14 Facts About Charles Ranken

Charles Edward Ranken was a Church of England clergyman and a minor British chess master.

Charles Ranken co-founded and was the first president of the Oxford University Chess Club.

Charles Ranken was the editor of the Chess Player's Chronicle and a writer for the British Chess Magazine.

Charles Ranken particularly devoted himself to study of Howard Staunton's The Chess-Player's Handbook, a book that he said "marked the beginning of a new era in English chess literature".

In 1867, Charles Ranken became vicar at Sandford-on-Thames and lived at Oxford.

Charles Ranken's executors were named as Arthur William Ranken and Edward Ranken.

Charles Ranken was a leading member of a group of clerics who played a prominent role in early Victorian Era English chess.

Charles Ranken played in many congresses organized by the Counties Chess Association.

Charles Ranken had another excellent performance in 1881, when he won the 16th British Counties Chess Association Congress in Leamington, scoring 8 of 9 possible points, ahead of Revs Owen and Wayte.

At the 1883 London Vizayanagaram minor tournament, Charles Ranken "started well but his health gave way after the first week".

The strongest tournament in which Charles Ranken played was the Master Tournament at Hereford 1885, an 11-player tournament that featured some of the world's leading players.

Charles Ranken participated in several correspondence chess matches and took first place in the British Chess Association's 1872 competition.

Charles Ranken next became a member of the staff of the British Chess Magazine, which began publication in January 1881 under the editorship of John Watkinson.

Charles Ranken is remembered today as the co-author, with Edward Freeborough, of the opening treatise Chess Openings Ancient and Modern, a precursor of Modern Chess Openings.