WINTON
BRITISH CHESS SOLVING CHAMPIONSHIP

Lloyd's Bank Problem Solving Championship, 1979-1980

Written by Brian Stephenson

In this inaugural year, there were nearly 180 entries to the postal round and the following 12 top scorers accepted invitations to the final:

T G Pollard, P R Price, D A Smedley, J S Tymms (all of whom scored full marks), D Friedgood, R Hodson, J Hume, G Lee, CCL Sells (-1 pt), S N Collings, M Hellewell, and D K Messham (-2 pts).

The following report is taken from The Problemist, March 1980, p. 30, and is by the then editor, Colin Vaughan.

As briefly reported in the January issue, this event took place on January 12th, at the Royal Horseguards Hotel, Whitehall Court, London. The twelve competitors were required to solve eight problems in two sessions of 75 minutes each. Section one comprised two #2, one #3 and one #4; section 2 had one H#2 (2 solutions), one H#3 (with set play), one S#2 and one study (draw). Contestants were given sheets with the problems printed on them, and provided with boards and men. The two leaders both scored the maximum of 24 points, and were only separated on time taken. The table gives the scores of the first seven places.

The first prize of £50 and a Lloyd's Bank trophy were presented to the winner, Graham Lee, a 26-year old computer programmer with the GPO in London, by Sir Jeremy Morse, Lloyds Bank chairman, the runners up receiving respectively £20 and £10.

All agreed that the venue chosen was ideal, having that rare quality of quietness, and thanks are tendered to Mrs Grace Waterman, of Lloyds, for arranging everything so well. The Society is also indebted to John Rice, who organised the technical side, securing original problems, devising and applying the marking system used, and supervising proceedings so efficiently on the day, to Norman Macleod for testing problems, and to Jack Fenner, who did a lot or work in the earlier rounds. Thanks, finally, to Lloyds Bank for sponsoring the event and handling the vast amount of paperwork entailed.

The event was rated such a success that preparations are in hand for a repeat performance, and it is hoped that it can become a regular feature of the problem calendar. It was a personal pleasure to meet Gordon Pollard, known by name only for so many years, and who regularly mentions our Society in his excellent column in the Oxford Herald and at the other end of the scale, schoolboys R. Hodson, from Willenhall, and J S Tymms, of Epsom, who has been a member for some time and has contributed original problems to the magazine. This is one of the most pleasing aspects - there is no 'generation gap' where problems are concerned, and young and old can compete on equal terms. Long may it remain so.

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Time
	Maxima	2	2	3	4	2	3	3	5	24	150
1.	Lee, G	2	2	3	4	2	3	3	5	24	64
2.	Friedgood, D	2	2	3	4	2	3	3	5	24	80
3.	Sells, CCL	2	2	2	4	2	3	3	5	23	107
4.	Smedley, DA	2	2	2	4	2	3	3	0	18	126
5.	Tymms,JS	2	2	0	4	2	3	0	5	18	140
6.	Messham, D	2	2	0	0	2	3	3	5	17	150
7.	Pollard, TG	2	2	3	0	1	3	0	3	14	150

Also competed: M Hellewell, S N Collings, P Price, R Hodson, J Hume

I have been unable to trace any of the problems used in any of the stages of this competition. I would be pleased to hear from any reader who has retained copies.