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.