Club trophies and past winners

The Tom Powell Memorial Trophy is awarded to the winner of the A Grade of the Club Championships.
Tom Powell was a founding member of the current Kāpiti Chess Club, and its first president.

The Ab Borren Trophy is awarded to the winner of the B Grade of the Club Championships. Ab Borren was an early member of the Club and Club President from 1990 to 1994. The original Trophy, made by his daughter, was damaged and member Glenys Mills, donated the Knight that she acquired when playing in for the New Zealand team at the Chess Olympics held in Yugoslavia in 1990.  

Eduard Gufeld, Chess Grandmaster, honoured the Kāpiti Chess Club with a visit in 1988. After an interesting and hilarious talk, he presented the Club with his Club’s pendant, now framed in this Trophy. The trophy is awarded the winner of the C Grade of the Club Championships.

This trophy is awarded to the winner of the Club’s main annual rapid format competition, played under a time control of 25 minutes plus a 5 second add on. Leo Eichholtz—an early member of the Kāpiti Chess Club—donated this Trophy.

Rose Kingston was a long-time member, and a tireless and loyal supporter of the Club. She was Club Secretary continuously from 1997 till her death in 2018. The trophy was first awarded in 2000. It was originally named after John Kingston, Rose’s husband, a supporter of the Club from behind the scenes. After Rose’s death in 2018, the trophy was renamed to the Rose & John Kingston Memorial trophy, in recognition of the contribution of the Kingston family to the Club. Played over 55 minutes plus 5 second add-on. 

The Club’s annual Blitz tournament is generally played over several series under a 3 m + 2 s time format. Also engraved “Lightning Champ” the Blitz Cup has been awarded since 2006.

This trophy is for the winner of the annual rapid format tournament, played under a time control of 10m + 5s. It has been contested for since 2011.

The original cup for this was donated to the club by long-time member Mike O’Rorke. It was replaced with the present cup in 2024 to provide more space for further names. 

A new competition introduced in 2019 for the winter period. Currently played for under a 25m+5s time format.

The Grand Prix recognises the member with the consistently best performance throughout the year. Grand Prix points are awarded for each of the Club’s major tournaments, so the award also in part recognises support of the Club through active participation in events throughout the year. The Club member with the highest Grand Prix points at the end of year receives the Glenys Mills Memorial Trophy.  Glenys Mills was a founding and long time member of the Club, and NZ representative. The original smaller trophy was given by Glenys Mills from a grade win in correspondence chess. After the death of Glenys in 2016, the Club had the trophy renamed and rebuilt. It has been competed for since 2006.

A trophy for the best placed Kāpiti player in the annual open Kāpiti Rapid Tournament. Donated in 2009 by David Paul in memory of his late wife. 

The Kāpiti Junior Chess Championship is an annual tournament introduced in 2019. It aims to promote and support junior chess across the Wellington to Horowhenua region. Kids compete individually and also as part of a team made up of other participants who attend their school.  In 2020, the tournament was split into two;  a separate NZCF-rated Junior Championship Open for top-rated Juniors, and the Schools tournament. The Kāpiti Chess Club School Championship trophy is awarded to the overall best performing school.

This trophy was introduced in 2023 and is awarded to the winner of the Junior Club Championship.

The Challengers Cup is awarded to the winner of the Junior Club Championship Challengers Division. The Challengers Division includes junior players who did not compete in the main Junior Championship, and who are primary or intermediate school age. 

Previously awarded in the Senior Club for “Most Promising Player” and “Most Improved Player”, in 2022 these were repurposed as Junior Club awards with “Most Promising” renamed to Junior Club “Player of the Year”. 

	Player of the Year	Most Improved
2024	Isaiah Heta	Oscar McGrath
2023	Isaiah Heta	Charlotte Liu
2022	Devin Direen	Elane Poltgieter
	Most Promising (Senior Club)	Most Improved (Senior Club)
2021	not awarded	not awarded
2020	John Eccles	Geoffrey Gunawan
2019	Liam Parkes	Geoffrey Gunawan
2018	Hamish Lester	David Scott
2017	not awarded	not awarded
2016	Mike O’Rorke	Lars Dobbertin-King
2015	Natalie Bowers	Sean Doyle
2014	Zephyr Wills	Spencer Viernes
2013	Johnny Hynes	Sean Doyle
2012	Todd Stewart	Rick Lowe
2011	Josh Bunker, Johnny Hynes	Gordon Anderson
2010		Guy Burns
2009		Johnny Hynes