History

New Zealand Chess History

Many thanks to Michael Freeman who advocates strongly for documenting and preserving the history of chess in New Zealand, and who has provided much of the material collected here. His personal Poison Pawn website is an external resource with a wealth of historical New Zealand chess material.

National Championship Winners

This well maintained Wikipedia Page records every New Zealand Championship winner (New Zealand champion). Winners of other important New Zealand national championships are also listed, including the NZ Rapid Championship, Major Open, Premier Reserve (archaic), Women’s Championship, North and South Island Championships, and Correspondence Championship. There’s interesting ancillary information such as multiple NZ Championship winners and double (Championship and Rapid) winners.

The Peter Stuart NZ Games Database

The NZ Games Database that was created and maintained by the late Peter Stuart has been under NZCF stewardship since April 2018. You can view the database here.

NZ Correspondence Chess Association (NZCCA)

The genesis of the NZCCA goes back to the 1920s. In those days A.O. Gray from Christchurch was an overseas member of the British Correspondence Chess Association. In 1932 Gray persuaded the BCCA to conduct a tournament for New Zealand players only. By 1933 he had sufficient members for such an event and in that year the first NZ tournament began. It was a double rounder and the competitors were A.O. Gray himself, H.R. Abbott (Christchurch), R.E. Baeyertz (Auckland), R.O. Scott (Wanganui), J.A.C. Barnes (New Plymouth), E.F. Tibbitts (Rotorua). Scott won this inaugural event and Abbott was second.

Gray continued enrolling members and at the end of 1934 had 34 members of the BCCA in NZ. In 1935 Gray became Secretary of what was now the BCCA NZ Unit. Trophies were obtained and in March 1935 three trophy tournaments and a handicap event began. By 1938 there were 60 members, and at this point Gray decided that NZ were strong enough to run alone and so severed the connection with the BCCA except for remaining an affiliate of that body.

When Gray died in March 1941 he left the NZCCA with around 60 members. G. Howard Brown of Napier took over as Secretary. Sadly, Brown passed away after he had been in office only one month.

Then began a testing time for the NZCCA. J.F. Lang of Dunedin consented to fill the secretarial gap until other arrangements could be made. This period was in the middle of World War II.

In August 1942 R.O. (Bob) Scott from Wanganui agreed to take over as Secretary. This he soundly did until 1946, when a work relocation saw Spenser Smith take over. Membership more than doubled in the late 1940s to a peak of 195 in 1950.

In 1960, with membership having dwindled again to 80 members, a group of members from Auckland, led by A.L. (Alan) Fletcher took over and set about reviving things. It was during this Auckland period that membership of ICCF was finally sought. Donald Brunt became tournament director, a role he carried out for seventeen years.

In 1978, at the age of 70, Alan Fletcher passed the Secretary role to J.W. (Sandy) Maxwell of Wellington whilst Brett Sinclair took on the Chairman role.

In 2013 the committee of NZCCA agreed to merge as a sub-committee of the NZ Chess Federation, and remaining funds were passed to NZCF for safe keeping.

Michael Freeman took on the role of administrator for membership and event entries.

NZCCA still conducts an annual NZ Championship with play via the ICCF server, see the Correspondence page.

Sound

These MP3 files (part 1) and (part 2) are recordings of an extensive radio interview with 20 times New Zealand champion Ortvin Sarapu. The interview was broadcast on Radio Pacific on 9th April 1990. Courtesy of Ross Jackson, from his memorabilia collection.

Part 1 of Radio Pacific Interview with 20 time NZ Champion Ortvin Sarapu

Part 2 of Radio Pacific Interview with 20 time NZ Champion Ortvin Sarapu

NZL FIDE Ratings 1971-2000

The FIDE website is excellent for recent ratings history, but this interesting table (courtesy of Michael Freeman) shows New Zealand FIDE ratings in the first three decades of the system’s adoption. As Michael notes, look at the small number of players as we only rated a few events. Yet NZCA probably had just as many players locally as now across clubs.

FIDE ID	Name	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
4300440	Abrahamson, Philip																									2085	2085	2085	2085	2085	2085
4300173	Anderson, Bruce R	2290	2290	2290								2285	2230	2230	2230							2230	2230	2230	2235	2235	2235	2215	2215	2215	2215
4300165	Aptekar, Lev											2240	2240	2240	2240							2240	2240	2240	2240	2240	2240	2240		2240	2240
4300491	Barlow, Matthew																										2175	2200	2170	2155	2155
4300734	Bennett, Hilton																													2100	2110
4300726	Bjelobrk, Igor																													2054	2110
4300408	Boyd, Kendall																									2260	2250	2250	2250	2250	2216
4300610	Breitkopf, Maria-Magda																												2125	2125
4300238	Carpinter, Anthony L			2245	2245	2245						2210	2210	2225								2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210		2210	2210
400050	Chandler, M.							2385	2390	2380	2450	2455	2470
4300033	Clemance, Philip A															2220	2290	2290	2315	2335	2355	2355	2355	2355	2355	2355	2355	2355		2355	2355
4300645	Compton, Alistair																													2035	2093
4300556	Cooper, David																											2055	2055	2070	2070
4300246	Cornford, Lindsay H															2220	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210	2210		2210	2210
4300106	Dive, Russell John																		2235	2240	2255	2305	2300	2295	2315	2295	2430	2435	2440	2440	2443
4300572	Dowden, R. Anthony													2245	2220	2220	2220					2220							2210	2210	2167
4300157	Dreyer, Martin																					2235	2235	2345	2345	2320	2300	2275	2275	2275	2275
4300076	Evans, Christopher A.	2300	2300	2300																		2300	2300	2300	2300	2300	2300	2300		2300	2300
	Fairhurst, William Albert	2300				2205	2205	2205
4300289	Foster, Fenella												1810	1810	1810	1905	1905	2005	2005	2020	2020	2020	2020	2020	2020	2020	2020	2020		2020	2020
4300467	Freeman, Michael																					2230	2230	2205	2205	2205	2205	2185	2205	2205	2205
4300122	Garbett, Paul Anthony						2290		2310	2320	2320	2320	2320	2265	2310	2310	2310	2285	2285	2230	2295	2305	2305	2310	2310	2300	2315	2300	2360	2372	2360
4300700	Gibbons, Robert																2205	2205	2205	2205										2200	2162
4300254	Goffin, Peter																2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205		2175	2175
4300220	Gollogly, David														2240	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215	2215		2215	2215
4300114	Green, Ewen M					2265	2265	2265		2320	2320	2335	2320	2310	2310	2280	2280	2280	2280	2290	2290	2290	2290	2290	2290	2290	2290	2290	2265	2265	2265
4300130	Green, Peter																			2300	2300	2265	2265	2265	2265	2265	2265	2265	2245	2269	2239
4300505	Guthrie, David																										2110	2120	2125	2140	2138
4300432	Haase, Graham																									2155	2155	2155	2155	2155	2155
4300629	Hare, Tim																													2180	2180
4300530	Hawkes, Peter D																											2155	2195	2170	2170
4300750	Hopewell, Nigel H																														2221
4300084	Ker, Anthony F																	2410	2410	2300	2305	2305	2330	2320	2325	2335	2320	2315	2320	2325	2321
4300602	Krstev, Antonio																										2180	2130	2160	2146	2146
4300599	Kulashko, Aleksei																											2380	2390	2396	2382
	Laird,C.									2245	2250	2305	2340
4300203	Levene, Mark														2205	2205	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225	2225		2225	2225
4300262	Love, Anthony J																	2205	2205	2205	2205	2205	2225		2330	2305	2275	2250	2230	2235	2235
4300386	Lukey, Stephen G																								2285	2265	2235	2235	2235	2235	2235
4300050	Martin, Benjamin																			2280	2270	2320	2320	2410	2400	2355	2375	2385	2375	2375	2377
4300564	Mastilovich, Rajko																											2055	2055	2055	2055
4300270	Mc Laren, Leonard																				2205	2250	2275	2275	2275	2275	2275	2275	2250	2250	2250
4300394	McKenzie, Peter																									2310	2265	2265	2265	2265	2265
4300181	Metge, J. Nigel																			2230	2230	2230	2230		2100	2100	2100	2170	2160	2160	2160
4300335	Metge, Katrine																					2005	2005	2005	2005	2005	2005	2005		2005	2005
4300319	Noble, Mark Frederick																					2320	2320	2310	2290	2260	2260	2240	2240	2240	2240
4300068	Nokes, Roger I												2345	2310	2310	2310	2310					2310	2310	2310	2310	2310	2310	2310		2310	2310
4300742	Perry, Roger																														2205
4300416	Pomeroy, Arthur																									2215	2215	2180	2180	2180	2180
	Sarapu, Otvin	2340	2340	2330	2330	2320	2320	2290	2290	2330	2330	2310	2315	2305	2320	2335	2335	2345	2345	2325	2350	2360	2350	2300	2290	2300	2300	2295	2255	2255
4300041	Sarfati, Jonathan D													2250	2250	2265	2265	2250	2250	2325	2325	2320	2305	2310	2315	2315	2325	2300	2300	2283	2278
4300580	Sheehan, Teresa																											2050	2050	2033	2033
	Sievey,J.													1905				2005	2005
4300475	Sinclair, Mark																										2270	2265	2215	2240	2245
4300017	Small, Vernon A									2365	2365	2345	2340	2310	2330	2360	2360	2355	2355	2390	2390	2390	2390	2345	2330	2330	2330	2330	2335	2335	2335
4300190	Smith, Robert W												2225	2270	2270	2280	2280	2285	2285	2250	2250	2240	2240	2255	2255	2270	2275	2020	2305	2290	2300
4301935	Smith, Vivian													1905		1905	1905		2005			2035	2035	2035	2035	2035	2020
4300343	Spain, Graeme																						2255	2240	2235	2235	2215	2300	2215	2170	2180
4300718	Spiller, Paul																											2215		2200	2132
4300548	Steadman, Michael																											2090	2090	2090	2090
4300297	Stretch, Winsome R													1905								2005	2005	2005	2005	2005	2005	2005		2005	2005
4300351	Stuart, Peter													2240	2250	2225	2225	2225	2225				2245	2210	2195	2195	2220	2215	2215	2215	2215
4300459	Sutherland, John																									2085	2085	2085	2055	2055	2066
4300092	Sutton, Richard J			2290	2290	2290				2290	2290	2290	2290		2295	2295	2295					2295	2315	2275	2275	2275	2275	2275		2275	2275
4300521	Tuffery, Paul A																											2105	2105	2105	2105
4300483	Van Der Hoorn, Mark																										2175	2115	2115	2115	2115
	Wade, Robert Graham	2365	2375	2365	2350	2350												2305
4300513	Wastney, Scott																										2040	2105	2135	2167	2202
4300149	Watson, Bruce R												2220	2260	2265	2260	2260					2260	2260	2260	2260	2260	2260	2260		2260	2260

Representative Honours Board

The tables below summarise the performances of all players who have represented New Zealand at Olympiads and Asian Team tournaments. Thanks to Michael Freeman for collating the statistics. Supplementing the statistics are a series of team photographs. If you have formal team or player photos from International team tournaments, or NZ Congresses, please send them to the web administrator for potential publication on this site.

Open Olympiad

Name	No	Years	Points	Games	+	=	–	%	Bd Medals
Smith, Robert	12	1976, 1982-1986, 1990, 1994, 1998-2004, 2008-2010	56.5	119	35	43	41	47.48%	0-0-0
Dive, Russell John	12	1988-1990, 1994, 2000-2008, 2012-2018	55.5	120	38	35	47	46.25%	0-0-0
Sarapu, Ortvin	10	1970-1974, 1978-1988, 1992	61.5	116	36	51	29	53.02%	0-0-0
Small, Vernon	8	1976-1988, 1992	45.0	85	26	38	21	52.94%	0-0-1
Ker, Anthony	8	1988-1990, 1994, 2000, 2004-2006, 2014, 2018	37.5	76	27	21	28	49.34%	0-0-0
Garbett, Paul Anthony	6	1974, 1986, 1990-1992, 2006, 2012	23.0	61	18	10	33	37.70%	0-0-0
Wastney, Scott	5	1996-2002, 2016	30.0	52	23	14	15	57.69%	0-0-0
Chandler, Murray Graham	4	1976-1980, 2008	28.0	45	22	12	11	62.22%	0-0-0
Kulashko, Aleksei	4	1998, 2002, 2016-18	20.5	39	16	9	14	52.56%	0-0-0
Martin, Benjamin	4	1990-1992, 1996, 2000	22.5	45	16	13	16	50.00%	0-0-0
Nokes, Roger	4	1982, 2004-2008	17.0	40	11	12	17	42.50%	0-0-0
Wang, Puchen	3	2004-2006, 2014	19.0	28	15	8	5	67.86%	0-0-0
Hague, Ben	3	2014-18	15.0	26	11	8	7	57.69%	0-0-0
Anderson, Bruce	3	1970, 1978-1980	19.5	35	17	5	13	55.71%	0-0-0
Steadman, Michael	3	2006, 2010-2012	15.5	29	12	7	10	53.45%	0-0-0
Green, Ewen	3	1970, 1974-1976	17.0	33	10	14	9	51.52%	0-0-0
Green, Peter	3	1998-2000, 2004	13.5	27	8	11	8	50.00%	0-0-0
Dreyer, Martin	3	1990-1992, 1996	13.5	28	11	5	12	48.21%	0-0-0
Sarfati, Jonathan	3	1986-1988, 1992	14.5	31	9	11	11	46.77%	0-0-0
Kerr, Alan Grant	3	1970-1974	15.0	36	10	10	16	41.67%	0-0-0
Stuart, Peter	3	1972-1974, 1978	15.0	41	5	20	16	36.59%	0-0-0
Lukey, Stephen	3	1994, 2008, 2016	8.5	24	8	1	15	35.42%	0-0-0
Li Zuhao, Luke	2	2012-2014	9.0	17	8	2	7	52.94%	0-0-0
Dowden, Tony	2	1982, 2002	9.5	18	8	3	7	52.78%	0-0-0
Croad, Nicolas	2	2010-2012	11.0	21	7	8	6	52.38%	0-0-0
Love, Tony	2	1986, 1994	8.0	17	4	8	5	47.06%	0-0-0
Evans, C. A.	1	1970	8.5	12	8	1	3	70.83%	0-0-0
McKenzie, Peter	1	1994	5.5	9	5	1	3	61.11%	0-0-0
Wade, Robert Graham	1	1970	9.0	15	7	4	4	60.00%	0-0-0
Gong, Daniel	1	2018	5.0	9	5	0	4	55.56%	0-0-0
Carpinter, Bernard Alan	1	1972	7.0	13	5	4	4	53.85%	0-0-0
Sutton, Richard John	1	1972	8.5	17	4	9	4	50.00%	0-0-0
Aptekar, Lev	1	1980	5.0	11	3	4	4	45.45%	0-0-0
Han, Daniel	1	2010	5.0	11	4	2	5	45.45%	0-0-0
Levene, Mark	1	1984	5.0	11	3	4	4	45.45%	0-0-0
Gollogly, David	1	1984	4.0	9	2	4	3	44.44%	0-0-0
Weir, Peter	1	1978	3.5	7	3	1	3	50%	0-0-0
Noble, Mark Frederick	1	1996	5.0	12	2	6	4	41.67%	0-0-0
Van Dijk, Tom	1	1972	4.5	11	3	3	5	40.91%	0-0-0
Fairhurst, William Albert	1	1974	4.0	10	1	6	3	40.00%	0-0-0
Bjelobrk, Igor	1	2002	3.5	9	2	3	4	38.89%	0-0-0
Cornford, Lindsay	1	1976	2.5	8	0	5	3	31.25%	0-0-0
Freeman, Michael R.	1	1996	0.5	2	0	1	1	25.00%	0-0-0
Krstev, Antonio	1	1998	2.0	8	2	0	6	25.00%	0-0-0
Leonhardt, Wolfgang	1	1976	0.5	3	0	1	2	16.67%	0-0-0

Women’s Olympiad

Name	No	Years	Points	Games	+	=	–	%	Bd Medals
Smith, Vivian	15	1978, 1982-1994, 1998-2010	79.5	168	57	45	66	47.32%	0-0-1
Milligan, Helen	6	2008-2018	23.5	56	14	19	23	41.96%	0-0-0
Maroroa, Sue	5	2002-2010	18.5	42	13	11	18	44.05%	0-0-0
Stretch, Winsome	5	1976-1984	19.5	58	13	13	32	33.62%	0-0-0
Otene, Edith	5	1992-1998, 2002	16.5	55	12	9	34	30.00%	0-0-0
Foster, Fenella	4	1978-1980, 1984, 1988	22.5	41	20	5	16	54.88%	0-0-0
Fairley, Natasha	4	2006-2012	18.0	38	14	8	16	47.37%	0-0-0
Sheehan, Teresa	3	1994-1998	20.0	34	15	10	9	58.82%	0-0-0
Sievey, Jackie	3	1982, 1986-1988	20.0	37	16	8	13	54.05%	0-0-0
Gao, Judy	3	2008, 2012-2014	14.0	26	12	4	10	53.85%	0-0-0
Courtney, Helen	3	1992, 2000, 2004	9.0	32	6	6	20	28.13%	0-0-0
Terry, Lillian	3	1976-78, 1988	4.5	25	3	3	19	18.00%	0-0-0
Meyer, Marany	2	2012-2014	10.0	17	8	4	5	58.82%	0-0-0
Zhang, Jasmine	2	2016-18	10.5	20	8	5	7	52.50%	0-0-0
Charmova, Evgenia	2	2002-2004	11.0	22	8	6	8	50.00%	0-0-0
Chen, Eachen	2	2006, 2010	9.5	21	8	3	10	45.24%	0-0-0
Tsoi, Nicole	2	2012-2014	6.5	17	5	3	9	38.24%	0-0-0
Parlane, Lynn	2	1984, 1996	6.5	19	5	3	11	34.21%	0-0-0
Tweddell, Eva	2	1986, 1994	6.0	22	4	4	14	27.27%	0-0-0
Timergazi, Layla	1	2014	7.0	10	6	2	2	70.00%	0-0-0
Punsalan, Vyanla	1	2018	6.0	10	5	2	3	60.00%	0-0-0
Flower, Anne	1	1980	4.5	8	3	3	2	56.25%	0-0-0
Qin, Joy	1	2018	5.0	9	3	4	2	55.56%	0-0-0
Metge, Katrine	1	1990	7.5	14	6	3	5	53.57%	0-0-0
McIntosh, Isabel	1	1990	5.5	12	5	1	6	45.83%	0-0-0
Braganza, Nadia	1	2016	4.0	9	3	2	4	44.44%	0-0-0
Sheehan, Rosaleen	1	1996	4.5	11	3	3	5	40.91%	0-0-0
Brightwell, Darryl	1	1980	4.0	10	3	2	5	40.00%	0-0-0
Song, Kate	1	2016	4.0	10	3	2	5	40.00%	0-0-0
Mikhailik, Eleonora	1	2000	4.5	14	3	3	8	32.14%	0-0-0
Martin, Lynne	1	1982	2.5	8	2	1	5	31.25%	0-0-0
Qin, Nicole	1	2018	2.5	8	2	1	5	31.25%	0-0-0
Lourenco, Eva	1	2016	1.0	4	1	0	3	25.00%	0-0-0
Mills, Glenys	1	1990	0.5	2	0	1	1	25.00%	0-0-0
Cater, Amy	1	1992	2.0	9	1	2	6	22.22%	0-0-0
Hollis, Ailea	1	1976	2.0	11	2	0	9	18.18%	0-0-0

Asian Teams

Name	No	Years	Points	Games	+	=	–	%	Bd Medals
Freeman, Michael R.	3	1983, 1993-1995	12.5	22	10	5	7	56.82%	1-0-0
Chandler, Murray Graham	2	1974-1977	8.0	12	6	4	2	66.67%	0-0-1
Smith, Robert	2	1981, 1995	10.0	17	7	6	4	58.82%	0-0-0
Ker, Anthony	2	1983, 1995	8.5	15	7	3	5	56.67%	0-1-0
Anderson, Bruce	2	1977, 1993	5.0	13	4	2	7	38.46%	0-0-0
Gibbons, Robert	2	1974, 1999	2.0	11	2	0	9	18.18%	0-0-0
Watson, Bruce	1	1981	6.5	8	6	1	1	81.25%	0-1-0
Garbett, Paul Anthony	1	1977	5.5	7	4	3	0	78.57%	0-1-0
Hopewell, Michael	1	1983	4.5	6	4	1	1	75.00%	0-0-1
Carpinter, Anthony	1	1981	5.5	8	4	3	1	68.75%	0-0-1
Love, Tony	1	1993	5.5	8	4	3	1	68.75%	0-1-0
Green, Ewen	1	1977	2.0	3	1	2	0	66.67%	0-0-0
Small, Vernon	1	1977	4.0	7	3	2	2	57.14%	0-0-1
Clarke, Peter Hugh	1	1974	2.0	4	2	0	2	50.00%	0-1-0
Sarapu, Ortvin	1	1977	3.0	6	3	0	3	50.00%	0-0-0
Lukey, Stephen	1	1993	3.5	8	3	1	4	43.75%	0-0-0
Hopewell, Nigel	1	1999	2.5	6	2	1	3	41.67%	0-0-0
Day, Andrew	1	1974	2.5	6	1	3	2	41.67%	0-0-0
Carpinter, Bernard Alan	1	1983	2.0	6	1	2	3	33.33%	0-0-0
Dowden, Tony	1	1995	3.0	9	2	2	5	33.33%	0-0-0
Sutherland, John	1	1993	2.0	6	2	0	4	33.33%	0-0-0
Flude, David	1	1974	1.0	4	1	0	3	25.00%	0-0-0
Sarfati, Jonathan	1	1983	1.5	6	0	3	3	25.00%	0-0-0
Goffin, Peter	1	1974	1.0	5	1	0	4	20.00%	0-0-0
Noble, Mark Frederick	1	1983	1.0	6	0	2	4	16.67%	0-0-0
Green, Peter	1	1999	1.0	8	0	2	6	12.50%	0-0-0
Spiller, Paul	1	1999	1.0	8	1	0	7	12.50%	0-0-0
Bennett, Hilton	1	1999	0.5	7	0	1	6	7.14%	0-0-0

Representative Team Photos

A Collection of NZ Representative Team Photographs