Leyland Congress August 2008

The 2nd Leyland Chess Congress was held over the weekend of 23rd - 25th August 2008. Results can be found on the Leyland Chess Congress website.

Heywood Congress June 2008

The 14th Heywood Chess Congress was held over the weekend of 21st - 22nd June 2008. A report can be found in our Online Bulletin section.

Skelmersdale Rapidplay April 2008

The latest Skelmersdale Rapidplay was held on Sunday 6th April 2008 at Skelmersdale Football Club Stadium. A report appears on Skelmersdale Chess Club's website.

Atherton Rapidplay March 2008

The Atherton Rapidplay took place on Sunday 30th March 2008 at St Richard's Jubilee Hall, Atherton. Full details of how everybody finished can be found on Atherton Chess Club's website.

Blackpool Chess Conference March 2008

The 32nd Blackpool Chess Conference took place at the Winter Gardens over the weekend of 7th - 9th March 2008. 463 players took part, competing for a prize fund of £8650. The fullest coverage can be found on the Blackpool Chess Conference website.

Some photographs of Lancastrians picking up their prizes from Simon Woodcock (courtesy of Bill O'Rourke, click to enlarge)...

Darryl Wolstencroft - won a Rating Prize in the Open Malcolm Peacock - won a Rating Prize in the Open John Cooper - joint First and Veteran's Prize in the Challengers Mark Talbot - joint Third, Rating Prize and Best Junior in the Challengers Henry Broadley - won a Grading Prize in the Major David Buckell (left) and Graham Pennington (right) - joint Third and Grading Prize in the Intermediate Nathan Talbot - joint Third and Junior Prize in the Intermediate
Tom Fielding - Winner and Best Junior in the Minor Dennis Davies - shared the Veteran's Prize in the Minor Rachel Cass - Winner, Ladies Prize and Best Junior in the Standard, plus the Sharon Furlong Trophy Isobel Cotogni - won a Grading Prize in the Standard Lothian Innes - won a Grading Prize in the Standard Paul Rabbitte - won a Grading Prize in the Standard  

Leyland Rapidplay February 2008

The 2008 Leyland Under 131 Rapidplay took place on Sunday 17th February 2008 at Worden Arts Centre, Leyland. Prize winners were as follows:

MAIN PRIZES

  Name Score
1st James Bowler 5½
2nd= Robert Clegg 5
  Mick Connor 5

GRADING PRIZES

  Name Score
U115 Conrad Green 4½
U100 Thomas Fielding 4½
U85= Isobel Cotogni 3½
  Bob Tinton 3½
  James Walsh 3½
U70 Daniel Cook 4
  Matthew Walsh 4
U55 Barry Bourn 2½
  John Hughes 2½
U40 Edward Davies 3
Ungraded David Davies 2

Harry Marsden Memorial Trophy (for Best Leyland Players) - Matthew Walsh and Daniel Cook


Preston Congress November 2007

The 2007 Preston Chess Congress took place from Friday 23rd November to Sunday 25th November. It was held at the Lancashire County Council Offices and a report can be found at Preston Chess Club's website.


Leyland Congress August 2007

The inaugural Leyland Chess Congress, run by Leyland Chess Club, took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (25-27th August 2007). It was held at Wellfield Business and Enterprise College, Yewlands Drive, Leyland and 100 competitors battled it out over six rounds. The prize winners were as follows:

FIDE-RATED OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st James Hanley Lancaster Royal Grammar School 6/6
2nd= Brett Lund Preston 4/6
  Mike Surtees Bolton 4/6
  Alan Walton 3C's 4/6
GP U2200 Bob Newton Morecambe 3½/6
GP U2000 Tom Rose Chorley 3½/6
Lancashire Champion: James Hanley

MAJOR TOURNAMENT

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st= Chris Booth Huddersfield 4½/6
  Robert Clegg Huddersfield 4½/6
  Peter Mulleady Atherton 4½/6
GP U145 George Glover Carlisle 3½/6
GP U130 Mick Connor Great Lever 4/6
Lancashire Champion: Peter Mulleady

MINOR TOURNAMENT

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st John Brooke Rose Forgrove 5½/6
2nd= Nathan Talbot St Helens 5/6
  Paul Tinton Chorley 5/6
GP U105= John McKeown Southport 4½/6
  Steve Rush Rhyl 4½/6
GP U90 Gordon Glover Crusaders 4/6
Lancashire Champion: Paul Tinton

 

Some photographs courtesy of Dave Clayton...

Lancashire Minor Champion Trophy Lancashire Major Champion Trophy Lancashire Open Champion Trophy Local juniors practising in the canteen area Youngster Henry Broadley doing battle with Gordon Glover Gordon Glover picks up his grading prize in the Minor John McKeown picks up his grading prize in the Minor Nathan Talbot, joint second in the Minor Paul Tinton, joint second in the Minor Paul Tinton, Lancashire Minor Champion
John Brooke, winner of the Minor Mick Connor picks up his grading prize in the Major Peter Mulleady, Chris Booth and Robert Cleeg; joint winners of the Major Peter Mulleady, Lancashire Major Champion Tom Rose picks up his grading prize in the Open Bob Newton picks up his grading prize in the Open Mike Surtees, joint second in the Open Alan Walton, joint second in the Open James Hanley, winner of the Open James Hanley, Lancashire Open Champion


Heywood Congress June 2007

Heywood once again welcomed players from all over the country for the two-day chess congress at the Civic Centre over the weekend of 16/17th June 2007.

International Masters from Scotland, weekend players from London, the Midlands, Wales and the North East joined North West players in competing for nearly £2000 in prize money across five sections of skill level. The congress attendance was excellent, nicely filling the venue, and boosted even further by the fact that the HEYWOOD ADVERTISER OPEN was also the North of England qualifier for the British Championships to be held in August in Great Yarmouth.

Organiser Bill O'Rourke said "It is so important that our local sponsors are thanked, for they allow this event to take place - truly magnificent support from the Heywood Advertiser, Dunnes Stores, Coversure Insurance and Kumon Maths & English, without whom the event quite simply couldn't take place. Thanks also to the Civic Centre staff, who did everything to make the event run smoothly".

Prize winners were as follows:

THE HEYWOOD ADVERTISER OPEN

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st Steven Gordon 3C's 4½/5 £300
2nd= Don Mason Shirley 4/5 £115
  Adam Ashton 3C's 4/5 £115
GP U170 John Lyth Morecambe    
  Phil Armstrong Oldham    
  Martin Brown Grappenhall    
  Dominic Rabbitte Heywood    
  Michael Rabbitte Heywood    
  Peter Kirby Bingley    
Edmund Spencer North of England U18 Champion: James Hanley (Lancaster)
British Championship Qualifier: Adam Ashton (3C's)

THE DUNNES STORE HEYWOOD MAJOR

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st= Richard Bryant Shrewsbury 4/5 £116.67
  Eric Gardiner Hull 4/5 £116.67
  Nick Lee Chorlton 4/5 £116.67
GP Ken Rose Chorley 3½/5 £20

THE ANTONIN WELEMINSKY INTERMEDIATE

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st Thomas Whitaker Rotherham   £160
2nd M John Cawston Lady Ann Middleton 4/5 £80
3rd Robert Frith Prescot 3½/5 £40
GP 132-128 Richard Gavin 3C's 3/5 £10
  Mick Connor Great Lever 3/5 £10
  Robert Clegg Huddersfield 3/5 £10
  Paul Smith - 3/5 £10
  Dave Boulden Denton 3/5 £10
GP U128 Dave Gaston Crusaders 3/5 £10
  Dave Sugden - 3/5 £10

THE COVERSURE MINOR

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st Jean Luc-Weller York RI 5/5 £160
2nd= Robert Amos PKA 4/5 £20
  Henry Broadley Chorley 4/5 £20
  Noel Boustred Eldon Square 4/5 £20
  Chris Evans East Cheshire 4/5 £20
  Phil Titterington Clitheroe 4/5 £20
  Dave Colledge Courier 4/5 £20
GP 87-75 Lee Baron Bury   £20
  Roger Walker Belper   £20
GP U75 Dave Colledge Courier   £20

THE KUMON MATHS & ENGLISH NOVICE

  Name Club/Town Score  
1st= Thomas Fielding Preston 4/5 £40
  Peter Cassell Chorley 4/5 £40
3rd= Matthew Wedge-Roberts Hebden Bridge 3½/5  
  Steven Jones Grappenhall 3½/5  
  Chris Fielding Preston 3½/5  
  Jade Stirrup 3C's 3½/5  

PUZZLE COMPETITION WINNER

Daniel Broughton (West Bridgford) £10

TEAM COMPETITION WINNERS

3C's (Chess Clock)


Skelmersdale Rapidplay May 2007

The 4th Skelmersdale Rapidplay was held on Sunday 13th May 2007 at Birch Green Community Centre. A full report from this enjoyable event appears on Skelmersdale's site.

Atherton Rapidplay March 2007

The Atherton Rapidplay took place on Sunday 25th March 2007. The event was held at St Richard's Jubilee Hall, Atherton and attracted 74 entries in three sections. A list of prize winners and full details of how everybody finished can be found on Atherton Chess Club's website.

Blackpool Chess Conference March 2007

The 31st Blackpool Chess Conference took place at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool over the weekend of 16th - 18th March 2007. 448 players took part, competing for a prize fund of £7750. The fullest coverage can be found on the Blackpool Chess Conference website.

Leyland Rapidplay February 2007

The 2007 Leyland Under 131 Rapidplay took place on Sunday 18th February 2007 at Worden Arts Centre, Leyland.

Prize winners were as follows:

MAIN PRIZES

  Name Club/Town Score
1st= Robert Clegg Huddersfield 5
  Mick Connor Great Lever / Atherton 5
  Nathan Taylor Bolton 5

GRADING PRIZES

  Name Club/Town Score
U115= Paul Tinton Chorley 4½
  Mitchell Burke 3C's 4½
U100 Angel Gonzales Arden 4½
U85 John Reid Skelmersdale 4
U70 Bob Tinton Leyland 4
U55 Danny Walmsley Crusaders 4
U40 Tom Leah Cleveleys 3


Heywood Rapidplay January 2007

A report from this event, including details of prize winners, can be found in our Online Bulletin section.

Bury Rapidplay December 2006

The 12th Bury Rapidplay was held on Sunday 10th December 2006. A full report from this event appears on the Bury Chess Club site.

Preston Congress November 2006

The 2006 Preston Chess Congress took place from Friday 24th November to Sunday 26th November at the usual excellent venue of the Lancashire County Council Offices in Pitt Street, Preston.

You can play through a large number of high quality games from the Open here.

The main prize winners were as follows:

OPEN SECTION

Name Club/Town Score
S. Haslinger (IM) Formby 4/5
B. Hague Oldham 4/5
C. Hanley (IM) Lancaster 4/5
J. Merriman Kent 4/5
R. Palliser (IM) York 4/5

MAJOR SECTION (U160)

Name Club/Town Score
S. Grounds Bolton 4½/5
N. Barnaby Bolton 4½/5
P. Evans Blackpool 4/5
S. Gardner Poulton 4/5

MINOR SECTION (U125)

Name Club/Town Score
D. Buckell Nelson 4/5
W. Derbyshire Chorley 4/5
S. McConochie Chester 4/5

STANDARD SECTION (U100)

Name Club/Town Score
H. Broadley Chorley 4½/5
J. Rothwell Ormskirk 4½/5
T. Fielding Preston 4/5