Telepost Dark Knights were clear winners in the latest team battle in Shropshire rapidplay chess league, which sees frantic online action with players up against the clock as well as the headaches at the virtual board. The team, a rapidplay incarnation of the Shrewsbury-based Telepost club, accumulated 121 points, perhaps unsurprisingly in that they are fielding a Grandmaster among their ranks. Second highest scorer on the night was another Telepost player, Phil Zabrocki, who is a particular ace at such fast time limits. Players have three minutes to complete all their moves, with two seconds added for every move they make.
Meanwhile the county individual tournament is moving into a crucial stage with plenty still in contention for the title. Highest scorers in advance of the round five games of the seven round competition are Simon Maydew and Nick Rutter, both of 3.5 points.
In the regular league, Newport A have moved to the head of Division One after a victory over Shrewsbury A.
All chess is currently being played online, and the Shropshire chess website has had its first revamp since being launched in 2003. It is at https://www.shropshirechess.org
RESULTS
Division One – Maddocks A 3.5, Oswestry A 0.5: D Gostelow 1, B Whyte 0; G Pugh 1, M Altinsoy 0; S Maydew 1, T McMahon 0; S Tarr 0.5, L Cox 0.5.
Shrewsbury A 1.5, Newport A 2.5: H Birch 1, N Rutter 0; F Best 0, G Cooper 1; T Eales 0.5, I Jamieson 0.5; M Smith 0, A Taylor 1.