NZCF Titles

	NZ Chess Providing information about chess in New Zealand

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2009 Grand Prix
NZCF Mar 09 Ratings
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ICCF Jul 09 Ratings

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Jan-05 Site Redesigned

Title and Trophy Holders

 
New Zealand Champion 2009            	Anthony Ker
New Zealand Rapid Champion 2009         Anthony Ker
New Zealand Women's Champion 2009       Judy Gao
North Island Champion 2009              Russell Dive
South Island Champion 2008              Roger Nokes
New Zealand Junior Champion 2008        Sue Maroroa, Andy Chen, Mario Krstev
New Zealand Senior Champions 2009       Peter Stuart

For previous NZ Champions see below..

Grand Masters

GM Murray Chandler (Auckland)

International Masters

IM Russell Dive (Wellington)
IM Dr Vernon Small (Wellington)
IM Dr Ben Martin (Otago)
IM Anthony Ker (Wellington)
IM Paul Garbett (North Shore)
IM Puchen Wang (Auckland)

FIDE Masters

FM Martin Dreyer (Auckland)
FM Ewen Green (Auckland)
FM Peter Green (Auckland)
FM Alexei Kulashko (Auckland)
FM Anthony Love (Dunedin)
FM Mark Noble (Petone)
FM Dr Roger Nokes (Nelson)
FM Dr Jonathan Sarfati (Wellington)
FM Bob Smith (Waitemata)
FM Bruce Watson (Auckland)
FM Stephen Lukey (Wellington)
FM Scott Wastney (Nelson)
FM Richard Sutton (Otago)
FM Igor Bjelobrk (Melbourne)
FM Nicolas Croad (Wellington)

New Zealand Masters

100 Master points are needed for the title of New Zealand Master,
40 for the title of Candidate Master)

NZ MASTER POINTS as at 27/05/2009

Sarapu, O. 1203 Burry, I. 121 Levene, M. 56

Ker, A.F. 826 Cleland, R.A. 119 Hall, G.M.J. 54

Garbett, P.A. 772 Dowden, R.A. 118 Douglas, A.H. 50

Barnes, R.J. 744 Dreyer, M.P. 118 Gollogly, D.A. 50

Gyles, A.W. 569 James, H.L. 118 Lang, J.F. 50

Dive, R.J. 488 Moir, J.A. 117 Mellor, J.W. 50

Sutton, R.J. 449 Turner, A.E. 116 Hutchings, F.P. 49

Kelling, F.K. 426 Rasa, R.A. 115 Jensen, K.J. 48

Severne, E.H. 419 Sinclair, M. 114 Nield, A.E. 48

Davies, A.W.O. 417 Nokes, R.I. 113 Littlejohn, A.I. 46

Dunlop, J.B. 398 Wastney, S.C. 112 Meldrum, W. 46

Mason, W.E. 355 Foulds, F.A. 111 Brown, W. 44

Small, V.A. 328 Wang, P. 111 Kummer, F.W.H. 44

Smith, R.W. 326 Fairhurst, W.A. 110 Whitehouse, L.E. 43

Phillips, J.R. 324 Lloyd, A.J. 108 McKenzie, P.D. 42

Erskine, J.A. 307 McLaren, L.J. 103 Watson, B.R. 42

Sarfati, J.D. 290 Miles, E.J. 101 Boyd, K.M. 41

Lynch, D.I. 286 Steadman, M.V.R. 99 Hay, D.R. 41

Anderson, B.R. 270 Beyer, K. 96 Lelievre, A.A. 41

Mason, J. 253 Evans, C.A. 86 Kerr, A.G. 39

Feneridis, A. 251 Cornford, L.H. 83 Sexton, T. 39

Hookham, H. 235 Steele, J.D. 83 Cuthbert, R.F. 38

Lukey, S.G. 234 Frankel, Z. 82 Vaughan, F.L. 38

Court, R.A. 233 Menzies, B.C. 79 Pihl, D. 37

McNabb, H. 232 Croad, N.E. 77 Stewart, W.M. 37

Grierson, J.C. 212 Esterman, L. 77 Deben, B. 36

Wade, R.G. 205 Love, A.J. 77 Howe, A. 36

Stuart, P.W. 203 Aptekar, L.I. 75 Dodds, G.F. 35

Lepviikman, T. 189 Pleasants, O.C. 73 Fletcher, A.L. 35

Martin, B.M.S. 189 Jones, D.I. 72 van der Hoorn, 35

Chandler, M.G. 178 Bello, W. 71 Miller, A. 34

Hicks, E.A. 168 Abbott, H.R. 70 Cromarty, N.M. 33

Scott, R.O. 156 Cocks, H.S. 68 Cwilong, B.S.M. 32

Green, E.M. 154 Anderson, G.P. 66 Metge, J.N. 32

Haase, G.G. 151 Hindin, S. 66 Clarke, R.D. 31

Siedeberg, F.V. 147 Bjelobrk, I. 64 Wansink, R. 31

Green, P.R. 142 Mackay, W. 64 Guthrie, D.W. 30

Edwards, J. 135 Mouat, J. 64 Bennett, H.P. 29

Kulashko, A. 135 Wilkinson, A.L. 64 Noble, M.F. 29

Spain, G.A. 135 Belton, C.P. 63 Bakewell, F.H.F. 28

Day, A.R. 129 Mason, B. 63 Beach, D.H. 28

Allerhand, P. 127 Ollivier, A.M. 63 Benbow, C.W. 28

Forsyth, D. 127 Laird, C. 60 Jacobsen, P.F. 28

van Dyk, T. 124 Fletcher, N.T. 56 Lyders, H. 28

Sandford, W.C. 28 Greenfield, W.J. 15 Faulknor, S. 9

Smith, L.P. 28 Le Petit, E.A. 15 Trass, R.N. 9

Bennett, E.W. 27 Lennard, C.G. 15 van Ginkel, J.P. 9

Fox, C.E. 27 Mara, T.O. 15 Clemance, P.A. 8

Carpinter, B.A. 26 Neville, F.H.R. 15 Eade, D.G. 8

Hampl, M.G. 26 Roberts, C.C. 15 Han, D. 8

Trundle, G.E. 26 Smith, A.L. 15 Patterson, B. 8

Balk, O. 25 Stenhouse, B.W. 15 Robb, M.N. 8

Eriksen, J.E. 25 Stewart, M.S. 15 Whaley, M.G. 8

Harraway, J.A. 25 Veel, J.C. 15 Wilson, M.C. 8

Johnson, Q.J.F. 25 O'Callahan, R.M. 14 Baker, C.P. 7

Leonhardt, W. 25 Vincent, M.B. 14 Davis, J.M. 7

Shen, D. 25 Elliott, D.B. 13 Ker, C.M. 7

Stenhouse, W.M. 25 Poole, W.A. 13 Maroroa, S.Y. 7

Jackson, J.R. 24 Tuffery, P.B. 13 Metge, R.C. 7

Gifford, A.C. 23 Watt, R.S. 13 Perry, R.L. 7

Hicks, E.E. 23 Weir, P.B. 13 Ponimoni, M. 7

Lushcott, V. 23 Foord, M.R.R. 12 Waayman, R. 7

Maddox, H.N. 23 Giles, B.J. 12 Weegenaar, D.P. 7

Lynn, K.W. 22 Hopewell, M.G. 12 Bates, G.T.H. 6

Wood, J. 22 Machdoem, K.A. 12 Cashen, T. 6

Bray, R. 21 Rutherfurd, E.S. 12 Chiu, G. 6

Cooper, D.J. 21 Baeyertz, R.E.A. 11 Coombs, L.D. 6

Eyre, W.B. 21 Chapman, R. 11 Cummings, N.V. 6

Hart, R. 21 Hayes, I.D. 11 Fisher, G. 6

Jaquet, J. 21 Krstev, M. 11 Fraemohs, P. 6

McDermid, R.F.R. 21 Newick, C.B. 11 Freeman, M. 6

McNabb, M.D. 21 Russell, G.K. 11 Freeman, M.R. 6

Moore, W.E. 21 Steele, K.M. 11 Howe, J.E. 6

Nijman, A.J. 21 Ash, T.E. 10 Hunter, J.A. 6

Pomeroy, A.J. 21 Baider, D. 10 Newman, A. 6

Carpinter, A.L. 20 Barlow, M.J. 10 Pleasants, L. 6

Jowitt, A. 20 Barnard, J.O. 10 Webb, S.J. 6

Andersen, H. 19 Borton, J.B. 10 Wu, J. 6

Kelly, P.A. 19 Buckett, W.H. 10 Aldridge, G.J. 5

Reindler, W. 19 Coates, S. 10 Cooper, P.R. 5

Daly, P.M. 18 Compton, A.A. 10 Darwin, L.J. 5

Donaldson, B. 18 Cusack, J.R. 10 Hollander, A.S. 5

Jourdain, L.A. 18 Friberg, N.A. 10 Linderkrans, L.O. 5

Malcolm, J.B. 18 Hawkes, P.D. 10 Nijman, B.F. 5

Wilkin, R.S. 18 Hopewell, N.H. 10 Nyberg, M. 5

Fairburn, W.J. 17 Marsick, B.H.P. 10 Petre, W.B. 5

Thornton, G.A. 17 Still, P. 10 Skerrett, M.J. 5

Goffin, P.B. 16 Swayne, E.D. 10 van Dijk, P. 5

Wilson, J. 16 van Pelt, J.A.M. 10 Burns, C.J. 4

Fouhy, T. 15 Watt, R. 10 Charomova, E. 4

Duneas, J. 4 Grainger, S. 2 Short, A.G. 1

Gold, H.R. 4 Hare, T.G. 2 Smith, D.M. 1

Mataga, P.A. 4 Hill, W.C. 2 Spencer-Smith, G.J. 1

McCrea, J.C. 4 Lang, W. 2 St Joseph, M. 1

Paris, P.O. 4 Macfarlane, A.L. 2 Steffensen, T. 1

Power, P.W. 4 Meyer, E. 2 Stevens, J.E. 1

Reedy, B. 4 Rose, C.A. 2 Stracy, D.M. 1

Sainsbury, C.R. 4 Stott, C.J. 2 Sutherland, J.L. 1

Webling, J.K.L. 4 Trimble, W.H. 2 Taylor, M.W. 1

Bolton, G. 3 Vital, H. 2 Turnbull, J. 1

Chen, A.G. 3 Zhang, P. 2 Turner, G.M. 1

Connell, J.A. 3 Abbott, M.E. 1 Vincent, F. 1

Douglas, B. 3 Baldwin, P.A. 1 Warsaw, L. 1

Godfrey, P. 3 Beach, P.K. 1 Whitlock, H.P. 1

Goodhall, D.N.A. 3 Blaxall, C.S. 1 Williamson, H.G. 1

Goodhue, N. 3 Brown, W.A.R. 1 Wojnar, J. 1

Hart, D. 3 Bullock, F. 1 Wojnar, M. 1

Hartigan, C. 3 Chen, E. 1 Wong, K.A. 1

Jackson, L.R. 3 Choo, T.N. 1 Young, E. 1

Janion, C. 3 Christensen, R.H. 1

Johnston, A.J. 3 Cordue, P.L. 1

Krstev, A. 3 Crawford, I.S. 1

Marner, G. 3 Dolejs, D.E. 1

McDonald, J.A. 3 Dyer, E.J. 1

McGregor, R.M. 3 Edmonds, M. 1

Patchett, J.H. 3 Evans, R.M. 1

Reyn, I. 3 Flude, D.A. 1

Stewart, P.N. 3 Fox, B.G. 1

Tait, P.W. 3 Free, T.J. 1

Taylor, C.J. 3 Fuatai, F. 1

Tkatchenko, S. 3 Hall, C. 1

Wang, R. 3 Harris, P. 1

Xu, D. 3 Henderson, N.S. 1

Alexander, B.J. 2 Hensman, P.J. 1

Amies, L.S. 2 Hewitt, H.E. 1

Ashton, A. 2 Joyce, W.H. 1

Barraud, W.F. 2 Khytko, A. 1

Beatson, K. 2 Lam, D.K.W. 1

Boyd, D.J. 2 Mancewicz, S. 1

Cheng, B.S. 2 Manihera, M. 1

Cole, G.C. 2 Metge, R.T. 1

Colthart, R.J. 2 Milligan, H. 1

Craig, R.W. 2 Ong, R. 1

Earee, W. 2 Pearce, G. 1

Gloistein, B.N. 2 Pickett, A. 1

Goudie, D. 2 Schwass, M.P. 1

International Arbiters

IA Bob Gibbons (Auckland)
IA Peter Stuart (Auckland)
IA Chris Wright (Christchurch)

Senior International Correspondence Masters

SIM Michael Freeman (Stratford)
SIM Mark Noble (Wellington)

International Correspondence Masters

ICM Roger Chapman (Wellington)
ICM John Barrance (Wellington
ICM Brian Anderson (Christchurch)


NEW  ZEALAND  CHESS  CHAMPIONS 

This information kindly supplied by Peter Stuart.

Note:  Up to 1934 foreign players were eligible
for the title. The eligibility rules were changed in 1935 to preclude this; J.A.Erskine (champion in 1935) was born in Invercargill and was therefore
eligible although he was domiciled in Melbourne, Australia.

1	Christchurch	1879	HOOKHAM H.	Christchurch
2	Christchurch	1888/89	OLLIVIER A.M.	Christchurch
3	Dunedin	1890	HOOKHAM H.	Christchurch
4	Wellington	1890/91	BARNES R.J.	Wellington
5	Auckland	1891/92	SIEDEBERG F.V.	Dunedin
6	Christchurch	1892/93	SIEDEBERG F.V.	Dunedin
7	Dunedin	1893/94	EDWARDS J.	Wellington
8	Wellington	1894/95	MACKAY W.	Wellington
9	Wanganui	1895/96	MELDRUM W.	Rangitikei
10	Christchurch	1896/97	BARNES R.J.	Wellington
11	Auckland	1897/98	BARNES R.J.	Wellington
12	Dunedin	1898	CLELAND R.A.	Dunedin
13	Wellington	1900	MASON W.E.	Wellington
14	Christchurch	1901	FORSYTH D.	Dunedin
15	Auckland	1901/02	BARNES R.J.	Wellington
16	Dunedin	1902/03	GRIERSON J.C.	Auckland
17	Wellington	1903/04	MASON W.E.	Wellington
18	Oamaru	1904/05	DAVIES A.W.O.	Wellington
19	Auckland	1905/06	BARNES R.J.	Wellington
20	Christchurch	1906/07	VINER W.S.	Perth
21	Wellington	1908	DAVIES A.W.O.	Wellington
22	Dunedin	1908/09	KELLING F.K.	Wellington
23	Auckland	1909/10	MASON J.	Wellington
24	Timaru	1910/11	MASON W.E.	Wellington
25	Napier	1911/12	MASON W.E.	Wellington
26	Nelson	1912/13	GRIERSON J.C.	Auckland
27	Auckland	1913/14	MASON W.E.	Wellington
28	Christchurch	1914/15	KELLING F.K.	Wellington
29	Wellington	1919/20	MASON W.E.	Wellington
30	Dunedin	1920/21	DUNLOP J.B.	Oamaru
31	Auckland	1921/22	DUNLOP J.B.	Oamaru
32	Christchurch	1922/23	DUNLOP J.B.	Oamaru
33	Wellington	1923/24	CRAKANTHORP S.	Sydney
34	Nelson	1924/25	PURDY C.J.S.	Sydney
35	Dunedin	1925/26	CRAKANTHORP S.	Sydney
36	Auckland	1926/27	DAVIES A.W.O.	Auckland
37	Christchurch	1927/28	DAVIES A.W.O.	Auckland
38	Wellington	1928/29	ERSKINE J.A.	Melbourne
39	Wanganui	1929/30	GUNDERSEN G.	Melbourne
40	Rotorua	1930/31	GYLES A.W.	Wellington
41	Napier	1931/32	GUNDERSEN G.	Melbourne
42	Auckland	1932/33	GOLDSTEIN M.E.	Sydney
43	Dunedin	1933/34	DUNLOP J.B.	Dunedin
44	Christchurch	1934/35	ERSKINE J.A.	Invercargill
45	Wellington	1935/36	GYLES A.W.	Wellington
46	Auckland	1936/37	ABBOTT H.R.	Christchurch
47	Dunedin	1937/38	HINDIN S.	Christchurch
48	Wanganui	1938/39	DUNLOP J.B.	Dunedin
49	Wellington	1939/40	DUNLOP J.B.	Dunedin
50	Timaru	1940/41	ALLERHAND P.	Wellington
51	Wellington	1943/44	WADE R.G.	Wellington
52	Auckland	1944/45	WADE R.G.	Wellington
53	Christchurch	1945/46	LEPVIIKMAN T.	Wellington
54	Palmerston North	1946/47	LEPVIIKMAN T.	Wellington
55	Dunedin	1947/48	WADE R.G.	Wellington
56	Wanganui	1948/49	NIELD A.E.	Auckland
57	Auckland	1949/50	ALLERHAND P.	Wellington
58	Christchurch	1950/51	LYNCH D.I.	Hastings
59	Napier	1951/52	SARAPU O.	Christchurch
60	Timaru	1952/53	SARAPU O.	Auckland
61	Wellington	1953/54	SARAPU O.	Auckland
62	Auckland	1954/55	SARAPU O.	Auckland
63	Dunedin	1955/56	FOULDS F.A.	Auckland
64	Wellington	1956/57	FENERIDIS A.	Wellington
			PHILLIPS J.R.	Auckland
65	Christchurch	1957/58	PHILLIPS J.R.	Auckland
66	Hamilton	1958/59	FOULDS F.A.	Auckland
			MENZIES B.C.	Auckland
67	Dunedin	1959/60	SARAPU O.	Auckland
68	Auckland	1960/61	SARAPU O.	Auckland
69	Wellington	1961/62	HAASE G.G.	Dunedin
70	Christchurch	1962/63	SARAPU O.	Auckland
			SUTTON R.J.	Auckland
71	Auckland	1963/64	COURT R.A.	Wellington
72	Wellington	1964/65	PHILLIPS J.R.	Auckland
73	Hamilton	1965/66	SARAPU O.	Auckland
74	Christchurch	1966/67	SARAPU O.	Auckland
75	Dunedin	1967/68	ANDERSON B.R.	Christchurch
76	Wellington	1968/69	ANDERSON B.R.	Christchurch
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
77	Auckland	1969/70	SARAPU O.	Auckland
78	Nelson	1970/71	SUTTON R.J.	Auckland
79	Hamilton	1971/72	SUTTON R.J.	Auckland
80	Wellington	1972/73	SARAPU O.	Auckland
81	Christchurch	1973/74	GARBETT P.A.	Auckland
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
82	Dunedin	1974/75	GARBETT P.A.	Auckland
83	Upper Hutt	1975/76	APTEKAR L.I.	Wellington
			CHANDLER M.G.	Wellington
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
84	North Shore	1976/77	SARAPU O.	Auckland
85	Wellington	1977/78	LAIRD C.	Tauranga
86	North Shore	1978/79	SARAPU O.	Auckland
87	Upper Hutt	1979/80	GREEN E.M.	Auckland
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
			SMALL V.A.	Christchurch
88	Christchurch	1980/81	NOKES R.I.	Christchurch
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
			SMALL V.A.	Christchurch
89	North Shore	1981/82	SMALL V.A.	Christchurch
90	Dunedin	1982/83	GARBETT P.A.	Auckland
			GOLLOGLY D.A.	Auckland
91	Auckland	1983/84	GARBETT P.A.	Auckland
92	Upper Hutt	1984/85	SMALL V.A.	Christchurch
93	Christchurch	1985/86	LLOYD A.J.	Christchurch
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
94	Wanganui	1986/87	DIVE R.J.	Wellington
95	North Shore	1987/88	SARFATI J.D.	Wellington
96	Dunedin	1988/89	GARBETT P.A.	Auckland
			KER A.F.	Wellington
97	Wellington	1989/90	MARTIN B.M.S.	Dunedin
			SARAPU O.	Auckland
98	Auckland	1990/91	KER A.F.	Wellington
99	Dunedin	1991/92	DREYER M.P.	Auckland
100	Wellington	1992/93	KER A.F.	Wellington
101	Invercargill	1993/94	KER A.F.	Wellington
			MCKENZIE P.D.	Christchurch
102	Wanganui	1994/95	KER A.F.	Wellington
103	Wellington	1995/96	DIVE R.J.	Wellington
			DREYER M.P.	Auckland
			SMITH R.W.	Auckland
104	North Shore	1996/97	KULASHKO A.	Auckland
105	Hamilton	1997/98	KULASHKO A.	Auckland
106	Dunedin	1998/99	DIVE R.J.	Wellington
107	Auckland	1999/00	KULASHKO A.	Auckland
108	Waitakere City	2000/01	WASTNEY S.C.	Nelson
109	Christchuch	2001/02	KER A.F.	Wellington
110	Wanganui	2002/03	KER A.F.	Wellington
111	Wellington	2003/04	KER A.F.	Wellington
112	Wanganui	2004/05	KER A.F.	Wellington
113	Queenstown	2006	CHANDLER M.G.	Queenstown
114	Wanganui	2007	WANG P.	Auckland
115	Auckland	2008	CHANDLER M.G.	Auckland
116	Queenstown	2009	KER A.F.	Wellington

The following article, by Peter Stuart, was published on ChessCafe http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles260.pdf on 5th August 2005.

The first New Zealand Championship was held at Bellamy’s in Christchurch from 19th August to 4th September 1879. A brief general historical note is in order here. European settlement in New Zealand commenced only around 1840, the majority of these settlers coming from England, Scotland and Ireland in the early decades. The new country achieved effective selfgovernment in 1856 and the first nineteen(!) prime ministers were, perhaps unsurprisingly, born overseas, mainly in England, Scotland or Ireland. The home countries were among the first to stage national championship tournaments (England 1866, and Scotland the following year) so it is perhaps not surprising that emigrating chess players took this strange new idea with them to the other side of the world. It can be noted that Australia held its first championship at Adelaide in 1887 and players from the two Australasian countries frequently competed in each other’s championships for many years.

Competitors living within fifteen miles of Christchurch had to pay a five guinea entry fee for that first championship while others were allowed in free. This was to restrict local entries; in the event five of the eight competitors had coughed up the five guineas and the other three players were from other South Island towns. The rules of play were as in Staunton’s Chess Praxis and the time control was 15 moves per hour. The tournament was a double round-robin, a format never again used for this event, and interesting was the fact that there were no fewer than five arbiters to cope with just the four games. The prize fund was a handsome £80 with £50 for first, £20 for second, and £10 for third prize. The tournament resulted in a tie between Henry Hookham and David Hay which was resolved by a single play-off game, won by the London-born Hookham after six hours play.

Slightly more than nine years were to pass before the second championship tournament was held, also in Christchurch, over the New Year of 1888/89. here were just six players and the new champion was Arthur Morton Ollivier of Christchurch. Hookham, who finished fourth, was the only player from the 1879 field to play again in the championship; indeed, he played in the first ten championships, winning a second title in the third championship at Dunedin in January 1890 against another new crop of players.

From this point the championship has been held every year, usually in the December/January holiday period but occasionally at Easter, with the exception of four years during World War I and two years during World War II. Kevin O’Connell points out in The Encyclopaedia of Chess (edited by Harry Golombek) that, despite Scotland pre-empting their antipodean rival for the first national championship in the world, New Zealand has the “best established” championship on the basis that Scotland, which has also missed some years because of war, has fallen six months behind. Thus New Zealand held its 112th championship tournament in January this year while Scotland is about to hold its 112th as I write. England also got into the act very early, with the first British Championship being held in 1866 and three more at two-year intervals, but they seem to have lost the plot after 1872 because the fifth in the series was not held until 1904.

Franz Vaughan Siedeberg was the first to successfully defend his title, winning the 5th and 6th championships while in his early twenties; soon after his second victory he emigrated to England – a sort of reverse colonisation I suppose. It wasn’t too long before someone beat Siedeberg’s record of two titles. Richard James Barnes won the 4th championship and won two more in 1896/97 (10th) and 1897/98 (11th). He later won the 15th and 19th championships to finish with five titles. Altogether Barnes played in 28 championships, 22 of them consecutively.

As intimated above the New Zealand championship tournaments were normally single round-robins, the number of players usually being in the 11- 14 range but the Christchurch Exhibition Year event (1906-07) had twenty players including the young Australian duo of William S.Viner (25) who won first prize with 17½/19 and Spencer Crakanthorp (21) who finished second on 15 points. Third was Arthur Davies who won the second of his four titles the following year (Easter 1908). Fedor Kelling followed in 1908/09 and John Mason, who had twice tied for first place but lost playoffs, finally won the title in 1909/10. Namesake William Mason, who had already won two titles, took the next two championships, giving him four titles. He won another in 1913/14 and then Kelling gained his second title with the fine score of 11½/12 in 1914/15. Kelling was to play in many more championships (36 in total, 29 of them consecutively) but is probably better remembered for his administrative roles – as a New Zealand Chess Association councillor/secretary and also a publicist. Indeed his very variable results could to some extent be blamed on his regular reporting duties.

There now followed a break of four years before service resumed with the 29th championship in 1919/20, won by William Mason for a record sixth title. Mason played the following year and then retired from tournament play while in his mid-40’s; he died in 1960.

John Dunlop registered the first three-peat in the 30th-32nd championships, two of them after single-game play-offs, and then followed three Australian victories to Spencer Crakanthorp, Cecil Purdy, and Crakanthorp again. These three events used the Holland system with two preliminary groups comprising up to 20 players. The exact format varied but always the players from the same preliminary group carried forward their mutual results to the final. Arthur Davies won the 36th championship (another Holland system) and defeated Kelling in a play-off in the 37th (1927/28). Davies’ death only a week or so later marked the end of an era in a way. The two Mason’s had retired, Barnes last played in 1926 and died in 1929, and Kelling was not to win again.

John Erskine scored 8/8 in 1928/29, the second 100% result after Robert Cleland’s 4/4 in 1898. Then the Australians rediscovered New Zealand with Gunnar Gundersen winning the 39th and 41st championships (Alfred Gyles won the one in between after a play-off versus Erskine) and Anglo-Australian Maurice Goldstein the 42nd in 1932/33. Dunlop returned to the fray in 1933/34 after a seven-year absence, defeating Gyles in a play-off while Erskine won his second title in 1934/35. Gyles was second again in 1935/36 but this time it was enough. “Hard-luck” Gyles, as he was known had previously finished second no fewer than ten times, including four lost play-offs. But the eligibility rules had been changed in 1934 to debar foreigners from winning the national title and the winner in this 45th championship tournament was the Australian, Cecil Purdy. The next two champions were one-time winners – Hedley Abbott (1936/37) and Sin Hindin (1937/38). Hindin was a school friend of Aron Nimzovitch who became a naturalised Englishman before emigrating to New Zealand in 1930.

Dunlop brought his title tally to six, equalling W.E.Mason’s record, with victories in 1938/39 and 1939/40. Travel restrictions imposed by the government during the war restricted the field to just nine players in 1940/41 where 14 was typical over the previous ten years. There was a tie between a couple of newcomers, Bob Wade and Philipp Allerhand, a Viennese doctor who had settled in New Zealand shortly before the war (smart move!).

Wade, then 19, was playing in his second championship but lost the playoff. The travel restrictions mentioned above caused the cancellation of the next two congresses so the 51st championship was played in 1943/44 when Wade tied for first place again, with Edward Severne. Thus time Wade won the play-off, 2-0. Severne played in 27 championships and, like Davies and Dunlop, went out on a high note – this was his best result. He never won the championship but was placed second equal with Purdy behind Gundersen in 1929/30 – a few years later that would have given him the title. Severne died in 1955 aged 77.

Wade won again in 1944/45 with Tom Lepviikman taking second place. The latter was born in Estonia in 1900 and arrived in New Zealand in 1939 after living in the Netherlands for many years. Lepviikman won the 53rd championship (the Victory Congress, 1945/46) with Wade and J. David Steele sharing second. Lepviikman won the second of his two titles in 1946/47 with Steele second again. Steele was about 3 years younger than Wade but never played again after this. Wade won his third title in 1947/48 in what was to be his last before he left for Britain where he has since won a couple more national titles.

The next three congresses comprise a sort of interregnum – between the departure of Wade and the arrival of Sarapu. They were won by Alan Nield who was born in London, lived for some years in Australia before coming to New Zealand, from which he later returned to England; Allerhand, returning for a second title after a nine year absence from the championship; and David Lynch, whose victory in 1950/51 followed two second places.

Ortvin Sarapu, the man who became known in New Zealand as “Mr Chess,” was born in Estonia in 1924 and won that country’s junior championship in 1940. Later he played in a number of tournaments in northern Europe including that at Oldenburg in mid-1949 where he met (and played) Bob Wade who put in a good word or two for New Zealand. Sarapu arrived in New Zealand late in 1949, at a time when it is probably true to say that the country’s chess was in a poorer state than usual owing to deaths, retirements and, in Wade’s case, emigration. Certainly Ortvin made short work of his first four sets of opponents on the way to a new record of four consecutive victories. For some years now the championship field had been 12 players and three of those victories were gained with 10½ points from his 11 games and a three-point margin from second place. Sarapu scored only 8 points in 1952/53 but that was with a 10-player field! The next four championships were Sarapu-less (he won the Australian Championship in 1956/57 and was fourth in 1958/59). This was a period when a number of talented young players started coming through. Fred Foulds won in 1955/56 while Arcadios Feneridis and Rodney Phillips shared first place in 1956/57. There were two points of interest in the latter result. Play-offs had always been held to resolve first-place ties but in this case the play-off proved difficult to arrange and the two winners were later declared joint champions. Subsequently, playoffs were abolished altogether, allowing for joint tenure of the title. The second point was that Phillips, at 14½ years, was (and remains) the youngest New Zealand champion.

Phillips won by himself in 1957/58 and Foulds won his second title the following year in a tie with Barry Menzies. Foulds retired from tournament play after this, having won two of the four championships he contested. Sarapu won the next two championships to equal the record of six titles but was thwarted in his attempt to break the record in 1961/62 when Graham Haase scored an upset victory, leaving the country’s “big three” of Sarapu, Phillips and Feneridis sharing second place a half-point off the pace. Sarapu then took the record by sharing the title with another young player in Richard Sutton (1962/63) while Roger Court became the second player to head Sarapu when he won the 71st championship in 1963/64. Phillips won in 1964/65 with Sarapu and Sutton equal second and then it was Sarapu in for title number 8 in 1965/66. Sadly, that year turned out to be the last time that Roger Court and Rodney Phillips played in the championship. Court died in 1967 in his mid-thirties while Phillips, who had spent some time overseas, died tragically in Wellington in 1969 at the age of 26.

The Canterbury Chess Club celebrated its centennial with the 1966/67 Congress and a 14-round Swiss system Championship tournament which attracted a number of players from overseas. It has always surprised me that the New Zealand contingent was so weak – no Phillips, no Sutton, no Feneridis, no Court. Yuri Averbakh won with 13/14 followed by Rodolfo Tan Cardoso (Philippines) 11½, Paul Dozsa (Australia) 11, and Sarapu 10½. Then followed four more Australians!

Bruce Anderson, who debuted the previous year in Christchurch at the age of 18, won in Sarapu’s absence in 1967/68 and then proved his worthiness to that title by sharing it with Sarapu the following year. It was Sarapu again in 1969/70 (title number 11) with the newly arrived Dr. William Fairhurst sharing second place. Fairhurst, born in England but many times champion of Scotland, played in three more New Zealand championships over the next six years, always finishing in the top four. He died in Auckland in March 1982.

Sutton annexed two more titles in 1970/71 and 1971/72 with Paul Garbett (who debuted in 1970/71) runner-up on both occasions. Sarapu, back from a two-year break, won the next two championships, sharing the second of these with Garbett who won outright in 1974/75 when the format was an ungainly 16-player 11-round Swiss.

The 83rd championship (1975/76) saw the first triple tie for the title (the only previous triple tie for first place, in 1912/13, was resolved by a play-off which was won by J.C. Grierson) after the 15-year old Murray Chandler, playing in his second championship, lost in the final round to Fairhurst thus allowing Sarapu and another first-timer, Lev Aptekar (ex-USSR), to catch up. Chandler has only played three times in the New Zealand championship because of his settling in England around 1980.

Craig Laird won his only title in 1977/78, sandwiched between two more Sarapu victories, and then came two more triple ties. In 1979/80, the Centennial Congress, it was first titles for Vernon Small and Ewen Green and seventeenth for Sarapu. Then Roger Nokes replaced Green on the dais in 1980/81. Small made it three in a row in 1981/82 and Paul Garbett shared his third title with David Gollogly the following year. Garbett won his fourth in 1983/84 and Small his fourth in 1984/85.

Sarapu, now into his sixties, shared the title with Adrian Lloyd in the 24-player Swiss of 1985/86 but then it was back to the 12-player round-robin format again for Russell Dive (20) to win his first title in 1986/87 and Jonathan Sarfati (23) his only title a year later.

Anthony Ker (21) won his first title, shared with Garbett, in 1988/89 after four not particularly impressive efforts previously. Sarapu won his last title at the age of 65 in a tie with Ben Martin in 1989/90. He played twice more in the championship, for a total of 31 championships (only five fewer than Fedor Kelling) and a remarkable 20 titles.

The next five years belonged to Ker who won three titles outright and one tied (1993/94, with Peter McKenzie). This included three in a row, starting in 1992/93 – the 100th New Zealand championship tournament. The one that got away was 1991/92 when Martin Dreyer gained his first title. Another triple tie followed Ker’s winning sequence with Dreyer, Dive and Robert Smith sharing the title in 1995/96.

The Swiss became the tournament format of choice from 1996/97 when the event was won by Australian GM Ian Rogers. Russian émigré Alexei Kulashko was runner-up, thereby winning his first New Zealand title. He won again the following year before Dive gained his third title in 1998/99 with a hugely dominating 10½/11. Ian Rogers made the same score in 1999/2000 with GM Drazen Sermek (Slovenia) and Kulashko sharing second; title number three for Alexei. Then Chris Depasquale (Australia) won in 2000/01, the title going to second placed Scott Wastney.

Then, starting in 2001/02, Anthony Ker made a little comeback. He was never far off the pace during his six title-less years but has now won four unshared titles in a row, making a total of nine titles. Australian IM Alex Wohl actually took first place in 2005 and also, in a tie with fellow countryman Tim Reilly, in 2003. Thus Ker equalled Sarapu’s fifty-year old record of four consecutive titles and has the chance to break it next January. It won’t be easy, Anthony!

Some brief statistics follow. Two players played in more than 30 championships: Fedor Kelling, 36 (of which 29 were consecutive) between 1902 and 1946, and Ortvin Sarapu, 31 between 1951 and 1997. Richard Barnes played 28, Paul Garbett and Eddie Severne 27. Sarapu won no fewer than 20 titles and would doubtless have won a few more if he hadn’t played in several Australian championships which are held concurrently. Anthony Ker has nine titles, gathered over a relatively short period of 16 years, and next are John Dunlop and William Mason with six. The youngest champion was Rodney Phillips who was 14 when he shared the title with Arcadios Feneridis in 1956/57.

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