Shrewsbury B have reached the make-or-break stage of their season as they aim to avoid the final relegation spot in Shropshire Chess League division two. The delight of an against-the-odds derby triumph against high-flying Darwinian Knights B was followed by the despair of a damaging defeat against fellow strugglers Newport Junior B that kept David Edwards’ side in danger of an instant return to division three, writes Peter Kitchen. Now the Bs face a must-win game against already-relegated Maddocks B on Wednesday before completing their campaign against fellow strugglers Telford B on April 8. Telford B currently have eight points, one ahead of Shrewsbury B and Newport Junior B. Crucially,…

Shrewsbury A can take comfort from pushing champions-elect Newport A all the way – but face a “tough” relegation battle next up against Newport Junior A. That’s the verdict of captain Dan Lockett, who saw his side fall just short against a Newport A side that has swept all before them so far this season and now stands on the brink of mathematically wrapping up the Shropshire Chess League division one title, writes Peter Kitchen. Ultimately, the 3-2 home defeat has left Shrewsbury still rooted to the bottom of the division one table – with nearest rivals Darwinian Knights A and Newport Junior A having a game in hand against…

Shrewsbury C fell short against a table-topping team for the second consecutive match, losing 3-1 at home to league leaders Newport B. Captain Ben Howells’ win on time over the experienced Dave Lovegrove with the black pieces on board three proved no more than a consolation for the hosts, who lost the remaining games, writes Peter Kitchen. The result comes hot on the heels of a narrow home loss against previous leaders Telford C last time out – the third fixture in a row when the Cs had faced a team top of the standings. It has left them marooned in the bottom three of the Shropshire Chess League division…

Tom Osenton’s first ever competitive victory was ultimately not enough for Shrewsbury C as they pushed Shropshire Chess League division three leaders all the way before falling to a 2.5-1.5 defeat. Osenton won a fine game on board four against Erin Pichanick in just 23 moves to claim his first win for the C team at the third attempt. It followed Tom Maiden agreeing a quiet 14-move draw with Tim Skidmore on board two to put the hosts 1.5-0.5 up with just two boards still in play, writes Peter Kitchen. But the leaders came roaring back on those final two boards. Dzhan Basriev won a very impressive game against Orlando…

Shrewsbury Pirates were unable to build on their first victory of their season, with a defeat in their latest outing mooring them in midtable in 4NCL Online division four. The Pirates enjoyed a convincing 3-1 win over London Deaf B in round two thanks to wins for Patrick Fitch and Pedro Perez Doninguez with the white pieces. But on Tuesday, they slipped to a narrow 2.5-1.5 defeat at the hands of an evenly-matched Leyland side, writes Peter Kitchen. While Leyland moved up to sixth with their triumph, the Pirates lie 17th in the 31-team division with one win and two defeats from their opening three matches. Against London Deaf B,…

There was no doubting the feeling among the Shrewsbury A squad after their last-gasp defeat at the hands of Telford A. Despondency. Despair that league points had slipped through their grasp again. And the prospect of having to wait three weeks for the chance to make it right. Not that the visit of runaway league leaders Newport A next time out represents a simple chance to get league points back on the board. The champions-elect currently have a perfect record of eight wins from eight and will no doubt roll into Cromwell’s on March 11 in confident mood, writes Peter Kitchen. But the A team has to find a way…

Taking on the top teams in division two is proving a significant challenge as Shrewsbury B fight to stay up, captain David Edwards has admitted. The Bs gained a creditable 2.5-2.5 draw against third-placed Oswestry B before running into the Church Streton A juggernaut on the wrong night, being blown away 5-0 as the league leaders fielded their strongest line-up all season, writes Peter Kitchen. Next up is a home match against a Darwinian Knights B side that currently lies second in the division, completing a run of fixtures against the top three. But the Bs lost narrowly in the reverse fixture back in October despite having to default bottom…

Shrewsbury C have got a taste for upsetting the odds against division three’s big hitters – and they’re aiming to upset the league leaders for the second match in a row when Telford C visit this week. Ben Howells’ side secured a hugely impressive 2-2 draw away to local rivals Darwinian Knights C last time out – some achievement considering the Cs lost the reverse fixture at Cromwell’s 4-0 back in October. That result knocked Darwinian off the top of the table – and the Telford C team that replaced them at the summit are Shrewsbury’s next opponents on Wednesday, writes Peter Kitchen. Captain Howells said he was “absolutely buzzing”…

It may have taken a little while for the league campaign to resume following the festive break – but that didn’t stop some of Shrewsbury Chess Club’s players having a very busy and competitive January. Mark Smith and David Edwards were joined by former club stalwart Francis Best – now based in the Isle of Wight – at Shropshire Chess Congress. And the club’s A and B teams also competed in the latest rounds of Shropshire Rapidplay Chess League, putting in competitive showings, writes Peter Kitchen. The Shrewsbury trio were in a field of more than 100 players at Shropshire Chess Congress, which was held over the opening weekend of…

From the ultimate high to a crushing low – it’s been a real rollercoaster of emotions for Shrewsbury A over the past two weeks. A tremendous triumph in the big county town derby against Telepost A breathed fresh life into the A team’s survival bid – only for a heavy 4-1 defeat in the bottom-of-the-table clash away at Oswestry A to send them back to the foot of the table. But with just one point separating the entire bottom half of the table ahead of the A team’s home clash with Telford A this week, there’s still all to play for in the bid to stay up, writes Peter Kitchen.…