The First B.C.C.F. Meeting and Championship
"The Entries
- H. Butler, Vancouver - A strong Kent county player, winner of the challenge cup at Tunbridge Wells. A newcomer to Vancouver chess.
- J.M. Ewing - Began chess early, and was the youngest entrant in the Richardson cup competition playing for Edinburgh. Played in the Edinburgh team for three years without losing a game. Finished second in this year's Vancouver club tournament.
- C.F. Millar - Member of the Toronto Chess Club, captain of Regina Saskatchewan Chess Association. Mr. Millar has done much for Canadian chess, being instrumental in founding the Regina club. Mr. Millar secured a draw with F.J. Marshall, champion of America on the PTO.
- R.G. Stark - Played for Hampshire county, and in Hampshire league for Basingstoke. Played for Reading, and the London major league. Won this year's handicap tournament of the V.C.C. from scratch, on occasion of his visit last year, when he gave an exhibition of simultaneous chess.
- A. Stevenson - Of the Glasgow Bohemian Chess Club, and played top board in the championship matches of Scotland with good results, winning the championship of the club in 1906 and 1907. A brilliant lightning tournament player.
- B.A. Yates - Winner of this year's Vancouver tournament, and a very strong player, as the following record shows: played in county chess for Warwickshire and Stafford for seven years without the loss of a single game. A Birmingham chess club expert, winning various prizes in this extremely strong club.
- Messrs. A. Tree of Alberni, and G. Thompson of New Westminster, complete the list of entries. We have not got their records at present."
[Vancouver Sun, Wednesday April 19th, 1916]
"At the first meeting of the B.C. Chess Federation held yesterday afternoon in the Vancouver Chess Club, the following officers were elected: Hon. Vice-president, Mr. Hunnex of Erie; Judge Howay of New Westminster; Mr. T. Piper of Victoria; Mr. C.F. Davie of Victoria, and Neil MacCallum of Grand Forks B.C.; President, Mr. E. Lacaille; Vice-president, Ewan Buchan; Sec-Treas., R.G. Stark."[Vancouver Sun, Saturday April 22nd, 1916]
1916 B.C. Championship, 21-25 April
Room 41, Fairfield Building, Vancouver
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 Ewing, John M. * ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 6.0 2 Stark, Robert G. ½ * 1 1 0 0 1 1 4.5 3 Yates, Bertram A. ½ 0 * 0 1 1 1 1 4.5 4 Butler, H. 0 0 1 * ½ 1 1 1 4.5 5 Stevenson, Archibald 0 1 0 ½ * 1 ½ 1 4.0 6 Millar, Charles F. 0 1 0 0 0 * ½ 1 2.5 7 Tree, A. 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ * 1 2.0 8 Thompson, E. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 * 0.0
"Mr. J.M. Ewing of Vancouver, one of the leading chess players on the Pacific Coast, is the first recognized champion of British Columbia. Going through the first annual tournament to be held under the auspices of the new British Columbia Federation, Mr. Ewing was successful in all of his matches, finishing with an unbeaten record. Messrs. B.A. Yates, H. Butler and R.G. Stark tied for second place with four and one-half points each. A. Stevenson was third with four points; F. Miller [sic] next with two and one-half points; A. Tree fifth with two points, and Mr. Thompson last without a victory to his credit. He was unable to play all his games.Mr. Ewing's win of five victories and two draws was particularly good when it is taken into consideration that he was up against some of the cleverest chess players in Western Canada, and his work fully entitles him to the position of British Columbia's chess champion. He captures the B.C. Chess Federation shield, to be held for one year, and a gold medal."
[Vancouver World, Tuesday April 26th, 1916]