- Tom Moitié
- 2 days ago
Macclesfield enjoyed a tremendous fortnight of cup success, winning semi-finals in both the SDCL Charnley Cup and the Geoff Laurence Trophy (U1850) to book their places in two finals.
Charnley Cup Semi-Final
Macclesfield A pulled off a shock victory in the SDCL Charnley Cup on 20th January, winning 4-2 away in their semi-final against Stockport and booking their place in the final against Eccles on 14th April. The match got off to a promising start, with wins for both Colin Gibson (1931) on board 2 against Joshua Pink (2053), and J-P Taylor (1834) on board 3 against Gareth Griffiths (1821). However prospects on the remaining four boards did not look too hopeful with difficult positions all round.
Ant Brough (1736) on board 5 succumbed to Andy Coe (1815) following an ambitious piece sacrifice, but Chris Riley (2098) managed to salvage an unlikely half point on board 1 despite at his own admission being dead lost from move 11 when his opponent Sarah Longson (2028), possibly fearing Chris's counterplay in time trouble, agreed to a draw! Now with the score at 2.5-1.5 and with lower-board elimination being used as a tie-breaker in the event of a 3-3 draw, this left Macclesfield just needing a draw from either of the remaining two games - although with Joachim Trier (1737) on board 6 down a piece and Phil Cattermole (1793) on board 4 under tremendous pressure this looked far from certain!
Joachim was the first to finish, generating sufficient counterplay with his two passed pawns that his opponent Jeff Mason (1732) had to settle for a draw despite the extra piece advantage. With Macclesfield's place in the final now secure, all eyes turned to the remaining game on board 4 where both players were playing out a tricky rook and pawn ending on increment. Under tremendous time pressure, Phil's opponent Andy Stoker (1908) missed a mate threat and Phil pounced to complete an extraordinary comeback, and finish the match with a final score of 4-2 to Macclesfield!
The full result saw Sarah Longson draw with Chris Riley on board 1, Colin Gibson defeat Joshua Pink on board 2, J-P Taylor beat Gareth Griffiths on board 3, Phil Cattermole overcome Andy Stoker on board 4, Ant Brough fall to Andy Coe on board 5, and Joachim Trier hold Jeff Mason to a draw on board 6.
Geoff Laurence Trophy Semi-Final
Just two weeks later on 3rd February, Macclesfield B secured another cup final berth with a 3-2 away victory over Stockport in the semi-final of the Geoff Laurence Trophy (U1850). In a curious twist of fate, Joachim Trier found himself facing Jeff Mason on board 1 once again, though this time the result went the other way with Mason claiming victory. Denzil Lobo also suffered defeat on board 4 against Phil Clare, but victories for Ant Brough over Anthony Prime, Connor Greenwood against Mohammed Rohmann, and Tom Moitié defeating John Kelly were enough to see Macclesfield through.
Other Recent Results
Macclesfield continued their strong form in the North Staffordshire & District Chess Association Division 1 on 2nd February, defeating Northwich 3½-½ at home. Chris Riley, Colin Gibson and Phil Cattermole all secured victories, with Northwich unfortunate to lose on time on boards 1 and 4. Ant Brough fought his way to a hard-earned draw with a white-squared bishop endgame despite being a pawn down against Peter Hamill-Stewart.
The Macclesfield A team faced stiffer opposition in the Stockport & District Chess League Division 1. On 27th January they went down 4-2 away at Chorlton, with Chris Riley, J-P Taylor, Phil Cattermole and Joachim Trier all drawing their games whilst Colin Gibson and Ant Brough suffered defeats. Earlier in the month on 12th January, Macclesfield A bounced back with a 4-2 home victory over East Cheshire A. Despite losses on the top two boards for Chris Riley and J-P Taylor, Phil Cattermole, Ant Brough, Joachim Trier and Connor Greenwood all won to secure the match.
Competition Standings
The race for honours in the Stockport & District Chess League Division 1 is heating up, with just one point separating the top three teams - Stockport, Eccles and Macclesfield A - and just under half the games left to play. It promises to be a thrilling finish to the season.
Meanwhile Macclesfield B find themselves in mid-table in Division 3, with Stockport B and Altrincham B soaring ahead at the top.
In the North Staffordshire & District Chess Association Division 1, Macclesfield hold the lead, but with Alsager and Holmes Chapel just two games back and more than half the fixtures left to play, there is all to play for.
Internal Competition Update
The Club Championship race is going down to the wire with Chris Riley and J-P Taylor level on points at the top. Chris holds a crucial game in hand and still has to play Colin Gibson and Jason Rice, whilst J-P has only Jason remaining.
In the Pomeroy Cup, Tom Moitié holds a half-point lead after Jake Darlington defeated Connor Greenwood. With only one game left to play for each of the top three, it's Tom's to lose!
The club continues to meet every Monday at 7:30pm at The Queen's Hotel on Albert Place, and new members are always welcome.
- Tom Moitié
- Dec 12, 2025
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, 2025
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.