The Chester chess league annual general meeting was held 2007.07.11 in Holywell. There is a new rule that books of games are not allowed in the playing area, to prevent players reffering to previous games for help. The league has brought back the old time limit of 35 moves in 75 minutes and then a 15 minute allegro finish.
When the meeting finished and the officials went into the car park they were confronted by stormtroopers from Venus, NATO forces could be seen in the distance, come to defend the planet. Hundreds of flying saucers could be seen in the skies, no, that did not happen, but it would have been more exciting if it had.
Dave Jameson has won the player of the year in the Wirral league
with a score of 6/7.
Dave went through the season unbeaten
conceding draws to only Garry Dixon and Martin Lee. He also won the
Chester league individual championship in November 2006
a competition which he also organises.
Your webmaster Dave Bennion has won the player of the year
in the Chester league with 7½/10. This included five straight
wins after Christmas, there were two losses against
Richard Dineley and Ard Van Bergen, and also a draw against John Blore.
2007.04.17 The season ended with a surprise 3-2 away win against Colwyn Bay and Llandudno. After a good win for Mike Friel against Brendan Shields, Dave Parker-Williams' opponent blundered badly and lost, and after Dave Bennion won, the match was won for Caergwrle. Rob Skinner and Dick Martin lost their games, the result put a dent in Colwyn Bay and Llandudno's chances of winning the league.
The second team were relegated from division two after losing 4-1 at home to Colwyn Bay and Llandudno second team.
Chester 1 have won the Wirral league, with Buckley-Mold 1 as runners-up. Caergwrle 1 finished third with 5/8, the last match was away to Hoylake which Hoylake conceded.
Caergwrle 1 division 1 results 2006-2007:-
| away | Formby | won | 4-1 |
| home | Buckley-Mold | lost | 2-3 |
| away | Wallasey 2 | draw | 2½-2½ |
| home | Chester | draw | 2½-2½ |
| home | Wallasey 3 | won | 4½-½ |
| away | Pensby | lost | 2-3 |
| home | Wallasey 1 | won | 4-1 |
| away | Hoylake | won | 5-0 |
2007.05.02 Caergwrle defeated Wrexham 5-2
in the semi-final of the Wirral league knockout, there were wins for
Dave Jamason, John Sutcliffe, Dave Parker-Williams and as
Wrexham could not field a full team a default on bottom board.
The quarter-final win was against Buckley-Mold by 4-3.
2007.05.15Caergwrle were defeated by Chester
in the final of the Wirral knockout, and Chester thus did the double.
The actual match was a 3½-3½ draw with
John Gorman, Haydn Parry and Dave Parker-Williams winning for Caergwrle.
With the league meeting also drawn Caergwrle finished the season
unbeaten against Chester and also Wrexham.
Click here for Wirral league news on the Wallasey website.
In January, April, July and October every year FIDE (International Chess Federation) produce new grading lists. Click here for the world's top 100. Your webmaster, Dave Bennion, has advanced to 2106 from 2099, click here for personal card. Dave Jameson is also internationally rated at 1972, and I believe it has gone up after games from the Welsh Championship 2005 have been included. Dave will be playing at Gibralter 2007 at the end of January click here for official website. Also competing is ex-Caergwrle player Ian Campbell who has an international rating of 2008. John Gorman competed in the European Union Championship held in Liverpool September 2006. John scored 4½/10 and an international rating of 2012 for eight games, I believe he needs one more game for a FIDE rating.
In the Chester league Buckley-Mold have withdrawn their side from division 1 after a row with the people who run the venue in the Ex-Servicemen's club in Wrexham Road, Mold. Haydn Parry and Mike Vidler have joined up with Holywell and it was decided to withdraw Buckley-Mold first team from the Chester first division.
It has been previously reported that the beginning of the season was solid, the run up to Christmas has been not so solid. In the Chester league after losses to Chester first team and second team Caergwrle then lost to Colwyn Bay and Llandudno. Buckley-Mold results have now been anulled, which is lucky for Caergwrle since we lost to them. So at Christmas, the half way stage Caergwrle have 1½/5. I have been told by Liam Jefferies that Chester 2 have 3½ points then all of the rest of the teams have 2 points. Rob Skinner is Caergwrle's top scorer with 3/5 including a loss on board 2 and two wins and two draws on board 1.
2007.01.16 Caergwrle lost to Wrexham 1½-3½, Dave Bennion being the only winner defeating David Simpson. Rob Skinner slipped to only his second defeat of the season, both against Charles Morris also Nick Maung had a good draw against the higher rated Ray Holland.
2007.02.07 At last I have a win to report. Caergwrle ended a run of four straight defeats after defeating Rhyl thus doing the double over them. There were wins for Dave Bennion and Graham Williams, who was making his first appearance for the first team for some time.
Caergwrle 1 have 2/4 in the Wirral league, the match, postponed 2006.12.20 against Chester has been played Wednesday 2007.01.10 resulting in a 2½-2½ draw. This was a pleasing result for us against one of the strongest sides we have ever faced.
Caergwrle Christmas tournament was held 2006.12.20 at the Derby Arms. The surprise winner was Julian Thursfield with a perfect score of 4/4. He defeated Steve Mitchinson in the final round and also defeated Rob Skinner after Rob blundered his queen. Julian holds the Denver Hall trophy for a year, a merry Christmas to our readers.
Caergwrle have started the 2006-2007 season with a fifty per cent score in both the Chester and Wirral leagues. In the Chester league the first match was drawn 2½-2½ at home to Wrexham, there followed a 1½-3½ loss away to Buckley-Mold and an away win 3-2 at Rhyl.
The second team in division 2 has also begun the season with a win a draw and a loss, some games have been postponed.
The first team have also started with a win a draw and a loss, would you believe. The first match was a 4-1 win against Formby, played at Wallasey. There followed a 2-3 loss at home to Buckley-Mold, and then a 2½-2½ draw away to Wallassey 2. Rob Skinner was unable to play in this match due to work commitments and Dick Martin was drafted in at the last minute and drew his game so things could have been worse for us. Captain Dick Martin has informed me that the second team has won two and lost one of their first three matches in division 2.
The Chester Charity Chess Congress started 2006.07.29 at 09.30 at the Freemasons' Hall Christleton, Chester organised by Caergwrle chess club. Two hospices received 1100 pounds each and the 2007 tournament is to be run by Neville Layhe. Neville is an ex-Rhyl player click here to read about his involvement in Rhyl chess club.
The British Chess Championships started 2006.08.06 at Singleton Park, Swansea University. Scot Jonathan Rowson won it for the third succesive year. It has not been won by an Englishman for a number of years which is surprising considering the strength of the English players. click here for some news about English players. The 2007 British Championship is to be played in Great Yarmouth, it is usually held at the beginning of August.