Match Report: 14/10/24
Match Report: Monday 14/10/24
Northenden 1 – 5 Eccles
http://www.stockportchessleague.org.uk/season/cupgames.htm
Charnley Cup Match
Stockport League.
Great Chess Club is Northenden with great like-minded people, they are like one big happy chess family who just want to get on with others, just like Eccles. Having said that they are also very competitive, which is great for everyone!
I remember playing an ECF-rated game at Northenden and this is what happened (funny). So there I was playing against a young lad say about 14yrs and when I first saw him I thought, I can beat him, like ya do. Nearing the end of the game I became inwardly excited with the thought of winning my first ever game whilst visualising a checkmate in about three moves. My composure was cool, calm and collected but my mind was saying to itself in a rather loud voice, “I’m gonna win, I’m gonna win! I’m gonna win!!”. Outwardly, I showed no sign of emotion as I contained my overwhelming excitement and then, he took, my queen, well, that was it. All the board went blurred, my face went bright red with embarrassment, my brain went fuzzy, couldn’t focus, I was in bits, and I just sat there, frozen to my seat like a statue. The game was over and my life would never be the same again…
To this day I will never forget how amazing all those mixed up emotions felt like and since that moment in time all I’ve ever wanted to do is share that very same feeling, hence the need to promote chess and the emotion that it can evoke in all of us. So yeah that’s how, and why I got into promoting and sharing the joys of chess.
Man of the Match: Mathew Pollard: (Matthew in the middle)
Matthew first joined Eccles in 1976 (so he must have played for Eccles for about fifty years). He was first team captain the last time we were in A division and was the President of Eccles Chess club from about 2000-2018. He was also the president of the MCF.
Matthew had to leave Eccles Chess because the club had declined to the point where he was too strong to play in the only E Division team at that time back in 2018.
For Matthew to continue playing chess he was left with no other alternative but to join his next nearest club known as Worsley, (now know as Swinton & Worsley).
Matthew enjoyed his time at Swinton and Worsley but Eccles has always been his favourite club. I was so pleased to show Matthew how much Eccles had progressed since he left and what we had achieved since those days when we only had enough players to field one team.
A short time after Matthew left, Eccles had declined even further from fielding one team only to three men in a shed, and that’s when I stepped in and thought, this isn’t good enough and here we are today, bigger and stronger than ever before. I’m so relieved to have Matthew back playing for Eccles again as he’s always been the best go to person for sensible advice when it’s needed, plus he’s a pretty sharp chess player 😀 Welcome back Matt, you’ve been sorely missed!
This is what Matthew said about his game:
The game was a Sicilian with opposite-side castling and became quite tense with both sides attacking at once.
I managed to spot a knight sacrifice which opened lines for my queen and rooks and allowed a mating combination.
I’m not sure that all my play was sound, but it was fun to play a tactical game for a change.
Nice one Matt, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed winning both the games you’ve played since coming back to Eccles. It’s going to be just like old times, you wait and see…
Next Match Report 15/10/24
Eccles v Bury
MCF – C Division
Monday: Ladies & Learners in Chess
Wednesday: Chess for Fun
I hope you enjoyed reading my Journey through Chess.
Barbara.