Description
Book SynopsisThis book covers more than a hundred years of chess in the Civil Service, with information about the clubs, the individuals, the events they contested, the successes, and the arguments that sometimes resulted. Clubs regularly featured leading players of the day and the Civil Service representative team frequently beat strong counties in 50-board matches, as well as participating in a mammoth 500-board match against the rest of England. Names of chess clubs bring a whiff of nostalgia, with India Office, War Office and Civil Service Rifles no longer in existence. Leading players served their country not only in their departments, but at establishments like Bletchley Park in the Second World War. Several civil servants represented their country in international matches. Over a thousand players participated in the league at one stage.
Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations and Acronyms 10 Chapter 1 1845 - 1927 Beginnings 13 Chapter 2 1927 – 1939 CSCA Merger to World War II 60 Chapter 3 1939 – 1946 Espionage, World War II and the Advent of Computers 94 Chapter 4 1946 – 1967 Hitting the Heights 111 Chapter 5 1967 – 1983 Modernization 162 Chapter 6 1983 – 1998 Drama follows Drama 216 Chapter 7 1999 – 2016 Decline and Fall 283 Annex Articles by E C Baker, M.B.E. 333 Club Histories Correspondence Chess 390 Biographies 397 Trophy Winners & Officials 487 Literature Sources etc. 527
