BCF National Schools Championship 2003/4

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Last update: Friday June 3, 2005 9:44

BCF National Schools Championship 2003-2004


CHAMPIONS Monmouth School	PLATE CHAMPIONS Nottingham High School A

The competition is finished. It got under way in October, once again with a reduced entry (143 teams compared with last year's 153). The steady reduction in numbers is not confined to this competition. It seems to be endemic in leagues and knockouts in Schools team chess - as opposed to one-day and individual events - and it has been going on for 20 years. New schools are always appearing, but they tend to be less numerous than the ones that drop out. One or two areas have bucked the trend this year and become suddenly more active.
The Finals (plus semi-finals and Third Place Playoff) were held on Saturday 26th June 2004 at the pleasant venue of the Nottingham Moat House. The rival attraction was meetings of the BCF Council and Management Board taking place at the same time on an upper floor. The chess gained slightly more from this, in terms of spectators, than the meetings did.
The Arbiter, as always, was David Welch (BCF Chief Arbiter). The Best Game Prize (judged by Graham Lee) went to Jac Thomas of Monmouth School for a remarkable win out of clear skies against Lakshman Ruthirapathy of Haberdashers Askes in the Championship Final. The runners-up prize went to the loser. As the judge remarked, it takes two to make a Best Game.

Richard Haddrell
BCF National Schools Championship Controller


Above: photographs from the tournament, by Bob Gurney

NATIONAL STAGE

(This is a summary. Click here for detailed results.)
Average ages are in brackets. The older team, to win, must beat its opponents by a number of points at least equal to the age difference in years (taken as a whole number by truncation). If it does not, it loses. Board count and elimination apply only when there is no age handicap. An asterisk means win on handicap (or board count or elimination), and failing an asterisk the team with more points wins.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1 (by 16th March)
Blue Coat Oldham (15.8) 4½ 1½ Methodist College Belfast A (16.0); S Anselms Bakewell (12.0) 1½ 4½ Q Elizabeth GS Wakefield A (15.4); K Edward VI Birmingham (15.5) 5 1 Magdalen College School A (14.7); Southend HS (16.1) 5 1 Woodbridge School A (14.3); St Pauls School (16.8) 4 2 *Haberdashers Elstree A (13.3); Hampton School A (15.3) 2 4 RGS Guildford (15.3); Monmouth School (14.7)* 3 3 Millfield School A (14.1); bye Oakham School A
Is this a competition-first? Methodist College Belfast travelled by air to their fixture against Blue Coat Oldham, having arranged a (pleasant and free!) playing room at Liverpool airport. So both sides were away, but the match got played, and we can think of adult clubs that wouldn't have managed it.

Quarter-finals (by end of term)
Q Elizabeth GS Wakefield A (15.4) 1½ 4½ Blue Coat Oldham (16.1); Haberdashers A (13.3)* 2½ 3½ Oakham School (15.10); Monmouth School (14.8) 4½ 1½ K Edward VI Birmingham (15.7); RGS Guildford (15.4) 3 3 *Southend HS (16.2)

Semi-finals
Monmouth School (14.11)* 3 3 Bluecoat Oldham (15.11); Southend HS (16.1) 2½ 3½ Haberdashers Askes (13.6)

Third Place Play-off
Bluecoast Oldham (15.11) 4½ 1½ Southend HS (16.1)

Final
Monmouth School (14.11) 4½ 1½ Haberdashers Askes (13.6)

PLATE

Round 1
Lancaster RGS (16.0) 5 1 Blue Coat Liverpool (16.1); RGS Newcastle (13.6) 5½ ½ Q Elizabeth GS Wakefield Junior School (10.5); Nottingham HS A (14.6) 5½ ½ Oakham School B (15.11); Magdalen College School C (13.5) 1½ 4½ Commonweal School Swindon (13.10); Latymer School (15.2)* 3 3 Bishops Stortford HS (14.11); Haberdashers C (10.8) 1 5 Kings College School Wimbledon (15.10); byes Philip Morant School Colchester, St Olaves GS Orpington

Quarter-finals
RGS Newcastle scr w/o Lancaster RGS; Philip Morant School (14.1) 0 6 Nottingham HS A (14.11); Commonweal School (14.0) 3½ 2½ Latymer School (14.8); Kings College School Wimbledon (15.9) 2 4 St Olaves GS Orpington (13.11)
RGS Newcastle conceded to Lancaster RGS because they would not have been able to make the Finals on the 26th June.

Semi-finals
Lancaster RGS (16.4) 2½ 3½ Nottingham HS A (14.9); St Olaves GS (13.11) 3 3 *Commonweal School (14.2)

Third Place Play-off
St Olaves GS (13.11) 5 1 Lancaster RGS (16.4)

Final
Nottingham HS A (14.11) 3½ 2½ Commonweal School (14.2)

Winners and runners-up, Zone by Zone:

Zone 1
1 Methodist College Belfast A; 2 RGS Newcastle
Zone 2
1 Blue Coat Oldham; 2 Lancaster RGS
Zone 3
1 Queen Elizabeth GS Wakefield A; 2 QEGS B
Zone 4
1 S Anselms Bakewell; 2 Blue Coat Liverpool
Zone 5
1 King Edwards Birmingham; 2 Nottingham HS A
Zone 6
1 Oakham School A; 2 Oakham School B
Zone 7
1 Monmouth School; 2 Commonweal School, Swindon
Zone 8
1 Magdalen College School (Oxford) A; 2 Magdalen College School B

Zone 9
1 Woodbridge School A; 2 Philip Morant School Colchester
Zone 10
1 Southend HS; 2 Bishops Stortford HS
Zone 11
1 Haberdashers A; 2 Haberdashers C
Zone 12
1 Hampton School; 2 Latymer School
Zone 13
1 St Pauls School; 2 Kings College School Wimbledon
Zone 14
1 RGS Guildford; 2 St Olaves GS Orpington
Zone 15
1 Millfield School A; 2 Winchester College

Teams Competing 2003-4

Zone 1A: N Ireland 1. Methodist College Belfast A team) 2. Methodist College Belfast (B team) 3. Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4. St Columbs College, Derry	Zone 1B: Scotland/N England 1. Austin Friars School, Carlisle 2. Greenwood Academy, Irvine (A team) 3. Greenwood Academy (B team) 4. Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne
Zone 2: Lancs/Greater Manchester League Group 1. Aughton St Michaels CE Primary, Ormskirk 2. Beaver Rd Primary School, Didsbury 3. Bolton School Boys Division: Junior School Knockout Group 1. Blue Coat School, Oldham 2. Bolton School Boys Division 3. Bury Grammar School 4. Lancaster Royal Grammar School 5. Lytham St Annes High Technology College (A team) 6. Lytham St Annes High Technology College (B team) 7. Manchester Grammar School 8. Stonyhurst College, Clitheroe The League winner joins the KO at the semi-final stage.	Zone 3: Yorks League Group 1. Alcuin School, Leeds 2. Leeds Grammar School (B team) 3. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Junior School, Wakefield 4. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Wakefield (B team) Knockout Group 1. Canon Lee School, York 2. Hymers College, Hull 3. Leeds Grammar School (A team) 4. North Halifax Grammar School 5. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Wakefield (A team) 6. St Bedes Grammar School, Bradford 7. Yarm School The two winners will play off for the Zone Championship.
Zone 4: Wirral 1. Argoed High School, Mold, Flints 2. Blue Coat School, Liverpool 3. Calday Grange GS, Wirral 4. Ellesmere College, Ellesmere, Shropshire 5. Ladymount RC Primary, Irby, Wirral 6. Lymm High School, Lymm, Cheshire 7. Newcastle Community High School, Newcastle Under Lyme 8. St Anselms School, Bakewell, Derbys 9. Westwood High School, Leek This is a Knockout Zone.	Zone 5: W Midlands League Group 1. Rushey Mead Secondary School, Leicester 2. King Edwards School, Edgbaston Park Rd, Birmingham 3. Queen Marys Grammar School, Walsall Knockout Group 1. Nottingham High School (A team) 2. Nottingham High School (B team) 3. King Edward VI Camp Hill School, Birmingham 4. Solihull School 5. Worksop College The League winners join the Knockout at the semi-final stage.
Zone 6: E Midlands League Group A 1. Oundle School (A team) 2. Oundle School (B team) 3. Oakham School (B team) League group B 1. Gleed Boys School, Spalding (A team) 2. Gleed Boys School (B team) 3. Spalding Grammar School 4. Kings School, Grantham Knockout Group 1. Oakham School (A team) 2. Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Alford, Lincs 3. Stamford School 4. Uppingham School The two League winners will play off for a place in the Zone Final.	Zone 7: Bristol/S Wales/Hereford/Wilts 1. Bristol Grammar School 2. Commonweal School, Swindon 3. Fitzalan High School, Cardiff 4. Hereford Cathedral Junior School 5. Hereford Cathedral School 6. Monmouth School 7. Torquay Boys Grammar School (A team) 8. Churchill Community School, Bristol This is a Knockout Zone. Torquay Boys GS will play all matches away from home.
Zone 8: Beds/Bucks/Oxon League Group 1. Northampton Prep School 2. Abingdon School (A team) 3. Bedford School 4. Magdalen College School, Oxford (B team) Knockout Group 1. Abingdon School (B team) 2. Bedford Modern School (A team) 3. Bedford Modern School (B team) 4. Magdalen College School, Oxford (A team) 5. Dr Challoners Grammar School, Amersham 6. Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe The two winners will play off for the Zone Championship.	Zone 9: Essex/E Anglia League Group 1. Royal Hospital School, Ipswich 2. Philip Morant School, Colchester 3. Friends School, Saffron Walden Knockout Group 1. St Albans Catholic School, Ipswich 2. Woodbridge School (A team) 3. Woodbridge School (B team) 4. St Benedicts School, Colchester 5. Colchester Royal Grammar School The two winners will play off for the Zone Championship.
Zone 10: Essex League Group 1. Brentwood School 2. Temple Sutton Primary School, Southend 3. Bishops Stortford High School 4. Moulsham High School, Chelmsford 5. Beauchamps High School, Wickford Knockout Group 1. King Edward VI School, Chelmsford 2. Southend High School for Boys 3. Thurstable School, Tiptree The two winners will play off for the Zone Championship.	Zone 11: London NW League Group A 1. John Lyon School, Harrow 2. North Bridge House School NW1 (B team) 3. Haberdashers Askes School, Elstree (B team) League Group B 1. North Bridge House School (A team) 2. Arnold House School, St Johns Wood 3. University College School, Hampstead 4. Haberdashers Askes School, Elstree (C team) 5. Watford Grammar School for Boys Knockout Group 1. Chancellors School, Hatfield 2. Haberdashers Askes School, Elstree (A team) 3. Queen Elizabeths Boys School, Barnet The winners of League Group B proceed direct to the Zone Final. The other two winners will play off for the right to meet them.
Zone 12: London NE League Group 1. Chingford Foundation School 2. Christs College, Finchley 3. Latymer School, Edmonton Knockout Group 1. Highams Park School E4 (B team) 2. Highams Park School (A team) 3. Hampton School (A team) 4. Ilford County High School 5. Highgate School 6. Highgate Junior School 7. City of London School The League winners will join the Knockout at the semi-final stage.	Zone 13: London SW League Group 1. Westminster School 2. Emanuel School SW11 3. Twickenham Prep School (A team) 4. Twickenham Prep School (B team) Knockout Group 1. Dulwich College 2. Dulwich College Prep School 3. Hampton School (B team) 4. James Allens Girls School, Dulwich 5. Kings College School, Wimbledon 6. St Pauls School, SW13 7. Tiffin School, Kingston upon Thames The League winners will join the Knockout at the semi-final stage.
Zone 14: South East 1. Aldro School, Godalming 2. Christs Hospital School, Horsham 3. Dorothy Stringer High School, Brighton 4. Lingfield Notre Dame School 5. Royal Grammar School, Guildford 6. St Olaves Grammar School, Orpington 7. Wallington County Grammar School 8. Whyteleafe Primary School 9. Yateley Manor School (A team) 10. Yateley Manor School (B team) This is a Knockout Zone.	Zone 15: West 1. Devonport High School for Boys (A team) 2. Devonport High School for Boys (B team) 3. Hazlegrove (Kings Bruton) Prep School (A team) 4. Hazlegrove (Kings Bruton) Prep School (B team) 5. King Edward VI School, Southampton 6. Millfield School (A team) 7. Millfield School (B team) 8. Mountbatten School, Romsey 9. Torquay Boys Grammar School (B team) 10. Winchester College This is a Knockout Zone.