English Chess Forum

Here are the finals (subject to any appeals)

Open Yorkshire v Lancashire
Minor Lincolnshire v Surrey
Under 180 Warwickshire v Yorkshire
Under 160 Yorkshire v Lancashire
Under 140 Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire
Under 120 Norfolk v Warwickshire
Under 100 Lancashire v Leicestershire

That is (roughly from north to south if you move Warwickshire a bit north!):

Yorkshire (4); Lancashire (3); Warwickshire (2); Lincolnshire (1); Nottinghamshire (1); Leicestershire (1); Norfolk (1); Surrey (1).

Yeah, as Neil already said elsewhere, only one SCCU team in the Finals.

(Heh, even Norfolk is 'north' of Warwickshire.)

There has been a dramatic turn round in the last four years. Here are details of the finalists over this period.

2015 SCCU 8, NCCU 2, MCCU 2, EACU 1, WECU 1
2016 SCCU 7, MCCU 4, NCCU 2, EACU 1
2017 NCCU 5, MCCU 4, SCCU 3, WECU 1, EACU 1
2018 NCCU 7, MCCU 5, SCCU 1, EACU 1

I'll give the winning stats in due course but these will again show how the SCCU pre-eminence has declined.

It's grim 'oop North. Nowt to do at weeken's but sup in t'pub, stroke tha' whippet, or play chess

Personally, I do all three at same time.

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:16 pm

Yeah, as Neil already said elsewhere, only one SCCU team in the Finals.

Even that one is a bit strange, because I don't think of Surrey as a Minor County.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 10, 2018 11:00 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:16 pm

Yeah, as Neil already said elsewhere, only one SCCU team in the Finals.

Even that one is a bit strange, because I don't think of Surrey as a Minor County.

Surrey "qualified" by finishing bottom of the SCCU Open Counties Championship section with 2/8 (losing to Middlesex, Essex & Kent but beating Sussex).

Neil Graham wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:38 pm

There has been a dramatic turn round in the last four years. Here are details of the finalists over this period.

2015 SCCU 8, NCCU 2, MCCU 2, EACU 1, WECU 1
2016 SCCU 7, MCCU 4, NCCU 2, EACU 1
2017 NCCU 5, MCCU 4, SCCU 3, WECU 1, EACU 1
2018 NCCU 7, MCCU 5, SCCU 1, EACU 1

I'll give the winning stats in due course but these will again show how the SCCU pre-eminence has declined.

Going back to 2016 the titles held then for the past five years were :-

SCCU 18, MCCU 8, NCCU 6, EACU 2, WECU 1 (35 titles)

before the 2018 titles are added the situation is

SCCU 9, NCCU 8, MCCU 7, EACU 2, WECU 2 (28 titles)

consequently SCCU will be overhauled by NCCU and possibly MCCU after this season's finals.

Maybe SCCU players are just more optimistic about England’s chances of progression in the World Cup

Maybe SCCU players want to play at Kings Place?

Nick Grey wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:55 pm

Maybe SCCU players want to play at Kings Place?

It is probably a blessing that SCCU are so poorly represented in this year's Finals. None of their counties would have been able to raise anything resembling a representative team as a result of this unfortunate clash. The annual pilgrimage to King's Place is in many diaries.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:30 am

Nick Grey wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:55 pm

Maybe SCCU players want to play at Kings Place?

It is probably a blessing that SCCU are so poorly represented in this year's Finals. None of their counties would have been able to raise anything resembling a representative team as a result of this unfortunate clash. The annual pilgrimage to King's Place is in many diaries.

Or stay at home and watch two world cup quarter finals.

Having retired from playing Saturday district league football at 52 I was going to play more chess at the weekends. Unfortunately stopping training and becoming more sedentary has not helped in dealing with my diabetes. in my 40s playing football in the morning I was playing County games in the afternoon. Had a great season both chess wise and football wise even though I would almost fall asleep at the chess board.

On chess side my worst run of results in county matches this season with 0/5 for the under 160s was brought to an end by winning a game. On the u180s I was just about getting into the team. When our open team were then playing in the Minor Counties our captain was quite clear in contacting the U160 players so that we could get a team out averaging below 180 and compete in the U180 national stages.

Travelling to play Cornwall was great, unfortunately our opponents had not it seemed contacted the controller to get last minute registration for spectators that were registered with ECF. But a pleasant day and our players junior sets were really important to have a game with a six year old and please his parents allowing the use of phone and recording so his mother could see. We also watched the cows in the field play as slow as the rest of the matches going on. Even though getting home late it was nice to catch up with the football.

The following weekend was the U180 match which clashed with the FA cup final. Was i going to pull out of that even though my partner's main enjoyment in life is looking after others dogs. We had a lovely dog, Ellie, and owner is Gary. So having lost a chess match and bringing food in late i watched the re-run of the FA cup final with a very excited Ellie every time Gary was involved and lifted the cup.

I had the opportunity to play in the Minor semi-final but agreed with our players that another ought to play. Whilst I was OK I was hospitalised for 40 hours earlier in the week suffering from acute dehydration and abnormally high blood sugars. Any other overnights in hospital had been with others not myself. I consoled myself by catching up with my county correspondence games instead.

it is great that the workl cup is on. The heat is not helpful still but I'm in the right place with my diabetes. It helps with great air conditioned offices. Made even my enjoyable in New Malden with the Koreans beating the Germans. And expect England and Belgium may both play their other players with the bottom half of the draw seeming to be wide open. Hopefully Gary gets a match - he is now my partners favourite footballer.

So whilst there are world cup games on hopefully will get to see them. If not they will be repeated on the Saturday night.

I may have played County Chess for 30 years but have never played in a final. Got close a few times. Even lost in an Open semi-final and U180 semi-final on the same weekend.

So looking forward to July 7th with all my chess friends. Best wishes to those at Kings Place too, or having that day not playing chess.

Nick,
why not take up walking football? It's excellent exercise! I play twice a week and I've survived so far.

Thanks Phil. It may have to wait until I retire from work. Ankle quite swollen from too big a step from new trains to the platform.
Where I really will like to be is able to get all the tables and chairs up for matches rather than just volunteer for making tea & coffee.
At 55 I'm quite young in terms of volunteers we have in running chess.