; during the Great War these honorary Vice-Presidential posts lapsed. Vice-Presidents were also elected from the membership. The position was recognition of long and active service. To the trio of Dr Beach, Dr Proudfoot and Mr T Simister were added Dr Newbald, H Corbishley, EL Sipman and H Rowson.

The attempts to regain the Cheshire Challenge Cup were unsuccessful until 1915. In 1903 Macclesfield met Sale in the first round and playing at home in the Baptist Lecture Hall in St George's Street recorded a draw. No excuses were made about being under strength. As Sale won the competition that season they obviously won the replay. In the next two seasons Macclesfield lost to Stockport in the semi-finals and in the second round. The report of the 1905 encounter again comments on the joviality of the tea break with its speeches. In the 1906/7 season a victory was recorded against Birkenhead in the first round before being defeated by Sale in the semi-final. In the next season it was again Stockport who removed Macclesfield from the competition in the first round. In 1911/12 the defeat that Stockport administered in the second round was almost complete and explains the club selecting for a friendly encounter the easier opposition of Romiley, whom they defeated using largely inexperienced players. In 1913/14 Macclesfield defeated Hazel Grove in the first round of the Minor Challenge Trophy, but lost to Wilmslow after the first match was drawn. In the Challenge Cup victory went to Sale in the first round.

Macclesfield players also contributed to the Cheshire team, but usually with a single representative. In the 1905 match against Cumberland, held at the Manchester Chess Club, A Carter won his game against JW Kilminster. AE Moore, the president of the NCCU, entertained both teams to dinner, followed by coffee and cigars, at the Victoria hotel. The entertainment was obviously sumptuous and served at a leisurely pace, as the Cumberland contingent did not leave until 1 a.m. on Sunday morning.

In the final against Yorkshire that season the Macclesfield representative was a Mr Ritchie, who made a draw with E Dale of Sheffield. Although Mr Ritchie is accredited as representing Macclesfield there is no evidence of him representing the club in any matches. Again the two teams were entertained to dinner, this time at the Royal Hotel by the Dewsbury Chess Club, whose President, John Tweedale occupied the chair supported by the Mayor of Dewsbury, Major John Fox.

On 30th July 1905 Arthur Solly died in Harrogate aged 76, having been in failing health for three years. He went to Harrogate on medical advice and underwent the recommended operation. All was thought to be well, but he died suddenly at 8 a.m. on Sunday after a relapse. The funeral took place in Congleton on the following Thursday in a steady downpour of rain and the coffin was buried in Astbury churchyard. Apart from his business interests his obituary records that Mr Solly was the Churchwarden of St Mary's, Astbury, for several years and was involved in the arduous and responsible work of restoration. Mathew Hyde records two Victorian restorations, an earlier one by Anthony Salvin and the later by Sir George Gilbert Scott (part of which can be dated to about 1857 – this would be when Mr Solly was about twenty-eight years old); they were it would appear carried out in the spirit of the original. He was also Trustee and Chairman of the Congleton Savings Bank, a Trustee of the Commons Land Inclosure Trust and of the Congleton Charities. All this, and details given earlier, mark out Arthur Isaac Solly as a solid member of the middleclass, influencing and directing public policy.

The next year, 1906, Dr Beach played on board 16 for Cheshire against Lancashire and drew with S Stocker. The Rev GC Beach was on board 19 but he lost to J Wahltuch. G Mills Palmer, who had been Macclesfield's top board, was now playing for Lancashire on board 7 where he lost to F Lowenthal. The post match celebrations remained a feature of the event with eight speakers giving five toasts.

In 1909 George Beach was one of ten vice-presidents of the Cheshire Chess Association and Mr GH Moseley was one of ten members of the Council. In the same year Mr Sydney Wild won the Cheshire Individual C class competition. The club met in the Baptist School in St George's Street and some indication of its strength and the enthusiasm of its members can be gauged from the fact that it met on Fridays and Mondays from 7.30 to 10.30 pm.

The Club's second success in the Cheshire Challenge Cup was in 1915 against Stockport when the score was 6.5–1.5; the Macclesfield players were G Mills Palmer, Dr G Beach, Rev CS James, A Carter, H Corbishley, W White, S Wild and GH Moseley. The last three named won the Macclesfield Chess Club Challenge cup in 1915, 1919 and 1916 respectively, suggesting that they were the coming men. While many chess clubs closed down during the War Macclesfield remained open, though it was restricted to internal competitions.

In their third success in 1920 Macclesfield again defeated Stockport. The first game to finish was won by Dr Proudfoot, who created something of a sensation by mating his opponent in sixteen moves. Mr White sprang a surprise on the captain of the County team to gain a well-merited victory and Dr Beach showed the form of his earlier years in holding Mr Farnworth. Mr Corbishley and Mr Slater also won their games, but the resolute resistance of Mr Johnson, probably the weakest member of the team, was the key to Macclesfield's success by the margin of 5–3. The Stockport Club entertained the Macclesfield players to tea after the match.

While the victory of 1901 reeks of glory, some of the glamour of winning in 1915 and 1920 is removed by the parlous state of chess in Cheshire during and immediately after the war, which significantly reduced the numbers competing and the strength of the teams. During the war large numbers of young men were killed and the count of the junior officers was proportionately high. These were the people who would have been expected to return to run businesses and enter the professions; those who might be likely to join chess clubs with the ethos that was prominent before the war. The economic consequences were also to have repercussions on the immediate future. Playing a game was not high on most people's priorities.

* * * * *

## LOW PROFILE 1920-1938

Fresh from their victory in the Cheshire Challenge Cup the next annual meeting was confident of continuing success, but news of a serious illness to the secretary, Sydney Wild, dampened the euphoria. The treasurer, H Corbishley reported that the club was relatively well off with a balance in hand of £8 7s 6d. WT Hyde was elected as deputy secretary. Mr Wild never recovered and at the next annual meeting it was announced that he had left £5 to the club to pay for prizes and to provide a cup to be competed for in the club. He was ever present in the local press, but as an advertiser rather than as a disputant. Mr Hyde, who succeeded to the post, was the son of William Hyde, who had worked for Israel Rowson at the Depot Mills for thirty-seven years until he went into business with his sons from 1903 at the Buxton Road Mill as handkerchief manufacturers. The family were staunch Conservatives and his brother, John Hyde, was a councillor.

Apart from the Club Championship the club decided to run two handicap tournaments, one for classes A and B, and the second for classes C and D. The club intended to enter the competitions run by the County and arranged for two delegates to attend the CCA annual meeting.

For the remainder of the decade there is no record of any activity, and this was a general state throughout Cheshire where only three clubs are recognised in the BCM Yearbooks, and Macclesfield was not among them. It would seem strange that an organisation that could survive the Great War should collapse almost immediately afterwards with a balance of £5 in hand. It is more likely that either the new secretary was less inclined to file reports to the local paper, or the newspaper less inclined to print them. With the reduction of Cheshire chess generally the club might have been restricted to internal competitions and the odd friendly match, neither of which would have been obviously newsworthy.

One development was the formation of a billiard and chess league in the town to which Dr Beach acted as consultant. Only three teams of four players competed in the first year and though more teams were promised for the next season there are no reports of the venture continuing.

The first mention of JB Slater from Macclesfield playing for Cheshire comes in the 1926 match against Durham, played at the Gambit Café in Leeds. He defeated Rev CCW Sumner on board 7. Although the scorecards of several other matches are available Mr Slater does not appear. As his strength was increasing this suggests that he was not free to play due to other commitments or financial constraints.

In 1933 the annual meeting of the club is again reported, but on a greatly reduced scale to what had been published before 1922. The club's rooms had now reverted to The Large Sunday School and were on a Friday evening. Mr Harold Matthews was elected as the representative to the County Association, to which the club intended to enter a team. Two competitions were organised within the club, for the Israel Rowson and Sydney Wild trophies. The secretary was Mr J Hermann and he continued to hold the post throughout the thirties. His reports of the annual meetings are most uninteresting as he recycles the same phrases each year and he gives the impression of fulfilling his obligations without enthusiasm and certainly without originality. With Dr Beach elected as President, despite being no longer active in the club the role of the vice-presidents was enhanced, WT Hyde, H Matthews, JB Slater and J Whitworth filled these positions.

The most consistent club player of the nineteen-thirties was Mr Harold Matthews, who won the Macclesfield Chess Club Challenge Cup from 1933-36. As mentioned previously it is likely that the current trophy was made for Mr Matthews. This conclusion is based on the worn hallmarks and the design of the engraving. The only Harold Matthews I have been able to discover in Macclesfield would by then have been in his sixties. He was almost certainly a Unitarian as he was a trustee of Parsonage Street Chapel, an early location of the club. His father had been a silk-weaver and he was a clerk. In his youth he may have played draughts at the YMCA.

In the 1935-6 season JB Slater by winning the individual knockout competition became Cheshire County Champion and is the only Macclesfield player to have held the Leverhulme Championship Challenge Cup associated with this event. The trophy is a Sterling Silver plain cup made by Walker & Hall and hallmarked Sheffield 1925. The Right Hon. Viscount Leverhulme presented it to the County in April 1925. He seems to have devoted most of his time to correspondence chess; in 1934 he was on board 4 for Cheshire correspondence chess team, being promoted to board 1 in 1937. In the same season Macclesfield provided J Whitworth on board 4, WT Hyde on board 19 and H Moorhouse on board 27. Correspondence chess is an ideal solution for those who cannot devote a whole evening or a Saturday afternoon to the game or whose location and mobility restricts their travelling options. WT Hyde won the Sidney Wild Memorial Cup at the club this season.

On December 14th 1936 Dr Beach, the club's President and for the first fourteen years its strongest player died and his grave is located in Macclesfield Municipal Cemetery. He had been in poor health for several years.

He was the son of John Beach, 1815-1891. There are so many similarities in the characters of father and son that it is worth giving extracts of John Beach's obituary:

"... About 20 years ago no man was more prominent in public and local matters than Mr John Beach. He was most outspoken and a direct opponent of all abuses and irregularities in public administration. Owing to his fearless advocacy of reforms, he was returned on the Local Board of Health and was viewed in the light of a people's champion. ... As the holder at one time or another of nearly every civic office, such as Overseer, Guardian, Auditor of Burial Board 'since its inception', Church Warden and Trustee of various public charities and institutions, his sterling integrity and administrative ability was universally regarded. In his boyhood, educational opportunities were at a minimum, and boys placed in his position had to obtain knowledge under the greatest disadvantages. The deceased gentleman we are told never went to school after he was 6 years of age, but during the whole course of his life he has been recognised as a diligent student, and had he received the education which is within reach of all children at the present day, there is no doubt he would have shone in the world of letters. In a quiet and unostentatious way, he familiarised himself with the French language, and could boast of a considerable knowledge therein, while at the same time he had more than an elementary knowledge of Hebrew and Greek. He was a profound thinker and a diligent peruser of commentaries of Holy Writ. In addition to this he was no mean adept in Common Law practice. His neighbours and friends looked up to him with much trustworthiness on his opinions of law and he has been recognised by men read in the law as one not to be despised in that knowledge. At one time he was viewed in the town as the people's lawyer. ... It was a great consolation in his declining age to observe the successful career of his four sons all of whom have been educated for the scholastic profession."

From Richard Beach

Dr George Beach

The early history of George Beach prior to the formation of the club has already been given. He transformed Christ Church Schools from an elementary school into a secondary school with an average attendance in 1902 of 665. He was in charge of the boys; Miss Fanny Tubbs was headmistress from 1874 to 1911 and took the girls, while his wife, was responsible for the infants. In 1913, he retired from teaching and became Superintendent of Evening Classes on the Macclesfield Higher Education Committee, a post he held until 1933, with Col WB Brocklehurst MP JP as the Chairman and S Lawton as the Secretary. His interest in politics was not diminished by his early defeat in elections for the Town Council, but he never again attempted to enter that body. Instead he was active in the life of the town, being Chairman of the local Boy Scouts Association and the Chairman and member of the Corporation Library Committee.

His poetic skills are seen in this example from a collection entitled "The South Australian" of his light style headed:

"Chess and Life?  
A Retrospect

My mind goes back before I wed,

When first caressing her dear head

With rapid-beating heart I said,

.............................."My Queen."

-

Her sweet reply comes back to me,

Her half hid glance I still can see,

Her whispered words with these agree –

.............................."My King."

-

Who joined our hands and called us one,

Putting the holy seal upon

The love I had so proudly won –

..............................The Bishop!

-

When loss of pelf and loss of store

Distressed her mind and grieved her sore,

Who fought and toiled for her the more?

..............................Her Knight

-

Now safely housed in their dear land

We often, clasping hand in hand

Talk of old times before we planned

..............................Our Castle.

-

And coursing round our knees there speed

Eight strong imps, who us impede,

Yet are the soul of life indeed –

..............................Our pawns."

_MCH_ 18/3/1922

Although Dr Beach qualified in the Middle Temple in London (coming out top in his year), so that he could practise as a barrister he never did. The profession of barrister was at that time a gentleman's calling and the costs of taking the course was significant. It is possible that he was financed in this endeavour through the NUT who subsequently benefited from his legal knowledge and presentational skills as Chairman of the Law Committee of the Union Executive and when arguing the case for improved remuneration and status for teachers and changes in the teaching code of practice through the NUT during negotiations with Cheshire County Council. He was at one time chairman of the Lancashire and Cheshire Examinations Institute.

He was, as we have seen in his polemics, extremely fond of mathematics and he learned seven foreign languages: French, Italian, Spanish, Welsh, Latin and Greek as a young man and in 1915, he was studying German because the advent of the First World War convinced him that at its end there must be contact and understanding between a victorious Britain and the defeated enemy. His habit of reading a chapter of the Bible in each of these languages in turn daily served his religious devotion as well as maintaining his linguistic facility.

There are a number of tales relating to his chess prowess. These are difficult to substantiate and they are given in the spirit of anecdote rather than history. It is claimed that as a young man he visited Simpson's Divan in The Strand, London where he challenged Mr Boucher, the resident professional. Wealthy amateurs who happened to win customarily waived the normal stake of one shilling. George Beach won four successive games. Despite him not taking the stake moneys he was asked not to make any more challenges as he was seriously tarnishing the reputation of the professional. An example of Mr Boucher's play indicates "professional" did not then mean the same as it does today: Mr Boucher seems to be a person who played against gentlemen amateurs in such a way as to allow exciting 'romantic' chess (Game 3).

Dr Beach enjoyed a close friendship with the top English tournament player of the day, Joseph Henry Blackburne, known as "the Black Death". Blackburne described his friend as "certainly the finest amateur player outside London". The two men played many games over the board. They also played many without sight of it as they travelled by horse-drawn trap or tramped the countryside over Kinder Scout and the neighbouring hills during Blackburne's frequent visits to stay with Dr Beach's family. Each of these visits lasted about three months: as long as it took to consume a barrel of home-brewed mead produced by Mrs Beach. Then Blackburne left! As has been mentioned Blackburne gave two simultaneous displays in Macclesfield at the tail end of his career.

It was family lore that HE Bird (the inventor of Bird's Opening and one of the strongest English players of his time) once issued a challenge for any amateur player in the country to play a 7-game match against him, and Blackburne nominated George Beach, who won the first four games of the match, but then deliberately lost the remaining three because Bird appeared to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There are, however, no written records to corroborate this. Richard Beach is rightly sceptical, pointing out that winning four games bears a strong resemblance to the episode with Mr Boucher at Simpson's Divan.

There was a long obituary in the local paper and shorter pieces in _Chess_ and the _British Chess Magazine_. There is also a personal commemoration by his son:

"The best tribute I can pay to my beloved father who died on Dec 14. 1936. As a chess player he was at least the equal of any opponent I met and had he taken the game as other than a sideline he would have held his own with great Master Players. He was the first Elementary Schoolmaster to take a Doctor's degree and a Barristership. He raised Christ Church Sch., Macclesfield to the grade of secondary school. He could read Greek, Latin, German, French, Welsh, Spanish, Italian and Esperanto. He wrote many educational books – his _Our Mother Tongue_ and _English_ being unsurpassed. He was the pioneer of many educational reforms. Captain of Macclesfield Cricket XI for fifteen years, President of the Boy Scouts Association, Superintendent of Education for Macclesfield for 25 years. An earnest Christian and Churchman."

Family papers from Richard Beach

Dr Beach is still remembered in popular local culture through the medium of a skipping rhyme that was sung by the girls of Christ Church Schools until at least the nineteen-forties. As with all 'underground' verse the sting is felt in the last line.

"Doctor Beach is a very good man,

"He teaches his children all he can,

"Reading, writing and arithmetic,

"If they get it wrong, they get the stick!"

Barbara Duncan chanted this at me before the second act of _The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie_ , on 2nd December 2010 in the Small Theatre, Macclesfield. The act is set in 1936 and I mentioned, without introduction or explanation, that Dr Beach had died that year. She and her friends had sung this without knowing that Dr Beach was a previous headmaster of their junior school. Mr John Gorton has since corroborated the rhyme.

That Dr Beach's son was a strong player has already been noted, but his grandson, Mr T John Beach, was also a fine player who became County Champion of Yorkshire at the age of 21 and organised chess on Merseyside for many years, and also his great-grandson Richard Beach has been Staffordshire Champion at least twelve times and is currently one of the strongest players in the Stockport region.

JB Slater took the chair at the presentation of the prizes for the 1936-37 season: the Israel Rowson Club Challenge Cup, the premier trophy, was awarded to H Moorhouse and the Sydney Wild Memorial Cup again to WT Hyde. The three strongest players at the club at that time, JB Slater, Harold Matthews and J Whitworth, had not taken part in the tournament, which was run with a handicap system so as to aid the less experienced. What form the handicap took is not clear. Much was made of the performance of the younger players and Sam Garner, Messrs Knight, Clowes, Robinson and Findlow received praise for their efforts.

At the next annual meeting there was a tribute to Dr Beach and the club chose Harold Matthews as its new President. This seems to be in part an affirmation of the virtues of a gerontocracy since he claims to be the oldest member, but he is also one of its strongest players. The club lost the services of WT Hyde, who moved to Brighton. The muted response to this suggests that he was less of a personality than some previous secretaries and officials. Mr Hyde is the last recorded holder of the Sydney Wild Memorial Cup and this trophy is no longer in the possession of the club, nor is there any subsequent mention of it. The vice-presidents elected were JB Slater, J Whitworth, Sam Garner and W Knight; since the last two had previously been called younger players the policy of making this a post reflecting either high status or long service would seem to be eroding. The addition of Moorhouse, Robinson, Clowes and Findlow to the Committee suggests a high turnover of members and again the last two had been indicated to be 'younger members'. The club continued its affiliation to the county Association with J Whitworth as its representative, but there is still no sign that they compete in interclub matches.

There were no reports of the annual meetings in 1938 or 1939. This might indicate that the secretary Mr Hermann had (been) moved from the area.

* * * * *

## THE DARK AGES 1939-45

There is no evidence for any chess activity in Macclesfield during the Second World War. No serious attempt has been made to find any since the lack of engravings on the Challenge Cup, the cessation of activity in the County Association and the required blackout caused by the uncertainty of enemy air attacks during this period suggest that club activity would either be minimal or nonexistent. Records of Stockport Chess Club show that for three years play was restricted to the lighter evenings. In the county only correspondence chess was operational. If the club did continue throughout this period it would almost certainly be in the informal guise of meetings in private houses.

The majority of the information in subsequent periods comes from oral sources and club and league papers with a marked decrease in the amount of information from the press.

* * * * *

## JUST AN ORDINARY CHESS CLUB: 1945-1986

The first evidence of a revival in organised chess after the war in the region is in the 1945 Lancashire versus Cheshire match in which JB Slater, Chairman of the club in 1936, took the top board and defeated WH Morrill. In 1948 he recorded a draw on board 2 in the defeat of Yorkshire. He was also active in playing for the County Association correspondence chess team on a high board throughout the fifties and he was on a panel of adjudicators for the county, a position he retained until at least 1954. There is no suggestion, however, that he played for, or retained contacts with, the Macclesfield Chess Club after the war.

The club did not survive the war and was not reformed until May 1946 when Mr L Bolan of Hurst Lane in Bollington was responsible for re-establishing the organisation. There was little equipment and a call went out for boards, sets and new members. This suggests a total break with the pre-war organisation though some links seem to have been re-established later. From 1948 internal club competitions are held and the club was affiliated to the county organisation. The first post-war club champion was AE (Ted) Holland, who won the Macclesfield Challenge Cup in 1948. Ted was a noted linguist, numbering Russian amongst the languages he had mastered. He travelled abroad extensively on business and so he was only present at the club spasmodically, but he continued to be a member well into the nineteen-sixties, when he left to settle in Hong Kong. The winner the next year is unknown, but the competition was begun and Mr Kafka was reported to be leading in October 1948. In 1950 JE Scott held the Challenge Cup. The next year the contest was drawn; the two leaders were unnamed on the trophy. Jim Lynch held the trophy in 1952.

Macclesfield, then playing at the King's School, was a founder member of the Stockport and District Chess League in 1951 together with Stockport, Hyde, Cheadle Hulme British Legion, East Cheshire, Marple Bridge, North West Road Car Company, and Wilmslow. The first President of the League was Mr E Higginbottom of Stockport and the Secretary was Mr C E Sinclair of East Cheshire, both of whom had been involved in organizing chess as the officials of various clubs and leagues for twenty years. Mr MC Livesley of Macclesfield was appointed Match Secretary for the League. In the first season club teams consisted of six players and the playing rate was 24 moves in the first hour and 12 moves every half hour thereafter. In the first match, played on the 29th October the Macclesfield team, consisting of Jim Lynch, Dr H Picard, G Moss, G Slater, P Carney and D Hunt, lost to Wilmslow with only Mr Carney scoring a win and Jim Lynch a draw.

In the next season the number of players in each team was increased to seven. Other teams who played in the first few years were Northenden, Woodhouse Park-Wythenshawe, Brookdale, and Congleton. Mr GC Slater, the newly appointed Macclesfield club secretary, represented the club, who had moved their venue to the Liberal Club in Queen Victoria Street.

In 1953 the club were taking part in the Cheshire County Challenge Shield Competition and were beaten in the semi-finals by Warrington. The team consisted of Mr S Kafka, Ted Holland, Jim Lynch, Dr H Picard, Mr G Slater, Mr G Moss, Jeffrey Iverson and Mr S Gibbs. Dr Picard and Jeffrey Iveson recorded wins and Ted Holland and Jim Lynch drew with their opponents. The newspaper report opined that through losing this match the club failed to gain the opportunity of entering the final for the first time in its history: the exploits of the club in 1901, 1915 and 1920 had been erased from memory indicating just how definitive the break caused by the Second World War had been.

The club did, however, rediscover the prestige of hosting a simultaneous display with a British Chess Champion, Mr CHO'D Alexander on Saturday 29th January 1955. Hugh Alexander gained a First in Mathematics at King's College, Cambridge and before the war became head of Research at the John Lewis Partnership. On the declaration of war he was in Buenos Aires competing in the eighth Chess Olympiad with the English team playing on the top board, as he had become the British Champion in 1938. When they returned home three of them, Alexander, Milner-Barry and Golombek, were assigned to Bletchley Park as cryptographers. Alexander was adjudged to be one of the three leading codebreakers, along with Alan Turing and Gorgon Welchman, and received a special payment of £200 in July 1941 for his achievements. After the war he was recruited to a new security organisation, GCHQ, whose cover story was that they were developing technology for Government communications. In 1946 Alexander continued his chess career, defeating Botvinnik in one game in a radio match, winning the 1946/7 Hastings tournament and defeating Bronstein at Hastings in 1953/4, with whom he tied for first place. Both at work and at play he was renowned for the force of his intellect and the stamina he displayed. He was also active in promoting chess through books and journalism and through giving simultaneous displays at various chess clubs. At Macclesfield:

"He played 29 opponents at one sitting and at the end of four and a half hours he told the players "You have given me the hardest match I have had for three years and when I leave Macclesfield I shall have to tell everyone what a tough lot you are."

"The players sat at their tables set up all round the room at the Liberal Club with Mr Alexander in the centre. He walked round the room making moves on each board as he passed. The only stipulation was that none of his opponents in the marathon match should make a move until he was at their board.

"The match began at 7.30 pm and for a while the champion was able to walk round with a minimum of delay, but then his pauses at the respective boards got longer and longer...

"The atmosphere in the room became tense as the games got closer, and in no case did Mr Alexander have what could be considered a walk-over. His opponents sat with looks of acute concentration on their faces. After offering Mr J Iverson, a local journalist, a draw after 25 moves he moved on to the next board and commented "It looks as if I'm going to have the worst simultaneous in Macclesfield that I have ever had."

"Mr Iverson accepted the draw. Later Mr Alexander said "It seems a pity that some of you do not go in for the British Championship."

"As the match continued Mr Alexander announced that he was facing defeat on some boards. J Scott of Macclesfield Chess Club gained a great win in which he pulled back the loss of a piece to obtain a winning position. One of the outstanding games was that of Mr J Lynch, another member of the Macclesfield Chess Club, who secured victory after 5 hours play.

"Of the 29 players taking part only 12 were members of the Macclesfield Chess Club and of these two won their games and three – Mr J Iverson, AE Holland and Dr H Pickard – drew. There were two other drawn games in which Mr Alexander's opponents were Mr CE Sinclair and Mr F Stinton. Mr Alexander won the remaining 22 games... There was one break during which refreshments were served. Mrs J Lynch and Miss JM Lynch organized these, assisted by Mr G Moss and Mr TJ Dunlop."

Macclesfield Times and Courier February 3rd 1955

On the way to victory, Mr J Lynch, one of the two local players to beat Mr CHO'D Alexander in the 29 board simultaneous match, awaits his next move.

The position in which Hugh Alexander resigned against Jim Lynch, despite having a material advantage of a bishop and three pawns for a rook. Alexander thought his opponent had displayed a great deal of flair throughout the game.

The report makes no attempt to conceal the small number of members taking part and all the other evidence there is suggests that there were few missing from the event. Amongst the defeated members were Mr HJ Honey, Mr S Kafka, Mr J Moss, Mr JW Roberts, Don Stone and Jules Weinberg. Some idea of the close friendships within the club can be gained from learning that Jules Weinberg was Jim Lynch's Best Man at his wedding in 1954; that Jeffrey Iverson was godfather to Jim's daughter and that to her Don Stone was regarded as an uncle.

Jim Lynch was born in 1921 at 12 Water Street in Macclesfield. He was educated at Christchurch school and then at Central School for Boys in Byron Street. Whilst helping his father, a mason, in the construction of the First Church of St John Bosco, built between 1933 and 1938 for the Roman Catholic Salesian order in Pott Shrigley, he was asked, as the youngest in the team, to fetch a mallet from Macclesfield. On the way back his bicycle went out of control and he was struck on the forehead by an oncoming lorry. He writes:

"Then I was aware that I was looking at myself from about 6 to 8 feet above in the air and about 8 feet away. At this point I would like to mention that I am very myopic and in normal circumstances would not see a face, let alone details at that distance.

"I had been placed on the footpath that was on the left side going out of town. I saw myself and two men kneeling beside my prostrate body, one of the men I knew, he was the village policeman, PC Twigg, a very tall thin man and well known in that area (known as Tytherington) the other man I did not know, was a stoutish smaller man.

"From my vantage point I could see myself lying on the footpath with my legs going away in perspective...PC Twigg knelt beside the prone body on its right hand side. He wore a flat cap, a dark jacket and trousers, though not matching. I noticed that PC Twigg wore black boots and cycle clips. The other man was similarly dressed though I could not see his boots.

"I awoke in hospital. I had received a blow heavy enough to fracture the left hand side of my skull leading to some brain damage. But I was young enough to recover and become a successful artist. Now I am left-handed.

"I have thought many times since of the experience of "seeing myself". Did I die but the strength of my "self-hoodedness" that was left in my body pull back a kind of essence that was trying to escape? Or did I touch another dimension of a parallel universe: without spectacles!"

This experience and his thoughts concerning it gave rise to intense discussions with Jeffrey Iverson on near death experiences and to other aspects of psychology such as the seeming ability to recall and relive past lives. When Jeffrey, a native of Newport, returned to Wales to become a reporter and, subsequently, a director and producer with BBC Wales his interest in these subjects had been fuelled by these discussions and led eventually to a series of three programmes on life after death, for which he received a Royal Television Society Award, and an influential study entitled The Bloxham Tapes. The latter used two subjects, 'Graham Huxtable' and 'Jane Evans', selected from over 400 interviews that Arnold Bloxham, a hypnotherapist, conducted. The programme and the book that Jeffrey wrote to cover it, More Lives Than One, have become essential cases to be explained away by sceptics of paranormal phenomena.

Jim's recovery from his accident took several months. The only permanent damage was to the control of his right hand that was henceforth unable to grip anything firmly. This prevented him becoming a mason, but did not prevent him becoming an artist after he had taught himself to become sufficiently skilful with his left hand so as to gain access to Macclesfield Art College. For a short time he was an assistant at a tailors in Mill Street. The radio astronomer Bernard Lovell, who lived in Swettenham, was a client and he always asked for James Lynch to measure him up for his suits as he considered they always had such delightfully interesting conversations. In his long recuperation Jim had become an avid reader of all types of books and could hold forth on any number of subjects. One of these books was about chess and when he finished it he declared that he thought he understood the game.

After becoming qualified as an artist he worked as a designer and draftsman at AW Hewetson's Albion Mill in London Road. Augustus Hewetson had set up the firm in 1898 with four hand pantograph embroidery machines he had bought in Switzerland in a room in St George's Street Mill and expanded rapidly, doing very well out of producing badges for the armed forces during both World Wars. After learning the basics, he and two colleagues, Brian Beresford and Frank Corneres, went into partnership and set up business at Park Mill in Hobson Street known as "Park Embroidery". Taking on apprentices they created a successful firm that survived to be the last firm in Macclesfield producing silk embroidery. The firm was more of a craft set up with people performing all aspects of the production and it was run on egalitarian lines with all employees, including the partners, receiving the same wage. This was a difficult time to be in textiles, even in a niche area such as silk embroidery, and profits were kept low so as to retain business. One of their contracts was with Arsenal Football Club, for whom they produced flags that outworkers had to sew by hand with gold thread and for which they received, in the late seventies, only 30p per flag.

Ties embroided with Clifford Johnson's drawing of a 'Squiffy robin' by Jim Lynch's company in the mid '70's. The pantograph machine was used for the right hand one.

Standing from left to right: Jim Lynch, unknown, Jules Weinberg, Ted Holland and Don Stone, seated from left to right: unknown and Jeffrey Iverson.

The Stockport League suffered a setback when Mr CE Sinclair died in 1957, but in his will he left substantial bequests to various Chess organisations. The Stockport League was to receive the sum of £1,000 on the death of his wife (Mrs Sinclair died in 1975 and the legacy was received in 1977). This put the league on a sound financial footing and ensured that Macclesfield Chess Club had access to similar clubs from this point onwards. The league's founding fathers attempted to provide a structure in which weaker players could compete on roughly equal terms. At first players excluded from playing for their club in the Cheshire Minor Shield were barred. Unfortunately clubs do not consist of either weak or strong players, but an amalgam of both and for some small clubs the imposition of this rule as younger players increased in strength made their taking part problematical. The arbitrary nature of this rule was contested throughout the years and it was changed to allow two "County Strength" players in each team. In 1962 these were termed "First Class" players and five such were identified in the league.

The Macclesfield club again moved their venue and occupied an upper floor room of the Cavendish Café, at the top of Queen Victoria Street. This was then the centre of 'cool' Macclesfield where the affluent youth went for coffee, conversation and music. The owner, Michael Black, was quite amenable to allowing the club there free of charge, since the room was otherwise unused. He had no interest in chess and just let them get on with it. There was only space for seven to eight tables, but this was just sufficient to play matches in the SDCL and in the Cheshire Shield, a knockout competition restricted to eight boards that took place on a Saturday afternoon. A photograph of such a match in progress shows the players elbow to elbow.

The main motivators of the club in the fifties and sixties were Jim Lynch and Don Stone. The organisation at that time has been described as anarchic; there were few formal meetings, no records and the moneys were collected and the bills settled by Don while Jim acted as Chairman. Not only was Jim a strong active player and a great enthusiast for the game, but also he was willing and able to pass on his experience to the younger members of the club and to schoolchildren: he gave at least one simultaneous display at Biddulph Grammar School. At the conclusion of this he commended them on the progress they had made and was thrilled that young players enjoyed the game through adopting aggressive attacking chess. In the SDCL he came to be identified as a "First Class" player, which meant that thereafter he had to play on either board one or two and was not eligible for the Cheshire Shield competition.

Don was secretary and Match Captain and, though not a particularly strong player was a strong personality who encouraged the juniors to play aggressive chess with the bait of sixpence (old money) for the first one to shout, "Check!" during the evening. For the seniors this was inflated to a shilling. A senior manager of a bank in Manchester and living in a very large house in Ivy Road (later demolished to make way for the twenty detached houses that currently make up the Box Tree Muse estate), he was quite able to afford such largesse. The extensive gardens were laid out with two woods sloping down to a levelled area on which tennis was played. Don was married twice, with children from both marriages. Yvonne, his second wife, was young and strikingly attractive.

Jim's house on Arlington Drive abutted onto this property and Don had a gate constructed in the hedge to allow the Lynch family access to the grounds and to Ivy Road, where Jim's father and mother lived.

Don was always smartly dressed in a dapper fashion. When thinking he would tug at the end of his collar. One evening, becoming perplexed with the complexities of his position he managed, much to the amusement of all present, to tear the whole collar off. His status in society must not be ignored; he was exasperated to lose to an opponent in Congleton who lectured him after the game on his sequence of 'losing moves'. Normally discussion after a game is an accepted part of the pleasure of the evening, the loser gets to learn how he could have played better and the winner has the enjoyment of reliving his success. Here it was a case of the plutocrat being belittled by a 'mere' railway artisan and it did not go down well, though he kept his equanimity at the board. He might have remembered during the journey back that Vernon Dilworth too was a railway employee in the Manchester area and yet had a variation in the Open Ruy Lopez named after him. He would in all circumstances behave like the gentleman he was and invite his fellow travellers to his house after the match for tea and cakes. Despite this and other setbacks he was always back to fight another game and he continued playing at the Macclesfield Club until the early eighties.

Don was an eminently sociable man and an accomplished pianist, not of the classical concert school, but as one who could just go to the piano and strike up a tune keeping the harmony intact: a party pianist. Though slight in build he always kept himself fit. It was a great surprise that when he left the town to retire to the South Coast he did not live long.

A major source of information for this period is Neville Marshall who joined the club in 1962 when he was twenty-two. He started as an apprentice plumber and when he had qualified went into partnership with an older man, a joiner, who had picked up the skills required for building. Together they formed a successful building company whose success could be measured in part by Neville's rise up the housing ladder from a small terrace in Macclesfield to a mansion in Prestbury. This was intended to be his nest egg for the future to sell and downsize when necessary. Neville was never one to follow book recommendations, but he was a crafty player who could be relied upon to outwit his opponents, which he did to win the SDCL "A" Championship in 1966 and a Lightning Tournament at the ICI Chess Club in 1968. Brian Pearson organised the latter. A buzzer was set up to sound every ten seconds. Unfortunately the event descended into confusion when some players hesitated momentarily before making their move leading their opponents to add this hesitation on and they hesitated a bit longer at the next buzz to compensate for this.

Neville has a vivid visual memory, as will be observed from his many comments on personal idiosyncrasies. His chief asset to any club was his sociability and his knowledge of the town. If you wanted to get a drink after closing time (At that time it was illegal to be served an alcoholic drink after 10.30 p.m.) Neville would know where to go and it would not always be the same one. A friend on one of these sociable gatherings came to him in shock amazement that the person who had just pulled him a pint at 2 a.m., way after the exhausted landlord had gone to bed, was none other than a member of the CID. That evening, and this was apparently not unusual, the pub was in use as an operations base to foil more serious crime.

In 1966 the thirty-one year old Alan Sime arrived in Macclesfield from Richmond, Surrey to take up a position at ICI Pharmaceuticals. Alan had qualified as a chemist the hard way through studying at evening classes and taking professional examinations rather than through a degree at university. Chess had always been an interest and he had played at Acton in West London and at Richmond, where he was a solid member of their C team. In Macclesfield he immediately joined the Club and also the chess section at the works. He remained a member until his death. Throughout this period he has taken on much of the organization.

In 1967 he became Match Captain, leaving Don Stone as Treasurer. Alan was immediately frustrated by the SDCL rule about "First Class" players. His efforts to change this at committee meetings were invariably stalled through the machinations of the President, Mr Higginbottom, and the Secretary and Fixtures Secretary, Mr K (Ken) Charnley. Mr Higginbottom was a solicitor and the provider of the rooms where the AGM and Annual Fixtures Meetings were held, he was a large man rather given to grandiloquent phrasing and gesture. Through long tenure in the position he had a strong partiality to the rules as they stood. The argument that Alan put forward was that Jim Lynch had been a County Player, but with age his strength had inevitably declined and there were now several younger players stronger than him. The committee would not accept that statistical arguments relating to performance had more validity than the historical fact that at one time he had played for the County. There was also a degree of ageism in their thinking, as a junior player would usually have to wait another year to prove that his performance had not been a fluke.

Alan was always a difficult person to defeat, and a degree of caution in his psychological makeup meant that he acquired the reputation of being a drawing master, though one always ready to pounce on an opponent's mistake. This caution was reflected in his style of driving in which he always seemed to be in too low a gear and caused his wife, Stella, to cry out before setting off, "The Lord is my shepherd". His enthusiasm for the game meant that he regularly attended weekend congresses, played correspondence and, later, Internet chess as well as every club game for which he was available. His competitiveness stretched from word games, such as Scrabble, through quizzes to the athleticism of tennis.

Another character of the sixties was Warwick Roberts. Warwick was a wannabe solicitor. Bright, but apparently not given to concerted long term application so he did not gain any significant qualifications, he did surveillance work for solicitors dealing with divorce cases. Extremely boring work that involved sitting unobserved outside a house waiting for the couple to appear (note the time), waiting for the downstairs lights to come on (note the time), waiting for the upstairs lights to come on (note the time), waiting for the upstairs lights to go off (note the time), waiting for the downstairs lights to come on again, if they ever did (note the time) and for the fellow to leave the premises (note the time). There was an occasion when the client allowed him into the house after a suspected 'event' and he searched the bedroom, finding a used condom, which he enclosed with his report to the solicitor. The seediness of this work meant that some in the club regarded him with disdain. He always dressed immaculately in pinstripe trousers, dark jacket and black coat, but he emerged from domestic disorder as neither he nor his wife, Anita, considered tidiness a virtue. Items were just put down where they ceased to have a use and picked up when required. Only the fireplace was a delicate work of art: ashes were not removed the next morning but pushed to one side so that a draught could be achieved; when that became impossible they were placed in the hearth to create an eerily beautiful landscape of grey hills. He was an inveterate smoker who when he had a cigarette on the go would hold it at arm's length and tap it with his index finger to accentuate whatever point he was making. He was a noted hypochondriac, who convinced himself that he was going down with every ailment known to man and so was forever visiting the doctor to check out his symptoms. So distrustful was he of the doctor's assurances that all he needed was exercise and a good diet that he inveigled Anita to go to the surgery and announce that Warwick was going to climb Ben Nevis and ask whether she should restrain him. The doctor assured her that all would be well. Even so Warwick, tapping his cigarette, wondered whether or not he was trying to get rid of a tiresome patient. The doctor was informed that his patient was too unfit to get fit. He died of cancer.

It was around this time that The Kings School in Macclesfield began producing a number of strong young chess players. This process was aided by Julian Kirk O'Grady who was a master at the school and for some time board one for Cheshire. The first, and according to some the strongest, was Peter J Shelley, who won the Challenge Cup in 1970 – he played three serious games with John Nunn, the future Grandmaster, at Oxford University and drew them all. There is, however, no record of him having represented Oxford in the Varsity Match against Cambridge University. Peter studied Mathematics and went on to become an actuary, living in London and later moving to Brussels. Michael Furfie was the next product. He was regarded as a steady player with quite good technique playing quiet flank openings. This was good enough for him to win the Challenge Cup in 1972. The third was Andrew Lewis, who had quite a different style. Peter Shelley indicated the difference: "If I attack one of Michael Furfie's pieces, he will defend it. If do the same to Andrew Lewis, he will attack one of mine."

When the 1972 match for the World Championship between Boris Spassky and Robert Fischer received so much publicity there was a marked increase in the number of people taking an interest in chess. Some of this interest was reflected in an increase in the numbers attending the club and, consequently, it was necessary to move from The Cavendish Café. The Methodist Sunday School rooms in Sunderland Street were used for a short time before transferring to the United Reform Church Sunday-School Rooms, Townley Street. The effect was seen in other clubs in the area and the SDCL set up a second division, with optional promotion to the First Division.

The facilities at Townley Street consisted of two upstairs rooms and games were played on trestle tables that had to be set up and taken down when the caretaker arrived to close the premises. A small group of players invariably agreed a result at 10 p.m. in order to visit "The Jolly Sailor" or "The Royal Oak", thereby getting out of the clearing up duties. The stalwarts did not admire this hedonism.

The last strong player, to date, to emerge from Kings was Ross Brennan. He was in the first year when those previously mentioned were sixth formers, yet he won the club's Challenge Cup in 1973. He is also the only one of the batch to figure on the current English Chess Federation Database, showing that he remained an active chess player in this country until 2006 with a grading in the 170s. He missed one match against ICI because he had to go for a University interview. Alan Sime had to take his place on top board and lost to Tony Soames. This led Ross to assert that Alan ought to have drawn as his opponent was a very boring player. Alan was unsure at whom this criticism was directed. Ross worked harder at chess than he pretended; when saying that he only knew any opening as far as move six he did mean that he knew all openings to that depth and some much deeper. His only victory against Tony Soames was in a line of the Pirc Defence where the queen is sacrificed for three pieces and is not where one would venture in total ignorance.

Alan was also active in the county organisation and he was appointed the Team Tournament Conductor in 1977. The changes in county boundaries introduced in 1975 had hit the county hard as it lost many of the urban areas around Merseyside and Manchester, including Stockport.

John Ricketts, who succeeded Donald Stone as Treasurer, collected membership fees on the same weekly basis, as had been the case hitherto so that the burden fell on those who attended regularly rather than on those who played in away matches and rarely turned up on the home evenings. When Roy Gray took over the post of Treasurer he produced figures showing that 18.5% of the members contributed 38% of the income. Faced with the logic of his argument they were convinced that it was fairer to institute an annual fee so that all contributed equally to the running of the club. It also, quite rightly, eased the burden on the Treasurer collecting the money.

Prior to the seventies the club had no successes in the SDCL. In 1973, however, the club collected its first post war trophy, the Charnley Cup, a knockout competition named after the Fixtures Secretary and first run in this year. Shortly afterwards in 1975 the club gained the Second Division title.

During the same year Alan Sime won the Intermediate Championship organised by the Cheshire Association (having captured the club Challenge Cup in 1974); HB (Barry) Leigh followed suit in 1978. Barry greatly enjoyed rapid play and entered all the weekend competitions that he could. He entered them with the intention of taking home the prize money and if he lost a game he would play recklessly thereafter in order to keep his grade below the level required for minor tournaments. He was also a gambler who bet large sums, in the order of thousands of pounds, on rugby union results. As with all gamblers he had an optimistic outlook that ensured he was good company. His friend Tom Norcliffe won the Class "B" Championship in 1977, which was also organised by the county. Tom was an enthusiastic cricketer playing for Langley. Brash and outward going he had a reputation for gamesmanship (games played at his home might be interrupted by his noisy children), but he was a better loser than many others who must win at any price.

The club had an indirect brush with the law around 1980 when Milton Delaney, artist and chess player (but not as famous or as proficient in either field as Marcel Duchamp) was prosecuted for possession of cannabis. He painted a portrait of Neville Marshall and his family that Neville paid for, but which resides in his loft, as he found it rather dour, despite the presence of a chessboard with a mating position. When thinking deeply Milton would clench his right hand in a fist and rub the folded first finger down his cheek next to his nose.

Although the club remained the premier organisation for chess in the town it was not the only place at which Macclesfield inhabitants played the game. There was a small chess circle in "The Old Millstone" in Waters Green run by Peter Neal. Peter was associated with 18+, an organisation for young adults, until 1984 and was both gregarious and sufficiently self-confident to arrange events for them. Through this and his work he met a wide circle of Macclesfield's younger people. The Macclesfield Chess Club at this time was in unlicensed premises at Townley Street – Peter and his friends wanted a more convivial atmosphere, hence the choice of venue. The conditions were cramped, the lighting poor, the standard of play not the highest, but the company was always friendly and for matches the landlady, Ivy, would often put on some food at no extra cost. The club was run on a shoestring, borrowing clocks and boards whenever necessary, but it ran.

Peter was an enthusiastic and hard-working organiser who from 1983 also took on the role of Match Captain and Competitions Secretary for the SDCL and set up many matches over twenty boards against the Stoke, Warrington, Chester, Rochdale and Crewe Leagues during his tenure. The matches were usually closely contested as Peter agreed with his opponents the approximate strength of teams they would put out. This meant that most people had a game against someone of roughly their own strength. It was not the case in the 1987-88 season when the C&NWCA put forward a trophy for inter-league matches and Peter put out stronger sides to win the competition, expecting that other leagues would follow suit. The matches against Crewe and Warrington were won convincingly, but in the final match Chester prevailed. The Competitions Secretary organised the prizes from the Stockport Rapidplay Tournament in February giving Major and Minor awards to the highest placed Stockport League players in the respective groups. Peter both organised the competition and ran it himself in 1986, thereafter he co-opted others to help. He also arranged mini-tournaments at the Queen's Hotel in Sunderland Street, which included a stew supper.

Unlike the patricians who adorned the nineteenth century club Peter was a down to earth gardener coming originally from Cambridgeshire, often arriving to play straight from work in torn trousers and with soil on his hands. He is one of the kindest souls about, prepared to give temporary accommodation to people who are down on their luck. Whether this is due to his having started Bible College is uncertain (atheists and Christians can interpret that information to suit there own prejudices). Always forthright, he played a part in an architectural revolution that eventually gained the seal of royal approval. He had purchased a house in Black Road around 1970 with the help of a twenty-year mortgage from the Macclesfield council, only to discover, when he applied for a grant to improve his outside toilet, that the council intended to demolish the house within five years. He and his neighbours, one of whom was an architect writing up his PhD thesis, exposed the muddled thinking in local government. The residents managed to reverse the almost automatic demolition of so-called slum property and set up their own regeneration plans.

The Millstone club merged with Macclesfield later when the provision of alcohol was common to both. It also became difficult to recruit more players after he left 18+ on reaching the ripe old age of thirty and those that were there gradually drifted off into other interests.

Other clubs were at places of employment such as ICI and British Aero-Space. The latter was able to put out two teams, but it ceased to function competitively around 1984, when the company was undergoing significant reorganisation. The ICI club, known as Icicals, was in existence at least from the nineteen-sixties when Brian Pearson was the leading light, with the assistance from 1967 of Alan Sime. At that time ICI was one of the great British companies; it was divided into areas of expertise and Macclesfield was the home of the Pharmaceutical Division. Employment was concentrated in two sites around the borough, manufacturing in Hurdsfield, and research and administration in Nether Alderley. Both sites had facilities for social events. It is not clear when the club first entered teams into the SDCL, but in the 1974-5 season it gained promotion to the league's first division along with Macclesfield. The club at this time met in the Stanley Arms at Alderley Park with many people coming straight from work and graduates and postgraduates in the research departments formed the backbone of the support. This was the height of the Fischer influenced boom in chess and the club was able to organise seven-round summer tournaments with more than thirty entrants in which more than two hundred games were played. Icicals became very strong during the late seventies, sharing the SDCL First Division title from 1977 to 1979 and winning it outright in 1980. It also won the Charnley Cup in 1974 and 1977.

During this sequence of wins the SDCL Executive suggested that ICI were competing with at least three "First Class" players: Tony Soames, Mustapha Eldadiry and David Connell, which was contrary to the rules. The club objected strongly, seeing it as an attempt to restrict their success. Asking what the definition of a "First-Class" player was, and being told that it was someone who plays for the county, they informed the meeting that as only two of these people had played for the county they had not breached the rules. It was suggested to the club that it ought to play in the much stronger Manchester League, but that would have involved travelling up to Bolton or Oldham and the club declined the offer. Both Mustapha and Tony Soames did play for the county during the early eighties. The latter had an outing on top board against Mr Footner of Shropshire in 1978 and a more enjoyable game on a board 13 at Chester against J Miller of Leicestershire in 1982, interrupted near the end when his three year old son came over and asked how much longer he was going to take before they could go home (game 14).

Icicals winning the SDCL 1st division and Charnley Cup; from left to right – Mustapha Eldadiry, Malcolm Lamb, Tony Soames, Tony Flynn, Dave Connell, Pete Caulkett, Brian Sheard, Mike Wardleworth and Dave Rhodes.

The most popular Icicals' member was Mustapha, an Egyptian site architect working with a construction company on the Alderley Park site. He was very shy and a bevy of navvies with pronounced Hibernian accents hauled him up the stairs to the club and, breaking into the silence, they respectfully asked if their friend would be allowed to play even though he was not an ICI employee. The sight of this sensitive young man being propelled by this well-meaning gang was impossible to refuse. Mustapha had a whole box of traps at his fingertips in the open games. Not all of these were sound and if they were rebutted he would merely smile and continue from his compromised position as if nothing had happened. On the first occasion he played Vic Knox, Vic came away from the board after a dozen moves and went downstairs to get a drink complaining that he had been matched with someone who had no idea of chess. He was warned not to take him too lightly, but the advice was ignored and he played cavalierly. Then he stopped moving and bent over the board, his cheeks turned red, his ears and neck began to burn. He caught nobody's eye, but looked resolutely at the board well aware that he had missed a devilish combination. There were many nights when Vic would linger, quaffing a pint and chatting about chess, and there were nights, very rarely, when he couldn't get out of the door quick enough.

Icicals combined with Macclesfield to enter a team in the Cheshire Challenge Cup from 1976-82. The first hurdle was Wilmslow, headed by Vic Knox in his prime and including a number of other strong players such as PE Moore, and in the first two seasons the hurdle was not negotiated. In later seasons the team had more success and although they never lifted the trophy, in both 1981 and 1982 they reached the final losing each time to Chester YMCA. Thereafter the loss of several players from both clubs meant that this tough competition was not entered.

In 1979 both Ken Charnley, the fixtures secretary, and Mr Higginbottom, the president, died and no SDCL AGM was arranged for May 1980. The ICI club took the lead in calling an extra-ordinary AGM in September with Brian Sheard taking the Chair. The league was at that time quite wealthy having received the Sinclair legacy and a number of clubs that had not benefited from this bequest wanted the money distributed equally to all the clubs, though East Cheshire had also received money from the same source. This was clearly not the intention of the legacy. Fortunately Brian and Vic Knox, then the strongest player in the league, had more progressive ideas, such as a League Bulletin to be issued at regular intervals during the playing season to keep people up to date with progress and a League Handbook that would contain the results of the previous season, dates for the current season, historical data, the league's constitution and rules. A sub-committee was also set up to examine the rules and to draw them up in an improved format. The committee consisted of Tony Soames, Cyril Harris from Marple and Mr Cole from Stockport and they met at Mr Harris's house on Glossop Road. The gentleman from Stockport had thought he was there to by and large rubberstamp the current rules and was quite surprised that a complete rewrite with a large number of novel ideas was on the table. Mr Harris was clearly impressed and rather amused at the other gentleman's puzzlement. The most radical suggestion was that officers should not hold a post for more than three years; this was an attempt to prevent the league becoming dominated by a few individuals, such as the deceased Chairman, who had held the position from 1951 to 1979. The Executive Committee consisted of the Officers and one representative from each club and was to meet three times a year, one of these being the Annual Fixtures Meeting in September. The "First Class" player description was removed: limitations on who could represent a club were abandoned (except for dual membership of two clubs). Teams would number six (instead of seven) playing both home and away with the away team having White on odd numbered boards. Divisions were limited to six or seven teams. This had the immediate effect of creating three divisions and in 1983 this was increased to four.

Alan Sime (right) presenting the Macclesfield Challenge Cup to Tony Soames. Anthony Lane (left) holds the SDCL Individual 'B' trophy for 1981.

In the Stockport League several club members have won events arranged for individuals. In 1981 Tony Soames won the Individual Knockout Trophy for the "A" tournament and Anthony Lane, a pupil at Kings School, won the Individual "B" tournament. Tony's victory was achieved with the help of a few bacteria. It is often an annoyance when one's opponent leaps up after playing a move. On this occasion Mike Tunstall from Stockport leapt up and ran off up the stairs to reach the toilet. He was heroic in coming to play the game, but thinking on the motion eventually took its toll of his concentration. In this same year Tony Soames also won the Macclesfield Challenge Cup with 6 points ahead of Phil Malbon and Geoff Laurence with 4.5 points in a competition in which 22 members took part.

Throughout the whole of this period the club has run its club championship, without always recording the victor. The degree of interest has varied widely; in part this has been owing to a shortage of time consequent to the large number of external competitive fixtures arranged with the club putting several teams in two leagues. Since 1985 the cup has been regularly engraved.

The next year, 1982, Barry Leigh won the SDCL 'A' tournament and Alan Sime took the Individual 'B' trophy in 1984.

After Ross Brennan left Macclesfield to go to University the club lacked any strong players for a few years. In 1978 Barry Leigh took top board but relinquished it in 1979 to Keith Moss, who held it for two seasons. In the grudge match against local rivals ICI in 1980 he lost in 20 moves. Phil Malbon took the top board in 1982 and though he again was only a moderate player (losing in 17 moves in the ICI match!) he was, however, a good communicator and ran a newssheet for the club in which he annotated his own games and presented many others.

In the context of the SDCL a strong player can be considered as one who has an ECF grade between 180-200 ECF; a moderately strong player between 160-180; a moderate player from 140-160 and a weak player less than 140. Since 1981 the first division has gradually increased in strength so that more strong players were required to maintain a first division status. Other categories of strength are less relevant to the Stockport League.

Geoff Laurence joined the club in 1980 when he was thirty. A Yorkshireman from Morley, near Leeds, he had studied mathematics at New College, Oxford from 1969-73 and then gone into teaching at the John Lyon School at Harrow, the day-school section of the well known independent school, leaving there to take up a position at Kings School in Macclesfield in 1978. As he was without a grade and had not played for seven years he found it difficult to get games in the Macclesfield club so he played for the Millstone team. Thereafter he was selected for the Macclesfield B team and moved on quickly to the A team, proving a resilient board 1 from 1982 and taking over the captaincy in 1984.

The next year saw the arrival of Terry Fielding, who was with Barclays at Radbroke Hall in the IT department. Terry, a Mancunian through birth at St Mary's Hospital was brought up in Besses o'th' Barn, near Bury and went to Greys College, University of Durham to read mathematics from 1967-70. He played chess there and was awarded colours at the college; he was asked to play for the University and travelled all the way down to Bradford to discover that he had no opponent; he refused all further offers. He worked first for United Biscuits in Liverpool and played at the Prescott and Knotty Ash Chess Club. He played and lost against Victor Korchnoi in a simultaneous display in which the Grandmaster chain smoked and spent only seconds at most boards as he immediately sized up the position made the move and moved on. Later Terry was invited to play against the teenager Nigel Short in a simultaneous display where he was asked to refrain from winning; he refused to play, wondering if he was expected to offer a draw when a mate was in the offing. His second job was at British Leyland in 1974 and Terry then played at Chorley Chess Club with which Eric Wandless Renton, the tall, gangly, bespectacled and tireless organizer of congresses, was associated. Terry remembers Eric driving him and others to chess events. Eric's homosexuality was not evident to him and Terry was, with others, surprised at the manner of Eric's death, brutally murdered by a young Scotsman, Malcolm Roberts. Terry thinks that his best chess was played at this time, winning a rapid play event at Chorley and coming close to winning prize money at Kettering where he and his opponent both needed a win in the final round; the game was not completed in time and was adjudicated a draw by Grandmaster Tony Miles. After joining Macclesfield in 1981 he took on the captaincy of the A team from 1982-4. He was well known for employing unusual openings, such as the Grob Attack and the Latvian Gambit and enjoying the outrageous positions that resulted from these.

Also arriving in 1981 was Ray Pomeroy, a thirty-seven year old civil servant in the Export Credit Guarantee Department under the Board of Trade whose core function was to provide insurance cover or guarantees against the risk that British exporters, or the banks who financed them, would not be paid by overseas banks or borrowers. Ray learnt chess from a friend at primary school in Plymouth and joined the chess club at secondary school, running the club after the master in charge left. This was the beginning of his organizational career and he built a strong team that eventually, despite playing older children, won the Plymouth Schools Junior League. In London he played for his department's chess team that competed in the Civil Service League. He soon became first team captain and then captain of the civil service's representational team that took part in matches against Oxford and Cambridge Universities who put out future grandmasters like Raymond Keene and John Nunn. Ray could call on Sir Stuart Milner-Barry, Dr JR Aitkin and Derek Marlowe for his top boards. In the late seventies he joined a team at Reading run by Trevor Thomas at the DHSS competing in the Berkshire League. He no sooner became a member at Macclesfield than he found himself appointed secretary, a post he held for two years without recording minutes or having an AGM since Alan Sime ran the club without the need for such formalities, but he did get reports published in the Macclesfield Advertiser. The nature of his employment, especially the arrangement of meetings at short notice and the travelling involved made being part of a team impossible. On one occasion, before the introduction of mobile phones, he was caught in a snowdrift near Kendal in the Lake District when he should have been taking part in a match; Macclesfield was snow free and the match was played. Ray is comparable in many ways to the club's first secretary, GH Blunden; both were good organizers, responsible and unfortunately forced to take themselves out of the club for professional reasons.

In 1982 the first, and to date the only, Macclesfield Chess Congress was arranged with the Cheshire Building Society and the Cheshire and North Wales Chess Association. The event was held at the Macclesfield County High School on Fence Avenue over the weekend of the 26th to the 28th of March. Jim Plaskett, who was soon to become a Grandmaster, won the Open after defeating Mark Hebden in the penultimate round. The Managing Director of the Cheshire Building Society presented the cheque and was amazed to discover on talking to the winner afterwards that several of the players were earning a living from competing in such events. This professionalism was shown when Hebden was congratulated on the many fine games he had produced and he merely shrugged and lamented the loss of the £150 First Prize. The highest placed C&NWCA registered player in the Open, Mr TE Wiley, took the Leverhulme Championship Challenge Cup. The first, second and third place prizes in the Major competition were shared between Mr AF Stobo (who, as a registered member of the C&NWCA, also took the JE Jones trophy), G Fyfe and Mr DJ Barnett. Mr HJ Parry won the Minor and took the CE Sinclair trophy. For the organisers, Tony Soames, the Tournament Controller, and Pete Caulkett, the whole affair was monumentally stressful: sponsorship had to be gained and the entries trickled in, slowly at first and then in streams, so that only a week before the opening was it known that the Congress would break even. Apart from minor hiccups such as two non-smokers forgetting to supply ashtrays the actual congress ran quite smoothly owing to input from Richard Furness who had been running congresses for many years for the County. Richard gave a short tutorial to his two fellow controllers, Alan Sime, who oversaw the Major and Pete who looked after the Minor. One incident from the Major section: David Knox, Vic's son, claimed a draw by repetition when neither side was recording the moves because of time trouble; asked to arbitrate Alan wasn't sure and told them to play on. David lost, but afterwards his opponent agreed there had been a threefold repetition and agreed that the result should be a draw. This attitude is not always evident in competitive events where prize money and grading points are at stake. The Congress generated a profit of about £300 that was donated to the Macclesfield Chess Club; the business financed the ICI club and so it was not in need of extra funds. Peter Neal also demonstrated his generosity through putting up Messrs Plaskett and Hebden, along with four other chess players, and six delegates to an 18+ conference in Buxton, in his small two up and two down house in Black Road. One of these players in the Open explained during an evening drinking session why he had thought for an hour over one move and then resigned following his opponent's reply: there was a back-rank mate that he could not avoid and as soon as it became obvious that his opponent had seen it he gave up. Peter, who almost always moved quickly, found it difficult to fathom this overlong cogitation that was all to no avail.

Throughout the eighties ICI continued to prosper and the chess section, with first Tony Flynn and then Jeff Barlow as secretary, continued to put out up to three teams in the SDCL. There were, however, subtle changes in the approach of the company to social clubs and in place of the utmost liberality budgeting constraints were imposed through requests that the members contributed something to future purchases. At the end of that decade, however, two teams had become the norm. Most of the strong players had left, either to join other clubs or had moved out of the area, and, since the competition in the league had stiffened through the changes made in 1980, the teams dropped down through the divisions. In the more competitive business environment of the early nineties there was a marked change in attitude towards social activities. It became more acceptable to work longer hours and so leisure time was restricted, resulting in the club reducing its internal competitions and club nights being held only on those nights on which matches were played. This cut out many social players from the club, reducing the pool from which players could be recruited in an emergency. Some of the previously more enthusiastic members embraced the target culture to such an extent that they gave up chess entirely. In the eternal conflict of work, family and leisure pursuits the latter generally suffered. In 1990 and 1991 only one team was entered in the league and the section was closed in 1992 sending its clocks, boards and sets to the Macclesfield club. In 1993 the Pharmaceuticals and Plant Protection Division were de-merged from ICI to form a new company, Zeneca. Most of the Icicals members that lived in or around Macclesfield joined the main club, at least temporarily.

The Macclesfield Club left Townley Street in 1984 as the caretaker arrived earlier and earlier and made his presence apparent by loudly declaring time. This made the arrangement of matches with other clubs difficult and to cap it all an increase in the cost of hire was demanded, so the upstairs room of the "Nags Head" pub was adopted. This was cheap, but reeked of smoke and was often noisy with heavy metal music from the jukebox downstairs, past which one had to go to reach not one of the best urinals in town. Nevertheless, the room was spacious and served the club well for many years. A disadvantage was the loss of many younger players, whose parents would not countenance their attending such a low tavern. The number of young players has always been disappointing; since 1976 only 73 juniors have been registered. Although the use of licensed premises played a part there was also a decrease in the number of children playing chess at school.

The Nags Head

Whilst on the subject of liquor, there was an occasion in a match at Holmes Chapel when Neville Marshall got up after a few moves and asked Alan Sime if he would like a drink. Receiving a smiling nod he ventured out of the brightly lit chess room into the gloom of the snooker hall where only the tables were brightly lit. After courteously waiting for the game to finish he walked over to the bar to be thanked for not barging through during play. He grasped the two pints and started back only to find that play had restarted. This time, as his opponent had by now probably moved and set Neville's clock ticking, he knew he had to just wait until the players were potting from the sides leaving a free passage through at the ends of the two tables. As the shot was played he set off expecting the action to be halted for a moment, but the fellow potted a red and brought the cue ball back to where he was standing so just as Neville was advancing he descended again into the potting posture and brought his cue abruptly into Neville's path. Neville swayed and took the necessary avoidance measures, but lost half a pint as he whirled away casting it inadvertently in a fine film over the other table. A spectator who saw what had happened advised him to get out of the room quick before either of the players noticed that their balls were not running true in certain areas.

In 1984 the club gained Jeff Spratt and Kevin Richardson, who both worked for Software Sciences in Macclesfield. Jeff, who was an enthusiastic openings student and a moderately strong player, took the top board for the first season, but it was later evident that Kevin was the stronger player. In this season of the SDCL Macclesfield lost the first match and drew the next two before finishing with seven wins to take the first division title for the first time. The winning team, apart from this pair included Geoff Laurence (captain), Terry Fielding, Barry Leigh, Alan Sime, David Luke, Brian Woodhall and Mike Storey.

The death occurred this year of George Rowson. Various members of the family had been members of the Club throughout its existence and Mr Rowson was kind enough to leave to the club a rare pottery set. It is unfortunately a rather delicate material and a number of the pieces have suffered chips and breakages. There are no records of other bequests to the club.

In the next season Macclesfield celebrated by winning three, drawing one and losing six; thereby earning relegation from the first division along with ICI A.

In addition to the SDCL the club has also entered teams in the Stoke League, officially the North Staffordshire & District Chess Association. As has been mentioned the Club had entered a team in this league in the 1890s. In 1976 Robert Milner, a schoolmaster in Leek, became Secretary of the League and set about increasing the number of clubs involved. He came round to Alan Sime's house and persuaded him, if persuasion was needed to get Alan interested in more opportunities to play, to get the Club to apply for membership. The other clubs in the League were not quite so enthusiastic as their Secretary and insisted that Macclesfield play all their 'home' games at Leek. Although Robert thought this was terrible Alan accepted the conditions and for two years all home matches were played at West Street School in Leek. Thereafter the League allowed home matches to take place in Macclesfield.

At first this was seen as a chance for weaker players to gain experience in the lower divisions, but the apparently uncontrollable urge to win of the team captain, Peter Neal, soon saw stronger players being dragooned into the team. This was resented by some of the weaker players, but Peter cleverly combated their objections at the AGM saying that he only asked strong players when he was unable to get in contact with his usual team. The truth was that one of the teams in the NS&DCA was the Blind School, who were given special dispensation to play both their matches at home. Peter objected to the travelling cost and time involved. He asked the League executive if this could be changed, arguing that it would be better for the Blind School players if they could get out more rather than being confined to the school grounds. His response when this approach failed (League Executives often act negatively when new ideas are presented to them) was to get out of the division in which the Blind School were ensconced. Promotion was achieved when Macclesfield took the fourth division title in 1983.

The venues in the NSDCA at this time were quite a culture shock for those used to the suburban pubs and clubs around Stockport. It seemed then that most of the Stoke clubs were located in Working Men's Clubs with very cheap beer and an accompanying low level of chatter throughout the evening. The welcome was always warm. The major problem with the NSDCA was that of the long journeys required to get to some of the clubs, in particular Stafford required over an hour despite using the motorway. It was this factor that influenced some who were working in demanding occupations, such as Terry Fielding, to give up competitive league chess. Terry cites a plethora of other reasons that played a part: the increasing use of algebraic notation in books and magazines (he used to take BCM), the sleeplessness induced by the mind rerunning the game played that evening and the awareness that fatigue was introducing errors that reduced the pleasure of a well played game. He left to play at Radbroke Hall where the company supported the chess club, as at ICI, paying the players' expenses and giving them time off to compete in national events sponsored by the bank.

* * * * *

## THE FORGOTTEN CENTENARY 1986-2012

In 1986 no one had any idea when the club was formed and so the centenary was not celebrated. The date did not emerge until much later when Geoff Laurence gave a lift to Alan Smith who suggested that he could reimburse him for his kindness by finding out something of the origins of Macclesfield Chess Club. And the result of that is, as they say, history.

In 1987 the A team won the SDCL Second Division title with only one defeat, finishing 5 points ahead of High Peak A. The team in the NSDCA were Division 3 champions this year. The club won the Charnley Cup for the second time in 1988 with Kevin Richardson, Jeff Spratt, Tony Soames, Geoff Laurence, Barry Leigh and Ray Pearson defeating High Peak by 4.5 to 1.5 in the Final. During that same year the first team also performed reasonably well in the first division, finishing third behind Stockport and Altrincham. In 1989 the first team improved on this to come a close second to Stockport with nine points more than High Peak in third place. This strong performance was owing to Macclesfield having four of the league's top twenty-five players: Kevin Richardson (189), David R Bell (185), Jeff Spratt (166) and Tony Soames (160). Stockport, however, had seven players in this group, including Vic Knox (212) and David Knox (193). In 1990 the club was third, one point behind Altrincham (though winning two more games) and two points behind Stockport.

David Bell was a PhD working on a short-term contract at ICI's Central Toxicology Department at Alderley Edge in the then unnamed discipline of proteonomics on the somewhat arcane subject of peroxisome proliferation. Despite producing several interesting results he was unable to get onto the staff for a mix of political and economic reasons so he left to become a professor at the School of Biology, Nottingham University. An aficionado of loud ties, he was probably the strongest player that ever represented the club, but even he found the competition in the SDCL first division a tough nut to crack. With his and Jeff Spratt's departure the A team were relegated in 1991, but as Kevin remarked in his annual report a win in the last game would have put the team in second place. This was due to Stockport winning all their matches and only conceding fifteen games out of sixty played; the other teams competed in a mini-league of equals.

At the 1991 AGM only nine people were present. Peter Neal, standing in for the previous captain, Mark Hodgson, who had left the area, announced that the second team had been relegated from division three, but, a small silver lining, in the Stoke League promotion from the second division was gained through taking second place, though the reorganisation of the league meant that it would not be implemented. The club's finances had fallen to £135 owing to a fall in membership and some not paying. The number of teams was therefore reduced to two, one in each league, the club night was changed from Wednesday to Monday in order to avoid clashing with sport on television and the subscription was raised to £15. This had the effect of increasing the balance next year to £221. With only Kevin Richardson (177) and Tony Soames (179) in the league's top twenty-five the A team remained in the second division. The Stoke league team again came second in Division 2. At the AGM, with eleven attendees, it was agreed to reintroduce a second team into the SDCL, which Peter Neal would captain in addition to performing the same role for the Stoke League team.

The club's most eccentric and intellectually innovative member may have been Jeff Thorp, an engineer from South Africa with only a BSc to his name who developed two new drugs that lowered blood cholesterol. The discoveries followed from the spraying of an ICI insecticide from an aeroplane over fields near Clermont-Ferrand, France and the subsequent illness of farm workers who happened to be exposed. The physician, Jean Cottet, found that their blood cholesterol levels were extraordinarily low. Jeff immediately recognized that the insecticide had the potential to be of benefit to people if the toxicity could be reduced while maintaining the reduction of cholesterol levels. He was able to produce analogues of the insecticide that had the desired properties and this after extended research into their mechanism of action led to the compounds that were thought to have the potential of reducing the risk of heart disease.

It is true that he was not even a moderate chess player and rarely took part in matches, but he greatly enjoyed relaxed tournaments in the Stanley Arms or the Millstone and casual games in which someone displayed an unusual idea. When a partner was lacking he would quietly sit with a drink solving _The Times_ crossword. Aged 72, he opted for the direct route to heaven. In 1992 his ashes were blasted into the sky from Kerridge Hill in 28 rockets after he had carefully researched rocket propulsion and the specific gravity of human ashes to calculate the optimum trajectory. Planes from Manchester Airport were diverted from the airspace as silver, red and green stars exploded.

An extra competition that ran from 1993-1998 was the Three Shires League, sponsored by the Leek United Building Society and running from February through to May. The teams were made up of four players and games were played at a rate of 30 moves in 75 minutes with 15 minutes to complete the game. Teams from Macclesfield, Buxton, Cheddleton, Stockport, Grappenhall, Broughton Arm and Belper took part over the years. This was organised by Roger Edwards of Cheddleton Chess Club. Macclesfield were unable to win any prizes, but on one occasion at least the final was reached only to lose to Belper.

The arrival at Kings School of Nick Riley in 1993, a mathematics graduate from York, significantly reduced the average age of the club and introduced a willing organiser. Although he had learnt the game at the age of five he did not take it up seriously until he went to University where he started with the modest grading of 107, but at the club this increased to 149. Besides acting as chairman he also captained the A team in the Stoke League, leading it in 1996 to a Division 1 title shared with the very strong Cheddleton team – the club's only success in this division. During that season he was undefeated. Nick was also a leading member of the Macclesfield Cricket Club.

After Peter Neal retired from the captaincy of the NSDCA B team a lady took over. In the mid-nineties Sally Annereau and Silvia de Beer were both active in the club and took part in competitive matches. Silvia was a fearless character, cycling in all weathers without a helmet to Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope where she was a statistician, camping out in midwinter in the Peak District and quite happy to walk at night through some of the rougher districts of Manchester. She took on the captaincy of the team after fighting off a determined effort by Alan Millward to take on the role; perhaps the only time that an office in the club has been contested in a genuine election. The team performed admirably in the fourth division and earned promotion. Unfortunately she found the people at Jodrell Bank so boring that she left to go to York University. It is not to the credit of the club that since 1976 only 22 ladies have crossed its threshold in order to play. The second team won the NSDCA third division title again in 1999.

The most shocking incident with which the club was connected was in 1998 when Mark Major, a member since at least 1976, in a flash of temper, perhaps brought on through depression at being unable to find employment for several years, killed his mother with a kitchen knife and then turned the blade on himself and committed suicide. It is unfortunate that he should be remembered primarily for the manner in which he left this life since, although he could be quite obstreperous in discussion, he was in no way a dangerous or vindictive person and was not one to hold grudges. He and Peter Neal were often involved in loud exchanges yet he gave Peter his season ticket to Old Trafford when Manchester United played Cambridge United in the League Cup in 1991. Peter had the bittersweet joy of seeing a very young Ryan Giggs contribute a goal to his hometown's 3-0 defeat. From 1991 Mark was proud to manage the club's internal competitions. He was also an enthusiastic philatelist and was the proud owner of a penny black postage stamp, which his mother had given him. There can be little doubt that part of his problems lay in the loss of his job with the North West Electricity Board. He had worked in Manchester, but as the Board was reorganised prior to privatisation he was transferred to Warrington, which, as he had no personal transport, was a difficult place for him to reach, requiring two long train journeys.

Since 1985 Geoff Laurence has held the Macclesfield Challenge Cup on twelve occasions (this is not immediately apparent from the club trophies as in 1997 Geoff won the club championship, defeating Alan Sime in the final and Antony Brough won the Rapidplay but the engraver did them the wrong way round), sharing it once with Tony Soames, who has held it nine times. Dave Risley has held it on three occasions; Barry Leigh and Jeff Spratt have recorded a single victory. During the nineties Geoff was gradually increasing in strength so that by 1996 he too could be classified as moderately strong. In this year he won the SDCL Major and repeated this on two further occasions in 2000 and 2002.

A quickplay championship, fifteen minutes per player, has also been run; at some point a handicap system of deducting one minute from the stronger player for every ten grading points' difference and adding that to the weaker player's clock was introduced. Nick Riley cheerfully admits that when he was working out handicapping systems he tried to get one that would maximise his chances. Currently the winner is the player with the highest sum of scores from two of the three events arranged each season. Since 1992 this has been awarded a trophy, donated by Adrian Pollard, who was leaving the area and wished to make some contribution to the organisation that had allowed him to enjoy many happy hours. Tony Soames has won this trophy on ten occasions, Geoff Laurence three times, Anthony Brough on four occasions, while Bubble Katolo, Denzil Lobo and Dave Risley have held it once. The number of occasions on which Geoff and Tony have held these trophies is as indicative of their active membership as much as of their strength, other stronger players competing infrequently or not completing their fixtures.

Since 1993 the SDCL A team has either been promoted to the first division, sat near the bottom of that division, been relegated, vied for promotion or won promotion from the second division. Second-division titles occurred in 1995, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2011. The strength of some of the teams in the first division meant that the seasons in which the club competed there involved a lot of hard work at the coalface. Though this perspiration may have paid off in terms of competitive strength it did not always add up to an enjoyable night out.

James Lobo (left) beating Tony Soames in an exciting game in one of the club's rapid-play tournaments in 2007.

Apparent boredom with this cycle induced the club to enter two equally strong teams, the reds and the blues, into the second division in the 2008/9 season in the expectation that neither would be promoted, but the red team came second: the real reason for this change of policy was the difficulty of getting volunteers at that time from the weaker players to act as captain for the second team. This stricture does not apply to Kris Chesters, Denzil Lobo and Richard Murphy.

Roy Gray (left) playing Kris Chesters in the same tournament.

Kris joined the club in 2001 and was always one of the weaker players, but this did not dent his enthusiasm as is shown by the fact that he played more than thirty competitive games every season, entering all the weekend congresses and quickplay tournaments that he could reach. He was happiest in these events playing with a sociable group of companions and was quite prepared to take his share of the driving, though those who travelled with him noted that his car lacked a speedometer so passing through areas with a speed restriction was a dubious experience. He took over B team in 2003 and the C team in 2004 and continued to run the latter until his premature death in 2007. Kris was also a keen cricketer with Wilmslow Wayfarers and at his funeral many stories were told of the scrapes he had got himself into through alcohol induced exuberance. Although he had a degree in finance and accounting he was a member of the long term unemployed, in part due to the fractious state of his marriage, which meant that he had to look after their children. These pressures led to a mental breakdown and may have contributed to his death.

Richard Murphy, with a smile, claims to have been the weakest ever member of the Cambridge University Chess Club. He has a high-powered job with a publishing company specialising in medical journals. A man of many talents he braves most weather in shorts, plays in an early music orchestra and helps out with the Braille Chess Club. A keen rapid player he almost always enters the Stockport event in February and won the SDCL Minor Championship in 2004.

Two strong players, Chris Beckett and Carl Gorka, have each played two seasons for the club but were not always available and so made less impact than ought to have been the case. Chris, the son of a doctor and living in Prestbury, was a sixth-former at Cheadle Hulme School and then went to Swansea University to study journalism. Carl, a circus clown and conjuror, was involved in a great deal of travelling and in order to make ends meet had to take on extra work at the Royal Mail.

A common experience at all times has been the effect of age on a player's strength. Among amateur players this has been most noticeable in those subject to increasing pressures at work and it has often resulted in them reducing their chess activity only to take it up again with renewed vigour after retirement. Such a one was Dave Risley, who arrived at the club in 2002 after being made redundant. He continued to work for the Pensions Advisory Service in a voluntary capacity until he fully retired in 2005. Dave had learnt chess at Winsford Verdin County Grammar School and played in the school team against other Cheshire schools and in the knockout competition sponsored by the Sunday Times. Chess was neglected whilst he was in Lincoln College, Oxford from 1964 where he studied mathematics and graduated with a BA (Hons) second class that has since been augmented to an MA (Oxon) through staying alive for seven years. In 1967 he joined Refuge Assurance in Manchester as an actuarial student. He then took up bridge, as the firm sponsored teams of four in the Manchester Bridge League, and resumed playing competitive chess for Sale chess club. When he changed flats he left Sale and joined Chorlton chess club. Another move followed his marriage and he joined the chess club at Eccles. During this period he played in the Manchester League and at various congresses. He qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in 1977. In 1987 Refuge Assurance left its Victorian premises on Oxford Street Manchester to move into custom-built offices in Wilmslow and Dave, now a middle manager with increased responsibilities, relocated to Bollington. At this point he gave up chess and concentrated on his career and family. The insurance industry was being radically restructured in the last decades of the twentieth century. Refuge Assurance merged with United Friendly and the combined firm was later taken over by Royal London. Dave worked on a variety of special projects arising out of these takeovers and mergers in addition to his technical work in life assurance and non-life insurance. Early in his career he specialized in probability and statistical work - which had also been my métier at college. For the last ten years of his employment he concentrated on pensions work, firstly as the Actuary to the firm's own pension scheme and secondly as Technical Manager of the Pensions Review, an operation that was set up to correct the mis-selling of pensions that had taken place when government regulation was relaxed in the 1980s. When he was with playing in the Manchester League his grading averaged 156, but he was given a nominal grade of 140 for Macclesfield and, as he had not played for 15 years, was placed on a low board in the first team. He so outplayed his first opponents that one questioned his estimated grading. Dave, a stickler for honesty, explained that before 1975 he had once been credited with a 167 grade. This information caused a rumpus and required some explaining before the discontent died down.

In 2006 there was a remarkable family coup with Denzil Lobo winning the SDCL Major and his son, James, the Minor. James is currently studying engineering at Cambridge. The latest winner from the club is Dave Risley who took the Major title in 2007.

The NSDCA second division title was held in 2004 and 2009 and shared in 2010. The last two occasions were under rules that limited the strength of teams to a certain number of grading points. This meant that Macclesfield were not able to put out their strongest side but could usually accommodate one moderately strong player in the line-up. The club initially opposed this idea because it meant that the league had no official promotion and relegation mechanism. The experience of playing teams that were nominally of similar strength ensured that the matches were all evenly contested since where one team put out a strong player on top board that was compensated for through the relative weakness of the rest of the side.

Some of the members of the Macclesfield A team from 2007 with the Stockport League Second Division trophy. At the rear, from the left, Geoff Laurence, Ray Pomeroy, Alan Sime; in the front row, from the left, Dave Risley, Tony Soames and Denzil Lobo.

A second team for the SDCL was entered for 1981-2, between 1986 and 1990 and from 1992 to the present; it won the SDCL fourth division title in 1988 and the third division title in 1989. A third team was entered in the same league between 2001 and 2008, but although it has been promoted and relegated it has not had the pleasure of winning any division outright. Last year the second team contained many players new to competitive chess and so a number of people who would have taken part in the second team had fewer games. This was owing to the absence of any volunteers to captain a third team. From the mid-eighties figures are available for the number of players registered to play in the SDCL and these suggest an active membership in the range of 20-26.

During the nineties the first team consisted of a mix of mathematics masters from The King's School in Macclesfield, scientists from Zeneca (the son of ICI) and software programmers. This professional bias has continued and in a recent match, three mathematicians, one doctor of medicine, one chemist and one biologist represented the club. This could be on a par, in terms of intellect, with the nineteenth century aspirations for the club. It would not be possible, however, to claim that the social status of the members was quite as high: the current Chairman is the head of the Mathematics Department at Kings School and the current secretary is a retired maths teacher from the same organisation, but of the present membership only one is a manager in local industry and there are no divines.

The journeys for the NSDCA matches remained as long as always with the ennui broken only by occasional intelligent conversations, the blathering of football pundits on the radio and in 1997 by the majesty of the Hale-Bopp comet. The club itself shone more briefly when it gained transient international renown in 2010, featuring in a BBC World Service programme entitled "Seeking the Endgame" in which the presenter, Simon Terrington, examined the current appeal of chess throughout the world. Simon had been a member of the club when he was ten years old. Geoff Laurence, Roy Gray and Alan Sime can be heard airing their views.

The Club Championship was revised in 2012 so that, after an initial phase, the top half competed for the old trophy and the bottom half for a new trophy, kindly donated by Ray Pomeroy. In the first season David Mallinson became the first holder of the Pomeroy Cup. David was then a new member who, despite his greying hair, had little experience of competitive chess. A history graduate, he now plays regularly for two of the club's teams when not in Spain or feeling the ill-effects from getting up at 4a.m. to do a milk round.

At the end of 2012 Alan Sime died. He was, true to form, playing chess on the Internet when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Ten days earlier he had competed for the B team against a very strong side from Marple and had registered a draw against a strong opponent. He had been a member of the club for forty-six years and was the Club Champion in 1974 and the joint winner of the Pollard Cup for rapid-play with Dave Risley in 2007. This poignant end for a stalwart member of the club is a suitable place to end the narrative phase of this history.

* * * * *

## SO WHAT?

Chess is a game for two people. What then are the reasons for the formation of a club and its continued existence? A club provides easy access to a variety of opponents through internal and external competitions, a forum for information exchange on chess ideas and news, and it provides social interaction. There are psychological benefits from playing in a team in that the individual's loss is diminished in the consolation of a team victory and the trauma of losing is shared with other losers. With a win the individual not only receives self-congratulation, but also the good wishes of his fellow team members, full hearted if they too have won, but if they have lost, a little envy may sidle in. When people are together over sustained periods a tendency to identify with that group is usual and this too produces psychological benefits, especially if the status of the club is equal or higher than the individual's self-assessment.

In the first few years after its formation there appeared to be a determined effort to ensure that the sporting and social status of the Macclesfield Chess Club was high; with members such as Blunden, Solly, Backhouse and Beach this was a credible approach. If there were indeed an initial period during which current members, or an executive, elected candidate members to the club then one might expect the membership would be of a single class. This is certainly the impression that reports attempt to give, but the presence of the titles of Doctor, Reverend and Justice of the Peace are more rare, when quantified, than superficial appearances suggest. The crisis of 1893-4 and the subsequent attempt to extend the membership through engagement with other chess circles in the town brought a slight reduction in the social status of the members, but this should not be seen as a dramatic change; there was still a tendency to highlight the game's appeal to the professional classes and many of its members continued to hold significant roles in the political, social, professional and commercial life of the town until at least the opening of the First World War. This is shown in the practice of enrolling the MP, the Vicar of Macclesfield, the President of the Conservative Party, the Mayor and the Mayor elect as Honorary Presidents and Vice-Presidents. After 1918 a more demotic ethos appears in which the leaders of society do not grace the club and it almost seems to escape media attention. This coincides with a period of readjustment in chess throughout the county and may be linked to sociological and economic changes during that period. The only employer amongst the active membership was Hyde and his firm was not as prominent as those of Solly or Backhouse had been. In the post WWII situation only the wealth of Stone is comparable to that of the earlier magnates. The individuals attending the club since 1980 suggests a much wider social spectrum than was seen previously, though the earlier evidence may be biased by the necessity of seeing the past through the filter of newspaper reports. There was certainly no attempt to portray the club in the post WWII period as upper-middleclass, but the number of graduates, especially in mathematics, is quite impressive.

In the second chapter I suggested that the supporters of the game in the late nineteenth century liked to think that chess was not only played by gentlemen, but also that it enhanced both intellectual and moral standards. The image of the Victorian gentleman no longer fits the modern player. It is also doubtful whether the intellectual standards are as high as the founders would have expected. In 1890 the rate of play in serious matches at the club was 18 moves per hour with adjudications at the end of the session; in 1951 it was slightly increased to 24 moves per hour with adjournments, allowing games to be played to a conclusion at the same rate of play; the current rate of 36 moves in 75 minutes and 15 minutes thereafter to finish the game was introduced in 1981 for the knockout competition and for all competitions after 2001. This quickplay finish reduces the amount of thought given to each move, especially when an endgame is entered, and the amount of time that people are prepared to expend on one game. In some ways this reflects the greater popularity of the game amongst a much wider section of the population in that league matches generally have to be played during the evening rather than over a weekend. In the present century the possibility that computers may be used for analysing adjourned positions led to a preference for finishing the game in one session; this does, however, lead to players effectively trying to win through more efficient use of their time rather than through the exercise of their chess skill. To some extent this process has been encouraged by an increase in the number of games played in a season.

How should we measure the vitality of a club? The length of its existence, the number of its members, its internal and external activities, the success it achieves in competitions, and the success that its members achieve are all possible criteria. The length of its existence, by itself, is not an adequate measure, as organisations may exist at a minimal level for some time before either becoming extinct or reviving through the activity of a charismatic leader. People such as Backhouse in 1894 and Stone in the 1950s are required in such emergencies. The number of members cannot be stated precisely for many periods due to the vagueness of the records. It is unlikely that it has exceeded thirty except on rare occasions. A list of twenty-six names is given for the year of formation, but few of these played in external matches for which scorecards are available and so it is not possible to confirm whether they were genuine members or just appeared on one or two evenings, or even merely expressed an interest on joining. Thereafter the reports of the numbers of members are couched in non-specific terms. In recent years too it is difficult to state the exact number as those who appeared for one session were often registered in hope of continued attendance. Roy Gray, the membership secretary, has collected the names of all those attending the club since 1976, but records of paid-up members are not always available and it does not get a mention in annual reports that have survived. In the current year twenty-six players are registered. This has been a year of marked activity for the club and in previous years within living memory the number has been in the higher teens. In the fifties and sixties the number was probably even smaller if the size of the venue is used as a measure.

External competitions are more likely to be the subject of newspaper reports. For the first two years these were arranged between clubs, generally on a home and away basis. This reached its peak in the second season and apparently fell away as the Cheshire Challenge Cup took precedence. Early departures from this knockout competition appear to have left the club with little further external competition for that season. This may be an artefact of reporting since any arranged friendly matches would have produced little in the way of prestige. This appears to have been the norm until the formation of the SDCL in 1951 and the club later joining the Stoke League. Thereafter the number of matches fluctuated depending on the number of teams raised by the club and by other clubs in the leagues; in this last season more than forty matches were played. Using this measure the club is a going concern.

The limited number of successes in external competitions might lead one to the conclusion that the club was almost moribund. A grand total of three Cheshire Challenge Cup successes, one SDCL Division 1 title and one Division 1 title in the Stoke league do not place it high in any interclub rankings. The four SDCL Division 1 titles held by the Icicals club from 1977-80 indicate of the chance nature of success: the chance of finding six young ambitious players working on one site among a large number of well educated employees at a time when Bobby Fischer had raised the media awareness of chess. The club did at least show ambition in the years 1976-82 when it re-entered the Cheshire Cup in combination with Icicals, but losing finalists was as good as it got. There is a tendency in looking at the past to highlight the successes (and failures) and ignore the sheer persistence of the players. It is inadequate then to use success as a measure of vitality; the winning of division 4 titles is every bit as worthwhile and the club may be vibrant without winning anything. This point of view does not meet with uniform acceptance: the Cheddleton Chess Club has for many years made a determined effort to use strong players from outside its geographical catchment area in order to perform well in local, regional and national leagues. This has, however, been combined with a determined effort to encourage young players and the result is a large club with many teams in a small town.

The number of internal competitions is difficult to gauge in many periods. In the earliest reports these appear to have been referred to infrequently. This suggests that most of the time members played off-hand games. This may have been the case, but there are alternative 'ladder' competitions to give some idea of internal club rankings. During the interwar years when two competitions are mentioned these would seem to play a large part in the life of the club owing to the lack of external competition. In the post war period the club championship was an important part of club life and it was well organised with a double-round final, but as the number of league matches increased it became less of a feature and was contested with a greatly reduced number of games. When one considers the wide range of chess abilities within a club the provision of only one competition is unlikely to fit the bill. At the moment the club runs three five-round rapid play handicap tournaments each year and these are almost invariably well supported.

An essential element for any chess club is the venue where it plays. The premises have been many and varied; the club has never owned its premises. The first was the YMCA in Mill Street, a building that has long vanished from the scene, but was home not only to prayer meetings but also to scientific lectures, appealing to both the moral and intellectual aspects of the Victorian chess player. Dr HM Fernie, a member of the club was also President of the Macclesfield YMCA. Christ Church Schools, the second venue in Pinfold Street, has also been demolished and replaced by a block of flats known as Simpson's Court. As has already been mentioned the club's President, Dr Beach, was headmaster of the school. The Old Grammar School House in King Edward Street has been demolished and on this occasion there is no obvious personal link with a club member. The Drill Hall in Bridge Street has been converted into apartments. The officers of the Cheshire Volunteers managed it and several members were either in the Volunteers or were connected to them. The Large Sunday School in Roe Street is now a Heritage Centre. The Parsonage Street Sunday school ran by the Unitarians was sold in 1904. One of the trustees was Mr Harold Matthews. It was subsequently used as a billiard hall, as part of a works owned by VD Plastics, Friedlanders doorbells and from 1952 as part of A Elkin's and the Elim Church has recently restored it to a place of religious observance. The Baptist School in St George's Street has been converted into business premises for a group of solicitors. These last three venues reflect a return to the moral bias of the members.

This interpretation of motives is rather flattering to the early members and it should be contested. It is more likely that at that time schools of all denominations were the most likely to possess suitable rooms that were available at times that the club met. The change of use of most of these buildings is an aspect of social history that might be explored (if it has not already been carried out).

Since 1947 the club has used Kings School, the Liberal Club in Exchange Street East, since demolished to make way for an Aldi supermarket, the Cavendish Café in Victoria Street, now a shop selling gift items, the Wesleyan School in Sunderland Street, which has been converted into offices for another group of solicitors, the Sunday School in Townley Street which is still run by the United Reform Church but is currently up for sale, the 'Nags Head' in Waters Green, the Cricket Club off Victoria Road and currently the New Liberal Club in Boden Street. The last three in this list are all licensed premises, though the bar at the cricket club was not open for the last season in which it was used because of the insufficient quantity of liquor consumed by the generally sober players.

If one looks at the clubs in the region at the time of Macclesfield's formation then none of the Manchester clubs currently exist under the same title, that of Crewe, Shaw and Royton have folded, perhaps temporarily. Chess clubs do remain in Bolton, Burnley, Wigan, Atherton, Rochdale and Northwich. Of course they also exist in Manchester, but in distinctly different forms from those seen in the nineteenth century. Although Macclesfield has existed (almost) continually over 125 years its level of activity has varied greatly and there have been seasons when it has probably been dormant. Despite this long existence there was no consciousness in the club of its history until Alan Smith provided information from his archives and the only connection with the pre-war club was the silver trophy for which the club championship is annually contested and at least one pottery chess set that is not used. It would be fair to say that the club's members in general concentrate on the present season and that which is forthcoming, with the exception of those who have been members over a long period and held office.

The steady organisers who have seen the club prosper over long periods are CH Johnson, Sydney Wild, WT Hyde, Don Stone, Alan Sime and Geoff Laurence. When the existence of the club was stable and the members were ambitious the 'expert' brand of leadership is likely to have been more influential and Dr Beach, G Mills-Palmer, JB Slater, Kevin Richardson and Jeff Spratt were important in this respect. Geoff Laurence and Tony Soames have contested numerous games with the sharpest variations of the French Winawer and the Leningrad Dutch; Geoff has played 1...Nc6 for many years after a decreasing interest in the French and his ideas have influenced others. Tony and Dave Risley have been examining the Scotch Game and these two players have annotated a number of games for the club website.

For the club to continue there needs to be both a core of people prepared to take responsibility for both internal organisation and relationships with other groups and a steady replacement of defaulting members. The success of the club is more likely if the responsible activists are competent and innovative. The experience of many years is that the maximum number of members that can reasonably be expected for the size of the Macclesfield catchment area is thirty. The number of strong players cannot be forecast, as it is dependent on freak circumstances, and in many ways this is not an important statistic while there are leagues and competitions that can satisfy the current members. Though a high rate of employment in intellectual concerns might seem to represent a possible source of experts it cannot be overlooked that many strong players are not academically or entrepreneurially gifted. The current economic climate is pessimistic and this has a negative effect both on the amount of income available for leisure expenditure and the amount of free time available. Though chess ought to be a relatively cheap pastime to pursue the need to hire premises at an economic rate and the national organisation's fascination with the support of professional players is putting a strain on the club's finances. One area where the club has failed over many years has been to stimulate and nurture the interest of schoolchildren, despite the presence of several teachers among its members.

* * * * *

## APPENDIX A – MEMBERS 1886-1937

In the tables below:

The Games column refers to the number of games recorded in published scorecards, see Appendix C.

The % column refers to the % scores made in these games, counting 1 for a win, 0.5 for a draw and 0 for a loss.

Those who have held office in the club at some time **are given in bold type**.

In the case of common names the assumption is made that this refers to one person.

* * * * *

## APPENDIX B – Representative Games

This section will only be of interest to chess players. It contains twelve games from before 1914 played by members of the club, though not necessarily when they were members, and ten from after 1966. The early games would seem to demonstrate a widespread weakness of skill, but one should remember that only short games would be published and there the loser must perpetrate a significant error just short of being termed a blunder. The original selection of these games would be intended for those who had no sophisticated understanding of the game. Those of us who have played for many years regret the general improvement in book knowledge and general ideas that have taken place: the days when opponents would regularly fall into 'well known' opening traps seem to have vanished and now it is usually hard work all the way to the end.

Most of the games before 1914 are open games, in the technical sense that they stem from 1 e4 e5, and many employ gambits since in such systems a single error often leads to disaster. Defensive abilities will not be displayed since a quick win is required for selection, but a canny reader at the time would surely pick up the idea that it is not always desirable to capture what is offered and it is not always required to defend against every threat if a greater threat can be created.

The post 1966 games display a wider selection of openings. The use of gambits remains though the defensive abilities displayed have meant that they are more likely to be based on positional themes such as the possession of a mobile pawn centre or a gain in space. Phil Malbon published games 14-17 for the club's bulletin and the Macclesfield player involved usually self-selected the remaining games. This has meant that more complex middlegames can be explored and even the endgame is reached.

I am the principal annotator of most of the following games. Even with the benefit of computer based analysis they cannot cover every slip from the perfect path to victory. I have generally avoided dogmatic opinions on openings as today's weak moves often have the potential to lead to new thoroughfares when viewed from a fresh perspective. The reader accustomed to such things will notice an avoidance of exclamation marks, question marks and various combinations of the two from the score – these would merely duplicate what is given in the notes and one person's exclamation mark is another person's obvious move. I wish to thank others who provided additional notes: Dave Risley for comments on most of the games and for notes to his own game (game 22), Philip Malbon (game 17 notes), and Pete Caulkett (game 18 notes).

Codes such as C45 refer to the ECO openings classification system.

* *

##### 1....G Beach – C Swallow 1879: King's Gambit Accepted, C33

1.e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Bc4 Qh4+ 4 Kf1 g5 5 Nc3 Bg7 6 d4 c6

A hole is created at d6, development is curtailed and the queen may be hemmed in on the sixth rank, so not a good move.

7 e5 Ne7 8 Nf3 Qh5 9 g3

Pawns are sacrificed to open lines for an attack on the queen.

9...fxg3 10 Kg2 gxh2 11 Rxh2 Qg4+ 12 Kf2 h6 13 Qd3 Qf5 14 Ne4 0-0 15 Nf6+ Bxf6 16 Qxf5 Nxf5 17 exf6 d5 18 Bd3

White could have pursued the attack more energetically and spectacularly with 18 Bxg5 dxc4 19 Rag1.

Be6 19 Ne5 Nd7 20 Ng4 Rfe8

White does not now win a piece by 21 Bxf5 Bxf5 22 Nxh6+. His position is so good that he can continue with calm development.

21 Bd2 Nh4 22 Nxh6+ Kf8 23 Bxg5 Ng6 24 Nf5 Bxf5 25 Bxf5 Nde5 26 Rh7 Red8 27 Rah1 Kg8 28 Rg7+ Kf8 28 R1h7 Ke8 30 dxe5 1-0

Published in the _Cheadle Herald_ 14th June 1879

* *

##### 2....G Beach – Hewson 1879: Evan's Gambit C52

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 Bxb4 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 0-0 dxc3 8 Qb3 Qf6 9 e5 Nxe5

The better move is 9...Qg6. In these early games it would seem that pawns are automatically captured even where this leads to difficulties.

10 Re1 d6 Bg5 Qg6 12 Nxe5 dxe5 13 Bxf7+ Qxf7 14 Rxe5+ Kf8 15 Qa3+ Ne7 16 Rxe7 Qh5

White now pursues the idea of winning the queen by means of a discovered check and wins quickly with a clever sequence, but...

17 Bh4

The correct path is 17 Rd7+ c5 (17...Kg8 18 Qg3 Kf8 19 Rd8 mate) 18 Qxc5+ Kg8 19 Qd5+ Kf8 20 Be7+ winning the queen for a rook.

17...Qd1+

Black could have muddied the waters with 17...c5.

18 Re1+ Qd6 19 Be7+ 1-0

Published in _Cheadle Herald_ 28th June 1879.

* *

##### 3....G Beach – Askew Cheadle v Burslem, 1881: Scotch Game, C45

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Qh4 5 Nb5 Bb4+ 6 c3

Mr Beach diverges from Blackburne – Steinitz, 1876, 6 Bd2 Qxe4+ 7 Be2 Kd8

6...Qxe4+ 7 Be3 Ba5 8 Nd2 Qe7 9 Nc4 d6 10 Qa4 Bb6 11 Nbxd6+

A pretty way to regain the pawn and give Black a weak d pawn.

11...cxd6 12 Nxb6 Rb8 13 Nd5 Qd8 14 0-0-0 Nge7 15 Bg5 f6 16 Nxe7 Qxe7

17 Bc4 Kf8 18 Rhe1 Qc7 19 Bf4 Ne5 20 Qb4 Nxc4

Alan Smith suggests a more resilient defence would be 20...Qxc4! 21 Qxd6+ Kf7 22 Bxe5 Be6!

21 Rxd6 1-0

Published in _Design & Work_ 22nd January 1881.

* *

##### 4....J Cotton – G Beach Cheadle, 1881: Two Knights' Defence, C55

1.e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Ng5 d5 5 exd5 Na5 6 Bb5+ c6 7 dxc6 bxc6 8 Ba4 h6 9 Nf3 e4 10 Ne5

A piece is lost for three pawns. He had to try 10 Qe2 Bc5 and then decide between 0-0, d3 and d4.

10...Qd4 11 Bxc6+ Nxc6 12 Nxc6 Qc5 13 Nxa7 Rxa7 14 0-0 Bg4

It is the rapidity of the subsequent attack that makes the game worth playing over.

15 Qe1 Qh5 16 Nc3 Bd6 17 g3 Bf3 18 h4 Ng4 19 d3 Qxh4 20 gxh4 Bh2 mate

Published in _Design and Work_ 11th June 1881

* *

##### 5....Mr G Beach – Mr A Grierson Manchester YMCA v Macclesfield, 1887: Irregular Defence, B00

1 e4 f6 2 e5 fxe5 3 d4 exd4 4 c3 dxc3 5 Bd3 cxb2 6 Qh5+ g6 7 Qxg6+

Mr Beach later apologized for adopting an unnecessarily flamboyant approach; capturing first with the bishop was quite sufficient.

7...hxg6 8 Bxg6 mate.

Published in the _Macclesfield Courier and Advertiser_ March 26th, 1887.

* *

##### 6....Mr Beach – Mr Stockton Macclesfield v Manchester Piccadilly, 1887: King's Gambit Accepted, C35

1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 Be7

The Cunningham defence

4 Bc4 Bh4+ 5 Kf1 d6

Today any player versed in basic opening principles would play 5...d5, giving back the pawn for easier development.

6.d4 Bg4 7 Bxf4 Qf6 8 g3 Bxf3 9 Qxf3 Bg5

Mr Beach notes that if 9...Qxd4, threatening the Bc4, then 10 Bxf7+ wins.

10 e5 dxe5 11 dxe5 Qd8 12 Bxf7+ Kxf7 13 Bxg5+ Nf6 14 exf6 gxf6 15 Nc3 Kg7 16 Rad1 Qf8 17 Bh4 Qf7 18 Kg2 Nc6 19 Qg4+ Qg6 20 Rd7+ Kf8 21 Qxg6 Resigns

Published in the _Macclesfield Courier and Advertiser_ April 9th, 1887.

* *

##### 7....Dr Beach – Mr Charney Macclesfield v Birkenhead, Cheshire Cup Final 1890: Philidor Defence, C41

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 Nd7

This is the original version of the Hanham variation. The system remains viable if 3...Nf6 4 Nc3 is inserted when Black is able to castle.

4 Bc4 Be7

This loses a pawn. It was necessary to play 4...c6, but all the variations seem to be good for White.

5 dxe5 Nxe5 6 Nxe5 dxe5 7 Qh5 g6 8 Qxe5 f6 9 Qb5+ Qd7 10 Qb3 Kf8 11 Bxg8 Rxg8 12 Bh6+ Rg7 13 Bxg7+

White has a material advantage and the better position; he went on to win.

Published in the _Macclesfield Courier and Advertiser_ 1890.

* *

##### 8....B Askew – Dr Beach 1896: Vienna Game, C27

1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4 d6 4 Nf3 Bg4

The variation with 3...d6 is passive; TD Harding ( _Vienna Opening_ , 1976) calls this move "interesting". The mainline is shown in game 13.

5 Bc4 Bxf3 6 Qxf3 Nc6 7 d3 Nd4 8 Qf2 Qd7

White could have avoided complications with 8 Qd1 and Black could have introduced them with 8...Ng4 9 Qg3 (9 Qd2 Qh4+ 10 Kf1 is passive) 9...Nc2+ 10 Kd1 Nxa1 11 Qxg4 when the knight at a1 cannot be safeguarded but it will be sometime before it can be captured.

9 h3 Ne6 10 f5 Nd8 11 Be3 Nc6 12 g4 h6 Qh4 0-0-0 14 g5 Ne8 15 g6 Be7 16 Qf2 Nf6 17 Bxf7 Kb8 18 Be6 Qe8 19 Nd5 Nd7 20 b4

White attacks forthrightly on both sides of the board, having kept the centre fixed.

20...b6 21 a4 Nf8 22 Bf7 Qd7 23 a5 Rc8 24 axb6 axb6 25 Bxb6

It was simpler to castle kingside and double rooks on the a-file.

25... cxb6 26 Nxb6 Qb7 27 Ra8+ Qxa8 28 Nxa8 Kxa8

Oops, 28...Nd4 29 c4 Bh4 30 Qxh4 Nf6+ 31Kf2 Nxh4 32 Ra1 Nd7 33 Kg3 Nxf5 34 exf5 with a difficult end game.

**29 Bd5 Nd7 30 b5 Ndb8 31 bxc6 Nxc6 32 Qb6 Bd8 33 Bxc6+ Rxc6 34 Qxc6+ Kb8 35 Ke2 Bc7 36 Ra1 Ba5 37 Rxa5** 1-0

Published in the _Staffordshire Sentinel_ 18th April 1896.

* *

##### 9....JH Blackburne – Anon Simultaneous exhibition against 25 players at Macclesfield Chess Club, December 1898: Hampe Gambit, C30

1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 f4 d6 4 Nf3 f6 5 Bc4 exf4 6 0-0 Bg4 7 d4 g5 8 h3

Played so that after White's next move Qxh5+ is threatened.

8...Bh5 9 Ne5

This is very pretty for the spectators.

9...Bxd1 10 Bxf7+ Ke7 11 Nd5 mate

This is known as Legal's mate.

Published in the _Macclesfield Courier and Advertiser_ 1898.

* *

##### 10....Dr Beach – Mr. Boucher Simpson's Divan, 1899: Philidor's Defence, C41

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 f5 4 Nc3 fxe4 5 Nxe4 d5 6 Nxe5 dxe4 7 Qh5+ g6 8 Nxg6 Nf6

Tony Kosten recommends 8...hxg6 to enter a battle with an unusual distribution of material and position( _Winning with the Philidor_ , 1992)

9 Qe5+ Kf7 10 Bc4+

Better than 10 Nxh8, though that too leads to an advantage according to Bilguer ( _Handbuch des Schachspiels_ , 1843).

10...Kg7

If Black plays 10...Kxg6 then White wins immediately with 11 Qg5 mate.

11 Nf4

This threatens 12 Qg5 mate and is the first divergence from modern opening theory, which suggests 11 Bh6+ Kxh6 12 Nxh8 Bb4+ 13 c3 Qxh8 14 cxb4 with a big advantage to White, but that would not be a miniature to publish.

11...Be7

This loses at once, as does 11...Bd6 12 Nh5+ Kf8 13 Bh6 mate; Black can only hang on with 11...h6 12 Be6

12.Nh5+ Kf8; 13.Bh6+, Ke8; 14.Nxf6 mate.

Published in the _Stockport Advertiser_ October 13th, 1899, when Dr Beach would have been 45 years old. The date is unclear. It is possible Dr Boucher was the professional at Simpson's Divan.

* *

##### 11....Joseph Blackburne – Dr George Beach Macclesfield Chess Club, blindfold game, 1900: Evans Gambit, C52

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 Bxb4 5 c3 Ba5 6 d4 exd4 7 0-0 dxc3

The "Evergreen" played between Anderssen and Dufresne in Berlin, 1853, continued 7...d3. Dufresne had also tried the move played here two years earlier against the same opponent. The correct defence was found by Mieses in his 1867 match against Andersen in Breslau and consisted of 7...Nge7 and 8...d5.

8 e5

Anderssen – Dufresne, Berlin 1851 continued 8 Qb3 Qf6 9 e5 Qg6 10 Nxc3 Nge7 11 Ba3 when Black had a difficult position. Beach played this against Hewson (game 2). Blackburne is taking Beach out of the usual channels.

8... b5 9 Bxb5 c2 10 Qxc2 Nge7 11 Rd1

An annotation in BCM, February1937, bizarrely claims this prevents Nc6 moving, because of Rxd7. It prevents the Nf6 moving because of Bxc6.

11...0-0 12 Nc3 Bb7 13 Ba3 Re8 14 Ng5

The BCM annotation helpfully informs of the threat 15 Qxh7+ Kf8 16 Qh8 mate.

14...g6

The alternative14... Ng6 allows 15 Nxf7 when 15. ...Kxf7 fails because of 16 Bc4+ Re6 17 Rxd7+ (more attractive than the equally effective 17 Qf5+ given in BCM) Qxd7 18 Qf5+ and White wins.

15 Nce4

The move is very strong as it focuses on the weaknesses at f6 and d7. Black is forced to sacrifice to stay in the game, but it is here that Dr Beach complicates the game masterfully making life difficult for the blindfolded player.

15... Nd5

"Strong play in an awkward position, freeing Knight and Bishop." BCM.

16 Rxd5 Nxe5 17 Rxe5

This error, not pointed out by BCM alters the balance of the game. White should capture on d7 with either the rook or the bishop; for example, after 17 Rxd7 Nxd7 18 Qb3 wins.

17... Rxe5 18 Bb2 Rxg5

"Not 18...Rxb5 19 Qc4

19 Nf6+ Qxf6

Black plays a (temporary) queen sacrifice. This is the only move that leads to a forced win. "Very fine and quite unexpected." BCM.

20 Bxf6 Rxg2+ 21 Kf1 Rxh2 22 Qb3

"White is defenceless. If 22 Bc3 Bf3 23 Ke1 Re8+ 24 Kd2 Rxf2+; or 22 Be5 Rh1+ 23 Ke2 Rxa1 24 Bxa1 Re8+" In both variations, as in the game, the queen is regained and Black has an excess of pawns.

22...Rh1+ 23 Ke2 Re8+ 24 Kd3 Rh3+ 25 Kc2 Rxb3 26 axb3 Bb6 27 Bxd7 Re2+ 28 Kc3 Rxf2 0-1

Blackburne, fond of hyperbole, described this as the most brilliant and interesting of all his lost blindfold games.

Published in _BCM_ February 1937.

* *

##### 12....CH Wallwork – G Mills-Palmer Manchester, 1905: Dutch Defence A84

1 d4 e6 2 c4 f5 3 Nc3 b6

This attempt to solve the problem of the white-squared bishop is well founded, but is not often played today.

4 e4 fxe4 5 Nxe4 Nf6 6 Bg5 Bb4+ 7 Nc3 Bb7 8 Nf3 Nc6 9 Bd3 Qe7 10 Qe2

White's queen is not safe on this square and will have to lose time later. White's king is safer on the kingside and he ought to go there immediately.

10...0-0-0 11 0-0 h6 12 Bd2 g5 13 a3 g4

Black adopts the classical approach to attacks on opposite sides where speed is of the essence.

14 Ne5 Nxd4 15 Qd1

Here we see the predicted loss of time consequent to his tenth move.

15...Bd6 16 Ng6 Qg7

More accurate would have been 16...Qf7 so that if 17 Nxh8 Qh5 with unbearable pressure on the castled king and he is threatening Rhg8 to win two pieces for the rook.

17 Nxh8

White is too materialistic; only by 17 Be3 can he set Black problems.

17...Rxh8 18 Nb5 Nf3+ 19 Kh1 Bxh2 20 gxf3

20 Qc2 Rg8 21 c5 at least keeps the game alive, but Black retains the advantage.

20...Qf7 21 Kxh2

The only way to avoid the immediate mate is 21 Rg1 Bxf3+ 22 Qxf3 gxf3 23 Bg6, but White is still struggling against the odds.

21...Qh5+ 22 Kg3 gxf3 23 Rg1 Qg4+ 24 Kh2 Qh4 mate

Published in the _Manchester Guardian_ October 20th, 1905.

* *

##### 13....A Sime – DE Stone Macclesfield Challenge Cup, 1966: Irregular opening

1 d4 e6 2 e4 Qh4 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Bd3 d5 5 g3 Qe7 6 e5 f6 7 Nf3 fxe5 8 Nxe5 Nc6 9 Qh5+

Alan has defended against the threats, developed his pieces and now sees one way to win the exchange.

9... **Kd8 10 Nf7+ Kd7 11 Nxh8 Nf6 12 Qf7**

Alan eschews all attempts to maintain an attack and exchanges queens as quickly as possible.

12...Nxd4 Qxe7+ Kxe7 14 a3 Ba5 15 Be3 e5 16 Bxd4 exd4 17 b4 Bxb4 18 axb4 dxc3 19 0-0 Bh3 20 Rfe1+ Kf8 21 Ng6+

The knight is lost, but White could have gained a tempo with 21 Ra3 Kg8 22 Rxc3 c6 23 Ng6 hxg6 24 Bxg6 when his control of the e-file should bring a quick win.

21...hxg6 22 Bxg6 Bd7 23 Re3 c6 24 Rxc3 Bh3 25 Re3 a5

One can only wonder how Black justified this move to himself. He can only hang on and hope.

26 Rxa5 Rxa5 27 bxa5 Bg4 28 Rb3 Bc1 29 Kg2

Alan points out that 29 a6 would be a much neater solution to the position as 29...bxa6 30 Rb8 wins the bishop and 29...b5 30 Ra3 again wins the bishop.

**29...Nd7 30 Bf5 Nc5 31 Bxc8 Nxb3 32 cxb3 Ke7 33 Bxb7 Kd7 34 a6 Kc7** 1-0

Alan notes that the competition was not completed that season and the gaps in the record may reflect that this was a common occurrence.

* *

##### 14....AR Soames – TJ Beach Cheshire v Merseyside, 1978: Vienna Gambit C29

1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4 d5 4 fxe5 Nxe4 5 d3 Nxc3 6 bxc3 d4 7 Nf3 Nc6 8 Be2 Be7

More commonly played is 8...Bc5 9 0-0 dxc3+ 10 Kh1 0-0 11 Qe1, but my opponent wanted to develop quickly and remove the e5 pawn.

9 0-0 0-0 10 Qe1 f6 11 exf6 Bxf6 12 Qg3 Re8

There are two obvious choices, the move played and 12...Qe7.

13 Bd1 Bf5 14 Rb1 b6 15 Ng5 Bg6

The alternative 15...Ne7 has the advantage of bringing another piece over to defend the king and allowing the pawn to advance to c5; it has the disadvantage of blocking the e file and providing what may be only a temporary defence of the bishop at f5, for example, 16 Bf4 c5 17 Bd6. The disadvantage of the 'solid' move is demonstrated immediately.

16 Bf3 Be5

If Black plays the obvious 16...Qd7 then 17 Qh3 maintains the pin on the knight forcing 17...Qd6 18 Bf4 Be5 (18...Qc5 19 Ne4 Bxe4 29 Bxe4 g6 30 Qf3 and the pin is strengthened) 19 Ne4 and Black is in difficulties.

17 Bf4

Even better is 17 Qg4 Qd6 18 Ba3 Qxa3 19 Bxc6 Qc5 (19...Qxc3 20 Bxa8 Rxa8 21 Qe6+ Kh8 22 Qxe4) 20 Bxa8 Rxa8 21 Qe6+ Kh8 22 Nf7+ Bxf7 23 Rxf7.

17...Bxf4 18 Qxf4 Rf8

Even if he goes 18...Qd7 19 Bg4 Qe7 20 Ne6 Black is still getting into difficulties.

19 Qg4

White could win spectacularly with 19 Qxf8+ If 19...Qxf8, then 20 Bd5+ Kh8 21 Rxf8+ Rxf8 22 Bxc6 wins a knight; or 19...Kxf8 20 Ne6+ wins even more material.

19...Bf5

Better is 19...Rf6 and White has only won a pawn after 20 cxd4.

20 Qh4 Qd7

Black has no long-term prospects after 20...h6 21 Bxc6 hxg5, but now the finish is quick.

**21 Bxc6 Qxc6 22 Rxf5** 1-0

* *

##### 15....P Butterworth – A Sime Stoke League, Division 3, 1981; Chigorin Defence, D07

1 d4 d5 2 e3 Nc6 3 c3 e5 4 dxe5 Nxe5 5 Nf3 Nxf3 6 Qxf3 Nf6 7 Nd2 Bd6 8 e4 0-0 9 Bd3 Re8 10 0-0 Bg4 11 Qe3 c6 12 Re1 Qc7 13 Nf1

This loses a pawn, 13 h3 was essential though Black retains the initiative after manoeuvring the bishop to g6.

13...dxe4 14 Bc2 b6 15 b3 Rad8 16 Bb2

This loses the Queen! The only defensive idea is 16 c4, followed by Rb1 and Bb2, which is very slow. White could resign after the next move, but he continues until he is mated.

16...Bf4 17 Qd4 Rxd4 18 cxd4 h6 19 g3 Bd6 20 Ne3 Bb4 21 Reb1 Qc8 22 a6 Bd2 23 Nc4 Bf3 24 Ne3 Bxe3 25 fxe3 Qh3 26 Kf2 Qg2+ 27 Ke1 Qe2 mate

* *

##### 16....P Bekaert – P Malbon BCF Congress, Morecambe 1981, King's Indian Defence, E74

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Be2 0-0 6 Bg5 c5 7 d5 Qa5 8 Bd2 a6 9 h4

"Announcing a clear intention of trying to attack my king", the notes are from Philip Malbon, transcribed to algebraic notation.

9...Qc7 10 a4 e6 11 g4 exd5 12 exd5 Re8 13 Kf1 Ne4 14 Nxe4 Rxe4 15 Qc1 f5 16 g5 Nd7 17 h5 Nf8 18 Bf3 Re7 19 Nh3 Bd7 20 Nf4 Rae8 21 Kg2 b5 22 axb5 axb5 23 hxg6 hxg6 24 Bc3 bxc4 25 Bxg7 Rxg7 26 Qxc4 Qd8

"The assault on my king has not really materialised and now Bekaert is saddled with a weak g pawn."

27 Nh3 Nh7 28 Qf4 Bb5 29 Rhe1 Rge7

"I would now like to play Be7, exchange the bishops and establish a rook on e4. My opponent obviously felt that this was such a threat that he decided to give up the g pawn to prevent it."

30 Qd2

White overlooks a tactical idea. He should play 30 Re6 when 30...Rxe6 31 dxe6 Rxe6 32 Bd5 wins the exchange.

30...Rxe1 31 Rxe1 Rxe1 32 Qxe1 Nxg5 33 Bd1 Nxh3 34 Qe6+ Kg7 35 Kxh3 Qf6 36 Qc8 Qxb7

This is greedy, more straightforward is 36...Bf1+ 37 Kh2 (Kg3 Qg5+ 38 Kf3 Qg4+) Qh4+ 38 Kg1 Qh3 39 Bf3 Qxf3 40 Kxf1 Qxd5 and White has a lost ending.

37 Qc7+ Kh6 38 Qxd6 Bf1+

"I had no time on the clock to work out what happens after 38...Qxf2 39 Qf8+."

39 Kg3 Qc3+ 40 Bf3 Qd4 41 Qf8+ Kg5 42 Qe7+ Qf6 43 Qc7

"Preventing mate and threatening mate with the same move."

**43...Kh6 44 Kh2 Qh4+ 45 Kg1 Bd3 46 Qxc5 Qg5+ 47 Kh2 Qh4+** =

"With the white d pawn threatening to advance I felt I had better accept the perpetual check."

* *

##### 17....PWR Caulkett – T Fielding Macclesfield v ICI A 1981, Cochrane Gambit, C42

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nxf7!!

Given for effrontery. "In his very good book '200 Open Games', David Bronstein offers the opinion that every serious chess player should give it a try, and Ray Keene says that 'free spirits may feel that this is worth a try against the solid Petroff'." (Pete Caulkett).

4...Kxf7 5 d4 Be7

"5.... Nxe4? fails to 6. Qh5+, and White quickly cleans up. The best move, according to Keene, is 5.... g6, and then, e.g. 6 Nc3 Qe8 7 Bc4+ Be6, etc."

6 Qf3

"6 Nc3 Re8 7 Bc4+ Kf8 and 1-0 in 36 moves (P Caulkett – W Annand, 1985)." This is more logical than the queen development, but what has logic got to do with it?

6...Bg4 7 Qf4 Nc6 8 c3 Ke8 9 Nd2 Bh5 10 Bc4 Rf8 11 0-0 d5

White would be forced to start from scratch after 11...Ng4 12 Qg3 Bh4.

12 exd5 Nxd5 13 Qe4 Nf6 14 Qe3 Qd6 15 Ne4 Nxe4 16 Qxe4 Bg6 17 Qe2 Bf7 18 Bb5 Kd8 19 Be3 a6 20 Ba4 b5 21 Bc2 Bc4 22 Bd3 Bxd3 23 Qxd3 g6 34 Rac1 Kc8 25 c4 b4 26 d5 Ne5 27 Qe4 c5

Desperation, but White's pawns were threatening.

28 dxc6 Nxc6

Perhaps the last chance for Black to contest the result is 28...Rf6 29 Rfd1 Qc7.

**29 Rfd1 Qc7 30 Qe6+ Kb8 31 Rd7 Rf6 32 Qd5 Qe5 33 Qxe5+ Nxe5 34 Rxe7 Nf7 35 Rd1 Rf5 36 Rdd7** 1-0

* *

##### 18....J Miller – AR Soames C&NW v Leicestershire, board 13, Chester, 1982, Sicilian Dragon B74

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be2 Bg7 7 Be3 Nc6 8 Nb3 0-0 9 0-0 a5 10 a4 Be6 11 f4 Qc8 12 h3 Rd8 13 Qe1

I had expected 13 Bb6 Rd7 14 f5, after which I had intended 14...Bxb3 15 cxb3 d5 16 exd5 Nb4, but 17 Rc1 would seem to be a good response. However, 14...Bc4 would lead to a complex position in which Black can make some contributions. The prophylactic 13 Rc1 may best, but after 13...Nb4 Black is ready to play d5 whenever suitable.

13...Nb4 14 Nd4 Bc4

The threat is 15...Nxe4 16 Nxe4 Bxd4 17 Bxd4 Nxc2 18 Qd1 Bxe2 19 Qxe2 Nxd4 winning two central pawns.

15 Rc1 Ra6 16 Qf2 Bxe2 17 Qxe2 Nh5 18 Rf3

18 Qf3 doubles on the f file and prevents the next tactic. Black could then respond with 18...Qc4, guarding f7 and so reintroducing the tactic with an exciting game in prospect.

18...Nxf4 19 Rxf4 e5 20 Nf5

This wiped the smug expression off my face and I settled down to a long think. Better players would have anticipated the move; even better players would have been less concerned.

20...gxf5 21 Rxf5 d5

A glance revealed that it was now my opponent's turn to indicate he had missed something.

22 Qh5

This is an empty threat against f7 and is not worth a knight. White must play 22 Bg5 f6 23 Bd2 dxe4 24 g4 and White's mobility counteracts the pawn deficit.

22...d4 23 Qxf2+ Kh8 24 Bg5 Rf8 25 Qe7 dxc3 26 Rcf1

White could lengthen the struggle with 26 Rxf8+ Qxf8 27 bxc3 Qxe7 28 Bxe7 Nc6.

**26...Rxf5 27 exf5 cxb2 28 f6 Bf8 29 Qxe5 Qc5+ 30 Qxc5 Bxc5+ 31 Kh2 Nxc2 32 f7 Kg7 33 Bf6+ Rxf6+** 0-1

* *

##### 19....G Kasparov – Alan Reid Simultaneous Display, 1989, QGD Tarrasch, D34

1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 Nf3 Nf6 6 g3 Nc6 7 Bg2 cxd4 8 Nxd4 Bc5 9 Nb3 Bb4 10 0-0 Be6 11 Bg5 Bxc3 12 bxc3 h6 13 Bxf6 Qxf6 14 Bxd5 Bxd5 15 Qxd5 0-0 16 Rac1 Rfe8 17 e3 Re5 18 Qd1 Rd8 19 Nd4

Alan has been outplayed in one of Kasparov's favourite openings and has given up a pawn, but the activity of his pieces in a relatively open position gives him some chances against the circulating player.

19...Ra5 20 Qe2 h5

This looks aggressive and it actually plays a part in the rescue, but it is also weakening; preferable is 20...a6.

21 Rfd1 Ne5 22 f4 Ng6

Alan takes the pressure off the centre and is now driven back.

23 e4 Qe7 24 e5 h4 25 Rd2 Qc5 26 Kg2 Rxa2

This sacrifice of the exchange is unnecessary as 26...Qc8 is possible with infiltration on the white squares. One should not be too harsh as in a simultaneous exhibition one has to move when the master arrives at the board. Engaging in tactics with Kasparov indicates courage on Alan's part and this may have influenced the result.

27 Rxa2 Rxd4 28 cxd4 Qxc1 29 d5 Ne7 30 d6 Qc6+ 31 Qf3 h3+ 32 Kf2 Qc5+ 33 Qe3 Qd5 34 dxe7

The world champion has played excellently up to this point. He could have continued with 34 Re2 Nc6 35 e6 fxe6 36 Qxe6+ Qxe6 37 Rxe6 Kf7 38 f5 etc.

34...Qxa2+ 35 Kf3 Qd5+ 36 Qe4

White does not avoid perpetual check. One imagines that Kasparov was annoyed that he had dissipated such an advantage and so opted, pragmatically, for the immediate draw, having already won most of his games, he might have been rewarding Alan for his plucky performance.

36...Qd1+ 37 Ke3 Qe1+ =

* *

##### 20....G Laurence – V Knox Stockport v Macclesfield SDCL 2000, Blumenfeld Gambit

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 c5 3 d5 e6 4 c4 b5 5 dxe6 fxe6 6 cxb5 d5 7 e3 Bd6 8 Nc3 0-0 9 g3

Geoff deviates from Tarrasch – Alekhine Pistyan 1922 when after 9 Be2 Bb7 10 b3 Nbd7 11 Bb2 Qe7 Alekhine developed a strong attack.

9...Bb7 10 Bg2 Nbd7 11 0-0 Qe8 12 Ng5

Geoff highlights the deficiency of 11...Qe8 and exchanges knights to reduce the attack.

12...h6 13 Nge4 Be5 14 Nxf6+ Nxf6 15 a4 Rd8 16 Bd2 Ba8 17 Rb1 h5 18 Qe2 h4 19 Be1 Qg6 20 Rc1 Bd6 21 Qc2 Qh6 22 Qe2 e5 23 Rd1 e4

The Black pawn structure has a similar dynamic appearance to that in the aforementioned game, but Geoff is ready to disrupt the centre.

24 f3 hxg3 25 Bxg3 Bxg3 26 hxg3 Qg5 27 fxe4 Qxg3

Vic misses the best line, 27...dxe4 when White's pawns are difficult to defend.

28 Qf3 Qh4 29 Qh3 Qxh3 30 Bxh3 dxe4 31 Rxd8 Rxd8 32 Rf5 Rd3

Passive defence would have been equally hopeless

33 Rxc5 Rxe3 34 Rc8+ Kh7 35 Rxa8 Rxh3 36 Rxa7 e3 37 Re7 Rg3+ 38 Kf1 Rf3+ 39 Ke2 Rf2+ 40 Kxe3 Rxb2 41 Kd4 Rb3 42 Kc4 Rxc3+

This tactic is fails because the White king can shepherd home the advanced pawn.

43 Kxc3 Nd5+ 44 Kc4 Nxe7 45 b6 g5 46 Kc5 Resigns

Geoff's last move was sealed but he revealed it afterwards, knowing he was winning in all variations.

* *

##### 21....M Carpenter – D Risley Macclesfield A v Chorlton SDCL 2006, Nimzo-Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 f3 d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 c5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 e3 Bf5 9 Ra2

The usual move is 9 Ne2, followed up with 9...0-0 10 g4. This novelty is not bad as the rook has more squares to access on the second rank than on the first.

9...0-0 10 Ne2 Nc6 11 Nf4

"I had expected Ng3. Putting the knight on f4 seems far too ambitious. White's rooks are disconnected and will be so for a while. His bishops are not yet developed. More importantly, he hasn't brought his king to safety before he launches his knight to the fourth rank. Better is 11.dxc5 Qa5 12.Nd4 Bg6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Qd4 Nd7 with an unclear position." (Notes in quotation marks by Dave Risley) Alternatively White could play 11 g4.

11...Rc8 12 g4

"This came as a complete surprise. White intends to chase the Black minor pieces from the kingside, slide his queen rook across to the g- or h-file and crush Black."

12...Bxg4

"I want to open lines against the White king but I wasn't certain whether to give up the knight or the bishop. After some inconclusive calculation I decided on the basis of Capablanca's dictum 'queen and knight combine better than queen and bishop'."

13 fxg4 Ne4 14 Bg2

"Martin thought for a long time about how to deal with the multiple threats. I did a bit of calculating and then decided to save my energy. Relatively best is 14 Rf2: for example 14...Qh4 15 Qc2 Nxd4 16 exd4 Rfe8 17 Be3 Nxf2 18 Qxf2 Rxe3+ 19 Be2 Qxf2+ 20 Kxf2 cxd4 21 cxd4 Rxa3 with a difficult endgame for both players – but I would rather have the connected passed pawns!"

14...Qh4+ 15 Kf1 Nxc3 16 Qd2 Nxa2 17 Bb2

"I had assumed that Martin would take the knight immediately and had calculated 17 Qxa2 cxd4 18 exd4 Nxd4 with a second Black knight coming to terrorise the White king."

17...cxd4 18.exd4 Ne7 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Bxd5 Qxg4 21.Qf2

"If 21 Bxa2, then Qf3+ is best when the reply to 22 Kg1 is 22...Rc6."

21...Qh3+ 22.Kg1 Nc3

"22...Qd3 is even stronger, for example 23 h4 Rc2 24 Rh3 Qd1+ 25 Qf1 Qg4+."

**23.Bf3 Rfe8 24.d5 Qf5 25.Qg2 Qb1+** 0-1

* * * * *

## Appendix C: Scorecards 1887-1920

The home team are in the left column, where the match is played on a neutral ground the order is arbitrary. The matches were usually played one week before the report.

##### Season 1.1

Manchester Piccadilly 15 -vs- Macc 2

1 - R Stockton- - - - G Beach - - - - 0

1.5 R Whatmough - Lieut. Backhouse 0.5

2 - J Butler- - - - - - T Johnson - - - 0

1.5 R Jackson- - - - GH Blunden - -0.5

2 - G Roberts- - - - -C Pierpoint - - 0

2 - T H Reynolds- - S Moss - - - - -0

2 - R Foote- - - - - - -J Albinson - - 0

2 - FJ Randall- - - - - T Simister - - 0

1 - J Vickers- - - - - - S Beesley - - -1

**Reported 19** th **March 1887** in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ and one result, that of Vickers v Beesley, originally given as a draw, was corrected the next week.

1.2

Manchester YMCA 10.5 -vs- Macc 3.5

0.5 A Grierson- - - G Beach - - - 1.5

2 - WB Shaw- - - - Rev E Seeley 0

2 - A Dyer- - - - - - T Johnson - - 0

0.5 J Worthington - GH Blunden 0.5

2 - JC Stokee- - - - -C Pierpoint - 0

2 - W Gibson- - - - -J Albinson - -0

0.5 C Lewis- - - - - -T Simister - 1.5

1 - GB Cuff- - - - - -E Bullock - - 0

Reported 26th March 1887 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

1.3

Macc 7-vs- Manchester Piccadilly 11

1.5 G Beach- - - - - - - Stockton- - - 0.5

0.5 Lieut. Backhouse - Whatmough 1.5

1 - Rev E Seeley- - - - -Rink - - - - - 0

0 - S Moss- - - - - - - - -Butler - - - - -2

1 - GH Blunden - - - - -Jackson\-- - - -0

0.5 Mr Guttridge - - - - Roberts - - - -1.5

1 - Dr HM Fernie - - - -Foote - - - - - 1

1 - J Albinson- - - - - - Randall- - - 1

0 - T Simister- - - - - - Vickers- - - 2

0.5 S Beesley- - - - - - Williamson 1.5

Reported 9th April 1887 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 2.1

Macclesfield 9-vs- Northwich 5

1.5 G Beach- - - - Hewitt -1.5

0 - Default- - - - - Padgett- 2

1 - GH Blunden - Fletcher 0

2 - T Simister- - - Brown - 0

1 - FE Wilson- - - Dixon - 1

1 - T Johnson- - - Taylor - 0

1 - J Albinson- - - Weston-0

1.5 W Hooley- - - Okell - -0.5

Played in St Ann's Chess Club rooms in Manchester. Reported 5th November 1887 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_. Macclesfield's defaulter is Backhouse.

2.2

Crewe 5.5-vs- Macclesfield 10.5

0.5 Ward- - - G Beach - - - - - - 1.5

0 - Woolley - Lieut. Backhouse-1

0 - Griffiths - GH Blunden - - - -2

1 - Darling - -T Simister - - - - -1

2 - Mellor - - FE Wilson - - - - - 0

1 - Cheshire - T Johnson - - - - - 1

1 - Rainsford - J Albinson - - - - 1

0 - Killiner - - E Bullock - - - - - 1

0 - Plant- - - - Mr Lomas - - - - - 1

0 - Crank- - - - S Beesley- - - - - 1

Reported 19th November 1887 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

2.3

Macc 4-vs- Manchester 4th Class 4

1 - G Beach- - - - - - - G Duerdon - -0

1 - Lieut. Backhouse - F Reynor- - -0

1 - Rev E Seeley - - - -H Collett- - - 0

1 - GH Blunden - - - - W Allott- - - -0

0 - T Johnson- - - - - - W Yates- - - -1

0 - Dr HM Fernie - - - AS Page- - - -1

0 - T Simister- - - - - - JE Storey - - -1

0 - J Albinson- - - - - - HW Bloomer-1

Reported 17th December 1887 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

2.4

Macc 9 -vs- Manchester Piccadilly 5

(Three Players Barred)

1.5 G Beach - - - - AB Pink - -0.5

0.5 Rev E Seeley - J Butler - -1.5

0 - Dr HM Fernie - G Roberts - 1

0 - GH Blunden - - RT Jackson-1

2 - T Johnson - - - -R Foote- - - 0

1 - J Albinson - - - FJ Randall - 1

2 - A Solly- - - - - -WD Bailey- 0

2 - T Simister - - - -S Hobson - -0

Reported 28th January 1888 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

2.5

Macclesfield 11.5 -vs- Crewe 9.5

2 - G Beach- - - - - - - -J Wooley - - - - - - 0

1 - GH Blunden- - - - - T Darwin - - - - - - 0

1 - A Solly- - - - - - - - J Mellor - - - - - - - 1

1 - T Johnson- - - - - - Rev WG Balnsford 1

1 - Rev F Richardson - T Killiner - - - - - -1

1 - Dr HM Fernie - - - Cheshire - - - - - - - 1

1 - J Albinson- - - - - - J Bettany - - - - - - 1

1 - T Simister- - - - - - W Crank - - - - - - -1

0.5 FE Wilson- - - - - - F Butler - - - - - - -1.5

2 - J Dale- - - - - - - - - -Moreton - - - - - - 0

0 - W Hooley- - - - - - - Doeler - - - - - - - 2

Reported 10th March 1888 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

2.6

Manchester Piccadilly 7 -vs- Macc 6

(Three Players Barred)

0.5 AB Pink- - - - - Mr G Beach - 1.5

1.5 G Allan- - - - - -Rev E Seeley 0.5

0 - G Roberts- - - - -GH Blunden 1

2 - R Foote- - - - - - T Johnson- - 0

0 - TH Reynolds- - -A Solly- - - -2

1 - WD Bailey- - - - T Simister- - 0

2 - FJ Randall- - - - -J Dale - - - - 0

0 - E Harrop- - - - - -H Rowson- - 1

Reported 31st March 1888 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 3.1

Macclesfield 8-vs- Northwich 3

2 - Dr G Beach- - - - - -DB Hewitt- - - 0

0.5 Lieut. Backhouse - AC Padfett- - - 0

0.5 GH Blunden- - - - - EB Harlock - - 0.5

1.5 A Solly- - - - - - - - WH Goodman 0.5

1.5 T Johnson- - - - - - -C Taylor - - - -0.5

1 - T Simister- - - - - - -AM Weston- - 0

1 - H Rowson- - - - - - -A Atherton- - -1

Reported 15th December 1888 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

3.2

Macclesfield 7-vs- Crewe 11

2 - Dr G Beach- - - - - -Darling- - -0

0.5 Lieut. Backhouse - Woolley - -1.5

1 - GH Blunden - - - - -Slight - - - 1

0.5 Dr HM Fernie - - - J Griffith - 1.5

0 - T Johnson- - - - - - -Bettany- - -2

0.5 J Dale- - - - - - - - - Butler - - - 1.5

0.5 Rev F Richardson - Dooler - - 1.5

1 - T Simister, jun - - - Walley - - -1

1 - Mr Blunt- - - - - - - -W Griffith-1

Reported 19th Jan 1889 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_. One board was defaulted by Macclesfield due to the non-appearance of Mr Phelps.

3.3

Cheshire Cup, round 1

Crewe 5.5-vs- Macclesfield 5.5

0 - Mr Ward- - - - - - - -Dr Beach - - - - - 1

1 - Mr O'Beirne, sen. - Lieut. Backhouse 0

0 - Mr Woolley - - - - - GH Blunden - - - 1

0 - Mr Darling- - - - - - A Solly JP - - - - -1

0 - Dr Crutchley - - - - -Dr HM Fernie - - 1

1 - Mr O'Bierne, jr - - - T Johnson - - - - -0

0.5 Mr Plant- - - - - - - - T Simister, sen - 0.5

0 - Mr Griffiths - - - - - Mr Richardson- - 1

1 - Mr Slight- - - - - - - -J Albinson - - - - 0

1 - Mr Dooler- - - - - - -T Simister, jr - - -0

1 - Mr Walley- - - - - - -J Dale - - - - - - - 0

Reported 16th March 1889 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

3.4

Cheshire Cup, round 1, replay

Macclesfield 4-vs- Crewe 6

1 - Dr G Beach (sic) - O'Bierne- - -0

1 - GH Blunden - - - - Darling- - - -0

1 - Lieut. Backhouse - Woolley- - -0

0.5 A Solly- - - - - - - -Plant - - - - - 0

0 - Dr HM Fernie - - - Freeman- - - 1

0 - Mr Richardson - - -O'Bierne, jr-1

0 - T Simister- - - - - - Morgan- - - -1

0 - T Johnson- - - - - - Slight - - - - -1

0 - J Albinson- - - - - - Dooler - - - -1

0 - T Simister, jr- - - - Butler - - - - -1

1 - Mr Richardson - - -Brodie - - - - 0

Reported 6th April 1889 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_. The presence of two Mr Richardsons is puzzling as only the Rev F Richardson is otherwise noted.

##### Season 4.1

Cheadle Hulme 3.5-vs- Macclesfield 12.5

0 - Mr Einerson - - - - - -Dr G Beach (capt)- -2

0 - Mr Ashwell- - - - - - -Lieut. Backhouse- - 2

0 - Mr Hedgecock - - - -GH Blunden (sec'ry)-1

0 - Mr Gilbers (sec'ry) - Dr HM Fernie - - - - 2

0 - Mr Stockwell - - - - -T Simister - - - - - - - 2

1 - Mr Whitacre - - - - - -T Simister, jun - - - -1

0.5 Mr Dutton- - - - - - - -J Albinson - - - - - 1.5

1 - Mr J Rome- - - - - - - H Rowson - - - - - - -0

1 - Mr Gray- - - - - - - - - W Hooley - - - - - - -0

0 - Mr JH Rome - - - - - -H Boston - - - - - - - 1

Reported 2nd November 1889 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_. Played at the mansion of Mr J Ashwell.

4.2

Macclesfield 10 -vs- Crewe 4

0 - Dr G Beach- - - - - -Freeman- -1

0 - Lieut. Backhouse - -Woolley- -1

2 - GH Blunden - - - - -Darling - - 0

1 - Rev F Richardson - Slight - - - 1

1 - T Johnson- - - - - - -Dooler - - -0

2 - T Simister, jun- - - -Hampson- 0

1 - W Hooley- - - - - - -Butler - - - 0

1 - H Rowson- - - - - - -Brooks - - 0

2 - Dr HM Fernie - - - -Warburton-0

Reported 8th March 1890 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_. There is an error.

4.3

Macclesfield 6-vs- Northwich 1

1 - Dr G Beach- - - - - Dr Hewitt - - - - 0

0.5 Lieut. Backhouse - Mr Padgett - - -0.5

1 - GH Blunden - - - - -Dr Brown- - - - 0

0.5 Dr HM Fernie - - - Mr Goodman- - 0.5

1 - T Simister- - - - - - -Mr Dixon- - - - 0

1 - T Simister, jun- - - -Rev G Weston- 0

1 - T Johnson- - - - - - -Mr Atherton- - -0

Reported 15th March 1890 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

4.4

Cheshire Cup Final

Macclesfield 1.5-vs- Birkenhead 5.5

1 - Dr G Beach - - - - -Charney- - 0

0 - GH Blunden- - - - -Helsby - - -1

0 - Lieut. Backhouse - Cooke - - - 1

0 - Mr Marton- - - - - -Reinhar[d]t-1

0 - Dr HM Fernie- - - -Isaacs - - - -1

0 - T Simister junior - -Balden - - -1

0.5 T Johnson- - - - - - McNicoll - -0.5

Reported 3rd May 1890 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 5.1

Internal Club Match score 2- 9

1 Dr Beach- - - - - Lieut. Backhouse-1

0 ? Boston- - - - - - T Simster, jr - - - 2

0 W Hooley- - - - -H Rowson - - - - -2

1 H Boston- - - - - H Corbishley - - - 1

0 Mr Williams- - - J Smith - - - - - - - 2

0 W Smith- - - - - -GC Beach - - - - - 1

Reported January 17th 1891 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_. The match was played on the previous Wednesday evening.

5.2

Macclesfield 5.5-vs- Crewe 4.5

1 - Dr G Beach- - - - - -Freeman - 0

0.5 Lieut. Backhouse - Woolley - 0.5

0.5 A Solly- - - - - - - - - Darling - 0.5

0 - T Johnson- - - - - - - -Slight - - 1

0 - T Simister sen- - - - -Dooley - 1

0.5 T Simister, jun - - - -Brooks - 0.5

1[a] Rev F Richardson - Broady - 0[a]

1 - W Hooley- - - - - - - Shipman - 0

0 - Mr Boston- - - - - - - Hampson-1

1 - H Rowson- - - - - - - Ramsford-0

Reported 14th February 1891 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

[a] = Adjudicated

5.3

Cheshire Cup Final

Macclesfield 3-vs- Birkenhead 3

1 Dr G Beach- - - - - P[C]harney-0

0 Lieut. Backhouse - Jackson- - -1

1 A Solly- - - - - - - - Helsby - - - 0

0[d] T Johnson- - - - Cook - - - - 1

1 T Simister sen- - - -Bailden- - -0

0 T Simister jr- - - - -Lewin - - - -1

Reported 21st March 1891 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

[d]= a game lost by default.

5.4

Cheshire Cup Final, replay

Macclesfield 3-vs- Birkenhead 3

1 - Dr G Beach- - - - - - Mr Charney-0

1[a] Lieut. Backhouse - Mr Jackson- 0[a]

0[a] A Solly JP- - - - - - Mr Helsby- -1[a]

0.5[a] H Rowson- - - - - Mr Cook - - -0.5[a]

0.5 T Simister jun - - - - Mr Bailden - 0.5

0 - T Simister sen- - - - - Dr Pearson - 1

Reported 18th April 1891 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

[a] = Adjudicated

5.5

Cheshire Cup Final, second replay

Macclesfield 2-vs- Birkenhead 4

1 Dr Beach- - - - - - - Charney - 0

0 Lieut. Backhouse - Helsby - - 1

1 A Solly JP- - - - - - Reinhardt -0

0 H Rowson - - - - - - Cook - - - 1

0 T Simister sen- - - - Jackson- -1

0 T Simister jr- - - - - Bailden- - 1

Reported 16th May 1891 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 6.1

Cheshire Cup, first round

Crewe 2.5 -vs- Macclesfield 5.5

0 - J Woolley- - - G Backhouse-1

0.5 T Darling- - - A Solly - - - - 0.5

1 - T Brooks- - - T Simister, jr - 0

0 - WT Slight- - -T Johnson- - -1

0 - J Dooley- - - -J Albinson- - -1

1 - D Hampson - H Rowson- - -0

0 - C Broady- - - H Boston- - - -1

0 - J Mellor- - - - H Corbishley- 1

Reported 14th November 1891 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

6.2

Macclesfield 5-vs- Crewe 2

1 Lieut. Backhouse - - Mr [J] Woolley -0

1 Dr G Beach- - - - - - Mr Brookes - - - 0

1 Mr [A] Solly- - - - - -Mr Dooler - - - -0

0 Mr [T] Johnson- - - -Mr Darling - - - 1

[1]* Mr [J] Albinson - Mr Mellor - - - -0

0 Major Bates- - - - - - Mr Hampson - -1

1 Master Beach- - - - - Mr Colclough - 0

Reported 26th March 1892 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

* The loss given for Mr Albinson must be a typographical error.

##### Season 7.1

Macclesfield 8-vs- Leek 0

2 Dr Beach- - - - - - -Mr HG Lavington-0

1 Mr G Backhouse - Mr F Wardfa - - - -0

2 Mr T Simister jr - -Mr W Leech - - - - 0

1 Mr T Johnson- - - -Mr GH Hall - - - - -0

2 Mr H Rowson- - - -Mr GC Wardle- - -0

Reported 24th December 1892 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

7.2

Macclesfield 4-vs- Crewe 4

1 Mr Backhouse- Mr Woolley- -0

1 Mr Solly- - - - - Mr Shipman- -0

0 Mr Simister jr- -Mr Brooks - - 1

0 Mr Bates- - - - - Mr Slight - - -1

0 Mr Rowson- - - Mr Colclough-1

0 Mr Corbishley - Mr Broady - -1

1 Mr Boston- - - - Mr Lowe - - - 0

1 Mr Beach jr- - - Mr Slight jr- - 0

Reported 21st January 1893 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 8.1

Macclesfield 6-vs- Stockport 1

1 - Dr Beach - - - - Bedford- - - 0

0.5 A Solly - - - - - Burtinshaw -0.5

1 - G Backhouse - - H Morley- -0

1 - FK Williamson -J Goulden - 0

1 - G Beach jr- - - - J Leah - - - -0

1 - D Johnson- - - - W Heppie- - 0

0.5 H Rowson - - - -J Critchlow 0.5

Reported 23rd December 1893 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 9.1

Cheshire Cup, second round

Macclesfield 5-vs- Hyde 3

1 Dr Beach- - - - - unknown- 0

1 Mr A Solly- - - - unknown-0

1 Mr J Johnson- - -unknown-0

1 Mr GC Beach- - unknown -0

1 Mr Heffernan- - unknown -0

0 unknown- - - - - unknown -1

0 unknown- - - - - unknown -1

0 unknown- - - - - unknown -1

Reported 16th February 1895 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

9.2

Club Match

Dr Beach 9-vs- Lieut. Backhouse's side 9

2 Dr Beach - - - - - - - - Lieut. Backhouse-1

1 Mr J Johnson- - - - - - Mr A Solly JP - - 2

1 Mr C Heffernan - - - - Mr GC Beach - - 1

2 Colour-Sgnt. Willis - -Mr Gee - - - - - - -1

2 Mr Corbishley - - - - - Mr Hooley jr - - - 0

0 Mr Rowson - - - - - - - Mr Hooley sen - - 2

1 Mr Davenport - - - - - -Dr Etches - - - - - 2

Played at the Old Grammar School House. Reported 16th February 1895 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald._

##### Season 11.1

Cheshire Cup, first round

Macclesfield 0.5-vs- Hazel Grove 6.5

0 - Solly (capt)- - - - - -Mr Rogers- - 1

0 - Major Backhouse - Mr Hislop - - 1

0 - Mr Rowson - - - - - Mr Halliday -1

0.5 Etches - - - - - - - - -Mr Taggart - 0.5

0 - Mr Corbishley - - - -Mr Bamskill-1

0 - Dr Proudfoot - - - - -Mr Fernley - 1

0 - Rev H Sewell - - - - Mr Morrit - - 1

Played at the Macclesfield Drill Hall from 6.00 to 8.00pm. Reported 27th November 1896 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

11.2

Macc 18,5-vs- St Michael's Institute 3.5

2.5 Mr Etches - - - - - Rev FJ Tackley - 0.5

3 - Mr Corbishley - - -Mr V Hope - - - - -0

1 - Mr Sipman - - - - - Mr H D[__] - - - - 0

1 - Sgnt Douglas - - - -Mr J Norbury - - - 1

3 - Mr G Beach jun. - -Mr WE Blackwell 0

0 - Sgnt-Major Willis -Mr W Matthews - 1

2 - Mr Kennedy- - - - -Mr J Fitton - - - - - 0

3 - Mr SJ Forster - - - -Mr Holden - - - - - 0

2 - Mr James Smith - - Mr W Upton - - - -0

1 - Mr Nield - - - - - - - Mr W Smith - - - -1

Played at the Macclesfield Drill Hall on Thursday. Reported 20th February 1897 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

11.3

Christ Church Inst. 15-vs- St Michael's Inst. 1

2 Dr Beach - - - -Maj. Backhouse-0

3 Mr G Beach - - Hope - - - - - - - 0

1 Simister- - - - - Matthews - - - - 0

1 SJ Forster- - - - Dale - - - - - - - -0

2 St Clere-Hick - Norbury - - - - - 0

2 Frith - - - - - - - Fitton - - - - - - - 0

2 PA Forster - - - Upton - - - - - - - 0

2 Broadhurst - - - Blackwell - - - - 1

Played at Christ Church School Rooms on Monday evening. Reported 10th April 1897 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 12.1

Cheshire Cup, second round

Macclesfield 5.5-vs- Bowdon 2.5

0 - Dr Beach - - - - -HS Pierce - -1

1 - G Backhouse - - WW Hoone-0

1 - G Beach- - - - - -T Stephens - 0

0 - T Johnson - - - - E Frietas- - -1

0.5 WR Etches - - - C Alves - - - 0.5

1 - Dr R Proudfoot- F Schwartz - 0

1 - H Rowson - - - - AJ Pierce - - 0

1 - H Corbishley - - Dr Jones - - -0

Played at Hamaford's Restaurant, Oldham-street, Manchester, on Tuesday. Reported 15th January 1898 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

12.2

North Stafford & District League

Macclesfield 3.5-vs- Hanley 2.5

0 - Dr Etches- - - - - -G Audley - 1

0.5 Rev AC Morris - G Audley - 0.5

0 - GB Gee- - - - - - - W Crosbie-1

1 - H Rowson - - - - - JW Dixon -0

1 - H Corbishley - - - F Salt- - - - 0

1 - PG Byron- - - - - -H Briadley- 0

Played at Macclesfield on Sat March 12th. Reported 19th March 1898 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 13.1

Stockport 4[c]-vs- Macclesfield 3[c]

0 - J Birtenshaw - Dr Beach - - 1

[b] RD Hislop - - A Carter - - - [b]

0.5 T Kay- - - - - -Dr Proudfoot-0.5

0.5 C Hague - - - -H Corbishley 0.5

1 - H Morley - - - W Smith\-- - - 0

0.5 JH Hamskill - PG Bynon - - 0.5

1 - T Darnley - - - R Brehme- - -0

0.5 T Bedford - - -GH Moseley -0.5

Openings in the games above were

QGD, Scotch Gambit, Ruy Lopez, QGD, Four Knights, Irregular, Scotch game & Ruy Lopez respectively.

[b] To be adjudicated (text suggests win for A Carter, who is a piece and a pawn up).

[c] pending the result of adjudication. Played at the Mechanics' Institute, Stockport. Reported 18th February 1899 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_.

##### Season 14.1

Cheshire Cup Final 1900

Macclesfield 7-vs- Altrincham 1

1 - G Mills Palmer- CE Collinge - - 0

1 - Dr G Beach - - - Dr C Atkinson- 0

1 - GC Beach - - - - JW Dutton - - - 0

0.5 A Carter - - - - - J Critchlow- - - 0.5

1 - H Rowson - - - -H Foden - - - - - 0

1 - Dr Proudfoot - - E Skelhorn - - - 0

1 - William Smith - E Badcock - - - -0

0.5 A Solly - - - - - - J Jackson - - - - 0.5

From Alan Smith.

##### Season 15

Cheshire Cup Final 1901-2

Sale & District 6.5-vs- Macclesfield 1.5

0.5 R Marriot- - - G Mills Palmer 0.5

1 - C Brevig- - - - Dr G Beach - - -0

1 - JD Chambers - Rev GC Beach 0

1 - JJ Seanor - - - -A Carter - - - - 0

1 - GH Ogden - - -H Rowson - - - 0

1 - WA Hawes- - -H Corbishley- -0

0.5 T Grosse - - - -A Solly - - - - - 0.5

0.5 J Donaldson- - Wm Smith - - -0.5

Played at the Manchester Athenaeum. Reported in Furness (1988) p.21, with Rev GC Beach's name from the _MCH_ 12/4/1902.

##### Season 17.1

Cheshire County Cup Competition; round one

Macclesfield 4-vs- Sale & District 4

1 - Dr G Beach- - - -Mr C Brevig - - - 0

[a] Dr R Proudfoot -Mr JD Chambers [a]

0 - H Corbishley- - -Mr GH Ogden - - 1

0.5 H Rowson- - - - Mr WA Hawes - - 0.5

[a] EL Sipman - - - -Mr – Grundy - - -[a]

1[b] GB Gee - - - - - Mr HT Barclay- - 0[b]

1 - G Moseley - - - - Mr G Tinto- - - - -0

Reported Dec 19th 1903 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played Friday 11th December in the Baptist Lecture Hall, St George's Street. [a] Adjudicated either a loss or a draw for Macclesfield; [b] adjudicated. Dr Beach and Rhodes Marriot carried out the adjudications.

##### Season 18.1

Cheshire Cup Competition

Macclesfield 3 -vs- Stockport 5

0 - Dr G Beach - - - Mr J Burtinshaw -1

0 - Dr R Proudfoot- Mr HE Garstang -1

1 - A Carter- - - - - -Mr S Hague - - - -0

0 - H Corbishley - - Mr G Osborn - - -1

0 - CH Johnson - - - Mr CH Moss - - -1

0.5[a] H Rowson - - Mr F Cartwright -0.5

0.5[a] W Turner - - - Mr S Fernley- - -0.5

1 - J Goodwin- - - - -Mr W Ogden - - -0

Reported March 4th 1905 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played in the Baptists Young Men's Room on Saturday February 25th. Adjudicated games = a

##### Season 19.1

Cheshire Cup Competition

Macclesfield 3-vs- Stockport 2

1 - Dr G Beach - - - -Mr J Burtinshaw- - 0

0 - Dr R Proudfoot - Mr G Osborne - - - 1

[b] A Carter- - - - - - Mr C Hague- - - - - [b]

1 - H Corbishley- - - Mr CH Mees - - - - 0

[b] H Rowson- - - - -Mr B Copley- - - - -[b]

[b] EL Sipman - - - - Mr FS Cartwright - [b]

0 - CH Johnson - - - -Mr EC McKinnon -1

1 - GH Moseley- - - -Mr W Ogden - - - - 0

Reported February 10th 1906 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played in the Baptists Young Men's Classroom on Saturday last. [b] Games to be adjudicated.

##### Season 20.1

Cheshire Cup Competition

Macclesfield 4.5 -vs- Birkenhead 3.5

0.5 Dr G Beach- - - - C Newhouse 0.5

0 - CH Johnson - - - - J Hough- - - 1

0 - Dr CA Newbald - T Roberts - - 1

1 - G Moseley- - - - - H Fowler - - 0

1 - T Cartwright- - - - RS Nathan - 0

1 - WJ Hunt - - - - - - T McTreyor -0

0 - R Fowler - - - - - - A Reynolds- 1

1 - EJ Davies- - - - - - R Shipman- -0

Published January 25th 1907 in the _Macclesfield Times_ , played in the Ceylon Café, Market Street, Manchester.

20.2

Cheshire Cup Competition

Macclesfield 2.5-vs- Sale 5.5

1 - Dr G Beach- - - -Mr Rhodes Marriot-0

0 - A Carter- - - - - -Mr C Brevig - - - - - 1

0 - EL Sipman- - - - Mr JD Chambers - - 1

0 - H Corbishley - - Mr JB Donaldson - -1

0.5 CH Johnson- - - Mr S Taylor - - - - - 0.5

0 - EJ Davies - - - - -Mr JT Ellis - - - - - -1

0 - Dr CA Newbald -Mr GA Marriot - - -1

1 - GH Moseley - - - Mr RW Fryer - - - - 0

Published March 8th 1907 in the Macclesfield Times, played in the Baptist Room, St George's Street, Macclesfield.

##### Season 22.1

Cheshire Cup Competition

Macclesfield 3.5-vs- Sale 4.5

0.5 Dr G Beach - - - - - Mr Rhodes Marriot 0.5

0.5[a] Rev GC Beach - Mr Brevig- - - - - - - 0.5

0 - CH Johnson - - - - - Mr JD Chambers - - 1

0 - H Corbishley- - - - -Mr S Donaldson - - -1

0 - GH Moseley - - - - - Mr S Taylor - - - - - 1

1 - Dr CA Newbald - - -Mr JH Wilson - - - - 0

1 - T Cartwright - - - - - Mr RW Fryer - - - - 0

0.5[a] EJ Davies - - - - -Mr R McGewan - - -0.5

Reported December 12th 1908 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played in the Baptists Young Men's Room on Saturday last; [a] indicates an adjudicated result reported December 26th.

##### Season 24.1

Macclesfield 2.5-vs- Stockport 4.5

0.5 A Carter (Capt.) - WH Beckwith - - -0.5

0 - H Corbishley- - - -FS Cartwright - - - 1

0 - CH Johnson - - - - F Herefield (capt.)-1

0 - W White - - - - - - W Ogden- - - - - - -1

1 - Dr CA Newbald - -J Broughton - - - - 0

0 - R Fowler - - - - - - CE Keyser - - - - - 1

0 - GH Moseley - - - - Dr JJ Vernon - - - 0

Reported March 25th 1911 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played in the Baptists Young Men's Room on Saturday last.

##### Season 25.1

Cheshire Challenge Cup Competition, round 2

Macclesfield 1.5-vs- Stockport 6.5

0 - W White - - - - - - HB Lund- - - -1

0 - H Corbishley- - - -R Phillips - - -1

0 - CH Johnson - - - -C Brennan- - - 1

0.5 S Wild - - - - - - - WD Barrow - 0.5

1 - Dr CA Newbald - CH Moss- - - -1

0 - H Coates - - - - - - AE Salt - - - - 1

0 - GH Moseley - - - FS Cartwright-1

0 - Dr R Proudfoot- - F Horsfield - - 1

Reported January 13th 1912 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald;_ played in the Baptists Young Men's Room on Saturday last.

25.2

Macclesfield 5-vs- Romiley 3

1[a] W White - - C Crosland- - - - -0

1 H Corbishley - A Butler - - - - - - 0

0 CH Johnson - - Mr Richardson - - 1

1 S Wild - - - - - -GC Chadwick - - -0

1 GH Moseley - -H Thornley - - - - -0

0 RW Frier - - - -AH Hollingsworth-1

1 H Coates - - - - R Harth- - - - - - - -0

0 WT Hyde - - - -MR Oldham - - - - 1

Reported February 10th 1912 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played in the Stockport Chess Club rooms; [a] adjudicated.

##### Season 27.1

Cheshire Minor Trophy

Hazel Grove 1-vs- Macclesfield 7

0 Mr Jackson - - Dr G Beach - - -1

0 Mr Briggs - - -H Coates - - - - -1

0 Mr Minshull - W White - - - - -1

1 Mr Bennett - - CH Johnson - - -0

0 Mr Spencer - - H Corbishley - -1

0 Mr Siebel - - - Dr CA Newbald 1

0 Mr Bancroft - -GH Moseley- - -1

0 Mr Bailey - - - C Baguley - - - -1

Reported January 24th 1914 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played in the Mechanics' Institute Hazel Grove on Saturday.

27.2

Cheshire Challenge Cup Competition

Macclesfield 3-vs- Sale 5

0 - Dr G Beach - - - C Brevig- - - 1

0.5 H Coates - - - - -JH Wilson - -0.5

0.5 A Carter- - - - - -R McGovern 0.5

0 - W White- - - - - -WB Burne- - 1

0 - CH Johnson- - - -P Leah. - - - -1

1 - S Wild- - - - - - - H Klanke - - -0

0 - Dr CA Newbald -JG Tinto - - -1

1 - GH Moseley - - -W Sutcliffe. - 0

Reported February 7th 1914 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played at Macclesfield Club on Saturday last.

27.3

Cheshire Minor Trophy, 2nd round

Macclesfield 4-vs- Wilmslow 4

0 - H Coates - - - - - -Mr JW Mills - 1

0.5 W White - - - - - -Mr J Lingard -0.5

1 - H Corbishley - - - Mr A Era - - - 0

1 - CH Johnson- - - - Mr EC Bowen 0

1 - Dr CA Newbald - Mr E Moore - 0

0.5 GH Moseley- - - -Mr J Moore - -0.5

0 - R Fowler - - - - - - Mr A Smith- -1

0 - C Barnley- - - - - - Mr JO Gray- -1

Reported February 28th 1914 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played at Macclesfield, Baptist Schoolroom St George's Street.

##### Season 28.1

Cheshire Challenge Cup Semi-Final

Macclesfield 7-vs- Warrington 1

1 WC Mills Palmer - JK Wood - - - - - - 0

1 Dr G Beach- - - - - WS Adams - - - - - 0

1 H Corbishley- - - - HC Westmoreland-0

0 W White- - - - - - - RH Burtt - - - - - - -1

1 CH Johnson- - - - - JW Edwards - - - - 0

1 GH Moseley - - - - J Thompson- - - - - 0

1 C Baguley- - - - - - F Black - - - - - - - -0

1 Win by default- - - Unknown - - - - - - -0

Reported January 23rd 1915 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played at Stockport. The accreditation of Mr Mills Palmer with the initials WC on two scorecards is puzzling.

28.2

Cheshire Minor Tourney Semi-Final

Wilmslow 4-vs- Macclesfield 4

0.5 JW Mills- - -WC Mills Palmer 0.5[a]

0.5 Alfred Era - -Dr G Beach - - - -0.5[a]

0 - F Heather- - -H Corbishley - - -1

0.5 JS Richards- W White - - - - - -0.5[a]

1 - J Moore- - - - Dr CA Newbald- 0

0 - F Osborn- - - GH Moseley - - - 1[a]

0.5 JO Gray - - - RW Fryer - - - - - 0.5[a]

1 - F Pickup - - - C Baguley - - - - -0[a]

[a]Adjudicated. Reported February 6th 1915 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played at the Liberal Club, Wilmslow.

28.3

Cheshire Cup Final

Macclesfield 6.5-vs- Stockport 1.5

1 - G Mills Palmer- G Osborne - - -0

0.5 Dr G Beach- - - J Burtinshaw - 0.5

0.5 Rev CS James - W Phillips - - -0.5

0.5 A Carter- - - - - WB Beckwith - 0.5

1 - H Corbishley - - WD Barrow - - 0

1 - W White - - - - - A McLoughlin-0

1 - S Wild - - - - - - CH Moss - - - - 0

1 - GH Mosely - - - Default- - - - - - 0

Reported 26.3.1915 in the Stockport Advertiser and in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ on 27.3.1915 with errors on the top two boards in the score (confusion of opponents).

##### Season 33.1

Cheshire Cup

Altrincham 3.5-vs- Macclesfield 4.5

0 - Mr H Smith- - - -G Mills Palmer-1

1 - Mr J Kay - - - - - Dr G Beach - - -0

0 - Mr CE Collinge- W White - - - - 1

0.5 Mr J Hill - - - - - Dr Proudfoot - -0.5

1 - Mr JW Dutton - -JB Slater - - - - -0

0 - Mr HC Hill - - - -CH Johnson - - 1

1 - Mr J Kelly - - - - GH Moseley - - 0

0 - Mr W Hurst - - - B Leech - - - - - 1

Reported 13.3.1920 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played at Altrincham

33.2

Cheshire Cup Final

Stockport 3-vs- Macclesfield 5

1 - HB Lund- - - - - G Mills Palmer-0

0.5 H Farnworth- - -Dr G Beach- - -0.5

0 - WB Beckworth- W White - - - - 1

0 - AE Salt - - - - - - Dr R Proudfoot 1

0 - H Turner- - - - - -JB Slater - - - - 1

0.5 FS Cartwright- - CH Johnson - - 0.5

1 - T Whitworth - - -GH Moseley - - 0

0 - TS Butley- - - - - H Corbishle - - -1

Reported 4.5.1920 in the _Macclesfield Courier and Herald_ ; played at Stockport.

* * * * *

## APPENDIX D – Statistical Information

**Table 1:** Macclesfield Players' Percentage Score by Board 1887-1890

* *

**Table 2** : Number of different players involved in reported matches per season 1886-1920

Season - - Players - - - Types of matches

1886-87- - -13 - - - Arranged matches

1887-88- - -16 - - - Arranged matches

1888-89- - -14 - - - Cheshire Cup

1889-90- - -13 - - - Cheshire Cup

1890-91- - -16 - - - Cheshire Cup & internal club

1891-92- - -10 - - - Cheshire Cup & arranged

1892-93- - -10 - - - Arranged match

1893-94 - - - 7 - - - Arranged match

1894-95 - - - ? - - - ?

1895-96 - - - ? - - - ?

1896-97- - -14 - - - Cheshire Cup

1897-98- - -16 - - - Cheshire Cup & NSDCL

1898-99 - - - 8 - - - Cheshire Cup

1899-00 - - - 8 - - - Arranged match

1900-01 - - - 8 - - - Cheshire Cup

1901-02 - - - ? - - - ?

1902-03 - - - ? - - - ?

1903-04 - - - 7 - - - Cheshire Cup

1904-05 - - - 8 - - - Cheshire Cup

1905-06 - - - 8 - - - Cheshire Cup

1906-07- - -11 - - - Cheshire Cup

1907-08 - - - ? - - - ?

1908-09 - - - 8 - - - Cheshire Cup

1909-10 - - - ? - - - ?

1910-11 - - - 7 - - - Arranged match

1911-12 - - - ? - - - ?

1912-13- - -10 - - - Cheshire Cup & arranged

1913-14- - -12 - - - Cheshire Cup

1914-15- - -12 - - - Cheshire Cup

1919-20 - - - 9 - - - Cheshire Cup

The numbers refer to matches reported in the local newspapers and so is a measure not just of the number of active competitive players but also the ability to report matches that were played.

* *

**Table 3** : Games played by Board 1887-1890

The discrepancy in the number of games played on each board follows from the practise of playing several games at each board in friendly matches.

* *

## APPENDIX E –Internal Competitions

Sydney Wild Memorial Cup 1920

1936 Mr WT Hyde

1937 Mr WT Hyde

* *

Macclesfield Chess Club Challenge Cup

1915 W White

1916 GH Moseley

1919 S Wild

1933 Harold Matthews

1934 Harold Matthews

1935 Harold Matthews

1936 Harold Matthews

1937 H Moorhouse

1948 AE Holland

1950 JE Scott

1951 Drawn Contest

1952 J Lynch

1970 PJ Shelley

1972 MF Furfie

1973 DR Brennan

1974 Alan Sime

1976 AR Soames

1981 AR Soames

1985 G Laurence

1986 HB Leigh

1987 J Spratt

1988 AR Soames

1989 AR Soames

1990 G Laurence

1992 AR Soames

1993 AR Soames

1994 G Laurence

1995 G Laurence

1996 AR Soames

1997 G Laurence

1998 G Laurence

1999 G Laurence/ AR Soames

2000 G Laurence

2001 G Laurence

2002 G Laurence

2003 DA Risley

2004 AR Soames

2005 AR Soames

2007 DA Risley

2008 DA Risley

2009 G Laurence

2010 AR Soames

2011 G Laurence

2012 AR Soames

2013 Phil Cattermole

* *

Pollard Quickplay Trophy

1992 AR Soames

1993 AR Soames

1994 AR Soames

1995 AR Soames

1996 AR Soames

1997 A Brough

1998 A Brough

1999 G Laurence

2000 G Laurence

2001 A Brough

2002 AR Soames

2003 AR Soames

2004 AR Soames

2005 G Laurence

2006 A Brough

2007 D Risley/A Sime

2008 D Lobo

2009 AR Soames

2010 AR Soames

2011 B Katolo

2012 Denzil Lobo

2013 Denzil Lobo

* *

Pomeroy Cup

2012 David Mallinson

2013 Mick Renshawe

* * * * *

## Bibliography and References

Anthony Calladine and Jean Fricker (1993) _East Cheshire Textile Mills_ , Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, London

C Stella Davies (ed)(1961) _A History of Macclesfield_ ; reprint 1976, EJ Morten, Didsbury

Richard Eales (1985) _Chess: The History of a Game_ , BT Batsford, London

RCK Ensor (1936) _England 1870 – 1914_ , Clarendon Press, Oxford

Richard Furness (1988) _The Cheshire Hundred (1888_ - _1988)_

Rod Hackney (1990) _The Good, the Bad and the Ugly_ , Frederick Muller, London

Clare Hartwell, Matthew Hyde, Edward Hubbard and Nikolaus Pevsner (2011) _Cheshire: The Buildings of England_ Yale University Press. New Haven and London

Robert Head (1904) _Cheshire at the Opening of the Twentieth Century_ , WT Pike & Co, Brighton

Gail Malmgreen (1985) _Silk Town: Industry and Culture in Macclesfield 1750_ - _1835_ , Hull University Press, Hull

LA Reynolds and EM Tansey (ed)(2006) _Cholesterol, Atherosclerosis and Coronary Disease in the UK, 1950_ - _2000_ , Wellcome Witness Seminars, Volume 27 pp.72-3

Marilynne Robinson (1989) _Mother Country: Britain, the welfare state and nuclear pollution_ , New York

WB Stephens (Ed) (1970), _History of Congleton_ , Manchester University Press

Benedict le Vay (2000) _Eccentric Britain_ , Bradt Publications, Chalfont St Peter

* *

1 C Stella Davies (ed)(1961) A History of Macclesfield; reprint 1976, EJ Morten, Didsbury (roughly back=rb)

2 Richard Eales (1985) Chess: The History of a Game, BT Batsford, London rb

3 The setting up of the industry is told with more finesse in Gail Malmgreen (1985) Silk Town: Industry and Culture in Macclesfield 1750-1835, Hull University Press, Hull. rb

4 Davies p. 376. rb

5 Eales pp.139-41 rb

6 RCK Ensor (1936) England 1870 – 1914, Clarendon Press, Oxford pp. 164-6 rb

7 MCH 17/1/1885. The story of Guerin is mangled in the article. According to a French romance Guerin enticed Charlemagne to wager his kingdom on a game of chess, when he had lost Charlemagne laughed off the bet and merely gave Guerin permission to attempt to capture Montglave (Lyon) from the Saracens, surrendering all his rights to the city. The promises of the powerful are valid when they lose nothing by them. . rb

8 MCH 11/12/1886, a list of members that has reached the public domain for this period and up to 1937 is given in Appendix A. rb

9 He died in 1902 'from an attack of the enteric': Richard Furness (1988) The Cheshire Hundred (1888-1988) p.19 quoting BCM of that year; this is not an indication of advanced age. rb

10 Cheshire Archives LOX19/4117/2 . rb

11 In a clipping from an unidentified newspaper (probably the Stockport Advertiser) of the 1901 Cheshire Challenge Cup success, pasted in a notebook belonging to Richard Beach.

12 MCH 21/3/1896 when Dr Beach remarked he had been at the school for fourteen years. The date of 1880 given in an obituary (MCH 16/12/1934) is almost certainly false as it conflicts with census data and connections with Cheadle until 1882.

13 Family history has it that he left home when he was young and travelled around Europe, earning his keep through playing on a penny whistle. It may have been during such a period that he picked up a number of foreign languages. We could designate this as the equivalent of a 'gap year'; private correspondence with Richard Beach.

14 In 1884 George Beach played for Lancashire on board 24 against Yorkshire, winning both his games against CD Knapton of the Bradford Chess Club. This is suspect as he was living in Macclesfield at that time; it is possible, as Richard Beach suggests, that there was another George Beach. rb

15 MCH 13/10/1900, supplementary data is from the census records of 1861 and 1881 and from Alan Smith and Richard Beach.

16 Selected games are given in Appendix B

17 Correspondence between GH Blunden and A Solly 3/12/1888; LOX19/4117/2

18 MCH 19/3/1887

19 LOX19/4117/2

20 MCH 19/03/1887, full scores are given for matches with records from 1887- are in Appendix B

21 MCH 26/03/1887

22 MCH 09/04/1887

23 Macclesfield 1891 census records

24 MCH 14/1/1916; Macclesfield Express 12/11/2011 p.14

25 MCH 9/4/1887; the odds of a pawn and two moves might be given in a competition when the first player was meeting a player ranked from 34-44, LOX19/4117/7

26 This need not be due to loss of nerve, they may have left the area, or just recognised that match play was not their forte.

27 MCH 5/11/1887, 19/11/1887, 17/12/1887, 28/1/1888, 10/3/1889, 31/3/1889

28 MCH 7/10/1899

29 A statistical analysis is given in Appendix D, Tables 1 and 3

30 Anthony Calladine and Jean Fricker (1993) East Cheshire Textile Mills, Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, London p. 72

31 CC 5/8/1905

32 London Gazette, Sept 3rd 1850

33 National Archives, Chester, D5137

34 The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859; the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881. George Backhouse was an officer in the Macclesfield branch of this organisation.

35 WB Stephens (Ed) (1970), History of Congleton, Manchester University Press p.90

36 See Appendix D, Table 1

37 LOX19/4117/2

38 MCH 14/1/1916

39 MCH 28/1/1888

40 BCM Chess Annual 1916, quoted in Furness p.1, note the precision in identifying the social and academic status of individuals, this is the first mention that George Beach had gained a doctorate with an LLD (first in the list) during this year.

41 Furness p.19, citing BCM 1902 for Mr Blunden

42 Furness pp.2, 19, the former page gives specific names; the latter cites BCM 1902 for general comment.

43 MCH 15/12/1888, 19/1/1889

44 Census 1891.

45 Furness p.3 quoting a letter from GH Blunden to A Solly (LOX19/4117/2); the match against Cheadle Hulme was not reported at the time in MCH, but is referred to in the following year, where a draw was claimed.

46 MCH 1/3/1890

47 Compare with Eales p.139

48 MCH 21/3/1891

49 LOX19/4117/21. This increase in value is greater than the rate of inflation, which would have increased the value to £1100.

50 MCH 2/11/1889

51 MCH 8/3/1890, 15/3/1890, 3/5/1890

52 MCH 15/3/1890

53 MCH 17/1/1891

54 LOX19/4117/7 previously adjudications were sent to the Chess Editor of the Liverpool Courier, later, in an attempt to meet all eventualities, the rules stated any chess player not a member of the CCA could be used as an adjudicator.

55 MCH 21/3/1891

56 MCH 18/4/1891

57 MCH 16/5/1891

58 MCH 14/11/1891

59 MCH 26/3/1892

60 He successfully passed all the examinations (in the final only 40% passed); thus becoming eligible to plead cases in court.

61 Furness p. 7

62 MCH 24/12/1892

63 MCH 21/1/1893

64 MCH 23/12/1893

65 Davies pp.219-20

66 It was not until 1880 that elementary education was made compulsory nationwide, only then catching up with Prussia where such schooling had been required by statute since the 1820s.

67 The local Government Act 1888 contained provisions to transfer liquor licensing from the justices to county councils, arming the latter with powers to close redundant public houses and a special revenue to compensate the licence holders. This met with resistance from the liquor trade and the temperance party. In the Budget of 1890 Goschen put an extra 6d on a gallon of spirits to set up a new fund to compensate license holders. Again the same parties opposed the measure, but as the money had already been voted through he persuaded parliament to pass it on to councils for technical education. Ensor p.204

68 The newspaper report, MCH 29/9/1894, gives the whole speech as one paragraph.

69 MCH 29/9/1894

70 See above p. 30 [Chapter 2]

71 MCH 13/10/1894

72 The phrase 'Saul among the prophets' occurs twice in the first book of Samuel. In 10, 5-12, Samuel, after anointing Saul as king, tells him of signs he will receive to know that he has been divinely appointed. The last of these is that Saul will meet an ecstatic group of prophets leaving a high place and playing instruments. Secondly, in 19, 20-24, Saul sends men to pursue David, but when they meet a group of ecstatic prophets playing music they become possessed and join in. Saul sends more men, but they too join the prophets. Eventually Saul himself goes, and also joins the prophets. Saul was prone to fits of madness and the phrase came to question, ironically, the state of mind of a person: in the first instance Saul will defend the Israelites from their enemies, in the second he attempts to destroy their future king. Christian sources compound King Saul with Saul, who became Paul, so that the phrase, according to Brewer, means someone's miraculous conversion to a doctrine that they would not normally be expected to affirm. This latter meaning would seem to be that intended.

73 MCH, 20/10/1894

74 MCH 3/11/1894

75 The Liberation Society is the more usual name given to the rather long-winded 'Society for the Liberation of Religion from State Patronage and Control', founded in 1853 from a previous body, the 'British Anti-State Church Association' of 1844. These were the children of Edward Miall MP. They never succeeded in their primary aim, but they did have an influence on the number of dissenters standing for, and being elected to, Parliament. The long fight for the abolition of compulsory church-rates was finally successful in 1868, and then in 1870 Miall was prominent in the discussions aroused by the Education Bill, which have already been noted. In 1888 the education sub-committee of the Liberation Society became the National Education Association.

76 MCH 10/11/1894

77 I have converted all the statistics to percentages.

78 MCH 24/11/1894

79 MCH 16/2/1895

80 Robert Head (1904) Cheshire at the Opening of the Twentieth Century, WT Pike & Co, Brighton

81 MCH 27/11/1896

82 MCH 13/3/1897

83 MCH 20/3/1897

84 MCH 15/1/1898

85 MCH 13/1/1900

86 Macclesfield Express 12/11/2011

87 MCH 19/3/1898

88 MCH 24/9/1898

89 MCH 10/12/1898

90 Zuckertort and Chigorin both lost marches with Steinitz for the title of World Champion.

91 Eales p.150

92MCH 18/2/1899

93 MCH 7/10/1899

94 MCH 4/11/1899; Miss FA Tubbs was the headmistress of the Christ Church Girls School and Mrs Kezia Beach the head of the Christ Church Infant School.

95 MCH 13/1/1900

96 Barrow Shipbuilding Co built Orotava in 1889. In 1896, whilst coaling at Tilbury, she capsized with the loss of 4 lives. Raised and refurbished she resumed service to Australia in 1897. From 1899 to 1903 she was used as War Transport No.91.

97 Burgersdorp is a small town, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, where the Afrikaner Bond political party was founded in 1881. The first rail connection to there was opened on 19 March 1885.

98 Bethulie is a small sheep and cattle farming town in the Free State province of South Africa formed around a mission station built in 1829. The name means "chosen by God". The bridge spanning the Gariep River at Bethulie Drift was opened to traffic in March 1879, and a village, known as Bethulie Bridge, was established on the Cape Colony side. The village was occupied by Boer forces on 16 October 1899. The town was also home to one of the largest concentration camps run by the British during the Boer War.

99 J.H. Olivier, born near Burgersdorp 24 January 1848, died at Volksrust 30 May 1930.

100 Major-General Sir Edward Yewd Brabant, KCB, CMG, born 1839, was a South African colonial military commander. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), he commanded the Colonial Division in 1900, and the Colonial Defence Force of Cape Colony in 1901. On 5 Nov 1899, Brabant raised the Light Horse regiment known as Brabant's Horse. The top strength of the unit was 600.

101 MCH 19/5/1900

102 The latter two were headmasters of the Wesleyan School in Mill Street and Lord Street School repectively.

103 For example, Eleanor Rathbone; Marilynne Robinson (1989) Mother Country: Britain, the welfare state and nuclear pollution, New York p.127

104 MCH 13/10/1900, quoted from "The Pupil Teacher and Scholarship Student" of October 1900; notice of Dr Beach's withdrawal is given in MCH 16/3/1901

105 MCH 13/10/1900, as this was probably penned by the secretary the self- congratulatory last sentence is distinctly non-U.

106 John Baxter (1781-1858) printer and publisher at Lewes, Sussex, issued a popular illustrated Bible.

107 MCH 27/10/1900

108 This result does not appear to have been in Macclesfield's newspapers, but was reported in Stockport and Alan Smith has provided me with the scoresheet.

109 See statistical data in Appendix 4.

110 Northampton Independent, May 1962, p.30; MCH

111 MCH 2/11/1901

112 Alan Smith, private communication, 3/3/2008

113 MCH 2/11/1901

114 Furness p.19

115 W White 1915 is recorded on the present Macclesfield Chess Club Challenge Cup, but the hallmark is 1934. As S Wild won the cup in 1919 and died the next year it is possible that the original cup remained with his estate and a new one was engraved for H Matthews, who held it from 1933-36.

116 1912 was one occasion when he gave way to Mr JC Close-Brooks

117 MCH 13/12/1903

118 MCH 4/3/1905

119 MCH 28/1/1905; Furness p.27

120 MCH 1/4/1905; Furness p.27

121 Clare Hartwell, Matthew Hyde, Edward Hubbard and Nikolaus Pevsner (2011) Cheshire: The Buildings of England, Yale University Press, New Haven and London p.113. This does seem rather young to be a churchwarden, but, alternatively, the restoration could have spanned a long period.

122 CC 5/8/1905

123 Furness p.28

124 LOX19/4117/1

125 MCH 4/5/1920

126 MCH 23/10/1920

127 MCH 24/3/1923; Mr Herbert Rowson from Leek was present at his father's funeral

128 MCH 22/10/1921

129 MCH 24/2/1923

130 Furness p.38

131 As mentioned previously it is likely that the current trophy was made for Mr Matthews. This conclusion is based on the worn hallmarks and the design of the engraving

132 The trophy is a Sterling Silver plain cup made by Walker & Hall and hallmarked Sheffield 1925. The Right Hon. Viscount Leverhulme presented it in April 1925. Furness p. 178

133 Cheshire Archives: LOX 19/4117/28-9

134 From Richard Beach

135 See above pp. 11-12, 18-19 note 40

136 MCH 18/3/1922 headed: Chess and Life? It is an extract from a collection entitled "The South Australian"

137 This game is published in 1899 when Dr Beach was no longer a young man.

138 See above pp. 44-45, 48 [see above]

139 There are, however, no written records to corroborate this. Richard Beach is rightly sceptical, pointing out that winning four games bears a strong resemblance to the episode with Mr Boucher at Simpson's Divan.

140 Chess January 1937; BCM February 1937

141 Family papers from Richard Beach

142 Barbara Duncan chanted this at me before the second act of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, on 2nd December 2010 in the Small Theatre, Macclesfield. The act is set in 1936 and I mentioned, without introduction or explanation, that Dr Beach had died that year. She and her friends had sung this without knowing that Dr Beach was a previous headmaster of their junior school. Mr John Gorton has corroborated the rhyme 30th September 2011.

143 MCH 25/3/1937

144 MCH 22/10/1937

145 Furness p.167

146 Furness pp. 50, 54

147 LOX19/4117/9, Furness pp. 67

148 Furness p. 65

149 Furness p.55

150 It is almost certain that this is neither the Israel Rowson Challenge Cup nor the Sydney Wild Memorial Cup. Neither of these trophies is currently in the club's possession. The present cup is almost certainly that produced for Harold Matthews: vide supra p.78. [note 131]

151 Personal communication from Alan Sime, 17/10/10 and Neville Marshall, 21/10/10, the evaluation of his grade was from Alan who was match captain at that time.

152 Papers of the SDCL are not at present officially archived and survive, from 1951-85, in a lever-arch file that has miraculously not been thrown away and is currently in my possession.

153 Furness p.65

154 Stockport and District Chess League website, accessed 26/10/10

155 Oral communication from Michael Black, 27/10/10

156 Alan Sime, personal communication, 17/10/10

157 Known locally, and with scant respect, as Gussy's.

158 Roy Gray, personal communication, 3/10/10

159 This would have been an old-fashioned cotton shirt where the collar, being the part of the shirt that wore out first, was buttoned on and could be replaced to extend the life of the garment.

160 Alan Sime, oral communication 27/10/10

161 At that time it was illegal to be served an alcoholic drink after 10.30 p.m. Neville Marshall, oral communication, 21/10/10

162 Alan Sime personal communication, 17/10/10

163 N Marshall, oral communication, 21/10/10

164 A Sime, personal communication, 17/10/10

165 Alan Sime's papers

166 N Marshall, oral communication, 21/10/10, A Sime, personal communication, 17/10/10

167 Peter Neal, oral communication

168 SDCL Handbooks 1988-92

169 Richard Furness (1988) p. 123

170 Rod Hackney (1990) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Frederick Muller, London pp. 52-79 in which Peter's letter to the council is given.

171 MCC Bulletin No 1 September 1981

172 A complete list of the winners is given in Appendix E

173 In the context of the SDCL a strong player can be considered as one who has an ECF grade between 180-200 ECF; a moderately strong player between 160-180; a moderate player from 140-160 and a weak player less than 140. Since 1981 the first division has gradually increased in strength so that more strong players were required to maintain a first division status. Other categories of strength are less relevant to the Stockport League.

174 Richard Furness (1989) The Cheshire Hundred, pp. 109, 178-180, 189

175 Alan Sime, oral communication 21/10/10

176 Jeff Barlow, oral communication 5/11/10

177 Information from Roy Gray supplemented with recent attendees

178 Peter Neal, oral communication, 2/11/10

179 LA Reynolds and EM Tansey (ed)(2006) Cholesterol, Atherosclerosis and Coronary Disease in the UK, 1950-2000, Wellcome Witness Seminars, Volume 27 pp.72-3

Desmond Fitzgerald (2003) 'Trails of Discovery: The discovery of the fibrates', Dialogues in Cardiovascular Medicine 8:155-162

180 Benedict le Vay (2000) Eccentric Britain, Bradt Publications, Chalfont St Peter p. 83

181 Information from AGM minutes supplemented by an email from Nick Riley, 7/6/2011; ECF grading for 2000 accessed 11/6/11 http://grading.bcfservices.org.uk

182 Data from Roy Gray, supplemented by the addition of two recent visitors.

183 Peter Neal, oral communication, 2/11/10

184 This is not immediately apparent from the club trophies as in 1997 Geoff won the club championship, defeating Alan Sime in the final and Antony Brough won the Rapidplay but the engraver did them the wrong way round.

185 Tony Soames also won the Club Championship trophy in 1976 (his records) and 1981 (Macclesfield Chess Club Bulletin No 1, September 1981), but he was too lazy to have the cup engraved. See photo p.88, Express Advertiser Oct 1st 1981.

186 From 1999-2000 and 2002-3 respectively

187 bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2010/09/100909_seeking_the_endgame_ two. shtml

188 Information from Mrs Gorton, the part owner of A Elkin, 29th September 2011

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