There’s no change at the top of Division One of Shropshire Chess League after the latest round of matches played online. Shrewsbury-based Telepost remain clear by a single point after a victory over Oswestry A, but Newport are breathing down their necks and maintaining the pressure after their win over Maddocks A.
Even strong players can make simple mistakes, and Newport’s Nick Rutter benefited on top board when opponent Dave Gostelow, playing an opening he knows well and in a position which was still “book” – that is, played before and an established opening line – overlooked that a rook was under attack, resulting in the proverbial early bath after just 15 moves.
In Division Two both leaders Newport B and second placed Wellington A drew, with Shrewsbury’s Peter Kitchen methodically pressing home an advantage against Wellington’s Andy Grillage on top board to salvage a point for the county town side, while in the Oswestry B v Newport B encounter all the games were drawn, although not without some titanic scraps and dramatic escapes.
RESULTS
Division One – Maddocks A 1.5, Newport A 2.5: D Gostelow 0, N Rutter 1; G Pugh 0.5, C Portman 0.5; S Maydew 1, N Clarke 0; T Preece 0, I Jamieson 1.
Oswestry A 0.5, Telepost A 3.5: B Whyte 0, N Paul 1; M Altinsoy 0, P Zabrocki 1; T McMahon 0, R Archer 1; L Cox 0.5, M Clark 0.5.
Division Two – Telepost C 1, Telepost B 2: R Nield 0, S Rooney 1; N Holmes 0, K Walker 1; D Bonner 1, J Westhead 0.
Wellington A 1.5, Shrewsbury B 1.5: A Grillage 0, P Kitchen 1; T Faustino 0.5, M Smith 0.5; M Podlesak 1, M Best 0.
Oswestry B 1.5, Newport B 1.5: C Lowick Higgie 0.5, C Lewis 0.5; A Bailey 0.5, D Hilditch-Love 0.5; P Fisher 0.5, S Greenwood 0.5.
Division Three – Newport C 1.5, Shrewsbury D 1.5: D Lovegrove 1, N O’Connor 0; W Gormley 0, J Birch 1; M Price 0.5, A Pritchard 0.5.
Telepost D 0, Shrewsbury C 3: S Sweeney 0, P Kitchen 1; J Holyhead 0, D Lockett 1; J Casewell 0, I Salter 1.
Oswestry C 2.5, Telepost E 0.5: K Grice 0.5, P Crean 0.5; S Tulett 1, N Holmes 0; J Smith 1, M Ayres 0.