Shrewsbury Chess Club is at severe risk of folding unless a new venue can be found over the summer, it has been revealed. Club officials have issued a rallying cry for help after it was revealed on Friday that the club’s existing venue, The Nerdy Café, will close in the near future, writes Peter Kitchen. The club – which is one of the most decorated in the county and has a rich history stretching back more than 100 years – had expected to have to move at the end of the season but attempts to find a venue suitable for hosting chess club nights and league matches in the meantime…

Shrewsbury A have finished in the top three of Shropshire Chess League’s top flight for the first time in 10 years. The landmark achievement was confirmed thanks to a 2.5-2.5 draw with Newport A. It meant Shrewsbury leapfrogged local rivals Telepost in the final standings, while Newport finished as runners up, writes Peter Kitchen. It’s a big moment for the club, which for many years was among the challengers for the Shropshire Chess League crown but has fallen on lean times in the past decade. Shrewsbury last won the division one title in 2011 before finishing third for the next two seasons. They hadn’t finished above fourth since then, and…

Shrewsbury A came from behind to defeat relegated Maddocks B 3-2 and take the fight for runners up spot to the final day of the season. Francis Best’s side clinched their fifth Shropshire Chess League division one win of the campaign and completed a league double over their hosts, having also won the reverse fixture 3-2 in February. The match was every bit as close as the score suggested, with Shrewsbury scraping home thanks to two draws in the first two games to finish. They had to do it the hard way ­– Stephen Priestley endured a rare off night on board four to lose inside the first hour against…

Shrewsbury A ended their Shropshire Rapidplay Chess League division one campaign on a high with two wins on the final night of fixtures. Narrow 2.5-1.5 wins over Maddocks B and Telepost A ensured Shrewsbury finished fourth in the six-team table. And the final round over Telepost cost our county town rivals any hope of overhauling Maddocks A at the top of the table and consigned the Abbey Forgeate side to a third place finish, writes Peter Kitchen. Despite leading the table around Christmas time due to playing more games than other contenders, in truth Shrewsbury have been someway off the pace set by the leaders as Maddocks A, Telepost A…

Only one 100 per cent record remains intact after some of the club’s highest rated players clashed in round three of Shrewsbury Chess Club Championship. Top seed Nathanael Paul is now a point clear of the field after he won with the white pieces against Dan Lockett, both of whom had won their opening two games. The other player on 2/2 – Francis Best – lost on time with the white pieces against fellow first teamer Peter Kitchen, while Mark Smith, who went into the round in fourth place on 1.5/2, lost with white to Stephen Priestley. It means that behind Paul (3/3), four players – Kitchen, Best, Lockett and…

Shrewsbury’s two top flight online teams are on course to achieve notable landmarks as the local league season draws towards its conclusion. Shrewsbury A have a chance to match last season’s runners up finish in Shropshire Online Chess League division one, thanks largely to a surprise 3.5-0.5 win over deposed champions Oswestry A. Meanwhile, the club’s B team look set to avoid the wooden spoon, despite an under-strength squad suffering a 4-0 defeat to newly-crowned title winners Oswestry B, writes Peter Kitchen. The A’s have one match left to play against bottom side Telepost A. And although it is hard to judge exactly how the land lies due to errors…

Shrewsbury A were powerless to stop champions-elect Maddocls A from powering to victory and sealing the Shropshire Chess League division one title for the second year running. The county town side were well beaten 4-1 in Oakengates in an encounter broadcast live on the internet, writes Peter Kitchen. Francis Best’s team had gone into the match with hopes of keeping their own slim title hopes alive. But despite the defeat – only the team’s second loss in 10 league matches this term – they still have a chance of claiming the runners up spot if they win their two remaining matches. Richard Vernon was drafted into the Shrewsbury side to…

Shrewsbury A endured a difficult night on the road, picking up just one point from three Shropshire Rapidplay Chess League division fixtures at Newport. Missing regular top board Nathanael Paul through illness, Shrewsbury were no match for the division’s high fliers Maddocks A and Newport A – and were fortunate to escape from their match with bottom-of-the-table Maddocks B with a draw, writes Peter Kitchen. It means Francis Best’s side have picked up just three points from six rapidplay league matches this month – with no wins in any of them – and now look set to finish a distant fourth in the six-team division. Shrewsbury took a four-man squad…

A solid night’s work saw Shrewsbury A pick up two hard-fought draws and slip to a narrow defeat in the latest round of Shropshire Rapidplay Chess League division one fixtures. Francis Best’s side held Newport A to an impressive draw in the opening round before being perhaps fortunate to escape with a share of the spoils against Telford A. They then pushed the night’s hosts Telepost A hard before slipping to a 2.5-1.5 defeat, writes Peter Kitchen. Shrewsbury now lie fourth in the six-team division with eight points from their nine games, and will look to pick up more points when they travel to Newport for the next round of…

Shrewsbury Chess Club is delighted to announce that our top board Nathanael Paul has officially become Shropshire’s highest-rated player. Nathanael’s ECF rating has risen 21 points to stand at 2138 in the April list. It comes after a month that saw him score 4.5/5 in competitive matchers – including a pivotal win over the county’s number two player Nigel Ferrington to clinch a derby win over Telepost A. Nathanael’s rating has risen above the county’s long-time top two Nick Rutter and Ferrington, meaning he has reached the top spot for the first time in his career. It marks the latest step in a chess-playing career that started about 20 years…