A Season of Fine Margins — and a Trophy to Show for It

The 2025–26 season has drawn to a close, and what a campaign it proved to be. There were near misses aplenty in the leagues, a heart-stopping cup triumph, and the club secretary claiming the biggest internal prize of all. Macclesfield Chess Club bows out for the summer with silverware in the cabinet and plenty to reflect on.

In the Leagues

Macclesfield A could not quite carry their bright early-season form through to the finish, eventually placing 4th of five in Division 1 of the Stockport & District Chess League. It was a tighter affair than the final table suggests, with the side doing just enough to steer clear of relegation — survival secured, if not the heights once hoped for.

Down in Division 3, Macclesfield B enjoyed a thoroughly competitive campaign, finishing comfortably mid-table in a division where very little separated the pack.

Over in the North Staffordshire & District Chess Association, the Macclesfield side went agonisingly close to the Division 1 title. A third-place finish hardly tells the story: the team ended level on points with runners-up Crewe A and just three points adrift of champions Alsager A. A handful of half-points here or there across the season, and the trophy might well have been heading back to the Queen's Hotel.

Cup Runs

There was cup drama in abundance. In the Charnley Cup, the Stockport league's knockout competition, Macclesfield A battled through to the final but came up just short against a strong Eccles outfit.

The sweetest moment of the season, though, belonged to the club's under-1850 side, who lifted the Geoff Laurence Trophy in the Stockport league — a new competition established in memory of the late Geoff Laurence, which lent the win an extra measure of meaning. The final against Northenden could scarcely have been closer, finishing all square at 2½–2½. Anthony Brough and Joachim Trier won their games and Connor Greenwood held firm for a draw, while John-Paul Taylor and Tom Moitié were edged out by Ethan Parker and Jim Morris respectively.

With the match deadlocked, it all came down to the last game on the clocks. The 1726-rated Joachim Trier conjured a stunning cross-pin to bring home the point that levelled the scores — and with the tie resolved by bottom-board elimination, it was Macclesfield who emerged victorious. A nerve-shredding way to win a trophy, but they all count just the same!

Internal Competitions

Congratulations go to club secretary Chris Riley, who added the Club Championship to his collection. The club's top-rated player on a standard rating of 2053, Chris proved a class apart in Macclesfield's premier classical event.

The remaining silverware is still to be decided. The Pomeroy Cup awaits its final results before a winner can be crowned, while the Laurence Cup is set to run on into September. The club's late-season rapidplay event — formerly the Secretary's Quickplay — now carries the name of the late Geoff Laurence, this being the first running under his name.

Through the Summer and Beyond

Although the competitive season is over, the chess certainly isn't. The club will keep its doors open through the summer for casual and friendly games — the perfect chance to try out a new opening or two away from the pressure of the league table.

Macclesfield Chess Club will then officially reopen on the first Monday of September for the AGM, with a fresh season of competition to follow. New and returning faces are always welcome. See you there!