What The Papers Say

Shropshire’s national league team endured a final weekend of the season to forget as they finished bottom of their division – but were still spared from relegation. An under-strength Shropshire & Friends side lost all three of their Four Nations Chess League division three west fixtures at Warwick, meaning they ended the season 12th and

Maddocks A are the champions of Shropshire Chess League for a second successive year after a convincing 4-1 win over Shrewsbury A. Tony Preece’s side wrapped up the division one title, in a match played on live boards on the internet, with two games still to play. It extended their amazing unbeaten run over the

Oswestry A took a huge step towards securing their safety in the top flight of Shropshire Chess League with a thumping 5-0 win over midtable Telepost A. Charles Lowick Higgie’s side have now moved four points clear of the division one relegation zone with just three matches left to play. The result has also officially

Schools and communities across Shropshire are enjoying a boom in the popularity of chess – to the delight of those running the game in the county. New groups for aspiring junior players have been established at Highley Primary School and Lacon Childe School in Cleobury Mortimer, as well as a junior club at Market Drayton

Nathanael Paul has reached the summit of Shropshire chess after becoming the county’s highest-rated player for the first time. Paul’s English Chess Federation rating rose 21 points on the April list to 2138 after an impressive March that saw him win four and draw one of his five competitive games. It has helped Paul, who

Shropshire & Friends have given themselves a huge chance to avoid relegation from division three west of the Four Nations Chess League after securing two crucial victories. Coming into the latest weekend at Daventry bottom of the table, Charles Lowick Higgie’s side beat fellow strugglers MK Phoenix 2 5-1 on the Saturday before dispatching higher-rated

A ruthless display from Telford A saw them clinch promotion back to the top flight of Shropshire Chess League for the first time in five years. The Dawley-based side whitewashed a Newport B side with ambitions of reaching the top two themselves to rack up a 10th win in 10 division two matches.  It means

The race to become the chess champions of Shropshire has taken a few extra twists and turns – after both of the top two failed to win their matches. Defending champions and current leaders Maddocks A were surprisingly held to a 2.5-2.5 draw by bottom-of-the-table Telepost B. But that came a couple of days after

Shropshire’s chess-playing community has been left saddened following the death of former county elite player Ray Cox. Ray’s best achievements included being part of four title-winning Shrewsbury teams in the 1970s – the first success of which dates back more than 50 years. Despite spending several years away from the game, he returned to Shrewsbury

A tournament for junior players is returning to the Shropshire chess calendar for the first time in almost a decade, it has been revealed.  Shropshire Junior Chess Congress will be the latest chance for aspiring young players to show off their talent and gain valuable experience and is another short in the arm of the