Sussex Junior Chess

William V Wilson 1844-1922

W.V. Wilson was born in Ireland and came to Brighton about twenty years later. He started to play regularly in the Public Chess Room about 1880 and gained the reputation of being a very strong player, winning the county championship for the first of several times in 1883. He became the first person to win the trophy on three occasions and was allowed to keep the cup, which is the one still presented today.

He was a contemporary of Henry Butler, and the pair were the two strongest Brighton players of the period. However, by the late Victoriam period he seemed to start to lose some of his interest in the game. It is also believed that he took exception to the fact that the new county trophy should belong permanently to the Association. His appearances became less frequent, though he did help Sussex to win the Southern Counties Championship in 1895. He made a brief return to regular chess after World War I before suffering a stroke. He died in 1922 at the age of 78.

The Wilson Cup

In 1922 the Wilson Cup was presented to the Sussex Chess Association by an anonymous donor in memory of the chess career of William Wilson. This was to be contested by the older boys in Secondary Schools in Sussex, while the Butler Cup was to be fought out by a younger age group.

The inscriptions on the trophy indicate it's history. On one side it is first inscribed "Brighton Chess Club - Championship Cup, 1887"; and on the reverse, "Sussex Chess Association Wilson Cup - 1922".

It is now held by Sussex Junior Chess and awarded annually to the winning school in the Under-18 section of it's inter-schools cup competition.

Inscriptions:

1887	H W Butler
1888	H W Butler
1889	W V Wilson
1890	H Erskine
and finally won by W V Wilson 1892

"This cup having passed into the possession of The Sussex Chess Association , is in accordance with the wishes of Mr W V Wilson, now a permanent Senior School Trophy for the County."

1923	Brighton Municipal Secondary School for Boys
1924	Brighton Municipal Secondary School for Boys
1925	St Leonards Collegiate School
1926	Hastings Grammar School
1927	Hastings Grammar School
1928	Hastings Grammar School

1928 - 29	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1929 - 30	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1931	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1932	Rye Grammar School
1933	Rye Grammar School
1934	Rye Grammar School
1935	Worthing High School for Boys
1936	Worthing High School for Boys
1937	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1938	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1939	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1940 - 46	No Contest (WW2)
1947	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1948	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1949	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1950	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)

1952	Bexhill Grammar School
1953	Varndean School Brighton (Boys)
1954	Hove County Grammar School
1955	Steyning Grammar School
1956	Varndean
1957	Varndean
1958	Varndean
1959	Hove Grammar
1960	Hove Grammar
1961	Hove Grammar
1962	Hove Grammar
1963 - 66	Varndean
1966 - 67	Chichester High School
1967 - 68	Varndean
1970	Hove Grammar School
1971	Varndean Grammar School
1972	Hove Grammar School
1973	Varndean Grammar School
1974	Varndean Grammar School
1975	Varndean Grammar School
1976	Varndean VI Form
1977	Varndean VI Form
1978	Hastings Grammar School
1979	William Parker
1980	William Parker
1981	William Parker
1982	William Parker
new tier
1987	Oathall
1988	Varndean VI Form
1989	Christ's Hospital
1990	Christ's Hospital
1991	Blatchington Mill
1992	Christ's Hospital
1993	Beacon
1994	Christ's Hospital
1995	Christ's Hospital
1996	Christ's Hospital
1997	Bexhill College
1998	Bexhill College
1999	Christ's Hospital
2000	Christ's Hospital
2001	Dorothy Stringer
2002	Dorothy Stringer

2008	Christ's Hospital

As with most articles in this section of our website we are indebted to Sussex chess historian Brian Denman for most of the information. Amongst other things, Brian has written a comprehensive book on the history of chess in Brighton which he has generously placed in the public domain on the Brighton & Hove Chess Club website.