In seconds, it will all be over. The outcome depends on who makes their move before the time runs out. North East fans watching the World Championship this week between Ding Liren and Dommaraju Gukesh in Singapore were thrilled to see the players scrambling as the seconds ticked down to zero.
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.
All the tell-tale signs of the Christmas season are already upon us. The parties are beginning, Slade’s on the jukebox and Fenwick’s ‘12 Days of Christmas’ window display is in full swing.
The great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said that “football isn’t just a matter of life and death. It’s much more important than that.” But learning to cope with victory and defeat with equal grace, and recognising that a sport is just a game that we play by the rules, is a very important life lesson.
The 2024-25 edition of the North East’s longest-running chess tournaments, the Northumberland Championships, are the biggest in recent years, with a total of 65 competitors. The Open (Zollner) could well see a new champion this season.
Gosforth Empire have surged into an early lead in Division 1 of the Northumbria League, ahead of last year’s champions Newcastle Dragons and newly promoted Newcastle University A.
Chess clubs around the North East are staging their biggest recruitment drive of recent years as new players are taking up the game in droves. Encouraged by playing online, many new players are joining chess clubs – in schools, libraries, social clubs and pubs. Clubs are reaching out more to recruit new members – offering a mix of friendly and competitive chess.
Alnwick Grandmaster Danny Gormally enjoyed a handsome victory in the North East Qualifier for the 2024 UK Blitz Championships, held on Sunday 6th October at Gosforth Empire Club. Gormally scored 14.5 points out of 15, well ahead of the field.
I may have just played my finest chess game of the year. Despite never entering the Northumbria Individual Championship before, I decided to leap into the deep end and compete in the prestigious Zollner section for the first time.
Alnwick grandmaster Danny Gormally won the 60th Northumberland Weekend Congress, but only after seeing off a strong challenge from three seriously under-rated junior players.