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U140 NCCU – Lancashire v Yorkshire

Firstly, apologies for the delay in publication! This was due to illness with the web editor!

Report from David Almond, Team Captain U140 squad.

Lancashire 8.5 – 3.5 Yorkshire, Venue Latvian Club Bradford, 2nd February

Match report

After my pre-match pep talk, about our tendency to take early draws, the reason we lost to Cumbria in the last round. And the fact that it was imperative that we beat Yorkshire or we are eliminated from the competition.

Well, you certainly delivered the goods, a resounding win 3-5 to 8 -5 for us, puts at the top of the league and first nominee, which gives us an easier way into the final stages, probably w/e 16th or 17th of May  (Famous Last Words, Editor).

I was deeply involved in my game, (and sucking a Jakeman’s cough lozenge,(sugar for the brain). when someone either Pete Dickinson or John Addison whispered that we were 6 up, I bit into my Jakeman and broke a tooth, now going to have to break into my meagre pension pot to pay a dentist!

Appreciations must go out especially to:-

  • Danny for playing top board.
  • Pete Dickinson for his assistance. Taking the pressure off me, so I could concentrate on my game
  • Dave Innes for dragging himself from his sickbed.
  • Dave Tuke played on right up to the wire but lost in a winning position due to forgetting to press his clock.
  • Steve Flaherty, who’s done more than his fair share of driving, Who due to my navigational skills, acquired in HM forces got him lost ( It was different in the desert)
  • Ben O’Rourke,  first to draw, who took a draw after the score was 6-0 but had the decency to ask me.

The real star of the show must be the man who didn’t play, Pete Dickinson.

Dave Innes went sick and Pete got me a replacement at short notice ( Pete Logan thanks Peter) then dragged Dave Innes out of his bed drove them both to Bradford, gave up his seat to Dave ( a higher graded player ) at his suggestion, and then did the match card scoring .

Thanks, Pete! Hope you can play in the next round and I’ll build my team around you.

Dave Almond – a broken man (tooth that is )

BoardYORKSHIREGradeScoreLANCASHIREGradeScore
1Robson , Owen R1360McMenamen , Danny1331
2Webster , Vivien1280Ellis , Gareth1391
3Oliver , Bruce R1340Addison , John1341
4Grice Alec1380Innes , Dave1301
5Pearce , Neville1330Almond , David S1331
6Mills , David G1351/2Hart , Robert1301/2
7Lee , Stephen K1321Tuke , Dave1320
8Kumaar Sai Chinmayee1231/2Morris , Bob1291/2
9Stickland Ian D1241/2O'Rourke, T Ben1201/2
10Weller , collin1221/2Flaherty , Steve1261/2
11Andrews , Norman G1281/2Logan , Peter1171/2
12Matthews , Graham W1270Coltman , Andre1211
TOTAL SCORE3.5TOTAL SCORE8.5
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Denis Lane RIP

The Association received some sad news on Sunday, Denis Lane passed away at tea time on Saturday 22nd February.

Denis was a keen supporter of chess in the Blackpool and Fylde area over a period of many years.  He officiated both as the Press Secretary and the League President during this time. Our thoughts are with his family.

Reminiscence – Phil Raynor (Chairperson, Blackpool & Fylde Chess League)

I first got to know Denis when I became the Secretary of Blackpool and Fylde Chess League in about the year 2000 at which time Denis would have been the President (an honorary role) and the Press Secretary.  Fairly quickly we came up with a scheme to populate the static content of the League’s website with a detailed bulletin of the League’s activities – Denis sent me long hand-written letters containing the content.  It is a good job I was a fast typist!  These bulletins frequently contained jokes and anecdotes often at the expense of Preston and, in particular, Brett Lund.  Although he was always particular to describe Brett as the “Lancashire Champion” when this was the case.

His narrative of the games was always at its most lively when ideally Blackpool but also some other “genuine” Fylde club were in the ascendency.  This did not happen very often, alas, mainly due to the strength of Preston.

During all of this time he hosted the meetings of the League Committee:  first at his home in Blackpool and then at his daughter’s in Preesall, where he moved in later life.  During all of this period, he was a prolific letter writer and kept in touch with the goings-on of the League contributing generously to its finances.

He lent me a book once which was the British Chess Magazine of 1937.  On P. 251 there is a description of the British Boys’ Championship where Denis represented the Northern Counties Chess Union (he must have been about 14 at the time) – sponsors paid for travel and hospitality at the Hastings Club where the matches were played.  Denis finished in 4th position in Section B with 2 points out of 6.  In the same volume, he has marked an account of the BCF Congress at Blackpool which was played at the Imperial Hotel and included notable British players of the time including Golombek.