Keene wins at Blackpool
The 58th British Championship took place at the Palatine School in Blackpool from 9 to 20 August 1971. Thirty-six players contested an eleven-round Swiss. Raymond Keene won unbeaten with 8/11, half a point ahead of Andrew Whiteley. William Hartston, Arthur Howard Williams, Craig Pritchett and Robert Wade shared the next score group on seven.
All 198 championship games are represented. The congress also held separate women’s, junior, Major Open and other tournaments; those events do not form stages of this national championship.
The surviving records
The original programme preserves an annotated round ledger. BritBase’s complete modern ledger agrees with all 198 archived pairings and results, and the contemporary Cambridge bulletin Dragon independently reports Keene’s victory. The archive retains the original game dates and round labels.
One score differs from Dragon: Parr–Hartston in round three has 33.Rd2 in the native record and 33.Re2 in the printed bulletin. Both versions end 0–1 after Black’s 33rd move. The legal native score is retained. Nigel John Kalton is identified by the programme, the contemporary report and his detailed LMS obituary.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keene, Raymond | 8/11 | +5 -0 =6 | games |
| 2 | Whiteley, Andrew Jonathan | 7½/11 | +5 -1 =5 | games |
| =3 | Hartston, William R | 7/11 | +3 -0 =8 | games |
| =3 | Williams, Arthur Howard | 7/11 | +5 -2 =4 | games |
| =3 | Pritchett, Craig William | 7/11 | +5 -2 =4 | games |
| =3 | Wade, Robert Graham | 7/11 | +5 -2 =4 | games |
| =7 | Knox, Victor W | 6½/11 | +3 -1 =7 | games |
| =7 | Cafferty, Bernard | 6½/11 | +3 -1 =7 | games |
| =7 | Perkins, Alan H | 6½/11 | +2 -0 =9 | games |
| =7 | Holt, Eric | 6½/11 | +5 -3 =3 | games |
| =11 | Littlewood, John Eric | 6/11 | +3 -2 =6 | games |
| =11 | Ludgate, Alan Templeton | 6/11 | +4 -3 =4 | games |
| =11 | Wright, Daniel | 6/11 | +2 -1 =8 | games |
| =14 | Bonner, Gerald | 5½/11 | +1 -1 =9 | games |
| =14 | Penrose, Jonathan | 5½/11 | +2 -2 =7 | games |
| =14 | MacDonald Ross, Michael | 5½/11 | +3 -3 =5 | games |
| =14 | Parr, Frank | 5½/11 | +2 -2 =7 | games |
| =14 | Haygarth, Michael J | 5½/11 | +1 -1 =9 | games |
| =14 | Markland, Peter Richard | 5½/11 | +3 -3 =5 | games |
| =14 | Pritchard, David Brine | 5½/11 | +3 -3 =5 | games |
| =14 | Sommerville, Johann P | 5½/11 | +2 -2 =7 | games |
| =22 | Hempson, Peter W | 5/11 | +3 -4 =4 | games |
| =22 | Lee, Peter N | 5/11 | +1 -2 =8 | games |
| =22 | Clarke, Peter Hugh | 5/11 | +0 -1 =10 | games |
| =22 | Farrand, Julian | 5/11 | +1 -2 =8 | games |
| =22 | Blackstock, Leslie Steven F | 5/11 | +1 -2 =8 | games |
| =22 | Franklin, Michael J | 5/11 | +3 -4 =4 | games |
| =22 | Wise, Derik M | 5/11 | +3 -4 =4 | games |
| =22 | Kalton, Nigel John | 5/11 | +1 -2 =8 | games |
| =22 | De Veauce, Louis | 5/11 | +2 -3 =6 | games |
| 31 | Burnett, Leon P | 4½/11 | +1 -3 =7 | games |
| =32 | Eley, Brian Ratcliffe | 4/11 | +3 -6 =2 | games |
| =32 | Hutchings, Stuart James | 4/11 | +1 -4 =6 | games |
| =32 | Trangmar, Alan G | 4/11 | +1 -4 =6 | games |
| =35 | Sugden, John N | 2½/11 | +0 -6 =5 | games |
| =35 | Linton, William A | 2½/11 | +1 -7 =3 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keene, Raymond | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Whiteley, Andrew Jonathan | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Hartston, William R | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Williams, Arthur Howard | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Pritchett, Craig William | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Wade, Robert Graham | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Knox, Victor W | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Cafferty, Bernard | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Perkins, Alan H | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Holt, Eric | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Littlewood, John Eric | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Ludgate, Alan Templeton | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Wright, Daniel | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Bonner, Gerald | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Penrose, Jonathan | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | MacDonald Ross, Michael | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Parr, Frank | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Haygarth, Michael J | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Markland, Peter Richard | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Pritchard, David Brine | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | Sommerville, Johann P | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Hempson, Peter W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | Lee, Peter N | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | Clarke, Peter Hugh | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | Farrand, Julian | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | Blackstock, Leslie Steven F | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | Franklin, Michael J | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | Wise, Derik M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29 | Kalton, Nigel John | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 | De Veauce, Louis | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31 | Burnett, Leon P | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | Eley, Brian Ratcliffe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 33 | Hutchings, Stuart James | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 34 | Trangmar, Alan G | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 35 | Sugden, John N | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 36 | Linton, William A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.