League playoffs in full swing

(Newcastle Chronicle, 5 April 2024)

Sports fans will know the agony and the ecstasy that goes into end-of-season playoffs. One inspired moment, and your team crowns its efforts by clinching promotion. One mistake, and you’re consigned to relegation.

This is the scenario North East chess clubs face, as April is the month where the Northumbria Chess League endgame plays out and it’s decided who goes up and down.
The champion team in the second to sixth divisions is automatically promoted, while the bottom team is automatically relegated.

The 2023-24 divisional champions are:

Division 1: Newcastle A (20/20)
Division 2: Newcastle University A (18/20)
Division 3: Tynemouth B (19/20)
Division 4: Gosforth Hawthorns (17/24)
Division 5: Newcastle University B (18/24)
Division 6: Newcastle B (18/20)

The unlucky relegated teams are: Tynemouth A (Div. 1), South Shields B (Div. 2), Forest Hall Woodpeckers (Div. 3), Morpeth C (Div. 4) and Leam Lane Comets (Div. 5).

In the playoffs, the second-top teams play the second-bottom teams of the division above for a place in that higher division – and in six- or seven-team divisions, this creates a lot of jeopardy in the second half of the season, as teams vie to go up and avoid going down.

The first playoff is being contested by Jesmond (Division 1) and Gosforth Salters (Division 2).

The second playoff, between Forest Hall Foxes (Div. 2) and Gosforth Centurions (Div. 3) has already been played, and resulted in a narrow 2.5-1.5 win to the Foxes. (A 2-2 draw means the team from the higher division stays up).

The third playoff is between Morpeth B (Div. 3) and Leam Lane Bullets (Div. 4).

The fourth playoff is an internal club affair: Forest Hall Squirrels (Div. 4) play Forest Hall Owls (Division 5).

The fifth playoff is between Tynedale (Div. 4) and Alnwick C (Div. 6).

In the Northumberland Individual Championships (open to players from Northumbria League clubs and residents in Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside), the Zollner (Open) section has been decided with a round to go. The winner (for the sixth time, in a record of victories stretching back to 1991) is Tim Wall (Newcastle), who has 5/5 and cannot be caught by second-placed Gustavo Leon Cazares (Gosforth) on 4.5/6).

The other two competitions remain wide open. In the Sell (Under 1950), Paul Bielby (South Shields) leads with 4/6, followed by Mick Riding (Gosforth) and Dalil Benchebra (Leam Lane) 3.5/5, and Alex Blake (Gosforth) 3/5.

In the Gilroy (Under 1700), Mark McKay (Gosforth) leads with 5/6, followed by Andrew Robinson, Alex Blake (both Gosforth) and Jeff Baid (Forest Hall) on 4.5/5; and Dave Peardon (South Shields) and Kevin Cox (Gateshead) 4/5.