- 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.
- Tom Moitié
- Oct 21
Macclesfield B began their 2025-26 Stockport League Division Three campaign with an excellent 3.5-1.5 home victory against Marple on Monday 20th October.
The evening got off to a promising start as Connor Greenwood secured the first point for Macclesfield with a win on board two against Neil Dee. Marple quickly responded when Peter Shaw defeated Denzil Lobo to level the match at 1-1.
On board one, Jason Rice produced an impressive performance to earn a hard-fought draw against Mike Taylor, rated 1841. This was a notable result for Jason, holding comfortably against an opponent rated nearly 150 points higher. Jake Darlington then put Macclesfield ahead with a win against Neil Dainty on board five, guaranteeing the team at least a draw with only Tom Moitié's game remaining.
The critical final game saw Tom facing Tony Doust in what developed into a complex asymmetric endgame. Tony's two rooks battled against Tom's rook, knight and passed pawns. Despite the material imbalance, Tom was able to navigate the complications and convert his advantage, sealing a convincing victory for the home side.
Club Championship Update
The Club Championship also saw action this week with two decisive results. John Paul Taylor defeated Anthony Brough, whilst Chris Riley continued his strong form with a victory over Joachim Trier.
Chris Riley leads the championship standings on 2.5 points from three games, half a point ahead of Colin on 1.5 points from two games. Joachim and John-Paul both have 1 point, whilst Anthony has 1 point from three games. Carl and Jason have yet to score from two games and one game respectively, whilst Denzil is still to play his first championship game.
A strong start to the season for Macclesfield B, and an intriguing Club Championship race developing! Next Monday 27th October sees Macclesfield A host Stockport A at home in the Stockport League Division 1.