a) Club Champions Since The Gambit / Dark Horses Merger.
b) Player Of The Year Awards.
c) Roll Of Honour: A list Of Events Won By Gambit Members
d) Club History
Club Champions:
2022-23: Peter Mercs
2021-22: Michael Naylor
2018-19: Dragoljub Sudar
2017-18: Peter Mercs
2016-17: Michael Barnes
2015-16: Graeme Jennings
2014-15: Michael Barnes
2013-14: Peter Mercs
2012-13: Steve Hunter
2011-12: Michael Barnes
2010-11: Michael Barnes
2009-10: Steve Hunter
2008-09: Richard Edwards
2007-08: Richard Edwards
2006-07: Michael Barnes
2005-06: Zdenek Soki
2004-05: Zdenek Soki
2003-04: Michael Barnes
2002-03: Peter Mercs
2001-02: Peter Mercs
2000-01: Mark Darlington
Player Of The Year Awards:
The Brian Gretton Trophy is awarded to the best % performance in the Nottinghamshire league by a
player graded under 130 in the old 3-digit ECF system or rated under 1700 in the new 4-digit ECF
system beginning 2021-22. The Gambit Trophy, introduced in 2009-10, is awarded to the best
improvement in performance in the league by players graded 130 (or rated 1700), or higher.
Season Brian Gretton Trophy Gambit Trophy
2022-23: Graham Gibson Freddie Vesey
2021-22: Graham Gibson Peter Mercs
2019-20: Ronnie Watson Keith Roper
2018-19: Ken Heath John Swain
2017-18: Peter Gorecka-Marshall Florian Biermann
2016-17: Rob Ensor Graeme Jennings
2015-16: Michael Harper Dragoljub Sudar
2014-15: Ken Heath Richard Edwards
2013-14: Alan Groves Michael Barnes
2012-13: Andrew Thompson Peter Mercs
2011-12: Peter Gorecka-Marshall James Gardner
2010-11: James Gardner Michael Barnes
2009-10: Mark Kirtley Peter Mercs
2008-09: Allan Brown
2007-08: Hamzah Ali
2006-07: Hamzah Ali
2005-06: Maggie Gretton
2004-05: Ian Fillingham
2003-04: Derek Padvis
2002-03: Ken Heath
2001-02: Michael Harper
2000-01: Alan Groves
Roll Of Honour:
Since the merger, 16 members have either won outright or come joint 1st in a very impressive total of 46
competitions with 22 of them won in a 4 season spell between 2011-12 & 2014-15.
Mike Barnes leads the way with 10 wins. Mick Harper has 8. Drag Sudar has 7. Next is Pete Mercs with 4, then Andrew Thompson with 3. On 2 wins are Steve Hunter, John Huthwaite and Peter Gorecka-Marshall. The other winners are Graham Gibson, Onos Kofi-Ofuafor, Florian Biermann, Maggie Gretton, Ronnie Watson, Rob Ensor, Richard Edwards and David Dunne.
Season Player Event
2023-24: D Sudar Derbyshire Congress Major (U1951)
2023-24: D Dunne Derbyshire Congress Minor (U1551)
2019-20: G Gibson Nottingham Rapidplay Inter (U135)
2017-18: O Kofi-Ofuafor Huddersfield Congress Major (U166)
2017-18: D Sudar Nottingham Rapidplay Major (U160)
2017-18: F Biermann Birmingham Rapidplay Major (U171)
2016-17: S Hunter Nottingham Congress Major (U165)
2016-17: M Harper Harrogate Congress Minor (U120)
2015-16: M Gretton Harrogate Congress Minor (U120)
2014-15: D Sudar Sheffield Congress Major (U171)
2014-15: M Harper Huddersfield Congress Minor (U125)
2014-15: A Thompson Nottingham Congress Inter (U135)
2014-15: P Mercs Doncaster Congress Open
2014-15: M Barnes Notts Championship Championship
2013-14: J Huthwaite Doncaster Rapidplay Major (U170)
2013-14: M Barnes Nottingham Congress Open
2013-14: P G-Marshall Nottingham Congress Inter (U135)
2013-14: A Thompson London Chess Classic RP U120
2013-14: R Watson Notts Championship Minor (U110)
2013-14: D Sudar Leamington Rapidplay Intermediate
2012-13: D Sudar Nottingham Congress Major (U165)
2012-13: M Barnes Notts Championship Championship
2012-13: A Thompson Notts Championship Minor (U110)
2012-13: M Harper Scarborough Congress Minor (U136)
2012-13: P Mercs Leek Congress Main A (Major)
2012-13: P Mercs British Championship Weekend Atkins
2011-12: M Barnes Notts Championship Championship
2011-12: R Ensor Notts Championship Inter (U135)
2011-12: M Harper Durham Congress Minor (U125)
2011-12: S Hunter Nottingham Congress Major (U165)
2011-12: M Harper Nottingham Congress Inter (U135)
2010-11: J Huthwaite Nottingham Congress Inter (U135)
2009-10: R Edwards Nottingham Rapidplay Major (U160)
2009-10: M Harper Nottingham Rapidplay Inter (U135)
2009-10: M Barnes Scarborough Congress Open
2009-10: D Sudar Nottinghamshire Blitz Open
2009-10: P Mercs British Championship British U175
2008-09: M Harper Nottingham Congress Minor (U100)
2008-09: P G-Marshall Doncaster Congress Minor (U100)
2006-07: M Harper Hawick Congress U125 (U1600)
2006-07: D Sudar Scarborough Congress Inter (U135)
2006-07: M Barnes Leicester Congress Open
2005-06: M Barnes Notts Championship Championship
2005-06: M Barnes Nottingham Rapidplay Open
2004-05: M Barnes Notts Championship Championship
2003-04: M Barnes Nottingham FIDE Open
Club History:
Gambit was formed in 1967 in the Blue Bell Pub in the centre of Nottingham. After brief stays at the
News House on St James Street and the Old Angel on Stoney Street, the club moved to the
Federation House Social Club on Claremont Rd in the early 1970s.
Gambit won the 1st division championship in 1973 and went on to win the title 5 years in a row from
1975 until 1979, unbeaten in each season, winning all their matches 3 years running from 1975-76 to
1977-78. They were next champions in 1992 and then 3 more times between 1993 and 1996. Their
next, and latest, title came in 2006, after merging with Dark Horses chess club in 2001.
Dark Horses was formed in 1986 under the name Sherwood after the merger of 3 clubs, Sherwood,
White Knights and Fiveways. The original Sherwood played at the Sherwood Community Centre for years, running 3 teams in the 70s but went down to one team in the 80s. During the late 70s a group of friends formed the Fiveways club at the Fiveways pub and a short time later they moved to the Sherwood Inn on Mansfield Rd. In 1982 several members left to form Fiveways mark II at the Fiveways pub while the remainder moved to the Vale on Mansfield Rd as White Knights. In 1985 White Knights, Fiveways and Sherwood merged to form a new club at the Oxclose pub on Oxclose Lane and changed the name to Oxclose in 1987 Oxclose moved to the Fiveways pub in 1995, taking its name. Fiveways mark III won the 1st division championship in 3 successive years from 1997 until 1999. In 2000 the club moved to the Horse & Jockey pub on David Lane under the Dark Horses name for a year before merging with Gambit.
In January 2011 Gambit moved to its current location, the Lincolnshire Poacher.