CLUB HISTORY
It is not entirely clear when the first incarnation of Dorchester Chess Club existed but records kept by Allan Pleasants (Weymouth) suggest there was a Casterbridge Chess Club formed in Dorchester in 1932, presumably a reference to Thomas Hardy's fictional town.
https://britishheritage.com/walking-through-casterbridge
It then changed its name to Dorchester Chess Club the following year. The next 30 years are a bit sketchy but in 1962 it moved to Weymouth and became the Weymouth & Dorchester Chess Club. This two town team had great success in the Dorset League winning the Division One Championship twice, firstly in 1967 then in 1972. In 1973, the club changed its name to the Weymouth Chess Club and it is not entirely clear if any form of the Dorchester Chess Club continued to exist for the next 10 years.
Due to the popularity of chess in the area in the early 1980s, Dorchester Chess Club 're-formed' in 1982 where its members first met at 2 West Walks, Dorchester, a rather grand 6 bedroom house believed to belong to the elected chairman John Hertslett. There were 20 present at the inaugural meeting on 16/9/82 that also included two apologies. The only remaining current member from this meeting is Chris Webb. By the 15th December 1982 the club were meeting at the YMCA at 15, Icen Way but the committee agreed on 11 April 1983 to start the new season in the Oak room at the Antelope Hotel. This was due to being larger and having generally better facilities. The first meeting of the 1983/84 season was 8/9/83.
The Oak room has a long traditional history as it was famously used as the courtroom of the Bloody Assizes by Judge Jeffreys, better known as the 'Hanging Judge', when in September 1685, 302 cases were heard, of which 74 of the accused were executed.
Perhaps worried about the Oak room's past reputation and the ghost of Judge Jeffreys which is said to haunt the Antelope courtyard, Dorchester hung up its 'hanging pawns' and moved to the much quieter, tranquil Colliton Club in 1987 (at the initiative of the club secretary at the time Vic Sherring) where it still meets today on Thursday evenings. The only modern day victims are, allegedly, several of Dorchester's opponents!
The Colliton Club also has hundreds of years of history and the original site was originally used in medieval times as the monastic hospital of St John the Baptist.
In 1993, Dorchester's membership doubled to around 40, possibly its highest level, immediately following the televised Short v Kasparov World Chess Championship match.
In terms of competitions, Dorchester has competed well in the Dorset League and has won the Division One Championship on 4 occasions, in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2015 and it has also had many successes in the lower leagues too. Mike Lewis was the first winner of the Club Championship in 1984/85 and Julian Cherryson has won it most times on 7 occasions. He recalls that in past years more than 20 points were needed to win this all-play-all event. These days, due to fewer members, a score of closer to 10 may now be enough. The club also runs an Individual (Handicap) Knockout tournament each year and an exciting Lightning tournamant for its members over the Christmas festive period.
From the mid 1980s until the mid 1990s Alan Pope and John Broad ran a junior chess club on behalf of Dorchester at the Dorchester Middle School and also the Dorset Junior Championships each Spring at the Dorchester Corn Exchange.
Weymouth Chess Club now share the facilities at the Colliton Club with Dorchester on Thursday evenings but the clubs have not merged.
Historically Dorchester used to start the season with a graded friendly club match against Wimborne. The last of these fixtures took place in 2015. In the 31 matches, Wimborne had 14 wins, Dorchester had 12 wins and there had been 5 draws.
Dorchester is currently well known for its now infamous annual Jamboree events. It all started in 2007 as an idea from club members and in particular, Geoff Searing, to celebrate the start of the club's 25th anniversary season. It invited other chess clubs in Dorset and Yeovil Chess Club, its close neighbour. An excellent playing format was devised for the Jamboree in that each player within each club team could play one player from another club. Yeovil were worthy winners in the first year in a close finish and the exciting event was fully reported in the Dorset Echo. https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/1692886.towns-tournament-gambit-paves-the-way/.
This event proved so enjoyable with so many positive comments that it has now become a permanent, popular annual fixture every September to act as an exciting curtain raiser for each new season. Eight clubs (Wimborne and Poole three times, Dorchester, Weymouth, Yeovil each twice, and Ringwood, Bridport, Purbeck each once) have won the tournament in its 15 year successful history. The last few years have attracted 42 players (7 teams) which is probably the club venue's maximum capacity.
Pictured below are some of the players at the 1st Dorchester Jamboree event held at the Colliton Club in 2007.
Mike Waddington, Dorchester's currently highest graded player (pictured below), is to be congratulated for becoming the 2021 British Over 50 Chess Champion.
https://britishheritage.com/walking-through-casterbridge
It then changed its name to Dorchester Chess Club the following year. The next 30 years are a bit sketchy but in 1962 it moved to Weymouth and became the Weymouth & Dorchester Chess Club. This two town team had great success in the Dorset League winning the Division One Championship twice, firstly in 1967 then in 1972. In 1973, the club changed its name to the Weymouth Chess Club and it is not entirely clear if any form of the Dorchester Chess Club continued to exist for the next 10 years.
Due to the popularity of chess in the area in the early 1980s, Dorchester Chess Club 're-formed' in 1982 where its members first met at 2 West Walks, Dorchester, a rather grand 6 bedroom house believed to belong to the elected chairman John Hertslett. There were 20 present at the inaugural meeting on 16/9/82 that also included two apologies. The only remaining current member from this meeting is Chris Webb. By the 15th December 1982 the club were meeting at the YMCA at 15, Icen Way but the committee agreed on 11 April 1983 to start the new season in the Oak room at the Antelope Hotel. This was due to being larger and having generally better facilities. The first meeting of the 1983/84 season was 8/9/83.
The Oak room has a long traditional history as it was famously used as the courtroom of the Bloody Assizes by Judge Jeffreys, better known as the 'Hanging Judge', when in September 1685, 302 cases were heard, of which 74 of the accused were executed.
Perhaps worried about the Oak room's past reputation and the ghost of Judge Jeffreys which is said to haunt the Antelope courtyard, Dorchester hung up its 'hanging pawns' and moved to the much quieter, tranquil Colliton Club in 1987 (at the initiative of the club secretary at the time Vic Sherring) where it still meets today on Thursday evenings. The only modern day victims are, allegedly, several of Dorchester's opponents!
The Colliton Club also has hundreds of years of history and the original site was originally used in medieval times as the monastic hospital of St John the Baptist.
In 1993, Dorchester's membership doubled to around 40, possibly its highest level, immediately following the televised Short v Kasparov World Chess Championship match.
In terms of competitions, Dorchester has competed well in the Dorset League and has won the Division One Championship on 4 occasions, in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2015 and it has also had many successes in the lower leagues too. Mike Lewis was the first winner of the Club Championship in 1984/85 and Julian Cherryson has won it most times on 7 occasions. He recalls that in past years more than 20 points were needed to win this all-play-all event. These days, due to fewer members, a score of closer to 10 may now be enough. The club also runs an Individual (Handicap) Knockout tournament each year and an exciting Lightning tournamant for its members over the Christmas festive period.
From the mid 1980s until the mid 1990s Alan Pope and John Broad ran a junior chess club on behalf of Dorchester at the Dorchester Middle School and also the Dorset Junior Championships each Spring at the Dorchester Corn Exchange.
Weymouth Chess Club now share the facilities at the Colliton Club with Dorchester on Thursday evenings but the clubs have not merged.
Historically Dorchester used to start the season with a graded friendly club match against Wimborne. The last of these fixtures took place in 2015. In the 31 matches, Wimborne had 14 wins, Dorchester had 12 wins and there had been 5 draws.
Dorchester is currently well known for its now infamous annual Jamboree events. It all started in 2007 as an idea from club members and in particular, Geoff Searing, to celebrate the start of the club's 25th anniversary season. It invited other chess clubs in Dorset and Yeovil Chess Club, its close neighbour. An excellent playing format was devised for the Jamboree in that each player within each club team could play one player from another club. Yeovil were worthy winners in the first year in a close finish and the exciting event was fully reported in the Dorset Echo. https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/1692886.towns-tournament-gambit-paves-the-way/.
This event proved so enjoyable with so many positive comments that it has now become a permanent, popular annual fixture every September to act as an exciting curtain raiser for each new season. Eight clubs (Wimborne and Poole three times, Dorchester, Weymouth, Yeovil each twice, and Ringwood, Bridport, Purbeck each once) have won the tournament in its 15 year successful history. The last few years have attracted 42 players (7 teams) which is probably the club venue's maximum capacity.
Pictured below are some of the players at the 1st Dorchester Jamboree event held at the Colliton Club in 2007.
Mike Waddington, Dorchester's currently highest graded player (pictured below), is to be congratulated for becoming the 2021 British Over 50 Chess Champion.