Lincolnshire Chess Association

Minor Counties Competition Open Team (2012-13)

MCCU Minor Counties Championship Open
Position Teams Pl W D L Pts
1 Lincolnshire 4 4 0 0 8
2 Derbyshire 3 2 0 1 4
3 Greater Manchester 3  1 0 2 2
4 Worcestershire 2 0 0 2 0
5 Leicestershire 2 0 0 2 0

MCCU Minor Counties Championship Match Results
Date Match Result
13 Oct Lincolnshire v Worcestershire 12½-3½
10 Nov Greater Manchester v Lincolnshire 7-9
15 Dec Lincolnshire v Leicestershire 9-7
2 Feb Derbyshire v Lincolnshire 4½-11½

ECF Minor Counties Match Results
Date Match Result
18 May Lincolnshire v Gloucestershire 10½-5½
8 Jun Lincolnshire v Essex 6½-9½

Lincolnshire v Worcestershire

Report from Nigel Birtwistle

Our opening fixture of the season saw Lincolnshire travel to a neutral venue at Sharnford in Leicestershire to face Worcestershire. In previous season’s we have fared well against them and I am pleased to say that a confident display by the Lincolnshire team made sure that the trend was not reversed as we romped to victory by 12½ -3½. Lincolnshire out rated their opponents on all boards, but even though we were favourites on paper the match still had to be won. The tone for the match was set after a couple of hours when the Grimsby duo of Andrew Dyce and Stuart Macdonald both got the scoreboard ticking over with wins. Andrew is starting to recapture some of form that made him a formidable opponent as a junior before he gave up the game for several years and his display on board 1 was very impressive. Stuart defended well against a dangerous looking kingside attack to bring home the point and after that Lincolnshire never looked back. It proved to be a very good day for Grimsby as Nick Stead and Joe Kilshaw also scored wins later on in the match. In a match with so many players winning on the day it is not easy to single out individual performances, but a couple of games caught my eye. On the board next to me I watched as Keith Palmer advanced his central pawns up the board in an opposite coloured bishop endgame to force his opponent in to submission. The other game that got my attention was a nice exploitation of a space advantage by Graham Ladds on board 15 which eventually resulted in a decisive king side attack. It was pleasing to win by such a convincing margin in the first match of the season, but I think that we will have to once again be at our best to emerge victorious when we travel to Sheffield on November 10th to face Greater Manchester in our next match.

Date: 13/10/12
Venue: Sharnford, Leicestershire
Lincolnshire (Home team) Worcestershire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 W Andrew Dyce Grimsby E197 1-0 Peter Kitson Greenlands 185
2 B Paul Cumbers Grantham 196 0-1 Pavel Besedin Worcester 184
3 W Claudio Mangione Lincoln 193 ½-½ Kevin Hurney Greenlands 181
4 B Nick Stead Grimsby 189 1-0 Brian Turner Malvern 180
5 W Samuel Milson Louth 185 ½-½ Gary Jackson Banbury 171
6 B David Coates Lincoln 183 1-0 Mark Bethel Halesowen 169
7 W Joe Kilshaw Grimsby 180 1-0 Ed Osbourn Worcester 168
8 B Harry Russell Louth 179 ½-½ Charles Higgie Penyffordd 162
9 W Nigel Birtwistle Grantham 178 1-0 John Knee Malvern 155
10 B Keith Palmer Louth 171 1-0 Dave Scriven Stourbridge 153
11 W Ivan David Grantham 167 1-0 Mike Hadley Halesowen 150
12 B Stuart MacDonald Grimsby 155 1-0 Tony Shaw Malvern 148
13 W Denis Georgiou Scunthorpe 152 1-0 Stephen Woodhouse Worcestershire UG
14 B Geoff Collyer Lincoln 149 ½-½ Ray Collett Worcester 143
15 W Graham Ladds Newark 147 1-0 Paul Sharratt Stourbridge 136
16 B Ben Mason Grantham 145 ½-½ John Chester Kidderminster 132
12½-3½

Greater Manchester v Lincolnshire

Report from Nigel Birtwistle

After a resounding victory against Worcestershire in our opening match of the season, Lincolnshire travelled to Handsworth in Sheffield to face Greater Manchester who had been narrowly defeated in their opening match. I knew that Manchester would be difficult opposition if they were able to turn out some of their better players and a tough battle looked in prospect. The match started fifteen minutes later than the scheduled start time of 1pm due to the Manchester captain being delayed on the journey and as he was bringing the clocks to the venue we were unable to start them! When the match eventually got under way I had not even finished copying out the opposing team names on the match result sheet when the first Lincolnshire point was scored. Joe Kilshaw’s opponent blundered early in the opening and was forced to resign almost immediately. Unfortunately for Lincolnshire that was the only real gift that we received on the day and we had to work hard in the remaining games. For a long time there was little to choose between two evenly matched teams but eventually the wins started to come for Lincolnshire. For a change I was the last player to finish and I had to defend well to draw a difficult rook and pawn endgame. However by this time the match was already over because we had an unassailable two point lead and the final score of 9 – 7 was a deserved margin of victory for Lincolnshire. Chris Dorrington was particularly impressive on top board, grinding down his opponent from a level position and Harry Russell had to calmly deal with an aggressive junior player by nursing an extra pawn in to an endgame victory. Nick Stead and Stuart MacDonald made it a very good day for Grimsby Chess Club by adding their own wins to Joe Kilshaw’s earlier miniature. Ian McDonald was Lincolnshire’s other winner on the day and it was his win that sealed the match victory. So with two wins in our opening two fixtures we have made an excellent start to the campaign, but there will no time for complacency as Leicestershire will provide our next opposition at the Lindum Atrium at North Hykeham on 15th December. In our last three matches against them there has been one drawn match and one win for each team, both of these victories being by a single point, and I am expecting another hard fought encounter which could go right down to the wire.

Date: 10/11/12
Venue: Handsworth, Sheffield
Manchester (Home team) Lincolnshire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 W Andy Reeve Stockport 199 0-1 Chris Dorrington Grantham 226
2 B Alan Smith Stockport 199 ½-½ Andrew Dyce Grimsby E197
3 W Ali Reza Jaunooby 3Cs 196 1-0 Paul Cumbers Grantham 196
4 B Jamie Horton 3Cs 185 ½-½ Claudio Mangione Lincoln 193
5 W Samuel Correa Hernandez Greater Manchester UG 0-1 Nick Stead Grimsby 189
6 B Dave Toole Denton 178 ½-½ Samuel Milson Louth 185
7 W Philip Olbison Chorlton-cum-Hardy 177 0-1 Joe Kilshaw Grimsby 180
8 B Michael Fernandez Marple 177 0-1 Harry Russell Louth 179
9 W Harry Lamb Bolton 175 ½-½ Nigel Birtwistle Grantham 178
10 B Glenn Trueman Marple 166 ½-½ Ivan David Grantham 167
11 W Jon Lonsdale Great Lever 163 0-1 Stuart MacDonald Grimsby 155
12 B John Reed East Cheshire 163 1-0 Denis Georgiou Scunthorpe 152
13 W Steve Tranter Greater Manchester 161 ½-½ Geoff Collyer Lincoln 149
14 B Mike Taylor Stockport 160 1-0 Chris Holt Grantham 148
15 W Adam Tyton Bolton 156 1-0 Graham Ladds Newark 147
16 B Alan Beresford Chorlton-cum-hardy 153 0-1 Ian McDonald Lincoln 146
7-9

Lincolnshire v Leicestershire

Report from Nigel Birtwistle

Thanks to Herman Kok of Lincoln Chess Club, the excellent Lindum Atrium at North Hykeham was once again the venue for our only home match of the season when we faced Leicestershire in our third match. The playing area was very impressive with plenty of space between the boards; digital clocks and a projector screen to display the match result sheet via a laptop so that the match situation could be seen at a glance. The venue was not the only thing that had a professional look. So did Leicestershire’s board 1! Our opponents fielded Grandmaster Mark Hebden on the top board so they clearly came to win the match. I took this as a sign of respect from Leicestershire, because they have had some difficult matches against Lincolnshire in recent seasons and were hoping that the inclusion of a GM would tip the balance in their favour. However the Lincolnshire players had other ideas and rose to the occasion, producing a magnificent team performance to win the match 9-7. Lincolnshire dominated the match from start to finish and took the lead when I managed to gain an early initiative and chalked up the full point. As was probably expected Leicestershire equalised the score when Mark Hebden won against Andy Dyce on top board. It was unfortunate that Andy had to take a hit for the team but it is not every day that you have to face a GM in a county match. Lincolnshire took a firm grip on the match from this point however as the wins began to flow in from the home side. Stuart Macdonald continued his fine form by winning for the third time for the county this season. Powerful performances from Paul Cumbers and Claudio Mangione on boards two and three plus a win from David Coates in a drawish looking endgame increased the lead. Claudio’s victory was particularly sweet as he had been horribly beaten by the same opponent in the corresponding fixture last season. Although Leicestershire rallied late on with a couple of wins to give them a glimmer of hope, we were not worse in any of the remaining games and a couple of draws from Nick Stead and Steve Prior in superior positions secured the match victory. This was Lincolnshire’s third victory of the season and leaves them in a very strong position at the top of the MCCU Minor Counties group with one match to still to play, which is away against Derbyshire on Saturday 2nd February 2013.

Date: 15/12/12
Venue: North Hykeham
Lincolnshire (Home team) Leicestershire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 W Andrew Dyce Grimsby E197 0-1 Mark Hebden Braunstone 244
2 B Paul Cumbers Lincolnshire CA 196 1-0 Alan Byron Wigston 193
3 W Claudio Mangione Lincoln 193 1-0 Martin Burrows Wigston 191
4 B Nick Stead Grimsby 189 ½-½ Graham Sharpe Heathcote Arms 196
5 W Stephen Prior Grantham 186 ½-½ John Denton Melton Mowbray 190
6 B Samuel Milson Lincolnshire CA 185 0-1 Andy Morley Wigston 173
7 W David Coates Lincoln 183 1-0 Ray Burgess Willowbrook 173
8 B Harry Russell Louth 179 ½-½ Brian Galligan Syston 181
9 W Nigel Birtwistle Grantham 178 1-0 Chino Nwachukwu Latimer 172
10 B Keith Palmer Louth 171 ½-½ Sean Sheahan Loughborough 157
11 W Ivan David Grantham 167 ½-½ Karl Potter Latimer 160
12 B Kevin McCarthy Grantham 167 ½-½ Steve Wylie Wigston 161
13 W Alastair Summers Peterborough 163 ½-½ Jim Miller Loughborough 152
14 B Stuart MacDonald Grimsby 155 1-0 Greg Adcock Loughborough 152
15 W Denis Georgiou Scunthorpe 152 0-1 Mike Cowley Heathcote Arms 147
16 B Graham Ladds Newark 147 ½-½ Philip Harlow Wigston 147
9-7

Derbyshire v Lincolnshire

Report from Nigel Birtwistle

Lincolnshire’s final group game in the MCCU Minor Counties Competition saw them travel to Clay Cross to take on a much improved Derbyshire team. Both teams had already qualified for the national stages of the Minor Counties Competition but the top spot in the group was at stake. Once again the players answered the call to arms and we managed to field a strong looking team, whereas Derbyshire fielded a weaker team than they had in previous matches. Lincolnshire were the favourites on paper and although the match looked to be quite close at one point, some strong performances in the closing stages of the match saw us romp away to an 11½-4½ victory and secure the MCCU Minor Counties title. As is always the case in one sided matches it is difficult to single out any particular player for their performance, so congratulations are due to every team member for their effort in this match. With this victory Lincolnshire made it four wins from four matches played this season and they now advance to the national quarter final stages of the Minor Counties Competition on Saturday May 19th.There they have been drawn to play against a team (at the time of writing unknown) from the West of England Chess Union.

Date: 2/2/13
Venue: Clay Cross
Derbyshire (Home team) Lincolnshire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 W Paul Madden Breadsall 195 ½-½ Chris Dorrington Grantham 225
2 B Mike Alcock Chesterfield 194 0-1 Andrew Dyce Grimsby 202
3 W Dave Gothard Belper 191 0-1 Claudio Mangione Lincoln 199
4 B Mike Johnson Chesterfield 179 0-1 Nick Stead Grimsby 189
5 W Simon Gilmore Belper 172 0-1 David Coates Lincoln 185
6 B Andrew Toothill Shepshed Rooks 172 0-1 Joe Kilshaw Grimsby 184
7 W Anthony Natt Clay Cross 171 0-1 Nigel Birtwistle Grantham 184
8 B Trevor Bould Burton 168 0-1 Daniel Wells Newark 179
9 W Kevin Dalley Derby 164 0-1 Jiri Lhotka Lincoln E178
10 B Derek Jarvis Ashfield 164 ½-½ Harry Russell Louth 177
11 W David Williams Derby 164 1-0 Keith Palmer Louth 175
12 B Andrew Mort Chesterfield 158 0-1 Ivan David Grantham 161
13 W Luke Alldread Belper 156 1-0 Alastair Summers Peterborough 160
14 B John Hoddy Burton 156 1-0 Stuart MacDonald Grimsby 155
15 W Maurice Hill Rolls Royce Derby 149 ½-½ Graham Ladds Newark 153
16 B Paul Moore Burton 146 0-1 Denis Georgiou Scunthorpe 142
4½-11½

Lincolnshire v Gloucestershire

Report from Nigel Birtwistle

Lincolnshire travelled to Birmingham to face Gloucestershire in the quarter final stage of the Minor Counties competition. It is always a worry when you have to play at an unfamiliar venue for the first time but I was very pleased to find that the venue that we had hired for the match turned out to be quite good, with minimal noise and plenty of space in the playing area. Once again the Lincolnshire team showed that travelling long distances is not an issue for them and we managed to field a good side under the circumstances. I was not surprised to find that we out rated our opponents by an average of 20 points per board and the final score of 10½ - 5½ was not unexpected. However our West Country opponents fought very hard and the match was quite close at one stage with Lincolnshire leading by three wins to two before a flurry of wins settled the match decisively in our favour. This result means that we are once again through to the semi - final stage of the Minor Counties competition. There we will face Essex who defeated us narrowly last year by an 8½ - 7½ score line. We will be the underdogs but I am sure that we will give another good account of ourselves.

Date: 18/5/13
Location: Birmingham
Lincolnshire (Home team) Gloucestershire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 W Chris Dorrington Grantham 225 1-0 Joseph Stewart Gloucester 197
2 B Paul Cumbers Lincolnshire CA 189 0-1 Daniel Lambourne Cheltenham 182
3 W Claudio Mangione Lincoln 199 1-0 Peter Kirby Gloucestershire CCA 177
4 B Nick Stead Grimsby 189 ½-½ John Jenkins Stroud 175
5 W Steven Prior Grantham 186 ½-½ Philip Meade Cheltenham 168
6 B Joe Kilshaw Grimsby 184 1-0 Philip Dodwell Gloucester 165
7 W Harry Russell Louth 177 1-0 Adrian Walker Stroud 152
8 B Daniel Wells Newark 179 1-0 Michael Ashworth Wotton Hall 149
9 W Nigel Birtwistle Grantham 184 1-0 Barry Whitelaw Forest of Dean 148
10 B Keith Palmer Louth 175 1-0 Richard Dixon Gloucester 144
11 W Ivan David Grantham 161 0-1 Matthew Claypole Musketeers 142
12 B Alastair Summers Peterborough 160 0-1 Kevin Bendall Wotton Hall 141
13 W Stuart MacDonald Grimsby 155 ½-½ Alun Richards Cheltenham 139
14 B Denis Georgiou Scunthorpe 142 1-0 Patrick Baker Gloucester 137
15 W Graham Ladds Newark 153 ½-½ Robert Ashworth Wotton Hall 133
16 B Ben Mason Grantham 138 ½-½ Peter Bending Cheltenham 132
10½-5½

Lincolnshire v Essex

Report from Nigel Birtwistle

Lincolnshire travelled to the village of Sawtry in Cambridgeshire to face Essex in the Semi Final of the Minor Counties competition. Last year we suffered a narrow 8½-7½ defeat to the same opponents so we knew that the task ahead would be difficult. Lincolnshire had seven players unavailable which is a big handicap when you consider that the team is usually selected from a squad of about twenty two players. By contrast Essex was able to field a very strong side including an international master and a FIDE master on boards one and two. We were certainly up against it. In the end Essex justified their tag as pre match favourites with a 9½-6½ victory. But the match was tighter than the score line suggests and if several favourable positions had been converted to victory then the outcome could have been different. Notable performances came from Paul Cumbers and Claudio Mangione on the top two boards, both of them scoring creditable draws against titled opposition. The other performance of the day came from Jason Dilley who was eventually persuaded to renew his ECF membership and come out of retirement just for this match. Jason showed that he had not lost any of his tenacious approach and will to win by grinding out a victory in an opposite bishop endgame. So another season ends with a disappointing defeat to strong SCCU opposition. However, overall the team has performed very well and hopefully next year we can push on and progress further in this competition. I would like to thank everybody who has played for the team this season and it has been an honour to be captain again this season. I am proud to lead the county team and I am willing to stand again as captain for the 2013-14 campaign if asked to do so.

Date: 8/6/13
Location: Sawtry, Cambridgeshire
Lincolnshire (Home team) Essex (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 B Paul Cumbers Lincolnshire CA 189 ½-½ Lawrence Trent Essex CA 217
2 W Claudio Mangione Lincoln 199 ½-½ Neil Carr Writtle 216
3 B Nick Stead Grimsby 189 0-1 John Hodgson Ilford 191
4 W David Coates Lincoln 185 ½-½ Jeff Goldberg Barking 194
5 B Jason Dilley Grantham 184 1-0 Tim Hebbes Essex CA 192
6 W Joe Kilshaw Grimsby 184 0-1 Kevin White Bishops Stortford 177
7 B Steven Prior Grantham 186 ½-½ Ian Hunnable Wanstead 182
8 W Nick Payne Grantham 180 ½-½ Ivan Myall Writtle 190
9 B Harry Russell Louth 177 ½-½ Larry Marden Wanstead 174
10 W Nigel Birtwistle Grantham 184 1-0 D Ian Reynolds Billericay 177
11 B Keith Palmer Louth 175 0-1 John White Barking 162
12 W Ivan David Grantham 161 0-1 Stephen Rix Wanstead 166
13 B Kevin McCarthy Grantham 166 ½-½ Jim Howson Upminster 171
14 W Stuart MacDonald Grimsby 155 1-0 Colin Ramage Barking 172
15 B Ian McDonald Lincoln 154 0-1 Mark Murrell Wanstead 160
16 W Chris Holt Grantham 148 0-1 Philip Staniland Wanstead 155
6½-9½