Nathanael Paul and Stephen Priestley have been named as the joint winners of Shrewsbury Chess club Championship – after a three-way playoff to decide yet another fiercely-contested tournament. The pair both scored 1.5/2 in the playoff, drawing with each other and both defeating fellow finalist Dan Lockett, writes Peter Kitchen. The pair will share the trophy for six months each, and were presented with it at a recent ceremony at a club night at Albert & Co @ Frankville. All three players had scored 4/5 during the regular tournament, with long-time leader and top seed Paul caught by Priestley and Lockett in the final round. Paul drew with the white…

It is the news everyone at Shrewsbury Chess Club has been hoping for – we have a new home and our future has been secured! Music venue Albert & Co Frankville, which lies in the shadow of Theatre Severn opposite the Welsh Bridge in Frankwell, will be the club’s new venue for the foreseeable future, writes Peter Kitchen. The club has already held its first match at its new home – Shropshire Chess League champions Maddocks A were welcomed for a Cox Trophy semi final tie, details of which can be found here. The move means the club will once again have a weekly club night, although this will probably…

Shrewsbury A’s fine run in the Cox Trophy was ended at the semi-final stage by Shropshire Chess League champions Maddocks A. Francis Best’s side went into the match buoyed by it being the first at the club’s new Albert & Co Frankville venue and coming on the back of a fine 3-1 win away to league runners up Newport A in the quarter final, writes Peter Kitchen. But despite welcoming back Peter Kitchen to strengthen the team on board two, the hosts were outclassed on the night and went down to a 3-1 defeat. It means that dreams of a treble are still well and truly alive for the all-conquering…

It’s fair to say expectations at Shrewsbury Chess Club have been exceeded this season. The A team recorded its first top three finish in Shropshire Chess League’s top flight for a decade, pipping Telepost A to third and ending the season as the highest ranked side from the county town in the process, writes Peter Kitchen. There has also been success in Shropshire Online Chess League, where Shrewsbury A look set to finish as runners up in division one and Shrewsbury B will avoid the wooden spoon. Shrewsbury C also enjoyed a competitive season in division two before finishing third. In Shropshire Rapidplay League division one, Shrewsbury A also finished…

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…