Shrewsbury Chess Club

Shrewsbury Chess club enjoyed a successful (and busy) week, with the A Team and C Team (twice!) in action. Early on in the week, Ian Davies’ C Team secured a 4-0 victory over Newport Juniors, before Newport A and C game to visit their Shrewsbury equivalents on Friday. Newport A, the reining 1st Division and Cox Trophy champions, have the strongest team in the league on paper – meaning it was always going to be a tough task for Francis Best’s Shrewsbury A. With Jamie Hopkins taking a short break from league chess and Peter Kitchen unavailable, B team duo Matt Best and Mark Smith stepped in to fill the…

Shrewsbury B’s hopes of a fruitful 2013-2014 season, which had perked up from “nondescript” in pre-season to “slightly more ambitious” after a bright start that saw them head the Division 2 table after three games, were dealt a blow after a narrow reverse away to Town rivals Telepost B. With skipper Matt Best up in Scarborough (where he scored 2½/5 in the Intermediate section [under 151], with Dad Francis attaining the same score in the Major [under 171] Section), Andrew Lewis was pressed into service for the third time this season with Daniel Lockett taking up the mantle as stand-in captain. This does, however, mean the match report may be…

Shrewsbury A’s perfect start to the season was ended as they suffered a first league defeat of the season against town rivals Telepost A away on Monday night. Skipper Francis Best was boosted by the availability of Jamie Hopkins on top board, with Norman O’Connor filling in on board 5 alongside the regulars to complete the line-up as Shrewsbury looked to avenge last season’s double defeat against Telepost. Indeed, things started very well indeed (once everyone’s pen problems were sorted – David had inadvertently stolen Matthew Clark’s pen and many others were running dry!) for the visitors. Francis was facing Richard Bryant on board two – the match-up in which…

C Team captain Ian ‘dangerous’ Davies came to the rescue of ‘mediocre’ Matt Best whilst standing in for Matt’s B team with an excellent victory to ensure Shrewsbury B move atop the Division 2 table. The B team were hosting Oswestry A, promoted from the third division as Champions last season ahead of Wellington B and Ian’s C team, who had won their opening two games this season, boosted by the arrival of David Bennion to feature on top board this season. And it was Bennion who was involved in the first game to finish on the night. He elected to play an unusual reply to Matt’s Scandinavian on top…

Shrewsbury’s A and C had a sharp contrast in fortunes last night -the A Team sealed a tense victory to maintain their 100% record and move back to the summit of the Shropshire Chess League, while the C Team fell to a heavy defeat against Telford C. Both Shrewsbury sides were hosting teams who had been playing in the second division last season – Priorslee Lions B having sealed promotion and Telford (or Shifnal and Telford, as they were last season) C slipped down by finishing seventh. The two results, therefore, may appear to have been expected, but the games were far more tense than many may have predicted. In…

It had to happen at some point, and Shrewsbury Chess Club’s perfect start to the season ended as the B Team were held to a draw at home to Telford B. The visitors, who were relegated from the first division last season, were marginally outgraded on 4 of the 5 boards, but got off to a solid start with two draws on two of the boards where they had a grading deficit. Firstly, an initially complex position on top board between Matt Best and Simon Maydew from a Queen’s Indian style set up fizzled out into a rather gridlocked position early on, and a draw was agreed. Almost instantly after,…

Shrewsbury Chess Club’s 100% record across all its three teams in all three divisions continued with the A Team securing a hard fought victory at home against Priorslee Lions A. With newly-appointed captain Francis Best picking up an injury in the warm-up which ruled him out of the game, frantic last-minute arrangements were made from the hospital with its dodgy signal, via a lieutenant back home, and Daniel Lockett agreed to fill in on bottom board with David Everington standing in as captain. The theme of the match was set by an early conclusion to the game on board 4, where Peter Kitchen gained a headstart on the clock thanks…

Shrewsbury B matched the achievements of the club’s A and C teams as they started the new season with an away victory. They were up against a Newport B side who had done the double over them last year, winning both encounters 3-2, and who were also bolstered by the availability of Jonathan Newey on top board before he departs for University. The first game to finish was a wild encounter on top board between Matt Best and Jonathan Newey. Having played in the Shropshire Junior academy together for several years, as well as both playing alongside each other for a Shrewsbury Juniors team for three seasons, the two know…

After a solid, yet trophyless campaign on all fronts for Shrewsbury Chess Club, the 2013-14 season started with a bang as both the A and C teams started their league seasons with big victories. Jamie Hopkins’ A team were away to the rechristened Condover and Church Stretton club. After Jamie had his habitual quick draw on top board with the hosts’ Trevor Brotherton (this time with a mind to watch the England game – a turgid goalless draw with chances at a premium. I’ll refrain from any unkind comparisons for now!), the next game to finish was on the next board down. In the reverse fixture last season (although it…

With the hot weather moving in, the chess scene in Shropshire has quietened down a little, but not completely! Here is a brief round-up of how the summer competitions have treated Shrewsbury Chess Club: Minor Knockout After an excellent victory over Priorslee Lions B in the first round, Ian Davies’ C Team found a super-strong Ludlow team one step too far. Despite battling hard against a sizeable grading deficit on each four boards, the second division visitors won 3.5-0.5, with Tony Purser’s draw against Paul Munday on bottom board the only consolation. Ludlow then dispatched of the B Team in the semi-final, with Ivor Salter’s impressive victory over Robert Woodley…