A delegation of Shropshire chess players enjoyed a successful trip to the seaside, scooping prizes at one of the country’s most popular chess congresses at Scarborough.
Simon Maydew of Maddocks was the standout performer, scoring 4/5 in the third tier Intermediate section to finish joint second and earning a cash prize of £58. That effort was followed up by Francis Best, who spent several decades playing for Shrewsbury until moving away from the area in the summer, who came 5th= in the competitive Major section, with his 3.5/5 earning him a share of the grading prize and his wallet £34 better off.
Away from the main sections, Malcolm Fletcher of Newport won the Junior Rapidplay Minor competition with an impressive 5/6.
A number of other players performed admirably in a field of more than 350 players across the five sections. Steve Tarr of Maddocks was the only Shropshire player to compete in the main Open category, and his 2/5 score brought him a share of 33rd, well above his seeding of 60th of 62 players. Gary White (Maddocks) and Nick Holmes (Shrewsbury) both scored 50 per cent in the Intermediate and Minor sections respectively.
Meanwhile, Shropshire has received a fresh shot in the arm after being named one of the best areas in the country for the development of chess talent according to a new report. The county was ranked fifth in the County Chess Development Index, which judged each county on aspects such as champions for the county and also women and junior players, activity in leagues and internet presence. Shropshire scored particularly well for having county, junior and club champions and for having primary age teams participating in inter-county competitions.
In league action, a guest appearance by Nathanael Paul helped Telepost A make it five wins out of five in Shropshire Chess League division one with a 3-2 win at Newport A. Bottom two Darwinian Knights A and Shrewsbury A both lost on their travels to Telford A and Oswestry A respectively, deepening fears that both could be in for a season of struggle.
Finally, the start of the new month has brought new gradings – and some cheer for those who have seen their grades rise. Among them was Chris Lewis of Newport, who has cleared the 2000 barrier for the first time. His rating of 2020 shows he is well on the way to cementing his place among the strongest players in the county. Telepost duo Nathanael Paul and Nigel Ferrington remain the top two players in the county on grading, with the pair the only ones playing in Shropshire to be rated above 2100.
Scarborough Congress results:
Open
Steve Tarr (Maddocks) 33rd= 2/5
Major
Francis Best (formerly of Shrewsbury) 5th= 3.5/5 plus a grading prize (£34)
Glyn Pugh (Maddocks) 41st= 2/5
Intermediate
Simon Maydew (Maddocks) 2nd= 4/5 (£58)
Gary White (Maddocks) 30th= 2.5/5
Munroe Morrison (Maddocks) 61st= 1.5/5
Minor
Nick Holmes (Shrewsbury) 25th= 2.5/5
Foundation
Dave Lovegrove (Newport) 17th= (3/5)
Junior Rapidplay (Minor)
Malcolm Fletcher (Newport) 1st 5/6