Originally, Runcorn and Widnes Chess
Club joined the Warrington
and District Chess League in September 1969 and enjoyed a modest first season
finishing 3rd. The following year saw an expansion to two teams and the
Division 1 Title was captured and then retained the following year with the B
team finishing 2nd! A third title was narrowly missed in 1972/73
when they lost on Board count to Central.
In line with the Council's decision to rename
Runcorn and Widnes as the Borough of Halton in
1973 the Chess Club followed suit and Halton Chess Club was the result, along
with an expansion to four teams!
The teams went from strength to strength and
achieved promotion from Division 3 in the first year. But over the next year or
so many people left and the venue of Norton
Priory School
was lost. So began ‘The Wilderness Years’ with the new venue being in one of
the furthest reaches of Runcorn – Murdishaw!
In 1979 the Club fragmented further with some
members joining St Helens and the rest forming
Runcorn Chess Club and re-locating to the Church Hall in Ivy Street. New members were starting to
appear and a second team entered the League the following year in Division 6
and in 1992 the venue moved yet again the Royal British Legion at Halton.
Promotion to Division 1 ensued and the club
finally got it's name on the Peninsula Cup in 2005.
