National Champions
British Chess Champions
A list of British Chess Championship winners with a short history of the main championship series from 1904 to the latest completed event.
Last reviewed: June 4, 2026.
Current Champion
Michael Adams
Current champion after winning the 2025 British Championship playoff in Liverpool.
Most Listed Wins
Jonathan Penrose, 10; Henry Ernest Atkins and Michael Adams, 9 each
First Championship
Current series founded in 1904
Listed Champions
51
109 listed title wins across 109 chronological entries.
Championship History
The present British Championship series began in 1904 under the British Chess Federation. Earlier British congresses and association events existed, but the 1904 series is the continuous championship line normally used for modern records.
The championship has usually been a national congress centerpiece rather than a closed elite invitation. Its roll of honour therefore mixes dominant domestic champions with years decided by shared first places or playoffs.
The 2025 championship in Liverpool was the 111th British Championship in a series described by the organizers as running almost unbroken since 1904. Michael Adams won the title after a three-player playoff.
Britain Champion List
Champions are shown chronologically from oldest to newest. Shared titles and tied first places are represented by the same year appearing for more than one player.
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1904 | William Ewart Napier |
| 1905 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1906 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1907 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1908 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1909 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1910 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1911 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1912 | Richard Griffith |
| 1913 | Frederick Yates |
| 1914 | Frederick Yates |
| 1920 | Roland Scott |
| 1921 | Frederick Yates |
| 1923 | George Alan Thomas |
| 1924 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1925 | Henry Ernest Atkins |
| 1926 | Frederick Yates |
| 1928 | Frederick Yates |
| 1929 | Mir Sultan Khan |
| 1931 | Frederick Yates |
| 1932 | Mir Sultan Khan |
| 1933 | Mir Sultan Khan |
| 1934 | George Alan Thomas |
| 1935 | William Winter |
| 1936 | William Winter |
| 1937 | William Fairhurst |
| 1938 | C. H. O'D. Alexander |
| 1946 | Robert Forbes Combe |
| 1947 | Harry Golombek |
| 1948 | Reginald Broadbent |
| 1949 | Harry Golombek |
| 1950 | Reginald Broadbent |
| 1951 | Ernest Klein |
| 1952 | Robert Wade |
| 1953 | Abraham Yanofsky |
| 1954 | Leonard Barden |
| 1954 | Alan Phillips |
| 1955 | Harry Golombek |
| 1956 | C. H. O'D. Alexander |
| 1957 | Stefan Fazekas |
| 1958 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1959 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1960 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1961 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1962 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1963 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1964 | Michael Haygarth |
| 1965 | Peter Lee |
| 1966 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1967 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1968 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1969 | Jonathan Penrose |
| 1970 | Robert Wade |
| 1971 | Raymond Keene |
| 1972 | Brian Eley |
| 1973 | William Hartston |
| 1974 | George Botterill |
| 1975 | William Hartston |
| 1976 | Jonathan Mestel |
| 1977 | George Botterill |
| 1978 | Jonathan Speelman |
| 1979 | Robert Bellin |
| 1980 | John Nunn |
| 1981 | Paul Littlewood |
| 1982 | Tony Miles |
| 1983 | Jonathan Mestel |
| 1984 | Nigel Short |
| 1985 | Jonathan Speelman |
| 1986 | Jonathan Speelman |
| 1987 | Nigel Short |
| 1988 | Jonathan Mestel |
| 1989 | Michael Adams |
| 1990 | James Plaskett |
| 1991 | Julian Hodgson |
| 1992 | Julian Hodgson |
| 1993 | Michael Hennigan |
| 1994 | William Watson |
| 1995 | Matthew Sadler |
| 1996 | Chris Ward |
| 1997 | Michael Adams |
| 1997 | Matthew Sadler |
| 1998 | Nigel Short |
| 1999 | Julian Hodgson |
| 2000 | Julian Hodgson |
| 2001 | Joe Gallagher |
| 2002 | Ramachandran Ramesh |
| 2003 | Abhijit Kunte |
| 2004 | Jonathan Rowson |
| 2005 | Jonathan Rowson |
| 2006 | Jonathan Rowson |
| 2007 | Jacob Aagaard |
| 2008 | Stuart Conquest |
| 2009 | David Howell |
| 2010 | Michael Adams |
| 2011 | Michael Adams |
| 2012 | Gawain Jones |
| 2013 | David Howell |
| 2014 | David Howell |
| 2014 | Jonathan Hawkins |
| 2015 | Jonathan Hawkins |
| 2016 | Michael Adams |
| 2017 | Gawain Jones |
| 2018 | Michael Adams |
| 2019 | Michael Adams |
| 2021 | Nicholas Pert |
| 2022 | Harry Grieve |
| 2023 | Michael Adams |
| 2024 | Gawain Jones |
| 2025 | Michael Adams |
Sources
Current-champion details were checked against official federation, organizer, or FIDE reports where available. Historical winner lists were cross-checked against maintained championship tables.