The 2016/17 club championship was won by Svein Kjenner, the crucial game being his win against Nathan Barnes.
Ed Goodman won the Club Shield (for best performance by a player graded under 120).
The Grand Prix (best combined score in Club Championship/Shield, Tony Locke Rapidplay and NECL matches) was won by Nathan Barnes.
Nathan also won the Tony Locke Rapidplay. Cross-table for the rapidplay competition is shown below.
The winners of the club competitions for 2015/16 are:
The Club Shield was awarded to the best performance by a player graded under 120ECF in the Club Championship. The Grand Prix was won by the player with the highest combined score in the Club Championship, Tony Locke Rapidplay and NECL matches.
The Club Honours page has been updated to show the 2015/16 results and also now includes more historical results than previously.
The position at the top of the page is taken from the decisive game in the Club Championship (N Barnes - N Voelker). It shows the position after Black's 36th move. Nothing particularly special about the position, except that neither the White rook or bishop had moved at all in the first 36 moves. So, is the game still technically in the opening until White completes development?
An opening disaster caused by playing a sideline which an opponent was able to prepare for, taken from Barnes, N (ECF:146) 0.5 - 0.5 Kjenner, S (ECF:154) (2016).
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 is the Scotch Opening. 4...Qh4 is a sideline, but not a bad one. This was the move that White had expected Black to play.
5.Nb5 is not the most common reply but does give scope for Black to go wrong. The knight threatens to fork the king and rook by capturing on c7. 5...Bc5 replies with a stronger threat.
6.Qf3 is one way of protecting the f2 pawn and also sets a trap.
6...Ne5 looks strong as it threatens the white queen on f3 and so seems to be bringing another piece into the attack with tempo.
However, Ne5 was a serious error allowing White to win material.
7.Qf4! was the prepared trap. According to the computer the best option for Black is 7...Qxf2+ 8.Qxf2 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 and White has won a piece for a pawn. The game continuation was 7...Qxf4. White missed the best move here - 8.Nxc7+ as after 8...Kd8 9.Bxf4 the knight on c7 is safe as 9...Kxc7 10.Bxe5+ Kd8 11.Bxg7 and White has an even greater material advantage than if Black allows the knight to take the a8 rook.
White's preparation ran out on move 7 though and 8.Bxf4 Bd6 9.Nxd6 cxd6 leaves White much better (more than +2 according to the computer) but the advantage is not as clear cut as after 8.Nxc7+.
The games listed below are the outstanding games from the 2015/16 Club Championship and 2015/16 Tony Locke Rapidplay. Final date for completion of these games is Wednesday 31st August. Incomplete games will be defaulted by one or both players at the discretion of the tournament secretary.
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Pete Smith | V | Clive Bellinger |
| John Duff-Cole | V | Svein Kjenner |
| Ed Goodman | V | Mark Johnson |
| Svein Kjenner | V | Mark Johnson |
| John Duff-Cole | V | Ed Goodman |
| Clive Bellinger | V | Nathan Barnes |
| Pete Smith | V | Mark Johnson |
| Svein Kjenner | V | Ed Goodman |
| Phil Daley | V | John Duff-Cole |
| Clive Bellinger | V | Matt Stemp |
| Phil Daley | V | Svein Kjenner |
| Nathan Barnes | V | Ed Goodman |
| Pete Smith | V | Dave Chatfield |
| John Duff-Cole | V | Pete Smith |
| Dave Chatfield | V | John Duff-Cole |
| Ed Goodman | V | Pete Smith |
The draw for the fifth round of the club championship has been made. Currently in the lead (based on completed games) are Nathan Barnes, Clive Bellinger and Norbert Voelker on 3/4, though there are a number of incomplete games so exact positions/scores could change. For the purposes of making the draw, incomplete matches have been counted as being draws - scores will be updated as matches are completed.
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Nathan Barnes (3) | V | Norbert Voelker (3) |
| Pete Smith (2.5) | V | Clive Bellinger (3) |
| Brian Remmer (2) | V | Felix Schnell (2.5) |
| Phil Daley (1) | V | Martin Harris (2) |
| John Duff-Cole (1) | V | Svein Kjenner (1.5) |
| Ed Goodman (1) | V | Mark Johnson (1.5) |
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Svein Kjenner | V | Mark Johnson |
| Felix Schnell | V | Phil Daley |
| Clive Bellinger | V | Felix Schnell |
| John Duff-Cole | V | Ed Goodman |
| Clive Bellinger (2.5) | V | Nathan Barnes (2.5) |
| Felix Schnell (2) | V | Norbert Voelker (2.5) |
| Pete Smith (2) | V | Mark Johnson (1.5) |
| Svein Kjenner (1) | V | Ed Goodman (0.5) |
| Phil Daley (0.5) | V | John Duff-Cole (0.5) |
The draw for the penultimate round of the club championship has been made. Currently in the lead (based on completed games) are Nathan Barnes and Norbert Voelker on 2.5/3, though there are a number of incomplete games so others could join them. For the purposes of making the draw, incomplete matches have been counted as being draws - scores will be updated as matches are completed.
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Clive Bellinger (2.5) | V | Nathan Barnes (2.5) |
| Felix Schnell (2) | V | Norbert Voelker (2.5) |
| Pete Smith (2) | V | Mark Johnson (1.5) |
| Martin Harris (1.5) | V | Brian Remmer (1) |
| Svein Kjenner (1) | V | Ed Goodman (0.5) |
| Phil Daley (0.5) | V | John Duff-Cole (0.5) |
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Svein Kjenner | V | Mark Johnson |
| Felix Schnell | V | Phil Daley |
| Clive Bellinger | V | Felix Schnell |
| Mark Johnson | V | Martin Harris |
| John Duff-Cole | V | Ed Goodman |
The draw for the third round (out of 5) of the club championship has been made. Clive Bellinger is the only player on 2/2 from the first two rounds, though there are a number of incomplete games so others could join him. For the purposes of making the draw, incomplete matches have been counted as being draws - scores will be updated as matches are completed. Third round matches should be completed by 30th March at the latest.
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Clive Bellinger (2) | V | Felix Schnell (1.5) |
| Nathan Barnes (1.5) | V | Svein Kjenner (1) |
| Norbert Voelker (1.5) | V | Phil Daley (1) |
| Mark Johnson (1) | V | Martin Harris (1) |
| Brian Remmer (0.5) | V | Pete Smith (1) |
| John Duff-Cole (0) | V | Ed Goodman (0) |
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Svein Kjenner | V | Mark Johnson |
| Phil Daley | V | Pete Smith |
| Pete Smith | V | Nathan Barnes |
| Brian Remmer | V | Svein Kjenner |
| Felix Schnell | V | Phil Daley |
The draw for the first two rounds (out of 5) of the club championship has been made. The first round is scheduled for the 4th November. The 2nd round for the 2nd December. Any player unable to make one of those dates is responsible for contacting their opponent to organise an alternative date. Matches must be completed by 18th December at the latest.
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Nathan Barnes | V | Ed Goodman |
| John Duff-Cole | V | Felix Schnell |
| Svein Kjenner | V | Mark Johnson |
| Clive Bellinger | V | Brian Remmer |
| Phil Daley | V | Pete Smith |
| Norbert Voelker | V | Martin Harris |
| WHITE | BLACK | |
| Pete Smith | V | Nathan Barnes |
| Martin Harris | V | John Duff-Cole |
| Brian Remmer | V | Svein Kjenner |
| Ed Goodman | V | Clive Bellinger |
| Felix Schnell | V | Phil Daley |
| Mark Johnson | V | Norbert Voelker |
After numerous replays in the semi-finals, Brian Remmer and Phil Daley contested the final of the 2014/15 season club championship. Phil, playing Black, won the match and becomes club champion; Brian wins the Club Shield for best performance by a player graded under 120. The game is shown below, with brief annotations. The Club Honours page has been updated to include the results of this year's competitions.
The club championship quarter-finals have been completed, while there have been numerous upsets prior to this round this time the games were all won by the higher-graded player.
| QUARTER-FINAL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Barnes | 1 v 0 | Simon Denney |
| Phil Daley | 1 v 0 | John Duff-Cole |
| Ed Goodman | 0 v 1 | Martin Harris |
| Mark Johnson | 0 v 1 | Brian Remmer |
These results mean that Brian Remmer will win the Club Shield for best result by an U120 graded player (unless he wins the Club Championship which will mean a 4-way play-off between Simon, John, Ed and Mark will be needed). The draw for the semi-finals is:
| SEMI-FINAL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Barnes | v | Phil Daley |
| Martin Harris | v | Brian Remmer |
The club championship has now reached the quarterfinal stage. There have been a few defaults and a few wins against seeding (Mark, Denzel and Simon have all eliminated higher-seeded players). The quarterfinal matches should be played on Wednesday 27th May.
| QUARTER-FINAL - Wednesday 27th May | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Barnes | v | Simon Denney |
| John Duff-Cole | v | Phil Daley |
| Martin Harris | v | Ed Goodman |
| Brian Remmer | 1 v 0 | Mark Johnson |
One of the quarterfinal matches has already been played with Brian gaining revenge for last year's defeat in the Club Shield decider against Mark.
| SEMI-FINAL - Wednesday 3rd June | ||
|---|---|---|
| winner of Nathan Barnes/Simon Denney | v | winner of John Duff-Cole/Phil Daley |
| winner of Martin Harris/Ed Goodman | v | Brian Remmer |
In addition to the final, there will be a 3rd place play-off. The final, and 3rd place play-off, will take place on Wednesday 17th June.
The seeding rounds for the club championship are now over. Group winners (who get byes for the first two rounds) were: Nathan Barnes, John Duff-Cole, Martin Harris and Brian Remmer. Runners-up were: Phil Daley, Dave Chatfield, Mohammud Jaufarally and Clive Bellinger.
No seeding games were completed in two of the groups. All players go through to the knock-out stages but players who have not played any games in the group stages count as having come 3rd in their groups for seeding purposes.
Matches have been randomly determined for each round.
Time limit is the same as for league matches, players should toss a coin to determine colours. In the event of a draw players can either have a rematch (swapping colours; this must take place before the scheduled date for the next round) or an armageddon game should be played (players swap colours; White has 5 minutes on the clock, Black has 4 minutes; if game is drawn Black wins). Unless agreed otherwise by the two players before the game starts, an armageddon match will be used to determine the winner if the game is drawn.
If a player is unable to play their match on the date scheduled it is their responsibility to contact their opponent and arrange an alternative date. Wins on default will be awarded at the discretion of the tournament controller.
| ROUND 1 - Wednesday April 8th | ||
|---|---|---|
| Matt Stemp | v | John King |
| Svein Kjenner | v | Denzel Gonzales |
| Pete Smith | v | Simon Denney |
| ROUND 2 - Wednesday 6th May | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| (Match a) | Dave Chatfield | v | winner of Smith/Denney |
| (Match b) | Phil Daley | v | winner of Kjenner/Gonzales |
| (Match c) | Clive Bellinger | v | Mark Johnson |
| (Match d) | Ed Goodman | v | winner of Stemp/King |
| QUARTER-FINAL - Wednesday 20th May | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| (Match e) | Nathan Barnes | v | winner of match a |
| (Match f) | John Duff-Cole | v | winner of match b |
| (Match g) | Martin Harris | v | winner of match d |
| (Match h) | Brian Remmer | v | winner of match c |
| SEMI-FINAL - Wednesday 3rd June | ||
|---|---|---|
| winner of match e | v | winner of match f |
| winner of match g | v | winner of match h |
In addition to the final, there will be a 3rd place play-off and (if needed) matches to determine the winner of the Club Shield (for best result by a player with an ECF grade under 120).
The final, and any play-off matches, will take place on Wednesday 17th June.
The current top ten players in the club grand prix are:
| Points | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nathan Barnes | 14.5 |
| 2nd | Clive Bellinger | 10 |
| 3rd | Mohammud Jaufarally | 8 |
| 4th | Martin Harris | 8 |
| 5th | Mike Wagstaff | 7 |
| 6th | Svein Kjenner | 6.5 |
| 7th | Matt Stemp | 6 |
| 8th | Ed Goodman | 6 |
| 9th | Aleksander Orava | 5.5 |
| 10th | Mark Johnson | 5.5 |
Games played in the club championship, Tony Locke rapidplay and the NECL league/knockout count for points in the grand prix. Where points are equal percentage score is used as a tie-breaker.
In the club championship three of the preliminary groups are complete. In group 1, Nathan Barnes finished 1st with Ed Goodman and Mohammud Jaufarally in joint 2nd. John-Duff Cole and Clive Bellinger finished in joint 1st in group 2, with John getting the bye for the 1st round of the knockout on tiebreak. In group 4, Brian Remmer and Dave Chatfield finished in joint 1st, with Brian getting the bye for the 1st round of the knockout on tiebreak. Martin Harris and Phil Daley have both won a game in group 5, so the match between them will decide the top two places. The knockout rounds will start in April, group winners will have a bye for the 1st round.
In NECL Division 2, Colchester A are in 1st place having won five matches and drawn one. Colchester B are in 8th place (two wins and two losses) - but have played four of the top five teams and have played fewer games than their rivals. In Division 3, Colchester C are in 2nd place (on tiebreak with 1st) after winning three matches, drawing two and losing one - though they have played more games than most teams; Colchester D are in 5th place (on tiebreak with 3rd) with three wins and one loss.
In the first match of the four February matches, Colchester B beat Braintree B (who beat the A team last year). Alex Orava won on board 1, as did Clive Bellinger on board 4. Mike Wagstaff had to move quickly to meet the time control and lost a pawn doing so. Svein Kjenner had a winning position but miscalculated a queen sacrifice, active play helped him to recover a draw from a completely lost position to seal the team win.
| Date: Feb-2015 | ||||||
| NECL Division 2 | ||||||
| Brd | Col | COLCHESTER B | Result | BRAINTREE B | Col | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | w | Alex Orava (148) | 1 | 0 | Kenn Butcher (140) | b |
| 2 | b | Mike Wagstaff (148) | 0 | 1 | Greg Mantle (134) | w |
| 3 | w | Svein Kjenner (e139) | ½ | ½ | Gerald Conley (128) | b |
| 4 | b | Clive Bellinger (138) | 1 | 0 | Peter Copsey (89) | w |
| (avg=143) | 2.5 | 1.5 | (avg=122) | |||
The next week it was the A team's turn to play Braintree B. First to finish was Nathan Barnes winning with an overloading tactic in the transition from the middle game to the end game - the game finished with only 11 minutes showing on the combined clocks (though the time control had been reached). Mike Wagstaff won by sacrificing pawns to set up a powerful kingside attack with his major pieces. Matt Stemp finished his opponent off with a neat deflection tactic to set-up a mating net. Last minute reserve Martin Harris played a risk-free game where neither player had any real chances of losing or winning.
| Date: Feb-2015 | ||||||
| NECL Division 2 | ||||||
| Brd | Col | BRAINTREE B | Result | COLCHESTER A | Col | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | w | Kenn Butcher (140) | 0 | 1 | Matt Stemp (e165) | b |
| 2 | b | Greg Mantle (134) | 0 | 1 | Nathan Barnes (152) | w |
| 3 | w | Gerald Conley (128) | 0 | 1 | Mike Wagstaff (148) | b |
| 4 | b | Bill O'Leary (115) | ½ | ½ | Martin Harris (121) | w |
| (avg=129) | 0.5 | 3.5 | (avg=146) | |||
The following week saw two matches on the same night - both featuring the same scoreline. Colchester C beat Chelmsford D 4-0 and Colchester A beat Dunmow.
| Date: Feb-2015 | ||||||
| NECL Division 2 | ||||||
| Brd | Col | COLCHESTER A | Result | DUNMOW | Col | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | b | Ian Gooding (183) | 1 | 0 | Derek Jones (132) | w |
| 2 | w | Nathan Barnes (152) | 1 | 0 | Bill Attwood (109) | b |
| 3 | b | Mike Wagstaff (148) | 1 | 0 | John Fletcher (e100) | w |
| 4 | w | Clive Bellinger (138) | 1 | 0 | Andrew Shoolbred (51) | b |
| (avg=155) | 4 | 0 | (avg=98) | |||
| Date: Feb-2015 | ||||||
| NECL Division 3 | ||||||
| Brd | Col | COLCHESTER C | Result | CHELMSFORD D | Col | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | b | Phil Daley (123) | 1 | 0 | Alan Reynolds (106) | w |
| 2 | w | Peter Smith (119) | 1 | 0 | Peter Saunders (97) | b |
| 3 | b | Simon Denney (114) | 1 | 0 | Trevor Adams (89) | w |
| 4 | w | Brian Remmer (109) | 1 | 0 | Mario Cassar (73) | b |
| (avg=111) | 2 | 2 | (avg=107) | |||
The current top ten players in the club grand prix are:
| Points | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nathan Barnes | 9.5 |
| 2nd | Mohammud Jaufarally | 6 |
| 3rd | Svein Kjenner | 4.5 |
| 4th | Mike Wagstaff | 4 |
| 5th | Aleksander Orava | 3.5 |
| 6th | Clive Bellinger | 3 |
| 7th | Martin Harris | 3 |
| 8th | Ed Goodman | 3 |
| 9th | Matt Stemp | 2 |
| 10th= | Ian Gooding | 2 |
| Mark Johnson | 2 |
Games played in the club championship, Tony Locke rapidplay and the NECL league/knockout count for points in the grand prix. Where points are equal percentage score is used as a tie-breaker.
Games have only been played in two of the seeding groups for the club championship. In group 1, Mohammud and Nathan have both won a game and the match between them will determine who comes first and second in that group. Brian Remmer has a draw and a win from his two games in group 4 - meaning, due to tie-breaks, he will finish in 1st place. 2nd place in group 4 will depend on the result of the match between Dave Chatfield and Shazia Jaufarally. In the Tony Locke Rapidplay there are a number of players who have not played all their first three games yet so the current standings are not clear. Nathan, Svein and Clive have all played more than one game and are currently unbeaten.
In NECL Division 2, Colchester A are in 1st place having won three matches and drawn one. Colchester B are in 6th place but have only played two games (a win and a loss). In Division 3, Colchester D are in 1st place after winning three matches and losing one; Colchester C are in 7th place with one win and one loss. In the NECL Plate, Colchester have reached the semi-final where they will play Baddow B.
The draw for round four of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has been made (first named player has white):
| Nathan Barnes (3) | v | Alex Welge (2) |
| Svein Kjenner (2.5) | v | Mohammud Jaufarally (2) |
| Nadia Jaufarally (1.5) | v | Clive Bellinger (2) |
| Martin Harris (1.5) | v | John King (1.5) |
| John Duff-Cole (1.5) | v | Mark Johnson (1.5) |
| Shazia Jaufarally (1.5) | v | Ed Goodman (1.5) |
| Zahra Jaufarally (1.5) | v | Dave Chatfield (1) |
| Luke Tatchell (1) | v | Pete Smith (1) |
| Denzel Gonzales (0) | v | Phil Daley (0.5) |
| Simon Denney (0) | v | Matt Stemp (0) |
Where previous round games have not been played both players have been given half a point for the purpose of making the 4th round draw - when the games have been played both player's scores will be updated. These half-points are shown in player scores above - so some scores could potentially go down as matches from previous rounds are played. Three players have been added to the draw this round - they are shown as having a score of 0.
The following games from earlier rounds still need to be played:
| Mark Johnson | v | Shazia Jaufarally |
| Alex Welge | v | Nadia Jaufarally |
| John King | v | Zahra Jaufarally |
| Phil Daley | v | Shazia Jaufarally |
| Svein Kjenner | v | Clive Bellinger |
| Ed Goodman | v | Zahra Jaufarally |
| Zahra Jaufarally | v | Mark Johnson |
| Nadia Jaufarally | v | John King |
| Shazia Jaufarally | v | Alex Welge |
The current top ten players in the club grand prix are:
| Points | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nathan Barnes | 7.5 |
| 2nd | Mohammud Jaufarally | 5 |
| 3rd | Svein Kjenner | 4.5 |
| 4th= | Clive Bellinger | 3 |
| Mike Wagstaff | 3 | |
| 6th | Ed Goodman | 3 |
| 7th | Martin Harris | 3 |
| 8th | Aleksander Orava | 2.5 |
| 9th | Mark Johnson | 2 |
| 10th | Ian Gooding | 2 |
Games played in the club championship, Tony Locke rapidplay and the NECL league/knockout count for points in the grand prix. Where points are equal percentage score and then number of games played are used as tie-breakers. This month the top two have swapped places and Svein is the month's big gainer - moving up to 3rd.
Only one game has been played in the seeding round of the club championship (a draw between Dave Chatfield and Brian Remmer). In the Tony Locke Rapidplay Nathan Barnes is the only player on 3/3 - though Svein Kjenner is on 2/2 and there are a number of players who have won their first game but not yet played their second and third games yet.
In the NECL, two players have 100% records in league matches and have played more than one game - Nathan Barnes (3 games for the A team, 1 game for the B team) and Mohammud Jaufarally (2 games for the D team, 1 game for the C team). Two players are on 2.5 out of 3 - Aleksander Orava (2 games for the A team, 1 game for the B team) and Svein Kjenner (2 games for the A team, 1 game for the B team).
It is still early in the NECL season with some teams having only played one or two matches so far. In Division 2, Colchester A are in 1st place having won their first three matches and drawn their fourth. Colchester B are in 5th place having only played two games (losing to the A team and beating Dunmow). In Division 3, Colchester D are in 1st place after winning their first three matches; Colchester C are in 5th place winning one match and losing one (to the D team).
This week the B team beat Dunmow (3.5-0.5). Svein Kjenner won a pawn in the opening and was always in control on board 4 to continue his good start in his first NECL season. Mike Wagstaff also won a pawn early on and held onto his advantage throughout. Nathan Barnes probably should have lost but instead maintained his 100% record in the league - winning a queen and pawn endgame after surviving middlegame pressure. Aleksander Orava agreed a draw, after a fairly quiet Sicilian opening, when the team win was in the bag after the wins on boards 3 and 4.
| Date: Nov-2014 | ||||||
| NECL Division 2 | ||||||
| Brd | Col | DUNMOW | Result | COLCHESTER B | Col | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | w | Derek Jones (128) | ½ | ½ | Aleksander Orava (e155) | b |
| 2 | b | John Bradley (120) | 0 | 1 | Nathan Barnes (146) | w |
| 3 | w | Bill Atwood (111) | 0 | 1 | Mike Wagstaff (147) | b |
| 4 | b | John Fletcher (e100) | 0 | 1 | Svein Kjenner (e139) | w |
| (avg=114) | 0.5 | 3.5 | (avg=146) | |||
There are only two matches in December - Colchester D play CRGS in Division 3 and Colchester A play Wethersfield for the second time this season (in the 2nd round of the plate competition).
The position below is taken from the game Barnes, N - Burrows, J (Bury St Edmunds Chess Congress). White has an extra piece but Black has two additional pawns. Should White play 34.Qd8+ to force the exchange of queens? Answer in the comments.
The format for this year's club championship has changed slightly - though there will still be a group phase followed by a knockout format. Players have been divided into groups (randomly from seeded pots). The winners of each group will get byes for the first and second rounds of the knockout; those who finish in 2nd place in their group will get a bye for the first round of the knockout. The draw for the knockout rounds will be determined by grade performance in the group stages. Where additional byes need to be given out (due to numbers) the eligible player with the best grading performance will be given it.
| Seed | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Barnes | Clive Bellinger | Svein Kjenner | Dave Chatfield | Phil Daley |
| 2 | Ed Goodman | John Duff-Cole | Pete Smith | Brian Remmer | Martin Harris |
| 3 | Mohammud Jaufarally | Nadia Jaufarally | John King | Shazia Jaufarally | Mark Johnson |
Colours for the matches are as follows: Player 1 has white against Player 3, Player 2 has white against Player 1, Player 3 has white against Player 2.
Once dates for NECL fixtures are known, dates will be published for the club championship games - however, matches can be started before then if the two players agree a date. All matches in the group stages must be finished by Wednesday 3rd December.
The final of the club championship was between two players taking part in the event for the first time - Eldar and Nathan. During the game both players held the advantage at different stages but Eldar managed to win - maintaining his unbeaten season.
In the game (shown below) Black obtained a strong, probably winning, advantage in the opening but White slowly equalised as the game went on. Two inaccurate moves by Black let White go into a won endgame. Black made winning the endgame tricky but accurate play from White avoided any chance of Black snatching the draw.
The top 8 in the club championship were (19 players took part):
| 1st | Eldar Lachinov (ungraded) |
| 2nd | Nathan Barnes (ungraded) |
| 3rd | Mark Johnson (49) |
| 4th | Brian Remmer (109) |
| 5th | Martin Harris (139) |
| 6th= | Phil Daley (124) |
| 6th= | Pete Smith (122) |
| 8th | John Duff-Cole (90) |
The 3rd place play-off was also the decider for the Club Shield (awarded to the under-120 graded player with the best result in the club championship). In the game, Mark showed that he knew how to handle Brian's Grob Attack and a well-timed attack by the central pawns led to a decisive material advantage.
The top 3 in the club shield were:
| 1st | Mark Johnson (49) |
| 2nd | Brian Remmer (109) |
| 3rd | John Duff-Cole (90) |
Overall, 19 players entered the club championship this year - this is significantly higher than in recent years. The play-offs for places 5-8 in the club championship have been completed and the results are shown below.
| 5th | Martin Harris (139) |
| 6th= | Phil Daley (124) |
| 6th= | Pete Smith (122) |
| 8th | John Duff-Cole (90) |
Phil and Pete proved impossible to split - below is the first of the draws in the games between them. The advantage keeps switching back and forward after a speculative sacrifice from Black.
The top four in the plate competition were:
| 1st= | Clive Bellinger (139) |
| 1st= | Dave Chatfield (ungraded) |
| 3rd | Ed Goodman (72) |
| 4th | John King (26) |
The group stages of the club championship have now finished.
Group 1 was won by Eldar Lachinov, with Martin Harris taking the runners-up spot. In group 2, Pete Smith finished 1st and John Duff-Cole 2nd. Group 3 was won by Nathan Barnes and there was a 3-way tie for 2nd (Mark Johnson, John King, Dave Chatfield) - Mark Johnson progressing with the best tie-break. Group 4 had a tie for 1st place between Phil Daley and Brian Remmer - Brian edging the tie-break criteria.
The 1st round of the knockout will take place on Wednesday 7th May - players should toss a coin to determine who has the White pieces. In the result of a draw a second match should be played (must be completed by 21st May at the latest). Players who do not complete the match on the 7th will be defaulted - unless they have agreed an alternative date with their opponent. All players in the knockout will get further games (even those beaten in the first round) as there will be play-offs to determine placings.
Draw for main competition:
Draw for plate competition:
