Staffordshire Junior Chess
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Page last updated
Wednesday
12 November 2008
Club News

Recent news about local clubs involved with coaching and encouraging junior players.

2008
November
Rushall
Rushall Chess Club has moved to a new venue.
May
Brewood
Brewood Chess Circle now meets at a new venue.

2007
October
Brewood
A number of junior players now meet at Brewood Chess Circle.  If you are not too far away, and would be interested in joining them to play chess and improve your game, please get in touch.

2006
Sept
Newcastle Under Lyme
A new chess club has been set up in Newcastle just for players under 18.

The club meets between 6 and 7 pm during term time.
Newcastle Juniors.

Internet News

2008
March
Rushall
Rushall now has its own internet site.

2007
March
Chess magazine
As part of the ECF's junior membership scheme, they produce a monthly magazine
The Right Move
for all players under 18.

For ECF members, this is available from:

Right Move

Junior News

Welcome to junior chess.  This site is here to help all chess players aged under 18.  If you are looking for a jargon free guide to junior chess, the Introduction might interest you.  The clubs section has a guide to local clubs that encourage junior players.

Open Congress Winner

11 November
Congratulations to Craig Whitfield.  Last weekend Craig finished as joint winner in the top section of Hull Congress.  Playing against tough opposition, he finished on 4 out of 5.  This congress included adult players and I understand this is the first time Craig has won an open congress.  The first of many I'm sure.  Sharing first place with Craig is a player reputed to be over 70 years of age.

There is a photo of Craig and a copy of one of the games he played during the congress on the News page of Yorkshire's website.  (Note: if you have a slow internet connection, the page is rather large 5MB).

Congratulations Craig!

Junior Congress

19 October
Congratulations to everyone who took part in today's Staffordshire Junior Congress.  It was good to see and meet so many of you there, so on belalf of Traci and all the organisers, Well done everyone and thank you for taking part!

We do of course all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Traci Whitfield for all the time and effort she gave to put such an enjoyable and successful event together.

Thank you Traci very much!

A full report will be included here in the next few days.

English under 11

13 October
Traci Whitfield has told me that a number of you were going to compete in the English Under 11 Championships in Nottingham over the weekend.  Well done if you did take part, and I hope you achieved a good result.

Well done!

Rushall Chess Club

13 October
My thanks to Steve Wilcox who has been in touch so that I can let you know Rushall Chess Club will be meeting at a new venue from Monday 3rd November.  From that date, they will meet at Bloxwich Memorial Club, Harrison St, Bloxwich WS3 3HP.

Until then, they will continue to meet where they are now.

Staffordshire Junior Congress 19 October

16 September
The 2008 Staffordshire Junior Congress will be played on 19 October, 2008.

Full details and entry forms can be found on this site's Junior Congress page.

Competition report

4 Sept
For those of you who haven't already discovered the ECF's junior chess magazine Right Move, their August issue includes a review of this year's EPSCA Schools' Chess Team Championship.  For older children, the article also covers the UK National Schools Team Championships.  You will also find a comment about someone you might know.
Link to the August issue.

Terafinal success

18 August
Besides Craig, other players from this area who did well during the weekend's Terafinal were Henrik and Astghik Stepanyan, together with Ravi and Neha Patel.

Well done also to a number of other local players who were making their debut at the Terafinal.  These include Jack Healings and Skye Wiggins.

Congratulations to all players from this area who competed in the Terafinal!!!

Well done Manpreet

9 November
Manpreet Sangha won the Under 16 section at the recent junior congress.  Yesterday, he played Inter-County chess on board 3 for Staffordshire's Bulldogs team against their Staffordshire rivals the Terriers.  Manpreet enjoyed a good game, but one match finished with checkmate after just 6 moves.
Match details - Terriers
Match details - Bulldogs

Junior Congress report

24 October
Traci has now sent me a copy of this year's junior congress report.  Details of trophy and prize winners has been included in the congress section.

Once again, well done to everyone who competed and thank you to everyone there.

Tom Adams

18 October
Last Sunday (12 October),

Tom Adams

Finished joint second

in the under 90 grade section of the

Birmingham District
League Rapidplay

Tom who is under 11, scored 5 points out of 6.  His only loss was because of a mistake against someone who ended with just 1½ points.  The winner was another very good junior player, but the two players didn't meet.  Tom plays for Cheddleton & Leek Chess Club.

Very well done Tom!!!

New vice-chair for EPSCA

13 October
Congratulations must also go to Traci herself.  At EPSCA's AGM a week ago, she was elected as their new Vice-Chairman.  She will be vice-chair for two years, after which she will take over as chairman for two years.

Well done!

Craig & Brandon
World Chess Champions!

4 October
Near Wimbledon Common this morning,

Craig Whitfield

and his partner

Brandon Clarke

won the

Summerscale
World Exchange
Junior Chess
Championships
.

In this fast and exciting competition, they played on separate boards but acted like a team.  When Craig captured a piece, he passed it on to Brandon.  As Brandon was playing the opposite colour to Craig, he could use his move to place that captured piece on his board as one of his pieces.  As soon as one player gives checkmate, both games finish.

It sounds like they both had a lot of fun.  Very well done to both World Champions!!!

Craig Whitfield v Peter Poobalsingham

18 August
Last weekend, Craig Whitfield was in Sheffield, competing in the Terafinal of the UK Chess Challenge.

At the start of the final round, Craig was joint leader and unbeaten.  In that final game, Craig was drawn against the top 18 year old player (and defending UK Chess Challenge Champion) Peter Poobalsingham (grade 194).  During the game both players made full use of the time available, before Peter won.

In an amazing weekend, Craig finished in joint 4th place, scoring 4½ out of 6.  During the weekend, he beat the third place player (grade 182) and drew in his game against the best girl.

An amazing weekend.  Well played Craig!!!

Local diary

Events that you might be interested in will be listed here or on the Calendar page when I know about them.

Your news

This page is for news that you might be interested in.  Is there something you think deserves a mention?  You can tell me about it (email:  Andrew Davies) or if you prefer, you can let Traci Whitfield know.  If we think it will interest others, I'll include it.

Recent updates

Recent updates to this site.
10 Nov
EPSCA
The starting page for the EPSCA section has now been revised.
10 Nov
NYCA
The contents of the NYCA page have now been revised.
24 Oct
British Rapidplay
For those interested in the British Rapidplay Championships, the page has been updated.
24 Oct
South of England Championships
For those interested in the South of England Championships, the page has been updated.
24 Oct
Junior Congress
Results of the 2008 Congress have been included.
24 Oct
Junior Honours
The Honours page has been updated.

In Control

Two people share responsibility for junior chess in Staffordshire.  They both have the title "Secretary of Junior Chess":

Traci Whitfield
Contact:
Mrs T Whitfield,
Staffs Junior Chess,
21 Bankfield Grove,
Scot Hay,
Newcastle,
Staffs.
ST5 6AR
Email: email.

Junior players welcome

Graham Humphreys
Contact:
Mr G Humphreys,
82 Vernier Ave,
Kingswinford,
West Midlands.
DY6 8SA.

As Traci also looks after Staffordshire's junior chess teams, she is also known as the "Junior chess teams organiser"

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ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL CHESS?

Email:   email

Webmaster:  Andrew Davies

 

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