Shrewsbury Chess Club stalwart David Everington will be remembered by his clubmates with a new trophy.
The player who scores the most points representing Shrewsbury in over-the-board competitive chess over a season will be named the winner of the trophy.
The idea was discussed at the club’s online annual general meeting on Friday, and comes after Shropshire Chess Association previously decided to name the Shropshire Chess League division one trophy in Everington’s memory.
Everington was a feature at the elite level of Shropshire chess for some 50 years, winning the Shropshire Individual title on several occasions. He was also part of several title-winning Shrewsbury sides, including Shrewsbury’s unbeaten league-winning side of 2012.
He was a hugely popular figure of the local chess scene who was renowned for his generosity of spirit and his creative play, often sacrificing two or even three pawns for an initiative or attack.
He died in December last year after a battle with cancer.
The new idea for the Shrewsbury Chess Club trophy was proposed by Peter Kitchen, who said a similar idea had been used at his former club Kidderminster in memory of their former player Graham Bunn.
“The idea is that this is all of the club’s players have a fair chance of winning the trophy, regardless of playing strength,” said Kitchen. “I’d like to hope it is something David would have approved of.”
Six club members attended Friday’s AGM, and other issues discussed included the plans to move to the club’s new venue and subsequent potential subscription fees, publicising the club’s activities and electing officers for the new season.
Minutes of the meeting will be circulated to members by club secretary Mark Smith in the near future.