Newcastle Dragons go top in Northumbria League
(Newcastle Chronicle, 22 November 2024)
Two teams from Newcastle Chess Club, formed just last year, have gone top in their divisions of the Northumbria League. Newcastle Dragons are leading Division 1 with 6 match points from four matches, while Newcastle Jesters lead Division 4 with 4 points from three matches.
Gosforth, the biggest club in the North East with 10 league teams, lead Divisions 2 and 6 with a maximum 6 points each from three matches for the Regents and Siths teams.
Leam Lane Bullets lead Division 3 with 4 points from two matches, while South Shields Sand-dancers lead Division 5 with 6 points from three matches.
Newcastle have been involved in some of the most dramatic matches so far, with the Dragons’ top board, Tim Wall, being involved in frantic time scrambles with Newcastle University’s Husain Nakara and Leam Lane’s Graeme Oswald. Against Nakara, Wall lost on time after the digital clock malfunctioned, while against Oswald the players agreed a draw with just seconds on the clock, despite Oswald having checkmate in two moves available.
Northumbria Chess League tables so far:
Division 1
1 Newcastle Dragons 6
2 Gosforth Empire 5
3 Newcastle University A 4
4 Jesmond Monarchs 3
5 Tynemouth 2
6 Leam Lane Aces 0
7 Gosforth Salters 0
Division 2
1 Gosforth Regents 6
2 Morpeth A 5
3 Tynemouth B 2
4 South Shields Arbeians 2
5 Alnwick A 1
6 Gosforth Centurions 1
7 Forest Hall Dragons 1
Division 3
1 Leam Lane Bullets 4
2 Gosforth Ivy 3
3 Gateshead 2
4 Morpeth B 2
5 Forest Hall Titans 2
6 Gosforth Hawthorns 1
7 Gosforth Woodbines 0
Division 4
1 Newcastle Jesters 4
2 Tynedale 4
3 Newcastle University B 3
4 Forest Hall Phoenixes 3
5 Tynemouth C 2
6 Alnwick B 1
7 Gosforth Jedis 1
Division 5
1 South Shields Sand-dancers 6
2 Jesmond Knights 4
3 Forest Hall Griffins 4
4 Morpeth C 3
5 Gosforth Otterburns 2
6 Tynemouth D 2
7 Forest Hall Centaurs 1
8 Alnwick C 0
Division 6
1 Gosforth Siths
2 Forest Hall Wizards
3 Newcastle University C
4 Newcastle Cavaliers
5 South Shields Custodians
6 Cramlington Royals
7 Morpeth D
8 Newcastle University Women
The Northumbria Junior Chess Association is planning a junior tournament with sections for primary and secondary school players at Newcastle Preparatory School Sports Hall, Clayton Road, Jesmond on Saturday 7th December. Entries online at: https://njcachess.co.uk/.
PUZZLES
Puzzle A: Capablanca (White, to play) v Graham, 1919.
Puzzle B: Carmichael (White, to play) v Alekhine, 1926.
Puzzle C: Lasker (Black, to play) v. Bird, 1892.
Puzzle D: Bird (White, to play) v Lasker, 1892.
ANSWERS:
A: 1 Rxc6+! 1-0. If 1…Qxc6 2 Ne7+ wins.
B: 1 Kh3! Qd3+ 2 g3 1-0. If 2…Qf5+ 3 g4+ Qxg4 4 Qxg4 checkmate.
C: 1…Rxd1! 2 Rxd1 Bxe4 and Black wins by …Bxg2 and …h1(Q).
D: 1 Rg1 Bb4+ 2 Ke2 Qh3 3 Bxf7+! Kd8 (if 3…Kxf7 4 Ng5+) 4 Bxg7 Ne7 5 Ng5 Qh4 6 Ne6 checkmate.