Crisis, what crisis? Reigning champions make it three wins from three

To say it’s been a challenging year for Telepost Chess Club would be a massive understatement. First, a split between members saw the majority of players break away to form rival club Darwinian Knights – a move which cast a huge shadow over Telepost’s first over-the-board Shropshire Chess League title for a decade.

Secondly, that split saw the club go from entering seven teams last year to just one this season – the biggest club in the county in terms of membership suddenly reduced to one of the smallest. Attempts to merge with Shrewsbury over the summer didn’t get past initial inquiries, but the club did manage to keep itself going for the new campaign. Then came a third blow – the departure of the county’s number one player and recently-appointed club secretary Nathanael Paul to enable him to pursue his studies outside the county. It left the club with just enough players to field their sole team in division one.

Yet from adversity has come resilience – and a truly spectacular start to the new season. Telepost A sit top of the division one table with three wins from three games – including what must feel like particularly satisfying wins over county town rivals Darwinian Knights A and Shrewsbury A.

They owed their latest success – a narrow 3-2 win at home to Shrewsbury A in the traditional derby – to Dan Hilditch-Love and Fred Bench, who both played superb games to defeat Charles Lowick Higgie and Peter Kitchen on boards two and three respectively. That overturned an early deficit after Shrewsbury’s Stephen Priestley defeated Keith Tabner on bottom board, and although Olusegun Ilesanmi neat John Westhead on board four to level the score, Telepost skipper Nigel Ferrington won on time against Jamie Hopkins in the decider on top board.

Both Shrewsbury and Darwinian Knights sit at the foot of the table – and both will seek their first points of the season when they face each other at Cromwell’s Tap House this week. 

Maddocks A are another side who have suffered with the loss of key players over the summer – but they are Telepost’s nearest challengers with two wins and a draw from their opening three fixtures. A rejuvenated Telford A are third and have a game in hand on the pair above them.

Darwinian Knights B lead the way after two fixtures in division two, while Shrewsbury B and Newport B are setting the pace early on in division three.

Meanwhile, Shropshire’s Four Nations Chess League team has officially been relegated to the bottom rung after a couple of years of reprieves from the drop. Shropshire & Friends were offered the chance to remain in division three despite finishing in the relegation zone for a third season running. But after consulting with his squad, captain Charles Lowick Higgie opted for the team to drop to division four for the coming campaign. The team will play its first fixtures of the new season in Peterborough over the weekend of November 9 and 10, and anyone wishing to play for the team in the national league is urged to contact Higgie by emailing higgiecharles@gmail.com

Newport’s Ian Jamieson has been officially named the winner of the Colin Roberts Memorial Trophy for the best game of the 2023/24 season. Jamieson’s spectacular win over Shrewsbury’s Dan Lockett included a stunning queen sacrifice which was described by judges as a “true masterpiece”. It was unanimously chosen as the best game from six excellent entries, according to organiser Toby Neal.

Finally, the draw has been made for the opening round of this year’s Shropshire Individual Championship. Top seed Nick Rutter (Newport) will have black against Shrewsbury’s Shane Greenwood, while Jamie Hopkins (Shrewsbury) will return to the competition after his four-year break from the game with the white pieces against promising junior Krish Thimmegowda (Newport).

To see full league and individual competition results, visit www.shropshirechess.org