B’s are Back After Three-and-a-Half-Year Absence – With a Point to Prove

Shrewsbury B are competing over-the board in Shropshire Chess League once again – and claimed a hard-earned point from their opening division three match.

Making their first OTB appearance since a 3-2 division one defeat to Telepost A in March 2020 – just before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic – the B team claimed a 2-2 draw against fellow returnees Church Stretton A in their first ever match at the club’s Albert & Co @ Frankville home.

A lot has changed for the team in the three-and-a-half years since its last fixture. It has a new captain in the form of Richard Vernon, and it is hoped playing in the bottom tier will entice more players and give them the chance to gain valuable league experience away from the hotbed of the higher echelons of the county game.

Vernon himself capped the occasion with a win over Paul Barratt on bottom board, making it two wins in two nights for him after a triumph in online league action for Shrewsbury A 24 hours earlier.

It was also a night to remember for new recruit Tosin Akinruli, who after several appearances at club nights made his league bow in some style. He defeated Thomas Wilson on board three to get his Shrewsbury career off to the best possible start.

Ivor Salter and Ian Davies lost their games on the top two boards, meaning the spoils were shared.

But it was great to see both teams back in action following extended layoffs – partially due to Covid.

Shrewsbury continued to field a B team online for the 2020/21 season, but haven’t fielded a second team in any form for the past two seasons as they have struggled to get members back playing over-the-board chess in the wake of the pandemic.

Before its demise, the B team had built on several seasons as a top half second division side by finally gaining promotion to the top flight – and then staying there at the expense of the A team, who were relegated!

After a season a league above the A team, the two swapped places in the summer of 2020 as chess moved online, only for the B team to become online-only when standard league chess resumed.

It is a very important step for the club to enter a second team in the over-the-board league again and new prospective players wishing to gain experience of playing chess competitively are most welcome. Contact club secretary Mark Smith by emailing markpsmith77@yahoo.com

Church Stretton A have experience of the top flight themselves in the past 10 years. But they suffered through a decline in membership, and dropped out of the league at the end of the 2018/19 season after finishing third in division three.

Their team against Shrewsbury B contained four fresh faces to the Shropshire chess scene, and we wish them all the best for their adventures in the league this season.

Full scores:

Shrewsbury B 2-2 Church Stretton A (Shrewsbury colours in brackets)

1. Ivor Salter (b) 0-1 Jamie Lear

2. Ian Davies (w) 0-1 Chris Lear

3. Tosin Akinruli (b) 1-0 Thomas Wilson

4. Richard Vernon (w) 1-0 Paul Barratt

Shrewsbury B were in derby action away to another new team – Telepost F – this week.