Inter-Community – Match Report 07/07/24
Match Report: Sunday 07/07/24
Inter-Community Chess Match:
Eccles vs Barrow-in-Furness
Eccles 3.5 – 1.5 Barrow-in-Furness
https://lms.englishchess.org.uk/lms/league_fixture/237897#comment-16831
Supported by: Eccles Chess & ChAMPS (Chess Association for Manchester Players & Supporters)
This was a stand alone one off chess match and the first time Eccles had used it’s new High Street Chess Venue to play against a Community Chess Club from way out of town.
This is how the Inter-Community Chess Event came about:
I first met Captain Alan Llewellyn from Barrow-in-Furness at the Warrington RapidPlay Chess Tournament earlier this year and exchanged details. We then went on to discuss holding an Inter-Community Chess Match but first we needed to discuss which players were to be fielded so they could be equally matched. Alan gave me a team list with players ratings and all I had to do was pair them with similar rated opponents and that was it, Game On!
It was an ECF rated classic match, clocks set for 80+15 and everyone was sat at their boards by 2pm eager and ready to play. The captains agreed that once the clocks had started we all accepted the playing conditions. Hands were shaken, clocks were started and the match had begun.
Eccles were very lucky to have fielded such evenly matched players considering one of the players were unable to attend due to train cancellations and Mohamed Gouda stepped in at the last minute. A big thank you to Mohamed from both myself and Alan.
Player of Recognition: Junior Rachel Bunter (Barrow in Furness) Rachel is an up and coming young star and was the first to finish her game when she took advantage of a hanging Queen by her equally young but relatively less experienced opponent Daniel Crofts. Well played Rachel you have a bright chess future in front of you and we wish you luck!
Man of the Match: Mohamed Gouda (Eccles)
Not long after Rachel won her game Mohamed Gouda pulled off a cracking double rook sacrifice in a winning position to force mate in two against Barrow team captain, Alan Llewellyn. Well played Mohamed! You can play again!!
The battle of who was going to be the Champion of the Charlie’s on board 5 was still taking place and the Barrow Charlie English blundered early on in his game but he played on before resigning to Charlie Palmer of Eccles leaving the match in Eccles favour 2-1. The match was settled when the famous strong amateur on board 1 (for Eccles) Mick Connor was too strong for relative beginner but surprisingly strong player Michael bunter.
In the final game on board 3 the honours were even as there wasn’t much action in the game, Jon Duffield took an initial advantage for Barrow, but it was the Eccles player Darren Stanway who had an edge in the final position.
The match finished 3.5-1.5 to Eccles and a good time was had by all.
Alan Llewellyn (pictured) commented: I would like to thank Barbara for helping organise the event and all the players who took part on both sides. The Eccles Community High Street Chess Hub was a very nice venue and is a great addition to the facilities of the wider North West Chess Community and should be encouraged and supported.
Thank you Alan for helping to make this Inter-Community match happen and I believe all clubs should do more to promote them rather than just hosting Interclub matches within our local area.
This could lead to more day trips out to play chess against other Community groups. I think this is a great concept and thank you for working with me in helping to promote it!
I would also like to thank Alan and his team for travelling over 180 miles and for offering to donate £100 to the Eccles Community Bank Account. This kind offer was very much appreciated as the club relies on donations to keep the venue open and I hope Eccles Community Chess will one day soon receive venue funding or we could be left with no other alternative but to fold.
If you would like to take part in an Inter-Community Chess match or would like to know more please email champs4chess@gmail.com or call Barbara on 07743 888 585. It would be great to hear from you!!