HISTORY
Leeds Chess Club has two hundred years of history behind it, a lot to cover. It seemed expedient therefore to separate the main website from the history website for fear of swamping the former.
To visit the club's dedicated history site, click on the link below. We hope you enjoy exploring our long and colourful story, 1820 to 2020 and beyond. Note for next AGM. We really must get those tea and smoking concerts going again:
|
Recent History Leeds Chess Club suffered a dramatic decline in the 2010s after moving out of the town centre. Leeds City Centre Chess Club, meanwhile, went from strength to strength, winning the LCA Division 1 title four times on the trot from 2014 to 2017. Leeds CCCC was originally formed by Robin Browne, Peter Mason and David Hirst. Robin led a breakaway from Alwoodley, while Peter and David rebelled against the hive mind at Forgrove. The three of them formed Leeds CCCC in 2013 and were soon joined by Rupert Jones who played for Leeds in his teens and retained fond memories. When Leeds Chess Club (as was) folded in 2017, it seemed natural that Leeds CCCC take over the name. Amalgamation, merger, take over - call it what you will - Leeds Chess Club is once again a successful and respected outfit and all is well with the world. |
More on Mergers The LCC/LCCCC merger isn't the first in the club's history and it probably won't be the last. 1890s Leeds wasn't really big enough for more than one chess club in Victorian times. Leeds Blenheim CC and Leeds Draughts & Chess Club disappeared from history pretty much as soon as LCC started a B team. Their members were gravitationally drawn towards the mother club in the town centre for the top competition. 1905 There were financial problems at the club after the Hon Treasurer "left the town" (along with the club's funds, reading between the lines). A merger with Leeds Insurance CC was suggested at the AGM. There is no record of what happened after that, but Leeds Insurance CC disappeared from history soon afterwards. 1980s LCC merged with Yorkshire Television CC for several years. We won the LCA Div 1 title in 1986 as Leeds & YTV CC. The two clubs split again in 1988. Remarkably, YTV survived the divorce and carried on for many years. |