What The Papers Say

They used to be a fixture in every chess club in the country – but much like the compact disc, video cassette and typewriter they’ve become obsolete today. The constant ticking of analogue chess clocks amid the surroundings of an otherwise-silent playing hall was a sound many of today’s chess players grew up with. But

Teenager Sam Hollands was the county’s shining light as he won one of the top prizes at Shropshire Chess Congress. The 14-year-old, who plays for the Shrewsbury-based Telepost club, shared first place in the Minor section of the competition – an especially impressive performance considering it was his first ever weekend tournament. Hollands won his

A record-breaking entry is helping this year’s Shropshire Minor Individual Chess Championship to be the most competitive yet. A number of first-time entrants are included in the field of 21 players – and two of them are right up there among the early pacesetters.  Telepost’s James Holyhead is the current outright leader with a perfect

Telford Chess Club is taking Shropshire Chess League division two by storm – with its A and B teams occupying the top two spots at Christmas. Telford A won their top of the table clash with Telepost C 3.5-1.5 to make it five wins from five, while Telford B leapfrogged Telepost by winning 3-2 away

Maddocks B put the disappointment of being stripped of their only previous league win of the season being them by defeating Telepost B in a key Shropshire Chess League division one relegation scrap. The Oakengates side triumphed 3-2 over their rivals on the same night as a league appeal committee dismissed their appeal against a

A newly-promoted team is in danger of losing its only Shropshire Chess League division one victory of the season due to a dispute over the circumstances around a defaulted board. Maddocks B defeated Oswestry A 3-2 on November 10, due in no small part to Oswestry defaulting top board. On the night, Oswestry’s Rudy van

It’s forever been a game that has struggled to dispel its traditionally stuffy image. Even today, when people think of chess clubs many will conjure up images of middle-aged men sitting in the corners of social clubs huddled over chess boards in near silence. And while there’s no denying that the game retains many of

Nigel Ferrington is the chess champion of Shrewsbury for a record-breaking fifth time after coming out on top in a tense four-way playoff. Ferrington, who plays for the county town’s Telepost club, defeated tournament surprise package Stephen Priestley of Shrewsbury in his playoff tie, while fellow contenders Matthew Clark (Telepost) and Dan Lockett (Shrewsbury) fought

The blue riband event of the Shropshire chess calendar will make a return in the new year – three years after it was last held. The 2023 Shropshire Chess Congress will be held at Wrekin Housing Trust’s headquarters in Telford over the weekend of January 6 to 8, organisers have confirmed. It will be the

One of Shropshire’s oldest chess clubs is on the lookout for a new home – for the second time in the space of a year. Shrewsbury Chess Club has announced it will leave the Nerdy Café in Mardol at the end of the 2022/23 season, where it currently meets every other Friday. The club, which