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The Silver Knight Trophy
Inscribed on the trophy:
THE RAYNER MEMORIAL TROPHY
TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF
James Rayner,
CAPTAIN, LEEDS CHESS CLUB,
1886, 1887 AND 1897.
Condition Report
The trophy is generally in good shape, although a small enamelled badge (the Leeds fleece) is badly scuffed, probably due to over-zealous cleaning. The base is wooden, but a cheap stainless steel band kind of spoils the effect.
FORMAT OF THE COMPETITION
A simple points-scored table taken over a season, e.g. 1990/91:
X = Extra = win by default, or occasionally for turning up for the match but not getting a game.
The Winners
The "Silver Knight" or the Rayner Memorial Trophy, to give it its correct title, has traditionally been the trophy awarded to the highest scorer in the Woodhouse Cup.
Not the best player, you will note, but the highest scorer. The top boards seldom win the trophy. More often than not, it goes to the board four or five who turns up for every match and slogs away doggedly throughout the season. It's as much about reliability, consistency and being part of the team as it is about outright brilliance.
To win the trophy once suggests that you were a dedicated member of the club for a decade or more, reached a high standard of play and had one very exceptional year. Two wins suggests that you might have wasted your life on a stupid game. Three wins and you are the great CW Jeffery himself. Well done!
A list of the previous winners is under construction. There are a lot of minute books to go through before this list is any way comprehensive. Meanwhile, this is what we have:
1899 J Goldthorpe
1900 F Chowell
1901 J Spencer
1902 F Schofield
1903 Void
1904 T Smith
1905 CW Jeffery
1906 A Illingworth
1907 CW Jeffery
1908 A Illingworth (2)
1909 CW Jeffery (3)
1910 GW Douglass
1911 Mr Jones
1912 AC Irving
1913 F Schofield (2)
1914 AC Irving (2)
1920 RS Cundall
1921 AR Simpson
1922 M Andrews
1923 Void
1924 JH Morrison
1925 C Sandberg
1926 JTV Watson
1927 Mr Laxlon
1928-1930 ?
1931 J Croysdale
1932 Dr I Berenblum
1933 W Flint
1934 ?
1935 CD Addingley
1936 Dr Berenblum (2)
1937 CD Addingley
1938 CD Addingley
1939 TJ Beech
1946 D Paffley
1947 CG Addingley
1948 A Rivlin
1949 JW Narcross
1950 JE Povey
1951 JW Narcross (2)
1952 CG Addingley
1953 A Rivlin (2)
1954 B Rhodes
KEY
Inscribed on the trophy or the base.
From the minute books.
* 1996/97, first team spent a season in the IM Brown after a shock relegation.
(3) Number of wins in brackets.
1955 & 1956 ?
1957 MJ Haygarth
1958 JE Povey
1959 CG Addingley (6)
1960 & 1961 ?
1962 Mr Duke
1963 NA Haigh
1964 JE Povey
1965 MJ Haygarth
1966 MJ Haygarth (3)
1967 J Pountrey
1968 P Green
1969 JE Povey (4)
1970-1985 Minute Books lost. Could they possibly be among Haygarth's effects?
1987 J Vickery
1988 BT Hare
1989 S Spink
1990 J Vickery (2)
1991 S Spink (2)
1992 W Hicks
1993 = P Allison/
Ms V Craven
1994 I Strickland
1995 BT Hare (2)
1996 S Nicholls
1997 * = K Swainston/
MA Walker
1998 T Braithwaite
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