Saturday Morning Chess Session

A new Saturday morning chess session will be starting on 25th February at Sandbach Library from 10:00 - 12:30. Contact Nigel Hancock - nigeljhancock55@gmail.com - for further details. 

North Staffs High School Championships.

I have just received the following from Jonathan Blackburn, the County Junior Secretary :

On Wednesday February 15th, Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy will host the North Staffordshire High Schools championships. Currently 11 schools from all around will send teams of 4 (some more than 1 team!) to see who will be crowned Champions. While it is a competitive event, the focus is on continuing to build upon the recent resurgence of chess at this age range, and provide extra-curricular opportunities for the pupils within these chess clubs.

A big thank you goes out to all those teachers giving their time to run these clubs and bring their pupils to the event! As well as to Chess in Schools & Communities who have provided many of the schools with the equipment to run the clubs.

 

Junior Chess Clubs

Junior chess is flourishing in North Staffs and South Cheshire. 

Welsh International FM, Jonathan Blackburn, runs junior clubs at Alsager Cricket Club on Tuesday evenings, from 5:30 - 7:00, and at Newcastle Bridge Club on Thursday evenings from 5:00 - 6:30. 

Chris Hankey runs the Potteries Junior Chess Club at the Gables pub in Blurton on Saturday mornings from 10:00 - 12:00. 

You can contact Jonathan on 07891 600115, or by email - jonathan.blackburn1985@gmail.com

You can contact Chris on 07866 400719, or by email - chrishankey1964@gmail.com

Shropshire Congress 2023

Congratulations to Jonathan Blackburn of Alsager on winning the Open Section at this weekend's Shropshire Congress, with a score of 4.5/5.

Other standout performances were from Carmel Barwick of Crewe, who finished joint 2nd in the Intermediate Section with a score of 4/5. 

Chris Hankey of Fenton was joint 4th in the Major with 3.5/5.

The highest placed NSDCA players in the Minor Section were Nigel Gardner of Crewe and Lea Podmore of Fenton, both finishing joint 6th with scores of 3.5/5.

Very well done to all the other NSDCA players who took part.

The full results can be viewed at www.chess-results.com and searching for Shropshire Congress.

FIDE Laws Of Chess 2023

The FIDE Laws Of Chess have been updated and can be viewed here, or from the link on the left hand side of the page.

Stafford Chess Club - Change Of Venue

Please note that, with effect from 16th December, Stafford Chess Club will be moving to the Burton Manor Sports Association, Stafford, ST18 9AT. Their Club/Match night will be changing from Wednesday to Friday. 

NSDCA UK v NSDCA Europe

The annual UK v Europe match has been provisionally scheduled for Monday 5th June 2023. The match will, hopefully, be played at The Tollgate in Blurton. Can Club Secretaries please forward me the names of anybody who would be interested in playing for the Europe team. That is to say, anybody who is a national of any European country, or who has European heritage. This match was last played as part of the 2018/2019 season, prior to the Covid pandemic, when Europe won by 5.5 - 2.5. You can click here to view the score card from that match - https://ecflms.org.uk/lms/node/23410.

Macclesfield Chess Club - Change Of Venue

Please note that, with immediate effect, Macclesfield will be playing their home matches at the Silk Trader, 37 Brook Street, Macclesfield, SK11 7AD. There is no pub car park, but there is on-street parking on Daintry Street, which is more or less opposite. 

Shropshire Congress

The Shropshire Congress, for those who are interested, is being held in Telford over the weekend of 6th/8th January. Full details can be found here - https://www.shropshirechess.org/shropshire-congress/shropshire-congress-2023/

Missing Clocks

Robert Milner has asked me to post the following:

LOST, STOLEN OR STRAYED

Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 10.45 p.m. on Friday 21^st October at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church, Ostler’s Lane, Cheddleton, ST13 7HS – the home of Cheddleton and Leek Chess Club – in the presence of ten people – a Viso Aluminium Case (cost price unknown, replacement price £82.91) containing ten digital chess clocks (cost price £689, replacement price £549.50) completely vanished.  No-one present seems to have witnessed their departure and no-one saw any other person enter the room from which they went.

Naturally the police have been informed and are looking into this matter and we would just like to warn all other clubs to take extra special care of their equipment in the light of this happening. If anyone anywhere can shed any light on this event or the present whereabouts of any of the eleven items described above, their devoted but grieving owners would be delighted to hear through Robert Milner (email windycheddleton@gmail.com) on their behalf.

Robert Milner