eleven British Ladies Championship titles, more than any other.

She was born in Plymouth, the youngest child of Harvey and Mary (“May”) Dew. Her brothers were Clement Harvey Dew who came to work in electronics and lived to the age of 90 and Lanning Dew, an artist and pianist who died at 50. The Dew family lived at 18, Cheltenham Place, Mutley Plain, Plymouth.

Mary Dew (née Rowe) was the daughter of a Redruth bank manager and had 5 siblings. She had been a member of the Plymouth Chess Club for many years and had tried to interest her sons in the game, each in turn as they grew up. The boys were not particularly keen or able, but, watching her brothers at the board, Rowena took to it froman early age. By the time she was 10, her mother, who herself was later to become Devon Ladies Champion and play in the British Championship, quickly realised that the girl’s talent was such that it needed someone of greater ability than she possessed to bring out Rowena’s full potential. So she approached the fast-rising star of the Plymouth Club, Ron Bruce (22), and he agreed to take the girl for two lessons a week at his house. Thus began a partnership that was to last unbroken for 65 years.

With his speech impediment and serious manner, it is not easy to imagine Ron in the role of inspiring teacher of 10 year olds, but whatever he had worked well enough, for within 9 years Rowena had become FIDE