For the record, updating the initial listing of finals pairing with the final results:
Open: Middlesex 8.5-7.5 Surrey
Minor: Hertfordshire 8-8 Leicestershire (Hertfordshire win on board count)
U180: Middlesex 9-7 Yorkshire
U160: Yorkshire 8-8 Greater Manchester (Greater Manchester win on board count)
U140: Lancashire 7.5-8.5 Hertfordshire
U120: Hertfordshire 3.5-8.5 Essex
U100: Essex 6-6 Kent (Essex win on board count)
The ECF results page is here (to be updated):
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=36
A summary and a sense of the progression in each match is at Ian Hunnable's blog here:
http://www.essexchess.org.uk/index.php/ ... 2/mm-ccf12
Click on the tabs for more detail on each match.
There is a report on the Middlesex County Chess Association blog:
http://middlesexchess.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... venue.html
The list of champions for 2012 is:
Open: Middlesex
Minor: Hertfordshire
U180: Middlesex
U160: Greater Manchester
U140: Hertfordshire
U120: Essex
U100: Essex
As others have observed, only Greater Manchester breaking the SCCU hegemony (this was guaranteed as it was the only final not featuring a SCCU team)! Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Essex all achieve doubles. Commiserations to all the losing finalists, but especially to Yorkshire for losing both their finals, one by the narrowest of margins.
A couple of thoughts from me, as someone attending the finals day for the first time (playing for Middlesex U180). It was an excellent day out, and the chess was very enjoyable. The Open (Lowenthal) trophy, which I'd not seen before, was very impressive. The arbiting, controlling, organisation, facilities, bookstall and refreshments were all excellent.
The only matches I really managed to follow (after drawing my own game in eminently forgettable fashion) were the U180 and Open. Which was a pity as I see that no fewer than three matches were decided on board count and two (including the Open) were decided only by one point. The U180 final was mostly uneventful, with a fair number of draws and a couple of wins from Middlesex, until one of our players blundered in a winning position. Even then, the result never really looked in doubt. Have been very impressed by the play from the team as a whole this season, as in the matches I played in there always seemed to be something in reserve or an existing edge going into the final hour of play.
The Open was more exciting to follow, with an early lead from Surrey pegged back, and then Middlesex establishing a one-point lead with Middlesex ahead or level on the remaining three boards, which all finished in draws. The final board (board 4 I think) went down to the last five minutes and less for both players. The Middlesex player (White) had less time, but in the end it reached K+R (Middlesex) vs K+B (Surrey) and it was the Surrey player (Black) who claimed a draw, then converted to a draw offer, with the Middlesex player accepting. I had been worried that White might lose on time without claiming a draw (Surrey would have won on board count if they had managed to win this or one of the other draws on the top boards), but of course K+B isn't mating material against K+R (though K+N against K+R is).
There are some photos in various places, including the Essex website linked above. Hopefully more links to reports and photos will be posted in this thread or on the forum over the next few days. Congratulations to all the winners, and from a personal point of view it's great that Middlesex managed to win both the Open and U180!