An eye-catching victory over runaway Shropshire Chess League leaders, Maddocks A, was the highlight for Shrewsbury as the club hosted the first rapidplay league meeting of the season.
The home side won a tight match 2.5-1.5 thanks won wins for Dan Lockett and Mark Smith and Peter Kitchen’s draw with Adrian Zdanowski.
In total, the club fielded seven players across two four-board matches, including a welcome return for father and son James and Harvey Birch.
Shrewsbury were awarded a 4-0 walkover in the opening round as Telepost failed to field a team, before beating Maddocks A in round two and slipping to a 2.5-1.5 defeat to Maddocks B in round three.
All three of the teams that played at the Nerdy Café on Friday ended the opening night on four points with two wins and a defeat each.
Players received 20 minutes thinking time for all moves – much quicker than the standard league time control of one hour 25 minutes with increments added for each move played.
The quicker time control led to some interesting scenarios on the night. Kitchen had just nine seconds left when Zdanowski agreed to a draw in the deciding game of the Maddocks A match, despite opposing captain Tony Preece quietly urging his player to carry on in a totally drawn position.
Richard Vernon also thought he had delivered checkmate against Shropshire Individual champion Simon Maydew in the Maddocks B match – only to overlook a defence that instantly cost him his queen.
The night was a first opportunity for members of the Maddocks club to visit Shrewsbury’s new venue ahead of the Shropshire Chess League fixture between Shrewsbury and Maddocks A on April 8.
Shrewsbury’s squad won’t have long to wait for their next taste of rapidplay league action – the next three rounds will be played at Telford on April 6.
Results (Shrewsbury colours in brackets):
Round 1
Maddocks B 1-3 Maddocks A
Telepost 0-4 Shrewsbury – match defaulted.
Round 2
Maddocks B 4-0 Telepost – match defaulted.
Shrewsbury 2.5-1.5 Maddocks A
1.Harvey Birch (b) 0-1 Athar Ansari
2.Peter Kitchen (w) 0.5-0.5 Adrian Zdanowski
3.Dan Lockett (b) 1-0 Andrew Grillage
4.Mark Smith (w) 1-0 Tony Preece
Round 3
Shrewsbury 1.5-2.5 Maddocks B
1.Francis Best (b) 0-1 Stephen Tarr
2.Mark Smith (w) 0.5-0.5 Munroe Morrison
3.James Birch (b) 1-0 Gary White
4.Richard Vernon (w) 0-1 Simon Maydew
Maddocks A 4-0 Telepost – match defaulted