Fylde Report October 2018

CHESS REPORT 1/2018 - OCTOBER 2018

The Blackpool & Fylde Chess League now has a new format with three divisions, A, B, and C, and we welcome most heartily a new club, Leyland to our boards, when they join the Division C battle in November.

At 1850 hrs on 8th October, Poulton Seconds began their Division C match over their own Thirds and duly went on to win by 3-1. For Poulton Seconds, Simon Rogers gained their board 1 point when he defeated Paul Fearnhead senior, while on board 2 the rising star Ben Fearnhead (junior) lost to wily Dave Hartley to even up the match score. Unfortunately Poulton thirds boards three and four had to be forfeited by default, thus giving the Seconds a 3-1 victory. Still in Division C, Lytham Fourths lost 0.5-3.5 to Lytham Thirds. Bottom boards 3 and 4, Keith Sansom and Yvonne Taylor lost quickly to Dennis Davies and Pat Coleman and on board 2 this author sacrificed a piece for two pawns to open up Colin Wilks defence and go on to beat him. The board 1 game was a tight affair with Graham Taylor and Bob Tinton agreeing a draw. Lytham Fourths later went on to lose again at Poulton Thirds by 2.5-1.5. While Colin Wilks won for Lytham on board 2 against Dave Hartley, Les Hughes and Joseph Tantram both won to put Poulton ahead and the top board draw between Liam Bromley and Dennis Davies was sufficient to give the home team the win.

In Division A, Poulton Firsts beat Lytham Firsts by 3.5-1.5 with wins for Barry Hymer (a newcomer from Lancaster), Graham Dobson and Peter Garrett against Paul Evans, Rob Gallagher and Phil Raynor respectively. David Aspinall secured a point for Lytham by beating Simon Rogers on board 5 and the clash of the giants on board 1 saw David Phillips and Roy Ellames agree their draw. At Preston the Seconds pulled off a surprise victory over their Firsts with wins for Peter Jowett over Brett Lund and for Philip Taylor over Carl Tillotson. Malcolm Peacock pulled a point back over Conor Reaney but Graham Ashcroft and Paul O'Mara could only draw against Cliff Ruttlidge and William Moffatt respectively.

In Division B, Lytham Seconds lost 1.5-2.5 against Morecambe whose Sean Parker scored the only win against Dennis Davies, the other three games between Rob Gallagher and Nick Jameson, David Aspinall and young starlet Niamh Bridgeman and Pat Coleman and Gary Bennet were all drawn. In the final match of the month, Preston Thirds beat Bispham firsts by 3-1 with wins for Paul O'Mara over Keith Wilcox, William Moffatt against Peter Wallace and Andy De Santos over Ron Broxson. Top board Blaine McGrady scored the only win for Bispham against Geoff Pennington.

So Poulton Firsts top Division A, Preston Thirds top Division B and Lytham Thirds hold top spot in Division C.

John Regan 01 November 2018.