A new tournament has been launched aimed at giving the club’s Shropshire Chess League division three players the chance to lock horns over the board. The C & D Team Interplay will be open to players in the Shrewsbury C and D squads – and the first round draw has already been made, writes Peter Kitchen. It’s the brainchild of Tom Maiden and D team captain Nick Nuthall, who said there had been real demand among squad members for such an event owing to the huge popularity of the main club championship, which is open to all players. And a field of 18 players – close to last year’s record…

There’s a sense of excitement as Shrewsbury’s big-name signings from Telepost prepare to make their league bows for the club – but A team captain Dan Lockett certainly isn’t getting carried away. Lockett has targeted a winning start when Shrewsbury A welcome Telford A to Cromwell’s Tap House for their division one opener on Wednesday. But he is under no illusions that it will be “a tough match” – as they’ve tended to be against Telford in recent years, writes Peter Kitchen. Nigel Ferrington, Phil Zabrocki and Fred Bench are among those in contention to make their debuts having signed up after Telepost Chess Club closed over the summer –…

A night to remember for Richard Vernon was not enough for Shrewsbury Pirates as they slipped to a second consecutive defeat in 4NCL Online division four. Vernon triumphed in just 13 moves – surely his quickest ever competitive win – against Joseph Cassar on bottom board to get the Pirates off to a flying start against Watford. But things quickly unravelled for the Pirates thereafter, as a board default and two further defeats condemned them to a 3-0.5 defeat, writes Peter Kitchen. Olusegun Ilesanmi’s team showed one change from the opening day defeat at the hands of Malpas & Friends A, with David Walton coming into the side on top…

An “ecstatic” Nick Nuthall has praised his Shrewsbury D side for an historic victory in their first ever Shropshire Chess League division three match – and hopes it will give his side “confidence and momentum” going forward. Nuthall’s D team upset clubmates Shrewsbury C with an eye-catching 3-1 victory in the first league match the club has played at Cromwell’s Tap House on a Monday night, writes Peter Kitchen. Victories for Tom Osenton and Richard Beard on the bottom two boards made the difference in a closely-fought match. Encouragingly, all eight players involved have joined the club in the past two years. It’s given Nuthall hope for the D team’s…

A new-look Shrewsbury A side secured a competitive third place finish at the annual Shropshire Chess Association team quickplay. Despite none of last season’s A team being available and the squad being hit by three withdrawals in the 48 hours before the event, the club’s side performed respectably in the Open category, writes Peter Kitchen. But two narrow 3-2 defeats to closest rivals Maddocks A saw Shrewsbury finish third, a long way adrift of runaway winners Newport A. Ex-Telepost duo Nigel Ferrington and Phil Zabrocki made their competitive debuts for the club at the tournament, which was held at Maddocks Social Club in Oakengates, while Ray Sayers joined “on loan”…

Higher ambitions will be the order of the day for the new season as Shrewsbury Chess Club starts an exciting new era. That’s the view of club secretary Peter Kitchen, who hopes the arrival of at least six players from former county town rivals Telepost will help inspire an upturn in fortunes for the club’s Shropshire Chess League teams. The dissolution of Telepost has seen Shrewsbury A retain their place in division one, and it is hoped the influx of new faces challenging for first team roles will help strengthen the B team in division two as well. Fixtures for the first two months of the season have been released,…

When Shane Greenwood finally broke Fred Bennett’s resistance in a rook and pawn endgame last Wednesday, he created his own little piece of history. Not only had he secured his first ever Shrewsbury Chess Club Championship title, but he’d also managed a clean sweep with five wins out of five. That’s got the club’s historians scrabbling through the records to see the last time a player managed that feat – it certainly hasn’t happened in the post-Covid era, writes Peter Kitchen. What makes Greenwood’s achievement even more spectacular is that he managed to beat three established first team players along the way, making a mockery of his current ECF rating…

Shrewsbury Pirates were well beaten by local rivals Malpas & Friends A in their opening fixture of the new 4NCL Online season. The Pirates were whitewashed 4-0 in their division four opener by ruthless opponents from just across the Cheshire border who showed no mercy, writes Peter Kitchen. Richard Vernon was an early casualty on board three, making a tactical error on move seven that put him on the back foot against Moussa Khalil Hameidi although he dug in well before being checkmated on move 38. Nick Nuthall had a game to forget against Elliot Ainley on board two. After claiming a big advantage out of the opening, he let…

A bright new future lies in wait for Shrewsbury Chess Club after the club joined forces with old rivals Telepost. Six players – including the county’s top player Nigel Ferrington – have signed for the club after it emerged Telepost would no longer be able to carry on competing in the Shropshire Chess League, writes Peter Kitchen. It means Shrewsbury A will be spared from relegation and assume Telepost A’s place in division one for the upcoming season. The club will continue to press ahead with plans to field four league teams this season. Shrewsbury B have also been reprieved from relegation and will remain in division two, while Shrewsbury…

He’s been hailed as one of the driving forces that helped keep Shrewsbury Chess Club going during some of its darkest moments. Now Shrewsbury A captain Dan Lockett has been hailed for his contribution to the club by becoming the fourth recipient of the David Everington Trophy. Club stalwart Dan, who has been a member of the club for almost 40 years, was praised for being a regular and welcoming face at club nights, as well as possessing a wicked sense of humour that contributes to the club’s fun and light-hearted vibe, writes Peter Kitchen. In addition, he has organised a number of events at the club – including the…