The British
Chess Federation
Where's It Gone?
The original British Chess Federation (BCF) was started in 1904 (7th May, to be precise) ... However, in keeping with the UK's modern spirit of devolution, the BCF is consigned to the annuls of history ...
Since Scotland, Wales and Ireland opted to form their own, independent federations, what was the BCF, has now been shaken, not stirred, to become the ECF - The English Chess Federation (www.EnglishChess.org.uk).
Membership
Still, there's enough players in England to keep the organisation a busy place, which carries neatly into the subject of membership...
By joining the English Chess Federation, you can receive a sack full of benefits ... including their bi-monthly newsletter (ChessMoves) and Discounts both from the ECF Catalogue and from assorted Chess retailers.
Events
The Federation holds a number of events throughout the calendar year, including, most notably:
- The British Championships, with a prize fund ranging from £30 in the Under 8s category, and rising to £5,000 for the winner of the main event.
- The British Rapidplay Championships, where prizes range from £7.50 in the Minor category and rise to £600 for the winner of the Open category).
ECF's Most Famous Member
During the early to mid 1800s, England had claim to be the main hub of the Chess scene, with Howard Staunton deemed to be the leading player between the years of 1843 - 1851.
Over the following 100 years, English dominance was superseeded by countries belonging to, what is now the former, Soviet Union.
Of the modern era, the most widely recognized player is GM Nigel Short, who spanned the change from Britsh Chess Federation to what is now the English Chess Federation.
One of Nigel's most notable achievements was to challenge GM Garry Kasparov, for the World Chess Championship (1993).
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