News – 2016–17

Items on this page are in reverse chronological order (i.e. the most recent items are at the top). For the very latest news, visit the home page.

Best Individual Wins (30th Jun)

Phil Morgan looks at the best individual wins from players in the league for the 2016-17 season. There have been a few surprise results across the divisions. Full Article

Chess event - Five Leaves bookshop (30th Jun)

There is an author talk at Five Leaves bookshop in Nottingham on Wednesday 19th July. The evening will start with some chess games being played and then later the author, Peter Mortimer, will talk about being a chess traveller and his meetings with people on his travels. Please visit the Five Leaves bookshop website to find out more information.

Inter-County Semi Finals (18th Jun)

The semi finals of the County Championships were played on 10th June. Nottinghamshire had three teams competing at this stage in the following sections - U160, U140 and U100. The U160 suffered a heavy loss to Yorkshire. The other 2 semi finals were much closer matches with the U140 team beating Yorkshire and the U100 team losing to Warwickshire. The results are as follows:

Results
U160 Yorkshire 10½-5½ Nottinghamshire Full Results
U140 Yorkshire 7½-8½ Nottinghamshire Full Results
U100 Warwickshire 6½-5½ Nottinghamshire Full Results

Midlands Junior Chess Championships (10th Jun)

The Midlands Junior Chess Championships will take place on Saturday 22nd July at Leicester. There are six sections, with Midlands Junior Champion titles in each section for the highest scoring boy and girl from the Midlands areas and cash prizes for the winners. This is a one day graded rapidplay championship for players under 18. An entry form is available to download.

Forgotten Chess Clubs of Nottinghamshire (10th Jun)

Phil Morgan looks back over the years at the clubs that used to play in the Notts League but no longer do. Some of these clubs have either folded, changed their names or now play in a different league. The Notts Chess Association would welcome enquiries from clubs or groups who might want to join or rejoin the League. Full Article

Inter-County Quarter Finals (10th Jun)

The quarter finals of the County Championships were played in May. Nottinghamshire had five teams competing in the following sections - U180, U160, U140, U120 and U100. The U100 team had a bye and automatically went through. The U160 and U140 teams narrowly won their matches but the U180 and U120 teams both lost. The results are as follows:

Results
U180 Devon 10½-5½ Nottinghamshire Full Results
U160 Essex 7½-8½ Nottinghamshire Full Results
U140 Kent 7½-8½ Nottinghamshire Full Results
U120 Nottinghamshire 4-8 Hertfordshire Full Results

General Meeting minutes (28th May)

The minutes for the General Meeting held on 15th May are now available on the website. They will be formally approved at the AGM in July.

Chess In Summer (14th May)

Phil Morgan has written an article to offer suggestions on how you can continue playing chess over the summer now that the league has finished. Full Article

Correspondence Chess (1st May)

Phil Morgan would like to raise a correspondence team for next season. The competition usually starts in October and will involve playing a minimum of 2 games on the internet. If you're interested in playing then please contact Phil Morgan. Full Report

General Meeting Papers (26th Apr)

The General Meeting will take place at the West Nottingham CC venue on Monday 15th May from 7:30pm. The agenda and supporting papers are available to download.

Best Game Prizes 2016-17 (26th Apr)

Message from Steve Burke

As another season draws to a close, hopefully there has been some good chess played over the last 12 months in NCA events (League, Congresses, County Matches).

As in recent years there will be two competitions. One open to all games, and another restricted to entries by players under 140 ECF grade, each with a £15 prize.

The judge decides what constitutes a best game in their view, but don’t be put off entering a game just because one of the computer engines says you made a mistake or two. Almost all games have some mistakes by the winner!

Please send the entries to me via leaguesecretary@nottschess.org by the end of May.

I prefer to receive entries in pgn or chessbase format, for those who use computer programs, but you can send the moves written in the email, or simply by sending a photo of the score sheet. You can add comments and analysis if you wish, but this is not obligatory.

I look forward to being deluged with great games.

Executive Committee meeting minutes (26th Apr)

The minutes for the Executive Committee meeting held on 7th April is now available to view on the website.

County Championship Changes (26th Apr)

The following changes will be made to the County Championship for next season:

  1. The introduction of U15 and U12 Championships, to be run as a Rapidplay on the Sunday in the classrooms beside the main playing hall.
  2. The introduction of a Senior Championship, replacing the Senior prize, to be determined by the best grading performance of any over-60 in any section.
  3. Incremental time limits will be piloted in the Championship and U155. (This will also apply to the OPEN and MAJOR sections of the congress).
  4. The introduction of a late penalty fee

Notts League Review 2016-17 (26th Apr)

Phil Morgan gives his review of the league this season and the winning teams from each division. Full Report

Obituary for Alan Taylor (14th Apr)

We are sad to announce that Alan Taylor died at home on Sunday, 2 April. He had been suffering from cancer of the throat, which was diagnosed as terminal late last year.

He had been a member of Newark Chess Club for over 30 years and, until the last 18 months, had been a regular player for Newark in the Notts League.

On a personal note, I have known Alan since 1983. At that time I was at Grantham and when the Newark club temporarily folded Alan and two other players joined Grantham. When Newark reformed a couple of years later Alan re-joined Newark and, after I moved into the area in 1986, we’ve been club mates since then.

I think everyone found Alan to be a likeable person and he will be missed by Newark Chess Club.

We offer our condolences to his family and friends.

Graham Ladds
Newark Chess Club

LMC meeting minutes (14th Apr)

The minutes for the LMC meeting held on Thursday 23rd March is now available on the website. This includes a summary of the decisions made on the appeals raised during the season.

Nottingham Congress (12th Apr)

The surprising winner of the Open was Aditya Munshi (West Notts) with a score of 4½/5. Stephen Hunter (Gambit) won the Major with a score of 4½/5. Parin Suchak (Syston) won the Intermediate section with a score of 4½/5. Leslie Fancourt (Derby) won the minor section with a score of 4½/5. Full Results

Four Counties U130 junior team tournament (11th Apr)

The fourth of this series of junior county matches was held in Leicester on Sunday 26th March. Four counties participated in the tournament - Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The Notts junior team finished in 3rd place. Full Report

Inter-County Quarter Final Draw (11th Apr)

Quarter Final draw as follows:-

Under 180 - Devon v Notts (May 20th)
Under 160 - Essex v Notts (May 13th)
Under 140 - Kent v Notts (May 20th)
Under 120 - Notts v Herts (May 13th)
Under 100 - Notts have a bye

Inter-County U180 Championship: Nottinghamshire 8-8 Warwickshire (11th Apr)

The U180 title was shared between Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire when they drew 8-8 in their match. Both teams progress to the national stages. Full Results

Nottingham Congress - lost property (5th Apr)

1 pair of gents glasses
1 rather splendid cushion

Contact Robert Richmond. Tel: 0115-9455908 e-mail: Robrchmnd@aol.com

Letter to primary school leavers from NPSCA (5th Apr)

The Nottinghamshire Primary Schools Chess Association (NPSCA) is sending letters to Year 6s and their parents to advise them on how they can continue playing chess when they move to secondary school. The letter is available to download.

Midlands and Northern Girls Championship (14th Mar)

The Notts Primary Schools Chess Association (NPSCA) organised the first Midlands and Northern Girls Championship, which took place on Sunday 5th March at Nottingham High School. There were 4 sections for girls under 14, under 12, under 10 and under 8. The games were played over 5 rounds, with trophies on offer for the first three places in each. Full Report

Notice of a Notts Chess Association General Meeting (8th Mar)

A General Meeting will be held at the West Nottingham CC venue, Bramcote Memorial Hall, Church Street, Bramcote, Nottingham NG9 3HD on Monday 15th May starting at 7:30pm. Full Details

Inter-County Minor Championship: Nottinghamshire 10.5-5.5 Worcestershire (5th Mar)

The minor team had a convincing victory over Worcestershire but overall they finish bottom of the table and will not progress any further this season. Full Results

Inter-County U100 Championship: Nottinghamshire 7-5 Leicestershire (5th Mar)

The U100 team beat Leicestershire to become Midland Champions and will progress to the national stages. Full Results

Tradewise Grand Prix 2015-16 (24th Feb)

Chris Fraser (West Bridgford) has won the U140 Section of the 2016 Tradewise Grand Prix, by getting the most points from his six best tournaments. He received £200 in prize money.

Inter-County U160 Championship: Warwickshire 8-8 Nottinghamshire (12th Feb)

The U160 team drew against Warwickshire in the final match of the group stage. The teams are joint midlands champions and both go through to the national stages. Full Results

Nottingham Rapidplay (5th Feb)

Mark Hebden (Syston) won the open section for the third successive year with a score of 6/6. The other sections were more closely contested. The major section was won by Daniel Broughton (Nottingham) and Nigel Young (Chess Mates) with scores of 5/6. The intermediate section was won by Geoff D Brown (Darnell Handsworth) and Armaan Gogia (West Nottingham) with scores of 5/6. Findlay Bowcett-Terry (Halesowen) was the outright winner in the minor section with a score 5½/6. Full Results

Executive Committee meeting minutes (5th Feb)

The minutes for the Executive Committee meeting held on 20th January is now available to view on the website.

Inter-County Minor Championship: Nottinghamshire 7-9 Leicestershire (29th Jan)

The minor team's miserable run continues with yet another defeat, this time losing 9-7 to Leicestershire. Full Results

Inter-County U140 Championship: Derbyshire 8-8 Nottinghamshire (29th Jan)

The U140 team drew 8-8 to Derbyshire and are currently second in the table with a chance of qualification to the national stages. Full Results

Inter-County U120 Championship: Nottinghamshire 7½-4½ Worcestershire (29th Jan)

Nottinghamshire become Midlands U120 champions after beating Worcestershire by a score of 7½-4½. Full Results

Keith Brameld's Funeral (29th Jan)

Keith Brameld's funeral will take place at Gedling Crematorium at 12:30 on Fri 10 Feb, followed by a reception in Arnold, the venue tbc. Anyone wishing to have time with his coffin may do so at Lymms in Arnold on 9 Feb between 12:00 & 17:00

Gedling Crematorium is about 200 yards on the left down Catfoot Lane when turning off Plains Rd. The funeral reception will be held at Lambley Village Kitchen pub which is at the junction of Catfoot Lane and Main St in Lambley, NG4 4PN.

Change of Venue for West Bridgford (25th Jan)

Please note that West Bridgford have moved all their remaining matches to:

Wilford Social and Bowls club, 55 Main Road, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7AP.
Tel: 0115-9811302.

Please ensure all your players are made aware of this change.

The following additional advice may be useful.

If you are driving from West Bridgford/Trent Bridge along Wilford Lane, continue to the Co-op on your left and then turn right at the traffic lights just after it onto Main Road. The venue is then about 250 yards down the road, a white building on the left hand side, with roadside parking. The entrance is clearly marked, and you will need to walk through the Social Club area, exiting the far door. The chess will be in the Bowls Club pavilion, the entrance to which will be reached after walking just a few more yards.

Coming from Clifton Bridge/Ring Road follow the signs to West Bridgford which will bring you along Clifton Lane. The traffic lights are immediately past "The Harvester" on your left. Turn left at the traffic lights onto Main Road as above.

Executive Committee Meeting (11th Jan)

Message from Andy Walker (President, NCA)

EC will be meeting on Friday 20th January. If anyone has an item for the agenda, or would like to attend, please let me know. There are still a number of vacancies among the officers, most notably for a Secretary, but also for a Safeguarding Officer, a Bulletin Editor and a Special Events Organiser. Please let me, or any member of EC, know if you would be prepared to volunteer for any of these roles, or can suggest someone we should approach.

Obituary for Stephen Foster (23rd Dec)

It is with great sadness that Nottingham Central Chess Club announce the death of Stephen Foster, long time member and first team captain. He also represented Notts many times in team events and was captain of the county's Correspondence Chess team in recent times.

He died peacefully in his sleep at home on Sunday 11th December after a long period of declining health. We are sure his many friends in the Nottingham chess community will remember him with affection.

Stephen regularly took part in competitions. Here are a couple of games that he played.

Inter-County U120 Championship: Warwickshire 5-7 Nottinghamshire (18th Dec)

The U120 team make it 3 wins out of 3 after beating Warwickshire 7-5. They extend their lead at the top of the table to 4 points. Full Results

Inter-County U160 Championship: Nottinghamshire 8½-7½ Greater Manchester (18th Dec)

The U160 team beat Greater Manchester by the narrowest of margins in a match that wasn't decided until the last board. Full Results

Mansfield withdraw team from Division 4 (11th Dec)

Mansfield have withdrawn their team from Division 4 due to lacking a sufficient number of players. The match results will be removed from the league table but the games will still be graded.

Inter-County U140 Championship: Nottinghamshire 9-7 Lincolnshire (11th Dec)

The U140 team had a tougher match than expected against Lincolnshire but were able to win 9-7. Full Results

Inter-County U100 Championship: Nottinghamshire 9½-2½ Staffordshire (11th Dec)

The U100 team had a comfortable win over Staffordshire and were gifted a 4-0 head start when the opposition couldn't raise a full team. Full Results

Nottinghamshire County Championship (3rd Dec)

The 2016/17 County Champion is Jonah Willow (West Nottingham) with a score of 4/5. At the age of 13 he is the third youngest player to win the title. Full Results

Four Counties Juniors U130 Competition (21st Nov)

On Sunday the 6th November Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire competed at Nottingham High Junior School. The competition was won by Leicestershire with 6 points. Nottinghamshire finished in last place but there were great results from a number of Notts players against strong opposition. Full Report

Inter-County U100 Championship: Warwickshire 1½-10½ Nottinghamshire (20th Nov)

The U100 team thrashed Warwickshire 10½-1½ in their opening match of the season. On paper this looked to be a close match so it must have been quite a surprise for both teams. Full Results

Inter-County U140 Championship: Nottinghamshire 6-10 Worcestershire (20th Nov)

The U140 team lost 10-6 to Worcestershire in their opening match of the season. This was a disappointing result for Nottinghamshire as they had the better grading average overall but lost too many games on the top boards. Full Results

British Rapidplay (20th Nov)

The British Rapidplay took place in Leeds on 12-13 November. Anita Somton (West Notts) came first in the intermediate section with a score of 8½/11 and won the first prize of £400. Lavanya Maladkar (West Notts) came equal first in the Under 11 Trial with a perfect score of 5/5. In the open section Jim Burnett (Mansfield) and Jonah Willow (West Notts) both scored 6/11. Jonah won a £10 grading prize with a grading performance of 2109. In the minor section Chris Fraser (West Bridgford), Armaan Gogia (West Notts) and Vidura Mendis (West Notts) all scored 6/11. Here are the results for all the Notts players who took part in the competition (all scores out of 11 except where stated otherwise):

Scarborough Congress (11th Nov)

The Scarborough Congress was held in the Spa Centre on 21-23 October. There was a good turnout of Notts players at the competition. Michael Barnes (Gambit) came equal 2nd in the open section with a score of 4/5 and won £100 in prize money. Marcel Taylor (Radcliffe & Bingham) had similar success in the minor section, finishing equal 2nd with a score of 4/5 and winning £83.33 in prize money. Here are the results for all the notts players who took part in the competition (all scores out of 5):

Hull Congress (11th Nov)

The Hull Congress was held at the University on 14-16 October. Jim Burnett (Gambit) came equal 2nd in the open section with a score of 3½/5 and won £100 in prize money. Robert Taylor (Ashfield) came equal 3rd in the major section with a score of 3½/5 and won £50 in prize money. In the minor section Ray Sayer (Ashfield) finished mid table with a score of 2½/5.

Inter-County U120 Championship: Staffordshire 3½-8½ Nottinghamshire (11th Nov)

The U120 team scored another impress win, this time against Staffordshire and are at the top of leaderboard. Full Results

Inter-County Minor Championship: Warwickshire 10½-5½ Nottinghamshire (11th Nov)

The minor team suffered a humiliating defeat to Warwickshire and now must win their remaining matches to reach the knock out stages. Full Results

Inter-County U120 Championship: Nottinghamshire 9½-2½ Lincolnshire (29th Oct)

The U120 team scored a convincing 9½-2½ victory against Lincolnshire. Full Results

Inter-County Minor Championship: Lincolnshire 13-3 Nottinghamshire (29th Oct)

The minor suffered a heavy defeat to Lincolnshire by a score of 13-3. Full Results

English U11 Championship (23rd Oct)

The English U11 Championship took place at Nottingham Junior High School on 15-16 October. There were 35 juniors taking part in the competition and the winner was Lavanya Maladkar (West Notts) with a score of 5/5. Nottingham Juniors have now won this prestigious title 4 times, but Lavanya is the only girl champion in its long history. Full Report

Nottinghamshire Competitions (18th Oct)

The online entry forms are now available to use for the County Championship, Rapidplay and Congress competitions. You can also download pdf versions of the entry forms if you prefer to enter by post.

Competition Date Paper Entry Form Online Entry Form
County Championship 19-20 Nov 2016 Download Entry Form Enter Online
Nottingham Rapidplay 29 Jan 2017 Download Entry Form Enter Online
Nottingham Congress 1-2 Apr 2017 Download Entry Form Enter Online

If you have any problems with the online entry forms please contact the webmaster. For any general enquiries about the competitions please contact the organiser.

Executive Committee meeting minutes (9th Oct)

The minutes for the Executive Committee meeting held on 30th September is now available to view on the website.

County U14s Championship (9th Oct)

The NYCA U14 County Championships were held in Northampton on Sunday 25th September. Nottinghamshire finished second overall just behind Sussex but ahead of Kent. Full Report

Mickey Adams Simultaneous (21st Sep)

The simultaneous display given by Mickey Adams against 25 players last Saturday, September 17th, at Ludorati Cafe, Maid Marian Way was a resounding success. Mickey Adams, a five times winner of the British Championship and, at one time, World number 4 for two years, remains a Super GM! He won 22, drew 2 and lost just 1. Full Report

Executive Committee Meeting (17th Sep)

The executive Committee will meet on Friday 30th September. If you would like to attend, or if there is something you would like us to discuss, please contact the Executive Committee.

Darnall FIDE Rapidplay (17th Sep)

Several Notts players entered the Darnall FIDE Rapidplay on 3rd September. Anita Somton (West Notts) won the intermediate section with a score of 5½/6 and received £100 in prize money. Drag Sudar (Gambit) came equal 3rd in the major section with a score of 4/6 and won £12.50 in prize money. Here are a list of all Notts players that took part in the competition (all scores out of 6):

Mickey Adams Simultaneous Chess Exhibition in Nottingham (12th Sep)

On Saturday, September 17th, at 1pm, a simultaneous chess exhibition with the British Chess Champion Mickey Adams will be held at Ludorati cafe bar in Nottingham. Mickey will be taking on all comers all at once!

To reserve your seat at a table with Mickey Adams you must pre-register at http://ludoratichessma2016.questionpro.com/. The £12 entry fee to play Mickey to be paid at the door. Spectators are free. See the press release for further details.

National Chess Day (3rd Sep)

The National Chess Day will take place on Saturday 10th September at Nottingham Railway Station to support the mental health charity, Mind. A 6 round blitz event will start at 12.00 noon. Entry fee is £20 and 50% of all monies collected will be used for prizes. Please come along and show your support.

CWANG 2016 (3rd Sep)

The annual CWANG event took place on Thursday 18th August 2016 at the Horse 'n' Groom. Gambit emerged winners on 25 points. Full Report

Nottinghamshire Events (21st Aug)

The dates have been confirmed for the Nottinghamshire events running in the 2016-17 season:

County Championship 19-20 Nov 2016
Nottingham Rapidplay 29 Jan 2016
Nottingham Congress 1-2 Apr 2016

Controllers Wanted (21st Aug)

Message from Robert Richmond

With the retirement of Neil Graham as Chief Controller the controlling team for the Congress and Rapidplay needs strengthening. Volunteers needed - no experience necessary, just the right sort of mind to get your head around the Swiss Pairing Rules. Simon Scott and I are interested in doing the basic ECF arbiters course, which takes a weekend, and it would be good to organise a party. The Association will pay the fee (from retained congress profits).

Grading Changes (21st Aug)

Message from Robert Richmond

ECF are planning to introduce monthly updates to published grades. To make this feasible member organisations will be provided with League Management software. The money to pay for this was approved at the recent ECF meeting - £2K per year over 5 years - effectively a one-off £1 on membership. The final go ahead will be decided at the ECF meeting in October and I have no doubt that it will be approved. Implementation will start from the 2017/18 season.

League Management systems have several advantages. Captains will select player names from a pre-determined menu, which should improve accuracy, particularly for opponents names. There is no copying of results, which should make life easier for the Records Secretary and grader. It could lead to even quicker posting of results, though this may depend on how we configure the system.

British Championships (16th Aug)

The British Championships was held at Bournemouth this year and began on Saturday 23rd July. There were a number of Notts players taking part in the competition with success for both junior and senior players.

Aditya Munshi (West Notts) is the British Under 12 Champion and won £187.50 prize money for finishing equal first in the U12 section with a score of 6/7.

Daniel Chen (West Notts) came =12th in the U9 section with a score of 4/7.

David Levens (West Notts) came =6th in the Over 65 section with a score of 4½/7.

A selection of games is now available for replay.

Summary

Best Game Prizes 2015-16 (14th Aug)

There were sixteen entries for this year, though only four were eligible for the U140. Our judge for this year was Nigel Birtwistle. As most judges choose to do, he made the decisions without knowing the identities of the players. All the games are included in the report and come with annotations. Full Report

Premier League Football Fantasy Football (9th Aug)

Premier League Football Fantasy football commences on Saturday - here's your chance to beat an IM by joining the Premier Chess League. Prospective Peps, Arsenes or even David Moyes can find the League at https://fantasy.premierleague.com and the join code is 653430-183086. Real names please - no pseudonyms.

LMC meeting minutes (31st Jul)

The minutes for the LMC meeting held on Friday 22nd July is now available on the website.

League Rule Changes for the coming season (31st Jul)

There are three changes which will each make a big difference in its own way - time limit, player eligibility for lower teams and order of strength. Full Report

County Championship Final Weekend (10th Jul)

The Finals of the County Championship took place on Saturday 2nd July. In the U120 section Nottinghamshire beat Warwickshire 8-4 to become National Champions for the second time in three years. A report on the day is available to read and the results have been added to the website.

South Lakes Congress (3rd Jul)

Report from Maurice Hill

A number of Nottinghamshire players entered the South Lakes Congress this year and were, by and large, successful.

Jim Burnett took the Best Veterans Prize in the Open (won by Keith Arkell) by coming =4-7th with 3½pts (ECF 197 and TPR 219).

Maurice Hill, in the Major, came =2-8th with 3½ pts and received a Grading Prize since the second prize, when divided between the seven, would have been miniscule! (ECF 147 and TPR 180). David Levens, having a bad tournament, scored 1½pts.

Ray Sayer came =8-15th in the Minor 1 Section with 3pts (ECF 116 TPR130) and Marcel Taylor =22-26th with 2pts.

For full results please go to the Cumbria Chess Association website.

AGM Meeting Papers (3rd Jul)

The AGM will take place at West Notts CC on Monday 11th July from 7:30pm. The agenda and supporting papers are available to download.

County Championship Semi-Final Weekend (3rd Jul)

The Semi-Finals of the County Championship took place on Saturday 11th June. There were 3 teams from Nottinghamshire competing in the U140, U120 and U100 sections. The results are as follows:

Results
U100 Nottinghamshire 5-7 Essex Full Results
U120 Nottinghamshire 7½-4½ Norfolk Full Results
U140 Nottinghamshire 6-10 Worcestershire Full Results

MCCU Congress (3rd Jul)

The MCCU Congress will be taking place at Walsall on 13-14 August. This is a 5 round tournament and is part of the ECF Grand Prix and the MCCU Grand Prix. There are sections for all levels of playing ability. Further details can be found on the MCCU Congress website.