2023-4 Season
Club Championship
23 May 2024. Jo Rastall and Scott Oxtoby played standardplay club championship final at the club HQ St Stephen’s Church Hall. Scott playing black used a Sicilian Defence and Joe responded with the closed variation and advanced his king side pawns. To generate counterplay, Scott made an ill-judged central pawn advance only to find the exchanges unleashed the power of white’s fianchettoed bishop and he lost material and had to concede the game.
9 May 2024. Scott Oxtoby, the higher rated player, won his game against Aiden Griffiths.
28 Mar 2024. The finalists for the club championship were announced. There will be a qualifier match between Scott Oxtoby and Aiden Griffiths scheduled for 9 May the winner of which plays Joe Rastall for the club championship on 23 May.
26 Oct 2023. The first game of the preliminary stage of the championship was played between Joe Rastall and Ray Collett with Joe beating his former coach from junior days.
1 Sep 2023.
All members can participate in this rated tournament with a time control of 45 min + 30 sec. This stage concludes on the 31 March 2024, just before Easter. Entrants can play up to two games with the same opponent, the second game with colours reversed. Games may be played at the club or another mutually agreed venue subject to safeguarding requirements. The controller is Rob Sutton. The four leading players on game points will play in knock-out stage after Easter. Tie-breaks will be resolved by (1) most games played; (2) lowest rated (3); Result of head-to-head encounter; (4) drawing lots. Top four players play in semi-finals to determine finalists in the knock out stage after Easter.
Joe Rastall 2024 Club Rapidplay Champion
15 May 2024. Joe won his Rapidplay semi-final against Chris Lee while Ed Higgs and Rob Sutton were still in battle in the other keenly contested semi-final. Rob eventually won. After a short pause to gain breath, Rob and Joe played the final. It was an even game for long time and they entered a R+P ending where Rob was a pawn down, but had an advancing outside passed pawn. Joe won more pawns and manoevred his king in front of his pawns where it was impossible for Rob to check and promote his pawn.
28 Mar 2024. A further two rapidplay games were played and the finalists have been named. Ed Higgs plays Rob Sutton in the first semi-final and the second semi-final will be played on 16 May between Joe Rastall and Chris Lee.. The winners will play off for the Rapidplay Championship on the same night.
2 Nov 2023. The first game was played between Aiden Griffiths and new member Edward Higgs, who won.
1 Sep 2023.
All members can participate in this rated tournament with a time control of 20 min + 10 sec. This stage concludes on the 31 March 2024, just before Easter. Entrants can play up to two games with the same opponent, the second game with colours reversed. Games may be played at the club or another mutually agreed venue subject to safeguarding requirements. The controller is Rob Sutton. The four leading players on game points will play in knock-out stage after Easter. Tie-breaks will be resolved by (1) most games played; (2) lowest rated (3); Result of head-to-head encounter; (4) drawing lots. Top four players play in semi-finals to determine finalists in the knock out stage after Easter.
Club Lightning Championship
1 Sep. Lightning championship Time control 3min + 2 sec increment from move 1 was played on Thursday 1 February 2024.