- Tom Moitié
- Dec 12
Macclesfield secured their place in the semi-finals of the Stockport & District Chess League Charnley Cup with a convincing 4-2 victory over Wilmslow at The Queen's Hotel on 8th December. The win sets up a semi-final clash away at Stockport, with the date to be confirmed.
The match began with early setbacks for the home side as Carl Gartside on board three and chairman Anthony Brough on board five both suffered defeats, leaving Macclesfield trailing 0-2. Carl's game against David Mowat finished first, followed shortly by Ant's loss to Dylan Prothero. Ant reflected on his game: "I unfortunately let my b pawn go to his queen thinking that I had a good knight attack on the other side of the board but alas it didn't come to fruition and once Dylan had covered this attack he systematically ground out a route to my king and won a rook."
However, the tide turned when Joachim Trier (1734) struck back on board six against Ernie Chiu. Playing a Queen's Indian Defence, Joachim gained a pawn advantage in the opening and showcased his endgame technique. "I managed to win a pawn during a Queen's Indian opening and could converted it in a not too difficult endgame after all the pieces were traded off," he explained. With the score at 1-2, momentum shifted decisively in Macclesfield's favour.
The final three games concluded in quick succession, all going Macclesfield's way. On board one, club secretary Chris Riley (2076) demonstrated his class with a commanding performance against Michael Lamb. Riley controlled the centre from the opening, creating a dangerous passed d-pawn that tied up his opponent's pieces. "I pushed it forward tangling up my opponent's pieces. Then a couple of tactics using my advanced pawn on the 7th lead to me winning a piece and my opponent resigned," Chris noted.
Colin Gibson (1937) secured a crucial point on board two against Kevin Moran in what appeared an evenly balanced contest for much of the game. "Fairly tight/even for the first 20 or so moves then he made some errors that first dropped a pawn and then allowed me to trade down eventually to an easily won pawn ending," Colin reported.
The match's most dramatic encounter came on board four where Phil Cattermole (1785) earned himself the nickname "Houdini" with a remarkable escape against Mustafa Merchant. Facing a Marozy Bind against his Accelerated Dragon, Phil found himself in what looked like a resignable position as his opponent skillfully increased the pressure. But chess has a way of rewarding those who fight on. "With the last throw of the dice I made a bluff and a threat, and he suddenly started playing more defensively, and then mistakenly trapped his bishop offside by advancing a pawn," Phil explained. The material swing proved decisive as Phil coordinated his Queen, Rook and Dragon Bishop to attack the exposed white King. "Very fortunate indeed!" he added modestly.
Charnley Cup Quarter-Final Result:
Macclesfield 4-2 Wilmslow
Board 1: Chris Riley (2076) 1-0 Michael Lamb (2057)
Board 2: Colin Gibson (1937) 1-0 Kevin Moran (1901)
Board 3: Carl Gartside (1770) 0-1 David Mowat (1691)
Board 4: Phil Cattermole (1785) 1-0 Mustafa Merchant (1661)
Board 5: Anthony Brough (1746) 0-1 Dylan Prothero (1592)
Board 6: Joachim Trier (1734) 1-0 Ernie Chiu (1465)
Pomeroy Cup Update
The same evening also saw two crucial Pomeroy Cup matches played at The Queen's Hotel. Tom Moitié strengthened his position at the top of the table with a victory over Marcus Fothergill, whilst Connor Greenwood kept pace with the leader by defeating David Waterson.
Tom's win over Marcus was particularly significant, extending his lead at the summit. With four wins from five games, Tom now sits on four points, a full point clear of Connor Greenwood who maintains a perfect record of three wins from three games. However, Connor's 100% record and two games in hand mean his momentum poses a significant threat to Tom's position at the top. The result leaves Marcus in third place on 2.5 points from four games, followed by Jenny Gartside also on 2.5 points from five matches, with Jake Darlington on one point from three games.
- Tom Moitié
- Dec 3
December has started in spectacular fashion for Macclesfield Chess Club with a stunning victory in the Stockport League and competitive performances across all competitions.
Macclesfield A Defeat League Favourites Eccles
The headline news comes from the Stockport District Chess League Division One, where the newly promoted A team delivered a remarkable 4.5-1.5 home victory over league favourites and past champions Eccles A on Monday 1st December. Several Eccles players arrived late for the fixture but just in time to avoid defaults, allowing all six games to be played.
The evening started dramatically on board six where Anthony Brough (1746), playing white, had to concede a piece early on against Nathan Sarin (1534) resulting in a seemingly lost position. However, Ant generated strong counterplay which he exploited elegantly, not only winning the piece back but also gaining an extra pawn. He convincingly converted the advantage to a clear win against a clearly dispirited opponent who hadn't taken any notes during the game.
Next to finish were boards three and five. Carl Gartside (1770) on board three, playing black against Tim Hilton (2034), and Phil Cattermole (1785) on board five, playing black against Jordan Freely (1828), both had to resist strong pressure from their opponents but managed to draw after accurate defending.
Colin Gibson (1937) on board two, playing white against Paul Cawley (2049), produced another solid performance when he blocked his opponent's passed central pawn effectively so that neither side had any real winning chances, and the game also ended in a draw.
With Macclesfield A leading 2.5-1.5, another point was needed to secure the fixture, and Chris Riley (2076) on board one duly delivered. Playing black against the higher rated and very experienced Mike Surtees (2156), Chris faced an off-beat French Wing Gambit with an early a3. In his usual calm and patient manner, Chris slowly but gradually increased pressure on the queenside. His opponent eventually succumbed to the pressure, unable to stop Chris's connected pawns or create any meaningful counterplay.
Having already secured the team win, the grand finale came on board four where team captain John-Paul Taylor (1814), playing white against Mike Connor (1853), had an active opening but found himself in a clearly lost position after losing a crucial central pawn which his opponent pushed towards promotion. With only seconds on the clock and in a bit of desperation, J-P kept his nerves and gave numerous checks which clearly befuddled his opponent to the extent that he made one final mistake, allowing his essential pawn to be pinned after J-P had taken his rook. Perhaps not 'swindling' as alleged but certainly a bit of magic!
This sensational result puts Macclesfield A joint top of the Stockport District Chess League Division One table alongside Stockport A in these early stages of the season.
Holmes Chapel Hold Macclesfield to a Draw
In the North Staffordshire League Division One, Macclesfield travelled to Holmes Chapel on 14th November, one of the stronger teams in the league, with the match finishing 2-2.
The first result, on board four, did not go Macclesfield's way with Joachim Trier (1737) having to admit defeat against John Turner (1931). This was counterbalanced on board one when Chris Riley (2057) gained a surprise victory against Stuart Clarke (2011). Chris had made a rather misguided piece sacrifice which Stuart took full advantage of through accurate calculation to emerge into a winning endgame, only to drop a rook through a moment's inattention - very fortunate for Macclesfield.
This left Colin Gibson (1930) on board two playing Michael Hancock (1969) and team captain Phil Cattermole (1793) on board three playing Patrick Bennett (1911). The players who had finished gathered round to watch the outcome, having to keep adjusting their positions to see both clocks as they reached the final few minutes.
Colin had a rook and two bishops versus a queen and needed to sacrifice a couple of pawns to get his king away from unwanted checks. Eventually Colin was able to push one of his own passed pawns and his opponent conceded, making it 2-1 to Macclesfield. It all hinged on board three. Phil looked to have the advantage in a complex position but with only a couple of minutes left on the clock, his opponent managed to line up his rook and queen on Phil's second rank. Phil had to give up material to avoid mate and then resigned, leaving the final score at 2-2.
Macclesfield remain joint top of the North Staffordshire League Division One table, though other teams have games in hand so the position may only be temporary.
Club Championship Heats Up
The Club Championship continues to produce exciting games with the top of the table tightly contested. After recent rounds on 17th and 24th November, John-Paul Taylor and Chris Riley share the lead on 3.5 points. J-P has played five games with three wins, one draw and one loss, while Chris has played four games with three wins and one draw, maintaining his unbeaten record. Colin Gibson sits in third place on 2.5 points from four games.
Notable recent results include Chris Riley's victory over John-Paul Taylor on 17th November, and J-P's response with a win against Colin Gibson on 24th November. Denzil Lobo also picked up an important victory against Carl Gartside on 24th November.
Pomeroy Cup Update
In the Pomeroy Cup, Tom Moitié leads the standings on three points from four games, having defeated Jake Darlington on 17th November. Jenny Gartside and Marcus Fothergill share second place on 2.5 points. Jenny has played five games with two wins, one draw and two losses, while Marcus continues his excellent form with two wins and a draw from three games, including a victory over David Waterson on 1st December.
Connor Greenwood maintains a perfect record with two wins from two games, sitting in fourth place on two points. Marcus's earlier results include a draw with Jenny Gartside on 17th November and a win against Jake Darlington on 24th November, establishing himself as a strong contender in the competition.
The club continues to thrive with competitive chess across all its competitions and leagues. With strong performances in both the Stockport and North Staffordshire leagues, along with keenly contested internal tournaments, there's plenty to look forward to as the season progresses.
- Tom Moitié
- Nov 11
Monday evening saw Macclesfield's chess players in action on two fronts, with the B team travelling to Altrincham whilst Club Championship action continued at the Queens Hotel.
Stockport League Division 3: Altrincham B 3½ - 1½ Macclesfield B
The B team faced a challenging evening away at Altrincham, ultimately falling to a 3½-1½ defeat. On board one, Jason Rice (1696) opted for chaos against the higher-rated Simon Calvert (1768), sacrificing a pawn in the Catalan to build a big centre and launch an attack. Unfortunately, the complications didn't quite deliver the knockout blow he was hoping for. Marcus Fothergill (1602) on board two attempted a back rank queen and rook shimmy against Anthony Lane (1692), but his opponent had sufficient escape squares and a dangerous passed pawn to defuse the threat. Board five saw Jenny Gartside (1337) lose to Tom Tomkins (1641).
The evening's bright spots came from the middle boards. Jake Darlington (1590) held James Lawrence (1619) to a draw on board three, whilst Denzil Lobo (1569) secured the team's sole victory with a win over Daniel Clucas (1600) on board four.
Club Championship Drama at the Queens
Back at the Queens Hotel, two Club Championship encounters provided plenty of entertainment. John-Paul Taylor (1802) locked horns with Joachim Trier (1737) in the sharp Marshall Attack of the Ruy Lopez. After weathering the initial tactical storm – JP confessed afterwards he hates the Marshall Attack – the A team captain emerged with two powerful central passed pawns. However, chess has a habit of punishing haste, and under time pressure JP pushed his d-pawn prematurely, allowing Joachim to force a peaceful draw. With that result, John-Paul joins Chris at the top of the leaderboard.
The second game saw Carl Gartside (1771) facing Anthony Brough (1761) in what quickly simplified to a rook and pawns endgame. Carl's two connected pawns gave him a slight edge, and he demonstrated excellent technique in pressing home the advantage. Despite Ant's attempts to create counterplay with an outside passed pawn, Carl's pawns proved the more dangerous, and he was able to convert the position into a full point.
The season continues with more fixtures to come. The full schedule can be found on the fixtures page, with the next game on Thursday, an away fixture for the North Staffordshire team at Holmes Chapel.