Macclesfield Chess Club has had a very good season this year.
1)League
Macclesfield A won the Second Division of the Stockport League
Macclesfield B won the Third Division of the Stockport League
Macclesfield won the President`s Cup trophy in the Stockport League
2)Club
Colin Davison won the Club Championship
Mick Renshaw won the Pomeroy Cup
Tony Brough won the Quickplay tournament
South Potteries Rapidplay
Macclesfield Chess Club got an invitation to play in the South Potteries Rapidplay from the organiser, Steve Emmerton of Fenton Chess Club. Steve said that the numbers were restricted to 20 (small venue) -although 21 seem to have played! Most of the Stoke league clubs were represented.
The time rate for the 6 rounds was 20 minutes plus 10 secs a move and Geoff laurence I started off with 4 straight wins.
His 5th round opponent was Jacob Boswell who was on 3.5 and their game ended in a draw.
This meant Geoff was on 4.5 and Jacob was on 4 going into the final round.
A win in the final round would have sealed victory but Geoff managed to scrape a draw from a game where he was winning for the most part against Martin Frischer - this allowed Jacob to draw level.
There was no cash prize involved - just a trophy - and it had already been announced that 2 ten minute games would constitute a play-off.
Geoff would rather they'd used sum of progressive scores as he managed to lose both play-off games on time - it was too fast for him and too tired after a long day!!
Still the day was very well organised and controlled.
Tony would like to have seen the draws done using software - instantly following the input of results making the gaps between the rounds easy to stick to!
Maybe the ECF could provide some sort of spreadsheet to make things easier for organisers.
Leek rapidplay
In the Leek Rapidplay tournament at King Edward's School Robert Shaw scored four points out of six, including a draw with Grand Master Keith Arkell, in the top section and was adjudged the highest placed Stoke League player on tie break. Tony Soames also finished on four points and, having lost his first two games to players graded over 200 won the fastest finisher prize. Phil Cattermole scored 2.5 points. Denzil Lobo scored four out of six in the second section.
Newscastle Jamboree
Four members of Macclesfield Club, Tony Soames, Colin Davison, John-Paul Taylor and Anthony Brough, went from Macclesfield to compete with seven other teams in the Open section of Martin Harris' smoothly run rapid play tournament.
There were two rounds, with each player having thirty minutes to complete all the moves in each game. In the first round we all demolished the opposition and were thus level with Cheddleton A on four points. In the second round things did not go quite so smoothly and only Colin managed to draw his game. In the final rankings the team came equal third and so shared the 'bronze medal'. As usual all the participants conducted themselves in the best manner, looking to exact revenge for any defeats at the board in the coming season.
Good luck to Colin who is now off to Vienna to take part in a veterans' team championship.