SHREWSBURY CHRONICLE
Read Peter Kitchen's Column in the weekly Shrewsbury Chronicle for the latest local Chess news.
Also occasional articles in the South Shropshire Journal including Church Stretton and Ludlow
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Shrewsbury take derby spoils - 25/02/2010
An uncharacteristic blunder from Telepost A captain Richard Bryant helped Shrewsbury A come from behind to win the town derby in division one of the Shropshire Chess League.
With his side ahead thanks to Dave Bates's win over Steve Rooney, Bryant held a dominant position over Peter Kitchen on board two. But he lost his queen after a tactical error and, despite only having five minutes thinking time left, Kitchen made the most of his reprieve to win. That saw the match swing  in Shrewsbury's favour. David Everington played a superb ending to beat Nigel Ferrington on top board and Francis Best beat John Bashall on board four as the hosts won 3.5-1.5. Ray Cox and Keith Tabner had shared the spoils on bottom board. While Telepost remain on course for the title, Shrewsbury have moved into the top half but are only a point off the bottom in an incredibly tight relegation battle.
Bryant's slip marked a difficult weekend – he went on to lose matches on the next two days while on duty for Guildford II in the top flight of the Four Nations League.
He said: “I've had nightmares about that mistake, but the good news is Wellington lost too and our last three games are against teams down at the bottom so it's still very much in our hands. “I ended up playing in division one of the national league for Guildford. I lost on the Saturday after six hours and then got beat by international master Andrew Martin on the Sunday. My camper van got stuck in the snow on Sunday morning too and I had to get towed out!”
Shrewsbury Juniors, meanwhile, beat Telepost C 3.5-1.5 in division three. Ian Davies beat Charles Micallef on top board and although Francis Rooney lost to Vinnie Crean on board two, victories for Matt Best and Henry Graham made the difference while Chris Lovejoy drew with Maisy Pugh.
Telepost B go top - 18/02/2010
Telepost B moved back to the top of  the Shropshire Chess League second division with a 4.5-0.5 rout of Church Stretton.
The win moved Peter Crean's side back above town rivals Shrewsbury B and kept them a point clear of fellow title challengers Coddon B. John Westhead and Steve Rooney drew on top board but Telepost took control thanks to wins for debutant Phillip Zabrocki against Graham Shepherd and for Bob Simpson against Francis Rooney. Stretton were forced to default board four and Steve Kempsell beat Chris Pimm Jones on bottom board.
Telepost could extend their lead at the top this week when they host Shifnal and Telford C.
Meanwhile, the town's two strongest sides meet in a division one derby tomorrow (Friday) with both teams needing the points for very different reasons.
A win for champions-elect Telepost A would complete a double over Shrewsbury A and would pile the pressure on nearest challengers Wellington A. But fifth placed Shrewsbury need the points to climb clear of the relegation zone, and are only separated from all other clubs in the bottom half on points difference.

Beware Shrews that bite - 11/02/2010
Shrewsbury A have moved out of the Shropshire Chess League division one relegation zone after a convincing 4-1 win away to Shifnal and Telford B.
David Everington's side gained revenge for defeat to their hosts earlier in the season and have moved up to fifth in the table. It's also the first time Shrewsbury have beaten any team they have faced at full strength all season. But they still remain in the thick of a survival dogfight as all four teams in the bottom half of the division are on seven points, although Shrewsbury do have a game in hand over some of their rivals.
The future of the two Shifnal and Telford teams also remains uncertain, with the B team having now lost three straight games while the A team was forced to concede their match with league leaders Telepost A 5-0 after failing to raise a team. It means Shrewsbury go into the big town derby at home to Telepost next week with renewed confidence after two straight wins.
Steve Rooney gave Shrewsbury the lead after making an aggressive attack work against Gareth Edwards on board three, while Peter Kitchen drew with Glyn Randle on board two after enjoying the better of the game but failing to break down his opponent's stubborn defence. Francis Best came up with a neat tactical finish to beat Richard Thompson on board four to seal the match, and Ray Cox drew with Stefan Tennant on bottom board. Everington gave the scoreline a flourish with a well played ending to beat Geoff Lee on top board.
Everington said: “I'm delighted we got the win that takes us out of the relegation zone. It's all down to our points difference – when we win we win big. “Francis is having a great season for us and he came up with a great finish to win again – he has been tremendous.”
Telepost A remain three points clear at the top the table, with Wellington A now the only team realistically able to catch them.
Town teams lead the way in division two – but Shrewsbury B have overtaken Telepost B at the top after a 3-2 win at mid table Church Stretton.
Despite missing top two boards Mark Smith and Norman O'Connor, Shrewsbury won the match on the bottom boards thanks to wins for captain Dan Lockett, Ivor Salter and Matt Best. Stretton's victories came for Gerald Link over Andrew Lewis on top board and for Graham Shepherd over Ian Davies on board two.
Telepost B are level on points with Shrewsbury with a game in hand while Coddon B also have a game in hand on the leaders and are only a point adrift.
In division three Telepost C have capped a fairytale run by moving into the division's promotion places. The Abbey Foregate side, expected to struggle at the bottom of the table at the start of the season, picked up their fifth win in six games by beating Ludlow B 3.5-1.5. They are level on points with Shifnal and Telford D, who do have three games in hand. Telepost were given a 1-0 lead thanks to a top board default by the visitors, and wins for Maisy Pugh and Adrian Bowyer on the bottom two boards saw them home. Vinnie Crean drew with Ian Templeton on board two and captain John Casewell lost on board three.

Rooney flies in – and helps inspire big win - 28/01/2010
Shrewbury A's Steve Rooney made a frantic journey across Europe to make his side's crunch Shropshire Chess League relegation clash with Oswestry A – and helped them to a big victory that saw them climb off the foot of the division one table.
Rooney arrived back from a business trip to Portugal just moments before the start of the match having driven directly from Heathrow Airport. And he then won against Gareth Hampson on board three as his side defeated their under-strength visitors 5-0.
It was only Shrewsbury's second win of the season – both of them whitewashes. But, despite missing three first choice players, Oswestry made their opponents work hard on the top two boards, with David Everington fortunate to beat Brian Whyte on time having been losing for most of the game on top board. Peter Kitchen missed a forced win after only 15 moves against Ashley Peile on board two, only to then also slip into a completely lost ending. But he was also rescued by the clock as Peile lost on time in a complicated king and pawn ending, having turned down a draw offer minutes before.
Francis Best won on board four and Ray Cox picked up his first win of the season on bottom board against Alf Evans, having drawn all four of his previous games.
Captain Everington said: “Oswestry were very unlucky with the scoreline. While our bottom three boards won well it really should have finished 3-2. In a sense Peter was unlucky to miss a winning line early on but then very lucky that his opponent lost on time. Steve came to the match directly from Heathrow and I was really pleased for him to win after his journey. I was also pleased for Ray Cox, who is undefeated this season but has had a series of draws.”

Telepost A remain top of the pile after a 3-2 win over Coddon A – but only after the match ended in farcical circumstances.
Telepost captain Richard Bryant thought he had lost on time to Andy Tunks in the final game to finish on board two. But it then transpired that Tunks's flag had also fallen, and with no-one having seen whose flag had fallen first the game was declared a draw, handing Telepost a narrow win.
A mix-up over lifts meant bottom board Steve Kempsell was unable to show up, handing Coddon a default win. But John Bashall beat John Tunks on board four and Keith Tabner picked up a notable win against Nathanael Paul on board three to give Telepost the edge. Top board Nigel Ferrington drew with Glyn Pugh.

In division three, Shrewsbury Juniors have risen to third after a 3.5-1.5 win over Ludlow B. The Juniors were handed the lead through a bottom board default and wins for Chris Lovejoy and Matt Best on boards three and four sealed the win. Francis Rooney lost on board two and Ian Davies drew his game on top board.
Telepost C's three-match winning streak came to an abrupt halt as they were well beaten 4.5-0.5 by Shifnal and Telford D. Maisy Pugh's draw on board four saved the visitors from a whitewash defeat, although John Casewell's side remain on course for a comfortable mid-table position.

Chess resumes after the Christmas break - 07/01/2010
Budding young chess players got the chance to watch some of the world's greatest players in action over the board after a delegation from the county travelled to the London Chess Classic.
Steve Rooney and Francis Best, who both play for Shrewsbury and organise junior chess in the county, took a host of youngsters to the event including their sons Francis Rooney and Matt Best. While a number of junior players took part in graded events with success, the two father and son pairs got to watch players such as world No 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway, former world champion Vladimir Kramnik and English duo Nigel Short and Michael Adams. They also got to hear some of the players analysing their own games in post- match sessions as part of the day.
Steve Rooney said: “The speed with which these guys see things has to be seen to be believed. “It was very exhausting just listening and makes you wonder whether these super GMs are actually human or some kind of higher level species. “All in all it was a fantastic event.”
Meanwhile Shropshire League action resumes this week after the Christmas break, with the town's top two sides hoping to start 2010 strongly for very different reasons.
Telepost A were due to host mid-table Wellington A looking to avenge an opening day defeat – their only loss of the season so far. Richard Bryant's side have won all six fixtures since then and will be looking to build on their three- point cushion at the top of division one.
Shrewsbury A face a crunch relegation battle away to Newport A tonight (Thursday) as they look to climb off the foot of the table. A victory would see Shrewsbury move above their opponents but defeat against a Newport side likely to be bolstered by some of the county's strongest players, on holiday from university, would leave them well adrift of the rest of the field. Captain David Everington will be without Steve Rooney due to his commitments for Church Stretton but otherwise has no selection headaches.
In division two Telepost B are looking to extend their three-point  lead at the top of the table away to rock bottom Newport B. Church Stretton face a challenging home tie against second in the table Coddon B while Shrewsbury B have no game.
In division three Telepost C go in search of their fourth straight win, against runaway leaders Oswestry B. John Casewell's team had gone almost two years without a win but their superb run – which has seen them beat Shrewsbury Juniors, Wellington B and Newport Juniors – has catapulted them to third in the table. The fine form of Vincent Crean and Maisy Pugh contributed greatly to the side's pre-Christmas run and it looks like the team – who as recently as four years ago were topping division two – could make a strong challenge for a top half finish.
Shrewsbury Juniors will be looking to build on their mid-table position when they host Shifnal and Telford D. The visitors lie fourth in the table but have up to two games in hand on teams around them and are serious promotion contenders.
Meanwhile, players from across the county and beyond will be gathering for the Wrekin Congress at Madeley Court Centre in Telford this weekend. There will be premier, major and minor sections for players of all standards. For more details call Richard Thompson on 07850 375826.
Stretton lose top spot as Telepost make the most of slip - 10/12/2009
Church Stretton have lost top spot in division two of the Shropshire Chess League – with their four- match unbeaten run ended by a big 4-1 defeat at struggling Shifnal and Telford C.
Captain Steve Rooney's 13-move win over Windsor Peck on top board was the only bright spot for Stretton, who suffered losses for Gerald Link, Graham Shepherd and Chris Pimm-Jones. A bottom board default added gloss to the home side's victory. Shifnal and Telford had only picked up one point all season before the match and the result leaves Stretton looking nervously over their shoulders in their bid to hold onto second spot, with both Shrewsbury B and Coddon B having a game in hand.
Rooney said: “The result was certainly against the run of form – even with four players we felt we might be able to get something out of the game but it just drifted away from us. It's a shame because it's our last match before Christmas and we'll have to wait until January for the chance to put things right.”
Telepost B took full advantage to reclaim top spot with a 3-2 win at Ludlow A, leaving them two points clear of Stretton also having played a game fewer.John Westhead lost to Ben Nickson on top board but wins for father and son duo Peter and Vinnie Crean and draws for Steve Kempsell and John Casewell saw Telepost home.
Shrewsbury B moved up to third place with an important 3-2 win at fellow promotion contenders Coddon B. Captain Dan Lockett and Ivor Salter picked up crucial wins on the bottom two boards, which proved enough thanks to draws for Norman O'Connor and Ian Davies on the top two. Andrew Lewis lost to Nathanael Paul on board three.
In division three Telepost C came out on top in the town derby against Shrewsbury Juniors, prevailing 3.5-1.5 to claim their first win of the season. Vinnie Crean beat Francis Rooney on board two and Shane Sweeney defeated Matt Best on board four, meaning Henry Graham's win over Adrian Bowyer was nothing more than a consolation. The Juniors also defaulted board three while Charles Micallef and Ian Davies drew on top board.
The Juniors also picked up their first win of the season as Wellington B conceded their match 5-0 after being unable to raise a team.
Meanwhile a host of local players enjoyed a day to remember on county duty, helping Shropshire's first team to an 11.5-4.5 win over local rivals Worcestershire. Nigel Ferrington maintained his perfect record on top board, ending Jeremy Fallowfield's run of 11 wins out of 11. Leebotwood-based Trevor Brotherton also won, as did Richard Bryant of Telepost and David Everington and Peter Kitchen of Shrewsbury – the latter picking up his first team win as captain against his former home county. Telepost's Jamie Hopkins also made a welcome return with a one-off appearance, losing a tight game on board four.
Telepost remain top after superb display - 03/12/2009
Telepost A produced one of their best performances of the season in the Shropshire Chess League – ending Oswestry A's 100 per cent home record with a crushing 4-1 win. Richard Bryant's visitors made the most of the absence of Oswestry top board Simon Hughes for a result that keeps Telepost top of the table ahead of a crunch battle with closest rivals Shifnal and Telford B.
Nigel Ferrington defeated Brian Whyte on top board, Bryant overcame Ieuan Fenton on board two and John Bashall and Matthew Clark picked up wins on the bottom two boards. Keith Tabner's loss to Ashley Peile on board three was the only blemish for Telepost. Bryant said: “I had been very worried about this fixture and I would have taken a draw beforehand. “But they were missing Simon Hughes and it made a big difference . “We didn't beat Oswestry last season so this was a big result for us and a very good performance.
“We just can't seem to pull away from Shifnal and Telford B – without being disrespectful I thought they would probably get relegated but they have surprised everyone. But they have us and their A team next so we have a chance to open up a gap if we can beat them.”

At the other end of the table Shrewsbury A were left wondering what might have been after drawing 2.5-2.5 at fellow strugglers Coddon A. Francis Best beat Nathanael Paul in 20 moves on board three to give Shrewsbury an early lead. But, despite having an edge on three of the remaining boards, they all finished as draws, and Coddon made them pay when Andy Tunks crushed Peter Kitchen on board two to tie the scores. Captain David Everington said: “It's good to  pick up another point. But overall the result was disappointing as we had serious winning chances on three of the boards which all finished in draws.”

In division two Church Stretton have overtaken Telepost B at the top of the table thanks to a 3.5-1.5 win over rock bottom Newport B. Captain Steve Rooney beat Newport debutant Andy Tunks on top board and, although Adrian Thorpe lost to Steve Cooper on board two, wins for Francis Rooney and Tom Williamson and a draw for Chris Pimm-Jones were enough for Stretton.
Telepost leapfrog rivals – and return to top spot - 26/11/2009
TELEPOST B moved back to the top of the Shropshire Chess League division two with a 3.5-1.5 victory over promotion rivals Coddon B.. The town club, aiming for promotion back to the top flight after being relegated on the last day of last season, triumphed thanks to wins for John Bashall over Matt Carbin on top board and for Steve Kempsell against George Viszokai on board four. John Westhead, Peter Crean and Vinnie Crean all picked up draws. It means Telepost leapfrog Coddon in the table and lie two points clear of town rivals Shrewsbury B.
Shrewsbury, meanwhile, got their season back on track with a 3.5-1.5 win over inconsistent Ludlow A.
Mark Smith and Norman O'Connor won  on the top two boards and, despite a surprise defeat for captain Dan Lockett on board four, Ivor Salter's win on bottom board and Andrew Lewis's draw with Ken Thomson on board three were enough to clinch the match and move the hosts up to third in the table.
Meanwhile, Shrewsbury's David Everington has been handed a tough draw with the black pieces against Coddon's giantkiller Nathaneal Paul in round two of the Shropshire Individual Championship. Paul inflicted a shock defeat on Telepost captain Richard Bryant in the opening round and while Everington comfortably saw off Viszokai in his opener, he will be wary of slipping up against the teenager.
Elsewhere in the draw, Bryant will be looking to get back on track as white against Viszokai, while defending champion Nigel Ferrington will start as favourite with the white pieces against clubmate John Westhead. Telepost's John Casewell has been handed a bye, while Leebotwood-based Trevor Brotherton will be white against Ludlow's John Whittaker.
To follow the progress of the tournament visit www.shropshirechess.org
It's magic from Makepeace as Shrewsbury win - 19/11/2009
SHREWSBURY A are finally off the mark in the Shropshire Chess League after clinching their first win of the season at the fifth attempt with a 5-0 whitewash against an under-strength Wellington A team.
David Everington's side eventually ran out comfortable winners in the division one clash to move within two points of the safety mark. The highlight was an amazing comeback from top board Philip Makepeace – returning for a one-off appearance – who turned around a lost ending against Vikas Sharma to win. But Everington was gracious enough to admit the margin of victory was harsh on Wellington who, despite turning up a man short, were well in the match until the later stages. Already one up through the default, Francis Best doubled Shrewsbury's lead by outplaying John Lenton in an ending.
After Makepeace's Houdini act sealed the match, Everington picked up a fortuitous first win of the season, benefitting from a blunder by Toby Neal who had been in control for much of the game. Wellington's hopes of a consolation were dashed in the final game to finish on board three, where Peter Kitchen eventually won despite a titanic defensive effort from Derrick Powell.
Everington said: “Obviously it was great to get some points on the board at last but I must admit that Wellington were very unlucky to be whitewashed.  “I was under pressure from Toby for a long time before he blundered late on and Philip Makepeace put in the performance of a magician to win against one of the best players in the county at the moment.”
At the other end of the table Telepost A maintained their position at the top by beating Newport A 3-2. Despite Nigel Ferrington's loss to Nick Rutter on top board, Telepost came through thanks to wins for Richard Bryant on board two against Tony Holdford and for John Bashall against Joe Pym on board four.
There were mixed fortunes for local players as Shropshire's first team opened their MCCU open minor campaign with a 9.5-6.5 defeat against a Leicestershire side who reached the national section final last season. Ferrington won on top board but Wellington's Sharma was the only other Salop player to win. Bryant drew on board five, Ieuan Fenton lost on board six, Everington was beaten on board eight and captain Kitchen lost on board 13.

Rivals still in hunt after draw - 12/11/09
CHURCH Stretton have lost their 100 per cent derby record – but remain in the hunt at the top of division two of the Shropshire Chess League after a hard-fought draw against Telepost B. The two sides, relegated from the top flight last season, couldn't be separated and both remain in the top three of the division.
Three of the games finished drawn, with the only decisive matches seeing Telepost captain Peter Crean beat Eric Elwell on board three and Tom Williamson reply with a win over Vinnie Crean on bottom board.
Shrewsbury B's inconsistent start continued as they became the first team to drop points to struggling Shifnal and Telford C. An under-strength B team travelled to Stirchley with only four players, but salvaged a draw thanks to Norman O'Connor's win over Windsor Peck on top board. Dan Lockett, Andrew Lewis and Ivor Salter drew their games. The result leaves Shrewsbury fifth in the seven-team division but with a game in hand on many of the teams above them.

Meanwhile, a number of locals played their part in a famous win for Shropshire's under-160 team against a traditionally strong Warwickshire team. The county's second string won 10.5-5.5 away from home, with Telepost duo John Westhead drawing on board five and Peter Crean winning on board seven. Shrewsbury's Ian Davies drew his game on board 14.

Telepost are top after taking the derby spoils - 05/11/09
TELEPOST A have moved to the summit of the Shropshire Chess League – but only after a fine comeback on the top boards helped them to a 3-2 derby win over rivals Shrewsbury A. The hosts trailed for much of the night after Dan Lockett beat Matthew Clark on bottom board. But Nigel Ferrington beat Shrewsbury captain David Everington on top board and Richard Bryant broke down Peter Kitchen's stubborn resistance in the final game on board two to clinch the win.
While this was Telepost's third win in four games, Shrewsbury are bottom of the table and yet to pick up a point, facing second placed Wellington A next.
Elsewhere Dave Bates and Steve Rooney drew on board three and Keith Tabner and Ray Cox shared the spoils  on board four.
Telepost captain Bryant said: “I was relieved we got away with a win – at one stage I wasn't particularly confident as we were losing and neither Nigel's nor my games were clear cut. But it always helped being able to win the top two boards. “I'm sure Shrewsbury will recover and stay up.”
Everington said: “They were all good games and we are getting closer to a result. But at the moment we don't quite have the weight on the top two boards that other teams have.”
In division three Telepost C suffered their second successive defeat, losing 3-2 to a strong Shifnal and Telford D side. John Casewell won on board three and top boards Vinnie Crean and Steve Jones picked up draws, but defeats for Brian Holford and Shane Sweeney condemned Telepost to defeat.
Meanwhile, Shrewsbury's Francis Best shared first place in the major section of the Scarborough Congress. Best scored 4.5/5 and won £300.

Telepost close the gap - 22/10/09
Telepost A have sent a statement of intent to the rest of the Shropshire Chess League after beating reigning division one champions Shifnal and Telford A 3.5-1.5 in their own back yard.
Wins for Nigel Ferrington and Dave Bates sealed a hugely impressive result for Richard Bryant's side, who have closed the gap on early leaders Newport A to a single point. It means Telepost go into Tuesday's town derby against bottom of the table Shrewsbury A with renewed confidence, while Shifnal and Telford have slipped into the relegation zone.
After Bryant drew with Dave Gostelow on board two, Ferrington gave Telepost the lead with a fine win over Trevor Brotherton on top board and Dave Bates doubled the lead by beating John Footner on board three. Keith Tabner sealed the win by drawing with Iain Wilson on board four, while John Bashall pulled off a miraculous recovery to draw with Richard Thompson despite being a rook down.
Bryant said: “None of us lost and it was a really good result – I still think they are the best team in the league when they have a full side out. “I'm very optimistic and looking forward to the Shrewsbury game – I hope they start picking up points soon but after next week's match.”
Shrewsbury slumped to their third straight defeat, surprisingly well beaten 3.5-1.5 at home by Shifnal and Telford B. Peter Kitchen let a promising position slip to draw quickly with Gareth Edwards on board two and Norman O'Connor drew with Richard Thompson on bottom board. But it all went downhill for Shrewsbury, with captain David Everington outplayed by Geoff Lee on top board. Steve Rooney lost on time against Glyn Randle on board three and Francis Best drew with Stefan Tennant having been a pawn down for much of the game.
Everington said: “It was something of an off night for us, but I have to give credit to Shifnal and Telford B. They are a decent side and they played really well on the night. As always I'm looking forward to the Telepost game – the tougher the better. Knowing us and the nature of chess we'll probably go and win that one.”
Both Telepost C and Shrewsbury Juniors started their division three campaigns with defeats.
Telepost went down 3.5-1.5 at Oswestry B, with Charles Micallef beating Ron Thomson on top board and John Caswell picking up a draw on board three.
Shrewsbury Juniors lost 4-1 against an experienced Shifnal and Telford D side, with Chris Lovejoy drawing with Roger Brown on board two and Angelica Dean performing strongly to draw with Tim Skidmore on bottom board.

A must-win for Shrewsbury - 15/10/2009
Shrewsbury A captain David Everington has declared tomorrow's home clash with Shropshire Chess League surprise package Shifnal and Telford B as a must-win game as his side looks to climb off the foot of the division one table.
Shrewsbury are the only team in the division to have lost both of their games, the latest a 3.5-1.5 loss in a tight match away to Oswestry A.In contrast the Stirchley-based visitors lie in the top three after beating fellow promoted side Wellington A, despite arguably being one of the favourites for relegation. Shrewsbury will be without veteran Ray Cox for the match but Everington is hopeful of otherwise having a full strength side available.
Everington said: “This is one of those games we need to win so we don't get into trouble. We won't automatically win but we really need to.”
Against Oswestry Shrewsbury were swiftly behind when Francis Best lost to Shrewsbury School starlet Ieuan Fenton in just 16 moves, but after Cox drew with Ashley Peile on board four Mark Smith beat Gareth Hampson on bottom board to level. But the hosts came good on the top two boards, with Everington losing against Simon Hughes before Peter Kitchen lost on time against Brian Whyte having earlier been a pawn up.
Telepost A picked up their first win of the season by beating Coddon A 3.5-1.5 – the perfect preparation for this week's match against a Shifnal and Telford A side which pipped them to last season's league title. Nigel Ferrington, Richard Bryant and Dave Bates won their games on the top three boards for a result with captain Bryant described as ‘comfortable'.
Bryant said: “The league table is looking really strange at the moment – I expected Newport A to struggle but they have won both of their games and Shrewsbury A are bottom which surprises me. I'm quite optimistic as Shifnal and Telford A may not be as strong as I thought they might be – if we can win this one I will be very happy.”
Local sides are leading the way in division two, with all three sides picking up big wins.
Telepost B made it two wins out of two with a crushing 4-1 win over Shifnal and Telford C. John Bashall, John Westhead, Peter Crean and Steve Kempsell all won their matches.
Shrewsbury B got their season off to a flyer by beating Newport B 4.5-0.5. Mark Smith drew with Athar Mehmood on top board but Norman O'Connor, Andrew Lewis, Dan Lockett and Ivor Salter also won their games.
And Church Stretton complete the top three after winning the south Shropshire derby 4-1 against Ludlow A. The visitors defaulted bottom board and wins for Steve Rooney and Gerald Link sealed the result, while Karl Wakefield and Graham Shepherd drew their games.

Poor start as town rivals slip to defeat - 24/09/09
Both Telepost A and Shrewsbury A suffered disappointing defeats in their opening Shropshire Chess League division one fixtures in a week which saw a number of surprise results.
Telepost, last season's runners-up, slipped to a 3-2 defeat at a newly-promoted Wellington A side inspired by new signings Vikas Sharma and Colin Roberts, who has joined from champions Shifnal and Telford A, on the top two boards. Sharma and Roberts beat county individual champion Nigel Ferrington and visiting captain Richard Bryant, and although Telepost's Keith Tabner and Peter Crean won their matches John Westhead's loss on board four sealed Telepost's fate.
Bryant said: “It was not a very good start for us but we have got plenty of time to put it right, starting with our next match at home to Coddon. We've got Dave Bates to come back in for that too and he will make a difference.”

Shrewsbury A were also undone on the top two boards as they lost a tight match 3.5-1.5 at home to Newport A. David Everington and the returning Steve Rooney lost to Nick Rutter and Gavyn Cooper – two of the county's top five players.
Although Francis Best beat the improving Alex Taylor on board three it wasn't enough to save the hosts, after Norman O'Connor drew with Danny Griffiths and Ian Davies lost to Athar Mehmood.
Everington said: “They were all quite hard games but in the end Newport having Nick and Gavyn on the top two boards told. They are a very strong team overall.”
Everngton will hope to have both Peter Kitchen and Ray Cox available for Monday's trip to Oswestry A, who also surprisingly lost their opener 3.5-1.5 at Coddon A.

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury C are in a race against time to field a squad and find a captain for their division two campaign. Long-serving captain Ian Davies has been forced to stand down due to increased work commitments, and a replacement could not be found at the club's recent AGM. Tam stalwart Fred Harris has retired from competitive chess and last season's player f the season Tommy Cheng has left the club. The C team, which survived on the final day of last season, are due to play the club's B team tomorrow night, Friday.
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