2010 EPSCA U11 Final
Report by team manager Gary Bennett
On Saturday 8th May 2010 Lancashire's U11 team travelled to distant Bolton to play in this year's EPSCA U11 Final at Bolton School.
Lancashire had the odds stacked against them for this Final having qualified by the narrowest of margins in March and with ever-present coach Dave Gaston unavailable on the day due to illness. The competition was tough as expected. Last year's champions Nottinghamshire and the southern teams were again very strong. Despite the adverse conditions Lancashire's youngsters were in good spirits and gained much valuable experience.
Many of the Lancashire team were U9s or U10s and will be eligible to play again at this level next year. In several games our players achieved a strong position which with a little more experience would have converted easily to a win.
Some highlights of the day included Joseph Wood and Andrew Lee being rewarded in round 3 for using their time, Samir Samadov with another top score of 2½ points, Judd Bennett facing the country's highest graded U11 (169!), Aditya Chakravarty with those vital 2 points, and John Wood's highly commendable debut as board steward.
Thank you to all the parents for their support, especially on the day. Keep up the good work to prepare the team for the NYCA U12 inter-county competition at Telford in November.
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judd Bennett | 1 | ½ | ½ | 2 |
| 2 | Joseph Wood | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 3 | Henry Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Angelica Fitzpatrick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Samir Samadov | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 6 | Nathan Crosby | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Dylan Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | John Care | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Aditya Chakravarty | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Matthew Carr | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ |
| 11 | Calvin Robinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Andrew Lee | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Jennifer Smith | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 14 | Thomas Wilson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Andrew Beet | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Sebastian Ellis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Anna Priestman | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| 18 | Harvey Wright | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Rosat Obri | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | George Dale | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| R1 | Amartya Vadlamani | (0) | (0) | (1) | (1) |
| R2 | Daniel Nutter | (0) | (1) | (0) | (1) |
| Total | 7 | 3 | 3½ | 13½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
Postscript from coach Dave Gaston
Many thanks to Gary and John who did a superb job looking after the U11 team on Saturday in the National finals.
2010 EPSCA U11 Northern Zonal
The Northern zonal for the Under 11 teams was held on the 20th March 2010 in Rotherham.
Despite several late withdrawals the Lancashire team fought well against some difficult opponents and held on to sixth place to qualify for the National Finals.
Special mention should go to two Under 9 players; Samir Samadov, who scored 3/3, and Nathan Crosby, who scored 2½ out of 3. With players of their ability coming through, Lancashire has a solid foundation for future Under 11 teams.
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| Dave Gaston and the 2009/2010 U11 squad |
|---|
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judd Bennett | 1 | ½ | ½ | 2 |
| 2 | Joe Wood | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Henry Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Angelica Fitzpatrick | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | John Care | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Samir Samadov | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Nathan Crosby | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 8 | Rachel Greenwood | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Dylan Taylor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Aditya Chakravarty | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Matthew Carr | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Calvin Robinson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | George Dale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Amartya Vadlamani | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| 15 | Andrew Lee | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | Sebastian Ellis | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| 17 | Jennifer Smith | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Thomas Wilson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 19 | Andrew Beet | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Rosat Obri | 0 | 0 | (0) | 0 |
| R1 | Harvey Wright | (0) | (½) | (1) | 0 |
| R2 | Hussain Hussan | (1) | (0) | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 12 | 9 | 7½ | 28½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
Report by coach Dave Gaston
2010 EPSCA U9 Northern Zonal
At the Under 9 Northern zonal held on the 13th March at Newcastle-under-Lyme, a very spirited Lancashire team finished a deserved second behind a very strong Nottinghamshire team, and ahead of Cheshire and North Wales who came third.
With points coming from all players, Lancashire were only two points behind Nottinghamshire, and six points clear of Cheshire, going into the last round. With tiredness beginning to set in after a long day, Lancashire could only secure six points from the last round but they had already done enough to claim the silver medal for themselves.
|
| The 2009/2010 U9 squad |
|---|
|
| Dave Gaston and the 2009/2010 U9 squad |
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samir Samadov | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Adam Arrowsmith | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Marcus Lazenby | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Nathan Crosby | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Dylan Taylor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Calvin Robinson | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 7 | Harvey Wright | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Samuel Wood | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Billy Wharton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Daniel Nutter | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 11 | Emma Rothwell | 0 | ½ | (0) | ½ |
| 12 | John Ditchfield | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| R1 | Daniel Ashcroft | (½) | (0) | (1) | - |
| R2 | Katie Elsden | (0) | (0) | (½) | - |
| R3 | Joe White | (1) | (1) | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 10½ | 6 | 24½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
Report by coach Dave Gaston
2010 NCCU U18 Jamboree
The 2010 NCCU Under 18 Inter-Association Jamboree was held at Hollins Park Social Club, Winwick on Sunday 28th February 2010. Cheshire and North Wales retained the NCCU Under 18 trophy after a close fought battle, with Lancashire second (one point behind) and Oldham third.
In the three-team jamboree format each player faced someone from each of the other teams over the two rounds. The final scores were as follows:
| CHESHIRE & NORTH WALES | OLDHAM | LANCASHIRE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bd | Name | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Name | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Name | Rd 1 | Rd 2 |
| 1 | Martin Brown | ½ | 1 | Mitchell Burke | ½ | ½ | Michael Rabbitte | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Chris Chadwick | 1 | 0 | Thomas Clements | 0 | 1 | Jamie Horton | 0 | ½ |
| 3 | George Cloake | 1 | ½ | Sam Towse | 0 | ½ | Rachel Cass | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Josh Oxley | 0 | 1 | Nathan Gittens | 1 | 1 | Jordan Lewis | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Marvin Hayes | 1 | 1 | Daniel Lea | 1 | ½ | Judd Bennett | 0 | ½ |
| 6 | Iwan Griffiths | 0 | 0 | Lance Fox | 1 | 0 | Matthew Fanning | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | James Fidal | 1 | 1 | Ridam Shard | 0 | 0 | Lothian Innes | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Ben Scattergood | 1 | 0 | Lara Buckley | 0 | 0 | Ben Ateuyi | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Edwin Brophy | 1 | ½ | Phoebe Price | 0 | ½ | Natalie Cass | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Joshua Hollins | 0 | 0 | Tim Hitton | 1 | ½ | Connor Heelis | 0 | ½ |
| 11 | Joseph McCrave | 1 | 0 | Connor Atherton | 0 | 0 | Dominic Lewis | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Max Kitshoff | 1 | 0 | Mark Williams | 0 | 1 | Samir Samadov | 0 | 1 |
| Totals | 13½ | 10 | 12½ | ||||||
Results courtesy of Judy Brown on the NCCU website
2009 NYCA U16 and U12 Team Events
Report by Team Managers Pete Edhouse (U16) and Colin Greenwood (U12)
Wow, what a great day's chess for Lancashire! A fitting birthday present for the powerhouse behind Lancashire Chess, Bill O'Rourke. Happy Birthday Bill!
On Saturday 7th November 2009 the U12's went to Abraham Darby Academy near Telford with high hopes, fielding a team containing five England players at U11 level (Henry, James, Stephen, Matthew and Natalie) and an ECF grade average of 114!
- Round 1 saw Lancashire off to a flying start scoring 10 out of 12 to take first place just half a point ahead of Hertfordshire and 2 points ahead of Kent.
- In Round 2 we improved on our first round score with 10½ out of 12 and increased our lead on Hertfordshire to a whole point, with both teams pulling away from the pack.
- In Round 3 we pulled off another 10/12 and took 1½ points off Hertfordshire, expecting to increase our lead. We were amazed to find out that Hertfordshire scored 10½, only dropping points to Lancashire.
- We went into Round 4 on 30½, just a half point ahead of Hertfordshire and 8 points clear of Kent. Natalie won the only head to head between Lancashire and Hertfordshire to give Lancashire the victory with a final total of 41 points.
Well done Lancashire Under 12's - NATIONAL TEAM CHAMPIONS!! Hertfordshire finished second with 40 points and Kent were third a long way behind on 29 points.
Some stats from our U12 team's performance ...
- We played Hertfordshire on six boards, lost one, drew two and crucially won three (Victoria, Joe and Natalie).
- We won nine board prizes with six players on 4/4 (Henry, Stephen, Andrew, Joe, Lara, Victoria) and Matthew (3½), Jordan (3½) and Natalie (3).
- We played 48 matches and lost 5, drew 4 and won 39.
- Our top six boards had an ECF average grade of 134 and our twelve board team had an average grade of 114.
Although the U16's could not keep pace with our neighbours from over the Pennines, after a storming last round in which we scored a tremendous 6/8, we took third place with 18 points behind Yorkshire (21) and Hampshire (18½).
- Round 1. A steamroller of a win from Lothian and an equally convincing one from Matthew got us off to a great start. This was followed by a great fightback from Ben who dropped a pawn towards the end but eventually snatched a piece and went on to victory. Three tight games saw Rachel narrowly defeated, with draws for Abigail and Jamie. Nathan would have been disappointed by the nature of his defeat which saw his opponent secure a stranglehold on the kingside, leaving Nathan little play in return. Isobel was a pawn ahead going into the endgame and realising she couldn't do anything with it, showed her experience to tie the game down leaving her opponent with nothing to eventually secure a win on time. Five points from eight - a great opening round.
- Round 2. An early win for Rachel was soon followed by a loss for Isobel. Nathan made amends with a crushing win and still had a margin of 30 minutes to play with. Another tough game for Jamie ended with a blunder. Hard fought draws from Abigail and Lothian and a defeat for Matthew followed. A distraught Ben emerged unhappy with defeat from a game he should have won. Three points from eight.
- Round 3. Abigail and Ben secured quick wins and Matthew and Lothian lost tough games. Rachel fought on valiantly being a piece down for most of the game. Jamie was battling harder than anybody on top board but suffered another defeat. Isobel waited for her opponent to blunder as she came from behind to win and Nathan capped off another good round for us with a great win. Four points from eight.
- Round 4. We were on half points, a long way off first place but within reach of second or third if results went our way. Quick wins for Matthew and Lothian got us started. Ben gave away 50 grading points and still secured a draw. Playing a faultless endgame Rachel took it down to the last pawn and a routine win followed. Draws for Nathan and Isobel kept us in a good position and a battler to the end, Jamie secured his win. A true captain's performance from Abigail saw her emerging with a draw to maintain her unbeaten record and ensure no defeats for the team in this round.
Some thanks ...
- Thanks to Brett Lund for coming along to help get our players "into the zone". Brett was highly impressed with the quality of all of our players, "they all played good solid chess".
- Thanks to all of the coaches who continually provide their time and energy running junior congresses to develop our youngsters .... too many to mention but especially to Dave Gaston and Ian Hughes who encourage so many younger players.
- Thanks to the parents whose support and encouragement has turned these youngsters into quality chess players.
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| The U12 Squad |
|---|
|
| The U16 Squad |
| Lancashire U16 Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Jamie Horton | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1½ |
| 2 | Nathan Taylor | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 3 | Rachel Cass | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Abigail Pritchard | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 5 | Isobel Cotogni | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 6 | Matthew Fanning | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Lothian Innes | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 2½ |
| 8 | Ben Atueyi | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 18 | |
| Lancashire U12 Team | ||||||
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Henry Broadley | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | James Walsh | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 3 | Stephen Chung | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Matthew Walsh | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 3½ |
| 5 | Jordan Lewis | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 3½ |
| 6 | Judd Bennett | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Natalie Cass | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Andrew Horton | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Joe Greenwood | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | Lara Buckley | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | Victoria Sung | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 12 | John Ridehalgh | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 2½ |
| R1 | Chris O'Connor | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 10 | 10½ | 10 | 10½ | 41 | |
2009 NYCA U18 and U14 Team Events
This season's event was held on Saturday 26th September 2009 at Abraham Darby Academy near Telford (Shropshire) - an excellent venue and very easy to get to.
The Lancashire players involved in the U14 and U18 squads are a pleasure to be with at these events - all of them are a credit to themselves, their families and their county!
Twelve U14 and eight U18 players travelled down on the team mini-bus or with parents to do battle with mainly southern teams. The U18 team was missing a number of top players for various reasons but thankfully Team Manager Bill O'Rourke had found others to stand in and they all gave a good account of themselves. Team Manager Steve Fanning had assembled a good U14 team.
Round one saw a great start by the U14's with 7½ (out of 12), but the U18's started slowly with only ½ (out of 8), proof again that it is tough at the top. Some juniors might have crumbled after scoring so poorly in the first round but Lancashire's players are made of sterner stuff and this reverse simply inspired the U18 team to roll their sleeves up...
Round two was the U14's worst effort, scoring "only" 6 points (still 50%), while the U18's came storming back with 4½ against tough opposition.
Round three saw the U14's back to top form with 8½ while the U18's repeated their performance of the previous round with another 4½.
Round four saw plenty of tough games, but the U14's finished with another 8½ and the U18's posted a 3.
The U14's finished with a great score of 30½ points (out of 48) in fourth place overall, behind Sussex (42½), Kent (35) and Berkshire (32) but well ahead of Cheshire & North Wales, Manchester, South Wales, Staffordshire and Yorkshire. Both Stephen Chung (board 4) and Lothian Innes (board 8) were awarded board prizes. Maybe we can now consider ourselves to be members of the Premier League in this age group - Lancashire finished a clear 12 points ahead of the team that finished fifth!
After their poor start, the U18's battled well in the final three rounds to post a creditable final total of 12½ points. The U18 champions were Yorkshire (21), closely followed by Kent (20½) and Warwickshire (19½).
Many thanks to all the players and parents for another great day out!
|
|
The 2009/2010 Lancashire U14 and U18 Squads |
|---|
| Lancashire U18 Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Michael Rabbitte | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2 |
| 2 | Rachel Cass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Liam O'Rourke | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | James McConnachie | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Benjamin Atueyi | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ |
| 6 | Jordan Lewis | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Dominic Lewis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Natalie Cass | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 2 |
| Total | ½ | 4½ | 4½ | 3 | 12½ | |
| Lancashire U14 Team | ||||||
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Jamie Horton | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 3 | James Walsh | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3½ |
| 4 | Stephen Chung | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 3½ |
| 5 | Isobel Cotogni | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 6 | Matthew Walsh | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Matthew Fanning | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Lothian Innes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Connor Heelis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Joe Greenwood | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Louis Rothwell | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| 12 | Aidan McCormack | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| Total | 7½ | 6 | 8½ | 8½ | 30½ | |
Lancashire Win U9 Friendly Match
On Saturday 16th May at Heywood, Lancashire hosted a friendly match over five rounds between Tameside Under 9's and Lancashire's own Under 9 team. Lancashire had 12 players to Tameside's 8, so to even the match at 10 players each, Anna Priestman and Jennifer Smith were loaned to the visitors.
With good humour on both sides, both managers learned a lot about their young players. Coaching was allowed between rounds and rules clarified for everyone's benefit.
On the playing side, special mention should go to Dylan Taylor who scored an impressive 4½ out of 5 on board 6, and Matthew Carr who scored a maximum 5 out of 5 on board 10. This was Matthew's debut match for Lancashire and the result shows what a good prospect for the future he is. Calvin Robinson was also making his debut and, despite only learning to play a few months ago, scored a very creditable 3 out of 5 on board 7.
With 45 points available to play for over the 5 rounds (the results of Tameside's board 1 didn't count as he is overage!), Lancashire won round 2 by 2 points and Tameside won round 5 by 1 point; The remaining three rounds were drawn. The final score of Lancashire 23 points and Tameside 22 points shows what a closely fought contest this was.
The individual scores for Lancashire players were as follows:
| Board | Player | Total (out of 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Wood | 4 | |
| 2 | George Dale | 2 | |
| 3 | Billy Wharton | 1½ | |
| 4 | Imaad Phoplunker | 1½ | |
| 5 | Zakir Hafeji | 0 | |
| 6 | Dylan Taylor | 4½ | |
| 7 | Calvin Robinson | 3 | |
| 8 | Phoebe Bunyan | 1½ | |
| 9 | Grace LaBrie | 0 | |
| 10 | Matthew Carr | 5 | |
| - | Anna Priestman | 2½ | (with Tameside) |
| - | Jennifer Smith | 3 | (with Tameside) |
| Total | 23 |
2009 EPSCA U11 Final
On Saturday 9th May 2009 Lancashire's U11 team faced an early start and a long journey to play in this year's EPSCA U11 Final at Wycombe High School, High Wycombe.
The competition was tough and some of the teams, especially Kent and Nottinghamshire, were very strong. Although Lancashire's youngsters had a battle on their hands, it was a good day out - the players enjoyed themselves and gained much valuable experience. A special mention must go to Nathan Crosby and Dylan Taylor, both are still in Year 3 but tried their hearts out all day long.
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Walsh | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 3 | Matthew Walsh | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ |
| 4 | Judd Bennett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Joe Greenwood | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Fiona McKenzie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Nathan Redman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Joe Wood | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Oliver Bond | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ |
| 10 | Angelica Fitzpatrick | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Nathan Crosby | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 12 | Cameron Beeley | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Andrew Lee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | James Huber | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| 15 | Henry Taylor | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Heather Robinson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | John Care | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Alice Barron-Eaves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Sebastian Ellis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Aditya Chakravarty | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| R1 | Dylan Taylor | (0) | (0) | (0) | (0) |
| Total | 4½ | 4½ | 7½ | 16½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
2009 EPSCA U11 Northern Zonal
On Saturday 21st March at Oldham, the Lancashire U11 team had to overcome some tough opposition to finish 4th in the Northern zonal. With some experienced top board players showing the rest of the team what to do, especially James Walsh scoring 3/3 on board 1 and Judd Bennett scoring 3/3 on board 4, our other players followed suit with some fine performances. Altogether four players scored maximum points, including Sam Gorick on board 13 and Andrew Lee on board 20. Special mention should be given to 8 year old Nathan Crosby who thoroughly enjoyed himself on board 18 scoring 2½/3. The national finals are on Saturday 9th May in Buckinghamshire and the Lancashire Under 11's are ready for the challenge.
|
| Dave Gaston and the 2008/2009 U11 squad |
|---|
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Walsh | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 3 | Matthew Walsh | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Judd Bennett | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Jordan Lewis | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 6 | Joe Greenwood | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 7 | Nathan Redman | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Joe Wood | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ |
| 9 | Fiona McKenzie | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Bethan Tempest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | James Huber | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Cameron Beeley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Sam Gorick | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Henry Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Angelica Fitzpatrick | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | Heather Robinson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | John Care | 0 | 0 | (0) | 0 |
| 18 | Nathan Crosby | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ |
| 19 | Michael Ashman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Andrew Lee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| R1 | Oliver Bond | (1) | (1) | 1 | 1 |
| R2 | Julia Johnstone | (0) | (0) | (0) | 0 |
| R3 | Alice Barron-Eaves | (0) | (0) | (½) | 0 |
| R4 | Sebastian Ellis | (1) | (0) | (0) | 0 |
| Total | 10½ | 13 | 9 | 32½ |
Scores in brackets represent games played in the reserves competition that did not count towards the overall Lancashire team score.
2009 EPSCA U9 Northern Zonal
In the Northern zonal held at Nottingham on Saturday 14th March, Lancashire fielded eleven out of a required twelve players due to late withdrawals. The eleven fought bravely and, despite only scoring 8 points to finish ninth overall, they were never overwhelmed by the opposition. Rachel Greenwood lead the way with a very creditable one win and two draws on board 3. But despite some excellent performances, the results went against her team mates who struggled to get the points they deserved.
|
| Dave Gaston and the 2008/2009 U9 squad |
|---|
The individual scores were as follows:
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Wood | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Nathan Crosby | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Rachel Greenwood | 1 | ½ | ½ | 2 |
| 4 | Andrew Mark Beet | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | George Dale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Anna Priestman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Billy Wharton | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Imaad Phoplunker | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Jennifer Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Dylan Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Phoebe Bunyan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 2½ | 2½ | 8 |
Lancashire's U14 Girls Share ECGCF Northern Region Trophy
Report by Team Manager, Ian Hughes
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Under 14 Girls teams clashed at Aughton St Michaels School on Sunday November 2nd in their annual battle. This year was just a straight contest between the two teams with Cheshire unfortunately unable to field a team.
Each team had a strong line-up with Lancashire missing just one player on board 2 whilst Yorkshire appeared to have their strongest team playing. I have been managing the Lancashire team for seven years and this was easily the closest contest that I have witnessed in that time. A look at the scores at the end of each round will show you what I mean.
Round One: Lancashire 3, Yorkshire 3
Round Two: Lancashire 6, Yorkshire 6
Round Three: Lancashire 9, Yorkshire 9
Therefore, both teams will hold the trophy for six months each. I cannot fault the effort of either team in the competition as all players played extremely well.
|
| Members of the 2008 / 2009 U14 Girls Team |
|---|
| Lancashire U14 Girls Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total | |
| 1 | Rachel Cass | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | Phoebe Price | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | Claire Edhouse | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ | |
| 4 | Sarah Ryder | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | Natalie Cass | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 6 | Lara Buckley | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | ||
This is the last year for Rachel, Claire and Sarah at this age-group although there is still one more event to be arranged when this goes to a National Final sometime in 2009. With Phoebe, Natalie and Lara all able to play in future years, the Lancashire team looks very stable for some years yet.
2008 NYCA U16 and U12 Team Events
Report by LCA Junior Coordinator, Steve Fanning
Many of Lancashire's best junior players visited Edgbaston High School for Girls for the second time in a few weeks as the u12 and u16 teams gathered to compete in the NYCA Championships on Saturday 1st November 2008.
I know that it has been said before in reports from these events but it really is a pleasure to be associated with Lancashire's junior players. They are a well balanced lot, playing hard but fair when over the board, smiling and friendly away from it. They are all a credit to their parents and themselves.
The team managers had faced some problems in the run-up to this day, which fell on the second weekend of half-term for many schools. As a result both teams were significantly weakened by the absence of some top board players and it is testament to Lancashire's strength in depth and commitment of the players (and their parents!) that we could field competitive teams at all.
I think it is fair to say that the u16's had a hard day, facing some tough opponents on all boards. But the players reacted well and everybody gave their best. As is often the case, the best overall score was achieved in the first round with 4/8; this was followed by scores of 3½, 2½ and 3 for a total of 13. Although this left the team somewhere in the middle of the field, it was an excellent effort, with every player contributing something to that total. Many of the team were also in this year's u14 squad and so will be available to play for the u16's for some years yet - the future looks bright at this level. The top counties in the u16 competition were 1st Kent (23½), 2nd Berkshire (21½) and 3rd Sussex (20½).
The u12's got of to a flier with 8/12 in the first round, which to be honest took the team management a bit by surprise, after all we were missing four players who would normally have been playing amongst the top six boards. Our euphoria was tempered only by the information that the all-conquering Sussex team had started with 12/12! Performance inevitably dropped slightly in later rounds but subsequent scores of 6, 5½ and 6½ showed admirable consistency. The team's final total of 26 was enough to leave them in a hugely creditable third place, only ½ a point off sharing second. It was a pleasure for the assembled Lancashire organisers, parents and helpers to applaud such a great group of youngsters as they were called up to receive their trophies. Two players in the team won board prizes - Henry Broadley shared the Board 1 prize with South Wales (both players scoring 3/4), whilst Judd Bennett shared the Board 7 prize with Sussex with a perfect score of 4/4. Sussex won the u12 competition by a country mile (I didn't catch their exact score), while Kent finished second on 26½ points.
The individual scores are listed below.
A special note on the u12 team. On the eve of this competition we found ourselves three players short and the team management were extremely grateful to Damon Chow and Michael Greenaway for stepping into the breach at short notice on Friday evening. On arrival at the venue we found that young Rachel Greenwood had travelled down with her brother Joe and their parents. Speaking to dad Colin, we decided that it would be too much to ask Rachel to occupy bottom board - after all she hasn't even played for Lancashire at her own age group (u9) yet. However when Rachel found out that we were one short she demanded to be allowed to play and so play she did! Without any one of these three players, the team would not have won trophies and we are grateful to them all.
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Members of the u12 team with their trophies - Matthew Fanning, Sikander Ali, Louis Rothwell, Henry Broadley, Michael Greenaway, Fiona McKenzie, Rachel Greenwood, Judd Bennett, Damon Chow, Joe Greenwood, Stephen Chung and Jordan Lewis (photograph courtesy of Colin Greenwood) |
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| Lancashire U16 Team | ||||||
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| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Michael Rabbitte | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| 2 | Nathan Talbot | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Nathan Taylor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Jamie Horton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Ben Atueyi | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ |
| 6 | Lothian Innes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Alex Rabbitte | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 2 |
| 8 | Dominic Lewis | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 3½ | 2½ | 3 | 13 | |
| Lancashire U12 Team | ||||||
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Henry Broadley | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3 |
| 2 | Sikander Ali | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1½ |
| 3 | Matthew Fanning | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Stephen Chung | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 2½ |
| 5 | Louis Rothwell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Jordan Lewis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Judd Bennett | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Joe Greenwood | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 9 | Damon Chow | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Michael Greenaway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Fiona McKenzie | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Rachel Greenwood | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| Total | 8 | 6 | 5½ | 6½ | 26 | |
2008 NYCA U18 and U14 Team Events
Report by U18 Team Manager, Bill O'Rourke
Above all else, first let me report that these teams are a joy to work with. Talented but with a great sense of humour, they are rarely in danger of taking each other too seriously. Which is strange, because they continue to improve and now the u14's are the runners up in the national u14 team championships.
Held at Edgbaston High School for Girls in Birmingham, twelve u14 and eight u18 players travelled down on the team mini-bus or with parents to do battle with mainly southern teams. The u18 team was shorn of its top two players who had to fit in the Manchester University open day, but thankfully James McConnachie stood in at the last minute. U14 team manager Pete Edhouse had got a very good u14 team out.
Round one saw an excellent start by the u14's with a 8/12, but the u18's came a cropper and stated poorly with a 2/8, proof indeed that it is tough at the top - there were several players in the 190 grades playing!
Round two was the reverse, perhaps a little complacency had set in, but the u14's were humbled 4.5/12 and dropped back to mid table. The u18's meanwhile reported an excellent 5/8 against tough opposition.
Round three saw the u14's back to form with another 8/12, pulling themselves into the top three. The u18's were finding it tough, but had a creditable 3½/8.
Round four saw plenty of tough games, but the u14's finished with a 6/12, an excellent 26½/48 total and second overall! This was behind a solid Sussex team. But Nathan Taylor won the board 1 prize with 4/4, as did Henry Broadley on board 2 with 3/4 and Ben Atueyi on board 6 with 3½/4! The u18's posted a final 4/8 to finish just out of the medals with 14½/32.
The omens are excellent. The vast majority of the u14 team are able to play again next year age wise, and will be receiving training from top players this season.
My many thanks to all the players and parents for an excellent day out!
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Members of the u14 team with their trophies - Moya O'Rourke, Aidan McCormack, Henry Broadley, Matthew Walsh, James Walsh, Jamie Horton, Sikander Ali and Benjamin Atueyi |
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The u18 team - Nick Bishop, Nathan Talbot, Michael Rabbitte, Abigail Pritchard, James McConnachie, Liam O'Rourke and Tom Fielding |
| Lancashire U18 Team | ||||||
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| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Michael Rabbitte | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 |
| 2 | Nathan Talbot | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1½ |
| 3 | Tom Fielding | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| 4 | Abigail Pritchard | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| 5 | Nicholas Bishop | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Liam O'Rourke | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Chris Brodie | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2½ |
| 8 | James McConnachie | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| Total | 2 | 5 | 3½ | 4 | 14½ | |
| Lancashire U14 Team | ||||||
| Board | Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
| 1 | Nathan Taylor | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Henry Broadley | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 3 |
| 3 | James Walsh | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1½ |
| 4 | Isobel Cotogni | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| 5 | Jamie Horton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Benjamin Atueyi | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 3½ |
| 7 | Matthew Walsh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Andrew Guy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Sikander Ali | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Matthew Fanning | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Aidan McCormack | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Moya O'Rourke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 4½ | 8 | 6 | 26½ | |
Previous Results
Detailed results from earlier events have been archived to the Online Bulletin area.