Victories sought as A team aims to stop history repeating itself
The equation sounds very simple for Shrewsbury A – start winning!
Dan Lockett’s side lie second bottom of the Shropshire Chess League division one table going into 2026 with just one win from their six league matches so far.
That came on the opening day against fellow strugglers Oswestry A, but was followed by a four-match losing streak which was ended by a 2.5-2.5 draw with Darwinian Knights As before the festive break, writes Peter Kitchen.
Rather more worryingly for the As, the current campaign has followed a worrying pattern set during the 2024/25 season – namely a lack of winning games of chess.
Shrewsbury struggled to win boards during the first half of last season – they won just three in their first six matches up to last February, and two of those were in a 3-2 defeat at Telepost A.
Although the side then went on a huge winning run, they were condemned to a bottom two finish on the final day despite a record high 11 points for a “relegated” side. Lockett’s side were reprieved over the summer and retained their place in the top flight.
This time around? Six matches played, three boards won…
There are mitigating circumstances. Any side would miss players of the quality of Jamie Hopkins and Charles Lowick Higgie, who made up the club’s top order last season but are not involved this time around.
Peter Kitchen has stepped up to board one in their absence and has provided a reasonably solid foundation for the team at the top of the order.
But out of the nine players captain Dan Lockett has called on so far, only Olusegun Ilesanmi and Shane Greenwood have managed to get over the winning line. Greenwood’s form – two wins and a draw from his three games at an impressive 83 per cent – is something Lockett will hope to call on more in the new year if Shrewsbury are to pull clear of the bottom two.
B team player David Edwards has also impressed on the lower boards, picking up three draws and just one defeat when called upon by the As, often against higher-rated opposition.
The matches don’t come much bigger for Shrewsbury than the “El Chessico” county town derby at home to faltering league champions Telepost A on January 21 – and it will be followed by a relegation four-pointer away to bottom-of-the table Oswestry A. Winning games of chess and picking up league points has to start sooner rather than later.
There could also be hope from an unlikely source – another of Shrewsbury’s town rivals.
Darwinian Knights A were cut adrift last season, collecting just two points all campaign and finishing nine points behind Shrewsbury and marooned at the foot of the table.
But this time around, despite not adding any significantly stronger players and fielding a similar line-up, Darwinian have only lost one of their first six games. One win and four draws has them fourth in the table on six points.
So there is time and there is hope. Shrewsbury A have been a near-permanent fixture in the top flight for decades – and end the season away to old rivals Telepost on April 29. Can they escape the drop again?