The Gap Chess Club -- Records and Trivia
Note: This page last updated: July 2020
Prominent female players at The Gap
There were several notable female players in the 1970s. One was Hiroko Willcock, and she represented The Gap with distinction in the C Grade of the Singer Cup interclub competition. Her skill was such that she was a better player than her husband Brian in every aspect of the game, barring the movement of the queen.
In the recent era (since 1990) the first female player to make an impact at the club was Virginia Woodhill. She played in the 1993 Flood Cup, and then competed in several 1994 tournaments under the pseudonym Arabella Farnese.
Nikki Jones first appeared at the club in 1995 and proceeded to win the Handicap Trophy in her first year. In following years, she pulled off several upset wins, and had a role in junior coaching at the club.
Val Horler won the Handicap Trophy in her inaugural year (1996) and continued playing a high standard of chess in tournaments until she moved away from Brisbane in 1998. She was an efficient secretary for the club for several years.
Debbie Jenkins won the Maiden Trophy in 2003, the Handicap Trophy in 2004. In club tournaments she came third in the 2004 Flood Cup and Lightning tournaments, and second in the 2005 Allegro.
Luthien Russell came to the club in 2004 as a 10-year-old and won the Maiden Trophy in her first year.
Kieran Lyons was a promising junior at The Gap Chess Club during the 1990s, commencing with her winning ways by becoming the club's Under 6 Champion in 1995. She has gone on to represent Fiji at Chess Olympiads in Calvia, Turin, Dresden and Tromso. Kieran returned to the club in 2006 and won the St David Day's Trophy in that year, and the Maiden Trophy in 2007. In 2008 she won the Flood Cup, the first female player to achieve this.
Elizabeth Williams won the St David's Day tournament in 2020 at her first attempt.
In this field of non-endeavour Brian Willcock has a record unequalled at The Gap CC, and possibly unparalleled anywhere in the world. Anyone wishing to view his disdain for the female monarch is welcome to come along on a Friday night.
If only bearded players were permitted to win the Flood Cup the winners list for recent years would look like this:
2010 to 2019 Tony Howes
2009 Ray Adams
2008 Ray Adams (Tony Howes ineligible -- no beard this year)
2007 Tony Howes
2006 Ray Adams (Tony Howes ineligible -- no beard this year)
2005 Brian Willcock (Tony Howes ineligible -- no beard this year)
2004 Brian Willcock (ahead of Tony Howes!)
2003 Tony Howes
2002 Doug Foster
2001 Brian Willcock
2000 Brian Willcock
1999 Brian Willcock
1998 Brian Willcock
1997 Brian Willcock
In 2002 Doug grew a beard and usurped the reigning champ, who had such a bad Flood Cup that he finished 3rd behind Stuart Wilson who was also eligible for this particular category in 2002.