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Girls' Tournament 1927-1938
Thanks to the driving forces within the Edinburgh Ladies' Chess Club, an interesting tournament for Girls was inaugurated in 1927, several years before the Scottish Chess Association introduced a Boys' championship.
The event continuing annually until 1938, with various prizes being presented by members of the Ladies' club.
1927 Mollie Weatherill
The first ever tournament for girls in Scotland was held at the rooms of the Edinburgh Ladies' Chess Club, 20 Rutland Square, on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of January 1927. The driving force behind the promotion of chess to young people was Miss Stella Malcolm, secretary of the Ladies' club.
There were four entrants, aged 13 and 14 years of age, in the double-round tournament. The winner was Mollie Weatherill, who score 5 points from her six games.
Jean Ritchie, daughter of the 1925 Scottish Women's Champion, Mrs M. Ritchie, was second after a tie with Doris Cowie. The fourth player was Marjorie Gillespie.
Photo from the British Chess Magazine, March 1927, p 113.
Prizes were presented by Miss S.E.S. Mair, the president of the Ladies' club, and Miss Malcolm, and each girl received a box of chocolates and a book on chess at the end of the event.
Sources:
BCM, February 1927, pp. 67 & 113;
The Scotsman, 8 January 1927, p. 13.
1928 Doris Cowie
The second tournament was played from January 4th to 7th, 1928, again arranged by Miss Malcolm, and again held under the auspices of the Edinburgh Ladies' Chess Club, who now occupied rooms at 4 Melville Crescent.
There were six entrants this time, and again it was a double-round event. The winner was Doris Cowie, aged 14, with a score of 9/10, losing only one game to Betty Mason, aged 13, who won the second prize.
1. Doris Cowie 2. Betty Mason 3. Kate Young 4. Mollie Weatherill 5. Jean Ritchie 6. Doris Simpson The presentation of prizes, which took place on the morning of Saturday, 7th January. Miss Malcolm, confident that the event would likely gain in popularity, intimated that she had provided a challenge cup for annual competition, as she wished to encourage girls to take up the study of Chess. She requested that the name of the 1927 winner, Mollie Weatherill, be inscribed on the cup, so that it would show a complete record of the winners.
The Cup was then presented to Doris Cowie by Mrs Mill, Vice-President of the Edinburgh Ladies' Club, in the absence of Miss S.E.S. Mair, LL.D., President, who had provided a personal prize consisting of a fitted writing case. The second prize, provided by Miss Malcolm, was a wooden polished Chess board and weighted set of Chessmen. All the competitors also received boxes of chocolates provided by Mrs Mill.
Sources:
BCM, February 1928, p. 67-68 (report) & photo.
Glasgow Herald chess column, 14 January, 1928, p. 7.1929 Jean Ritchie
The third tournament for girls under twenty was held at the Edinburgh Ladies' Chess Club, 4 Melville Crescent, from January 3rd to 5th. Six players took part, with the format changing to a single-round all-play-all.
1. Jean Ritchie 2. Betty Mason 3. Verna Ellinson 4. Doris Cowie 5. Jean Ellis 6. Helen Logan Source: BCM, February 1929, p. 59.
1930 Jean Ritchie (after play-off)
The fourth annual Scottish Girls' Tournament for the challenge cup open to girls under twenty years of age was again held at the Edinburgh Ladies' CC on Melville Crescent from January 2nd to 4th.
Jean Ritchie and Doris Cowie, both winners on previous occasions, finished with the same score, but Miss Ritchie won a decisive play-off game to retain the cup for another year. In addition to the cup Miss Ritchie was presented with an attache case by the president of the club. Miss Cowie received a prize from Miss Malcolm, the organiser of the event. Each of the other competitors were presented with a small gift.
1. Jean Ritchie 2. Doris Cowie 3. Betty Mason 4. Margaret Ross 5. Helen Logan 6. Jean Ellis Sources:
BCM, February 1930, p. 72.
The Scotsman, 6 January, 1930, p. 5.1931 Veronica Blackstock (after play-off)
The fifth annual Girls' Tournament began on Thursday, 23 April and concluded on Monday the 27th. As usual, it was played at the Edinburgh Ladies' CC, who were still at 4 Melville Crescent.
There were five entrants, and the tournament ended with a tie between Veronica Blackstock and Betty Mason, each with 3½ points. A two-game play-off match was held on Monday 27th April, won by Miss Blackstock 1½-½.
The winner and Miss Mason received handbags as prizes, and boxes of sweets were presented to the other competitors, Jean Ritchie, Doris Cowie, and Betty Keith.
Sources:
BCM, June 1931, p. 262.
The Scotsman, 28 April, 1931, p. 14.
Glasgow Herald chess column, 2 May, 1931, p. 3.1932 Veronica Blackstock
The sixth annual tournament was held at the new premises of the Edinburgh Ladies' CC at 1 Torphichen Place, the club having bought their their own flat.
Veronica Blackstock was the winner, defeating Jean Ritchie 2-0 in a match. It is not known whether these two girls were the only entrants. No further information could be found in The Scotsman, and the BCM had no report at all. The Glasgow Herald gave minimal information, not even clarifying the date(s) of the event. The AGM of the Edinburgh Ladies' CC was held on 23 May, where it was recorded, simply, that Miss Blackstock had won the girls' tournament.
Source:
Glasgow Herald chess column, 23 April, 1932, p. 7. (It stated, wrongly, that this was the 7th annual event.)1933 Veronica Blackstock
The seventh annual tournament was won by Veronica F.J. Blackstock (the third year in succession). The event was played 11-13 April at 1 Torphichen Place, with the prizegiving ceremony on Monday, 17 April. Prizes were again given by Dame S.E.S. Mair.
1. Veronica F.J. Blackstock 2. Betty Mason 3. Betty Ivens 4. Jean Anderson Sources:
BCM, May 1933, p. 210.
The Scotsman, 18 April, 1933, p. 3.1934 Betty Mason
The eighth annual tournament had eight competitors, all of whom were new to the event, except for Betty Mason, who won for the first time, having been in second place on a number of occasions. The runner-up was Miss Raeburn Murray.
The prizegiving was held on Monday, 8 January at the Edinburgh Ladies' club, with Mrs Macrae, honorary president, leading the ceremonies.
Source:The Scotsman, 9 January, 1934, p. 13.
1935 Mary Knox
1936 Janette Wilson
1937 Elizabeth Henderson
Glw Herald col. Feb 13, p9 – details of event. 1st Miss Elizabeth Henderson, Perth, a pupil at St Denis School, Edinburgh. Triple tie for second prize – Misses Janette Wilson (winner last year), Mary Knox (winner 1935) and Gracie Dods. Prizes for all six provided by Dame SES Mair, Mrs Maclean and Miss Malcolm.
Source: The Scotsman, 10 February, 1937, p. 17.1938 Elizabeth Henderson
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