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History |
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Ashburton Chess Club 1893 - 2006 In 1892 members of the Ashburton Club took advantage of a new room, specially planned in the new Club house in Burnett St as a Chess room and library. Twenty players turned up for the inaugural meeting to form a chess section. The same year they played the Timaru Chess Club in a telegraphic match, which was given considerable space in the local newspaper. The Ashburton Chess Club was formed in the Arcade Chambers a year later. Whether there had been a dispute in the Chess section at the Ashburton Club remains unknown, but there appears to be no records of them from that date on. The Club was active over the next seven years, playing telegraphic matches against both Timaru and Oamaru. Visits took place to Timaru to play against Pleasant Point and Oamaru. In 1897 a combined Timaru/Pleasant Point team played Ashburton at Mrs Wheeler's Temperance Hotel rooms, Wills St, Ashburton. The final report on the Club was in 1900 when a tournament was cancelled due to the Pretoria demonstration (Boer Wars). A meeting was held on 18.02.48 with Dr N. E. Fulton as chairman and the Club was reformed a month later. This Club was active over the next 26 years playing regular matches against Canterbury University, Canterbury, Lincoln and Timaru. They also organised two South Island tournaments - 1964 at the Bridge Clubrooms on Alford Forest Road and in 1969 at the Ashburton Library Community Rooms. These were five round Swiss events held over three days. In 1968 the Club made its home at the library centre. Dr Fulton was made a life member in 1968 as well as Rev. Charles Ward in 1972. In 1974 the Club was forced into recess due to the lack of interest and members. Roy Keeling was charged with looking after the Club assets. Eleven years later in December 1985, two local teachers Brian Goulter and Ken Pow called a meeting to gauge interest in forming a club. The response was good and the Club was regrouped with former members Chris Wood, John Cartwright, Rex Scarf and Roy Keeling happy to be involved. The Club went from strength to strength with good attendances. Working bees to sell pea-straw, firewood donated by farming members Rex Scarf and Alan Mulligan, picking raspberries and grubbing thistles have been the types of activity that have kept the Club's finances in good heart. Annual matches are held against Canterbury and regular trips have been made to Dunedin to play against Otago, Invercargill and Timaru for the President's Trophy. The Club also competes for the OAT Trophy in Timaru and members have competed regularly in various North and South Island championships as well as the Masters Games. A first for New Zealand was the match played by Fax against Wanganui for the Blackburn Cup - a twelve hour marathon! Two South Island events have been organised - in 1989 at the now demolished St Stephens Church Hall and in 1993 at the Hotel Ashburton. Roy Keeling was made a life member in 1996 and the Mid-Canterbury Rapid Tournament started in 1995 becoming an established event on the calendar. In June 1999 the club was forced to look for a new playing venue as the Ashburton District Council made major changes to the Ashburton Library.We were fortunate to find a suitable location in the old admininsration block at the Ashburton Hospital where we were able to continue our Monday evening programme. During the 1990's we had played an annual triagular tournament with Otago and Timaru Chess Clubs (the OAT tournament). This ceased when the Timaru Club went into recess. Also in the early 2000's, Zig Urbanski set up an Ashburton Chess Club website. This was continued by Naser Abdul-Ghaffar after Zig left the club and is now maintained by John MacDonald We once again hosted the South Island Champs in 2003 and will be hosting them again this year, 2006. Thanks go to S.Bennett for his time and work in researching this information. R.Keeling |
