Some History
The founding of the Rhyl Chess Club in 1966 was long overdue. Until then, North Wales enthusiasts seeking competitive
chess could only contemplate the lengthy return journey to the Mold club, which played in the second division of the Chester and District Chess League.
It was not difficult for local GP Dr. Ervin Kraus to persuade a gathering of twenty players to form an organised club. Ervin Kraus was elected as the club's first chairman and the club would meet at the Morville Hotel on Thursday nights from September to May. The club was readily welcomed to the first division of the Chester and District Chess League (established in 1954). A Rhyl second team was to play in the League's second division.
Ervin Kraus and Hungarian émigré Jo Jarvis were Rhyl's strongest players and a match for most of the League's top players. They were well backed up by a squad of keen and improving players; among these were Team Captain Derek Mount, Club Secretary Neville Layhe, and Lithuanian Einar Ligema. At last, in the 1972–73 season, Rhyl won the League's first division championship.
Surprisingly, it took another twenty years for Rhyl to win the League's first division championship again – in season 1992–93, Harvey Curtis' ninth and final year as First Team Captain. Rhyl has also won the League's prestigious Team Handicap Knock–out Trophy four times. Most of Rhyl's trophies have been picked up by the second team and the third team (established in season 1976–77). They have won the second division four times and the third division six times – four of these during Elwyn Thomas' fifteen years reign as Third Team Captain (1978–79 to 1992–93).
The Rhyl Chess Club was just two years old when, ambitiously, it launched the first Rhyl Spring Chess Congress held at the Rhyl Town Hall over a long weekend in May 1967. The enterprise was welcomed and supported by the local council and Councillor John Conway donated a fine silver cup. The enthusiasm and hard work of the club members was rewarded; the chess weekend was a great success and Rhyl celebrated the outstanding play of Ervin Kraus and Jo Jarvis who finished joint winners of the top section. The Rhyl Chess Congress has become a permanent and well supported annual fixture in the British chess calendar attracting many overseas players as well as enthusiasts from all over the British Isles.
The top section of the Rhyl Chess Congress has become The North Wales Open Tournament and is frequently won by one of the well–known Grandmasters. Tony Miles, Nigel Short, Matthew Sadler, Mark Hebden, Nigel Davies, George Botterill and Keith Arkell have all come and conquered and in turn delighted and amazed countless amateur players and spectators.
By 1969, all chess players knew that Rhyl had a chess club to be proud of for the town had been chosen as the venue for that year's annual British Chess Championships. This demanded reliable support from the Rhyl Chess Club members – and this was not lacking. The event was held at Ysgol Llewelyn, Rhyl and went well. Rhyl's favourites (Ervin Kraus and Jo Jarvis) competed in the major section won by Dr J Penrose who thus became the British Chess Champion for the tenth (and last) time – a record unlikely to be surpassed.
The success of the Rhyl Chess Club has encouraged the formation of other stable clubs in North Wales; clubs in Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Ruthin and Holywell have enhanced the chess scene, but none can rival the pedigree and ambition of Rhyl.
chess could only contemplate the lengthy return journey to the Mold club, which played in the second division of the Chester and District Chess League.
It was not difficult for local GP Dr. Ervin Kraus to persuade a gathering of twenty players to form an organised club. Ervin Kraus was elected as the club's first chairman and the club would meet at the Morville Hotel on Thursday nights from September to May. The club was readily welcomed to the first division of the Chester and District Chess League (established in 1954). A Rhyl second team was to play in the League's second division.
Ervin Kraus and Hungarian émigré Jo Jarvis were Rhyl's strongest players and a match for most of the League's top players. They were well backed up by a squad of keen and improving players; among these were Team Captain Derek Mount, Club Secretary Neville Layhe, and Lithuanian Einar Ligema. At last, in the 1972–73 season, Rhyl won the League's first division championship.
Surprisingly, it took another twenty years for Rhyl to win the League's first division championship again – in season 1992–93, Harvey Curtis' ninth and final year as First Team Captain. Rhyl has also won the League's prestigious Team Handicap Knock–out Trophy four times. Most of Rhyl's trophies have been picked up by the second team and the third team (established in season 1976–77). They have won the second division four times and the third division six times – four of these during Elwyn Thomas' fifteen years reign as Third Team Captain (1978–79 to 1992–93).
The Rhyl Chess Club was just two years old when, ambitiously, it launched the first Rhyl Spring Chess Congress held at the Rhyl Town Hall over a long weekend in May 1967. The enterprise was welcomed and supported by the local council and Councillor John Conway donated a fine silver cup. The enthusiasm and hard work of the club members was rewarded; the chess weekend was a great success and Rhyl celebrated the outstanding play of Ervin Kraus and Jo Jarvis who finished joint winners of the top section. The Rhyl Chess Congress has become a permanent and well supported annual fixture in the British chess calendar attracting many overseas players as well as enthusiasts from all over the British Isles.
The top section of the Rhyl Chess Congress has become The North Wales Open Tournament and is frequently won by one of the well–known Grandmasters. Tony Miles, Nigel Short, Matthew Sadler, Mark Hebden, Nigel Davies, George Botterill and Keith Arkell have all come and conquered and in turn delighted and amazed countless amateur players and spectators.
By 1969, all chess players knew that Rhyl had a chess club to be proud of for the town had been chosen as the venue for that year's annual British Chess Championships. This demanded reliable support from the Rhyl Chess Club members – and this was not lacking. The event was held at Ysgol Llewelyn, Rhyl and went well. Rhyl's favourites (Ervin Kraus and Jo Jarvis) competed in the major section won by Dr J Penrose who thus became the British Chess Champion for the tenth (and last) time – a record unlikely to be surpassed.
The success of the Rhyl Chess Club has encouraged the formation of other stable clubs in North Wales; clubs in Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Ruthin and Holywell have enhanced the chess scene, but none can rival the pedigree and ambition of Rhyl.