| 23 Aug. GM Arkell second in Vienna Open. Arkell finished on 7½ points along with five others in the Vienna Open and was placed second on tie-break behind the 16-year-old non-GM winner on tie-break. The open included 20 GMs and 70 other titled players. See a smiling Keith with his trophy and further details. |
| 9 Aug. Bewdley St Annes Chess Club raises over £250 for Bewdley Community Helpline. At the second Bewdley rapidplay touranment at Wribbenhall Parish Rooms for social, junior and competition players. Joseph Friar (6/6) won the Bewdlely Championship, Jame Friar was best Bewdley player, David Spowart (Redditch) was best player from outside Bewdley, James Partridge best Junior, and Liz Littleford was best female player. Dylan Bold, Gary Mayner and David Waud won prizes for ungraded players. |
| 9 Aug, reported by ECF website. Worcesters at the British. Stephen Crockett (Redditch) won the u125 Rapidplay and the u125 weekender in which another Worcester player Arnold Kirkland (Droitwich) shared third place. and GM Kieth Arkell (Stourbridge) was second in the Blitz with 8½ points. Richard Leaper (Mutual Circle) won a grading prize. Dan Lambourne (Redditch) scored a very respectable 5½ points in the Open Rapidplay and 6½ points in the Open Blitz. Other county players competing at Warwick were: John Edge (Halesowen) in the Championship who scored a very creditable 4 points; Peter Banks (Halesowen) in the Over-50; Colin Vernon (Worcester) in the u140 and a weekender; Giles Stanton and Kevin Day (Both Redditch) in a weekender. |
| 21 Jul reported by Stewart Fishburne. Sabrina Chavannes simul at Halesowen. England internayional player Sabrina took on 15 members of Halesowen club. Adrian Priest was the only member to win with Chevannes winning eleven games and drawing three against Dale Jackson, Maureen Clark and Stewart Fishburne. |
8 Jul, Stewart Fishburn reports. Stourbridge win local Derby. In the Tony Evers match, Stourbridge ran out victors 7 - 5 against Halesowen.
7 Jul, Stewart Fishburne reports. John and Adrian lightning fast.
At the annual Halesowen speed 'buzzer' tournament, John Edge and Adrian Priest shared first with 4 ponts from 5 games. |
| 4 Jul. Ray Collett wins Droitwich Summer Tournament. Droitwich celebrated summer with a small rapidplay handicap tournament hosted at Hawford Bridge by Janet and Terry Radford. After alfresco dining, the evenyual winner started uncertainly with a lucky win after blundering the exchange. The key game between leaders Ray and and Arnold Kirkland ended in a drawn king and pawn ending allowing Ray to take first place with 11 points. Arnold Kirkland was 2nd on 10 points and Bill Watson 3rd on 9 points. |
| 8 Jun, Stewart Fishburne reports. New BDCL President. Malcolm Hunt (Halesowen) was elected President of Birmingham & District Chess League at the league's agm. |
| 5 Jun. Jim Friar (Hagley) wins Worcester & District League's Bennett Cup at third attempt. |
| 28 May. Worcester City club's 180th annual meeting. Andrew Farthing stood down from the secretary's post and is succeded by Ray Collett. Members agreed to field one team each in County Division I (City), District Division 1 (Bishops) and District Division 2 (Pawns). Two new captains were elected: Jim Keene to captain Worcester Bishops and Colin Vernon to captain the Knockout team. |
| 25 May, Colin Vernon reports. County players at Gloucester Congress. Steve (Redditch) scored 5½ points to win the under-125 Cotswold Tournament at Gloucester. Andrew Farthing comtrolled one of the sections. |
| 17 May, ECForum reports. Redditch player wins minor at Rhyl. Steve Crockett (Redditch) scored 4½ points. |
| 17 May, ECF website and Stewart Fishburne report. County players qualify for the British. Jeremy Fallowfield (Stourbridge) shared third place in the Frome Open and qualified for entry into the British while John Edge (Halesowen) was nominated by Birmingham & DCL. |
| 16 May. County thrashed by Suffolk. Worcestershire were soundly beated 3-13 by Suffolk in the National Quarter Final Minor Counties match at the Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks. Match details are on the ECF website. |
| 15 May. Olton Chess Club join County League. At the annual meeting, held at Worcester Olton were admitted to the county league. The meeting also recommended purchase of digital clocks for county play. Officers were re-elected except Andrew Farthing stepped down from his role as secretary and ECF delegate. Paul Sharratt (Stourbridge) takes over as ECF delegate. The post of secretary is vacant and interested players should contact President, Peter Kitson. |
| 14 May. Warley Dudley League Champions. In an exciting match with a surprise result on board 1, Warley beat Stourbridge to take the League Championship by tie break having won one and drawn against Rushall. Read more... |
| 11 May, ECF website reports. Keith Arkell (Stourbridge) won bronze in the over 50 European Senior Cahmpionships in Greece with 6 points from 9 games. Jon Nunn (ENG) was in silver position and Zurab Sturua (GEO), current World Seniors Champion, won gold. |
| 9 May, Stewart Fisburne reports. Logan Gregory won the Reg Beasley Trophy with highest ever percentage. |
| 29 Apr, Stewart Fishburne reports. Tony Taylor wins BDCL Div 6 individual trophy. In the all-Halesowen BDCL Divison 6 individual final, Tony Taylor prevailed over Andrew Field. |
| 26 Apr, Stewart Fishburne reports. John Edge has won the BDCL division 1 individual championship for, it is believed, the seventh time and is now only one win behind BH Wood's all time record of eight wins. |
| 26 Apr, Stewart Fishburne reports. Halesowen BDCL division 3 team have gained proomotion to division 2 next year. Congratulations to captain, Windsor Peck. |
| 21 Apr. Shirley & Wythall win KO team Cup. Shirley & Wythall, last year's losing finalists, made sure of the trophy this year with a 3-2¾ win over Worcester in the final played at Greenlands. Use the KO Cup menu tab for full results. |
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| 20 Apr, Alex Holowczak reports. Consultations on county match arrangements. Alex, as ECF Director for Home Chess has invited comments whether the ECF should seek entries directly from county teams rather than the current situation where chess unions such as the MCCU nominate teams in most cases after a regional competition. Read more on the ECF Forum. |
| 15 Apr, Halesowen website reports. Stourbridge win Humphries Cup final against local rivals Halesowen in the Wolverhampton & District Chess League. |
| 12 Apr. Redditch team wins plate at national Club Championships. Redditch I team won the plate in the Intermediate tournament. Redditch II team were 5th in Minor tournament held at Birmingham Airport Hotel. Picture: Dave Thomas. |
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| 6 Apr. Keith Arkell first at West of England Congress. Keith (Stourport) scored 6½ points in the seven-round event at Exmouth. |
| 27 Mar. Halesowen bags second pot. The Halesowen team in Dudley & District Division 3 has won the Division championship. |
| 21 Mar. Halesowen regain League Championship from Malvern. With Hagley unable to fulfil their remaining fixtures against both leading teams, Halesowen remain leaders and are now champions. See League site for more details. |
| 8 Mar. Keith Arkell, Stourbridge's GM, joint first in Blackpool congress with 4½ points. |
| 7 Mar. Midlander helps Cambridge draw 133rd 'varsity match. Richard Weaving (ex Solihull, Warks) won his game on board 3 |
| 21 Feb. County team go down to Lincolnshire. In the Midland counties' final, Worcs lost 7½-8½. |
| 11 Feb. Jon Asbury (Halesowen) shares second prize in the Kidlington under-145 tournament. |
| 1 Feb. Steve Crockett wins minor tournament sharing with five other players in the 4NCL congress at Birmingham. The Open was won by Uzbekistan GM Johongir Vakhidov. |
| 25 Jan. Steve Crockett (Redditch) wins Nottingham Rapidplay Minor tournament. |
| 24 Jan. Worcestershire beat Leicestershire 8½ - 7½ at home in the Midlands Inter-zonal semi-final for the Midland Counties' Team Championship. The under-120 team lost to Staffordshire 5 - 7. |
| 8 Nov. Worcestershire draw 8-8 with Greater Manchester on the West Zone in the Midlands County Team Championship. |
| 5 Nov. King Edward IV Camp Hil School, Birmingham won the West Midlands Regional Final of the ECF Team Chess Challenge. Their B team came second and King Edward School, Edgbaston, Birmingham picked up bronze. Fourteen teams competed and Alex Holowczak was arbiter. |
| 4 Nov. Former Droitwich player shares first place in World Seniors. GM Keith Arkell drew his final round game this afternoon to secore shared first place with Sturua at Katerini, Greece. Both players have 8½ points from their 11 games. We await results of other final round games to work out tie break. See congress website. |
| 3 Nov. Stan Hales bequest allows free membership at Hagley Chess Club. The club offers all members play in internal tournaments, free refreshments, and eligibility for selection to the club's teams in the Worcestershire League. |
| 25 Oct. Worcestershire beat Warwickshire 10½-5½ to achieve best county team result since 2009. |
| 12 Oct. Worcs CA secretary receives national chess award. At the annual meeting of the English Chess Federation, Andrew Farthing was appointed an honorary Life Vice-President of the ECF. |
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| 9 Oct. The draw for the 2014-5 Knock out cup has been made. |
| 4 Oct. Worcestershire u120 team back on track. In the first county match this season we held Lincolnshire, a team we lost to heavily last season, to a 6-6 draw. David Smith (Redditch) and Maureen Clark (Halesowen) won on boards 1 and 2. |
| 7 Sep. Worcestershire Winners at Coulsdon. Steve Crockett (Redditch) won the u130 tournament and Colin Vernon (Worcester) a grading prize. |
| 28 Aug. Maurice Bissell Life Vice-President. For oustanding services to Worcestershire Chess as honoray secretary of the Association, captain of the Worcestershire first team, senior offer of Kidderminster Club and honorary secretary for the Worcester & District League - all for many years - Maurice was nominated with acclaim at the Executive meeting. Maurice has combined his organisational roles with a high class of over-the-board play, having been county champion and played board 1 in the county team. |
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| 28 Aug. The Worcs CA Executive meeting and Worcs League Fixtures meeting was held on Thursday 28 August at St Stephen's Church Hall, Worcester. Members confirmed entries for MCCU County teams in the Minor and u120 competitions: it was also decided to enter the u180 competition if Warwickshire are the only other entry. |
| For older news items, see 2013-4 season page. |
