In the beginning:
In the 1960’s and 70’s Rose Forgrove chess club was still very much in the process of growing from its beginnings. However there was a modicum of success in the lower leagues of the Leeds chess scene.
1965 div 2 champions
1979 div 3 champions
The flourishing 80's:
The 1980’s really saw Rose Forgrove chess club flowering certainly in terms of success. With the increase in membership and the attraction to the club of strong chess players it was not long before trophies started to fall their way. Success really sprouted from the mini league and arjay successes for the club which was supplemented with the prized Leeds division one title gained in 1985 which was a clear signal of how strong they had gotten. The following year was the most successful one the club had hitherto experienced with four trophies filling the club cabinet. Then four division one titles followed from 1988-1991. Rose Forgrove was now the dominant chess club in Leeds and had progressed in the Yorkshire chess leagues into the top division.
1981 silver rook YCA champions
1982 mini league winners
1983 mini league winners; arjay trophy winners
1984 mini league winners; arjay trophy winners
1985 div 1 champions
1986 div 2 champions; mini league winners; arjay trophy winners; IM Brown yca champions
1987 div 3 champions
1988-91 div 1 champions; 1988 mini league winners
1989 div 2 champions; silver rook winners
The Peak of the 90's:
The 1990’s was the peak decade of success for Rose Forgrove as just about every trophy in the LCA was captured at different points by the club. This included an incredible haul in 1991 of division 1, 2, 3 and 4 titles!
1991 div 2 champions ; team lightning champions; div 3 champions; div 4 champions
1992 arjay trophy winners; arjay plate winners; silver rook winners
1993 div 3 champions; arjay trophy winners
1994 div 1 champions
1994 div 2 champions; arjay plate winners
1995 div 1 champions; arjay trophy winners
1996 div 2 champions; team lightning champions; arjay plate winners
1997 div 1 champions; div 2 champions
1999 div 3 champions; team lightning champions
Recent Years:
Since the turn of the millennium Rose Forgrove has continued its great success in dominating the Leeds chess scene. Seven division one titles, eight arjay trophies/plates and four mini league titles illustrated this dominance. Last year was one of our best years yet with five trophies won by the club.
2001 div 1 champions; team lightning champions; mini league winners
2002 div 1 champions; div 3 champions; arjay plate winners
2003 div 2 champions; mini league winners; arjay plate winners
2004 div 1 champions;
2005 div 1 champions; mini league winners; arjay plate winners
2006 arjay trophy winners; arjay plate winners
2007 mini league winners
2008 div 1 champions
2009 div 1 champions; mini league winners; arjay plate winners
2010 div 1 champions; arjay plate winners
2011 div2 champions; div 3 champions; rapidplay winners; arjay trophy winners; arjay plate winners
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We often strive to improve our game by studying, sometimes in depth; by practicing what we know and what we have learnt; by taking part in many competitive games to boost our practical play
and by discussing our moves and ideas with others. All of which constitutes many hours of effort. We then find our reward when we play that 'great' game or beat a higher-rated opponent or indeed see our rating increase rapidly. But, wait....what's that stalking your very chess footsteps? the thing that hovers around the chessboard desperate to introduce and re-introduce itself? Yes, dear reader, it is the blunder!
What do you consider to be the strongest chess tournament to have ever graced the city of Leeds? For sure there have been various and successful British rapidplay events won by such luminaries as Nigel Short, Mickey Adams. It was only last year that Leeds Metropolitan University held the tournament won convincingly by Gawain Jones. But what about standard play events? There appears to be a serious dirth of top class international chess tournaments held in Leeds. In fact, one has to trawl back through the history books to find the strongest standard play event, and even then it is somewhat shrouded in mystery, reported in only a couple of documents. Still, after a great deal of digging around we can establish that the prestigious 1861 tournament held in Leeds was the strongest international chess event to be staged in our city.
