Tag: ECF

Club Reopens

We’re up and running again from this Thursday (1st September).

Please take advantage of the few remaining weeks that we have left before the OCA 22/23 league commences at the end of September, early October. Once the season starts you will find there are fewer Thursdays available to play any outstanding in-house matches that you may have for the remainder of the year.

The last club night for matches to be played in The Players Cup and The Bill Laar Trophy, will be on Thursday 15th December.
The club will close for the last two weeks in December after this date.

Current positions:

The Frank Wood Shield, Players Cup and the Bill Laar Trophy
Players Cup
1. Nigel, 7 points
2. Mark, 4 points
3. Ian, 3 points

Bill Laar Trophy
1. Callum, 8 points
2. Robin, 7.5 points
3. Steven J, 7.5 points

In January we shall present trophies for the top three players in both tournaments.

I’ve asked Asif, (OCA fixtures composer/arranger), to make sure we have a free Thursday on either the 19th or 26th January for this to take place.

ECF President’s Award for Steve Rumsby,

Cumnor Chess Club would like to offer our congratulations to Steve Rumsby.

The following was taken from the ECF Newsletter that has just been published and the Oxfordshire Chess Association website:

ECF President’s Award for Steve Rumsby, Banbury

Congratulations to Steve Rumsby from Banbury Chess Club, who was presented with his ECF President’s Award for Services to Chess.

The Award recognises that for over 30 years Steve has been the Chairman of Banbury Chess Club. Steve has overseen the growth of the club from initially fielding two teams in one league to the latest season where the club fielded four teams in the Leamington League, three teams in the Oxford League and entered all the available league cup competitions. In recent years, Banbury entered a team in the 4NCL. Virtually every year, Steve has captained one of the club teams.

Steve’s wider contribution to chess is seen in his work for the Leamington and District Chess League. He is, and has been for a number of years, both the league’s webmaster and fixtures secretary. At the start of the 2016-2017 season Oxfordshire County were unable to find a volunteer to captain the Under 150 county Team. Steve at short notice volunteered and led the county team to 5 wins from 6 matches. They ended that season as Chiltern League Champions. Steve has continued in this county captaincy role. Steve is highly regarded by chess players in an area stretching from Birmingham down to Didcot.

Steve (right) receives the President’s Award from Leamington League chairman Ben Graff

ECF releases latest chess grades – how did you do?

The English Chess Federation (ECF) has just published the January 2015 grades list on its website at www.ecfgrading.org.uk.

Here are the scores on the doors (with each player’s previous grade in brackets):

Alvarez, Francisco    110   (115)           
Bennett Anton, Susana  57   (46)
Bennett, Steven       106   (110)       
Carr, Robin           127   (124)               
Cluley, Graham        120   (112)
Glenn, Liam           147   (147)               
Harrop, Richard        59   (55)                
Ives, Frida            33   (21)
Ives, Leonora          94   (72)
Ives, Marc            100   (97)       
Jones, Michael        111   (109)               
Sayers, Mark          138   (139)               
Slade, Richard         87   (-)                     
Steel, Robert          83   (85)                
Sterrie, David         76   (79)
Stevens, Gareth       140   (147)               
Terrington, Isaac      69   (74)
Terrington, Simon     172   (173)       
Varney, Andrew        139   (147)       
Varney, Daniel        144   (137)
Varney, Zoe           160   (149)
Willan, Ann           39    (33)

Up and downThere have been some great performances reflected in the updated grades list, but a simple up/down reading disguises how well others have done holding onto their already impressive grades.

I don’t think those who have lost a few grade points should feel desolated.

I think my own rise was helped enormously by being away from the board for over month during a holiday in Australia/New Zealand!

See the latest grades for Cumnor’s players here.

The next grades will be out in the middle of the year.

Kidlington Chess Congress

With 170 players, the 37th edition of Kidlington this weekend has featured the highest numbers for a good many years, with 22 starters in the top section (U225), 46 in the U180, 59 in the U145 section, and 43 in the U120.

7 Cumnor Players took part, Andrew Varney (U180), Zoe Varney, Simon Terrington, Daniel Varney, Liam Glenn, Robin Carr (all U145) and Isaac Terrington (U120).

Zoe and Simon came joint top of the U145 with 5/5!
The final standings can be found here

Under 225
Under 180
Under 145
Under 120

New Grades, Trophy Night, ect

Liam enjoying a pint from the Players Cup Trophy
Liam enjoying a pint from the Players Cup Trophy

The New Grades where released this week and can be found here.

Last night was the Trophy presentation night for the 2013 Players Cup. The final positions where as follows:-
1st Liam
2nd Gareth
3rd Steve

The 2014 Players Cup has already started with 17 players battling it out for the top prize, it will be very competitive this year.

Cumnor 2 played a match on Monday evening against Cowley 4 and drew 3-3