2016-7 Season News
Phil Smith wins Worcestershire chess title21 Aug. At the Worcestershire Closed Congress, Phil Smith won the Worcestershire Veteran's championship scoring 2½ points. Three City club players, including new members Alistair Macnaughton, and Ben Fuller tied for 2nd place on 3 points with Peter Kitson in the overall championship. The 2017 County champion is Kevin Hurney of Greenlands club. |
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Worcester Festival chess
17 Aug. The annual charity collection at King Charles House by members of the City chess club for Maggs Day Centre collected over £90 for the homeless and socially isolated.
Peter Kitson highest graded Worcester City player
29 Jul. In the new ECF grading list Kitson remains the higest graded of Worcester players and is followed by Stephen Mellor, and Nick Harris. Phil Smith gained the most in the last six months going up 7 points.
Few changes at 182nd Annual Meeting
25 May. Senior officers were re-elected: Andrew Farthing, President; hon Secretary and Treasurer, Ray Collett and Stepehen Mellor (City), Jim Keene (Bishops), Roger Yates (Pawns) and John Hesketh (KO) were elected team captains. the 2018 club champion was Nick Harris; Summer chess during the summer of 2018 was at the Paul Pry.
Champion retains City title11 & 15 May. The defending champion, Nick Harris, and challenger, Ray Collett played the first game at the club on 11 May. Playing white, Nick faced a King's Indian Defence. In a typically complex Indian middlegame, Nick gained an advantage in space and just before the first time control, Ray made what should have been a fatal error, but short of time, Nick allowed black to escape. The players agreed a draw in the closing minutes of the playing session. The second decisive game was played at Droitwich on 15 May. Ray played with the white pieces and Nick defended the black side of a Closed Ruy Lopez. Like the first game, there was a complex middlegame position, but it was hard for either player to formulate a strategy. Also, echoing the first game, Ray made an error just before the time control and Nick took control of the position. As the miutes ticked away, Ray tried a desperate sacrifice, but it was easily parried and Nick won with just over a minute left on his clock. |
 Nick, Worcester City Chess Champion 2017 |
Worcester Bishops win Worcester & District League Championship
5 Apr. The Bishops team rounded off its league triumph with an away 3½ -½ victory over Kidderminster Rooks. Jim Keene skippered the team . The last time the Bishops won the league was in 2013.
Losses for City team
30 Mar. A tough home match against Olton was in the balance until Worcester's captain on board 2 ran out of time in a complex late middlegame position. Kitson on board 1 won again on board 1.
24 Mar. City fielded a weakened team a man down in their away match against Malvern and lost 2-4. Peter Kitson won his game on board 1 and new player Robert Smolka on board 3 playing the county champion had a good position during most of the middle game before shedding pawns at the end. Closure of the M6 prevented the captain returning from his work in Manchester and it was too late to contact another player.
Worcester Bishops top District league
23 Mar. Worcester Bishops beat Kidderminster Rooks. David Roberts and Rob Sutton won their games. If the Bishops win their next match, scheduled for 5 April, they win the District League.8 Mar. Bishops team draws 2 – 2 away to Kidderminster Knights in the District league to remain top of the table
Worcester knocked out of Wheatley Cup
27 Feb. Colin Vernon's team faced a much strengthened Droitwich team in their cup quarter final and went down 4-1.
Bishops team top District league
24 Feb. Worcester Bishops beat Malvern 2½-1½ playing aaway to take top slot in the league.
Ken Tyson17 Feb. Kenneth J Tyson 1927 – 2017. Ken Tyson passed away peacefully on 17 February. Ken was a stalwart member of the club for a quarter of a century. He was President of the City club 1998-2000 and was captain or vice-captain of one of the club’s teams continuously between 1974 and 1989. Ken was also a regular member of the county correspondence team. Over-the-board in 1976, he won the prize for the most improved Worcester club player. He also won the Worcester all-play-all competition three times, and was twice awarded the prize for best results in league matches. Outside of chess, he was head teacher of Bishop Perowne’s School and author of a small volume of poetry. The funeral was held at 1pm, Mon 13 March at St Stephen’s Church. The club sends its condolences to his wife, Joan, and sons Andrew and Michael. |
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New grades published
1 Feb. Junior player Joe Rastall comes in at 126. Gaining a point or more were: Peter Kitson, David Roberts, Phillip Smith, Stephen Alaric, and Roger Yates.
Collett unexpected winner of Blitz
26 Jan. At the Annual Blitz tournament Ray Collett was first on 8/9 points losing only to Jim Keene. Placed second to fourth were Stephen Mellor, Jim Keene and David Roberts. The tournament was controlled by Andrew Farthing. New members Robin Hayles and Robert Smolka scored 3 and 4 points respectively.
City team lose at Kidderminster
18 Jan. With a less-than-full-strength team, the City team lost 2½ - 3½ in their away match in the county league Division 1.
Pawns beat Greenlands away
10 Jan. Worcester Pawns won 3 - 1 in their away fixture at Longbridge in the Worcester & District League Division 2. Worcester's winners were Rob Sutton and Roger Yates.
Collett and Harris lead the charge
3 Dec. After the first eight games in the club championship, Nick Harris, 2016 champion, is closing in on Ray Collett on 4 points.
Bishops team beat Malvern
24 Nov. Two equally matched teams met and Worcester Bishops ran out the victors 3-1 to go top of the Worcester & District Chess league. Redditch A are second in the table, but have played one more match.
Worcester Pawns draw with Redditch B
22 Nov. Redditch turned out a strong team to meet the pawns in the away fixture at Redditch. The draw was clinched by Collett after his opponent sliped in an ending with bishops of opposite colours by allowing the bishop to sacrifice itself for his opponent's two remaining pawns. This result takes the Pawns team to the top of the District League's Division 2 table, but Stourbridge are only one point behind and with a match in hand.
City team lose to Kidderminster
17 Nov. Worcester were 1-4 down at the end of the first session of play. Collett has an advantage in his adjourned game with Chester on board 5.
City team beat Olton
25 & 4 Oct. Rob Sutton sealed the team's win by drawing on resumption of his adjourned gameIn their first home match, with Olton in Division 1 of the county league, Worcester are ahead 3 - 2 with Rob Sutton's game scheduled for a second session on 25 October. Captain Stephen Mellor on board 2 and Ray Collett on board 4 won their games.
Double win over Redditch
13 & 18 Oct. In back-to-bak fixtures the Bishops team beat Redditch A 2½ - 1½ at home in the first match and 3 - 1 away in the second in the District league.
Pawns chalk up second win
10 Oct. In their away District Division 2 match, the Pawns beat Droitwich 3½ - ½ 6 Oct. In their second match the Pawns drew at home with Stourbridge.
Nick Harris is 2016 Club Champion
6 Oct. The 2015-6 season was wrapped up after delays caused by holdays and illness. The first game between Nick Harris and Alaric Stephen was played on 5 September and was drawn. The play-off, was scheduled for late September but was called off because of illness of one of the finalists. At the re-scheduled date on 6 October, veteran player Nick Harris beat former Worcestershire Junior champion Alaric Stephen to win the 2016 championship. Nick Harris said: “I’m very pleased to be champion at the age of 79. The final replay was a tense game. I had to fight hard against a strong attack by my rapidly improving opponent, who slipped up only late in the contest.”
Pawns beat Mercia on night with two home matches
29 Sep. In the first home match of the season, Worcester Pawns notched up the first win beating Mercia 2½ - 1½. The Bishops team had a delayed start because of traffic jams in town and the team made a late substitution to on board 4 to earn junior Joe Rastall (Worcester Sixth Form College) his first 'cap' in division 1. The Bishops lost 1½ - 2½ to Kidderminster Knights setting back their hopes to win the District League championship this season.
City team draw with Halesowen
13 Sep. In their first outing in the County league this season, Worcester drew 3-3 with a higher graded Halesowen team. Only two games were decisive with Alaric Stephen on board 5 being the Worcester victor. Worcester were perhaps fortunate that Halesowen's captain was unable to play. For details of the match visit Worcestershire Chess League website.
Start of the new chess season
1 Sep. The club's now back in its Winter HQ at St Stephen's Church Hall. Nick Harris and Alaric Stephen played in the 2016 club championship final, but their first game was a draw. The second game was planned for 15 September but one of the finalists was ill. New Grades published: Alaric makes big gain 24 Jul, Andrew Farthing reports.Peter Kitson 178 (+3) Nick Harris 167 (+4) Steve Mellor 166 (-9) Jim Keene 160 (+1) David Roberts 150 (-3) Ray Collett 144 (+2) Alaric Stephen 139 (+13) Rob Sutton 127 (-2) Phil Smith 108 (-5) Colin Vernon 106 (+1) Roger Yates 95 (+5) John Hesketh 80 (-3). For other county players' grades vist the ECF grading database.
2016 AGM
26 May. The following senior officers were elected: David Robert (President); Ray Collett (hon Secretary and Treasurer), Stephen Mellor (City team captain); Jim Keene Bishops team captain); Roger yates (Pawns team captain); and Colin Vernon (KO team captain).