Comings and goings

Chess clubs come and go – and some stay for ever….

Looking back at the archives, it’s interesting to see how the number of chess clubs in the county changes over time. Here’s the data for 1938, 1963, 1988 and 2013.

The numbers indicate the number of teams in the Suffolk League for that year (where known).   How fortunes change!

(Click on the table above for a clearer view)

*   Club teams in 1938 consisted of 12 players (later changed to 8, then 6 and subsequently 4).

Other clubs have come and gone, but don’t show in the above table.   These include Willis Faber & Dumas, Aldeburgh, Bentwaters, Black Knights, Guardian, Orwell High School, Ipswich Juniors, Felixstowe Deben, Stowmarket Juniors, Ipswich YMCA, Framlingham and Cornhill.   There are probably many others (do tell me if you know of any).

It’s interesting to note that 25 years ago there were twice as many teams playing in the league as there are nowadays.