Echesspedia

The first chess club in New Zealand was formed in September 1863 in Dunedin.
The New Zealand Chess Association came into being in the 1870s then was refunded in 1892. The New Zealand Chess Federation Inc. became a member of FIDE in 1948.
NCF has participated in 21 Olympiads since 1980. Its best achievement was 21st in 1976. Vernon Small was the only NZ player who won a (bronze) medal (1976).
In 2011 New Zealand lists 203 players including 15 FIDE titled players (4 IMs).

Up to 1934 foreign players were eligible for the title. The eligibility rules were changed in 1935.

The national champions were:

1879 H. Hookham, 1888 A. M. Ollivier, 1890, H. Hookham, 1890 R. J. Barnes, 1891 F. V. Siedeberg, 1892 F. V. Siedeberg, 1893 J. Edwards, 1894 W. Mackay, 1895 W. Meldrum, 1896 R. J. Barnes, 1897 R. J. Barnes, 1898 R. A. Cleland, 1900 E. Mason, 1901 D. Forsyth, 1901 R. J. Barnes, 1902 J. C. Grierson, 1903 E. Mason, 1904 W. O. Davies, 1905 J. Barnes, 1906 W. S. Viner, 1908 A. W. O. Davies, 1908 F. K. Kelling, 1909 James Mason, 1910 W. E. Mason, 1911 W. E. Mason, 1912 J. C. Grierson, 1913 W. E. Mason, 1914 F. K. Kelling, 1919 W. E. Mason, 1920 John B. Dunlop, 1921 John B. Dunlop, 1922 John B. Dunlop, 1923 Spencer Crakanthorp, 1924 Cecil Purdy, 1925 Spencer Crakanthorp, 1926 A. W. O. Davies, 1927 A. W. O. Davies, 1928 J. A. Erskine, 1929 Gunnar Gundersen, 1930 A. W. Gyles, 1931 Gunnar Gundersen, 1932 Maurice Edwards Goldstein. 1933 John B. Dunlop, 1934 J. A. Erskine, 1935 A. W. Gyles, 1936 Henry R. Abbott, 1937  S. Hindin, 1938 John B. Dunlop, 1939 John B. Dunlop, 1940 P. Allerhand, 1943 Robert Graham Wade, 1944 Robert Graham Wade, 1945 T. Lepviikman, 1946 T. Lepviikman, 1947 Robert Graham Wade, 1948 Alan E. Nield, 1949  P. Allerhand, 1950 D. I. Lynch, 1951 Ortvin Sarapu, 1952 Ortvin Sarapu, 1953 Ortvin Sarapu, 1954 Ortvin Sarapu, 1955 F. Andrew Foulds, 1956 A. Feneredis, J. R. Phillips, 1957 J. R. Phillips, 1958 F. Andrew Foulds, B. C. Menzies, 1959 Ortvin Sarapu, 1960 Ortvin Sarapu, 1961 Graham G. Haase, 1962 Ortvin Sarapu, Richard John Sutton, 1963 R. A. Court, 1964 J. R. Phillips, 1965 Ortvin Sarapu, 1966 Ortvin Sarapu, 1967 Bruce R. Anderson, 1968 Bruce R. Anderson, Ortvin Sarapu, 1969 Ortvin Sarapu, 1970 Richard John Sutton, 1971 Richard John Sutton, 1972 Ortvin Sarapu, 1973 Paul Anthony Garbett, Ortvin Sarapu, 1974 Paul Anthony Garbett, 1975 Lev I. Aptekar, Murray G. Chandler, Ortvin Sarapu, 1976 Ortvin Sarapu, 1977 Craig Laird, 1978 Ortvin Sarapu, 1979 Ewen M. Green, Ortvin Sarapu, Vernon A. Small, 1980 Roger I. Nokes, Ortvin Sarapu, Vernon A. Small, 1981 Vernon A. Small, 1982 Paul Anthony Garbett, David A. Gollogly, 1983 Paul Anthony Garbett, 1984 Vernon A. Small, 1985 Adrian J. Lloyd, Ortvin Sarapu, 1986 Russell John Dive, 1987 Jonathan D. Sarfati, 1988 Paul Anthony Garbett, Anthony F. Ker, 1989 B. M. S. Martin, OrtvinSarapu, 1990 Anthony F. Ker, 1991 Martin P. Dreyer, 1992 Anthony F. Ker, 1993 Anthony F. Ker, Peter D. McKenzie, 1994 Anthony F. Ker, 1995 Russell John Dive, Martin P. Dreyer, Robert W. Smith, 1996 AlekseiKulashko, 1997 Aleksei Kulashko, 1998 Russell John Dive, 1999 Aleksei Kulashko, 2000 Scott C. Wastney, 2001 Anthony F. Ker, 2002 Anthony F. Ker, 2003 Anthony F. Ker, 2004 Anthony F. Ker, 2005 Anthony F. Ker, 2006 M. Chandler, 2007 Puchen Wang, 2008 M. Chandler, 2008 Anthony F Ker, 2010 Anthony F. Ker, 2011 Anthony F. Ker.