| SHREWSBURY CHRONICLE Read Peter Kitchen's Column in the weekly Shrewsbury Chronicle for the latest local Chess news. Also occasional articles in the South Shropshire Journal including Church Stretton and Ludlow Here are some cuttings. |
| Telepost woe on all fronts - 23/04/09 Telepost have suffered a bitter end to the Shropshire Chess League season after the A team missed out on the division one title and the B team were cruelly relegated from the top flight. Having beaten Shrewsbury A in the town derby in their final fixture, Telepost A had been hoping Shifnal and Telford A would slip up in their final fixture against Coddon A to allow them to retain their title. But the Stirchley-based side won 3.5-1.5 to clinch the championship for the first time in their history. Telepost B slipped to relegation despite recording their biggest win of the season against bottom side Church Stretton. Peter Crean's outfit won 4-1 but rivals Newport A - back to full strength with some of the county's top players returning from university - crushed mid-table Oswestry A 4.5-0.5. It meant the B team went down on points difference despite amassing 10 points, the most scored by any team in the bottom two in living memory. John Bashall drew against Steve Rooney on top board and Steve Kempsell drew with Francis Rooney on bottom board. But Telepost ran away with the match on the middle boards, with Bob Simpson, Crean and John Westhead winning their matches. In a further blow for the club, Telepost C have claimed the unwanted wooden spoon in division three, unable to win any of their 12 matches. Shrewsbury Juniors eventually claimed fourth place in the division in an encouraging season. |
Clash of town rivals - 09/04/09 At the other end of the table Telepost B were due to discover their fate on Tuesday night – when they needed a win against relegated Church Stretton A to survive. |
| Crunch for Telepost after rivals drop out of race - 19/03/09 Telepost A are now the only side who can stop Shifnal and Telford A's march to the Shropshire Chess League title after arch rivals Shrewsbury A saw their hopes dashed by two defeats in three days. Shrewsbury lost to leaders Shifnal and Telford twice 3-2 on both occasions to leave them out of the title race. The results have given the Stirchley-based side a three-point cushion over Telepost with two games remaining, with Telepost needing to beat them on Tuesday to keep their season alive. In the first match of their double-header, Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen suffered his first league defeat of the season at the hands of Colin Roberts on board three and Francis Best fell victim to a fine display from Iain Wilson on board four, meaning Tommy Cheng's excellent win over Windsor Peck on bottom board was no more than a consolation. Two nights later Shrewsbury were leading 2-1 thanks to Best's brilliant sacrificial win over Roberts and draws for Philip Makepeace and David Everington on the top two boards. But, despite Mark Smith and Ian Davies turning around difficult positions, both ran out of time and lost, with Davies missing a clear checkmate as his clock ran down. Captain Everington described the second match as one of the most exciting nights of chess he had experienced in years, and paid tribute to both Smith and Davies for their efforts. He said: “It was so, so sad, and I just wish Ian would have seen the move he needed as he had done so well. It was an extraordinary night's chess and I have to pay tribute to both the reserves who stepped in and did a brilliant job. It's been very close this time in terms of the title and we have been serious challengers.” Telepost A kept their challenge alive with a 3-2 win at Coddon A. Nigel Ferrington and Richard Bryant won on the top two boards but Telepost wobbled lower down, with Nathaneal Paul beating John Westhead on bottom board to ensure a nervy finish. Clubmates Telepost B secured one of the shock results of the season when they became the first team in more than two years to win at Oswestry A. Oswestry had won all five home matches this year but went down to a shock 3-2 defeat to struggling Telepost, who are now almost in touching distance of securing their place in the division against the odds. Captain Crean upset the in-form Ieuan Fenton on board three and after both John Bashall and John Westhead picked up draws, Steve Kempsell's win on board four made sure of the win. Church Stretton A have been relegated after being crushed 4-1 at fellow strugglers Newport A. Gerald Link's win against Tony Holdford on board two was the only highlight. In division two, Shrewsbury C captain Ian Davies blamed himself as his side missed a golden chance to secure safety. With his side leading relegation rivals Newport B, Davies went for the win against Alex Taylor on top board. But it all went wrong for Davies, whose defeat saw his side held to a 2.5-2.5 draw. Shrewsbury had started the evening 1-0 up thanks to the visitors defaulting board three, while Cheng won against Sellick Davies on board two. Fred Harris drew with Steve Cooper on board four and the returning Joe Isherwood lost to Dave Lovegrove on bottom board. The C team still lie two points clear of the drop zone with two matches left, but Davies admitted the night had been an opportunity missed. He said: “It was my fault really. I had so many ways of getting the draw needed and I should have made sure we brought home the points. But now things are very interesting.” Church Stretton B are just a point above the drop zone after being beaten by Shifnal and Telford B. Captain Tom Williamson's draw with Glyn Randle on board three was the only bright note for Stretton. At the other end of the table, Shrewsbury B's hopes of promotion are in tatters after a costly 3-2 home defeat against champions-elect Wellington A. Ivor Salter lost to Billy Ives on bottom board and although Andrew Lewis beat Dele Ogundipe on board four, Dan Lockett's loss to Toby Neal on top board sealed the match in Wellington's favour. Shrewsbury now need to win their last two matches and hope Shifnal and Telford B slip up to have a chance of going up. |
| Title race opens up as leaders are held - 05/03/09 One of the most exciting Shropshire Chess League title races in years has taken yet another twist with defending champions Telepost A losing top spot after being held by rivals Oswestry A. Richard Bryant's win put the hosts ahead but Jamie Hopkins lost to Brian Whyte on his farewell appearance and Dave Bates was beaten by Ieuan Fenton on board three. Nigel Ferrington drew with Simon Hughes on board two and Keith Tabner held his nerve to beat Keith Grice on bottom board to tie the match. The result has opened up an opportunity for new leaders Shifnal and Telford A and Telepost's arch rivals Shrewsbury A who could yet clinch the title if they win all four of their remaining games. Bryant said: “It's a really strange situation where either Shrewsbury or Shifnal and Telford can win the league if they win their remaining games, but with the exception of Oswestry we will all be playing each other.” Shrewsbury kept their hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over bottom side Church Stretton A. David Everington capitalised on Gerald Link's error on board two to put Shrewsbury ahead, but Tom Williamson held Ian Davies to a draw on bottom board. However John Whittaker's error handed Ray Cox victory on board four and Francis Best sealed the match with an impressive positional win against Graham Shepherd. Stretton captain Steve Rooney, despite outplaying Shrewsbury star man Philip Makepeace on top board, had to settle for a draw as his clock ran dangerously low on time. Everington said: “This result has helped our points difference and it means for the first time our fate is on our own hands.” Stretton's position is now even more precarious, with a win needed against fellow strugglers Newport A next time out. Telepost B gave themselves a huge chance of staying up with a surprise 3.5-1.5 win at mid-table Coddon A. Bob Simpson drew with Gary White on board two and John Bashall and Glyn Pugh shared the spoils on top board. But Telepost took control on the bottom boards with Peter Crean beating Andy Tunks and Steve Kempsell winning against Nathaneal Paul. John Westhead drew with John Tunks. In division two, Shrewsbury B kept their momentum going with a crushing 5-0 win over struggling Newport B to remain in touch with the leaders. Dan Lockett, Mark Smith, Norman O'Connor, Andrew Lewis and Ivor Salter all won their games. Church Stretton B boosted their survival prospects a 3-2 win over bottom side Shifnal and Telford C, Adrian Thorpe and Francis Rooney picking up the vital wins. But Shrewsbury C remain in danger after a 3-2 defeat at Wellington A. Ian Davies took the scalp of Toby Neal on top board, but Shrewsbury were forced to travel a man short and defeat for Eric Inglis was enough to condemn them to defeat, despite draws for Tommy Cheng and Fred Harris. |
Brilliant Bryant's 10 wins in a week - 19/02/09 Shrewsbury won the derby match 3-2 after Everington scraped home on top board against John Bashall having been in difficulties for much of the game. But the victorious captain admitted his team could easily have been on the losing side after a battling dislapy from their hosts. Missing the in form Philip Makepeace and Pete Kitchen, Shrewsbury soon found themselves on the bac foot with Mark Smith losing to Steve Kempsell on board four, while Ivor Salter was fortunate to draw against George Thomas on bottom board having been a whole piece down at one stage. Ray Cox's draw with John Westhead on board three left the hosts 2-1 up and on course for a surprise win, but Francis Best pulled off a neat trick to beat Peter Crean on board two before Everington saw off Bashall in the deciding game. Everington said: “Telepost can claim to have been mugged in this bruising encounter. We may have won in the end but we could so easily have lost 4-1.” |
| Victory boosts survival hopes - 12/02/09 Shrewsbury C have taken a huge step towards securing their Shropshire Chess League division two status with a comfortable 3.5-1.5 win over relegation rivals Church Stretton B. Ian Davies's side started the match 1-0 up thanks to a bottom board default from the visitors, and they wasted no time in wrapping up the match thanks to wins for Tommy Cheng against Tom Williamson on board two and for Eric Inglis against Chris Pimm-Jones on board three. Stretton's Francis Rooney - who also plays for Shrewsbury Juniors in division three - claimed an impressive draw against Fred Harris on board four while David Williams grabbed a consolation for the visitors with a win over Davies on top board. The result moves Shrewsbury three points clear of the drop zone, although they have played up to two games more than some of their rivals. Davies said: “It was a very big result for us and it was quite comfortable in the end. But we still have to play Shifnal and Telford C - who are improving with Richard Thompson on top board - in our final game and it could yet come down to that. ”Every point is vital, and if we can pick up another win in our last four games I think we will be all right. I'm really pleased with how we are doing - we try our best in every match and having Tommy Cheng in the team has also made a big difference.” Contrasting Clubmates Shrewsbury B had a week of contrasting fortunes which could yet cost them their chance of promotion to the top flight. The B team enjoyed a thumping 4.5-0.5 win at home to division one promotion rivals Ludlow but, five days later, they slipped to a shock 3-2 loss at bottom of the table Shifnal and Telford C. Dan Lockett's side remain third in the table, level with leaders Shifnal and Telford B and Wellington A but having played two games more. Against Ludlow Mark Smith, Norman O'Connor, Andrew Lewis and Ivor Salter all won while Lockett drew with John Whittaker on top board. But the Bs were forced to default bottom board against Shifnal and Telford C and, despite Salter's win over Paul Broderick on board four, Lockett¹s loss to Richard Thompson sealed their fate. Smith drew with Richard Gillespie on board two and Lewis drew with Roger Brown on board three. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen endured mixed fortunes for Celtic Tigers 2 in the latest Four Nations League division three weekend at Staverton Park in Northamptonshire. With heavy snow playing havoc with travel arrangements, Kitchen was awarded a default win in his side's 5-0 victory over Wales Old Boys after his opponent failed to show in time. But he was on the end of an impressive display by Brian Valentine the next day, losing in his side's 5-1 defeat against FCA Solutions 2. |
| Simply the best Francis ends rival's superb run -29/01/09 Francis Best inflicted a first Shropshire Chess League defeat of the season on Ieuan Fenton as Shrewsbury A won a tight encounter against fellow title challengers Oswestry A. Best put in a controlled display in the key game on board three to avenge his defeat to Fenton earlier in the season and carry Shrewsbury over the winning line in a 3-2 triumph. It ended a fine run for Shrewsbury School student Fenton, who had won six and drawn one of his seven previous league matches and won the major section of the Wrekin Congress earlier this month. The result looked to have set Shrewsbury up for their massive clash at home to league leaders Shifnal and Telford A tomorrow (Friday) - but the game has been postponed for a second time with the visitors unable to raise a side. Against Oswestry, Peter Kitchen put Shrewsbury ahead with a win over Keith Grice on board four, but the visitors who started the match second in the table refused to buckle. Oswestry captain Gareth Hampson pushed Ray Cox all the way on bottom board before having to settle for a draw, and Shrewsbury top board Philip Makepeace had to fight back from the exchange down to draw with Brian Whyte. Best's win made the match safe, although Simon Hughes grabbed a notable consolation for Oswestry when he ended Everington's unbeaten record on board two. Everington said: “Francis has suddenly started putting it together after a difficult spell and it was a great result against Ieuan who has been playing really well this season. Peter kept his winning run going and Philip made a really good recovery to draw on top board.” At the other end of the table Church Stretton A are running out of time to save themselves from relegation after slipping to a 3-2 defeat at mid-table Coddon A. Steve Rooney had to win the last game to finish against Glyn Pugh on top board but could only draw. Elsewhere Gerald Link beat Gary White on board two and Graham Shepherd drew with Andy Tunks on board three but John Whittaker and Francis Rooney suffered defeats on the bottom two boards. In division three, Shrewsbury Juniors continued their perfect start to 2009 with a 3.5-1.5 victory in the town derby against struggling Telepost C. The Juniors sealed the match with three wins on the bottom boards. Chris Lovejoy played a fine attack to beat John Casewell on board three, Jonathan Newey won against Brian Holford on board four and Matthew Best played a nice ending to win against Shane Sweeney. Henry Graham and Steve Jones shared the spoils on top board after Jones was called away early for family reasons, while Charles Micallef grabbed a consolation for Telepost by winning against Francis Rooney on board two. A number of Shrewsbury-based players featured for Shropshire's first team in the 12.5-3.5 MCCU Open Championship defeat at Greater Manchester. The visitors found themselves on the wrong end of several close games, with Nigel Ferrington losing to Mike Surtees on board two, while Makepeace made a tactical mistake to lose against David Hulmes on board four. Captain Kitchen shared a quick draw with Tom Vout on board 13 while Fenton lost to Chris Chadwick on board 15. Former Telepost player Steve Povall, now based in Cheshire, also made a welcome return to the county team, drawing his game on board 12. |
| It's another top scalp for Philip - 15/01/09 Philip Makepeace added another high profile victim to his list of scalps this season - but it wasn't enough to inspire his Shrewsbury A side to victory against Shropshire Chess League division one strugglers Newport A. Makepeace beat Nick Rutter - the highest graded active player in the league this season - in just 24 moves with the black pieces on top board. It marked a spectacular home debut for Makepeace, who has already beaten Thomas Pym and joint county champion Jamie Hopkins on his side's travels. Shrewsbury went into the match without captain David Everington and Ray Cox, who was forced to pull out just hours before the match sparking a frantic search for a replacement. Newport welcomed back the highly rated Gavyn Cooper and fellow university student Chris Lewis and outgraded their hosts on all five boards. But when Peter Kitchen beat Tony Holdford for the second time this season on board three - with the aid of a blunder from his opponent - Shrewsbury were 2-0 up and looked on course for a surprise win. Dan Lockett inched Shrewsbury closer to the winning line by drawing on board four against Lewis, but Francis Best lost to Cooper on board two and first team debutant Tommy Cheng lost a tight deciding game against Alex Taylor on bottom board. With the top three in division one all winning, it means Shrewsbury have lost ground in the title race while the point was a precious one for Newport as they climbed out of the relegation zone on board difference. Stand-in captain Best said: “We have to see it as a good result, especially as we had real doubts about whether we could raise a full team until the last moment. ”Tommy gallantly stood in and was quite unlucky to lose the last game to finish. Philip¹s win was excellent to have beaten both of Newport's top players, Thomas Pym and Nick Rutter, in the same season is quite something.” Church Stretton A remain bottom of the table after a heavy 4.5-0.5 home defeat against league leaders Shifnal and Telford A. Due to a late withdrawal Stretton could only field four players, and were no match for their in-form opponents. Steve Rooney's draw against Colin Roberts on board two spared Stretton from a whitewash, but this was their seventh defeat in eight league matches. Rooney said: “Clearly we've got a challenge ahead of us to stay up. But it's a tough division and when you can only raise four players it makes it nearly impossible to get results.” Telepost A are still third in the table after easing to a 4.5-0.5 win over clubmates Telepost B. Captain Richard Bryant beat John Westhead on board four, Nigel Ferrington was too strong for Bob Simpson on board two and Jamie Hopkins won against John Bashall on top board. Steve Kempsell averted a whitewash by drawing with Keith Tabner on bottom board, but Dave Bates added some gloss to the scoreline by beating Peter Crean on board three. In division three, Shrewsbury Juniors completed a league double over lowly Newport Juniors with a 3.5-1.5 home win. Shrewsbury stormed into a 3-0 lead thanks to wins for Chris Lovejoy and Francis Rooney and a default win for Matthew Best on bottom board. Newport kept the score respectable thanks to Athar Mehmood's win over Henry Graham and a draw between Jonathan Newey and Mark Richards. It was Shrewsbury Juniors' first ever league double and keeps them in contention at the top end of the division. Meanwhile, a host of Shrewsbury players turned out for Shropshire's junior team in the MCCU U100 clash against Staffordshire Bulldogs. Despite going down 8-4, the team acquitted themselves well, with both Francis Rooney and Angelica Dean picking up draws. It marked a successful week for Dean who, despite not being a regular for Shrewsbury Juniors, was one of the top performers at the Wrekin Congress the previous weekend. She scored 2.5/5 in the minor section and beat a number of her established team-mates along the way. |
| Victory throws title race wide open - 18/12/2008 Philip Makepeace and Francis Best were the heroes as Shrewsbury A secured a famous 3.5-1.5 win against reigning Shropshire Chess League champions Telepost A in the town derby. Makepeace claimed the prize scalp of county champion Jamie Hopkins on top board with the aid of a pre-prepared double pawn sacrifice, maintaining a proud record of being unbeaten with the white pieces in all competitions throughout 2008 a run taking in more than 30 matches. Best chose the perfect moment to pick up his first win of the season by making up a 24-point grading deficit to beat Dave Bates the Telepost man's second successive derby defeat with the black pieces. The match had started quietly with Peter Crean and Ray Cox drawing on bottom board. Telepost captain Richard Bryant ended Peter Kitchen's 100 per cent start to the season but was forced to settle for a draw by perpetual check despite enjoying a 30-point rating advantage. After Makepeace and Best clinched their victories, Nigel Ferrington agreed a draw with David Everington on board two, having been short of time for much of the game. The result has elevated Shrewsbury to third in the division one table, just a point behind their town rivals with a game in hand. But it means Telepost have lost further ground in the title race and are now two points behind Shifnal and Telford A having played a game more. Shrewsbury captain Everington said: “It was an astonishing result for us and a stunning win even allowing for the fact we had Philip and Peter coming back into the team. ”Philip knew beforehand what opening Jamie was likely to play and judging by the speed of his moves he knew what he was doing in the opening. That's his second big result for us after beating Thomas Pym earlier in the season. ”It was very encouraging to see Francis come back to form after a difficult start to the season. To play so well against someone like Dave Bates is very good, and he was really pleased to get a good win with the Closed Sicilian he has been playing. ”We certainly didn't expect to win the match we were outgraded on the top four boards and quite heavily in some cases. It's certainly thrown the title race wide open.” Bryant said: “I have to congratulate Shrewsbury there aren't any boards I can look at and say we should have got more out of them. ”It was very difficult to tell what was going on on board one, but after the game Jamie was very impressed with Philip's play. It looks like he had an idea of what Jamie would play and came up with a clever sacrifice. Before the match we were in control of things but now we need help from other teams. But there is still half a season to go.” A number of local players featured in rounds three and four of the Four Nations Chess League at Hinckley Island in Leicestershire. Shrewsbury's Philip Makepeace lost to the highly-rated Neil Berry as his Sambuca Sharks side were hammered 7.5-0.5 by division one title challengers Barbican I. And although he picked up a good draw against David Roberts, his side lost 5-3 against South Wales Dragons I to remain rooted to the foot of their pool with four straight defeats. Telepost's Richard Bryant had a weekend to forget, losing both his matches in division three. Playing for Guildford A&DC fifths, he lost on board two against David Fryer of Sussex Smart Controls in a 4.5-1.5 defeat. The following day he lost the decisive game on bottom board to George Tunstall of AMCA Dragons as Guildford A&DC fourths went down in the top of the table clash 3.5-2.5. Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen enjoyed a positive weekend on a personal note, despite seeing his Celtic Tigers II team drop to 29th out of 32 in division three with two defeats. He picked up an excellent draw against Dave Bruce on board three in a 5-1 defeat against Oxford II in round three, and then drew a topsy-turvy game against Andrew Heard in a 4-2 defeat to Southern Counties Stars. |
Bates keeps his cool and ensures Telepost remain top of the table - 4/12/2008 |
| Another defeat hits promotion hopes - 20/11/08 Shrewsbury B's promotion challenge has suffered a blow after a second successive defeat this time at the hands of high-flying rivals Wellington A in the Shropshire Chess League division two. Dan Lockett's side were hoping to emulate the feat of their colleagues in the club's C team by beating Wellington, but they found their hosts too hot to handle and fell to a 3.5-1.5 defeat. The result saw Wellington move two points clear at the top, with Shrewsbury B in third place in a congested table. Lockett lost to Toby Neal on top board and Derek Irving's defeat to Dele Ogundipe on bottom board gave the hosts an unassailable lead. Mark Smith drew with Ibiye Roberts on board two - despite the Wellington man turning up 45 minutes late after falling asleep before setting off for the match. Andrew Lewis drew with Neil Sampson on board four and Norman O'Connor had to settle for a share of the spoils against Mark Billington on board three. Lockett said: “It was disappointing but when Wellington have their top two players in the team they are very hard to beat.” Shrewsbury C continued their resurgence with an impressive 3-2 win at Newport B, leaving them just two points behind their supposedly superior B team colleagues. Although Ian Davies lost to Alex Taylor on top board, wins for Eric Inglis and Alan Bliss and draws for Tommy Cheng and Fred Harris sealed the win for Shrewsbury. The C team remain in the relegation zone on points difference but right in contention with the teams around them. Church Stretton B also put in a decent showing to hold one of the title favourites, Shifnal and Telford B, to a 2.5-2.5 draw. Graham Shepherd and Chris Pimm-Jones picked up welcome wins, although Stretton were pegged back by defeats for David Williams and Adrian Thorpe while Tom Williamson drew with Jason Kenderdine on board four. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury A's eagerly anticipated clash with division one leaders Shifnal and Telford A has been postponed due to a clash with the Stirchley-based club's commitments in the Wolverhampton and District League. The match was due to take place at Shelton Hospital tomorrow (Friday) but will now be played on January 30. The postponement means Shrewsbury will have played only one home match before Christmas, and leaves top board Philip Makepeace having to wait until 2009 to make his home debut for the club. |
| Bryant's agony as unbeaten runs end - 13/11/08 Richard Bryant endured a nightmare return to his former club Oswestry seeing his 21-match Shropshire Chess League and cup run ended and his under-strength Telepost A side crash to their first defeat of the season. Bryant lost to the in-form Simon Hughes on board two as Telepost were beaten 3-2. The match swung on an astonishing game on board three when the experienced Keith Tabner somehow managed to lose against Ieuan Fenton when a whole rook up in the ending. Elsewhere Telepost, without key players Jamie Hopkins and Dave Bates, failed to make their grading superiority tell on the lower boards, with John Bashall held by Ashley Peile on board four and Peter Crean drawing with Gareth Hampson on bottom board. Nigel Ferrington's excellent win against Brian Whyte on top board proved no more than a consolation. The result has seen Shifnal and Telford A open up a two-point lead at the top of division one, and Bryant admitted the night had been a “disaster”. He said: “Even without Jamie and Dave we expected to get something out of the game, and even though things weren't looking great Keith was doing well and he is always so reliable. I thought if things went wrong for him maybe he would only draw, but I certainly didn't expect him to lose, and it's frustrating that we didn't do more on the bottom boards. On a personal note it was a shame as I was unbeaten over more than a season and I was hoping to match my efforts of last season. It was disappointing to lose to my old club too.” Oswestry captain Hampson said: “It was a great result for us to beat the defending champions. Our aim has always been to make sure we stay up but we've already gone a long way towards doing that.” Church Stretton A captain Steve Rooney also suffered defeat against his former club, but at least had the consolation of scoring a stunning win over his good friend Francis Best in a 3.5-1.5 home defeat to Shrewsbury A. Rooney finished off a dramatic attack with just seconds to spare, but by then his side were already playing catch-up. David Everington beat Gerald Link on board two and Ray Cox won against David Williams on bottom board. Karl Wakefield frustrated Philip Makepeace to claim an impressive draw on top board but Peter Kitchen sealed the match in Shrewsbury's favour with a hard-fought victory against John Whittaker on board four, maintaining his strong start to the season. Rooney said: “It was nice for two pals who work closely together to have a decent competitive game and it was certainly a bizarre and wild game. But Karl also did really well to get a draw against Philip Makepeace, and although we are struggling at the moment I think we¹ll be capable of giving Shrewsbury a good game later in the season.” Miraculous Shrewsbury captain Everington said: “Steve pulled off a miraculous win when he was almost out of time, and it really was an excellent effort. But I was pleased with our efforts, Ray's win on board five was very nice.” Telepost B remain rooted to the foot of the table after a 3-2 loss at Coddon A. Although John Bashall achieved an impressive win against Glyn Pugh on top board, defeats for captain Peter Crean and Steve Kempsell left the team still looking for their first points of the season. There was controversy in division three after Shrewsbury Juniors filed an appeal against table-toppers Coddon B after the visitors were deemed to have played their team out of grading order. Players have to play in grade order within a five- point difference in league matches, but Shrewsbury have claimed father and son Chris and Nathaneal Paul played in the wrong order. Nathaneal beat Chris Lovejoy on board four while Chris drew with Matthew Best as Coddon won the match 3-2. Jonathan Newey picked up Shrewsbury's only win with a fine effort against Alan Pickles on board two, but if the result stands the Juniors' unbeaten start to the season will be over. |
| Davies's delight at welcome surprise - 06/11/2008 Shrewsbury C upset the formbook and got their season up and running with a shock 3-2 win over Wellington A in division two of the Shropshire Chess League. Ian Davies's side went into the match on a run of three straight defeats, while promotion challengers Wellington had a 100 per cent record. But the visitors' night started badly when top board Ibiye Roberts failed to show, gifting Shrewsbury a 1-0 advantage, and Tommy Cheng's win over Derrick Powell on board three left Wellington with too big a mountain to climb. Joe Isherwood drew with Dave Wright on bottom board and although Fred Harris fell victim to a sacrificial mating attack from Dele Ogundipe, Eric Inglis clinched the draw needed against Mark Billington on board two. It was Shrewsbury¹s first win back in the second division after gaining promotion. Captain Davies said: “We were extremely pleased with the result and it's given us all a lot more belief in ourselves. It was a relief getting that first win we didn't want to go through the season without scoring any points which looked possible. We have a big match next week against Newport B and we have to believe we can win it.” Shrewsbury B were also involved in a shock result but found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline at Newport B, ruining their perfect start to the season. Without regulars Mark Smith and Norman O'Connor, Shrewsbury had to default bottom board and losses for Dan Lockett against Alex Taylor and Derek Irving against Athar Mehmood sealed their fate. Andrew Lewis and Ivor Salter both drew their games. Lockett said: “All we can do is forget about it and move on to our next match against Wellington, when hopefully we will have a stronger team out. We¹ve been fortunate as all the top three lost, so the result wasn't too damaging.” Church Stretton B missed the chance to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone when they were held to a draw at bottom side Shifnal and Telford C the hosts' first point of the season. Stretton were outclassed on the top two boards where both Graham Shepherd and David Williams lost. But Tom Williamson and Chris Pimm-Jones won on the bottom two boards and Adrian Thorpe drew with Richard Gillespie. Shropshire's first team were beaten 12.5-3.5 by a strong Warwickshire outfit in the opening round of the MCCU Open Championship. The hosts, captained by Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen for the first time, were missing several top players and found themselves outgraded by more than 40 points on many boards. Leebotwood-based Trevor Brotherton made light of arriving late to draw on board two, Telepost's Nigel Ferrington drew on board three and clubmate Richard Bryant lost on board six. Kitchen was outplayed on board 10, Telepost's John Bashall was beaten in spectacular style on board 11 and Shrewsbury School student Ieuan Fenton gave a good account before missing a clever combination on board 12. Stretton's John Whittaker and Telepost's John Westhead also lost. Kitchen paid tribute to all the players for turning out especially Bashall and Westhead for answering late SOS calls. |
| Everington turns back clock in win - 30/10/2008 Shrewsbury A skipper David Everington rolled back the years with a brutal sacrificial attack to lead his team to an ultimately comfortable 3.5-1.5 derby win against Telepost B in division one of the Shropshire Chess League. The hosts wrapped up the match on the top two boards, despite being without first choice players Philip Makepeace and Francis Best. Everington's attacking play with the black pieces was too strong for Peter Crean on top board, while Peter Kitchen added some gloss to the scoreline by beating Bob Simpson in the last game to finish on board two. Ray Cox and John Westhead drew on board three, Dan Lockett had to settle for a share of the spoils after being frustrated by Steve Kempsell and Eric Inglis and Charles Micallef called a truce on bottom board to leave Telepost B rooted to the foot of the table. Despite his delight at the result, Everington was full of praise for the visitors for their spirited showing. He said: “Being without Philip and Francis, we expected a tough game and we got one. Our bottom three boards were all held and Peter Kitchen had to play very precisely to win his endgame.” Meanwhile Church Stretton A captain Steve Rooney has insisted his side's default against Telepost A will be a one-off as he prepares to welcome back Karl Wakefield and Gerald Link for next week's potentially tasty clash against Rooney's former team Shrewsbury. Rooney was forced to concede the match as he only had three players available, and the side were also forced to default a board in the opening day defeat to Shifnal and Telford A. Rooney said: “I don't see such a situation happening again in the near future, and we will definitely have a full team against Shrewsbury.” In division three Shrewsbury Juniors maintained their unbeaten start to the season, making light of being a player short to draw with Shifnal and Telford D. Henry Graham lost to Jason Kenderdine on top board, but the juniors rescued the match thanks to wins for Chris Lovejoy over Andy Carr on board three and Francis Rooney over Neil Donaldson on board four. Jonathan Newey drew with Jamie Beddoes on board two. Juniors captain Steve Rooney said: “Considering the team only had four players they did really well to draw. Chris had a very good win that he finished well and the whole team are performing well.” Telepost C's unbeaten start came to an end as they slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Oswestry B, being leapfrogged by their opponents in the process. The hosts stormed into a 2-0 lead after Graham Ives beat Shane Sweeney on bottom board and Richard Farrall won against Brian Holford on board four, only for Telepost to hit back thanks to wins for Charles Micallef over Ron Thomson and for John Casewell against Alf Evans. But Oswestry clinched the points when Steve Tulett beat Vince Crean in the decider on board two. Oswestry captain Richard Farrall said: “It was a close match and a good one to win. We've made a reasonable start with some new players and hopefully we can keep it going.” Shropshire's under-100 junior team featuring several Shrewsbury players were taught a lesson by a strong Leicestershire side, who ran out 10.5-1.5 winners in Leicester. Several local players have been selected for Shropshire¹s first team to face Warwickshire in the MCCU Open section. Telepost trio Jamie Hopkins, Nigel Ferrington and Richard Bryant, Leebotwood-based Trevor Brotherton of Shifnal and Telford, Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen, Nesscliffe-based Ieaun Fenton who plays for Oswestry and Church Stretton¹s John Whittaker are all set to be involved at Shifnal. The match is the county's first at a higher level after winning the Midlands minor section last season, and is also Kitchen¹s first game as county captain after taking over from Windsor Peck. |
| Telepost top after Stretton concede - 23/10/2008 Defending champions Telepost A have moved two points clear at the top of the Shropshire Chess League - without even making a move. Richard Bryant's side made it two wins out of two with a slightly unconvincing 3.5-1.5 victory over clubmates Telepost B to pull level with pacesetters Shifnal and Telford A. And they were due to face last season's title rivals Church Stretton A on Tuesday - only for the south Shropshire side to concede after failing to raise a team. It means Telepost A are now two points clear, with nearest rivals Shifnal and Telord A and Oswestry yet to play their third round of matches. The title favourites found life far from straightforward against Telepost B, with only NIgel Ferrington and Keith Tabner recording wins against stubborn opposition. Ferrington beat Bob Simpson on board two and Tabner defeated Charles Micallef on bottom board. But Jamie Hopkins was held to a draw by Peter Crean on top board, Dave Bates couldn't break down John Westhead on board three and Bryant had to settle for a share of the spoils against Steve Kempsell despite winning a piece. Bryant said: "It was very tough, and for a while it looked like we would struggle to get the result we needed. I was very impressed by the B team - we were at full strength and they were missing their top board and they still ran us pretty close. They may be bottom but they have played two of the strongest teams and I'm sure they will turn things around if they keep playing like that." Telepost B can take comfort from a string showing despite being without top board John Bashall. Peter Crean's side will be looking to pick up their first points of the season tomorrow (Friday) when they make the short trip to Shrewsbury A, who are set to welcome back Ray Cox. In division two, Shrewsbury B maintained their 100 per cent record with a 3.5-1.5 win over rock bottom Shifnal and Telford C thanks to wins for Mark Smith, Norman O'Connor and Andrew Lewis, keeping the pressure on leaders Shifnal and Telford B. Church Stretton B picked up their first win of the season at the expense of Shrewsbury C, wins for Steve Rooney and Graham Shepherd helping them to a 3.5-1.5 win. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury's Peter Kitchen had a weekend of mixed fortunes playing for Celtic Tigers II in divion three of the Four Nations Chess League at Sunningdale Park. He had the dubious honour of being a member of the first Tigers side to ever be whitewashed, missing a trick in time pressure to lose against David Fryer in a 6-0 loss to Sussex Smart Controls. But he picked up his first 4NCL win in more than two years by beating David Farrall in a 4.5-1.5 win over Littlethorpe III. |
Tommy's triumph proves in vain - 16/10/2008 |
| Champions Telepost off to winning start -09/10/2008 Telepost A launched their defence of the Shropshire Chess League title with a convincing 4-1 win at fallen giants Newport A. The Abbey Foregate side and title favourites were far too strong for their hosts who started last season as two-time defending champions weakened by the loss of star trio Thomas Pym, Gavyn Cooper and Chris Lewis who have all gone to university. Newport held their own on the top two boards, with Jamie Hopkins and Nick Rutter sharing the spoils on top board and Nigel Ferrington held to a draw by Tony Holdford on board two. But Telepost dominated on the bottom boards, with Richard Bryant coming back from a pawn down to beat Alex Taylor on board three while Keith Tabner was too strong for Danny Griffiths on board four. John Westhead rounded off the win with victory over Athar Mehmood. Captain Bryant said: “It certainly wasn't a strong Newport team, and I know their captain Nick Rutter is a bit worried they may struggle this season. We always felt we would get the results we needed on the bottom boards although it wasn¹t easy.” Elsewhere in division one, Shrewsbury A were brought crashing down to earth as they lost 3-2 at newly promoted Oswestry the hosts' first victory back in the top flight. Shrewsbury fielded the same team who had impressively beaten a full strength Newport side in the opening fixture, but were up against it as soon as Shrewsbury School student Ieuan Fenton punished a costly slip by Francis Best on board three. Peter Kitchen equalised for Shrewsbury with a swift win over Ashley Peile on board four and Philip Makepeace rescued a draw in a difficult position against Brian Whyte on top board to keep the visitors in the hunt. Disappointment But Norman O'Connor, having turned down a draw with his team-mates struggling earlier in the evening, lost to Keith Grice on bottom board and David Everington could do no more than draw against Simon Hughes on board two. Everington said: “It was a disappointment after our win at Newport but you have to give credit to Oswestry. ”They produced the goods on the night and did really well, and it's great for Shropshire chess to see Oswestry doing well and having a strong team.” Church Stretton A picked up their first win under new captain Steve Rooney as they enjoyed a comfortable 3.5-1.5 victory over an under-strength Coddon A side. After Eric Elwell drew his game on bottom board, Stretton took control with Graham Shepherd beating John Tunks on board three, John Whittaker coming out on top against Nathaniel Paul on board four and Rooney winning against Gary White on board two. Gerald Link's loss to Glyn Pugh in an ending on top board was no more than a consolation for the visitors. Telepost B were given a tough baptism back in division one when they were beaten 4-1 by title contenders Shifnal and Telford A, although captain Peter Crean was full of praise for his side¹s battling spirit. John Westhead's draw against former Shropshire champion Colin Roberts on board four was a highlight for Telepost, while the returning Steve Kempsell drew with Iain Wilson on bottom board. But Crean and Bob Simpson lost to John Footner and Dave Gostelow, and John Bashall was beaten by Trevor Brotherton on top board. Crean said: “Things don¹t get any easier for us as we have Telepost A next. But John Westhead got an excellent result and none of the players who lost were overpowered.” In division three, Telepost C and Shrewsbury Juniors shared the spoils, with both maintaining their unbeaten starts to the season. Impressive Adrian Bowyer gave Telepost the advantage with a win over Matthew Best on bottom board, but the Juniors fought back to lead after Jonathan Newey overcame Shane Sweeney on board four and Francis Rooney put in an impressive showing to beat John Caswell on board two. Charles Micallef and Henry Graham drew on top board but Brian Holford rescued a point for Telepost by beating Chris Lovejoy in the deciding game on board three. * New blogs have been launched for Church Stretton Chess Club and Shropshire Junior Chess Academy, detailing match results, upcoming events and regular updates. For more details visit www.churchstrettonchess.blogspot.com and www.shropshirejuniorchess.blogspot.com |
Perfect start for Shrewsbury Juniors - 02/10/08 Telepost C got their season off to a solid start with a draw at Wellington B. John Westhead beat Derrick Powell on top board and Charles Micallef won against Dele Ogundipe on board two. But the hosts proved too strong on the bottom boards with both Brian Holford and Adrian Bowyer losing, while Vince Crean drew his match on board three. In division two, Shrewsbury B proved too strong for their newly-promoted clubmates Shrewsbury C by dishing out a 5-0 whitewash. The B team are eager to push for promotion after falling away badly in the closing weeks of last season, and got off to a flyer thanks to wins for Dan Lockett over Eric Inglis, Mark Smith against Fred Harris, Norman O'Connor against Alan Bliss, Andrew Lewis over Joe Isherwood and Ivor Salter against Jonathan Newey. Church Stretton B found themselves on the wrong end of a 3.5-1.5 scoreline in the south Shropshire derby at home to Ludlow. |
Debut to remember - 25/09/08 A depleted Church Stretton A side gave Shifnal and Telford A a real fright before eventually falling 3-2. Stretton travelled without Nick and Louis Graham and Graham Shepherd and were forced to default bottom board. But they led thanks to excellent wins for Gerald Link against John Footner and debutant captain Steve Rooney against Dave Gostelow. |
| Rooney to the rescue as Stretton skipper Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 04/09/2008 Shrewsbury's Steve Rooney has signed for Shropshire Chess League rivals Church Stretton in a move which has secured the south Shropshire side's immediate future. Rooney, who was one of the star performers as Shrewsbury A finished third in division one last season, has signed up as Stretton's A team captain following Graham Shepherd's decision to step down. Without anyone to run the club's teams there was a real danger Stretton could have folded, but Rooney has confirmed the club will be fielding two league teams this season. He has also reiterated his desire to create a regular club night every Thursday in the town in a bid to attract new players in the area. Rooney has informed Shrewsbury captain David Everington of his decision following weeks of discussions with committee members at Church Stretton. He will remain jointly in charge of Shrewsbury Juniors and will maintain his post jointly overseeing junior chess in Shropshire with former clubmate Francis Best. Rooney's move was due to be announced last night at a Shropshire Chess Association emergency general meeting at the Telepost Social Club, which was called in a bid to find new committee members and to discuss changes to the association¹s constitution. Stretton have endured a turbulent summer after an impressive runners-up finish last season, with Shepherd¹s resignation followed by top board Trevor Brotherton leaving to join Shifnal and Telford A having been touted as a potential replacement captain. Rooney, who moved to Stretton around 18 months ago, said: “Graham has been captain here for a considerable number of years and he just wanted somebody else to take over that responsibility. I live on the doorstep and there was a real prospect of the club not fielding any teams unless someone stepped forward. ”There are plenty of players here but you need someone to organise things and that's what I'm here for, and I'm sure everyone will help out during the season. ”This is a rural area and a lot of the players are spread around, but I'm keen to make every Thursday our regular club night, which is something this club hasn¹t had for a while. Hopefully it will mean we get some new players living in the area who we don't know about. ”Obviously it will be tough this season losing Trevor but we still think we can compete, and Trevor is welcome to return at any time.” Meanwhile, it is understood league officials are hoping to start the season a few weeks earlier than usual in September, and it is expected the fixtures will be released imminently. |
| Escape is the spur for trophy triumph Peter Kitchen - Shrewsbury Chronicle 07/08/2008 Mark Smith pulled off a great escape as Shrewsbury B survived a huge scare before retaining the Shropshire Chess League Minor Knockout trophy. With his side already trailing Newport B, Smith found himself facing a forced checkmate in two against Sellick Davies. But the Newport man inexplicably missed the instant win which would have won his team the match, and Smith went on to pick up the full point as Shrewsbury turned the final on its head to win 3-2. It marks Dan Lockett's first piece of silverware as B team captain and saw the team retain the trophy from last season. It also went some way towards making up for a disappointing end to last season when the side missed out on promotion. Lockett said: “It was a very tense atmosphere as we were all gathered around Mark's table and we could all see what we thought was going to happen. When Sellick missed the opportunity Mark's face was a picture it was a mixture of joy and relief. He had had the better position throughout and he went on to win, and Norman O¹Connor did a great job to bring it home for us. If Sellick had seen the move we would have lost. Unfortunately for him and thankfully for us he missed it.” Having gone into the final as slight favourites, Shrewsbury got off to a flier when Ian Davies beat Athar Mehmood quickly on board three. But Lockett was outclassed by Newport first team star Gavyn Cooper, while Ivor Salter making his first appearance for the club for more than 15 years lost on bottom board. Smith's win on board two evened the scores up and O'Connor beat Steve Cooper on time on board four in a dominant position to seal the match. Meanwhile, Telepost's Richard Bryant enjoyed one of his most successful British Championships in Liverpool picking up three prizes. Despite failing to defend his title in the under-175 category, in which he scored 2/5 to finish 12th out of 15, Bryant excelled in a number of the smaller tournaments held during the competition. He shared third place in the open afternoon tournament during the first week, scoring 4/5. And his fortunes improved in the second week, sharing first place in the open afternoon competition with 4.5/5 and sharing second place in the open morning competition with a score of 4/5. Bryant said: “This was the first time I had ever scored four-and-a-half points in a British Championship event, and it's been one of the most successful championships I have ever had.” In the Major Open category, Thomas Adams School student Philip Makepeace shared sixth place with 7/11, qualifying him for next year's tournament. |
| Exciting new signing for Shrewsbury |
| 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! 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 |
| 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 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. 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. 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 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. |
| 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 |