Shrewsbury A have secured the runners-up spot in Shropshire Online Chess League – several weeks after their last match.
Oswestry A’s 3-1 victory over clubmates Oswestry B secured the title for them – and ensured Shrewsbury A finished above Oswestry B on points difference.
It marks a significant improvement for the A’s, who last year finished bottom of the table with one draw and 13 defeats from 14 matches. This time around they have finished on 50 per cent with three draws and three losses from six matches, and were top of the table at Christmas.
While the club can still only put out one team in over-the-board competition due to ongoing unease among members in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of its players are very active online.
No more is this evident than the club championship, which is again being held online this year and is being contested between 10 players.
In round three, Francis Best won the clash of the top two seeds against Peter Kitchen. In a tight game, both players were down to their final minute of thinking time and Best, playing black, held his nerve to prevail.
He now leads the tournament by a full point with two games to go, and will have the black pieces against surprise contender Norman O’Connor in round four.
O’Connor himself drew a titanic, 88-move struggle with Richard Vernon in round three, while Ivor Salter pulled off perhaps the result of the round by defeating first teamer Mark Smith in just 25 moves. Salter will play Dan Lockett next, who himself won a nice game against Stephen Priestley in round three.
The full round four draw and results so far are available on the club championship page of the website.