History of the Club
St John’s Cathedral Chess Club was established in 1992. It was formed for the playing of informal chess and related social activities and has continued until this day. The standard of chess improved substantially over the years from formation and in 1997 the Club, whist still continuing social chess and internal competitions, decided to enter a team into the Norfolk League, playing in Division 3 and entering County Cup competitions.
In their very first season 1997/98, St John’s Cathedral Chess Club won 14 out of 18 matches and became Champions of Division 3. The Club were also Runners up in a County competition, the Williamson Plate.
Success continued and in the following season the Club came 2nd out of 10 teams in Division 2. The Club secured the Williamson Plate that year also.
Big time had arrived! In the 1999/2000 year the Club entered 2 teams, St John’s Crusaders in Division 1 and St John’s Templars in Division 3. Both teams fared well and the Club also got to the Semi Finals in the Norfolk Rapidplay Handicap Cup. In the succeeding year mid table success continued for the 2 teams and Jack Richardson was awarded the title of Life-Long president of the Club. In the next few years, due to slightly reduced membership, St John’s Cathedral Chess Club only entered one team into the Norfolk League until the 2006/7 season.
On several occasions over the years, members of the Club have represented the County of Norfolk in the All England Championships.
Booming membership, helped by the Woodpushers Chess Club folding and its members joining St John’s, and increased chess playing ability returned the Club to resounding success in the 2007/8 yearSt John’s entered 2 teams in the Norfolk League again, reached the semi finals of the Williamson Cup and were Champions in the Rapidplay Handicap Cup.
The Club went from strength to strength and we entered 3 teams in the Norfolk league for the first time during the 2008/9 season.
Disaster then struck and St John’s Cathedral Chess Club was rendered homeless, owing to the construction of the Narthex at the Cathedral.
The Club spent 6 months from January to July 2009 in the back room of the Reindeer public house on Dereham Road until the Landlord and Landlady decided to cease running the establishment. Our nomadic life continued for the next 8 months in the upstairs room of The Garden House, off Park Lane, despite poor lighting and freezing temperatures.
One particularly beneficial piece of news in 2009 was that we were awarded £370 from the National Lottery Fund towards the purchase of 10 electronic digital chess clocks to replace our ageing analogue ones.
At the Club’s AGM in July 2009 the Committee members of the Club were named as: Chairman: Jack Richardson; Secretary: Dick Cozens; Treasurer: Gerry Clayton; Team Captains: Crumpton Clarke, Richard Downing and Alan Holmes; Internal Competitions Organiser: Ken Ellis.
In 2010 we had the pleasure of moving into the Bar of the brand new Narthex at St John’s Cathedral. We were then forced to leave a year later and found a new home at The Kier Hardie Hall. They closed down two year later and as luck would have it we found yet another home at The Coachmaker’s Arms where we still reside and are to be found every Thursday night. We now have around 30 players of all strengths.
In 2017 we fielded three teams. The St John’s Crusaders won Division Two and were promoted as champions to Division One, whilst the St John’s Bishops got promoted to Division Two again as champions and The St John’s Knights has their best ever season in Division Three. Season 2018 -2019 we field an additional St John’s team (The Templars) in Division Two….plus a new team The St Johns Knaves in division three, making five teams in all..
The club continues to grow and is now one of the most active and competitive clubs in the Norfoilk Chess Scene. Our members are active in congresses accross East Anglia and beyond. Many of our members represent Norfolk in the various Norfolk teams , competing in County Chess and putting St John’s Chess Club on the map. In 2026 St Johns Templars won Division two and regained their place in division one. Also in 2026, St Johns won the Williamson Plate and the St John’s Bishops were runners up in Division 3.
Below are some old photographs of some of the original members of the club:
Club Honours
Norfolk County Chess Association Honours
League Division 2 – Winners: 2017/18 (Crusaders), 2021/22 (East) (Templars), 2025/26 (Templars).
League Division 2 – Runners Up: 1998/99 (Cathedral), 2012/13 (Crusaders).
League Division 3 – Winners: 1997/98 (Cathedral), 2017/18 (Bishops).
League Division 3 – Runners Up: 2009/10 (Templars), 2015/16 (Bishops), 2021/22 (Bishops), 2024/25 (Bishops), 2025/26 (Bishops).
Williamson Cup – Winners: 2023/24 (Crusaders)
Williamson Cup – Runners Up: 2022/23 (Crusaders)
Williamson Plate – Winners: 1998/99, 2025/26 (Woodpushers).
Williamson Plate – Runners Up: 1997/98, 2002/03, 2011/12, 2018/19.
Rapidplay Handicap Cup – Winners: 2007/08, 2018/19.
Rapidplay Handicap Cup – Runners Up: 2001/02, 2005/06, 2010/11, 2023/24 (Crusaders).
Norfolk and Suffolk Cup – Runners Up: 2022/23
Individual Club Championship Honours
Major (Gold) Winner and Club Champion:
Nigel Larter 2012/13,
Sam Gibbs 2013/14,
Richard Downing 2014/15,
Phil Sneesby 2015/16,
David Payne 2016/17,
Sebastian Parker 2017/18,
Mark Lim 2018/19,
Mark Lim 2021/22,
Henry Leather 2022/23,
Geoff Moore 2023/24,
Haesel Bowler 2024/25,
Mark Lim 2025/26.
Intermediate (Silver) Winner:
Richard Downing 2012/13,
Phil Sneesby 2013/14,
Ander Movilla 2022/23,
Ander Movilla 2023/24,
Ed King 2024/25,
Ethan Thrower 2025/26.
Minor (Bronze) Winner:
Dennis Driscoll 2012/13,
Rod Mills 2013/14,
Ollie O’Neill/Dominic Harvey (shared) 2022/23,
Conner Reynolds 2023/24,
James Woodburn 2024/25,
David Elsey 2025/26.
Morphy Cup Winner:
Joe Bell 2012/13.
Rapidplay Winner:
Nigel Larter 2014/15,
Andrew Sangster 2015/16,
David Payne 2016/17,
David Payne 2017/18,
Dan Frean/Sebastian Parker (shared) 2018/19,
Mark Lim 2021/22,
Mark Lim 2022/23,
Haesel Bowler 2023/24,
Mark Lim 2024/25.
Rapidplay Plate Winner:
Dennis Driscoll 2024/25,
Oliver O’Neill 2025/26.
Player of the Season:
Simon Nichols 2014/15
Emmet Clarke 2015/16,
Ken Ellis 2016/17,
Nathan Abbott 2017/18,
Dennis Driscoll 2018/19,
Ollie Nelson 2021/22,
Sentil Murugan 2022/23,
David Scott 2023/24,
David May 2024/25,
David May 2025/26.
Rabbit of the Season:
David May 2018/19,
Dominic Harvey 2021/22,
Ben Payne 2022/23,
Ben Payne 2023/24,
Josh Kerr 2024/25,
James Woodburn 2025/26.
Duck Chess:
Ed King 2022/23,
Sentil Murugan 2023/24,
Joe Grant 2024/25,
Haesel Bowler 2025/26.
Larter Cup (Spring Bash):
Haesel Bowler 2024/25,
Sammy Cordeaux 2025/26.
No honours awarded in 2019/20 and 2020/21 due to COVID-19.
Honorary Life Members
Alan Holmes (2021)
Ken Ellis (2022)