Only one 100 per cent record remains intact after some of the club’s highest rated players clashed in round three of Shrewsbury Chess Club Championship.
Top seed Nathanael Paul is now a point clear of the field after he won with the white pieces against Dan Lockett, both of whom had won their opening two games.
The other player on 2/2 – Francis Best – lost on time with the white pieces against fellow first teamer Peter Kitchen, while Mark Smith, who went into the round in fourth place on 1.5/2, lost with white to Stephen Priestley.
It means that behind Paul (3/3), four players – Kitchen, Best, Lockett and Priestley – are tied for second place on 2/3, with four more – Smith, Ivor Salter, Ian Davies, and Norman O’Connor – just a further half point back.
The round four draw has also thrown up some intriguing ties – the top two seeds Kitchen and Paul will face each other, while Priestley will have white against Best.
Every player has so far received their additional half point for playing their games within the deadline for each round, with those bonus points included in the standings on the official club championship page.
Round three results:
Nathanael Paul 1-0 Dan Lockett
Francis Best 0-1 Peter Kitchen
Mark Smith 0-1 Stephen Priestley
Ian Davies 1-0 Robert Green
Ivor Salter 1-0 Tony Purser
Will Apted 0-1 Norman O’Connor
Riachard Vernon 1-0 bye
Round four ties:
Peter Kitchen (2) v Nathanael Paul (3)
Stephen Priestley (2) v Francis Best (2)
Dan Lockett (2) v Ivor Salter (1.5)
Norman O’Connor (1.5) v Mark Smith (1.5)
Richard Vernon (1) v Ian Davies (1.5)
Robert Green (1) v Will Apted (1)
Tony Purser (1) 1-0 bye
Round four ties must be played by June 2 to claim the half-point bonus.
Meanwhile, a number of the club’s players have entered this year’s Shrewsbury Town Championship, for players belonging to Shrewsbury and Telepost.
Peter Kitchen is the highest ranked Shrewsbury player to enter, and he will be the third seed. There will be two all-Shrewsbury ties featuring Kitchen against Purser and Lockett versus Richard Vernon, while Smith has been handed a tough opening assignment as black against promising Telepost teenager Archie Flavell.
In total, six Shrewsbury players are included in a record field of 30 players boosted by an influx of Telepost’s growing junior contingent.
Town championship round one ties involving Shrewsbury players (in caps)
PETER KITCHEN v TONY PURSER
Archie Flavell v MARK SMITH
DAN LOCKETT v RICHARD VERNON
STEPHEN PRIESTLEY v Henry Bedford