Donations Welcomed to Honour Memory of Club Stalwart David

Donations are being invited to help fund Shrewsbury Chess Club’s new David Everington Memorial Trophy.

Members will have the chance to contribute to the new trophy, with any shortfall being made up out of club funds, writes Peter Kitchen.

The trophy will then be awarded to the club’s player of the season – as decided by a secret ballot of members at the end of the season.

The new trophy and the criteria for how it will be awarded were among the items discussed at the club’s annual general meeting on Friday night.

David was a hugely popular member of Shrewsbury Chess Club for more than 50 years, during which time he established himself as one of the county’s top players. He won the Shropshire Individual title on several occasions and was also a key member of several title-winning Shrewsbury sides, including the unbeaten champions of 2012.

He was well known for his inimitable sense of humour and his swashbuckling style, which would often see him win thrilling attacking games having sacrificed two or sometimes even three pawns. Tributes from across the county poured in after his death in December 2020 after a battle with cancer.

Club members agreed last summer to establish a trophy in Everington’s honour, but at last week’s AGM the first steps were taken to make it happen – and a slight tweak was made to how it will be awarded.

Inquiries will be made for a suitable trophy and a cost, and after a short discussion it was agreed that members would vote each summer for their player of the season, with the winner to be named and awarded the trophy at the following AGM.

Six players attended this year’s AGM at the Nerdy Café – including a welcome appearance by former C team captain Ian Davies, who hasn’t played competitively for the club since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

It was agreed the club will enter three teams in Shropshire Online Chess League to complement the sole over-the-board team, while ideas to develop the club’s social activities and its online Shrewsbury Light Squares team on Lichess were also discussed.

Club fees were also raised to £20 a year, and initial ideas to find a new venue before the summer of 2023 were relayed to members, with further inquiries to be carried out over the coming weeks and months.

It was announced last week that the club will leave the Nerdy Café, where it has been based for the past 12 months, at the end of the 2022/23 season.