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CUMBERNAULD CHESS CLUB

The following paragraphs are from the copy we send to the Cumbernauld News, our local paper, by George Thomson our Publicity officer. You can usually find our match reports in their sports section during the season.

The Week in Chess

Last week was a particularly busy one for the members of Cumbernauld chess club. Monday evening saw four Cumbernauld players travel in order to face the current Lanarkshire chess league division one Champions Lanark "A". The newly promoted Cumbernauld "B" faced an extremely strong Lanark side. Statistically Cumbernauld would be likely to lose all of the games in this match. Some tremendously gritty performances almost saw the local lads create a major upset. Lanark had wins on boards one and three for Jim Smalls and Ian Brownlee. David Flaherty produced an outstanding display when he held Ian McLachlan to a draw on board two. An amazing piece of giant killing on board four saw Andrew Carruth overcome a six hundred plus grading point difference in order to crush Tom Brown in only eighteen moves. This win which is probably the best result in Andrews chess career to date will give him to confidence to face any foe. Lanark won the match with a 2.5-1.5 score line.

On the same evening Cumbernauld were in action at home in the Glasgow chess league division two. They faced a Crowwood side in a match in which statistically Cumbernauld should have cruised to an easy victory. Unfortunately it was the Crowwood side which seemed more determined to win this match. They had two surprise wins for Craig Hutchison and Andrew Pollock. Cumbernauld produced three wins through Steven Kelly, Ralph Stirrat and David Bonella. A draw in the game between George Thomson and Jack Peacock saw Cumbernauld do just enough to salvage a 3.5-2.5 win from this match.

Tuesday evenings match saw Cumbernauld paired against Giffnock and Clarkston in the Dunbartonshire chess leagues knock-out cup competition. Unavailability of many key players meant that Team Captain David Johnstone struggled to field a team and was not expecting a favourable result from this match. Giffnock started the match well with a win on board four for Joe Jordan. Paul Hendry and David Mcdonald then shared a draw on board three. David Johnstone dragged Cumbernauld back into the match with a win on board one. A win on board one meant that in the event of a draw the Cumbernauld side would progress to the next stage of the competition. A very tense battle on board two saw George Thomson and Alan McFadyen both attack and defend in a heavily theoretical Kings Indian defence. Eventually it was Thomson who held all the advantages but he wisely decided to offer the draw in order to secure a 2-2 draw in the match, a result which offered progression to the next phase of this competition for the Cumbernauld side.

National Chess League Opener

Sunday saw five Cumbernauld players travel to Dunfermline in order to compete in the Scottish National Chess League. The Cumbernauld squad who are playing in division one had the misfortune of being paired against two of the strongest teams from last season. The first of our featured matches, which was played in the morning saw Cumbernauld challenge the Kingdom Kings from Fife, an extremely strong side which finished third last season. Acting on advice from team captain Ian Marks the Cumbernauld players decided to throw caution to the wind and play very aggressively and try to ruffle the feathers of the opposing side. Tactically Cumbernauld made the correct decision as the Kingdom Kings never managed to win a game as the Cumbernauld players seemed to be holding all the aces. Two splendid wins from Ian Marks and Ralph Stirrat coupled with three fiercely contested draws in the remaining games between Alan Grant and Ian Robertson, Steven Kelly and George Pyrich as well as George Thomson and Stuart Blyth, enabled Cumbernauld to emerge with a very surprising 3.5-1.5 victory a staggering result considering the strength of the opposition.

The afternoon clash paired Cumbernauld against the immensely strong Hamilton "A", a team which never lost a game last season and who won seven matches to emerge as league champions yet again. Alan Grant obtained a draw on board one against Pat Coffey. Hamilton won every other game thanks to Joe Redpath, Steven Tweddie, Tom Donohue and Dominic O'Rourke earning a 4.5-0.5 victory in their favour, a result which suggests any easy match when in actual fact most of the games were very close indeed and a couple of Cumbernauld players were unfortunate not to take more from their games. Getting two points onto the league table from these two matches is an excellent start to Cumbernauld's second season in the S.N.C.L division one.

Local Derby

Last season's results saw the Cumbernauld "B" side do enough to earn promotion into the Lanarkshire chess league division one. This threw up the prospect of the first all Cumbernauld clash for many years. As luck would have it the first Lanarkshire clash of the new season would be the all Cumbernauld clash. With so many potential players to select from, team selection was a difficult choice for both team captains. George Thomson opted to field a strong side which would reflect the true strength of many of the sides in Lanarkshire's premier division, in order to enable the "B" team to gauge the type of opposition that they would be likely to face in the coming months. John Pearston opted to field the four players who had played in most of the games in their successful campaign in the second division. Statistically the "A" team should probably have won all four games.

A relatively quick win for Ian Marks over John Pearston on board one saw the "A" team take an early lead. George Thomson developed a one pawn advantage over Andrew Carruth which he held and converted after an epic 70 move tussle on board four. Board three saw a sensational piece of giant killing when David McColl dragged the "B" team back into the match with a fine win over the very much stronger Ralph Stirrat. On board two David Flaherty had the unenviable task of trying to level the match by overcoming Steven Kelly, a player who has had some remarkable results lately. Unfortunately the experience and technical capabilities of Kelly soon ground out another win for the "A" team. This 3-1 win is the perfect start for the "A" team in their division one campaign. For Pearstons "B" team, a side who performed well considering the grading differences the realities of first division chess, will leave them contemplating the possibility of survival in this very competitive league.

Grangemouth Clash

Wednesday evening saw five Cumbernauld players travel to Grangemouth in order to compete in another Central chess league division one match. Cumbernauld started this match as underdogs with every player being out graded by a substantial margin. Cumbernauld had the additional handicap of being without two regular first team players, another fact which made this match a bit of a one sided affair. The Cumbernauld players who were available took no notice of the grading differences and went out and played attacking chess with the aim of causing an upset. Unfortunately it was the Grangemouth side that drew the first blood with wins on boards two and three for Douglas Will and Ian Mason. Cumbernauld were dragged back into the match with two exceptional wins for Ian Marks and George Thomson after both created miniscule advantages which could be developed and cultivated in order to produce winning positions. With the score standing at two points each the result of the encounter on board four, suddenly became crucial and would determine the final outcome of this match. Ex Cumbernauld player Mark Monaghan faced a very determined Ronnie Wallace who battled hard in order to try and overcome a two hundred plus grading point difference. Sadly Monaghan was equally determined not to lose the match as a result of any mistake on his part. He slowly built up a game and match winning one pawn advantage which he securely held with precise play. His nervy win handed the Grangemouth side a 3-2 win in a match in which they would have probably expected to cruise to an easy victory.

New Season -same old start

Cumbernauld chess club managed to keep up their long running record of losing the first match of the new season. Last Wednesday evening five local players travelled in order to face Dunfermline in the Central chess league division one. Cumbernauld should probably have won this match. Sadly sloppy finishing and indecision at critical moments allowed Dunfermline to salvage a win from a totally lost match. Ian Robertson earned the first Dunfermline win of the evening on board one. Ronnie Wallace clawed Cumbernauld back into the match with a win on board four. George Thomson and Glynis Grant shared a draw on board five. With two winning positions on boards two and three Cumbernauld were expecting to walk away victorious. Unfortunately John McBride and Michael Roy battled away and took advantage of indecisive finishing earning another to wins for Dunfermline. They eventually won the match with a 3.5-1.5 score line.

On Monday evening Cumbernauld were involved in their first home match of the new season. This was another Central division one clash against Stirling. Cumbernauld started well with a win on board two for Steven Kelly. Board three saw Ralph Stirrat and Robin Hayles share the spoils with a hard fought draw. Graham Anderson pulled one back for Stirling with a win on the fifth board, after David Bonella carelessly lost a pawn and eventually the game. The titanic struggle on board one saw Ian Marks and Kenny McGeoch also level out with another draw. Suddenly on board four the contest now took on match winning significance both David Johnstone and John Blake battled furiously and both struggled under the effects of time pressure. Sadly it was Blake and Stirling who emerged victorious with a 3-2 final score.

National League Survival

On Sunday morning Cumbernauld chess club players travelled to Dunfermline in order to compete in the last round of the Scottish National Chess League division one. Going into the last round four of the eight teams in division one were unfortunate enough to be involved in relegation battles, an indicator of how close the finish was and how narrow is the line between success and failure. Coincidently all four teams involved were facing each other in what became do or die matches. Cumbernauld faced their other new town rivals East Kilbride, and Kilmarnock faced Giffnock and Clarkston. Giffnock and Clarkston defeated Kilmarnock 4-1 a result which suited Cumbernauld. Cumbernauld had the advantage of knowing that they had to lose the match 4.5-0.5 in order to be relegated sadly they also had the disadvantage of starting the match without Jack Parkes, a player who has been an extremely solid contributor to their S.N.C.L campaign this season. Five very fiercely contested games developed as East Kilbride battled hard to retain their division one status, a position which they have only retained for only one season.

East Kilbride drew the first blood with a win on board five for Bryan McClement. Andrew McClement was then held to a draw on board one by Alan Grant. Ian Marks was then held to another draw by Alan Jelfs on board two. Anthony Dunlop handed East Kilbride another win on board four. Unfortunately these wins were in vain as on board three Stephen Kelly held all the advantages after leading the game into massive complications which offered him all the winning chances. He very wisely accepted the draw, a result which secured S.N.C.L division one chess for the local side next season. East Kilbride won the match with a 3.5-1.5 score line but very cruelly will be relegated along with Kilmarnock. Hamilton became division one winners after they completed another solid season with seven wins from seven matches.

S.N.C.L survival helped ease the pain of a cup defeat suffered by Cumbernauld in the Central chess league knock out cup competition. Last Monday evening seven players travelled to Broxburn in order to face a Badger's Brook side named after the public house in which they play. Cumbernauld started the match without many key players however; it was still a very evenly balanced match. A draw in the match would see Cumbernauld progress to the next stage due to their being the slightly weaker side. Badger's Brook had four wins by Andrew McHarg, Graham Kerr, Robert McCord and Pawel Kowtun. George Thomson and Andrew Gould shared a draw on board three and Cumbernauld had two wins for Ronnie Wallace and John Pearston. The Broxburn side progressed to the next stage after a 4.5-2.5 win. The score line could have looked more respectable as Graham Kerr had offered David Johnstone a draw unfortunately the existing score line meant that Johnstone could not accept and was forced to play for a win in order to try and save the match. Being forced to play for a win can add extra pressure to an already difficult game and often has a negative effect on the player involved.

Shettleston Surprise

Last Monday evening saw Cumbernauld chess club take on the mighty Shettleston in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. Cumbernauld started the match without key players and were not realistically expecting to rock the Shettleston boat. However, one of the unique features of chess is its unpredictability and capacity to throw up surprises. All four Cumbernauld players were trying to overcome grading differences of at least 200 points.

On board one Stephen Kelly had the most difficult task of all. He was facing F.I.D.E International Master Douglas Bryson, a player who is currently ranked twelfth in Scotland and was graded 600 points higher. Kelly showed no fear as he pursued the full point. His aggressive approach and desire to win caused his I.M opponent all sorts of positional problems. In the end Bryson opted to accept a draw, something which players of this calibre seldom do unless they feel that they have no prospect of success. In the final position Kelly may well have had a slight advantage but wisely chose to accept the draw.

Shettleston had one win on board four through Anthony Gallagher when he went one pawn ahead and nervously clung on to his advantage. Jack Parkes then dragged Cumbernauld back into the match with another magnificent win on board two after overcoming another much stronger player. With around two minutes remaining David Johnstone and William Toland battled furiously with both players going for the throat in a particularly aggressive finish which required nerves of steel. Johnstone emerged victorious after his opponent crumbled under the pressure. This fine win handed Cumbernauld a 2.5-1.5 win in the match. A result which was viewed in disbelief by both teams of players involved.

On Tuesday evening Cumbernauld travelled to Bearsden in order to play a Dunbartonshire chess league division two match. The board one clash saw George Thomson and Piotre Fiertek share the spoils when a pawn locked position offered no prospect for either player. Robert Kelso provided a fine win on board two after emerging from an extremely complicated position with a winning edge. Sadly Bearsden won both games on boards three and four, results which saw them secure a 2.5-1.5 victory over the local side.

Put to the test?

Cumbernauld Chess Club players have been involved in some very testing matches indeed over the last week or so. On Sunday 27th February they once again travelled to the Glen pavilion in the centre of Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline in order to play another two rounds of the Scottish national chess league division one.

The morning match saw them face an exceptionally strong Dundee Victoria side. Alan Grant held F.I.D.E Master Peter Constantinou to a draw on board one and Ian Marks performed magnificently in order to hold Ed Spencer on board two. Sadly Dundee won the remaining three games and the match with a 4-1 score line. The afternoon match saw Cumbernauld take on an Edinburgh West side which out graded them on every board. The Cumbernauld players may have been out graded but they were certainly not outclassed. Stephen Kelly provided the first surprise of the tie with an incredible win with the black pieces over Alan Bell. Martin Robinson then supplied the Edinburgh side a win on board five. The three remaining games ended drawn, results which earned the local side an unexpected draw in the match. This draw has taken Cumbernauld one step closer to their goal of remaining in the SNCL division one next season. Cumbernauld have one more SNCL match to play and a draw would be enough to guarantee that they shall stay there. If Cumbernauld manage to remain in division one it will be one of the finest achievements in the clubs forty year history.

Monday evening saw Cumbernauld involved in two Lanarkshire chess league matches. The division one clash was away at Lanark and saw Cumbernauld challenged by a Lanark "B" side who were trying hard to assist their "A" team who are the main challengers of this Cumbernauld side which are on course to winning division one this season. Lanark had one win for George Brown and Cumbernauld had two wins for George Thomson and Hayden Williams. On board one David Johnstone opted for a safe match winning draw. This 2.5-1.5 win for Cumbernauld leaves them comfortably perched at the top of the league.

In division two Cumbernauld faced an East Kilbride "C" side in a home match. The East Kilbride side were ridiculously strong to be playing in division two. They won three games through Phil Thomas, Daniel Thomas and Andy Howie. Fortunately Andrew Carruth earned Cumbernauld a consolation win on board three after overcoming a three hundred point grading difference. On Tuesday evening four Cumbernauld players travelled in order to face a Bearsden "A" side in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. Ian Marks had the unenviable position of facing the current Scottish Chess Champion, and F.I.D.E International Master Andrew Greet on board one. Ian Marks performed magnificently and took the game right to the wire only to lose out in a Rook and pawn ending which offered Mr Greet a miniscule advantage which a player of his calibre was sure to exploit. With only one minute and six seconds remaining he turned the screw and strangled Ian Marks into submission. Bearsden had two other wins on boards two and three which secured the match result in their favour. George Thomson provided Cumbernauld with a surprise half point when he held the very talented and extremely strong Francis Batchelor to a draw on board four.

"The unpredicable nature of chess"

Last Monday evening saw Cumbernauld chess club face a very strong Glasgow Montrose "A" side in a home match in the Glasgow chess league division two. Statistically Cumbernauld were by far the weaker side and in all honesty were not expecting to take too much from this encounter with one of the strongest teams in this division. Starting the match without their usual board one player meant that the local side feared the worst. The unpredictable nature off chess was once again reaffirmed when the Cumbernauld players produced magnificent performances. Stephen Kelly standing in on board one laid his claim to stay there with a fine win. On board two Jack Parkes continued his excellent run of form with another unexpected win over a higher graded opponent. Two additional wins for David Johnstone and Robert Kelso saw Cumbernauld do enough to win this match against the odds. Glasgow Montrose produced two consolation wins through Norman Lindsay and Bahool Voghouey. Securing this 4-2 win means that Cumbernauld are elevated well above the relegation battles which are about to ensue as the end of the season approaches. With Glasgow division two chess now assured for next season Cumbernauld must await the results of other matches in order to affirm their finishing in second or third place in this league this season.

New Year New Hope

The first chess match of 2011 saw Cumbernauld challenged by another Glasgow side in the Glasgow chess league division two. Cumbernauld are currently perched at the top of this division however, having lost two matches they are unlikely to remain in pole position for much longer. Various teams have games in hand which will likely see them push Cumbernauld further down the league table. Last Monday saw them face a Giffnock and Clarkston "B" side. Statistically Cumbernauld were the stronger of the two sides and they were expecting a win. Starting the match one player short did not present the local side with too many difficulties. Occasionally starting a match one player short has a psychological impact on the performance of the remaining players, forcing them to play for a win when the position on the board may not warrant a full scale attack. Fortunately the Cumbernauld players managed to win the five games and wrap up another comprehensive win. The Cumbernauld winning players were Ian Marks, George Thomson, Ronnie Wallace, Robert Kelso and David Flaherty. The eventual 5-1 score line in favour of the local side suggests an easy win when in actual fact all five games were fiercely contested and a couple of Cumbernauld players were fortunate to salvage wins from very poor positions.

Is chess a summer sport?

Chess, like various other sports has fallen victim of the atrocious weather. Most clubs now have a mounting backlog of games to catch up on. Last Monday evening Cumbernauld chess club managed to compete in two matches, both of which were home matches. A short break in the weather and clearer roads allowed teams from both Hamilton and Lanark to make the journey to Cumbernauld. The first match was played in the Lanarkshire chess league division one and saw Cumbernauld face a Hamilton "A" side that were capable of raining on the Cumbernauld parade. David Johnstone earned the first win for Cumbernauld with a fine performance on board three. Hamilton then levelled the match with an against the odds win by Lawrence Freel on board four. On board one Ian Marks secured another point for the local side with another solid performance. These results meant that both Jack Parkes and Luke Greenslade had it all to play for on board two. Both players battled ferociously in order to try and secure the point, in the end neither player could make the final breakthrough and both were forced to settle for a draw. This drawn game saw the match result swing in favour of the Cumbernauld side with a 2.5-1.5 score line. This win allows the Cumbernauld side to maintain their position at the top of division one.

In the Lanarkshire second division clash, Cumbernauld faced a Lanark "C" side which had travelled a fair distance in order to play in this match. The Lanark players started the match determined not to have a wasted journey. William Strachan gave Lanark their first point with a win on board three. Maurice Benyon added another with a fine performance on board one. Cumbernauld seemed to be heading toward disaster when David Flaherty clawed them back into the match when he kept his head and delivered a very cool and measured performance on board two. The board four game suddenly gained immense significance and became a match decider like the Parkes versus Greenslade game in division one. With all eyes watching and the pressure mounting George Sinclair produced a wonderfully creative combination which saw him bamboozle his opponent and earn another point for the local side. This win saw both sides share the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

A week in Chess

Last Sunday Cumbernauld chess club were involved in rounds three and four of the Scottish National Chess League division one. Round three saw division two winners Cumbernauld meet the division one winners from last year Hamilton "A". The fact that the Hamilton side had International Master and former Scottish Champion Andrew Muir playing on board three was an early indicator of the strength of this side and of the huge gulf between the two teams. Hamilton eventually won the match with a 5-0 score line. This score line suggests an easy victory for the Hamilton players when in actual fact they needed to work extremely hard in order to secure all five points. Round four of the S.N.C.L saw Cumbernauld face a collection of players from the Fife region called the Kingdom Kings, another very strong side full of experienced players. Cumbernauld performed reasonably well in this match Stephen Kelly earned an exceptional win on board three and Jack Parkes held the much stronger George Pyrich to a draw on board four. After four hours of fierce battling, the Cumbernauld players lost the remaining three games and the match with a 3.5-1.5 score line. With three rounds of the S.N.C.L still to be played Cumbernauld may yet earn the precious point which would secure their division one status for next season.

At a local level the Cumbernauld side have been performing well in some of the other leagues in which they are involved. Last Monday evening saw the local side travel in order to face a Dalmuir side in the Glasgow chess league division two. Statistically Dalmuir were by far the stronger side on the evening. Magnificent performances by all the Cumbernauld players saw them tear up the statistics sheet and pull of an amazing surprise victory over the Dalmuir side. Three wins for Ian Marks, David Johnstone and George Thomson coupled with three fine draws in the clashes on the remaining boards saw Cumbernauld secure the points. The drawn games featured the players Jamie Mollison and Stephen Kelly, Fraser Taylor and John Pearston as well as Ian McKechnie and David Flaherty. Both John Pearston and David Flaherty deserve special acknowledgment for securing draws when their opponents out rated them by around three hundred grading points.

On Thursday evening, two teams of Cumbernauld players travelled in order to face East Kilbride in both Lanarkshire division one and division two. Both Cumbernauld sides performed well enough to secure victories. The division one clash ended with a 2.5-1.5 score line in favour of the Cumbernauld side. In the division two clash Cumbernauld never lost a game and secured a 3.5-0.5 win over the East Kilbride side.

The agony and the ecstacy

Cumbernauld chess club members experienced some of the agonies and the ecstasies of playing competitive chess this week. On Monday evening Cumbernauld faced Glasgow Montrose "B" in another Glasgow chess league division two match. Cumbernauld were by far the stronger side and they would have been expected to win this match by a huge margin. The local side consisting of Ian Marks, Stephen Kelly, Jack Parkes, David Johnstone, George Thomson and Ronnie Wallace all performed as well as could be expected and secured a comprehensive 6-0 victory.

On Thursday evening however it was the Cumbernauld who were by far the weaker side when they travelled in order to challenge Shettleston in the Dunbartonshire chess leagues knock out cup competition. Unavailability of many key players meant that Cumbernauld went into this match with a makeshift team of David Johnstone, George Thomson, Ronnie Wallace and Hayden Williams. Shettleston are such a strong side that even with their strongest players playing Cumbernauld would have struggled in this match. On board one David Johnstone had the pleasure of facing Chukwuka, an exceptionally strong player who recently represented Nigeria in the Chess Olympiad. David Johnstone started the game well and went a piece up at one stage however, the exceptional positional skills of Chukwuka became apparent and he slowly ground out a win for the Shettleston side. James Doyle and Anthony Gallagher earned another two wins on boards three and four for Shettleston although Ronnie Wallace playing Doyle was extremely unlucky and probably deserved a draw. Sadly unlike the rolling stones, time was not on his side. On board two George Thomson (1548) caused a major upset when he held William Hulme (1976) to a draw. This surprise draw prevented Cumbernauld experiencing the total whitewash that they had inflicted upon Glasgow Montrose a few days earlier.

SNCL Division 1

Last Sunday Cumbernauld chess club members returned to the Glen Pavilion in the beautiful setting of Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline in order to play their first ever Scottish National Chess League division one match. Becoming division two champions last season offered them the opportunity to cross swords with some of the finest teams in the country in division one. The Cumbernauld players were apprehensive about playing in the top flight as the standards are exceptionally high. The first match saw them paired against a Kilmarnock side who like Cumbernauld were experiencing division one for the first time. Their division two clash last season ended drawn on this occasion however, the Cumbernauld players emerged victorious with a 3-2 win. Winning their first match helped settle the Cumbernauld players and allowed them to start the next match against Giffnock & Clarkston more relaxed and focused. This match was tougher than the first and most of the games lasted the full four hours as both teams battled in order to try and secure victory. In the end they had to settle for a 2.5-2.5 draw, a result which delighted the Cumbernauld team of Alan Grant, Ian Marks, Stephen Kelly, Jack Parkes and George Thomson. Surviving their first two division one matches unscathed is a remarkable achievement for the local side. Unfortunately they still have another five very tough sides to face before they can prove whether or not they have the mettle to survive in the top chess league in the country.

World Youth Championships

The picture above is of the Scottish Youth team at the World Youth Championships 2010 Porto Carras, Halkidiki , Greece. Included in the team is our very own Lisa Flaherty who along with Alice Lampard is representing Scotland in the under 14 Girls tournament.

At the time of writing Lisa is on 2 points from 8 and with a tournament rating of 1280 which when you consider that some of her opponents were rated 1676 - 1829 is a very creditable performance.

We are sure that it will have been a great experience and one that any chess player would relish.

First Lanarkshire League Match

Last Monday evening Cumbernauld chess club players travelled in order to play their first Lanarkshire chess league division one match of the new season. They faced the current league champions Lanark, a side that did not lose a match last season in this division. Starting the match without key players made this difficult encounter even more difficult for the Cumbernauld side. When Tom Brown notched up the first win of the evening for the Lanark side, gaining a result from this match seemed an unlikely possibility. However, magnificent performances by the three remaining Cumbernauld players saw them create a surprise victory. On board one Ian Marks emerged with a two pawn advantage over the very capable Jim Smalls, Ian used this advantage to slowly develop a crushing attack. The clash on board two between Jack Parkes and Ian McLachlan saw neither player able to penetrate the solid defences of the other and forced them both to settle for yet another draw, a common occurrence when these two strong players collide. The unfinished game on board four suddenly became very significant as the result of the match would be decided by the outcome of this game. George Thomson had very courageously played a Benko Gambit which is a very risky gamble when faced with a stronger opponent. Thankfully Ian Brownlee lost his way in the complications arising from this peculiar opening and was unable to convert his material advantage into a win. This surprise win on board four saw the Cumbernauld side emerge victorious with a 2.5-1.5 score line which is an excellent start to their Lanarkshire league division one campaign.

Long Running Tradition Continues

Cumbernauld chess club have maintained their long running tradition of losing the first match of the chess season. Last Monday evening they were involved in a Central chess league division one match against last season's winners Dunfermline. Cumbernauld started this home match as underdogs, as every player was paired against stronger opponents. The Cumbernauld players refused to be intimidated by the apparent gulf between the two sides as they set about trying to cause an upset. They created opportunities which could have seen them at least earn a draw in this match against the odds. Ian Marks missed a concrete win on board one against Ian Robertson. Attacking too early cost George Thomson a point when at a crucial moment one more move to consolidate his position would have been wiser. Michael Roy capitalised on this premature attack and grabbed another away win for Dunfermline. On board two Jack Parkes spared the local sides blushes when he earned a draw against Garry Forbes ensuring that Cumbernauld earned a least one half of a point. Another two wins for Gavin Saxton and Francis Ossowski for Dunfermline saw them wrap up a fairly comprehensive 4.5-0.5 win.

Chess Club Gets Underway

With the new chess season about to get underway Cumbernauld chess club held their traditional pre-season simultaneous chess challenge last Monday evening. This year's opponent was seven times Scottish Champion and International Master Roddy McKay. Roddy is one of only a handful of players who are members of the 2600 club which is an exclusive group of Scottish players who have defeated a Grandmaster with a grade of 2600 or more. Roddy entered this Scottish hall of fame by defeating German Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort. Another major achievement of his chess career was holding former World Champion Anatoly Karpov to a draw when Karpov was undoubtedly the finest player in the world.

Last week's simultaneous display saw Roddy compete against eleven Cumbernauld players, playing all eleven in two and a half hours, the time normally allocated for a typical league match between two players. As he casually strolled around the eleven boards he seemed neither frazzled nor anxious. No Cumbernauld player, some of whom have thirty years playing experience seemed to be causing him too much trouble. Eventually his superb positional play and tactical abilities started to become evident and the Cumbernauld players started dropping like flies. Jack Parkes, one of Cumbernauld's most experienced players probably gave Roddy his toughest game, as he along with George Thomson managed to repel the pressure and hold back the crushing, solid attack long enough to emerge with hard earned draws.

Clearing the backlog

Last Monday evening Cumbernauld chess club members found themselves in the unfortunate position of having to play two very important rescheduled matches on the same evening due to a backlog of un-played ties. This left Cumbernauld struggling to field two teams strong enough to cope with the extremely strong opposition. The first featured match was in the Lanarkshire league division one and Cumbernauld were facing East Kilbride "A" who are one of the top three sides in this division. Even with a full squad to select from this would have been a difficult match for the local side. The four players who did play performed well enough to hold East Kilbride to a 2-2 draw. On board one Ian Marks and Frankie Murray shared a draw as did George Thomson and Craig Miller on board three. David Johnstone produced one of his best games this season in order to win on board two for Cumbernauld with a beautiful performance that made his strong opponent look like a novice. Duncan MacDonald eventually ground out a win on board four for East Kilbride pulling the match level. This result sees both side finish level on points in this division. Sadly Cumbernauld have been nudged into third place by the resulting board scores.

The other featured match that evening was in the central league division one. Cumbernauld were facing another very strong Dunfermline side who would also have been challenging even with a full squad to select from. Jack Parkes on board two was the only Cumbernauld player to win his game in this match. On board Three David Bonella held John McBride to a draw. Dunfermline had three wins for Ian Robertson, Garry Forbes and Stewart Brisbane; results which saw them win the match with a 3.5-1.5 score line. Mr Stewart Brisbane was one of the founders of Cumbernauld chess club around forty years ago. He is always warmly welcomed when he returns even when he is giving one of our youngsters a chess lesson.

On Thursday evening Cumbernauld travelled to challenge Crowwood in a local derby in the Dunbartonshire league division one. Fortunately Crowwood were the side with selection problems on the night with many of their key players unavailable. Cumbernauld took full advantage of the situation. David Johnstone started the ball rolling with a fine twelve move victory on board two.

George Thomson soon added another point with a win on board four. On board one Ian Marks and Paul Rodger shared a draw then David Bonella and Andrew Pollock did likewise on board three. This 3-1 win has lifted Cumbernauld safely out of the relegation zone and secures their division one status for next season.

Divisional Champions

Cumbernauld chess club are this seasons Scottish National Chess League division two champions. A remarkable 2.5-2.5 draw from a match against the Edinburgh side Civil-Service/ Bank of Scotland saw them maintain their undefeated run in the S.N.C.L this season. Winning the league sees them achieve one of the coveted promotion places, granting them the opportunity to cross swords with some of the elite of Scottish chess in division one next season. The S.N.C.L matches are played on a monthly basis in the Glen Pavilion against the backdrop of the beautiful Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline. This promotion is one of the local clubs most memorable achievements in their forty year history. Cumbernauld have been battling in the second division for four years, coming close on a couple of occasions. This season's squad which included the players Alan Grant, Ian Marks, Jack Parkes, Stephen Kelly, George Thomson and John Pearston performed solidly over the season and finished narrowly ahead of second placed side Kilmarnock. Both sides finished on nine points however, Cumbernauld won the league on board scores which is similar to goal difference in the football leagues. Only one half of a point separated these two sides which drew when they clashed earlier in the season. Last Monday evening Cumbernauld travelled in order to face Bellshill in the Lanarkshire league division one. A win on board one for Ian Marks coupled with three draws on the remaining boards saw Cumbernauld do enough to win this match with a 2.5-1.5 score line. The drawn games featured the players David Potts and George Thomson, Wilson Carnie and Ronnie Wallace as well as David Gracie and Robert Kelso. This win saw the Cumbernauld side needing to win their two remaining matches in order to win this division also.

Sadly the Cumbernauld side had their dreams of a league double thwarted on Thursday night when they were held to a 2-2 draw by East Kilbride "C" in the Lanarkshire chess league division one. On boards one and two Ian Marks and Jack Parkes performed magnificently and won their games. East Kilbride players Paul Denham and Jacqui Thomas earned two hard fought wins on boards three and four to level the match. This result means that it is still mathematically possible for Cumbernauld to win this league. Sadly they are now relying on other results swinging in their favour. In the Lanarkshire chess league division two Cumbernauld "B" ended their season with a 3.5-0.5 win away to Lanark. Wins for John Pearston, David McColl and Lisa Flaherty as well as a draw between David Flaherty and David Stephens saw the Cumbernauld side finish mid table and gain some necessary experience.

League Action

Cumbernauld chess club were involved in two matches last Monday evening. In the first of these featured matches Cumbernauld "B" were involved in the Lanarkshire league division two. This away match against Bellshill "C" was a very close encounter with two fairly balanced sides. Bellshill players Derek Lafferty and John Dolan both won their games. Andrew Carruth earned a fine win for Cumbernauld on board four. Sadly a tight draw on board three between Dominic O Rourke and David Flaherty saw the Bellshill side narrowly win this match with a 2.5-1.5 score line.

In the second match Cumbernauld were involved in their last Glasgow league division two clash of the season. Cumbernauld faced the Glasgow side Cathcart "B" in a home match. Statistically Cumbernauld should probably have won this match 6-0 however; weaker players often raise their game when faced with stronger opposition. On board one George Livie performed magnificently and held Ian Marks to a draw against the odds. Stan Beaton also performed well enough to hold Stephen Kelly on board two. Mac McKenzie then gained a surprise win for Cathcart on board three, a result which left the Cumbernauld players feeling suddenly vulnerable. Three solid performances by David Johnstone, George Thomson and Robert Kelso saw them do enough to win their games and hand the local side a 4-2 victory.

Out Graded or just out played?

Cumbernauld faced Glasgow Montrose "A", one of the stronger sides in the Glasgow chess league division two last Thursday evening. This away match saw the Cumbernauld players out-graded on every board by an average of one hundred points. This difference is not so extreme as to deny the local side any hope of a result. However, a difference of this range usually suggests that a difficult match is to be encountered.

Sadly for Cumbernauld the Glasgow Montrose players produced some very solid performances which prevented the Cumbernauld side from winning a single game. Edward Ferry, Sam Collins, Kenny McCaffrey, Norman Lindsay and David Reid all won their individual games to give the Glasgow side a comprehensive victory. On board six George Thomson performed well enough to earn a draw against Bahloul Voghouei when he emerged from the opening two pawns ahead. Mr Voghouei managed to turn the disadvantage of being two pawns down into a positional advantage with some creative use of the extra space available in which to organise his pieces into a strong attacking force. This draw saw the match finish with a 5.5-0.5 score line in favour of the Glasgow side. This heavy defeat has not been too costly for the Cumbernauld side as they have already secured their Glasgow division two status for next season.

Double Header?

Cumbernauld chess club were involved in two matches last week both of which were in the Lanarkshire chess leagues. On Monday evening Cumbernauld played in a home match against Bellshill "C" in division two. The Bellshill players arrived late for what was a fairly balanced match. Sadly the Cumbernauld side failed to capitalise on the extra time offered to them. Andrew Carruth was the only Cumbernauld player to win his game after an early pawn sacrifice earned him some enterprising play and a strong attack. Derek Lafferty, Dominic O'Rourke and James Munro were the winners for the Bellshill side. The Cumbernauld side should have managed at least a draw in this match as George Ford who was playing in his first game for the club emerged from the opening with a magnificent position but somehow managed to lose his way and allow Munro to gain the upper hand. Bellshill won the match with a 3-1 score line.

Cumbernauld were more successful in their Lanarkshire division one clash which was an away match against East Kilbride "B" played on Thursday evening. Ian Marks, Jack Parkes and Robert Kelso all performed well enough to win their games. Sadly on board three George Thomson had one of those rare Inverness Caledonian Thistle moments when he foolishly trapped his own knight and allowed the very much weaker Henry Lynn to pounce on his mistake and earn what is probably his best win for years. Cumbernauld however, still managed to win the match with a 3-1 score line, a result which keeps them in the running for the league title if they can continue to perform well and win their three remaining matches.

Past glories

Ian sent me this and asked me to post it on the web site, a bit of club history which he thought that some of the old timers might like to see.

A very successful week

Cumbernauld chess club have had a very successful week after three wins have left them secure in all of the leagues in which they are involved. On Tuesday evening Cumbernauld travelled to Glasgow in order to face Giffnock "B" in the Glasgow chess league division two. Four wins by Stephen Kelly, Jack Parkes, David Bonella and Robert Kelso saw Cumbernauld do enough to win this match. However, Cumbernauld were surprised when two Giffnock players managed to achieve against the odds wins. Andrew MacQueen and David McDonald performed well enough to earn two consolation wins for the home side.

On Sunday Cumbernauld were involved in the Scottish National Chess League division two. Magnificent performances by the Cumbernauld players have left them sitting on top of division two with promotion into division one virtually secured. The Cumbernauld squad of Alan Grant, Ian Marks, Stephen Kelly, Jack Parkes and George Thomson played solidly enough to defeat firstly Lanark with a 3-2 score line and then Greenwood with a 3.5-1.5 score line. The situation at the top of the league has created an unusual scenario where Cumbernauld can afford to lose their last match 4-1 and still be promoted if other results swing in their favour. Team captain Ian Marks refuses to consider the possibility of defeat and is hoping that Cumbernauld can continue to perform at the level which has earned them their unbeaten run in this division.

Reaching relegation safety zone?

Cumbernauld chess club were involved in two matches last week. The first of these was a Dumbarton and District division one match against an extremely strong Bearsden "A" side. Statistically Bearsden were by far the stronger of the two sides and would have been expected to win this match. However, chess is certainly not predictable and often creates some very surprising results indeed. The first surprise of the evening was the manner in which Stephen Kelly managed to dispose of the very much stronger Michael Dyer on board two. The complexities of the game not only bamboozled his opponent but left the many baffled spectators wondering what exactly was happening in this beautifully creative demolition job. Robert Kelso, who has a grade of 1248, then supplied another shock by defeating Mel Burt an opponent graded at 1688 whilst playing with the black pieces. The four remaining players battled fiercely in order to try and swing or save the match. Francis Batchelor handed Bearsden a win on board three after creating a strong attack against David Johnstone. On board one Ian Marks and Richard Wiltshire continued fighting until the final seconds, However it was Marks who came away smiling after his win wrapped up a spectacular 3-1 victory for the local side. This fine win lifts Cumbernauld comfortably into the top half of the league table and has probably secured their division one status for next season.

It was a similar story in the Lanarkshire League division one when Cumbernauld travelled in order to face Hamilton "A" on Thursday evening. Robert Kelso was once again in giant killing form when he defeated another much stronger opponent to get the Cumbernauld ball rolling. Michael Morris then levelled the match with a surprise win over David Johnstone just to prove that Kelso does not have a monopoly on giant killing. Luke Greenslade then played well enough to hold Ian Marks against the odds which left the match delicately balanced. Jack Parkes secured the win for the local lads with another solid display which saw the match finish 2.5-1.5 in favour of Cumbernauld. This win has probably lifted Cumbernauld safely out of any the relegation battles which shall begin to emerge in the coming weeks.

Canadian Class

Cumbernauld chess club had the privilege of seeing one of their old club members doing a bit of pawn pushing for the first time in many years. F.I.D.E Master Ian D MacKay who now lives in Canada and is probably the strongest player ever to have emerged from Cumbernauld was invited to represent the club again whilst home on holiday. He played in a Dumbarton and District division one match against Glasgow Montrose in an away match at Glasgow. His inclusion in the squad proved to be a blessing as the Glasgow club fielded a very strong side. Ian who has a grade of around 2200 had not lost any of his tactical abilities nor his killer instincts and soon chalked up a win for the local side which was followed by another by Ian Marks. However, Kenny McCaffrey and Norman Lindsay both managed to win their games for the Glasgow side; results which saw both clubs share the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

Cumbernauld have also had two recent matches in the Glasgow chess league division two. In the first of these matches Cumbernauld faced the current league leaders Glasgow Polytechnic "B" who were sitting undefeated and looking pretty invincible. The game between George Thomson and Basil Laidlaw was the first one to finish when both players opted to draw a totally locked position with no way of making progress for either player. Stephen Kelly was the first player to provide a victory for the local side with a fine display of take no prisoners attacking chess. Ian Marks added another win with an incredibly sound positional performance which slowly ground his opponent into submission. Lewis Brookens gave the Glasgow side a win and the match result was looking unsure. However two magnificent performances by Ronnie Wallace and David Bonella secured a 4.5-1.5 win for the local side.

In the second featured match from the Glasgow division two the Cumbernauld side did not fare so well. They started this match against Glasgow Phones "B" with one player missing which meant that the match was always going to be an uphill struggle. Ian Marks and David Bonella both won their games for Cumbernauld. Luke Barker and Peter Josifek won for the Glasgow side which meant that the remaining game between George Thomson and Blair Govan suddenly became crucial. With both players down to their final thirty seconds Thomson made a slip in time pressure which turned a winning position into drawn position in an instant. This tiny slip proved very costly indeed as it allowed the Glasgow side to win the match 3.5-2.5. Almost any other move would have seen the match drawn.

A quiet Week

It has been a quiet week for the members of Cumbernauld chess club, one in which they were involved in only one match. This match was an away match, played on Thursday evening in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. Cumbernauld had the misfortune of being up against the current league leaders Shettleston who are currently undefeated in this league. Cumbernauld also had the added misfortune of having most of their squad unavailable for such an important clash, a clash which would have proved difficult enough even with full availability. Every Cumbernauld player was trying to overcome a huge grading point deficit of at least 250 points. The Shettleston players eventually broke through on all fronts and inflicted a heavy 4-0 defeat on the local side. Wins for Jimmy Doyle, William Hulme, Anthony Gallagher and Paul Anderson saw them successfully overcome this makeshift Cumbernauld side of Johnstone, Bonella, Thomson and Kelso.

Cumbernauld chess club meets on Monday evenings from 7.00pm in the Muirfield Community Education Centre. We welcome new members and anyone who is interested in learning more about chess in general.

Progress in the Cup

Cumbernauld have progressed through to the next stage of the Dunbartonshire chess league knock-out cup competition after an away win against Bearsden "B" last week. Three wins by the players Ian Marks, David Bonella and George Thomson saw Cumbernauld do enough to proceed. Bearsden had a consolation win on board two when Simon Kerridge produced a fine win against much stronger opposition.

Last Sunday the Cumbernauld side were also involved in rounds three and four of the Scottish National Chess League division two. In round three Cumbernauld faced a fairly strong Claymores side and suffered from the additional handicap of being one player short. The four remaining players all played well enough to remain unbeaten. Alan Grant, Ian Marks and Jack Parkes all won their games and on board four Suheeb Shnawa held George Thomson to a draw. These results saw Cumbernauld win the match with a 3.5-1.5 score line in their favour. Round four of the S.N.C.L saw Cumbernauld face the league leaders Kilmarnock in another tense match which saw the return of Cumbernauld' wayward player John Pearston who compensated for missing the previous round with a fine early win against a very much stronger player. Kilmarnock then had two wins through Jim Kleboe and Kenny Malkin. The two remaining players battled hard to hold the match George Thomson held Jamie Malkin to a draw and Alan Grant produced a beautiful game winning combination which saw both teams share the spoils in a 2.5-2.5 draw.

These results leave the Cumbernauld side unbeaten in this league this season and with only three rounds remaining they still have a realistic chance of promotion into the first division.

Last Monday evening Cumbernauld faced a Glasgow Phones side in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. Wins for Stephen Kelly and David Johnstone coupled with two drawn games between Ian Marks and John McIntyre as well as David Bonella and El Mountassir Othmane saw Cumbernauld play well enough to win this match 3-1. Last Wednesday evening Cumbernauld travelled without many key players in order to challenge a very strong Dunfermline side in the Central chess league division one. The Cumbernauld side were out-graded by approximately 200 points on every board, which meant that this match was a little one sided. However, the Cumbernauld players refused to be intimidated and made Dunfermline work really hard to achieve any kind of result. Ian Robertson gave Dunfermline a win on board one. David Bonella caused a major upset by winning on board two for Cumbernauld. Jack Parkes also played exceptionally well by holding John McBride as did George Thomson when he held Michael Roy. On board five Cumbernauld were hoping for another upset when Robert Kelso appeared to be holding the very much stronger Garry Forbes. Sadly a little positional error in time trouble saw Forbes and therefore Dunfermline win the match with a 3-2 score line.

A Mixed Bag

The three most recent matches in which Cumbernauld chess club have been involved have produced a mixed bag of results. The first of our featured matches saw Cumbernauld face an East Kilbride side in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. Cumbernauld started this match without many key players and also had the added handicap of being one player short. The three players who were available performed extremely well considering that they were out-graded by a huge margin. Alan Jelfs earned the only win of the evening for East Kilbride on board one. On board two George Thomson played well enough to hold Frankie Murray and Ronnie Wallace performed magnificently against the very much stronger Craig Miller in order to give Cumbernauld a win on board three. Sadly defaulting board four handed East Kilbride a 2.5-1.5 victory.

On Monday evening Cumbernauld challenged a very strong Lanark side in a home match in the Lanarkshire chess league division one. Lanark having won this division for the last two years were always going to be hard to beat. Cumbernauld earned a win on board one through Ian Marks, Lanark also won on board two when Jim Smalls overcame new Cumbernauld player Steven Kelly who has only recently returned to chess after an eight year absence. Jack Parkes and Ian McLachlan battled on board three until only seconds remained and eventually accepted a draw as did David Johnstone and Maurice Benyon on board four. The match therefore ended in a 2-2 draw which leaves both sides undefeated in this league at present.

On Thursday evening Cumbernauld travelled in order to face a Glasgow Montrose "B" side in the Glasgow chess league division two. Statistically Cumbernauld should have won this match 6-0 however, one of the beautiful characteristics of chess is its ability to surprise and entertain. The Glasgow Montrose side played magnificent fighting chess and were not prepared to roll over and die easily. They earned four draws on the bottom four boards which featured the following players. David Johnstone v Jim Murray, David Bonella v Sean Groundwater, George Thomson v Steve Forgrieve as well as Paul Black v Graeme MacDonald. Fortunately for Cumbernauld Ian Marks and Jack Parkes performed well enough to earn wins on boards one and two. These two well executed wins saw Cumbernauld win the match with a 4-2 score line in their favour.

National News

Cumbernauld chess club travelled to the beautiful setting of Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline in order to play the first two rounds of the new season in the Scottish National Chess League. The Cumbernauld side which managed to maintain their division two status last season started with a match against a Stonehaven side which had the slight advantage of having three players playing with the white pieces. Ian Marks and George Thomson who coincidentally were the two Cumbernauld players playing white both managed to produce winning attacks and earn two precious points. Bruce Harrold and David Bridges then both won their games for Stonehaven drawing the match level. On Board one an epic four hour battle ensued between Alan Grant and David Grant. Cumbernauld seemed to be heading for victory when Alan Grant went a knight up. David Grant defended magnificently and exchanged every other piece leaving Alan with a lone knight and King against King which is a classic drawn position. This saw both teams share the spoils in a 2.5-2.5 draw.

In round two of the competition Cumbernauld faced a Hamilton "B" side who many considered to be the top seeds in this division. Hamilton started the match well with a win for Luke Greenslade on board four. John Pearston levelled the match with an incredible against the odds win for Cumbernauld on board five. The three remaining games all lasted the full four hours and were fiercely contested struggles. Fortunately Alan Grant, Ian Marks and Jack Parkes all won their games leaving Cumbernauld as overall winners with a surprising 4-1 score line. This score line suggests an easy victory for Cumbernauld however, none of these games were easy and the defining mistakes are usually pretty small positional errors which at this level are often fatal.

First match Tradition?

Cumbernauld chess club managed to maintain their tradition of losing the first match of the season. Last Monday evening they travelled in order to face a five man Stirling side in the central chess league division one. Cumbernauld had the slightly stronger side statistically and would have been expected to win this match. Unfortunately chess is often unpredictable and full of surprises.

On board five an inspirationally beautiful combination discovered by Robert Togneri saw him gain an unexpected draw from a totally lost position against George Thomson. Stirling then earned two victories when Harvey Kelly and Stephen Smith created small advantages in very tight end game positions. On board three David Johnstone battled away in order to supply the only Cumbernauld win of the evening. Ian Marks heroically sought a match levelling win on board one however, some very tight defending by Kenny McGeoch saw him do enough to earn a match winning draw. Stirling won the match with a 3-2 score line in their favour.

Grand start to the season

With the new chess season just about to start and the members of Cumbernauld chess club have started the season with another Grandmaster challenge. Grandmaster Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant who was only recently crowned "Baltic Queen" after winning an extremely strong ladies event in Saint Petersburg provided the opposition. Last Monday evening she dazzled everyone with an exciting virtuoso display, when she played eleven players in a simultaneous chess match. Scotland's only female Grandmaster who has a very impressive pedigree including Scottish Champion and British Ladies Champion quickly exposed the flaws in everyone's game as she mercilessly destroyed all eleven opponents. Her aggressive take no prisoner's style saw her very quickly dispose of all challengers. Amazingly she managed this tremendous achievement in under an hour and a half, which is remarkable considering that most league chess games last around two and a half hours.

Local Heroes

Cumbernauld chess player Ian Marks has won the second East Kilbride open chess tournament. The tournament was played over five Thursday nights in April and May. He shared first place with East Kilbride player Alan Jelfs. Both players finished on four an a half points from five rounds of chess. The half points resulted from a fiercely contested draw between both players when they faced one another in the fourth round of the competition.

Another Cumbernauld player has managed to win the East of Scotland Championships under 1500 tournament which was played in Grangemouth over the last weekend in May. Derek Ferris, a player who lives in Cumbernauld and who occasionally plays for Cumbernauld chess club but tends to be more committed to his long term relationship with the Glasgow Phones side, performed magnificently in order to achieve his win. Derek surprised himself and the many seeded players who were expected to win this event. His solid performance saw him also finish on four and a half points, a half point ahead of the other contenders.

North Lanarkshire Honours for Sarah

Kildrum Primary School pupil Sarah Thomson recently had the honour to be selected to represent North Lanarkshire in the Scottish junior chess Inter County Team Championships. Sarah was the only girl selected to play in this team of ten and the event was played on Sunday 17th May at Saint Margaret's Church hall in Airdrie and featured teams from as far afield as Dumfries and Ayrshire. The North Lanarkshire side started the event well and led the field until the very last round when suddenly South Lanarkshire "B" looked likely to grasp victory from their hands when both teams met in the final round. In a remarkable finish reminiscent of the current Scottish football premier league, the result of the last game to finish would determine the outcome of the tournament. With the crowds gathering and the pressure mounting young Brogan Pathi became the hero of the day when he held his nerve and managed to swing the result in favour of the North Lanarkshire side. Both North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire "B" finished on thirteen points however, North Lanarkshire won on board scores by the narrowest of margins. Only one and a half points separated the two teams. The South Lanarkshire "B" side were very unlucky and performed magnificently on the day, out playing their far stronger "A" team.

Central News

Cumbernauld chess club were involved on two occasions last week. Monday evening saw five players travel in order to face a Stirling side in the Central chess league division one. This very evenly balanced match could have swung in favour of either side. It was the Stirling side who drew the first blood when Stephen Smith had a relatively quick win on board two. Ian Carmichael and David Bonella battled furiously then had to settle for a draw on board three. Graham Anderson handed Stirling another win after pouncing on a positional blunder. George Thomson pulled Cumbernauld back into the match with a win on board four which left the top board players battling it out in order to decide the outcome of the match. Sadly a combination of magnificent defending and time trouble saw Ian Marks unable to convert a one pawn advantage into a win against Paul Prescott. This draw was enough to hand the Stirling side a 3-2 victory.

On Wednesday evening in the under 1500 section Cumbernauld faced Dunfermline in a home match. Cumbernauld had by far the weaker side and were not expected to take much from the match. On board one Paul Hendry performed extremely well in order to hold the very much stronger Paul Connelly to a draw. Dunfermline had two wins when Peter Horne and Glynis Grant did enough to secure their points. David McCall gave Cumbernauld a win and teenager Lisa Flaherty took another adult scalp to give Cumbernauld another win. The match ended drawn which was a terrific result for Cumbernauld considering the strength of the opposition.

Mixed fortunes

There were mixed fortunes for the players from Cumbernauld chess club last week. They were involved on two occasions and both were cup semi finals in the central chess league knock-out cup tournaments.

On Monday evening Cumbernauld faced a Stirling side in a home match in the under 1500 cup. Stirling had a slightly stronger side on the night. On board one Harvey Kelly held Ronnie Wallace to a draw. A similar result on board two saw Gary Kerr do enough to hold Robin Hayles. Stirling then had three wins in the remaining games through Gordon Allcock, Robert Togneri and Crawford Welsh. This 4-1 victory sees the Stirling side progress to the cup final later in the month. On Wednesday evening Cumbernauld travelled in order to face an extremely strong Grangemouth side in the other semi final. Cumbernauld started the match one player short and were also out graded on every board. The result of the match looked likely to swing against them. As is often the case when faced with a very strong side, the Cumbernauld players raised their game and came out with all guns blazing. The Grangemouth side started one point up and soon had another two when Hugh Hanlon and ex Cumbernauld player Mark Monaghan both won their games. Things were looking very bleak then suddenly Cumbernauld had three magnificent wins through Ian Marks, Kelechi Ohiaeri and David Bonella. These results meant that the remaining game became very important indeed. The nail biting finish between Dougie Will and David Johnstone saw both players fight valiantly until the very final seconds, with the game swinging one way and then the other. With both players under extreme pressure the game was eventually drawn which saw the match finish 3.5-3.5. This draw was enough to see the Cumbernauld side progress through to the cup final as they were the weaker side.

Draw on board six only consolation

Last Monday evening Cumbernauld travelled in order to play their last Glasgow chess league division one match of the season. They faced a very strong Inverclyde side and started the match without many key players. Cumbernauld would have struggled in this match even with there strongest team available. Every Cumbernauld player was trying to overcome an average 300 point grading difference which made the task extremely difficult.

Inverclyde won every game except for the one on board six in which Robert Kelso performed magnificently in order to hold the very much stronger James McGranaghan to a draw. Cumbernauld were already relegated before this match started and this 7.5-0.5 loss was an indicator of the huge gulf in standards between the two divisions.

On Sunday Cumbernauld played in the last two rounds of the Scottish National Chess League division one at Dunfermline. The first match saw them face Kilmarnock and they started well with two good draws against stronger opposition. George Thomson held Ian Muir and another solid performance by Robert Kelso saw him hold John McNicoll. Ian Marks then gave Cumbernauld a lead by winning on board two. James Kleboe then levelled the match with a win on board three for Kilmarnock. On board one the game between Alan Grant and Kenny Malkin lasted the full four hours and Grant emerged victorious after getting the better of a complicated rook and pawn end game. Cumbernauld won the match with a 3-2 score line.

The second SNCL match saw Cumbernauld face the Edinburgh side CS/BoS. After another four hour epic both sides emerged with two wins and one draw. Ian Marks and Alan Grant were the Cumbernauld winners whilst Nigel Chapman and Thomas Grundy were the CS/BoS winners. Jack Parkes and David Stewart shared a draw on board three. This draw meant that the Cumbernauld side narrowly missed out on promotion into the SNCL division one. They finished joint second and level on points which meant that promotion was decided on board scores. Dumfries narrowly squeezed the Cumbernauld side out of promotion by one half of a game point.

Division 1 status secured

Cumbernauld chess club had a relatively quiet week last week and were involved in only one match. This Dumbarton and District division one match against Crowwood was a home match for the local side. Cumbernauld were probably already safely out of the relegation battles before the match started. However, Team Captain David Johnstone was hoping for a win in order to ensure that Cumbernauld would maintain their division one status for next season. The match started badly for Cumbernauld when David Bonella was held to a draw unexpectedly by Andrew Pollock. On board one Paul Rodger came out of the opening with a far superior position, fortunately some magnificent defending by Ian Marks saw him turn a hopeless position into a win for the Cumbernauld side. David Johnstone soon added another win to the Cumbernauld tally lifting the match beyond the Crowwood side. With the match already won George Thomson secured another victory after an epic battle with A G Barlow who defended extremely well and made Thomson earn his point. This 3.5-0.5 win has definitely secured their division one status for next season. Shettleston have become the division one champions this season and Bearsden "B" will be the side which faces relegation into division two.

Lanarkshire News

Cumbernauld chess club have been involved three times in the Lanarkshire chess league division one in the last two weeks. The first match was against Hamilton "A" and was played at Hamilton on Thursday 5th March. Kelechi Ohiaeri and Jack Parkes both won their games for the Cumbernauld side. Two wins for Luke Greenslade and Lawrence Freel saw Hamilton do enough to level the match with a 2-2 score line.

In the second of our featured matches Cumbernauld travelled in order to meet the current league leaders Lanark on Monday 9th March. It was the stronger Lanark side which started the match with a couple of wins for Ian Brownlee and Jim Smalls. Ian Marks and Brian Walls then shared a draw on board one. With the match already lost Jack Parkes battled valiantly in order to win his game in a complicated end game stand off. This 2.5-1.5 win for Lanark leaves them in a very strong position with good opportunities to win this league.

On Thursday evening Cumbernauld travelled to face an East Kilbride "A" side. With the relegation issues not firmly settled Cumbernauld needed to secure a win in order to maintain their division one status. Kelechi Ohiaeri handed Cumbernauld the perfect start with a quick win on board one. East Kilbride then levelled with a win on board three for Anthony Dunlop. With David Johnstone earning another Cumbernauld win on board two, George Thomson opted for a safe match winning draw in another tough encounter with Stewart McKay on board four. This 2.5-1.5 win has probably secured their position for next season and leaves East Kilbride "B" needing a miracle in order to avoid the drop.

Division One Disappointment

It would appear that there is unlikely to be any involvement in the Glasgow Chess League Division One next year for the members of Cumbernauld Chess Club. They recently suffered another couple of heavy defeats therefore relegation seems unavoidable. Last week they travelled to meet the Glasgow Phones side who statistically had the stronger side on the night. Phones emerged out of the initial affray with four wins for Stuart Brady, Alan Brown, Kevin Strathern and Colin Paterson.

Four Cumbernauld players managed to survive unscathed and earn draws against tougher opposition, the drawn games involved, Robert Dickson and Ian Marks on board one, John McIntyre and David Ross on board three, James Findlay and Kelechi Ohiaeri on board six as well as Luke Barker and George Thomson on board seven. The Cumbernauld side needed to take something from this very important match in order to stay in this division and a 6-2 loss sees them slide toward relegation. Last Monday night Cumbernauld were involved in their other division one match when they met the Glasgow Polytechnic side in a home match. Every Polytechnic player was stronger than all of the Cumbernauld players except Ian Marks on board one. This match was a terribly one side affair which was only ever likely to go one way. Polytechnic did not have it all there own way and a couple of Cumbernauld players managed to earn unexpected draws in their games. On board one Ian Marks held Eddie Davies who is one of the top forty players in Scotland. On board seven George Thomson surprised everyone by holding the much stronger David Jenkins. This 7-1 defeat by the Polytechnic side leaves Cumbernauld needing a miracle in order to avoid relegation.

Lanarkshire Double Header

Cumbernauld chess club were involved on two occasions last week and on each occasion they were playing in the Lanarkshire chess league division one.

The first match played on Monday evening was a home match against an East Kilbride "A" side. Cumbernauld started the match with the slightly stronger side statistically. It was East Kilbride who drew the first blood when Anthony Dunlop pounced on a positional blunder to wrap up his game and put his side ahead. David Bonella and Duncan McDonald fought out a very tough draw on board three. Cumbernauld won the two remaining games on boards one and two with Ian Marks and David Johnstone doing enough to hand a 2.5-1.5 victory to the local side.

The second match was played on Wednesday evening and the Cumbernauld players faced Hamilton "A" in another home match. Cumbernauld struggled to field a team on this occasion due to illness and unavailability of many key players. Again it was the away side which got off to the better start when Lawrence Freel won his game on board four. Team Captain George Thomson then had a fine win on board two with the black pieces to draw the match level. Robert Kelso performed exceptionally well on board three to hold the very much stronger player Michael Morris to a draw. On board one David Johnstone and Arthur Mulholland also shared the point in a very explosive and complicated game which saw both players creating many winning opportunities which were magnificently defended by the opposing player. The match ended in a 2-2 draw which sees the Cumbernauld club remain undefeated after three matches in this league.

12/11/2008

Cumbernauld chess club have been involved in the second match of their Glasgow chess league division one campaign. They faced an extremely strong Giffnock side in a very one sided match were the Cumbernauld players were trying to overcome on average a 300 point grading difference.

The Cumbernauld players battled valiantly and the Giffnock players did not have as easy a match as they expected. On board one Ian Marks was overcome by the technical wizardry of Philip Giulian who is currently ranked twenty forth in Scotland. David Johnstone performed well enough to defeat the highly graded Neil Thomson and earn Cumbernauld their first division one win for twenty years.

Three Cumbernauld players were resilient enough to earn unexpected half points by drawing their games they were Jack Parkes, David Bonella and George Thomson. Giffnock went on to win the remaining three matches with William Leithhead, Iain Campbell and Andrew MacQueen all doing enough to secure wins. This secured a 5.5-2.5 victory for the Giffnock side. This result leaves the Cumbernauld side anchored at the bottom of the first division with three other teams on zero points.

Glasgow League First

Cumbernauld chess club have been involved in their first Glasgow chess league division one match for nearly twenty years. As luck would have it, they were paired against last seasons division one winners, the mighty Hamilton"A". The Hamilton side were by far the stronger and they would have been expected to win the match comfortably winning all the individual games.

Two Cumbernauld players did in fact manage to dent the armour of the home side when both George Thomson and Derek McAteer surprised everyone including themselves by holding very much stronger players to draws. The Hamilton side eventually won the match with a 7-1 score line. This score line was a reminder to the Cumbernauld players of how far apart in terms of standards the first and second division really are. The Cumbernauld players are strapping themselves in for a roller coaster ride of a season.

The Cumbernauld players have also been involved again in the Scottish National Chess League. Their first S.N.C.L division two match of the new season was won by the local side with a 3-2 win over Edinburgh University. In the next round Cumbernauld faced an Edinburgh side which was relegated from division one last season. The only Cumbernauld player who managed to earn any kind of result was John Pearston who held the very much stronger player Mike Scott to a draw on board five. Cumbernauld sadly lost every other game and the match with a 4.5-0.5 score line.

Simul gets season of to a grand start

Last Wednesday evening saw the Cumbernauld players compete in the first Lanarkshire chess league division one match of the new season. This home match against Crowwood was a very tough encounter with four very fiercely contested games. James McIntosh broke the deadlock with a win for the Crowwood side on board three. Craig Fulton and Andrew Pollock shared a draw on board four. George Thomson won the battle of the Thomson's on board two when he pounced on an early mistake by Peter Thomson, turning a slight advantage into a winning advantage in the end game. The remaining game between Jack Parkes and Paul Rodger suddenly became a crucial match decider. Both players were graded at 1673 and neither could break through the solid defences which they had created. This game ended drawn which saw the match end in a 2-2 draw. Cumbernauld chess club meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7.00pm in the Muirfield Community Education Centre, Brown Road, Seafar.

Simul gets season of to a grand start

Last Monday evening the players from Cumbernauld chess club started the new season with a very interesting and challenging evening. Last years British chess champion, Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard was back in Cumbernauld. He firstly presented a very informative chess lecture then he challenged most of the Cumbernauld players to a simultaneous chess match, giving them the opportunity to put their new found knowledge to the test. The quick thinking and precise play by Mr Aagaard enabled him to quickly defeat most of the Cumbernauld players. However, he did not have it all his own way and there were a few surprises. David Johnstone produced a wonderfully creative attack which managed to bamboozle his Grandmaster opponent into submission.

Both Ronnie Wallace and George Thomson performed well enough to hold back the relentless attacking play of one of Britain's finest players to emerge unscathed with hard earned draws. On Wednesday evening Cumbernauld were involved in their first league match of the new season. This was a home match in the Central chess league division one against a travelling Stirling side. The Cumbernauld side started very well with a quick win for George Thomson on board four.

This was soon followed by another three wins for Mark Ainsworth, Ian Marks and David Johnstone. The Stirling side managed to win one game on board five when Robert Togneri did enough to prevent a total whitewash. Cumbernauld won the match with a 4-1 score line in their favour.

AGM minutes now available

The draft minutes of the 2008 AGM are available here can those present please have a look and notify me of any corrections?

Megafinal Success

Two female members of Cumbernauld chess club have very successfully been representing their club in the world' largest chess tournament.

The British Land UK Chess Challenge which originally attracted approximately 80,000 Participants. Lisa Flaherty and Sarah Thomson had both previously reached the Megafinal stage. The Megafinals where held recently in Eastwood High School in Newton Mearns and involved two hundred qualifiers from previous rounds. Both girls performed magnificently and have qualified for the Northern Gigafinals which will be held in Manchester in July. Lisa Flaherty who attends Saint Ninians High School in Kirkintilloch has qualified from the under twelve section. Kildrum Primary School pupil Sarah Thomson has earned herself the title of "West of Scotland under eleven Girls Suprema" by remaining unbeaten and winning the under eleven section to qualify for the next stage in Manchester.

16/04/2008

Cumbernauld chess club have successfully managed to maintain their Scottish National Chess League division two status. On Sunday they faced an extremely strong East Kilbride side in the last round. The Cumbernauld side were in the rather precarious position of needing to secure at least one draw in the match. Had Prestwick managed to draw their match with Aberdeen then the Cumbernauld side needed at least one draw in order to secure their division two position. Cumbernauld had the added pressure of unavailability of many key players for such a crucial match. The East Kilbride side won the match with a 4-1 score line. Ian Marks held Gordon Rattray to a draw on board one and George Thomson also held Alex Nisbet on board three securing their division two position for next season. Ian Nisbet, Frankie Murray and Jim Johnston all won their games for the East Kilbride side earning them promotion into division one next season along with league winners Aberdeen who defeated Prestwick with a 3.5-1.5 score line.

Two Cumbernauld junior players were involved in The British Land UK Chess Challenge which was held at the Next Generation Club at Anniesland in Glasgow on Saturday 12th April. Both Sarah Thomson and Lisa Flaherty performed exceptionally well in their respective age brackets and both have qualified to the Megafinals to be held at Eastwood High School, Newton Mearns on Saturday 26th April.

19/03/2008

Cumbernauld chess club would appear to have lost out in the battle for promotion into the Glasgow chess league division one. Defeat in an away match against Dalmuir means that although it is still mathematically possible it is unrealistic to hope that the remaining results will be likely to swing in favour of the Cumbernauld side. The Dalmuir match was a very fiercely contested match in which the Dalmuir side had the slightly stronger side statistically. Cumbernauld started the match relatively well with two fairly quick wins for George Thomson and Robert Kelso which was quickly followed by a draw between Thomas Tait and David Bonella. Sadly the Dalmuir side went on to win all the remaining games with Clement Sreeves, Ian Aird, Alex Wright, Ian McKechnie and Fraser Taylor all doing enough to secure individual victories. This win for Dalmuir means that it is highly likely that they shall be promoted along with the Glasgow Phones side. The Glasgow chess league division two this season has been one of the closest and most competitive for many years, with five of the ten teams involved in the promotion race.

A week later the Cumbernauld side managed to take out a certain amount of revenge on the Dalmuir side. They clashed again in the Dumbarton and District division one. The Cumbernauld side on this occasion started the match with a very much weaker side than their Dalmuir opponents, a weaker side which seemed to be motivated by the previous match result. Ian Marks and Clement Sreeves battled hard but neither player could break through the others defences and the game finished drawn. Jack Parkes who has been playing some inspirational chess recently had a magnificent win over Ian Aird on board two. On board three Alex Wright had a win for the Dalmuir side. Victory for David Johnstone on board four handed a 2.5-1.5 away win to the local side.

On Thursday evening the Cumbernauld side were involved in another Dumbarton and District division one match. They travelled in order to face a Crowwood side. The Cumbernauld side started badly when Paul Rodger handed the home side their one and only win of the match.

The three remaining games were all won by the Cumbernauld players Mark Ainsworth, Ian Marks and George Thomson. This solid performance means that the Cumbernauld side are sitting on top of this division with only three matches remaining. Next Monday evening the Cumbernauld side will face an extremely strong Bearsden "A" side who can boast having the current British Champion Jacob Aagard in their ranks. The winner of this match will undoubtedly win this division. Cumbernauld chess club meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings in the Muirfield Community Education Centre from 7.00pm.

05/03/2008

Last Monday evening Cumbernauld chess club took a step closer to achieving promotion into the Glasgow chess league division one. After they were involved in what turned out to be an extremely exciting and competitive match against the Glasgow Cathcart side, the Cumbernauld players managed to defeat one of their main rivals in this promotion race.

The Cathcart side started the match very well and were leading 3-0 at the early stages of the match. This was due to wins for Peter Watson, Allen Taylor and Craig Petrie. The remaining Cumbernauld players were reawakened to the seriousness of the situation and started to perfume extremely well. David Bonella started the Cumbernauld comeback with a win on board five which was soon followed by another for Ian Marks on board one. Jack Parkes then magnificently converted a slightly inferior queen against two rooks ending into a win with a wonderful tactical performance on board four. Team Captain Ronnie Wallace then secured another win on board seven ensuring that the Cumbernauld side would not lose the match. David Johnstone handed the local side a 4.5-3.5 victory by holding Stan Beaton to a draw on board six.

This result means that the Cumbernauld side will now face a Dalmuir side next Monday in what will be the final promotion decider for both sides. This winner takes all battle will be sure to produce some exciting and fiercely contested chess games.

Last Wednesday evening saw the Cumbernauld club involved in another home match in the Dumbarton and district chess league division two. They faced a much stronger Glasgow "Phones" side, and started the match well with two against the odds results. George Thomson held Colin Paterson to a draw on board two and Robert Kelso had a surprise win on board three over the very much stronger Derek Ferris. Unfortunately the Phones side went on to win the remaining games on board one with John McIntyre and board four with Tamas Kalman. The match ended with a 2.5-1.5 score line in favour of the Glasgow side.

27/02/2008

Cumbernauld chess club members have been involved in what must surely be one of their busiest weeks of the season last week. On Monday evening they faced Hamilton"A" in a Lanarkshire chess league division one match. Wins for Ian Marks and George Thomson and two drawn games between David Ross and Luke Greenslade as well as David Bonella and Lawrence Freel saw the Cumbernauld players do enough to secure a 3-1 win over the Hamilton side. Last Wednesday evening saw four Cumbernauld players face the Dumbarton "Concord" side in the Dumbarton and district chess league division two. The Concord side were by far the stronger and they were expecting to win the match easily starting well with two wins for Richard Ebdon and Hamish Williamson. Cumbernauld players George Thomson and Derek McAteer battled hard and secured two against the odds wins which saw the match end drawn with a 2-2 score line. On Thursday evening four Cumbernauld players travelled in order to face an East Kilbride "A" side in another Lanarkshire chess league division one match.

This match also ended drawn when Ian Marks and George Thomson both won for the Cumbernauld side fairly early. However, Duncan McDonald and Anthony Dunlop snatched two wins which levelled the match. These two Lanarkshire results last week have secured their position within the Lanarkshire first division by lifting them well clear of any of the relegation battles.

Sadly their position in the Scottish national chess league division two may not be quite so secure. On Sunday Cumbernauld were involved in two SNCL matches. The first of which involved another Hamilton Side. Mark Ainsworth and George Thomson both secured victories for Cumbernauld and Lawrence Freel had a fine win for Hamilton on board two. Ronnie Wallace and Arthur Mulholland shared a draw as did Andrew Smith and Lewis Montgomery. The Cumbernauld side won the match with a 3-2 score line in their favour. In their second SNCL match Cumberauld were humbled by a Dumfries and District side which played solidly enough to secure a 3.5-1.5 win. The only Cumbernauld players to take anything from this match were Mark Ainsworth who won on board one and Andrew Smith who drew on board five. This defeat means that the Cumbernauld side are hovering precariously close to the relegation zone with relegation a distinct possibility. However, the remaining fixtures give the Cumbernauld side a realistic chance of survival and maintaining their position within the highly competitive SNCL division two.

13/02/2008

Cumbernauld chess club were involved in two matches last week. On Monday evening four players travelled in order to face a Lanark side in the Lanarkshire Chess League Division One. The Lanark side started the match with a slightly stronger team. They proceeded to have wins on boards one and four with Jim Smalls and Tom Brown capitalising on blunders and ensuring that the Lanark side would not lose the match. David Johnstone had a convincing win on board three for the Cumbernauld side. On board two Ian McLachlan and David Ross shared a draw which resulted in the Lanark side wining the match by the narrowest of margins. This 2.5-1.5 win leaves the Lanark side poised at the top of this division for the time being with a realistic chance of becoming league champions.

Last Wednesday evening a Cumbernauld side were involved in another away match. This Glasgow Chess League Division Two match saw them face a Shettleston side in another eight board match. The Shettleston side started the match two players short which saw the Cumbernauld side earn two points without moving a piece. However taking any of the remaining six points was not quite so simple. Six extremely fierce chess battles then developed and the Shettleston side started well with two wins on boards one and six for Paul Anderson and Ian Robertson. David Johnstone and David Bonella then pulled Cumbernauld back into the match with wins on boards three and four. The remaining two games were suddenly very important with the Cumbernauld side only needing a half point and the Shettleston side needing to win both games in order to secure a drawn match. Ronnie Wallace then delivered a wonderful tactical performance to turn a level position into a win for the Cumbernauld side. With the match already lost to the Shettleston side Alistair Drummond and Jack Parkes shared a draw on board two.

This 5.5-2.5 victory leaves the Cumbernauld side with only two matches still to be played in this division. One of these remaining matches shall be against the Glasgow side Cathcart, and the winner of this match will be guaranteed to win this division this year.

30/01/2008

Cumbernauld chess club have moved into first place in both the Dumbarton and District Chess League Division One and the Glasgow Chess League Division Two. In the Glasgow League a win last Monday evening against the Glasgow side "Polytechnic B" saw them move into pole position with only three matches still to be played. Ralph Stirrat, David Bonella and George Thomson all played well enough to earn victories whilst playing with the black pieces. Danny Breslin also managed to win with the black pieces to earn the Polytechnic side their only win of the evening. The other four games featuring Jack Parkes and John Eldridge, David Johnstone and Eric Martin, Ronnie Wallace and Hamish Glen as well as Paul Hendry and Paul McAloon all finished drawn which saw the Cumbernauld side win the match with a 5-3 score line. This was one of the most exciting matches in which the Cumbernauld side have been involved this season. Every game was extremely close and could have swung either way. The final outcome of the match was still uncertain and hanging in the balance until the very final seconds of the evening.

On the previous Monday evening the Cumbernauld side faced a Crowwood side in the Dumbarton and District League Division One. Mark Ainsworth, Ian Marks and David Johnstone all won their games for the Cumbernauld side. George Thomson and James Macintosh shared a draw on board four. This 3.5-0.5 win leaves the Cumbernauld side in pole position in this league. There are however many more very tough encounters in store and remaining at the top of the pile shall be very challenging indeed.

12/12/2007

Cumbernauld chess club have continued their recent run of form in their Glasgow chess league division two campaign. A recent 5-3 home win over a Hamilton "B" side has positioned the Cumbernauld side as strong contenders to win this league this season. Cumbernauld had wins by Ian Marks, David Ross, David Johnstone and Team Captain Ronnie Wallace. The Hamilton side had wins through Michael Morris and an incredible against the odds win for junior player Taylor Panton. Jack Parkes was held to a draw by another incredibly strong junior player James Montgomery as was George Thomson held to a draw by Bernard Cassidy. Last Tuesday evening the Cumbernauld players travelled in order to face a Glasgow "Montrose" side in another Glasgow chess league division two match. This turned out to be an extremely exciting and very fiercely contested match. The Cumbernauld side won the match with a 5.5-2.5 score line. However this suggests a relatively easy victory when this match was far from easy with almost every game being an unstable and nearly bloody battle. Evis Perdikou performed exceptionally well to hold Ian Marks to a draw on board one. Cumbernauld eventually earned four wins through Jack Parkes, David Bonella, David Johnstone and Robert Kelso. George Thomson was held to a draw by John Collins as was Michael Grinfeld by Sean Groundwater. Chris Perkins earned the Glasgow side their only victory of the evening as a result of a frantic time trouble mistake. This win leaves the Cumbernauld side with a realistic chance of winning this division this season.

Unfortunately in the Lanarkshire chess league division one things are not running so smoothly. Last Monday evening Cumbernauld met a Lanark "A" side in a home match. The Lanark players came out fighting and had wins on the first three boards with Jim Smalls, Ian McLachlan and Ian Brownlee all doing enough to secure victories. George Thomson performed well enough to hold the very much stronger player Tom Brown to a draw on board four. This surprise 3.5-0.5 win for the Lanark side will propel them to the top of this division. As the season unfolds this result may prove to be a league winning match for the Lanark side.

28/11/2007

Last week was a busy week for the players of Cumbernauld chess club. On Sunday they played two matches in the Scottish national chess league division two. The first match was against a Prestwick side who never managed to win a game. Wins for Mark Ainsworth, Ian Marks and Ronnie Wallace coupled with two draws from the Siegrun MacGilchrist versus Jamie Mollison and Christopher King versus George Thomson games saw Cumbernauld win the match by four points to one. In their second S.N.C.L match Cumbernauld faced a much stronger Kilmarnock side and on this occasion it was the Cumbernauld side who struggled to win a game. Mark Ainsworth won for Cumbernauld on board one. Kilmarnock then had three wins with Kenny Malkin, Joe Park and Jim Kleboe all doing enough to secure wins. George Thomson and John McNicoll shared a draw on board five and the Kilmarnock side won the match with a 3.5-1.5 score line.

Last Monday evening the Cumbernauld side faced a Crowwood side in a Lanarkshire chess league division one match. Ian Marks worked hard for a win on board one and Jack Peacock earned an against the odds win for the Crowwood side on board two. George Thomson and Jim MacIntosh opted to draw and Andrew Pollock eventually ground out a win on board four which saw the Crowwood side win the match with a 2.5-1.5 score line. This was a pretty poor result for the local side as they had the stronger side and should have taken more from the match.

Last Wednesday evening saw a battle between youth and experience when Cumbernauld met a young Strathclyde University side in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. The Cumbernauld oldies relied on their collective experience to outwit the challenging youngsters. David Bonella, David Johnstone and George Thomson all did enough to secure away wins. Ian Marks was held to a draw by one of Scotland's finest young players Jonathan McLatchie, a result which saw Cumbernauld win the match with a 3.5-0.5 score line.

14/11/2007

On the evening of Monday October 30th Cumbernauld chess club met an eight man East Kilbride "B" team in their second Glasgow chess league division two match of the season. Cumbernauld started the match with a vastly superior side and should have probably won every game. Chess however is often full of surprises and the East Kilbride side rose to the challenge of facing stronger players on every board. Cumbernauld had wins on boards one, three and six with Ian Marks, David Johnstone and George Thomson doing enough to secure victories. Ian MacKenzie had a tremendous win against the odds on board four for the East Kilbride side. On board two Jack Parkes was held to a draw by the reigning under 1400 British Champion Andy Howie. The other three games between Ronnie Wallace and Piero Gosetti, Robert Kelso and Paul Denham as well as Derek McAteer and Scott Miller also ended drawn which saw the Cumbernauld side do enough to win the match with a 5-3 score line. This was a pretty poor performance by the local side.

Another poor performance last Monday evening saw the Cumbernauld side suffer their first defeat in the Dunbartonshire chess league division one. Mark Ainsworth had a win on board one for Cumbernauld. Dalmuir then had wins on boards two and three with Alex Wright and Thomas Tait both performing exceptionally well. Fraser Taylor then surprisingly held David Johnstone to a draw in the remaining game which was enough to hand an away victory to the Dalmuir side. Last Wednesday evening Cumbernauld met another East Kilbride "B" side in their second Lanarkshire chess league division one match of the season. Cumbernauld started well with a win for Ian Marks on board one. George Thomson miraculously won what should have been a lost game on board two when his opponent missed a fatal knight fork. The two remaining games involving Paul Hendry and John Melvin as well as Robert Kelso and Paul Denham finished drawn which saw Cumbernauld emerge victorious with a 3-1 score line in their favour.

24/10/2007

Cumbernauld chess club players have made amends for their poor start in the Central chess league division one by getting off to a flyer in some of their other league campaigns. In the Dunbartonshire chess league division one they defeated last seasons league winners Bearsden "A" with an emphatic victory. Cumbernauld had wins on boards one and two for Mark Ainsworth and Ian Marks. Bonella versus Whyte on board three and Johnstone versus Burt on board four both ended drawn which handed Cumbernauld a 3-1 victory and an excellent start to their Dunbartonshire campaign.

Last Monday evening Cumbernauld faced an East Kilbride "A" side in the first match of their Lanarkshire chess league division one campaign. Wins for Ian Marks, Jack Parkes and George Thomson on boards one, two and four coupled with a half point from the drawn game between David Bonella and Tom Brisbane saw Cumbernauld win this match with a 3.5-0.5 score line. Cumbernauld have also been involved in the first two rounds of the Scottish National Chess League division two. In the first round match against Edinburgh "2" wins for Ian Marks and George Thomson and another draw in the Bonella versus Jackson game saw Cumbernauld do enough to draw the match. Unfortunately things did not go to plan in the next round when Cumbernauld faced an extremely strong Aberdeen side which featured Maltese Chess Olympiad player David Vincenti on board two. Mark Ainsworth and Robert Lothian shared a draw on board one. Ian Marks performed extremely well with the black pieces to hold David Vincenti to a draw on board two. George Thomson also held very much stronger player Neil Irving to a draw on board five. Sadly Aberdeen won both games on boards three and four through John Clifford and David Fowler which saw them win the match with a 3.5 -1.5 score line in their favour.

Central League News

Cumbernauld chess club players have been involved in two recent matches. Both of these matches were in the Central chess league division one. Last Monday evening five players travelled in order to face a Stirling side. Statistically the Stirling side was the stronger of the two teams and they proceeded to have wins on boards one and two for Christopher MacDonald and John Blake. Cumbernauld won two games when David Johnstone and David Bonella both won on boards three and four whilst playing with the black pieces. On board five George Thomson managed to hold Graham Anderson to a draw whilst playing black which saw the match end drawn with both sides on two and a half points.

Last Wednesday evening Cumbernauld faced an extremely strong Dunfermline side in a home match. Team Captain David Bonella had major selection problems and entered the match with a makeshift team. The Dunfermline side were by far the stronger and Cumbernauld faced an uphill struggle. Cumbernauld started very well with an against the odds quick win for George Thomson again playing with the black pieces against very much stronger opposition. On board one Mark Ainsworth and Ian Robertson who both have F.I.D.E grades of over 2000 shared a draw. Dunfermline then levelled the score with a win on board five for York Cleave. David Bonella then pushed Cumbernauld ahead with a fine win on board three. John McBride then produced a wonderfully crafted recovery to win a game from being a Rook down much to the surprise of the Cumbernauld players who thought that the result was safely in the bag. His terrific recovery saw this match also end with both teams on two and a half points. This was an excellent result for the Cumbernauld side considering the strength of the opposition that they were facing.

Opening Game of the season

Last Wednesday evening Cumbernauld chess club played their first game of the new 2007/08 season. This match was in the Central Chess League division one. The fact that the match coincided with the crucial Scotland versus France football match gave the team Captains slight selection problems. However both Cumbernauld and Grangemouth managed to field five players each. Statistically the Grangemouth side were by far the stronger and they started well with a win on board two for Ian Mason. This was followed by two more wins on boards three and four for Douglas Will and John Smith. Mark Ainsworth managed to hold Alan Bell to a draw on board one with the black pieces. On board five George Thomson also managed to hold Hugh Hanlon to a draw with the black pieces. This 4-1 defeat was not the ideal start to the season, historically Cumbernauld chess club tend to be slow starters and have lost the first match of the season for the past few years. Cumbernauld chess club meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings in the Muirfield Community Education Centre from 7.00pm and welcomes new players and visitors.

International Master gives simultaneous display

On the evening of Monday 27th August Cumbernauld Chess Club played host to International Master Stephen Mannion. Stephen played thirteen players in a simultaneous chess match. Amazingly he managed to perform this memorable feat the day after competing in the Marymass chess open in Irvine. Stephen was joint winner at Marymass, sharing first prize with Grandmaster John Shaw and International Master Roddy McKay when they all finished on four points from five rounds.

Stephen managed to play thirteen players in the time normally allocated for one game between two players. His tremendous calculating skills were tested to their limits trying to complete thirteen games in only two and a half hours. He amazingly won eight games and lost only one game to Glasgow League team captain David Bonella. Four Cumbernauld players were awarded draws when the time limit was reached and they had not yet been defeated. The four players who managed to last the full two and a half hours unscathed were Paul Hendry, Robert Kelso, Garry Kerr and David Johnstone.

Dunbartonshire League team captain David Johnstone was awarded the prize for what Stephen decided was the most interesting and challenging game. Cumbernauld Chess Club members are delighted to have been offered the opportunity to challenge one of Scotland's premier players.

AGM Minutes

The DRAFT minutes of our 2007 AGM are available here if you spot any mistakes then please let Robert Kelso know.

25/07/2007

The 114th Scottish Chess Championships were held in Cumbernauld as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the new town. They were held in Saint Maurice's High School from 7-15th July. The Scottish Chess Championships which incidentally are the oldest national chess championships in the world, even older than the Russian championships and various other countries renowned for their love of the great game. The event had a truly international flavour with players from Denmark, England, and France as well as Germany, Ireland, Norway and Spain. There were even a few Scots present and thankfully the main Championship event was won by one of them.

Dumbarton man and International Master Andrew J Muir became the new Scottish Champion with a very impressive score of 8 points from 9 rounds, with seven wins and two draws. The International Master who plays for Hamilton chess club was delighted to have won this event at his eighteenth attempt. In second place were Grandmaster Colin A McNab and Alan G Grant who both finished on 7 points from 9 rounds. A magnificent and unexpected win for Alan G Grant in the last round over Grandmaster McNab was a significant factor in the final outcome of the event.

The nine round F.I.D.E open

This event was an extremely hard fought battle which saw two players finish in joint first place. Reinhard Schmerwitz, a player who comes from Germany and William Hulme from Hamilton chess club both finished on 6.5 points from 9 rounds. In joint third place were Jonathan McLatchie of Concord chess club Dumbarton and Mike Chisholm of Sandy Bells chess club in Edinburgh who both finished on six points. This wonderful performance saw Jonathan McLatchie become the under 21 Boys Champion.

The Seniors Championships

The senior event was also a very strong and closely fought affair. Edinburgh player Alastair F White finished in first place with a score of 6 points from 7 rounds. Grangemouth player Ian C Mason narrowly missed out finishing on 5.5 points which saw him earn second position. Cumbernauld chess club player Jack Parkes had a magnificent unbeaten score of 4.5 to finish in third place. This was a remarkable achievement for Jack Parkes considering the level of the opposition which he was playing against.

The Under 1800 Championships

The u1800 championship was dominated by Edinburgh players. Sharing first place were Donald Heron and Paul McQuillan who both finished on 5 points from 7 rounds. Paul Girdwood finished in third place with a 4.5 points from 7 score. Each round consisted of one game of chess which potentially lasted for six hours and many of the games were very hard fought indeed and went down to the final seconds.

The Under 1500 Championships

The u1500 championship was won by twelve year old wonder girl Ali Roy from Carrick chess club. Ali who is soon to represent Scotland in the Girls European Championships in Croatia overcame many stronger adults to finish in first place with a score of 5 points from 7 rounds. Cumbernauld chess club player George Thomson shared second place with Hugh Hanlon from Grangemouth who was the number one seed for this event, and Bernard Cassidy from Uddingston as well as Joseph McGreechin from Shettleston who all finished on 4.5 points from 7 rounds.

The Lightning Championships

Cumbernauld chess club player Mark Ainsworth became the Scottish lightning champion. Lightning chess is different from normal chess as the players start with only three minutes on the clock and are awarded three seconds for every move made. Lightning chess requires nerves of steel and extremely fast reaction times. Competitors must think quickly and accurately in order make any progress. Cumbernauld chess club members are delighted to have one of their own players win this event and would like to congratulate Mark Ainsworth for this remarkable achievement.

Chess Scotland also featured the Scottish summer weekend congress as part of the Championships. The congress featured three events.

This event also had two players sharing the first place both of whom finished on 4 points from 5 rounds. They were Grandmaster Jacob Aagard one of Scotland's six Grandmasters and Harald Borchgrevnik of Norway. International Master Stephen Mannion of Shettleston chess club and Christopher MacDonald of Stirling chess club both finished on 3 points from 5.

The Weekend Major

The weekend major event was won by Stephen Hamilton of Ayr chess club with a score of 4.5 from 5 rounds. Second place was won by Kevin Campbell of Bellshill chess club with a score of 4 from 5 rounds.

The Weekend Minor

This event was won by Stirling chess club player David Brodie with an unbeaten score of 4.5 from 5 rounds. In second place were Michael Emery of Stonehaven chess club and wonder girl Ali Roy of Carrick chess club who both finished on 4 points from 5 rounds.

Chess Scotland and Cumbernauld chess club would like to thank North Lanarkshire Council and Saint Maurice's High School for allowing this prestigious event to be held in Cumbernauld. Cumbernauld chess club which is closed for the summer break will reopen on Monday 20th August in the Muirfield Community Education Centre from 7.00pm.

16/05/2007

As the 2006/07 chess season draws to a close, most of this seasons league matches have been played. Cumbernauld chess club have finished in third position in the Dumbarton & District chess league division one. Cumbernauld finished on 14 points which was the same total as the second placed side Dalmuir "A", however Dalmuir finished slightly ahead on board scores. League winners Bearsden "A" finished with 18 points. Finishing in third place has been a terrific achievement for the Cumbernauld club as they were only promoted into division one last season.