Archive: UNCUT! 8

The Sean Marsh Chess Column UNCUT! No. 8 A recent weekend proved to be a double success for our junior stars. First, at the annual H.M.C. Congress, held at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (‘QEGS’), Wafefield, Yarm school entered a team in the Under-9 and one in the Under-11 section. Traditionally, Yarm are never at full strength for this event, as so many ofthe players have calendar clashes involving music festivals, rugby matches...you name it, tradition has it that chess loses out to it. It’s one of the ten commandments, set in stones for centuries; ‘Thou shalt find something else to do than play chess’. Ah-hum. Yes. Anyway, the first few rounds are usually agood indication of a teams chances, and the Under-9s started brilliantly with tight victory over hosts - and almost constant champions - QEGS A. Further victories over Bronte House, QEGS B and R.G.S. put them in an excellent and unexpected position, but still with tough matches to come. A very close struggle with Kings ended with a tied match but destiny was still in Yarm’s hands; they didn’t disappoint, and big victories over QEGS C and St. Olaves guaranteed a famous first place, one point ahead of QEGS A! A sensation! Especially when you consider that playing on board one, andachieving a score of six wins and one draw, was five-year old Thomas Mavin! The Under-11s had a day of fluctuating fortune, often following up a powerful victory with a heavy defeat. Eventually, they secured a very safe fourth place, some way off champions QEGS A but not too far behind RGS and QEGS B, who took second and third respectively. QEGS are magnificent hosts. The event always runs very smoothly, with Graham Crowther in total control and the tea afterwards is superb! The following day saw some of the same players involved in the 35th Southlands Junior Tournament, the first of the three 2001-2 Grand Prix events. This was in three sections, each of which produced many hard battles.All sections were run on the five-round Swiss system and the full scores are given below. These scores will be carried forward to the next two legs of the Grand Prix. Under-9s =1st Or Goldreich 4/5 =1st Thomas Mavin 4/5 =1st Matthew Williamson 4/5 Catriona Bruce 3/5 Tom Bulmer 3/5 Thomas Donald 3/5 Jenny Openshaw 2.5/5 Andrew Lodge 2/5 James Herbert 1.5/5 Jason Loveridge 1.5/5 Kane Moore 1/5 Emma Robinson 1/5 Under-11s =1st Michael Davison 4/5 =1st Ben Harker 4/5 =1st Thomas Beckwith 4/5 Vijay Shyam Sundar 3/5 James Thorne-Wallis 3/5 Abbey Arnison 2/5 Jonathan Robison 2/5 Markus Waddoup 2/5 Michael Briggs 1.5/5 Kenneth Kilburn 1.5/5 Michael Lau 1.5/5 Michael Lee 1.5/5 Over-11s 1st: Carl Shuttleworth 4.5/5 =2nd: Robin Killick 4/5 =2nd: Graham Shuttleworth 4/5 Nathan Huntley 3.5/5 Christopher Dale 3/5 Peter Harker 3/5 Matthew Jackman 2.5/5 David Gorley 2/5 Matthew Hammond 2/5 Dominic Leigh 2/5 Thomas Watson 2/5 Calum Arnison 1/5 Amy Dryden 1/5 The next two events are set for 24/2/2002 and 16/6/2002. Entry formsavailable soon....be there, or be square!! League, Cup and Individual Highlights Meanwhile, in our local league scene, things are really hotting up. Middlesbrough Knights dented the armour of the A division champions when they held Middlesbrough Rooks to a 3-3 draw, but Elmwood’s delight was short lived, when they copied their main rivals shortly after, also drawing 3-3 with the pesky Knights. The Rooks still trail table-toppers Elmwood by two points, but have a game inhand, against Darlington, which should enable them to erase the defect. Elmwood play Middlesbrough Rooks on Friday, 14th December. No prisoners taken. Middlesbrough Knights are also doing well in the TomWise K.O. Cup. In the latest round, they avenged their only league defeatand KO’d Redcar. It was a tough match, with Andrew Killick’s shock mid-board checkmate, the exchange down, changing the course of the match. For a Middlesbrough Knight, he certainly made good use of his two Bishops.. Middlesbrough Rooks had to rummage around to get a team out but still hadlittle trouble easing past Stokesley. They now face Peterlee, who were fortunateto go through against Elmwood B on the board-count tie-break rule. In the tie ofthe next round, set for Monday 21st January, Elmwood will take on Guisborough,who despite being in the B division have one of the strongest teams around.Their line up could be Norman Stephenson, Richard Hall, Tim Blake, Andy Corbynand Andrew Henderson. Scary... Norman Stephenson showed real class in defending a tricky position against your correspondent in round two of the Individual Championship. Under tremendous pressure on the board and in serious time-trouble, Norman still forced the game into a drawn ending. With David Wise being held to a draw by Steve Dauber, this leaves Mike Closs in sole lead with2/2, with a big pack of wannabes snapping at his heels. It’s going to be avery close contest again.......