Macclesfield March into Charnley Cup Semi-Finals

Macclesfield secured their place in the semi-finals of the Stockport & District Chess League Charnley Cup with a convincing 4-2 victory over Wilmslow at The Queen's Hotel on 8th December. The win sets up a semi-final clash away at Stockport, with the date to be confirmed.

The match began with early setbacks for the home side as Carl Gartside on board three and chairman Anthony Brough on board five both suffered defeats, leaving Macclesfield trailing 0-2. Carl's game against David Mowat finished first, followed shortly by Ant's loss to Dylan Prothero. Ant reflected on his game: "I unfortunately let my b pawn go to his queen thinking that I had a good knight attack on the other side of the board but alas it didn't come to fruition and once Dylan had covered this attack he systematically ground out a route to my king and won a rook."

However, the tide turned when Joachim Trier (1734) struck back on board six against Ernie Chiu. Playing a Queen's Indian Defence, Joachim gained a pawn advantage in the opening and showcased his endgame technique. "I managed to win a pawn during a Queen's Indian opening and could converted it in a not too difficult endgame after all the pieces were traded off," he explained. With the score at 1-2, momentum shifted decisively in Macclesfield's favour.

The final three games concluded in quick succession, all going Macclesfield's way. On board one, club secretary Chris Riley (2076) demonstrated his class with a commanding performance against Michael Lamb. Riley controlled the centre from the opening, creating a dangerous passed d-pawn that tied up his opponent's pieces. "I pushed it forward tangling up my opponent's pieces. Then a couple of tactics using my advanced pawn on the 7th lead to me winning a piece and my opponent resigned," Chris noted.

Colin Gibson (1937) secured a crucial point on board two against Kevin Moran in what appeared an evenly balanced contest for much of the game. "Fairly tight/even for the first 20 or so moves then he made some errors that first dropped a pawn and then allowed me to trade down eventually to an easily won pawn ending," Colin reported.

The match's most dramatic encounter came on board four where Phil Cattermole (1785) earned himself the nickname "Houdini" with a remarkable escape against Mustafa Merchant. Facing a Marozy Bind against his Accelerated Dragon, Phil found himself in what looked like a resignable position as his opponent skillfully increased the pressure. But chess has a way of rewarding those who fight on. "With the last throw of the dice I made a bluff and a threat, and he suddenly started playing more defensively, and then mistakenly trapped his bishop offside by advancing a pawn," Phil explained. The material swing proved decisive as Phil coordinated his Queen, Rook and Dragon Bishop to attack the exposed white King. "Very fortunate indeed!" he added modestly.

Charnley Cup Quarter-Final Result:

Macclesfield 4-2 Wilmslow

Board 1: Chris Riley (2076) 1-0 Michael Lamb (2057)

Board 2: Colin Gibson (1937) 1-0 Kevin Moran (1901)

Board 3: Carl Gartside (1770) 0-1 David Mowat (1691)

Board 4: Phil Cattermole (1785) 1-0 Mustafa Merchant (1661)

Board 5: Anthony Brough (1746) 0-1 Dylan Prothero (1592)

Board 6: Joachim Trier (1734) 1-0 Ernie Chiu (1465)

Pomeroy Cup Update

The same evening also saw two crucial Pomeroy Cup matches played at The Queen's Hotel. Tom Moitié strengthened his position at the top of the table with a victory over Marcus Fothergill, whilst Connor Greenwood kept pace with the leader by defeating David Waterson.

Tom's win over Marcus was particularly significant, extending his lead at the summit. With four wins from five games, Tom now sits on four points, a full point clear of Connor Greenwood who maintains a perfect record of three wins from three games. However, Connor's 100% record and two games in hand mean his momentum poses a significant threat to Tom's position at the top. The result leaves Marcus in third place on 2.5 points from four games, followed by Jenny Gartside also on 2.5 points from five matches, with Jake Darlington on one point from three games.