Macclesfield A Hold Stockport to Opening Night Draw

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.

Macclesfield B Start Strong with Victory Over Marple

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.

Match Night Round-Up: Strong Results Across The Board

Monday evening saw plenty of competitive chess at The Queen's Hotel, with games played in both the Club Championship and Pomeroy Cup, whilst Tuesday brought another North Staffs league fixture.

In the Club Championship, Chris Riley continued his excellent form with victory over Carl Gartside to move to 1.5 points from two games. Riley shares the lead with Colin Gibson, who drew with chairman Anthony Brough in what was presumably a hard-fought encounter. Joachim Trier opened his campaign with a win against Jason Rice and sits just half a point behind the leaders, though having played one game fewer.

The Pomeroy Cup also saw two games on Monday, with Tom Moitié defeating David Waterson and Jenny Gartside beating Andy Hughes. However, the previous week had also seen action, with Jenny Gartside securing a win over Connor Greenwood. Meaning the lead is now shared between Jenny, Connor and Tom. They will be pleased to get off the marks.

Tuesday brought the visit to Crewe B in the North Staffs league, where Macclesfield recorded a 2.5-1.5 victory to join first place in Division One. Chris Riley was held to a draw on board one by Carmel Barwick, but Phil Cattermole and Joachim Trier both won their games on boards three and four respectively to secure the points. Colin Gibson unfortunately suffered a defeat on board two against Gintare Cross.

The result keeps Macclesfield on four points from three matches, level with leaders Alsager A but having played one more game. With the win, Macclesfield remain well positioned in the division as the season progresses.

Next up for the North Staffs team is a home fixture against Crewe C on Monday 3rd November, where they will be looking to build on this latest away success, and the Macclesfield B team kick off their season on Monday 20th October, where they will be hosting Marple in the SDCL Division three.