Keswick Chess Club

18/03/2020

LIVE SPORT! The only top-level sport being played in the world right now is going on in Russia with the 2020 Candidates Tournament, an eight-player chess double round-robin tournament being played in Yekaterinburg from 17 March to 4 April. The winner will earn the right to challenge the defending world champion, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, in the World Chess Championship 2020 match. You can watch the action here (scroll down the page for a live stream):

The long-anticipated Candidates Tournament kicked off with two surprising results, as both Ding Liren and Anish Giri lost with the white pieces, against Wang Hao and Ian Nepomniachtchi respectively. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave v Fabiano Caruana and Alexander Grischuk v Kirill Alekseenko were hard-fought....

20/12/2019

FESTIVE BREAK: No chess club on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve; we're back on Tuesday 7 January. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

21/11/2019

A-TEAM ON TOP

Keswick A stormed to the top of the Cumbrian Open Chess League last night after a 4-0 win away to Penrith B.

Boards results: (Penrith player first, Keswick had white on odd-numbered boards):

1. Eggert Früchtenicht 0-1 Robin Moss
2. Andy McAtear 0-1 Neil Maxwell
3. Richard Farrall 0-1 Clive Hutchby
4. Gerry Rowan 0-1 Mike Green

10/10/2019

TOP OF THE TABLE!

Keswick B shot to the top of the Cumbrian Open League table last night after a resounding 3-1 victory away to Penrith B . . . despite being one player down.

BOARD RESULTS (Penrith player first, Keswick had white on odd numbered boards):

1. Fred Clough 0-1 Clive Hutchby
2. Gerry Rowan 0-1 Paul Wilmott
3. Dave Hood 0-1 Rob Helps
4. Walkover 1-0 Default

02/10/2019

B-TEAM SO CLOSE TO AN UPSET

A determined and spirited performance by Keswick’s B-team so nearly caused an upset in the club’s opening fixture in the 2019-20 Cumbrian Open Chess League.

A very well played victory by Paul Wilmott on board two put the home team in front, and for a long time it looked as if Rob Helps on board three would add another point which would secure Keswick at least a draw against their opponents, who a handful of years ago were the dominant club in county chess.

But Rob was facing a wily campaigner in Jonathan Rashleigh, and when Rob missed a chance to go a rook ahead his opponent dug in and ground out the game to a drawn endgame despite being a passed pawn down.

On board four Allan Todd was level pe***ng for a long time before the experience of his opponent Ian Hewitson came to the fore, while on board one Mike Green, playing black against David Phillips – for many years one of the strongest players in Cumbria – defended valiantly for nearly three hours of play, but the difference in grading points between the two players ensured a win for the Windermere player.

RESULT: Keswick B 1.5-2.5 Windermere (Keswick first, Windermere had white on odd numbered boards): 1. Mike Green 0-1 David Phillips; 2. Paul Wilmott 1-0 Colin Bragg; 3. Rob Helps 0.5-0.5 Jonathan Rashleigh; 4. Allan Todd 0-1 Ian Hewitson.

In club competition, the popular Half Hour Handicap competition got underway with last season’s champion Neil Maxwell winning his opening game as white against Roger Randall.

• Keswick Chess Club meets on Tuesday at the Quaker Meeting House, Elliot Park (opposite Booths) starting at 7.15pm. If you are interested in playing chess just come along, or call club secretary Allan Todd on 017687-74553.

NOTE: Junior players interested in playing chess are very welcome to come along earlier (6pm start) for 70-minute session at which club players will be available for informal tuition. They must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

25/09/2019

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP UNDERWAY

The annual battle for a trophy first contested for in 1897 began this week with two games played in this season’s club championship.

They resulted in victories for the players of the black pieces, as 2018-19 joint-champion Clive Hutchby beat Allan Todd, and Paul Wilmott beat Rob Helps.

Paul gained the upper hand when Rob miscalculated a complicated position shortly out of the opening which cost him a knight. The material advantage was enough to secure victory. In the other game, Allan was on the point of securing a slightly better position out of the opening but then erred by blocking up the queenside with a pawn advance (see diagram one).

WHITE: Allan Todd; BLACK: Clive Hutchby
White has just played his pawn from c3 to c4 when a far better plan would have been to open the centre with 13.cxd4. Suddenly, black’s undeveloped bishop on f8 can now spring into life. The game continued:

13…Bb4 (with a threat to win a pawn by 14…Bxd2 15.Qxb2 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Qxf3)

14.Bc1 (14.Qb1 is better) Bc3!
15.Rb1 Nb4 (the knight now attacks two pawns; one must fall)
16.g4 Bg6
17.Ne1 Nxa2
18.Qc2 Nxc1
19.Qxc1 h5
20.f3 Qf4 (a decisive infiltration by the black queen)
21.Rf2 Qg3+
22.Rg2 Qxh3
23.Rh2 Qg3+
24.Rg2 Qf4
25.Qc2 hxg4
26.Rxg4? Now black can win the knight on d2, but a better move is 26…Qe3+ (see diagram two)

The game concluded:
27.Kf1 Rh1+
28.Kg2 Qg1++

If white had played 27.Kg2 a stunning checkmate would have followed:
27…Rh2+!!
28.Kxh2 Qf2+
29.Kh3 Rh8+
30.Rh4 Rxh4++

RESULTS: Club championship: Allan Todd 0-1 Clive Hutchby; Rob Helps 0-1 Paul Wilmott.

• Keswick Chess Club meets on Tuesday at the Quaker Meeting House, Elliot Park (opposite Booths) starting at 7.15pm. If you are interested in playing chess just come along, or call club secretary Allan Todd on 017687-74553.

04/09/2019

ANNUAL MEETING: Re-elected at the club's AGM last night (Tuesday 3 September):

PRESIDENT: Paul Wilmott

SECRETARY: Allan Todd

TREASURER: Neil Maxwell

CUMBRIAN LEAGUE CAPTAIN: Clive Hutchby

TOURNAMENT CONTROLLER: Clive Hutchby

HALF HOUR HANDICAP CONTROLLER (a new position): Roger Randall

PRESS AND PUBLICITY OFFICER: Clive Hutchby.

There followed two team games. In the first, a team comprising Neil Maxwell, Clive Hutchby and Paul Wilmott beat that of Robin Moss, Roger Randall, Mike Green and Rob Helps; in the second, Robin, Clive and Rob prevailed over Neil, Roger, Mike and Paul.

Both victories came with the black pieces!

31/08/2019

NEW PROFILE PICTURE: A key moment in the Cumbrian Open League fixture, Carlisle B-Keswick A last season: Günay Ayan (white) beat Paul Rivers in a thriller!

31/08/2019

WE'RE BACK: Club nights resume on Tuesday 3 September (7.15pm prompt, please!) at the Quaker Meeting House (upstairs), opposite Booths supermarket. We'll be playing until about 9pm and then holding the club's annual general meeting.

28/04/2019

VICTORY AT THE LAST: Keswick A concluded its Cumbria Chess Open League 2018-19 campaign with a fine victory at Barrow yesterday.

RESULT
(Barrow player first, Keswick had white on odd-numbered boards.

1. Matthew Mackenzie 0-1 Robin Moss
2. Dave Cole 0-1 Neil Maxwell
3. George Horne 1/2-1/2 Clive Hutchby
4. Alan Llewellyn 0-1 Mike Green

SCORE: Barrow 0.5-3.5 Keswick

The final league table sees Keswick A jump one spot, and Barrow just cling on to third position. For the second season in a row Keswick B avoided the wooden spoon – a great result considering how the team is usually outgraded by many points.