Steady half season

What could be described as a steady half season saw Church Stretton finish a couple of points above the relegation zone in Div 1.

Solid home win against Shifnal Telford A on 1 Nov.

Church Stretton 3.5-1.5 Shifnal Telford A
T Brotherton 0.5, D Gostelow 0.5
S Rooney 0.5, N Nazif 0.5
J Whittaker 1, R Gillespie 0
G Shepherd 0.5, W Peck 0.5
F Rooney 1, Default 0.

Followed by a predictable defeat against Telepost with our top board Trevor missing.

Church Stretton 0.4-4.5 Telepost A
S Rooney 0, N Ferrington 1
G Shepherd 0, R Bryant 1
D Hancock 0.5, P Zabrocki 0.5
F Rooney 0, K Tabner 1
C Pimm-Jones 0, J Westhead 1.


Poor result away at Shifnal Telford B

Shifnal Telford B 3.5-1.5 Church Stretton
R Thompson 0, T Brotherton 1
S Maydew 0.5, S Rooney 0.5
W Peck 1, G Shepherd 0
R Szwajkun 1, F Rooney 0
S Tennant 1, Default 0.

And a welcome whitewash against Telepost B

Church Stretton 5-0 Telepost B
T Brotherton 1, N Kiffin 0
S Rooney 1, M Clark 0
J Whittaker 1, J Westhead 0
G Shepherd 1, C Micallef 0
F Rooney 1, J Casewell 0.

Top Shrews

Shrewsbury pulled out all the stops to get their top team out, including David Everington on board five! Both Rooneys had winning chances but it was the match that got away.

Shrewsbury  A 4-1 Church Stretton

P Makepeace 0.5, T Brotherton 0.5 

J Hopkins 0.5, S Rooney 0.5

F Best 1, G Shepherd 0

P Kitchen 1, F Rooney 0

D Everington 1, J Carless 0.

Season gets going

The season is now underway for the A team which faced a tough opening match against Newport, losing 3.5-1.5, but managed to hold Priorslee Lions to a 2.5-2.5 draw in the following game.

Graham Shepherd was the only winner in the Newport match with John Whittaker getting a draw.

The first home match was a little unconventional as we shared the room with a pool match. It did get a little noisy at times but hopefully it wasn't too distracting for the players. We did have a welcome visitor, Ian Judd from Chichester chess club, who was staying in Stretton for a week's holiday. Always handy when a 158-grade turns up looking for a game!

At one stage it looked like we would take the full match points. Trevor beat off Bill Bates agressive opening to emerge two clear pawns up and with Bill's king looking distinctly vulnerable in the middle of the board. You don't expect Trevor to cede an advantage like this, and he didn't, clinching the first game point. Gerald was a piece up in his game but got tangled up and then mated by Gary White, always a wily opponent. This was followed by another win for the visitors as Steve Tarr won a king and pawn ending against our guest board three Ian. The final two games finished with John Whittaker getting a draw against Andy Tunks, and Steve Rooney getting the full point against Glyn Pugh after the latter dropped a rook in the final stages.

Next match is away to Shrewsbury A.

*Unfortunately we have had to withdraw the B team this season as we don't quite have enough players for both teams. However everyone is welcome to come along to the club for casual games on Thursdays, but probably best to let Steve or Graham know if you're coming to make sure someone is there.

Newport A 3.5-1.5 Church Stretton
N Rutter 1, T Brotherton 0
T Pym 1, S Rooney 0
N Paul 0.5, J Whittaker 0.5
C Lewis 1, G Link 0
S Ross 0, G Shepherd 1.

Church Stretton 2.5-2.5 Priorslee Lions A
Brotherton 1, W Bates 0
S Rooney 1, G Pugh 0
I Judd 0, S Tarr 1
J Whittaker 0.5, A Tunks 0.5
G Link 0, G White 1.

New grades July 2012

The new grades have now been published by the ECF. Full details of the games included can now be found on the much enhanced ECF grading site - www.ecfgrading.org.uk

Trevor Brotherton 185 
Tiago Faustino 176 
Steve Rooney 162
Karl Wakefield 153
Gerald Link 145
Graham Shepherd 137
Eric Elwell 127
Francis Rooney 114
Tom Williamson 106
Chris Pimm-Jones 93

New ECF membership scheme

A new membership scheme has been introduced by the English Chess Federation for the coming season. this means that the present system of funding the ECF through paying a game fee (54p per player for each graded game), will change and players will join the ECF for an annual fee. You will be able to play up to three games (for a game fee) without being a member but for most regular players it makes more sense to join.

The Shropshire Chess Association recently discussed the proposals at its AGM, and president Francis Best has prepared the following explanation of how the new system will work.

July 2012 

Dear Chess Friends 

ECF Direct Membership 

Many of you will be aware that the way in which the English Chess Federation (ECF) is funded is changing and this will have an impact on local chess throughout the country. Exactly how this could best be administered in Shropshire was discussed at the recent AGM of the Shropshire Chess Association (SCA) and the reason for my writing now is to explain these changes and how your Association is planning to make things as smooth as possible and facilitate the new system for both clubs and players. 

What is Changing? 

Currently, if you play graded chess in England, you are helping to fund the ECF in various ways: 

• If you have chosen to be a “Direct Member”, you pay an annual subscription directly to the ECF in return for various benefits and the right to a discounted entry to congresses. You also fund the ECF through the “Game Fee” charged on each of your results in graded League, Club and County games. You will be paying this through your club subscription, league or match fees. 

• If you are in a part of the country where there is a designated “Membership Organisation”, you may pay an annual subscription to the ECF via the local organisation. As a so-called Basic Member, you are entitled to unlimited graded games at no extra cost per game. 

• If you are not a member of the ECF, either directly or via a Membership Organisation, a “Game Fee” is charged on each of your graded games. You will be paying this through your club subscription, league or match fees. In the case of congresses, you will be paying a higher entry fee than ECF members, to cover the costs to the organisers of the Game Fee payments. 

From 1 September 2012: 

Following the changes taking effect on 1 September 2012, you will be helping to fund the ECF in one of two ways: 

• If you have chosen to be a “Direct Member”, you pay an annual subscription directly to the ECF in return for various benefits depending on the level of membership – Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. With each level of membership comes the right to play unlimited graded games in the categories of event defined for each membership level. 

• If you do not wish to be a member of the ECF, a “Game Fee” is charged on each of your graded games. You will be paying this through your club subscription, league or match fees. In the case of congresses, you will be paying a higher entry fee than ECF members at the Silver level or above, to cover the costs to the organisers of a “Pay to Play” fee per non-member / Bronze member. 

What Do the Different Levels of Membership Mean? 

The different levels of membership entitle games played to be graded according to the following table: 

Level	Adult Cost	Junior Cost	Local Competitions (league, club championships etc.)	Congresses	FIDE	ECF Grand Prix
Bronze	£13	£9	
Silver	£19	£13			
Gold	£28	£22				
Platinum	£60	£60				

Where players are not ECF direct members, there is a fee payable according to the following table: 

Event	Standard Play	Rapid Play
League & Club (non-junior)	£2 per result	£1 per result
League & Club (junior)	50p per result	25p per result
Congresses (non-junior)	£6 surcharge *	£6 surcharge *
Congresses (junior)	£4 surcharge *	£4 surcharge *

* Applies to bronze members, as well as non-members. 

Players must be Gold or Platinum members to play in FIDE rated events. 

The AGM Decisions 

The AGM voted to set up procedures to ensure that all its regular players become ECF direct members at a level in accordance with their requirements. 

First of all, it was agreed that the SCA would become a Membership Organisation (MO) of the ECF. This involves signing an agreement, enabling the SCA to collect membership fees from individuals and pass them on to the ECF. This approach automatically generates a £1 discount which it is intended will be passed on to the individual. 

Secondly, it was agreed that all players in Shropshire should generally be expected to become ECF direct members. It was recognised that there would be some players who play very few graded games, or who join a club part way through the year, and so it was agreed that players need not become members if they play no more than 3 graded games in a year. 

Thirdly, it was agreed that the best way of collecting membership fees from players would be at club level. This is because different players will want to choose different levels of membership, so there needs to be that discussion at local level, in order to collect the correct fees. The decision at the AGM was that clubs would consult with their members, collect the appropriate fees and pass these details and the money to the SCA by 30th September, in order for the SCA to pass these details and the fees onto the ECF. 

Fourthly, it was agreed that the league fees collected from local chess clubs would be reduced to £10 per team for 2012/13. Previously, these fees were £50 per team. This is because the ECF Direct Membership scheme replaces the old game based system, which was covered by the higher fee. 

What Do Individual Club Members Need to do? 

Individuals need to decide what level of membership is appropriate for them. The following advice is taken from the ECF website: 

“Which type of membership would suit me best? 

The choice is yours, but the following scenarios may be a useful guide to the best fit for you. You can always upgrade to a higher level at any time if your needs change. 

• “I don’t play tournaments, but I do like to play graded games in my local league and at my club.” 

Choose BRONZE membership. You’ll be able to play an unlimited number of graded games in league, club and county competitions. 

• “I don’t play tournaments either. I’m mostly a social player and hardly play any graded games at all, certainly not more than six in a year.” 

If you don’t expect to play more than 6 graded games a year, you may prefer to pay on a game-by-game basis. A £2 fee should be paid to your club treasurer when you play this game. This will be forwarded on via the Shropshire Chess Asscoiation to the ECF at the end of the year. On the other hand, why not choose BRONZE membership and take advantage of the freedom to play lots more chess without worrying about any extra costs? 

• “I’m a league and club player. I don’t normally play tournaments, but I might like to try one.” 

Choose BRONZE membership and, if you see a congress you fancy, upgrade to SILVER by paying an extra £6 (Juniors £4). Bronze members and non-members can play in graded congresses, but Silver members and above are usually able to claim a discount on their entry fee of up to £6 (Juniors £4). If you upgrade from Bronze to Silver, the price of the upgrade should be covered by the discount on your first tournament, and if you get a taste for congresses, your Silver membership will earn you a discount every time! 

• “I’m a league and club player, but I like to play at least one congress every year.” 

Choose SILVER membership. You’ll be able to play an unlimited number of graded games in league, club and county competitions AND enter as many graded congresses as you like at the discounted Silver (and above) member rate. 

• “I don’t play in a league or a club, but I do enter congresses from time to time.” 

If you only play one or two congresses a year, and this is your only graded chess, you might just want to enter congresses as a non-member and pay the full, undiscounted entry fee. If you play three or more congresses a year, choose SILVER membership – it’ll be better value. 

• “I play in FIDE-rated events.” 

Choose GOLD membership. If you’re registered as English for FIDE rating purposes, the ECF requires you to be a Gold member or above. In return, you can play as many games as you like in graded AND rated events and the ECF will pay for the FIDE rating fees (with the exception of all-play-all tournaments). 

• “I’d like to do a bit extra to support the work of the ECF.” 

Why not become a PLATINUM member? You’ll receive all the benefits of GOLD membership, plus we’ll send you an ECF 15-month diary and a copy of the ECF Yearbook. It’s a pricier option at £60 a year, but if you can afford it, your subscription will be providing the ECF with invaluable extra funds to develop chess in this country. 

I’m already a member – how do the changes affect me? 

If your membership expires after 31 August 2012, it’ll be converted to one of the new categories. Standard, Junior, Family and Life members will be GOLD; Full members will be PLATINUM. When your membership expires, the ECF office will contact you to explain your renewal options.” 

It is possible that you are already an ECF Direct Member. This is not a problem; all you need to do is let your club secretary know your membership number to pass on to the SCA. You will not be required to pay an additional fee. 

What Do Clubs Need to Do? 

Clubs need to speak to all their members and ascertain which level of membership each individual wishes to take up. If the player is already an ECF Direct Member, you only need to note their membership number and pass this on to the SCA with your return. 

The appropriate level of membership subscription also needs to be collected from the players (less the £1 discount) and a cheque passed to Alf Evans, Treasurer, with your return by 30th September 2012. 

If you have members who do not wish to become ECF Direct members, the SCA will be charged the grading fee per game shown in the table above and will recover this amount from the club. The decision at the AGM was that members playing more than three graded games would be required to become ECF Direct Members and it is clearly in clubs’ best interest to monitor this in order to avoid unexpected bills. Individuals can become ECF Direct Members during the year (without the £1 discount) and this will cover games played earlier on. 

A small working group was set up at the AGM to agree more detailed procedures on these points and these will be distributed in due course. We understand that this is new for everyone and if clubs encounter practical difficulties in adopting the new system, the SCA will do what we can to assist and advise. 

Conclusion 

More details on the ECF Direct Membership scheme can be found on the ECF website at: 

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/ 

The website includes answers to common questions and is well worth taking a look at if you have not previously been aware of the changes. 

The changes have been under discussion for some time but will soon be upon us. I hope you will support your club and the association by making the system as easy as possible to administer. You can do this by reading up on the changes, asking any questions sooner rather than later, deciding promptly which level of membership is appropriate for you and of course, paying the appropriate fee to your club treasurer in good time. 

With best wishes for the forthcoming chess season, 

Francis Best 

President, Shropshire Chess Association 

Cox trophy victory for Church Stretton

Church Stretton A won the final of the summer cup competition, the Cox Trophy, beating higher-rated Newport A by 2.5-1.5  in a match played at Telepost's club last night.

Early wins for Tiago Faustino and Karl Wakefield put Church Stretton 2-0 ahead. Karl was the first to finish as he converted an endgame initiative on the king's side into a strong passed pawn which tied down Chris Lewis' rook that was eventually lost and with it the game.

Tiago made it difficult for himself, not for the first time this season! His queen side was under a lot of pressure and he sacrificed the exchange to try and hold it but then decided to plonk his queen in enemy territory on b2. His opponent, Nathanael Paul, was convinced the queen was vulnerable as her retreat was difficult and he spent a lot of time trying to conjure a trap but it never materialised. With Tiago's queen eventually escaping back to e7, Nathanael quipped "maybe Mr Fritz can solve it later". He then faltered however and after some simplification Tiago emerged two pawns up with a ishop pair against bishop and knight and the end was inevitable. Another great escape for Tiago as he continues an unbeaten run that stretches back to his first matches for the club in January.

Trevor Brotherton's game against county number one Nick Rutter on board one had begun with some comical retreats with both players returning knights to their starting squares in a slow-burn French defence. Trevor continued the theme by slow marching his king to b7 rather than castling, as he needed the rook to remain on the a-file. A battle then ensued with Nick throwing his pawns forward on the queen side. Trevor's knight outpost on b4 looked reasonably solid protected by another knight and a bishop, but it was to prove an illusion as Nick conjured up an exchange sacrifice to eventually break through with a fatal attack on the king.

This left captain Steve Rooney facing Gavin Cooper on board two and needing at least a draw as a 2-2 tie would have given the match to Newport under the countback rules. In the last encounter between the two at the start of the league season, Steve won in a tense time scramble and this game also went to the wire. The black squares were the key feature with Gavin trying to undermine white's pawn chain from c3 to e5 in a game that started out as a Pirc defence but resembled a French. The black-squared bishops parried for a while but when they were swapped it left a potential weakness in black's position which Steve's queen could exploit. The game then revolved around Gavin attack on pawns on a2 and c3 and Steve's threat to force a series of queen checks by invading on the black squares. Gavin turned down one draw offer but eventually realised he couldn't break through and offered one himself when both players were down to the last five minutes.

Church Stretton 2.5 Newport A 1.5
T Brotherton 0-1 N Rutter
S Rooney 0.5-0.5 G Cooper
T Faustino 1-0 N Paul
K Wakefield 1-0 C Lewis

Quickplay 3rd place for Stretton

Church Stretton A had a successful time in the Shropshire Quickplay on 19 May and ended in 3rd place from eight teams.

The event, ably organised by Toby Neal with help from Francis Best, involved 8 teams with an all-play-all followed by a play-off for the top four teams. Church Stretton comfortably qualified for the final play-offs but lost in the semi final to Newport 3-1 before beating Wellington 5-0 for the 3/4 place play-off.

Church Stretton's team included two new faces with Priorslee's Glyn Pugh and junior Heath Pearson joining Trevor Brotherton, Steve Rooney and James Carless.

http://www.shropshirechess.org/Tournaments/Shropshire%20Quickplay.htm