Gosforth face Forest Hall in KO final showdown

(Chronicle Chess 9 September 2023)

The Northumberland Summer Chess Knockout has always produced a bunch of surprises, and this year has proved no exception.

The Cup Semi-Final between Gosforth Salters (Division 2, let’s call them the Giants in this case) and Gosforth Woodbines (Division 5, who we can safely call the Giantkillers) battled it out on Monday for a place in the Final against Forest Hall A (the even bigger Giants).

The first shock result in the match was between Jonathan Rooney (Woodbines), who scored a draw with former Irish champion Ray Devenney (Salters) on Board 4. This left the Salters having to win all three remaining games to win the match, due to the handicap system, which gave the Woodbines a 2.5 points start.

On Board 1, the Salters’ young Uzbek sensation Shah Saliev safely defeated the Woodbines’ Antonio Stepanovic, while on Board 3 Gosforth Salters captain Mick Riding dispatched the Woodbines’ Michael Owen.

This meant it all came down to whether Stefan Hartmann (Salters) could beat Woodbines’ captain David Pritchard in a drawish-looking endgame. As Stefan’s final pawn was exchanged, leaving no result except a draw, the cheers went up from the watching Woodbines, as the underdogs – by scoring 1-3, with the handicap had won 3.5-3.

The Woodbines now go through to meet Forest Hall A, the Division 1 champions, who defeated Jesmond 4-0 in their semi-final.

In the KO Final, Forest Hall A have to win 4-0 for victory, as the Woodbines have a 3.5 points start. The Final is due to take place at Gosforth Empire Club on Tuesday 12 September.

In other news, as the Northumbria League gears up for the 2023-24 season, Jesmond Chess Club have revealed that their new match venue is at the Punch Bowl, 125 Jesmond Rd NE2 1JY, from 7:15pm on Thursday evenings. For more info on Jesmond Chess Club, contact Andy Trevelyan on: andytrev@gmail.com

The West Jesmond Junior Club has also resumed its Sunday afternoon sessions, at Jesmond Library, St George’s Terrace NE2 2DL – now from 2:30pm-4:30pm. To attend and more info, please contact Tim Wall on: timpeterwall@gmail.com or text/call: 0750 372 2366.

The upcoming 59 th Northumberland Weekend Congress, at the Parks Leisure Centre, North Shields, runs from Friday 29th September to Sunday 1st October 2023. Entries are welcome for the Open, Major, Minor and Foundation sections, with an online entry form available at: https://northumberlandchess.wixsite.com/congress

Entries are currently over the 50 mark, with the organisers hoping to reach close to last year’s numbers of 130-plus.