CWANG Challenge 2011
Report by Phil Morgan
The annual CWANG challenge took place on 14th July at the Horse ‘n’ Groom. Usually closely contested, this year turned into a rout for a rampant Ashfield team. In round 1 Ashfield scored an amazing 10/10. This included 5 wins with Black against West Bridgford. Ashfield had 1 poor round in Round 3 but otherwise dominated the tournament. Glenn, Pablo and Steve Burke scored heavily on the top boards.
Rapidplay is meant to favour younger minds but veterans Stan Cranmer, Ray Sayer and Alan Morrey disproved this. Stan and Ray dislike and normally avoid Rapidplay. On arrival Stan complained he wouldn’t have turned out if he’d known the time limit. This didn’t stop him notching 4 wins! Neo-veterans Bob, Neil, and Jerry Herrington (returning to chess after many years out) also scored well. Ashfield went on to win with 31½/40. The final scores were: Ashfield 31½, Gambit 20, Nomads 19½, W Bridgford 15½ & Central 13½.
The margin of Ashfield’s victory was startling. A perplexed Brian Hayward asked if we’d been practising! One note of caution, last year’s challenge was won by Nomads whose first team then had a dismal season and got relegated. Hopefully this will not be an omen for Ashfield’s two teams in Division 1.
Drag Sudar adds:
Brian may have been secretly practising himself as he was Gambit’s best player with 3 points. Nomads’ top scorer was Peter Brace with 3½ points. Central’s Patrick Allen scored 4 points for the second year running and he has a 78% record with 12 wins and 1 draw from the 16 games he’s played since BAG/NAG/CWANG began in 2005. Gambit’s Peter Mercs also has 78% with 11 wins and 6 draws from 18 games but the leading performer is Ashfield’s Ray Sayer with 82% having won 11 and drawn 1 out of 14 games. Three players have played in all 7 events: Glenn Halfpenny & Bob Taylor (both Ashfield) and Peter Mercs.
Thanks to team captains Dave, Neil, Pat & Tim for helping ensure the event ran smoothly and congratulations to Ashfield. Are Ashfield secretly plotting to change the rules so that league matches are shortened to 15 minutes per player?
CWANG shows the potential for ‘competitive’ fun chess during the summer months and maybe next year we could have a summer knockout or league if enough clubs are interested; formats could include grading limit/average handicaps and/or varying time limits.
| Glenn Halfpenny | 1-0 | Peter Mercs |
| John Harrison | 1-0 | Dave Flynn |
| Tim Walker | 0-1 | Pablo Padilla |
| John Swain | 1-0 | Alan Griffiths |
| Maurice Hill | ½-½ | Robert Richmond |
| Brian Hayward | 1-0 | Steve Foster |
| Dave Griffiths | 0-1 | Richard Truman |
| Steve Burke | 1-0 | John Tassi |
| Patrick Allen | 1-0 | Robert Parker |
| Will Place | 0-1 | Phil Morgan |
| Geof Forster | 0-1 | Tim Kendall |
| Mark Kirtley | 0-1 | Jerry Herrington |
| Derek Padvis | ½-½ | Andy Sutton |
| Graham Neil | 0-1 | Mike Hunter |
| Bob Taylor | 1-0 | Graham Gibson |
| Peter Brace | 1-0 | Terry Lavelle |
| Stan Cranmer | 1-0 | Gary Hopkinson |
| Lucasz Kacprzak | 0-1 | Alberto Rodriguez |
| Chris Fraser | 0-1 | Neil Graham |
| Andy Thompson | 0-1 | Ken Cairney |
| Sam McGregor | 0-1 | Ray Sayer |
| Alan Groves | ½-½ | Kevin Argyle |
| Steve Swanwick | 1-0 | Jack McGregor |
| Alan Morrey | 1-0 | Ken Heath |
| Michael James | 0-1 | Mike Swanwick |
| Peter Mercs | 1-0 | Maurice Hill |
| Dave Flynn | 0-1 | Glenn Halfpenny |
| Pablo Padilla | 1-0 | John Harrison |
| Alan Griffiths | 0-1 | Tim Walker |
| Robert Richmond | ½-½ | John Swain |
| Steve Foster | ½-½ | Will Place |
| Richard Truman | 1-0 | Brian Hayward |
| John Tassi | 0-1 | Dave Griffiths |
| Robert Parker | 0-1 | Steve Burke |
| Phil Morgan | 0-1 | Patrick Allen |
| Tim Kendall | 0-1 | Bob Taylor |
| Jerry Herrington | 1-0 | Geof Forster |
| Andy Sutton | 1-0 | Chris Budd |
| Mike Hunter | 0-1 | Graeme Jennings |
| Graham Gibson | 1-0 | Graham Neil |
| Terry Lavelle | 1-0 | Andy Thompson |
| Gary Hopkinson | 0-1 | Peter Brace |
| Alberto Rodriguez | 0-1 | Stan Cranmer |
| Neil Graham | 1-0 | Lucasz Kacprzak |
| Ken Cairney | 1-0 | Chris Fraser |
| Ray Sayer | 1-0 | Michael James |
| Kevin Argyle | 1-0 | Sam McGregor |
| Jack McGregor | 0-1 | Alan Groves |
| Ken Heath | 0-1 | Steve Swanwick |
| Mark Kirtley | 1-0 | Alan Morrey |
| John Harrison | 0-1 | Peter Mercs |
| Tim Walker | 1-0 | Dave Flynn |
| John Swain | ½-½ | Pablo Padilla |
| Maurice Hill | ½-½ | Alan Griffiths |
| Glen Halfpenny | ½-½ | Robert Richmond |
| Dave Griffiths | ½-½ | Steve Foster |
| Steve Burke | ½-½ | Richard Truman |
| Patrick Allen | 1-0 | John Tassi |
| Will Place | ½-½ | Robert Parker |
| Brian Hayward | 1-0 | Phil Morgan |
| Christopher Budd | 0-1 | Tim Kendall |
| Graeme Jennings | ½-½ | Jerry Herrington |
| Graham Neil | 0-1 | Andy Sutton |
| Bob Taylor | ½-½ | Mike Hunter |
| Geof Forster | 1-0 | Graham Gibson |
| Stan Cranmer | 1-0 | Terry Lavelle |
| Lucasz Kacprzak | 0-1 | Gary Hopkinson |
| Chris Fraser | 0-1 | Mark Kirtley |
| Andy Thompson | ½-½ | Neil Graham |
| Peter Brace | 1-0 | Ken Cairney |
| Alan Groves | 1-0 | Ray Sayer |
| Steve Swanwick | 1-0 | Kevin Argyle |
| Alan Morrey | ½-½ | Jack McGregor |
| Michael James | 0-1 | Ken Heath |
| Sam McGregor | 0-1 | Mike Swanwick |
| Peter Mercs | ½-½ | Tim Walker |
| Dave Flynn | ½-½ | John Swain |
| Pablo Padilla | 1-0 | Maurice Hill |
| Alan Griffiths | 0-1 | Glenn Halfpenny |
| Robert Richmond | 1-0 | John Harrison |
| Steve Foster | 0-1 | Steve Burke |
| Richard Truman | 0-1 | Patrick Allen |
| John Tassi | 1-0 | Will Place |
| Robert Parker | 0-1 | Brian Hayward |
| Phil Morgan | ½-½ | Dave Griffiths |
| Tim Kendall | 1-0 | Graeme Jennings |
| Jerry Herrington | 1-0 | Mark Kirtley |
| Andy Sutton | 0-1 | Bob Taylor |
| Mike Hunter | 1-0 | Geof Forster |
| Graham Gibson | 0-1 | Christopher Budd |
| Terry Lavelle | 1-0 | Lucasz Kacprzak |
| Gary Hopkinson | 1-0 | Chris Fraser |
| Alberto Rodriguez | 0-1 | Andy Thompson |
| Neil Graham | ½-½ | Peter Brace |
| Ken Cairney | 0-1 | Stan Cranmer |
| Ray Sayer | 1-0 | Steve Swanwick |
| Kevin Argyle | 0-1 | Alan Morrey |
| Jack McGregor | 1-0 | Michael James |
| Ken Heath | 1-0 | Sam McGregor |
| Mike Swanwick | 1-0 | Alan Groves |
| Ashfield | 31½ |
| Gambit | 20 |
| Nomads | 19½ |
| West Bridgford | 15½ |
| Central | 13½ |