- Tom Moitié
- 2 days ago
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.
- Tom Moitié
- Nov 4
Monday night saw a busy evening at the Queen's Hotel with league action and internal competitions both taking centre stage.
North Staffordshire League - Macclesfield 2.5-1.5 Crewe C
Macclesfield hosted Crewe C in Division 1 of the North Staffordshire & District league, looking to maintain their unexpected position at the top of the table. Having been promoted this season and with the sad loss of Geoff and Gary's move away, expectations had been modest, but the team has defied predictions.
The match featured strong, competitive chess with three hard-fought draws on boards 2, 3 and 4 before Chris Riley (2057) sealed the victory on board 1. Carl Gartside (1797) on board 3 had an early draw against Andrew Raeburn (1848) after most pieces were swapped off, leaving a lifeless position. Phil Cattermole (1793) on board 4 maintained pressure throughout against Karl Lockett (1759) but couldn't convert his advantage, whilst Colin Gibson (1930) on board 2 with the white pieces appeared to gain an edge against Kamil Zak (1963) before his opponent found a tactical resource that had gone unnoticed.
The deciding game came on board 1 where Chris had the advantage from the opening and early middlegame, winning material. However, playing too passively allowed his opponent fully back into the contest. In a tense finish, Chris managed to snare his opponent's king in a surprise mating net, securing not only a personal victory against Lee Farrington (1995) but also a 2.5-1.5 match win for Macclesfield.
The victory keeps Macclesfield top of Division 1, though Chris was quick to note that the team have played more games than some of the stronger sides. Even so, it's not a position the newly promoted team expected to find themselves in. Well done to all those who have contributed to what has been a memorable start to the season.
Club Championship - Riley Maintains Lead
In the Club Championship, John Paul Taylor (1802) defeated Denzil Lobo (1569) with the white pieces to close the gap on leader Chris Riley. Meanwhile, Ant Brough (1761) and Joachim Trier (1737) played to an amicable draw. Chris maintains his lead in the competition, but John Paul is now just half a point behind in second place, setting up an intriguing battle for the championship as the season progresses.
Pomeroy Cup - Three-Way Tie at the Top
The Pomeroy Cup saw some decisive results with Connor Greenwood (1631) defeating Tom Moitié (1603), Jake Darlington (1590) overcoming Andy, and Jenny Gartside (1324) securing victory against David Waterson (1500). Tom will want to quickly forget his particularly disastrous outing, losing in just under 30 minutes.
These results have created a three-way tie for the lead with Connor, Jenny and Tom all level at the top. Marcus Fothergill is yet to begin his campaign in the competition.
Looking Ahead
Next week sees Macclesfield B travel to Altrincham in the Stockport District Chess League Division 3. The B team will be looking to build on their early season form as they continue their campaign.
- Tom Moitié
- Oct 28
Monday 27th October saw the Queen's Hotel host the opening league fixture of the season for Macclesfield A in the Stockport and District Chess League Division 1, as well as games in the Club Championship and Pomeroy Cup.
Stockport League: Macclesfield A 3-3 Stockport A
The A team faced a stern test in their division one opener, with Stockport bringing a strong lineup to Waters Green. The evening began dramatically as Phil Cattermole (1768), playing on board four, secured victory against Gareth Griffiths (1857) in just thirteen moves within the first half hour of play. Carl Gartside (1793) on board three was next to finish, defeating Andrew Stoker (1923) to give Macclesfield an early advantage. Anthony Brough (1769) on board five completed his game to leave the score at 2-1 in Macclesfield's favour heading into the final stretch.
The evening's drama peaked in the closing moments when Joachim Trier (1730) on board six found himself defending a difficult endgame against Jeff Mason (1736) with two parallel passed pawns. In a cruel twist of fate, Joachim resigned what post-game analysis revealed to be a drawable position in the dying seconds of the match.
With three games remaining and the match finely balanced, attention turned to the top boards where Chris Riley (2054) and Colin Gibson (2001) faced formidable opposition in Allan Beardsworth (2235) and Joshua Pink (2005) respectively. Both Macclesfield players opted for peaceful conclusions, sealing half points that confirmed a 3-3 draw to open the season.
Club Championship: Rice Climbs to Third
In the Club Championship, Jason Rice (1693) secured an important victory with the white pieces against Denzil Lobo (1588). The win sees Jason climb to third place in the early standings, trailing favourites Chris Riley and Colin Gibson. With all competitors now having started their campaigns, the race for the championship is well and truly underway.
Pomeroy Cup: Moitié Takes Early Lead
The Pomeroy Cup saw Tom Moitié (1586) defeat Jenny Gartside (1323) with the black pieces, a result that puts Tom at the top of the early season standings. The second-tier competition continues to provide competitive chess for the club's developing players.
Macclesfield A will be looking to build on this solid start when they host Eccles A on Monday 1st December, whilst club competitions continue throughout the season every Monday evening at the Queen's Hotel.