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SHREWSBURY CHRONICLE
Read Peter Kitchen's Column in the weekly Shrewsbury Chronicle for the latest local Chess news. Here are some cuttings.
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It's double delight for top outfit Telepost
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 17/07/2008
Telepost A have confirmed their status as the dominant force in Shropshire chess by completing a league and cup double.
Richard Bryant's side beat a strong Shifnal and Telford A outfit 3-2 in the final of the Cox Summer Trophy to add to the Shropshire League division one title clinched earlier this year.
Nigel Ferrington proved the difference between the sides, playing the endgame superbly to beat John Footner in the deciding game on board two. All the other matches ended in draws, including the clash between joint county champions Jamie Hopkins and Trevor Brotherton on board one.
Bryant was quick to praise his side for their efforts - and picked out their opponents as potential challengers to their league title next season.
He said: “I'm delighted to win ­- we were up against the strongest Shifnal and Telford team I have seen for some years and it was a really tight match. Nigel managed to create an advantage in his game and he played brilliantly from there.
Serious
”If Shifnal and Telford can get that side out for most of their matches next season they will be a serious threat.”
Meanwhile, Bryant has revealed he turned down the chance to join his home town club Oswestry for the second season running. The Telepost captain was approached to play for the north west Shropshire side in division two last season and, following their promotion to the top flight, Oswestry offered Bryant a place in their squad for the coming season.
He said: “I was asked by Oswestry if I would play for them, but to do so this season would have meant leaving Telepost and I¹ve got several reasons to stay here at the moment.
”Under league rules I could play for Oswestry and Telepost if they were in separate divisions, but I'm staying where I am for now.”
Telepost's Jamie Hopkins and former Shrewsbury and Church Stretton player Trevor Brotherton will share the title of county champion after the pair both recorded 6/7 in the Shropshire Individual Championship. Both went through the tournament unbeaten after drawing against each other. It's the third time Hopkins has picked up the accolade.
Battling display proves in vain
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 10/07/2008
A host of local chess players featured on the national stage as a battling Shropshire side missed out on the chance to become ECF Minor Counties champions.
Telepost duo Nigel Ferrington and Jamie Hopkins, Thomas Adams School student Philip Makepeace, Church Stretton pair Gerald Link and John Whittaker and Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen all turned out for the county in a 10-6 loss to favourites Norfolk at Leicester.
While Norfolk have regularly featured at national finals day, this was the Shropshire team's first appearance for many years.
Despite being heavily outgraded on the bottom eight boards, Shropshire put up a stern fight on all boards and with Norfolk only leading 4.5-3.5 at the halfway stage an upset still seemed possible. But a middle-order collapse helped Norfolk establish a four-point lead they never looked like relinquishing.
Rearguard
Hopkins, making a rare county appearance, was one of the star performers with a quick win on board four. But Ferrington lost on board three and Makepeace was ground down on board five.
Whittaker battled well for a draw on board 13 while Link lost with the white pieces on board 12. Kitchen fought a rearguard action without his queen for much of the game before making a crucial blunder in time pressure. Windsor Peck, who won a fine game in his last match as captain, said the side had enjoyed an excellent season.
The search is still on to find replacement captains for the county's open, under-125 and under-100 BCF teams after no-one stepped forward at the Shropshire Chess League's annual meeting.
The league are also short of officers for key posts, with county president Iain Wilson warning that if no-one came forward the league could fold in the coming years. An extraordinary general meeting is set to be held in September.
Telepost's sights are on double
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 15/05/2008
Under-strength Telepost A moved a step closer to a county chess league and cup double after a tense 3-2 win against division one rivals Coddon A in the Cox Trophy.
Richard Bryant's side travelled to Coddon without first team regulars Jamie Hopkins, Dave Bates and Keith Tabner. But Nigel Ferrington won inside 10 moves against Will Bates, Bryant beat Glyn Pugh on board two and John Westhead beat Andy Tunks on bottom board to seal a narrow 3-2 win.
Coddon were in contention throughout the round one tie, with Gary White beating John Bashall and Andy Tunks defeating Peter Crean. But Telepost's victory puts them straight into the quarter-finals, having been given a bye through round two.
Crean, whose own Telepost B side have withdrawn from the tournament, said: “It was a very close match but we got through in the end.
”Nigel's win was remarkably quick ­ Will blundered early on and it was all over in around 10 minutes.”
They could face a town derby against old rivals Shrewsbury A, who were awarded a 5-0 default win after Church Stretton A's withdrawal. Shrewsbury will start as favourites in round two against division three outfit Market Drayton.
Elsewhere in round one, Telepost C put up a brave fight before succumbing 3.5-1.5 to division one Newport A. The division three strugglers were handed a 1-0 head start when Newport defaulted bottom board, but only Charles Micallef could add to that with a draw against Alex Taylor on board three. Vince Crean lost to Nick Rutter, John Casewell was beaten by Chris Lewis and Shane Sweeney lost to Martin Patterson.
Both Church Stretton A and B have withdrawn from the competition, with neither side able to raise a team for the week's fixtures.
Other second round ties will see Shrewsbury B face division three champions Shifnal and Telford C, while Shrewsbury C face a tough trip to Wellington A and Shrewsbury Juniors play Newport A.
Meanwhile, in the Four Nations Chess League, Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen helped Celtic Tigers II end the season on a high as they climbed clear of the bottom of the division four table. He drew against Robert Taylor in a 4.5-1.5 win over Nottinghamshire II but was ground down by David Littlejohns in a 5.5-0.5 loss to Bristol II.

Bryant's best in league at last!
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 03/04/2008
Telepost A have been crowned champions of division one of the Shropshire Chess League ending a long-running hoodoo for captain Richard Bryant.
The Abbey Foregate side clinched the title after rivals Church Stretton A failed to pick up the 5-0 win needed against deposed champions Newport A to force a play off. Stretton's 3.5-1.5 victory ­ their 11th straight win in a remarkable run ­ left them just one-and-a-half game points short of the title. It's the second year running the championship has been decided on points difference. After the match, long-serving captain Graham Shepherd stood down as club captain. The search is underway to find a successor.
But success has proved especially sweet for Bryant, who has endured a luckless personal run since taking over as captain in 2004. Telepost had been the dominant force in the 21st century, but in Bryant's first year they were pipped to the top prize by arch-rivals Shrewsbury A.
Bryant relinquished the captaincy in 2005 as Telepost edged out their town rivals to reclaim their crown, but then presided over two mid-table finishes in 2006 and 2007. Bryant said: “It has been a long and very difficult struggle but we finally got there. It's the first time we have won the league with me as captain and I must admit it's a relief to finally do it.
”I must give credit to Church Stretton. They finished the season really strongly but luckily for us we picked up enough points early on to help us over the line. It was like a horse race with them catching us on the final straight but we did enough.
”We've already got our eyes on repeating this next season, although it would be very nice if we could complete a league and cup double by winning the Cox Trophy.”
In stark contrast, Shepherd was left to rue his side's shock early-season defeat against relegated Ludlow which ultimately cost them the title. But he insisted he was proud of his players for their efforts, saying:”At one point we did think we had a chance. I'm really pleased we got as far as we did to even have a chance at all going into the final game. I'm really pleased with the team ­ Karl Wakefield has been undefeated in ten matches in his debut season and Louis Graham also went through the season without losing a game.
”I'm standing down as captain as of now and the club has started looking for someone else to take over, although I do plan to continue playing for them next season.”
Stretton had stormed into a 2-0 lead against a below-strength Newport A side thanks to wins for Wakefield and Gerald Link on the bottom two boards. But Alex Taylor broke Stretton's hearts by forcing a draw against Louis Graham, and despite Nick Graham's win on board two against Chris Lewis sealing the win, Trevor Brotherton was unable to hang on against Nick Rutter in the final game to finish. Shepherd added: “As soon as Alex forced the draw against Louis we knew the game was up. Trevor sacrificed a piece to try and force a win and it didn't work but there was little riding on it as we had won the match but couldn't win the league.”

Shrewsbury A marked an impressive season by beating Ludlow A 4-1 away to clinch third place in the division, youngster Francis Rooney shining on the bottom board.
In the absence of first choice players Francis Best and Peter Kitchen, Rooney stepped up from the club's junior team to earn a creditable draw and to ensure none of Shrewsbury's players were beaten on the night.
Elsewhere, fellow stand-in Ian Davies drew his game on board three while David Everington, Steve Rooney and Ray Cox all won. It marks a superb season for Shrewsbury, who emerged as the division's surprise package despite the loss of top board John Parrott early on.
Despite on paper having a weaker team than last year ­ when Shrewsbury finished sixth ­ the team was in the top half of the table all season.
Captain Everington said: “It was the first time Francis Rooney had played for the first team, and for him to get a draw in division one must have been a real boost for his morale. He played really well and I'm extremely grateful that he played.
”After last season it has been a very pleasant side to achieve a top three finish, especially as last year was the first time in living memory we had been out of the top three and we had on paper a weaker team this year.
”Ray Cox and Steve Rooney have pumped in a lot of points into the team total and they have both made a real difference since coming into the team at the start of the season.”

Telepost close in on title ­ despite scare
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 20/03/2008
Telepost A captain Richard Bryant led from the front as his side moved to the brink of the Shropshire Chess League title ­ but they were given an almighty scare by Shrewsbury A in a thrilling local derby. Bryant beat Steve Rooney in the deciding game on board four to clinch a 3-2 win for the hosts, making them huge favourites for the title going into the final round of fixtures.
Shrewsbury had looked on course to create a huge upset when Peter Kitchen inflicted Dave Bates' first defeat of the season with a shock win on board three, while Keith Tabner and Ray Cox drew on bottom board. Jamie Hopkins hauled Telepost level with a fine display to beat Francis Best on board two and, after David Everington and Nigel Ferrington drew on board two, Bryant's cool play at the end kept Telepost on course for the title.
Bryant said: “It was a bit of a fraught evening. I was very relieved at the end ­ we couldn't afford to draw that match and at least we have some breathing space going into our last match against Coddon and we know a win will be enough for us.
”It was the game on board three that really kept things tight ­ Dave has had a great season for us but it goes to show that anyone can make mistakes under pressure.”
Shrewsbury captain Everington said: “It was a much closer match than we expected, largely due to Peter producing his best result from the last three seasons to beat Dave Bates, who is currently leading the Shropshire Individual Championship. Steve Rooney's game was on a knife edge, and it was the closest we have come to a result against Telepost for a few years.”
Church Stretton A made sure they took the title race to the wire with a 3.5-1.5 win over Shifnal and Telford A. Stretton were dealt a blow when top board Trevor Brotherton withdrew before the match, but the points were clinched on the bottom two boards. Karl Wakefield produced a fine comeback to beat Iain Wilson, while Graham Shepherd beat Tim Skidmore on bottom board. Gerald Link drew with Gareth Edwards on board three, Nick Graham shared the spoils with Colin Roberts on top board and Louis Graham drew with Dave Gostelow on board two.
Champions
In division two, Telepost B have been crowned champions after a fine 3.5-1.5 win over Shrewsbury B. The damage was done on the top three boards, with John Bashall beating Dan Lockett, Peter Crean seeing off Mark Smith and John Westhead defeating Norman O'Connor. Andrew Lewis restored some pride by beating Vincent Crean on board four and Shrewsbury youngster Matthew Best picked up a draw on bottom board. The result marks a fine second half of the season for Telepost, but Shrewsbury's promotion chances now hang by a thread.
Church Stretton B were also unable to pick up maximum points and were indebted to Alan Silver's last-gasp win on top board over Joe Pym to rescue a point against Newport B. Adrian Thorp had earlier lost to Sellick Davies, while David Williams, Tom Williamson and Chris Pimm-Jones drew their games.
In division three Telepost C slipped to a narrow defeat to Shifnal and Telford C. Vince Crean beat Roger Brown and Adrian Bowyer won on bottom board but John Casewell, Brian Holford and Shane Sweeney lost.

Title race opens up as leaders defeated
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 28/02/2008
Five teams have a realistic chance of lifting the Shropshire Chess League division two title after leaders Shrewsbury B suffered a surprise 3-2 home defeat to Shifnal and Telford B. The visitors brought a strong side and reaped the benefits, with Steve Tarr beating Dan Lockett on board one and Glyn Randle winning against Norman O'Connor on board three. Derek Irving won on bottom board for Shrewsbury but draws between Mark Smith and Windsor Peck, and Andrew Lewis and Stefan Tennant decided the match in Shifnal's favour.
The result was only Shrewsbury's second defeat of the season and cut their lead at the top to a single point, with three points separating Shrewsbury and fifth-placed Shifnal and Telford.
And a crunch match tonight (Thursday) sees Shrewsbury travel to fellow promotion hopefuls Church Stretton B with both sides in desperate need of the points with just three league matches remaining.
Shrewsbury captain Dan Lockett said: “It was a very disappointing night. I think that's the first time I have lost to Steve Tarr and although we were up against strong opposition we were hopeful of at least getting a point ­ it certainly was inconvenient to our promotion challenge.
”We have three games left and if we win those we will be all right and if we don't then it's really wide open. We've got a difficult game at Church Stretton and we play Telepost B last and that really could be a critical game.”
Meanwhile, in division one, Shrewsbury A stole a march on their rivals in the battle for third place with an emphatic 4-1 win at Wellington A ­ which as good as relegates the Wrekin outfit.
Shrewsbury soon had the match wrapped up, with Peter Kitchen beating the unfortunate Mark Billington in just 12 moves on board three and Ray Cox defeating Dele Ogundipe on bottom board. Francis Best picked up his first win of the season, beating off an ambitious queen sacrifice by Ibiye Roberts to win impressively on board two and seal the match.
Toby Neal picked up a consolation win by beating David Everington on top board, but Steve Rooney finished the match off in style with a pretty combination to beat Stefan Tennant.
Captain Everington said: “It was one of our better performances this season. I was particularly pleased for Francis as he has stepped up to board two and competed hard this season and he got his first win thanks to some really accurate play. Steve Rooney has been very successful and high-scoring for us ­ he has had an excellent season.”
Shrewsbury host sixth place Coddon A tomorrow looking for a win to keep their hold on third place. Title challengers Telepost A and Church Stretton A were due to face Ludlow and Wellington A respectively this week
Title-chasing Telepost not getting nervous yet
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 21/02/2008
Telepost A captain Richard Bryant remains confident his side will win the Shropshire Chess League title this season ­ despite seeing the gap at the top of the table cut to a single point.
Telepost were held to a 2.5-2.5 draw by Shifnal and Telford A for the second time this season, while Church Stretton A chalked up their eighth consecutive division one win with a hugely impressive 4.5-0.5 demolition of in-form Coddon A. But despite a largely frustrating trip to Stirchley, Bryant insisted his side were still in the driving seat with just three games to go.
He said: “I'm not feeling nervous yet. Church Stretton may have clawed back some of our game points advantage with their hefty win but they still have some very tricky fixtures to play themselves.”
Telepost had looked favourites to win on their travels when Bryant beat Gareth Edwards and Nigel Ferrington drew with Colin Roberts on top board. But, despite looking strong on the remaining three boards, Telepost were left hanging on for a point at the end.
Keith Tabner let a promising position slip to lose against Iain Wilson on board four and John Westhead was unable to force home his advantage of an extra exchange against Richard Thompson, with the two drawing on bottom board.
On board two Dave Bates had the better of things for much of the game against Dave Gostelow, only for the position to turn around, with Bates accepting a draw in a difficult position with his opponent short of time.
Church Stretton A maintained the pressure at the top thanks to wins for Trevor Brotherton over William Bates, Nick Graham over Glyn Pugh, Louis Graham against Gary White and Gerald Link against Gary White. Karl Wakefield drew with John Tunks on bottom board.
Shrewsbury A will be looking to strengthen their hold on third place when they travel to lowly Wellington A tonight (Thursday). The match was called off last week at Wellington's request due to the game clashing with Valentine's Day, with Shrewsbury captain David Everington hoping to name a full strength side for tonight's clash.
In division two, Telepost B stayed firmly in promotion contention with a 4.5-0.5 win over rock-bottom Wellington B. John Bashall, John Westhead, Dave Adderley and Vincent Crean all won, while captain Peter Crean drew with Derrick Powell on board two.
But Church Stretton B lost 3-2 at home to promotion rivals Oswestry. David Williams lost to Brian Whyte on top board and, although Adrian Thorpe won on board three, Chris Pimm-Jones' defeat on bottom board sentenced Stretton to defeat. Eric Elwell and Tom Williamson drew their games.
Meanwhile, in division four of the Four Nations Chess League, Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen enjoyed a successful weekend by holding two strong opponents to draws while on top board for Celtic Tigers II. He held Liam Hylands to a draw in the 4.5-1.5 defeat to Halesowen and performed strongly to draw with Ihor Ledyk in a 4.5-1.5 reverse against Wales Old Boys.
Magnificent seven opens up title race
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 14/02/2008
The race for the Shropshire Chess League division one title has been thrown wide open after Church Stretton A ended Telepost A¹s unbeaten record ­ and moved to within two points of the summit.
Stretton recorded their seventh consecutive victory with a 3-2 triumph, with Trevor Brotherton beating Nigel Ferrington on top board in the only decisive game of a tense match. Even after Brotherton's victory, Gerald Link was forced to hang on as Richard Bryant tried to conjure up a win on board three before the pair agreed a draw.
The late drama was a fitting conclusion to a match which had started amid confusion. Nick Graham was due to play on board two for Church Stretton but was involved in a car accident on the way back from a meeting, with David Williams drafted in at an hour's notice as a late substitute.
Elsewhere, Keith Tabner and Graham Shepherd agreed a quick draw on board four while Dave Bates and Louis Graham reached deadlock on board two. Dave Adderley and Williams drew on board five after a see-saw battle.
Stretton captain Shepherd said: "We were really chuffed with the win, especially as we had to bring in David Williams at very short notice. It also means we¹ve now beaten every team in the league this season, which is some achievement.
"I personally still think Telepost will win the title but we will certainly be trying to win our last four games to keep up the pressure." Telepost captain Bryant said: "It's very disappointing, especially as I missed an earlier opportunity to win against Gerald. It¹s our first defeat and we have to give Church Stretton credit."
Shrewsbury A's faint title hopes were as good as finished as they slipped to a 3.5-1.5 home defeat against Shifnal & Telford A ­ leaving them looking nervously over their shoulders at the chasing pack in the battle for third spot.
David Everington quickly slipped into a losing position against Colin Roberts on top board and, despite putting up a good fight, he eventually lost. Francis Best lost on board two against Dave Gostelow.
Consolation
Steve Rooney and Iain Wilson shared the spoils on board three, but Richard Thompson's win over Ian Davies sealed the match in the visitors' favour, meaning Ray Cox's win over Tim Skidmore was no more than a consolation.
Everington said: "It was just one of those nights for us. I have a very good record against Colin but I totally misplayed the opening, and Francis also looked very strong for much of his game. "We have four matches left and we are aiming at winning all of them."
Telepost were due to face Shifnal and Telford A last night (Wednesday) while Church Stretton A host in-form Coddon A tonight. But Shrewsbury's trip to Wellington A has been bizarrely postponed ­ due to
Valentine¹s Day. Wellington captain Stefan Tennant requested the postponement earlier this week as he was struggling to raise a team, and Shrewsbury captain Everington ­ who would have been without Peter Kitchen
for the same reason ­ agreed to put the match back a week.
In division two, Church Stretton B moved back into the promotion places with a 3-2 win at Newport B. All the players with the white pieces won, with Alan Silver, Adrian Thorpe and Chris Pimm-Jones winning for Stretton.
In division three, Shrewsbury C beat Telepost C 4-1. Ian Davies drew with Charles Micallef on top board and Eric Inglis and John Casewell shared the spoils on board two. But Shrewsbury cleaned up on the remaining boards with wins for Fred Harris, Alan Bliss and Joe Isherwood.
Shrewsbury Juniors continue to struggle after a 4.5-0.5 defeat against title-chasing Market Drayton. Matthew Best drew his game on board four.
It's a first for Williams in Stretton win
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 07/02/2008
David Williams secured the first "smothered mate" of his career as Church Stretton B maintained the pressure on their promotion rivals at the top of division two of the Shropshire Chess League.
Stretton secured a comfortable 3.5-1.5 win away to lowly Wellington B thanks to wins for Williams and Tom Williamson. Williams won his game on board two with a pretty finish, delivering checkmate with his opponent's king surrounded and trapped by its own pieces. On the other boards Alan Silver, Adrian Thorpe and Chris Pimm-Jones all drew their games, and the result sees Stretton move back into the top half of the table, only a point off second spot.
Club captain Graham Shepherd said: "It was the first time David Williams had got a smothered mate in his career and by all accounts he played a very good game. It was a good result for us and things are certainly very tight at the top of the table."

Telepost B remain second after winning a crunch promotion showdown with in-form rivals Shifnal and Telford B 3-2. The Stirchley-based hosts had shot up the table after a fine run either side of Christmas, but it was Telepost who returned home with the points thanks to wins for John Bashall on top board and Dave Adderley on board four. Shifnal and Telford got one point back when Stefan Tennant beat John Westhead on board three, but draws between Peter Crean and Windsor Peck on board two and Vincent Crean and Andy Jones on bottom board sealed the match in Telepost's favour.

Shrewsbury B remain top of the table after a narrow 3-2 win at relegation-threatened Coddon B.  
Dan Lockett beat John Tunks on top board and Derek Irving won his game on board four, while draws for Norman O'Connor and Andrew Lewis meant Joe Isherwood's loss to Alan Pickles on bottom board had no bearing on the outcome of the match.

In division one this week Shrewsbury A will be looking to pick up their first league double of the season when they take on mid-table Shifnal and Telford A tomorrow (Friday). The Shelton Hospital-based side are three points clear of their rivals in the battle for a top three spot, while Shifnal and Telford lost their last outing to fellow mid-table stragglers Coddon A. Shrewsbury will definitely be without Peter Kitchen for the match, but Francis Best is expected to return after he missed the win at Newport.
Skipper Lockett sets target after leaders are held again
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 24/01/2008
Shrewsbury B captain Dan Lockett has set a 21-point target to clinch promotion after seeing his side move three points clear at the top of division two in the Shropshire Chess League ­ despite remaining winless in 2008.
The Shelton Hospital-based side were held to a disappointing draw at home to bottom side Wellington B to follow a draw at improving Oswestry. But their rivals in the promotion race were unable to take full advantage, helping Shrewsbury extend their lead by a point.
Lockett, whose side won six of their seven fixtures before Christmas, lost a complex ending against Dele Ogunipe on top board while Norman O'Connor lost on time against Derrick Powell having been under pressure for much of the game. But Eric Inglis and Derek Irving rescued a point with wins on the bottom two boards after Andrew Lewis drew on board three.
Lockett said: "It was a bit of a shame as we had hoped to beat Wellington, but luckily we won on the bottom two boards. Derek Irving has done really well for us ­ that's three straight wins for him now. I'm hoping 21 points will be enough to get us promoted. That's seven points needed from the next five games, so three wins and a draw should do it."
Telepost B failed to make the most of Shrewsbury¹s slip as they were soundly beaten 4-1 at home by Oswestry. John Bashall¹s late withdrawal through illness led to the hosts defaulting top board. Peter Crean lost to Ieuan Fenton on board two and John Westhead and John Casewell also lost. Vince Crean scored a consolation win over Gareth Hampson on board four.
Peter Crean said: "We're pretty devastated as it was an important game and both Oswestry and Shifnal & Telford are looking stronger. We were short on the night but it's going to be tougher at the top of the division during the second half of the season."
Crucial
Church Stretton B were gifted the points against Coddon B, who failed to show up, and although they remain in the bottom half, they are just one point off second spot with a potentially crucial game in hand.
In division one, Shrewsbury A will be looking to set straight a dreadful recent record when they travel to champions Newport A tonight (Thursday). Shrewsbury have picked up just half a game point in their past two visits to Newport, including their first whitewash defeat in more than 50 years two seasons ago.
Telepost A will be looking to cement their position at the top when they travel to struggling Wellington A, while Church Stretton A hope to restore some local pride by avenging their derby defeat at Ludlow.

Church Stretton's Great Run Continues
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 17/01/2008
Telepost A captain Richard Bryant saw his team move four points clear at the top of the Shropshire Chess League – and then revealed how a book written in German had helped achieve victory over Newport A. Bryant found himself playing Newport teenager Gavyn Cooper for the second time in the space of ten days, having lost to him at the Wrekin Congress. But the Telepost man spent a few hours preparing to face Cooper by reading a book on the Sicilian Defence written in German by former world champion Max Euwe – and achieved a vital draw to help his team win 3-2.
Keith Tabner was the matchwinner for Telepost when he beat off Chris Lewis's attack to win on board four, while all of the remaining matches were drawn. The result leaves Telepost six points clear of defending champions Newport and four clear of their nearest challengers Church Stretton A.
Bryant said: “I'd lost to Gavyn at the congress and then found out he was likely to be playing against us in the league as his new term at university hadn't started. I knew I would need to prepare, but the only book I had on the opening Gavyn plays was written in German. “To be honest I'm not sure whether it helped me understand the position any better but I managed to get a draw and it turned out to be a very important result for us.”

Meanwhile wins for Gerald Link and Karl Wakefield saw Church Stretton A achieve their fifth successive win – all away from home – after they triumphed 3-2 at local rivals Shrewsbury A. Wakefield took advantage of Ray Cox's mistake to inflict a first defeat of the season on the Shrewsbury man on bottom board, while Shrewsbury captain David Everington was forced to settle for a draw against former Shrewsbury player Trevor Brotherton on top board. But the pivotal game came on board three, where Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen missed a win in time trouble in a king and pawn ending before Gerald Link came up with a clever combination to win.
Stretton sealed the match when Nick Graham held Francis Best to a draw on board two, although Steve Rooney grabbed a consolation for the hosts by beating Graham Shepherd on board four.
Stretton captain Shepherd said: “We've had a great run – it's a pity our next match against Ludlow is at home with the form we have been on on our travels. “I was very pleased for Karl stepping in to the first team – he hasn't lost for us yet and he did really well again here.”
Everington said: “I was strange as we kept their big gubs on the top boards quiet but lost the match on the lower boards. “Ray Cox has been terrific for us all year and this was his first loss, while Gerald has come up with a beauty to beat Peter.”

In division two, Shrewsbury B saw their lead at the top of the table cut to two points when they were held to a draw at Oswestry. Shrewsbury had inflicted a 5-0 whitewash on their hosts earlier in the season, but despite leading twice they were unable to take full advantage. Noeman O'Connor won quickly on board three and Andrew Lewis drew with Gareth Hampson on board four, before Mark Smith let a promising position slip to lose to Ieuan Fenton on board two. Derek Irving put the visitors back ahead with a win on board five, but captain Dan Lockett lost to Brian Whyte on top board to tie the match.
Lockett said: “We were unfortunate not to win as Mark was looking pretty good in his game. But we're still top and are still determined to keep on winning – getting promoted would be a nice reward for the players for how they have played so far this season.”

Telepost B head the chasing pack in second spot after they crushed struggling Coddon B 4-1. Captain Peter Crean, John Westhead and Dave Adderley all won, while John Bashall and Vincent Crean picked up draws.

But a depleted Church Stretton B side slipped into the bottom half of the table after being whitewashed 5-0 at Shifnal and Telford B. The south Shropsjhire outfit were hit by the late withdrawal of David Williams and were forced to default bottom board, before Alan Silver, Adrian Thorpe, Tom Williamson and Chris Pimm-Jones were outgunned by a strong Shifnal and Telford side.

In division three shrewsbury C kept up their pursuit of the leaders with a 4.5-0.5 win over Shrewsbury Juniors. Francis Rooney achieved a credible draw against Alan Bliss, but the C team proved too strong on the remaining boards, with wins for Ian Davies, Eric Inglis, Fred Harris and Joe Isherwood.

Meanwhile a number of local players picked up awards at the recent Wrekin Congress. Telepost's Nigel Ferrington finished third in the open section with a score of 3.5-5, while Shrewsbury duo Alan Bliss and Francis Rooney both picked up grading prizes in the minor section – Bliss winning the under 85 grading prize with Rooney in a five way tie for the under 60 accolade.

Telepost Win Local Derby
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 06/12/2007
Telepost A captain Richard Bryant was “ecstatic” after seeing his Telepost A side move two points clear at the top of the Shropshire Chess League with a thumping 4.5-0.5 derby win at rivals Shrewsbury A. The two county town sides both went into the top-of-the-table clash unbeaten, but a full-strength Telepost team proved far too strong for their hosts. The result ended Shrewsbury's nine match unbeaten run carried over from the end of last season.
Dave Bates got the ball rolling with a crushing win over Peter Kitchen on board three, and Bryant doubled the advantage by beating Steve Rooney on board four. Shrewsbury put up more resistance on the remaining boards, with Ray Cox fighting back from being a pawn down to draw with Keith Tabner on bottom board. But David Everington lost to Jamie Hopkins on top board, and despite having a tremendous attack Francis Best emerged empty-handed against Nigel Ferrington on board two.
Bryant said: “I'm ecstatic about this result – I really didn't think it would turn out this well and we were pushed pretty hard on some of the boards. “It's a great result but we've got a difficult match at Coddon next and they could have Simon Fowler back in their team by the time we play them.”
Shrewsbury captain Everington took some consolation by some battling individual performances. He said: “Francis gave it a real go against Nigel and I blew my game on top board.“We've had an excellent run but it's important we look forward to our next match against Ludlow, which is a winnable fixture for us.”
Kitchen's loss ended a torturous week on a personal level, which saw him lose three games out of four in the space of seven days having previously been unbeaten in 14 matches in a run stretching back ten months.

Meanwhile Church Stretton A's recent improvement saw them dish out an impressive 4-1 beating to Shifnal and Telford A which saw them move into the top half of the table for the first time this season.
The Stirchley-based hosts were missing Dave Gostelow and Colin Roberts, and were quickly up against it when Louis Graham won quickly against Gareth Edwards on board two. David Williams drew with Roger Brown on bottom board, Trevor Brotherton beat John Footner on top board and Graham Shepherd sealed the points with a draw against Windsor Peck on board four.
Experienced campaigner Gerald Link added some gloss to the scoreline by beating Iain Wilson on board three to condemn Shifnal and Telford to their third defeat in four matches.
Captain Shepherd said: “They didn't have their best team out but I was very pleased we won 4-1 – it's our third away win on the bounce and it means we are almost certainly guaranteed to be in this division again next season.

Top of Table Clash for County Town Derby
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 29/11/2007
Shrewsbury A and Telepost A both preserved their unbeaten records ahead of tomorrow night's first county town derby of the season in division one of the Shropshire Chess League. The two sides have been in excellent form, with Telepost topping the table after winning four of their five games while Shrewsbury are the form side in the division with three straight wins.
But despite the excellent form of the two county town sides, defending champions Newport A – who have racked up three straight wins of their own – remain hot on their heels.
Shrewsbury kept up their remarkable run thanks to a fine turnaround win for Dan Lockett to give his side a dramatic 3-2 win at struggling Coddon A. Despite finishing runners-up last season Coddon have struggled without the influential Simon Fowler, and this was their fourth consecutive defeat. But for long spells they threatened to spring a surprise, with Shrewsbury captain David Everington admitting he was relieved to see his side clinch the points.
Everington drew with Will Bates on top board and Steve Rooney gave Shrewsbury the lead with a fine win over Gary White on board three. But Glyn Pugh equalized with a win over Francis Best on board two and when Ray Cox and John Tunks drew on bottom board Shrewsbury looked to be in trouble, with Lockett struggling against Andy Tunks. But some fine endgame play in time trouble saw Lockett turn the game on its head to clinch the points.
Everington said: “It was certainly dramatic, and I must admit at one stage I was hoping Dan would take a draw if offered to save the match. But he kept finding good moves in a difficult ending and did really well.”He also said his sides were underdogs for tomorrow's derby, but admitted it would be a big game for both sides.
“We hope to have a full team out against Telepost and it's going to be one of the biggest derbies for some time, although with the very strong side they have we have to be realistic,” he said.
Telepost stayed top with a more routine win over lowly Ludlow A. Nigel Ferrington, Dave Bates and Richard Bryant won their games on the top three boards to put the match out of the visitors' reach. Keith Tabner and Steve Jones drew their games on boards four and five.
Club secretary Tabner said: “We always look forward to our games against Shrewsbury and hopefully we will have a strong team out – even if its not a full team we have some good players very capable of stepping in. Being a local derby it's always a bit more entertaining for the players involved – the pride of the town is at stake.”
Church Stretton A put more distance between themselves and the relegation zone with a thumping 4.5-0.5 at an under-strength Wellington A. Trevor Brotherton, Gerald Link, Graham Shepherd and David Williams all won their games while Nick Graham was held to a draw by Stefan tenant on board two.
In division two, Church Stretton B's 16-match unbeaten league run spanning two season was finally ended in a tense top-of-the-table clash with Shrewsbury B.
The match was decided on board three when Andrew Lewis beat Alan Silver on time. The remaining four boards were all drawn, with Shrewsbury's 3-2 win maintaining their perfect record of five wins from five matches.
Stretton club captain Graham Shepherd said: “A lot of players contributed to this run since the B team was reformed at the start of last season, and it has been an excellent run. I did think we might pinch a draw for a while but it wasn't to be.”
Telepost B took advantage of Stretton's slip to move up to second in the table with a narrow 3-2 win over Newport B. John Bashall and peter Crean picked up important wins, and despite Bob Simpson's loss on board two draws for John Westhead and Dave Adderley secured the points.
In division three, Shrewsbury C lost their 100 per cent record but remain unbeaten and top of the league after a 2.5-2.5 draw at Newport Juniors. Athar Mehmood stunned Ian Davies on top board and Eric Inglis' fine recent form came to an end when he was beaten on board two. But Shrewsbury fought back on the bottom two boards with wins for Alan Bliss and Joe Isherwood, while Fred Harris drew with Huw Davenport on board three.
Telepost C remain near the foot of the table after a 3-2 loss at Market Drayton. Wins for Vincent Crean and Brian Holford proved in vain as Charles Micallef, Shane Sweeney and captain Adrian Bowyer lost their matches.
Meanwhile a number of Shrewsbury junior players got to make their mark at county level, with Shropshire entering a junior team in the MCCU U100 Championships for the first time.
Although the team lost their opening match 9.5-2.5 against a strong Staffordshire Bulldogs team, Shrewsbury's Jonathan Newey picked up an impressive win on board five. Other local players involved were Church Stretton's Henry Graham, who lost on board three, and Shrewsbury trio Chris Lovejoy, Francis Rooney and Matthew Best, who all lost their games against tough opponents.
Win puts Stretton in good heart for big clash
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 22/11/2007
Church Stretton B showed their promotion credentials as they warmed up for their top-of-the-table derby with Shrewsbury B with a 4-1 win at Oswestry in division two of the Shropshire Chess League.
Stretton, newly promoted to the second division, expected a tough game against a much-improved Oswestry side spearheaded by Brian Whyte, one of the county's top players. But Whyte was beaten by in-form John Whittaker despite having a grading advantage of nearly 50 points.
The visitors took control thanks to further wins for Tom Williamson and Alan Silver while Karl Wakefield ran out of time to finish off Ieaun Fenton on board two and David Williams drew his game on board four. Williamson's win was especially pleasing on a personal level as despite a record of losing several games on time it was he who won on the clock. The result keeps Stretton a point adrift of Shrewsbury B at the top, with the two unbeaten sides due to clash tomorrow (Friday).
Stretton club captain Graham Shepherd said: “John Whittaker has been in great form all season, while it certainly makes a change for Tom Williamson to win on time and we are really pleased for him.”
Shrewsbury B were in equally ruthless form after thumping Shifnal and Telford B 4.5-0.5 in their own back yard. Steve Rooney secured an excellent win against Gareth Edwards on top board, Mark Smith beat Stefan Tennant on board three, Norman O'Connor beat Tim Skidmore on board four and Eric Inglis won on bottom board. Dan Lockett and Windsor Peck drew their game on board two.
Convincing
Telepost B are on the tails of the top two after a comfortable 3.5-1.5 win at struggling Wellington B. John Bashall, Peter Crean and John Liddell all won their games, while John Westhead drew on board three and Vincent Crean lost on bottom board.
Captain Peter Crean said: “It was quite convincing in the end and we did expect to win as we outgraded Wellington on all boards. But we¹ve still got to play the two teams above us before Christmas so that could have quite a bearing on our league position.”
In division one, Church Stretton A will be hoping to move further clear of the drop zone when they take on fellow strugglers Wellington A tonight.
Shrewsbury A were due put their unbeaten record on the line away to Coddon A last night, while league leaders Telepost A were at home to bottom side Ludlow A.
Meanwhile, Telepost duo Jamie Hopkins and Nigel Ferrington were both in action for Wessex in the latest rounds of the Four Nations League in Birmingham. Hopkins, playing for Wessex 1 in division two, drew with George O'Toole in his side's 5-3 win over Barbican Youth and repeated the feat against Stephen Dilleigh in the following day's 5-3 loss to table-toppers Bristol.
Ferrington joined fellow county players Nick Rutter and Thomas Pym in the Wessex 2 team in division three. He drew with David Hulmes as Wessex were edged out 4.5-3.5 by North West Eagles 2 but beat Mark Gray in a 5-3 win over the newly-promoted Anglian Avengers.
Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen is set to make his first appearance for the Celtic Tigers in division four for almost a year this weekend when he plays for the club's newly-formed second team.
So Close as Juniors Settle for First Point
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 15/11/2007
Shrewsbury Juniors were just seconds away from recording their first ever win in the Shropshire Chess League ­ but still picked up their first point of the season against Shifnal and Telford C.
Jonathan Newey's win over Andy Jones on board two, Matthew Best's draw on board four and a bottom board default from the visitors had put the Juniors on the brink of a maiden division three win. But Francis Rooney lost his game on board three and on top board Chris Lovejoy was checkmated by Roger Brown with the Telford man having just four seconds left on the clock to save face for his side.
The junior side went into the match after three defeats, having only picked up one point last year in their debut season. Captain Steve Rooney said the result would do wonders for the players' confidence. He said: "I think Roger had just four seconds left when he checkmated Chris, and if we had got any sort of result on that board we would have won the match. But the team have done really well and it means a lot to them being able to get a point on the board and give more experienced players really good matches."
Telepost C picked up their first point of the season with a 2.5-2.5 draw against Newport Juniors. Captain Adrian Bowyer picked up his first ever league win, beating Jamie Allen, and John Casewell doubled the lead by beating Huw Davenport on board three. But the youngsters fought back with Mark Richards beating Brian Holford on board four and Alex Taylor beating Charles Micallef on top board. The spoils were shared after Vinnie Crean and Athar Mehmood called a truce on board two. Casewell said: "Charles has moved up to the area from London and while he is a little ring rusty, once him and Vinnie settle back into playing regular league chess we should have a reasonable team. I was delighted for Adrian picking up his first win too."
In division one Telepost A and Shrewsbury A have turned the clock back to glory days of years gone by after cementing their places in the top two. Up until two seasons ago the two clubs had been the major force in Shropshire chess with Telepost winning the league five times in six years and Shrewsbury picking up the honour once. Since then Newport A have claimed two successive titles while Telepost faded into mid-table obscurity and Shrewsbury just avoided relegation last season. Telepost lost their 100 per cent record but remain unbeaten after being held by Shifnal and Telford A in the top of the table clash. Keith Tabner got Telepost off to the perfect start with a win over Richard Thompson on bottom board, but Nigel Ferrington lost in a time scramble against John Footner on top board. The remaining games were drawn, with Jamie Hopkins unable to break down Dave Gostelow and Dave Bates and Richard Bryant drawing their games.
Club secretary Tabner said: "It's great to see the two Shrewsbury clubs up there at the top of the table again."
Shrewsbury are a point adrift of their town rivals after a 4-1 win over Wellington A. Ray Cox put Shrewsbury ahead with a win over Neil Sampson but Wellington hit back and threatened to cause an upset. Ibiye Roberts shrugged off arriving 25 minutes late to beat Francis Best and Toby Neal looked set to beat Everington on top board ­ only to lose on time. Further wins for Peter Kitchen over Mark Billington and Steve Rooney over Stefan Tennant sealed the win for Shrewsbury.
Everington said: "The score was perhaps a little harsh on Wellington but it was an excellent result for us and a tremendous performance."
Church Stretton A picked up their first win of the season to climb out of the relegation zone, beating last season's runners-up Coddon A. Trevor Brotherton beat Will Bates on top board and Graham Shepherd beat Peter Mellor on bottom board. Nick Graham drew with Glyn Pugh on board two and although Andy Tunks defeated Gerald Link in an ending, Louis Graham sealed the points with a win in an open game on board three against Gary White.
Super Shrewsbury Give Leaders Shock
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 08/11/2007
Shrewsbury A pulled off one of the shock results of the Shropshire Chess League season as they came back to haunt table-toppers Shifnal and Telford A in their Halloween clash.
The county town side were missing three regular first teamers and were out-graded by up to 70 points on some boards against their full-strength hosts. But stand-in Eric Inglis produced one of the best results of his career to beat Gareth Edwards on board four, beating off an unsound piece sacrifice to win in style.
Wins for David Everington over John Footner on top board and a dramatic late win for Ray Cox over David Hollands on bottom board saw Shrewsbury home to their first win of the season. Norman O¹Connor lost to Dave Gostelow on board three and Francis Best drew with Colin Roberts on board two. But the win was overshadowed by the news that top board John Parrott has decided to take a few months out of chess, stretching Shrewsbury's resources further.
Captain Everington said: “The astonishing thing was that we were out-graded on all boards yet we really duffed them in the end ­ it was one of those nights where everything went right for us. We beat them really well last season but this time they had a full team out and it¹s a very strong side. Eric did really well, I'm not sure if Gareth under-estimated him but Eric held himself together very well and won well in the end. It all came down to Ray's game on bottom board where we only needed a draw, David Hollands tried to find his way out of a forced draw and ended up getting mated. John told me 24 hours before the match he wanted to take time out of chess and we¹ll respect that.”
Shrewsbury's win enabled town rivals Telepost A to move to the top of the table with a convincing 4-1 win at Church Stretton A ­ a result which dumped Stretton to the bottom of the league. New signing Karl Wakefield provided the only bright moment for Stretton with a win over Peter Crean on bottom board, but Telepost took control on the other boards. Nigel Ferrington beat Trevor Brotherton on top board, Jamie Hopkins ground down Gerald Link on board two, Richard Bryant came out on top in a tactical battle against Graham Shepherd and Keith Tabner overcame Eric Elwell on board four.
Stretton captain Shepherd said: “Hopefully I'll be able to field a full-strength team in the coming weeks, but I don't think we will struggle for long this season. The only reason we are bottom is because of the silly loss to Ludlow”.
In division two Shrewsbury B moved back to the top of the table and maintained their 100 per cent start to the season with a comfortable 4-1 win over Coddon B. Coddon competed well on the top two boards, with Dan Lockett held to a draw by John Tunks and Mark Smith sharing the spoils with George Viszokai on board two. But wins for Ian Davies, Norman O¹Connor and Andrew Lewis saw
Shrewsbury home.
In division three Shrewsbury C surged to the top of the league after thumping Telepost C 4.5-0.5 in the town derby. The result means Shrewsbury have dropped just half a match point all season, but for Telepost it was a depressing start to life at a lower level after relegation last season, with an experimental side outgunned by an experienced Shrewsbury outfit.
Ian Davies set Shrewsbury on their way with a win on board one, and Eric Inglis completed a fine week on a personal level by beating Vince Crean on board two. Fred Harris and John Casewell drew their match on board three but wins for Alan Bliss over Shane Sweeney and John Isherwood over Brian Holford completed the rout.
At the other end of the table Shrewsbury C remain pointless after going down 4-1 against Market Drayton. Matthew Best provided the highlight with a win on board four, but Chris Lovejoy, Jonathan Newey and Francis Rooney lost their games and the juniors were forced to default bottom board.

Disaster for Church Stretton
Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 25/10/2007
Church Stretton A captain Graham Shepherd branded his side's night an ”absolute disaster” after they crashed to a shock 3-2 derby defeat at Ludlow A in division one of the Shropshire Chess League.
Stretton were missing four potential first team players but still out graded their opponents on every board. The result leaves Stretton in the bottom three and still seeking their first win of the season.
It could all have been so different after Shepherd got his side off to a good start with a quick win against John Preece on board two. But Ken Thomson got the better of Chris Pimm-Jones in a supposedly drawn ending on bottom board to bring Ludlow level and both David Williams and top board Trevor Brotherton were held to draws before Alan Silver lost the deciding game to Richard Woodley on board three.
Shepherd said: “It was an absolute disaster. We were missing four players but we still had strong enough a side out to have won, and it was a shame for Alan as he battled on in a lost position for a long time but just couldn¹t turn it around.”

At the other end of the table, Telepost A went second after maintaining their 100 per cent record, but they were given a few scares along the way by newly-promoted Wellington A.
Richard Bryant put the hosts ahead with a win over Mark Billington and John Westhead drew with Neil Sampson on bottom board.
But the match remained in the balance as the final three games all finished in time scrambles, with Nigel Ferrington held to a draw by Toby Neal and Keith Tabner sharing the spoils with Stefan Tennant. Jamie Hopkins got Telepost over the winning line with a win over Ibiye Roberts on board two.
Club secretary Tabner said: “It¹s highly unusual to get three time scrambles in a match like that and it made for a very exciting finish. The final result makes it look like a routine win but it was anything but. ­ I doubt we will have a tougher match all season.”

Shrewsbury A maintained their solid start with a 2.5-2.5 draw with champions Newport A to move up to third in the table ­ despite an enforced visit from police officers during play. The police were called after a disturbance involving a group of youths, while on the board there were a number of exciting tussles despite both sides being somewhat under-strength.
On board three Peter Kitchen worked his way through a complicated variation of the French Defence against Chris Lewis and held off dangerous counterplay before running out of time and agreeing a draw. On the bottom board, Ray Cox had a real battle against ten-year-old Athar Mehmood before the pair agreed a draw.
Earlier, Nick Rutter had put Newport ahead with a win over John Parrott on top board before Dan Lockett equalised by beating Alex Taylor on time on board four. David Everington and Tony Holdford drew a quiet game on board two, and the result leaves Newport in the relegation zone.
Captain Everington said: “In both our matches we have improved considerably on our performances from last season, which bodes really well. There were some cracking games of chess too.”
In division two, Shrewsbury B moved to the top of the table with a narrow 3-2 win away at lowly Wellington B. Mark Smith and Eric Inglis got the all important wins, and despite Andrew Lewis¹s loss on board four draws for Steve Rooney and Ian Davies were enough to clinch the win.

Impressive
Church Stretton B continued their impressive start to life in the division with a 3-2 win over Coddon B. Graham Shepherd beat John Tunks on top board and there were further wins for Alan Silver and David Williams, meaning defeats for Mike Flavell and Tom Williamson had no bearing on the final outcome. John Whittaker is set to make his debut for Church Stretton B tonight, Thursday, in a match against Wellington B. Whittaker plays his chess for Ludlow but league rules allow him to play for a different club in a lower division.

Meanwhile tomorrow will see a top versus bottom clash with Shrewsbury B starting out as favourites against a Coddon B side still searching for their first points of the new season.

In division three Shrewsbury Juniors slipped to a 1.5-3.5 home defeat against Newport Juniors. Despite going ahead when their visitors turned up a player short, they were only able to muster half a point more thanks to Chris Lovejoy¹s draw with Athar Mehmood on top board. Jonathan Newey,
Francis Rooney and Matthew Best lost their games.

A number of local players turned out for Shropshire¹s second team as they lost 9.5-6.5 away to Staffordshire in the MCCU U125 Championships.
Telepost trio Peter Crean, John Westhead and John Liddell lost on boards two, three and four, while Shrewsbury¹s Ian Davies drew his game on board five.