The Staffordshire Junior Chess Championship will be held on Saturday 21st November at the same venue as last season, Painsley Catholic College, Cheadle, Staffordshire, ST10 1LH. Full entry forms and payment details will be available in September. As in previous years there will be sections for boys and girls and different age ranges.
Congratulations to Jonathon
Jonathon I. B. Blackburn, who stepped down as Secretary for Junior Chess last month has accepted the award of Life Vice President of the Staffordshire Chess Association. Jonathon has accepted the post of Development Director for the Welsh Chess Union and we wish him good luck in his new role and thank him for all his work for Staffordshire.
Annual General Meeting and Awards
The Annual General Meeting of the Staffordshire Chess association was held on Wednesday 24th June. The extreme heat that week and threat of cancelled trains deterred some regular attendees, and the meeting was not quorate.
Thanks, from
the membership and committee to the retiring officials: Ray Dolan, Robert
Milner, and Jonathon Blackburn was expressed. Chris Hankey of Potteries Juniors
has been co-opted as Acting Junior Chess Secretary and Stephen Smithson becomes
Acting President. The post of General Secretary is vacant.
The Sports
Personality Award has been accepted by Andrew Crosby. Andrew was commended for
his work in Junior Chess, his work with Chess in Libraries, his publicity articles
and assisting in adding a new club, Tunstall & Burslem to North Staffs and
District Chess Association.
The Club of
the year award has become for one year only a “Team of the Year” award to thank
the organisers of the 2025 and 2026 congresses.
Eunice
Dolan becomes a Life Vice President of the SCA as a recognition for her long
stint as Treasurer of the Cannock League, her Junior Chess work and as the
first female president of the Midlands Counties Chess Union.
Under 1650 Season Concludes
The Staffordshire Under 1650 team travelled to Peterborough Bridge Club to meet Surrey in the Quarter Final of the Counties Championship. For some of us it was the second successive weekend in Peterborough. Selection had been difficult, as well as the conflicting claims of the F.A. Cup Final and Eurovision, we had to contend with holidays and a “stag weekend” at one Staffordshire Club. Illness and sporting injury reduced the team further and we ended up with only 13 players.
The result
was a clear win for Surrey by 13½ to 2½. Congratulations to Matty Blackwell (Rushall),
our only winner and to Ken McNulty (Stafford), Peter Oliver (Tamworth) and
Connor Whetnall (Lichfield) who drew their games.
Good luck
to Surrey in the next round. They were sporting opponents who were patient with
Staffordshire’s struggles to find a full side.
Thanks to
everyone who has played in Staffordshire’s teams this season.
Under 1450 lose on last board to finish
The Staffordshire Under 1450 team made their way to Peterborough to face Norfolk in the quarter finals of the ECF Counties Championship on Saturday 9th May. We met at Peterborough Bridge Club where there was plenty of room to spread ourselves at spacious tables.
The match
was close, Staffs lost two boards and then recovered. Norfolk took a two board
lead and Staffordshire equalized the match at 5½ each. This gave Staffordshire two winning
chances, a win with a victory on the board or a draw would have given Staffs a
victory on board count. It was not to be, the Norfolk player put in his attack
to win the quarter final.
Congratulations
to Norfolk and we wish them luck in the semi-finals. Thanks to Peterborough
Bridge Club for the use of the venue. The Staffordshire Under 1650 side are
back in Peterborough on Saturday 16th September to face Surrey, so if any eligible
Staffordshire who wishes to help please contact captain Peter Evans.
Staffordshire Congress Results
Congratulations to Neil Hankey and his team of organisers who ran a great Staffordshire Congress at Kidsgrove Town Hall on the last weekend of March. A great effort to hold the event so soon after the August 2025 Congress.
Alsager’s Jonathon Blackburn won the Open Section winning all five of his matches with former Cheddleton player, Jacob Connor Boswell in second place with 4 wins.
The Higher Section (Under 1850) was another Welsh triumph as Janie Roberts of Crewe took first place with 4 points. Also, with 4 out of 5 were Chris Hankey of Gables and David Hulme of Crewe. Just to prove that running a chess club needs not affect a player’s form.
The Standard Section (Under 1550) was won by U. Kachak, with 4.5 points ahead of Crewe’s Nigel Gardener who scored 4 points.
Thanks to the Arbiter team of Matthew Carr, David Price and Colin Abell.
Excellent photos of the event by Lilija Bekisa may be seen here, and the full results may be viewed.
Paul Sharratt RIP
The Staffordshire Chess Association would like to send condolences to the family and friends of Paul Sharratt who passed away suddenly this week. Paul was a giant of Midlands Chess, he was currently the Fixtures Secretary of the Wolverhampton League, having formerly been Treasurer. He held many roles in both the Worcestershire County Chess Association and at the time of his death he was Chief Executive of the Midlands Counties Chess Union. Additionally he had worked with the English Chess Federation formulating safeguarding policy.
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