Peter Kitchen’s reports on the county chess scene in the Shropshire Star
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Three Shropshire players have made their mark on the national stage by competing in the English Championships. Shrewsbury’s Nathanael Paul and Maddocks’ Athar Ansari were in the field for the English Open Championships, while Telepost’s Kate Walker was among the 22 competitors in the English Womens’ Championship. Both events were held in Kenilworth over the …
Shropshire trio compete in national championships Read More »
Shropshire Chess League champions Maddocks A have done the double after adding the rapidplay league title to their trophy cabinet – in the most dramatic circumstances. The Oakengates side came out on top in a thrilling-three way fight for the Shropshire Rapidplay Chess League division one title, eventually lifting the crown with a one-point margin …
Maddocks seal a league double on night of high drama Read More »
Shropshire’s national league team endured a final weekend of the season to forget as they finished bottom of their division – but were still spared from relegation. An under-strength Shropshire & Friends side lost all three of their Four Nations Chess League division three west fixtures at Warwick, meaning they ended the season 12th and …
A woeful weekend in Warwick – but Shropshire still avoid the drop Read More »
Maddocks A are the champions of Shropshire Chess League for a second successive year after a convincing 4-1 win over Shrewsbury A. Tony Preece’s side wrapped up the division one title, in a match played on live boards on the internet, with two games still to play. It extended their amazing unbeaten run over the …
Unbeatable Maddocks seal the deal with a stylish win Read More »
Oswestry A took a huge step towards securing their safety in the top flight of Shropshire Chess League with a thumping 5-0 win over midtable Telepost A. Charles Lowick Higgie’s side have now moved four points clear of the division one relegation zone with just three matches left to play. The result has also officially …
Whitewash win hauls Oswestry A to the brink of safety – but Telepost B are down Read More »
Schools and communities across Shropshire are enjoying a boom in the popularity of chess – to the delight of those running the game in the county. New groups for aspiring junior players have been established at Highley Primary School and Lacon Childe School in Cleobury Mortimer, as well as a junior club at Market Drayton …
New junior chess clubs springing up amid latest boom in popularity Read More »
Nathanael Paul has reached the summit of Shropshire chess after becoming the county’s highest-rated player for the first time. Paul’s English Chess Federation rating rose 21 points on the April list to 2138 after an impressive March that saw him win four and draw one of his five competitive games. It has helped Paul, who …
Shropshire & Friends have given themselves a huge chance to avoid relegation from division three west of the Four Nations Chess League after securing two crucial victories. Coming into the latest weekend at Daventry bottom of the table, Charles Lowick Higgie’s side beat fellow strugglers MK Phoenix 2 5-1 on the Saturday before dispatching higher-rated …
Two wins from two offers national league survival hope Read More »
A ruthless display from Telford A saw them clinch promotion back to the top flight of Shropshire Chess League for the first time in five years. The Dawley-based side whitewashed a Newport B side with ambitions of reaching the top two themselves to rack up a 10th win in 10 division two matches. It means …
Telford A back in the big time after five-year absence Read More »
The race to become the chess champions of Shropshire has taken a few extra twists and turns – after both of the top two failed to win their matches. Defending champions and current leaders Maddocks A were surprisingly held to a 2.5-2.5 draw by bottom-of-the-table Telepost B. But that came a couple of days after …