Thanks to the very generous sponsorship of Webb's Chemists, the 22nd Annual Bangor Chess Congress attracted a high class list of entries.

The Congress was held on Saturday 20th Sept in Groomsport Parish Halls, to whom also go thanks. Derek Webb (who is hoping to open a branch in the village) also presented the Eddie Webb Cup in honour of his father who is a founder member of Bangor Chess Club.

The Senior Tournament was shared by the Provinces two top players, Tom Clarke and Steve Scannell, both of whom have played in the British Championships. The "Eddie Webb Cup" went to Tom on the Tie Break Rule. Both players had 5 wins and a draw in the 6 rounds.

The Junior Tournament Trophy was won by Chris Black of the Royal Victoria Hospital Club, whose 5½ out of 6 score was equalled by American Michael Kane. Chris claimed the trophy on a TieBreak.

A notable feat was achieved by 16 year old local player Philip Todd who took third place in the Junior tournament with 4½ points. Philip plays for one of Bangor's League Teams and is a fine example of someone who has made giant strides in just one year.

The Bangor Club meets in the Groomsport Parish Hall every Thursday from 7.30 pm, and welcomes players of any age and ability from beginner upwards. It has over 30 Members, so you will always get a game and some help to improve your chess if you want. Enjoyment of Chess is the first aim of the club.

In 1965, Eddie, Ron Henderson and Martin Rogers, got together and decided to start a Chess Club in Bangor. It was advertised in the Spectator and originally met in the Good Templar Hall in Hamilton Road.

Gradually membership grew and a team was entered in the Belfast & District Chess League with Eddie, a very strong player, on Top Board. They performed very creditably mostly in the First Division, through the years. He was also instrumental in setting up the Annual Bangor Chess Congress, now in its 22^nd Year

Eddie passed away on Saturday 20th Sept. How poignant therefore that this year his son Derek, who now runs the family business of Webbs Chemists, should donate a Trophy in his honour, to be played for annually. Unbelievably, the first competition for that trophy took place on the very day Eddie died, what a legacy. The Trophy will henceforth be played for not just in his honour but also in his memory.

A minutes silence was held at the weekly Thursday Club Night, and our sympathies go to his wife Vyne and all Eddie’s family.

He will be always be remembered not just as an exemplary fellow Chess Player, but by those of us who knew him, as a good friend.

Thank You Eddie.

As the new league season approaches, Bangor Chess Club announce the formation of yet another new team. Last year saw the club's league entry extended, for the first time in its history, to three teams. This year, a fourth team enters the fray!

Over the past few years, the club has consistently attracted new members of all ages, to become one of the largest clubs in Ulster. Recent league and tournament successes promise a competitive season for all players.

The Carnegie and Winston teams lead the club in Division One of the Ulster Chess League. Last year, the Winston team won Division Two earning promotion after a nail-biting final match against their rivals Fisherwick. Groomsport and Templar, the newest teams, expect interesting times ahead, battling against more established teams in Division Two.

National Chess Week 2003

More than half a million children and young people throughout the UK will have the opportunity to play at least one game of chess during this week and the aim is to raise 500,000 for Barnardo's at the same time. Bangor Chess Club and the Ulster Chess Union are doing their part too.

• 8:00pm Thursday 23rd - Bangor host a Simultaneous Match with the best the club can muster taking on all-comers - and the odds are in your favour
• 10:00am Saturday 25th - the Ulster Union host tournaments for all ages from primary school kids to adults.

All these events are open to everyone regardless of age or ability. Details are available on the Club's website www.bangorchessclub.org.uk

If you have not played for a while or are just a beginner, now is your chance to get involved in local chess and help Barnardo's at the same time.

The fixtures for the new season have finally been published. The Bangor Club's first matches will be on Thursday 13th November. As usual top teams Carnegie and Groomsport will play each other in this opening match. In Division 2, Winston entertain Bombardier while Templar travel to Randalstown.

This year, Division 1 has shrunk somewhat with the Bangor teams competing against Civil Service, North Belfast, Fisherwick, only one RVH team and new entrant Clifton House. Looks like RVH have lost their dominance.

On the other hand, Division 2 has expanded with Bombardier and CIYMS being relegated last year and Fisherwick declining promotion. Fortwilliam, Hillsborough, RVH Ravens and Randalstown bring the tally to 9 teams with the Bangor pair. It will be a long season running till the end of March with barely a week off. Team fixture lists will be available on Thursday's Club Night.

National Chess Week 2003

Last week was National Chess Week, in support of Barnardos. Members of the Bangor Club helped organise two events.

Gary Johnson organised a small tournament in Newtownards. Richard Morrow won the event.

Mark Newman helped with the UCU Tournaments in Belfast on Saturday where Richard Morrow claimed another victory. A total of £500 was raised for Barnardos on the day.

There were three separate competitions. Numbers were boosted by a large contingent from Londonderry organised by Allan Turnbull. Cairnshill Primary School had the most entrants from any Belfast school with 16.

Primary Schools Competition

67 children played through 5 rounds. The children played their opponents with both the White and Black pieces, giving each player a total of 10 games. Winner was one of the Derry players, Leon Hulleman with 9 points from his 10 games. Second was Rory Hopkins from Cairnshill Primary with 8.5, and third (on tie-break) with 8.0 was Conchobhar Kerr, another Derry player.

Junior Schools Competition

This was for children in Forms 1 to 3 (Years 8 to 10) and 17 took part on a 6 round Swiss system format. Winner was Anandagopal Srinivasan of Methodist College with 6 wins from his 6 games. Second was Daniel Quigley (Derry) with 5.0 and third on tie-break was Eimear Kerr (Derry) with 4.0.

Senior Schools Competition

This was for those in Form 4 (Year 11) and above. 6 players competed in an all-play-all format and 3 players finished level on 3.5 points. On tie-break Richard Morrow (Campbell College & Bangor Chess Club) was declared the winner with Chris Millar and James Wu (both Methodist College) second and third.

For the first three weeks of the Ulster League, clubs must commit team-lists now. Bangor are in the fortunate position of having two former Ulster Champions leading their Division One challenge.

Carnegie

Former Ulster Champion and Olympian, Eddie Whiteside leads Carnegie on board 1. Eddie is determined to be more assertive this year. He reckons accepting drawn positions too readily last year explains his small rating improvement, understating his real strength. Mark Newman, James O'Fee, Alan McConnell and Mark Seidman are expected to follow Eddie's example. Recent individual tournament performances have already shown the team's potential. "This year we will be turning advantage into victory" claimed captain Mark Newman.

Groomsport

Captain Richard Proctor welcomes Stephen Scannell and Damien Lavery both to the Club and as lead boards for his team. Stephen, several times Ulster Champion since 1999 and fresh from International competition, brings a new dimension to the team. Damien, who won board prize last year and continues to accumulate rating points, also strengthens the team recently promoted from Division 2. With Ron Henderson, Albert McCarter, Richard Proctor and Martin Rogers completing the line-up, Groomsport look set to make a major impact in Division 1.

Thursday 13th opens the season with a local, Division 1 derby between Carnegie and Groomsport. A big test for both teams and tough to call. No draws expected.

Winston

After their first season last year, Winston hope to build on their experience. Although captain Richard Morrow lost a couple of players to Carnegie, he acquired Evan Bell for board 1. The experience of Evan, Ken Browne and himself, has allowed Richard to create a solid foundation for the team. Owen Wilson, Gary Johnson and youngster David Symmington step up to share boards 4 and 5.

On Thursday 13th, Winston entertain Bombardier. Although Bombardier dropped from Division 1 last year, they cannot be underestimated and are expected to be strong on all boards. A difficult opening match for Winston.

Templar

New team Templar combine experience and youth. Led by Martin Moorcroft, returning to serious competition after a few years lay-off, Michael McKimm, youngsters Philip Todd & David Grzymek, and captain Drew Ferguson, the team has no illusions about the task before them. This will be the first full season for most of the players but confidence levels are high. Already nicknamed "The Barracudas", they don't expect to be mistaken for small fry.

An unfortunate draw for the opening match takes the team to Randalstown on Monday evening. Expected to be good, balanced opposition on all boards. Except for the travelling on their first ever match-night, Templar might have had the edge.

Senior Club Night

This Weeks League Matches

Carnegie captain Mark Newman created a stir last week when he confidently addressed his team members as "Bangor's premier, league team". Groomsport captain, Richard Proctor, rose to this challenge by exhibiting his Division winner medal from last year saying "only winning teams win prizes". He went on to boast his leadership in the club's three successes in recent years. Carnegie face Groomsport in Thursday's opening league match. Fireworks are likely on all boards.

The Templar Team will be spectating the Division 1 derby having played their opening league match in Randalstown on Monday evening.

Richard Morrow's Winston Team will definitely not be spectating on Thursday; they entertain Bombardier in their opening league match. Last week the team got together in preparation for the new season. There was obvious tension among the players: apprehension at the prospect of such illustrious opposition, and the anticipation of causing a few upsets. Determination creased their brows as they prepared their game-plan against the 2002 Division winners.

Barracudas Dine Out

The Templar Team, nicknamed the Barracudas, startled Randalstown with a 4.5-0.5 win on Monday night. Martin Moorcroft on board 1 dropped a Bishop early on but trapped his opponent's Queen in a surprise knight fork to recover a great win. Michael McKimm agreed a draw in a tense positional battle with neither player gaining advantage. Philip Todd persevered, claiming the end-game with a pawn advantage for a good win. David Grzymek punished his opponent winning in convincing style. Drew Ferguson captured a Rook and a Pawn in a nasty fork on move 11 forcing capitulation 12 moves later. An excellent result for the team's league debut.

Next Weeks League Fixtures

Thursday 20th sees another local derby as Templar take on their Division 2 rivals Winston. Both sides are well matched but in this early part of the season, game-play might be unusually tentative as players adjust to competition conditions.

In Division 1, Carnegie travel to Civil Service on Wednesday, while Groomsport entertain RVH Hawks. Ordinarily Civil Service would be well matched with Carnegie, but the Bangor team's current high morale should make them favourites for a majority win. For Groomsport, RVH Hawks are an uncertainty; this season, RVH have definitely lost their dominance of the Ulster chess scene but the effect of these changes on the Hawks line-up will remain unclear until the visitors arrive in Groomsport. Still, Groomsport's recent acquisitions, Stephen Scannell and Damien Lavery, lead a strong challenge.

Julian plays blitz or speed chess on the Internet and says sometimes he makes 5 moves per second. His opponents come from all over the world and he often watches Grand Masters playing live games.  GMs have never offered him a game though and they can be quite rude if they think opponents    are not up to their standard. Regular players can be rude too and will even disappear in a virtual huff if beaten badly.

Julian had never played with wooden pieces on a large board before and found the experience quite daunting. His greatest difficulty was reaching the same intensity of concentration. Internet chess is so focused with its small computer screen board, no distractions, no clock to worry about and no opponent staring at him across the board. He was particularly impressed then with the levels of concentration evident during the two league matches in progress.

He says, very modestly, he will need lots of practice to be able to compete "Over the Board". What fascinates him most is having a real person across the board and all the subtleties and psychological pressure that brings to a game. In the games he played with club members, the speed, depth of analysis and accuracy of his play was startling. Despite his modesty, it will not be long before Julian is making his mark in competition chess, Over the Board, that is.

Watch this Space

Steve Scannell tells us that he and Ulster Chess Union chairman, David McAlister have been asked to help create a "Chess Tutor" on the Internet. Funded by the National Education Association and TV's Channel 4, Steve and David will create short, chess-teaching films to be broadcast on the Internet. The short films are aimed at children just learning chess. Recording begins this weekend. Steve will keep us informed on progress.

Carnegie relinquish "Premier" Title

Last Thursday, Carnegie Team were forced to retract their claim to be Bangor's premier team. "We were well beaten by a better team" conceded captain Mark Newman. Groomsport won the match 3.5 to 1.5. Groomsport captain, Richard Proctor, was elated. "I think Carnegie may need to reconsider their status in the Club" said Richard, trying hard not to show his delight. Groomsport wisely did not claim the now, vacant title as Bangor's Best. They know there is serious competition to come before either team can claim any title. But Mark Newman was unrepentant, "We'll be back!" he promised.

Eddie Whiteside opened on board 1 for Carnegie against Groomsport's Steve Scannell. Even losing advantage with Black and a rating difference of almost 400, Eddie was not intimidated. On reflection though, a weak 7th move allowed Steve to dominate the game and claim victory. Their analysis afterwards found a more aggressive pawn move that would have strengthened Eddie's position; one for the notebook.

Mark Newman faced Damien Lavery on board 2. Although Mark began strongly, a speculative pawn sacrifice allowed Damien to open up his position and thwart white's strategy. The lost pawn returned to haunt Mark in the resulting King's pawn end-game. With both players short on time, Mark's flag fell first as he vainly struggled to defend a lost position.

James O'Fee scored Carnegie's only win against Albert McCarter on board 3. After enticing Albert's Queen with an easy capture, James had caught Albert en prise claiming a Bishop for no exchange. Albert gallantly resigned, accepting his position as untenable.

Alan McConnell agreed a board 3 draw with Ron Henderson. Through to the middle-game, the balance of play alternated frequently between black and white with loose play on both sides. Alan and Ron were happy to agree a draw before a nervous error cost one of them the game.

Mark Seidman met Richard Proctor on board 5. A sharp King's gambit led to mistakes from both players. Eventually a draw was agreed in a static end-game with no advantage for either player.

Winston lose to Bombardier

Winston opened their league campaign entertaining Bombardier at home. On board 1 Evan Bell valiantly forced a draw in a fierce Sicilian. Despite Ken Browne's stout defence, black's Queen whittled away at his position until he was forced to resign. In contrast, Richard Morrow aggressively pummelled his opposition into submission to claim the team's first victory. David Symmington battled courageously but after losing a Rook-Bishop exchange and with his other Bishop disabled, he was also forced to accept defeat. Owen Wilson was disappointed with his play; moving too fast, the cumulative effect of weak moves cost him the game. Despite the 3.5-1.5 defeat, captain Richard Morrow was not disappointed, praising his teams' performance against very strong opposition, and opening their account with two good results from Evan and himself.

This Week's Fixtures

Carnegie travelled to Civil Service on Wednesday. On Thursday's Club night, Groomsport entertain RVH Hawks and are very confident of a convincing win. Templar take on Winston in a Division 2 derby. After contrasting results from both teams' first matches, Templar may think they are favourites; Winston disagree.

Weekend Ulster Championships

The North Belfast Chess Club is the new venue for the Ulster Junior and Intermediate Championships. Competition starts early on Saturday 22nd and finishes on Sunday evening. The Junior championship is important for selection to the Irish Junior Teams for this year; young players should try and attend.

Next Week's Fixtures

Carnegie travel to Belfast on Tuesday to take on RVH Hawks and hopefully will benefit from Groomsport's experience this week. Groomsport themselves entertain Fisherwick who are looking very strong having picked up a new board 1 from the defunct QUB team. On Wednesday, Templar travel to CIYMS with Martin Rogers stepping in to cover board 1. Winston have a free week.

Carnegie got off to a shaky start this season perhaps dismayed by their opening loss to Groomsport. But morale is now soaring after an excellent result against RVH Hawks. Carnegie were seriously out-gunned by a very strong RVH team, on paper at least. Conceding a minimum of 100 points on each board, and sometimes 200, Carnegie managed to claim a drawn match with 2.5 points plus a bonus for each team.

Eddie Whiteside on board 1 accepted an Queens Indian which he challenged strongly. Eddie fought through to maintain an equal position. Unfortunately, his clock fell first to concede the game. Even so, there was no demonstrable win on the board and still a lot of play.

Captain Mark Newman's board 2 game followed theoretical lines. Although a pawn down, Mark had better positional advantage. A well deserved draw.

Board 3, James O'Fee opened with a sharp Gundaram Gambit in the Four Pawn's Attack. James was rewarded with a lot of pressure and a strong attack. Black vainly tried to recover by exchanging pieces and eventually capitulated when material losses became inevitable.

Alan McConnell played his usual solid Caro-Kann defence maintaining equality until his opponent finally accepted a draw.

On board 5 Mark Seidman got the better of a Bishop's Opening against the Sicilian Defence. Later, Mark allowed Black to force an exchange of queens which equalised the position and after 40 moves, a draw was agreed in a tricky pawns and king endgame.

Groomsport

After a great start to the season, Groomsport topped the league. On Thursday they entertained a strong Fisherwick team. After two quick games the match was in balance. The remaining three games were exceptionally tense running down on time with no clear outcomes evident.

In a heavily theoretical Sicilian Defence on board 1, Steve Scannell took the proffered d4 pawn and prevented White from claiming sufficient compensation. Steve then sacrificed his Bishop into White's King-side for a Rook. This manoeuvre lured the White King into the open where Steve was able to force a mate.

In a wild attacking game, Damien Lavery chucked all the White wood on the fire, sacrificing 3 pieces for a winning attack. At the crucial moment, Damien chose the wrong path letting Black's King escape with enough time to reorganise his defences. When the smoke cleared, Black had an overwhelming material advantage. Damien was crushed.

Ron Henderson on board 3 responded to White's opening with a Closed Sicilian. To begin with Ron's position was cramped but eventually he exchanged off to open up and aquire the advantage. He had a won game but had to accept a draw as his clock was about to fall.

On board 4 Albert McCarter was forced into a protracted positional game from the Nimzo-Indian. The game reduced to a fierce major-piece end-game but Black's b pawn had managed to escape to the 7th rank and Albert was forced to resign.

From the start, board 5 Richard Proctor as Black was put under severe pressure. Resilient as ever, Richard kept probing for weaknesses allowing nothing to escape. After a particularly loose move from White, Richard was able to get his pieces active and gain some counter-play. Though seriously outnumbered, Richard managed to push White back and was very close to forcing a 3-move draw but White's King escaped the persistent checks by hiding behind a couple of pawns. Richard had nothing left to battle with and was forced to resign.

After the tense and hard-fought final three games, Fisherwick were fortunate to only concede half a point. The final match score of 1.5 to 3.5 scarcely does justice to an excellent performance from the Groomsport team.

Templar

Templar approached their match at CIYMS with trepidation. CIYMS looked the better team on paper and had already scored over other strong teams. What a surprise then, after 4 games, Templar had a full point advantage. In the final game, Mike McKimm offered a draw to give the team a win but his opponent insisted on playing on to try and salvage the match for CIYMS.

Martin Rogers stepped in to cover board 1. Through to the middle game Martin maintained a tiny advantage. Black was able to gain some counter-play with a promising attack but a loose exchange revealed a weak back-rank. Martin was able to capitalise on the error forcing Black to concede as material started to slip away.

On board 3 Philip Todd led a Scandinavian with an immediate Qxd5 giving a unexciting position. After move 15, the pace warmed up briefly but a few exchanges later an equal position was reached and a draw agreed.

David Grzymek opened strongly on board 4 gaining a piece advantage into the end-game. As his central pawns struck out for back rank promotion, David's superior numbers simply overwhelmed his opponent to claim a good win.

Board 5 saw Drew Ferguson forced into a Budapest variation. Drew was a pawn up, but Black was attacking strongly. After a backward pawn stumbled forward, Drew should have had a clear advantage but he missed an unprotected Rook. He lost the piece and allowed the Black Queen to wreck havoc behind his defensive line. There was no hope for recovery after this.

The match result revolved around board 2. Michael McKimm defended well as black claiming a pawn advantage early on. He was able to contain Whites sharp manoeuvring and a draw looked reasonable. But White was determined to reclaim some honour for his team and declined the draw. As the other 8 players gathered round to watch, Michael combined his pieces well and significant material gain looked certain. The tension round the board was palpable. With a last ditch effort, White forced a lonely centre pawn into the face of Michael's king. In a dangerous position, time pressure forced an error and Michael's defences collapsed.

An evening of good chess and better still, an excellent result for Templar. With the match drawn, both teams claim 2.5 points plus a bonus; enough to keep Templar near the top of the league behind Fisherwick.

This Week

Carnegie travel to Clifton House on Tuesday for a tough match. Winston travel to Fortwilliam on Wednesday expecting a good result. Groomsport have a free week so club night on Thursday will be busy with all players available. Templar play the only home league match against Bombardier; following their recent successes, the team expects to field powerful top boards in an effort to put some distance between themselves and Bombardier, only half a point below them in the league.

Next Week

Carnegie get a break next week while Groomsport travel to Civil Service on Wednesday. Templar are also away on Wednesday to Fisherwick. Winston entertain RVH Ravens on Thursdays club night.

It was also revealed that Chess is the only sport or leisure activity to receive funding directly from the government rather than through a Sports or Arts Council. Perhaps this explains the difficulties Ulster Chess faces in developing the game in the province. Despite the clear benefits of playing chess for children, the government say they are "not sure who is in charge of chess ... it certainly is not ... Her Majesty's Government" placing the onus firmly with "chess players themselves"!

Lord Harrison said Chess appeals to young people "because it is artistic, logical, sociable, vandal-free, and a clash of skills, wills and ideas". Bangor Chess Club and several secondary schools in Bangor and Holywood offer children access to this noble sport. Although support for the game is strong in North Down, there is much more can be done to promote the game and the life-skills it helps develop. From 7:00pm on Thursday evenings, Bangor Chess Club run a junior club for youngsters of all ages. Visitors are always welcome.

Carnegie

The Carnegie Team visited Clifton House on Tuesday to play the prime league contenders. Seriously out-gunned again on all boards, Carnegie were in for a hard-time.

On board 1 Eddie Whiteside opened against the current Ulster Champion Tom Clarke. Eddie was rapidly pushed back into a difficult defensive position and after 10 moves was forced to resign an unplayable position.

Mark Newman defended resolutely on board 2. In a tense positional battle, neither player was able to gain advantage until the end-game approached. Slowly Mark was able to marshal his remaining pieces into an attacking formation but time was running out. In the end, Mark accepted a draw with only 10 minutes left on his clock.

Board 3, James O'Fee opened with White. In a bizarre move, his opponent sacrificed a piece to gain an attack but instead, immediately offered a draw! In such an unclear position, James agreed to share the honours. The post-mortem showed James may have had good winning chances.

Alan McConnell on board 4 championed his Caro-Kann as usual. Tonight he struggled against fierce opposition, constantly on the defensive with no respite. But with careful play he was able to restrain White's onslaught, dragging the game into a draw.

Mark Seidman's opening was met with aggressive and uncompromising play. Black took Mark into unfamiliar territory, castling on the Queen's side. Mark forced the queens off but after a dubious sacrifice, an innocent pawn push forked Mark's Knight and Rook. With a piece down, Mark was unable to recover, conceding the game.

Carnegie lost the match 1.5 - 3.5 giving Clifton House the honours as league leaders even with a game in hand. Captain Mark Newman was uncharacteristically silent after the match. Despite reasonable performances from a stable team, Carnegie languish at the bottom of the league. This was the team's last match for 2003; perhaps the Christmas break will give the them time to regroup and bounce back in January for the rest of the season.

Winston

Winston travelled to Fortwilliam on Wednesday expecting a good result. Unfortunately regular board 2 Ken Browne was unavailable and lower boards had to move up bringing in Owen Wilson on board 5.

On Board 1, Evan Bell opened with his familiar Trompovsky. Evan soon gained a pawn advantage but Black responded effectively forcing a draw.
Richard Morrow moved up to take Ken Browne's place on board 2 as Black. Richard responded with a Sicilian evidently playing into the hands of his opponent. White continued aggressively with a very sharp attack. Richard struggled to find counter-play and nursing a passed pawn capitulated late in the middle-game.

Gary Johnston's game on board 3 started slowly with neither side wanting to commit to attack prematurely. Eventually Gary launched his Queen's pawns forward bringing his Queen and black Bishop over attacking Black's castled King down the a-h diagonals. When Gary's Queen made check from close quarters, Black's King was trapped and fell soon afterwards.

Regular Board 4, David Symington opened into a Queen's Pawn game and entered the middle-game with a slight positional advantage and good prospects. Black coun\240tered well regaining balance and forced a draw.

Board 5, Owen Wilson opened strongly with a sharp King's pawn game. Exchanges remained balanced into a pawn end-game. However, Black had positional advantage with a passed pawn which proved too much for Owen's defences.

The final score was 2-3 in favour of Fortwilliam. A close result; Winston fail to pick up any bonus points keeping them in the bottom half of the league but with a match in hand.

Templar

Templar entertained Bombardier on Thursday's club night. Anticipating strong opposition and wanting to claim points from their league rival, captain Drew Ferguson stepped down to bolster top boards with an extra player. The result was another close call decided on a late finish on board 2 with Templar trailing and needing a win from Martin Rogers to draw the match.

Martin Moorcroft defended on board 1 against a strong Alapin Sicilian challenge. Martin was feeling the pressure demanding careful and precise play. Earlier successes in the season had sharpened his play and he was able to force a draw.

Mike McKimm moved to board 3 to make room for Martin Rogers. Mike responded with Benko's Gambit to White's Benoni. Declining the gambit, White gained position after a few exchanges. His opponent was able to capitalise on faster development to launch a successful attack through Mike's vulnerable Queen's side.

David Grzymek opened on board 4 with a Queen's pawn game. After forceful play from both sides, both pairs of Rooks ended up facing each other on the c file. The exchange looked even and both players agreed a draw. Subsequent analysis revealed a win for Black so an excellent result for David; good call!

Board 5 Philip Todd opened with Black, forced into a French Exchange and a stodgy position. With no way forward for either player, Philip reluctantly accepted a draw.

After 4 games, Templar were trailing by one point. Martin Rogers' game on board 2 would decide the outcome but the team needed a win to claim any bonus. Martin had gained a positional advantage into the end-game with his King's side pawns advancing toward promotion. With a Knight-Rook against a Bishop-Rook, Martin was able to manoeuvre his resources into a cohesive fighting unit. This was enough to maintain a slight edge and his opponent's time was running out. In nerve-wracking style, Martin shunned forceful moves to claim the game when Black's flag finally fell.

A sigh of relief for Templar when Martin's win gave the team share of the drawn match. Templar are able to hold their tiny margin at 2nd slot in the league. However, its unlikely Templar will be able hold their position with 3 challengers only half a point behind them and a miserable match in prospect against league leaders Fisherwick. Fisherwick already dominate Division 2 with a 6 point lead, almost unassailable even at this early stage.

This Weeks Fixtures

Carnegie get a deserved rest this week while Groomsport travel to Civil Service on Wednesday. Groomsport call up Martin Rogers from Templar to replace absent Albert McCarter. Templar were due to visit Fisherwick on Wednesday but were forced to ask for a postponement after losing 3 top boards and unable to find enough replacements. The match has been rescheduled for early January. Winston entertain RVH Ravens on Thursday' s club night; an important match to win and lift the team into the middle rankings.

Next Weeks Fixtures

In the final league fixtures for 2003, only Division 2 teams play so both Carnegie and Groomsport have a free week. Winston travel to Fisherwick on Wednesday while Templar, back at full-strength, entertain Hillsborough at home on Thursday.

On Wednesday 17th, Winston travelled to Fisherwick for a difficult fixture. Both regular top boards were unavailable so a weakened team faced the strongest team, by far, in Division 2. Best not to dwell too long on an unequal match. It was a whitewash, with Fisherwick claiming maximum 7 points.

Templar

Templar finished their 2003 campaign with a fiercly contested match against visitors, Hillsborough.

Martin Moorcroft defended on board 1. Against a conservative opening, Martin challenged aggressively forcing a quick draw with White gaining no advantage after 16 moves.

Board 2, Michael McKimm played white. Black launched a massive pawn attack down the Queen's side and Michael looked doomed. But he fought on and managed to recover only to lose in the last moments of the game.

David Grzymek, has been in good form from the start of the season with a clean sheet so far. Tonight was another victory giving David 5 wins from 5 games and now playing on board 3. If he keeps form into next year, David looks a certainty for a board prize at the end of the season.

Philip Todd on board 4 as White took on a familiar advesary; Philips recent record against the Hillsborough captain has not been good but tonight he turned the tables to claim a convincing win when Black blundered a Rook.

Drew Ferguson defended with an unorthodox formation but found a weakness on the King's side. Launching a sudden attack with a Queen and a pair of Knights, White was in serious trouble. Drew missed a clear mating opportunity but nonetheless finished the game in style picking off pieces at will forcing a resignation just before Drew's flag fell.

Groomsport

Last week, Groomsport wrapped up their 2003 campaign with a successful visit to league leaders Civil Service; cruising to a comfortable 3.5 - 1.5 victory.

Top board clash was the first to finish. Steve Scannell opened with White to a King's Indian. Steve sacrificed a central pawn early to gain the initiative. Black defended carelessly to give Steve a straight-forward victory.

Damien Lavery's game on board 2 was a quick, rather dull draw. In a line of the Scandinavian Centre Counter defence, a replay of a previous game between Damien and his opponent, no inspiration was forth-coming from either side.

Next to finish was Martin Rogers, late of Templar, on board 5. Leading with White, Martin obtained a passed pawn against a King's Indian. Martin duly converted the advantage to a convincing win.

With the team 2.5 - 0.5 up, the final two boards quickly drew; Ron Henderson from a pawn up, Richard Proctor from an even position (after a few shenanigans earlier on).

"An impressive victory proving we are not out of our depth in the premier division" beamed Richard Proctor, captain of the newly promoted Groomsport Team. It would be surprising if the team's confident challenge pretended anything other than satisfaction at a job well-done.

League Standings

With only 7 teams competing in Division 1, 2003 fixtures have been completed due to begin again in the first week of January.

===< division 1 - end 2003 >==========================
                  games     match       bonus   total
Place + Team      played    points      points  points
----------------- ------    ------      ------  ------
1 Civil Service     5         13.5        6     19.5
2 Clifton House     4         12.0        6     19.0
3 Bangor Groomsport 4         10.5        5     15.5
  RVH Hawks         5         11.5        4     15.5
5 Fisherwick A      3          7.0        3     10.0
6 North Belfast     3          7.5        2      9.5
7 Bangor Carnegie   4          8.0        1      9.0

===< division 1>======================================

No clear leader yet although Clifton House look like they may be beginning to give themselves some breathing space. New entrants, Bangor Groomsport making a significant impact and a serious challenge at the top.

North Belfast have surprised with their lack-lustre start to the season while Bangor Carnegie have failed to earn bonus points despite good performances from the team. The league remains open with lots to play for in 2004, even for Carnegie.

Division 2

Winston

Bangor Winston entertained RVH Ravens last Thursday evening. Winston badly needed to earn themselves some bonus points to bolster their position in the league.

Evan Bell defended on board 1 with Black. Playing a sound Najdorf, Evan won in convincing style.

On board 2, Ken Browne led with White. After an unsuccessful sacrifice failed to gain advantage, Ken was forced to play-off eventually getting mated in a corner.

Board 3, Richard Morrow defended with Black. Richard launched a Queen-side counter-attack winning the game with a neat combination.

David Symington attacking with White on board 4, applied considerable pressure on Black's defences. After losing tempo with injudicious play, David's attempts to recover allowed Black to mount a successful counter-attack and claim the game.

Owen Wilson on board 5 maintained a strong position into the middle-game. Reaching the transition to the end-game with a slight advantage, Owen blundered a Rook in a trade-off, losing the game.

A disappointing night for Winston despite two good, clean wins. No bonus points from the match keep the team near the bottom of the league with an unpleasant match against Fisherwick in prospect and unlikely to improve things.

Templar

Plagued with absentees, Templar were forced to ask for a postponement against Fisherwick. The match against Division 2 league leaders has been rescheduled for Wednesday 7th January.

League Standings

Winston and Templar teams finish their league matches for 2003 this week. Winston face league leaders Fisherwick on Wednesday while Templar entertain Hillsborough at home on Thursday club night.

===< division 2 - 13th December >=====================
                  games     match       bonus   total
Place + Team      played    points      points  points
----------------- ------    ------      ------  ------
1 Fisherwick B        4     15.0        8       23.0
2 CIYMS               4     12.0        7       19.0
3 Bangor Templar      4     12.0        5       17.0
4 Bombardier          4     11.5        5       16.5
  Fortwilliam         4     11.5        5       16.5
6 RVH Ravens          4      8.0        3       11.0
7 Bangor Winston      4      8.0        1        9.0
8 Hillsborough        4      7.0        2        9.0
9 Randalstown         4      5.0        0        5.0
===< division 2>======================================

So far Fisherwick have kept a clean sheet gaining full match bonuses to dominate the league. Bangor Templar have managed to score consistently against strong competition but need some clear wins to hold their position in the New Year. Bangor Winston teetering on the edge desperately need to score bonus points to do themselves justice.

Christmas Break

Thursday 18th is the last club night of the year, with the league taking time off for the Christmas break too. Club nights begin again on New Years Day with league matches restarting the week after.

"Chess notes" will be back in the New Year with a report from the Ulster Senior Championship starting on Saturday 27th December in Fortwilliam Golf Club. The Championship is spread over 4 days finishing on Tuesday after 7 rounds.

Ulster Senior Championship

View the gallery of photos from the competition

[Someday the results might be posted]

League Standings

League matches for the season paused for the Christmas break.

League competition begins again next week.

Next Weeks Fixtures

On Wednesday 7th, Winston travel to CIYMS. On Thursday's Club night, Carnegie entertain Fisherwick. Templar welcome Fortwilliam hoping for a good result. Meanwhile Groomsport travel to North Belfast.

On the last weekend of 2003, Fortwilliam Golf Club hosted the Ulster Senior Championship, the premier chess tournament in Ulster. The tournament lasted four days over 7 rounds. Bangor Chess Club's Steve Scannell won the event to claim the Ulster Champion title for the fourth time. With this triumph, Steve has demonstrated again his stature as Ulster's best chess player.

Steve was undefeated in the tournament scoring 6 points from his 7 games. Runner-up, Michael Waters of Fisherwick, scored 5 points from his games. Third place was tied among 3 players each scoring 4.5 points; Gareth Annesley (RVH), Tom Clarke (Clifton House) and Mark Newman (Bangor). Mark was awarded the Grading prize for his excellent performance.

Steve leads Bangor's Groomsport team in the Ulster Chess League. Having won all his matches to-date, he has kept the team in contention at third spot in the league. Mark Newman captains Bangor's Carnegie team also in Division 1 but his team are fighting for survival at the bottom of the league.

Match Results

League matches for the season paused for the Christmas break with competition resuming last week.

Carnegie

Mark Newman's team suffered a heavy loss against Fisherwick A last week. Only lead board Eddie Whiteside was able to claim half a point for the team by forcing a draw from Michael Waters. An excellent result for Eddie but terrible for the team. Fisherwick have strengthened their team with the return of Kieran Greer on board 2 and look set to make a big impact in the second half of the season.

This week the team entertain North Belfast. North Belfast got off to a bad start in October but have since scored well. Carnegie will have their hands full on Thursday.

Groomsport

Richard Proctor's team opened the second half of the season at North Belfast last Thursday. While boards 1 and 5, Steve Scannell and Martin Rogers played up to their reputations, centre boards Damien Lavery, Albert McCarter and Richard Proctor were crushed by heavy-weight opposition. The team lost 3-2.

This week Groomsport travel to take on Clifton House, current league leaders.

Winston

Last Wednesday, Richard Morrow led a weakened team against a strong CIYMS side. Evan Bell and Richard Morrow forced draws to claim a combined point for the team. Gary Johnston, covering on board 2, fought tenaciously but was forced to concede. On bottom boards, Owen Wilson and Craig Kelly, both playing up, were outmatched. The team claim a single point for the match.

On Monday, the team travelled to Randalstown usually a well matched side. But the team is still weakened by illness and the result is uncertain.

Templar

Templar have had a busy start to the New Year playing 3 matches in 6 days. They will appreciate the rest week coming up.

Last Wednesday Templar played a rescheduled match at Fisherwick. With two absentees, newcomer Julian Hughes and Martin Rogers covered top boards but were unable to claim points. David Grzymek and Philip Todd continued their winning ways while Drew Ferguson lost on board 5. Fisherwick captain Alex Beckett claimed they fielded a weakened team but with the knock-on effect from their A team addition, this looks like the strongest B team of the season. Nonetheless, losing 2-3, Templar were disappointed not to have claimed at least a draw.

The next evening, Templar entertained Fortwilliam in Groomsport. Disastrously missing a player, Templar were immediately a game down. Martin Moorcroft forced a good draw on board 1. With the remaining 3 players moving up a board, David Grzymek and Philip Todd claimed excellent wins while Drew Ferguson was mated after squandering an advantage from the opening. With a short 4-man team, the match was drawn.

Finally, this Tuesday, the team visited RVH. Back after 12 years, Kevin Agnew stepped in to cover board 3 forcing an excellent tactical draw. Martin Moorcroft and David Grzymek on top boards were on good form both claiming wins while Drew Ferguson was forced to accept a draw on board 5. Philip Todd faced an obstinate Frank Carrothers who refused to accept a draw. After a protracted game with Philip starting to run out of time, Frank found an unexpected neat trap which left Philip defenceless. Overall, Templar won the match 3-2, just enough to keep them in second place in the league, a mere half point ahead of Bombardier.

Next Weeks Fixtures

Tuesday 20th: Winston travel to Hillsborough. Wednesday 21st: Carnegie visit Fisherwick. Thursday 22nd: Groomsport play North Belfast again, this time at home. Templar have a rest week.

STOP PRESS

Shock result in from Tuesday's match, Clifton House vs Bangor Groomsport.
Groomsport demolished 5 - nil! Groomsport lose on all boards - no more details.

Captain of Bangor Chess Club's Winston Team, Richard Morrow, has been selected to represent Ulster in the forthcoming schools' inter-provincial. This year, the quadrangular tournament will be held in Limerick over St. Valentine's weekend. Richard will play for the under-19 team against strong competition from Leinster, Munster and Connaught schools. Last year, Leinster were convincing winners; lets hope Richard and his friends will make an impression for Ulster (and Bangor) chess.

Match Results

Carnegie

Mark Newman's team faced a strong North Belfast team on Thursday. James O'Fee claimed the first point with an excellent win on board 3. Eddie Whiteside and Mark Newman battled determinedly on top boards but both conceded defeat to the clock. Alan McConnell reached the end-game with a pawn advantage but let it slip away settling for a draw. In the last game to finish, Mark Seidman looked in serious trouble 3 pawns down but sound end-game play from Mark forced a good draw. Overall a good result for the team gaining 2 points against opponents coming back into form.

At the half-way point in the league season, despite reasonable, consistent play, bonus points have eluded the team. With other teams rapidly leaving them behind, Carnegie remain solidly at the bottom of the league.

Groomsport

Disaster struck last week when Groomsport travelled to league leaders Clifton House. Missing Ron Henderson on board 4, the team expected a tough match but not the drubbing they received. Steve Scannell was the first to fall; having secured a strong winning position Steve blundered a Rook to lose. Worse, Damien Lavery gave up his queen needlessly on board 2. Albert McCarter fared better but was on the wrong side of a Bishop end-game with a pawn down. Richard Proctor nearly stole a draw in his usual, aggressive style but graciously played into a mate when the draw was declined. Martin Rogers uncharacteristically blundered too from a winning position.

An ignominious whitewash for the team giving a 7 point boost to Clifton House who now look unstoppable at the top of Division 1. Groomsport are just about holding their own but with Fisherwick and North Belfast coming onto form, the rest of the season may be a battle with RVH to avoid relegation.

Winston

Last Monday, Winston travelled to Randalstown. Plagued with absentees, Richard Morrow's team have been slowly sinking down the league. On the other hand, Randalstown started the season dismally and have gradually improved their results. This was an important game for both teams.

Ken Browne stepped up on board 1 and with careful play was able to force a draw. Richard Morrow defended on board 2 accepting a drawish position. David Symmington opened with an excellent game to claim his first full point of the season. On board 4, Gary Johnson gained the advantage into a Rook end-game but missed the trade-off to give him the game, instead falling prey to White's counter. Owen Wilson struggled to find his way through the middle-game conceding the game.

Disappointment for the team. Randalstown claim the bonus from their 3-2 win and jump ahead of Winston, now at the bottom of the league. However, only 3 points separate the teams in the bottom half of the league so there is plenty to play for as the league approaches its half-way mark.

Templar

With their intense 3 match competition last week, Templar take a break before the turn into the final half of the season. Their win at RVH has maintained the team's second place slot but as other teams finish their first round matches, Templar will likely slip to 4th place lagging by only a couple of points. This is the team's first season, and if they can build on their experience from their first 8 matches, they are still within reach of top place after Fisherwick.

This Week's Fixtures

Winston travelled to Hillsborough on Tuesday for another crunch match. Carnegie replay their match with Fisherwick on Wednesday, this time in Belfast. North Belfast return again to Bangor, this time to play Groomsport.

Next Weeks Fixtures

Winston travel to Bombardier on Monday. Groomsport and Carnegie battle each other on Thursday's club night. Templar start their second round matches, entertaining Randalstown on Thursday.