Newcastle Chess Club moves to Haymarket

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 25 April 2025)

It’s not quite the same scale as Newcastle United’s mooted move from St. James’s Park, but Newcastle Chess Club is on the move – to a brand-new city centre location literally just a hop, skip and knight’s jump from Haymarket Metro.

Until this week, Newcastle Chess Club met on Thursdays at Newcastle Labour Club on Leazes Park Road, near the football ground. The Labour Club has been a traditional venue to watch Toon matches on TV.

From 26 April, the Labour Club is moving after 46 years to the corner of Northumberland Street and Percy Street. The refurbished premises are just 5 metres away from the entrance to Haymarket Metro station – in what was once a branch of Lloyds Bank.

The new Labour Club (along with Newcastle Chess Club) will reopen their doors to the public on Saturday May 10, the day before Newcastle United’s crucial home tie versus Chelsea.

Newcastle Chess Club’s first home fixture at their new venue is on Thursday 15 May, starting at 7:15pm, where two of their teams will take part in the first round of the Northumberland Chess Association’s Summer Handicap.

Newcastle Cavaliers play Gateshead in what promises to be a tight match, while Newcastle Sheriffs take on the experienced Gosforth Ivy. The other matches that night will be Forest Hall Lions v. Jesmond and Gosforth Siths v. Tynemouth.

The 2025 Summer Handicap has a bumper entry of 26 teams, including eight from Gosforth, four from Newcastle, three from Forest Hall, two each from Alnwick, Morpeth and Cramlington, and one each from Gateshead, Jesmond, South Shields and Tynemouth.

The teams of four are assigned a rating handicap, so that a first division team must often win 4-0 or 3.5-0.5 against a lower-rated side.

The 26 teams are divided into two World Cup-style qualifying groups, playing matches between May and July. Group A teams play at Morpeth and Gosforth, and Group B teams play at Newcastle and Gosforth.

Two teams from each group go into the Cup semi-finals, while the third and fourth teams qualify for the Plate semi-finals. The semi-finals and finals take place in early September at Gosforth.

Newcastle Dragons (Division 1 champions) and Newcastle Jesters (Division 4 champions) – are likely to be among the favourites for the Cup, while teams from Gateshead, Gosforth and Forest Hall are also potential winners.

PUZZLES:

Puzzle A: Sengupta-Gallagher, 2024. White to move.

Puzzle B: Kovalsky-Sivanandan, 2024. White to move.

Puzzle C: Kantans-Michalchik, 2024. White to move.

Puzzle D: Garsky-Kirtadze, 2024. Black to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Qd4! Rxd4 (1…Rg8 2 hxg7+ Rxg7 3 Rd8+ Nf8 4 Rxf8 mate) 2 Rc8+ leads to mate.
B: 1 Rxh6+! Nh7 (1…gxh6 2 Qg8 mate) 2 Rxh7+! Kxh7 3 Qh5 mate.
C: 1 Rg6! hxg6 2 Qxg6 Rc3 3 Nd7+ wins.
D: 1…Rf4! 2 Qf1 (2 gxf4 Qg2 mate) Qxh4+! 3 gxh4 (3 Qh3 Qxh3+ 4 Kxh3 Rh6 mate) Rxh4+ 4 Qh3 Rg2+ 5 Kh1 Rxh3 mate.

Darlington hosts summer events

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 18 April 2025)

As summer approaches, the chess action switches from weeknight league matches to weekend tournaments.

The Durham Congress is at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre from May 11-13. It includes Open, Major and Minor tournaments, plus a one-day junior event on Sunday 13.

Top players include Alnwick Grandmaster Danny Gormally, Newcastle FIDE Master Andy Burnett and Ukrainian junior Maksym Larchikov. To enter online, go to: https://durhamchesscongress.co.uk.

There are several junior tournaments around the region this summer. The UK Chess Challenge’s Teesside MegaFinal is at Yarm School, Stockton-on-Tees, on Sunday May 4, and Northumbria MegaFinal at Royal Grammar School, Newcastle, on Saturday June 14. To enter, go to: https://delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com.

The North East EJCOA Qualifier is at Jesmond Library on Sunday 25 May, from 12 noon to 4:00pm, with Under 10, Under 14 and Under 18 sections. To enter, go to: https://ejcoa.co.uk or https://northumbriamasters.com, or contact the organiser, Tim Wall, at: timpeterwall@gmail.com.

The Northumbria Masters is at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre from August 20-25. Along with Open, Challengers and Major tournaments, the congress includes an outdoor chess festival on Saturday August 23. For full info, go to: https://northumbriamasters.com.

Some of the Northumbria League divisions have already been decided.

In Division 1, Newcastle Dragons (17 points, one match to go) look set to claim their second title win in two seasons after they pulled ahead of Gosforth Empire (also 17 points, all matches played). Leam Lane Aces (3) are relegated, while a dogfight between Gosforth Salters (8) and Jesmond Monarchs (7) will decide the second relegation spot.

In Division 2, South Shields Arbeians (15, two matches to go) and Gosforth Regents (15, all matches played) are promoted. Gosforth Centurions (4) are relegated, along with either Morpeth A (10) or Alnwick A (8).

Promotion favourites in Division 3 are Gateshead and Leam Lane Bullets (both 14), while only one of Gosforth Hawthorns, Forest Hall Titans and Morpeth B (all on 8 points) will escape relegation.

Newcastle Jesters (20) have wrapped up the Division 4 title, ahead of Forest Hall Phoenixes (19), who are also promoted. At the foot of the table, Alnwick B (4) are relegated, along with either Gosforth Jedis or Tynemouth C (both 7).

With two matches to play, the top two Division 5 teams are promoted: Jesmond Knights (22) and South Shields Sand-dancers (19). The scramble to avoid relegation centres on Alnwick C (5), Forest Hall Griffins (8), Morpeth C and Forest Hall centaurs (both 9).

In Division 6, both Gosforth Siths (21) and Newcastle Cavaliers (19) are safely promoted.

PUZZLES

Puzzle A: Anton-Plat, 2024. White to play.

Puzzle B: Del Rio-Troncosco, 2024. White to move.

Puzzle C: Edouard-Vlachos, 2024. White to move.

Puzzle D: Kantor-Starosta, 2024. White to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Rxf7+! Kxf7 2 Qf6 mate.
B: 1 Rxc8! Raxc8 2 Nef5+! gxf5 3 Nxf5+ Kg8 4 Qxf6 Qf8 5 Nxh6+ Qxh6 6 Qxh6 wins.
C: 1 Rxe7+! Rxe7 2 Qxg6+ Kh8 3 Qxh5+ Kg8 4 Rg3+ Rg7 5 Rxg7+ Kxg7 6 Qh7 mate.
D: 1 Rxf7+! Kxf7 2 Rc7+ Kf8 3 Qd6+ Kg8 4 Qxe6+ Kf8 5 Qf7 mate.

Newcastle overtake Gosforth in title race

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 11 April 2025)

Newcastle Dragons are favourites to win the Northumbria Division 1 title after beating Gosforth Empire 2.5-1.5 this week.

Newcastle’s Andy Burnett and Zheming Zhang won, while Gosforth’s James Ross was victorious. Tim Wall (Newcastle) successfully held an endgame draw against Gustavo Leon Cazares (Gosforth).

Newcastle have 17 points from 11 matches, with 31.5 game points, ahead of Gosforth (17 points from 12 matches, 31 game points). Gosforth Empire have finished their matches, but Newcastle play their final match on April 21 against Gosforth Salters.

Newcastle University A (15 points from 11 matches, 28.5 game points) can still mathematically catch Newcastle, but it’s unlikely. Leam Lane (3) are going down after losing to Gosforth Salters 3-1, while the Salters (8) and Jesmond Monarchs (7) are battling to stay up.

Division 1:
1 Newcastle Dragons 17;
2 Gosforth Empire 17;
3 Newcastle University A 15;
4 Tynemouth A 9;
5 Gosforth Salters 8;
6 Jesmond Monarchs 7;
7 Leam Lane Aces 3.

The Division 2 race is between Gosforth Regents (14, two matches to play), South Shields Arbeians (13, three to play) and Tynemouth B (12, one to play). Gosforth Centurions (4) are likely to go down, with either Morpeth A (9) or Alnwick A (8) joining them.

Division 2:
1 Gosforth Regents 14;
2 South Shields Arbeians 13;
3 Tynemouth B 12;
4 Forest Hall Dragons 10;
5 Morpeth A 9;
6 Alnwick A 8;
7 Gosforth Centurions 4.

Division 3 is very close, with Leam Lane Bullets and Gateshead tied on 14 points. Gosforth Hawthorns & Forest Hall Titans (8 from 10) are battling with Morpeth B (6 from 9) to avoid relegation.

Division 3:
1-2 Leam Lane Bullets & Gateshead 14;
3 Gosforth Ivy 10;
4 Gosforth Woodbines 10;
5 Gosforth Hawthorns 8;
6 Forest Hall Titans 8;
7 Morpeth B 6.

In Division 4, Forest Hall Phoenixes are a point ahead of Newcastle Jesters.

Division 4:
1 Forest Hall Phoenixes 19;
2 Newcastle Jesters 18;
3 Tynedale A 13;
4 Newcastle University B 10;
5-6 Tynemouth C & Gosforth Jedis 7;
7 Alnwick B 4.

Jesmond Knights are Division 5 champions, with South Shields Sand-dancers also promoted.

Division 5:
1 Jesmond Knights 22;
2 South Shields S-D 17;
3-4 Tynemouth D & Gosforth Otterburns 12;
5-6 Forest Hall Centaurs & Morpeth C 9;
7 Forest Hall Griffins 8;
8 Alnwick C 5.

Gosforth Siths and Newcastle Cavaliers are promoted from Division 6.

Division 6:
1 Gosforth Siths 21;
2 Newcastle Cavaliers 19;
3 Newcastle University C 16;
4 South Shields Custodians 12;
5 Forest Hall Wizards 11;
6 Morpeth D 9;
7 Cramlington Royals 8;
8 Newcastle University Women 2.

PUZZLES

Puzzle A: White to move.

Puzzle B: White to move.

Puzzle C: Kasparov-Tatai. White to move.

Puzzle D: Henri Rinck’s study. White to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Rh8! Rxa7 2 Rh7+.
B: 1 Be5+! Kxe5 2 Qc3+.
C: 1 Qh6+ Ke7 2 Qg7+ Kxd6 (2…Kd8 3 Qf8+ Kc7 4 Nb5+) 3 Qf8+.
D: 1 Ra8! Qa2 (1…Qxa8 2 Bf3+; 1…Qc4 2 Rc8+; 1…Qh7 2 Bg6 Qxg6 3 Ra6+) 2 Rxa4 Qxa4 3 Be8+.

Our club moves to Haymarket

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From Thursday May 15, Newcastle Chess Club will move its club hub to: Newcastle Labour Club, The Hub, Haymarket, Newcastle NE1 7PF.

This is directly opposite Haymarket Metro Station, on the corner of Northumberland Street and Percy Street.

We will meet weekly there on Thursday evenings from 7:00pm to 10:30pm for friendly games, blitz, rapidplay and standard play competitions and league chess.

(We currently meet temporarily at Newcastle Labour Club’s old premises, at 11 Leazes Park Road, NE1 4PF. These premises close on April 26.)

Our other venues remain the same:

JUNIOR CLUB: Newcastle Junior Chess Club meets on Sunday afternoons at Jesmond Library, St George’s Terrace, Jesmond NE2 2DL. 2:30-4:30pm.

LIBRARY CLUB: Free drop-in chess club at Newcastle City Library (Level 1) on Saturdays, 11am-1pm. Come along for a friendly game and a chat. All welcome!

More info: Tim Wall, Tel: 07503 722366, email: timpeterwall@gmail.com, or visit https://newcastlechessclub.com/. 

Northumberland Champs showdown looms

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 4 April 2025)

Whatever your sport – whether it’s the FA Premier League or the pub darts league – fans love thrilling head-to-head showdowns at the end of the season. As the 2024-25 winter chess season draws to a close, all three sections of the Northumberland Championships are set for exciting finales going into the decisive last round.

In the Zollner (Open) tournament, Andy Burnett and Tim Wall (Newcastle) are leading with 4.5/6. Half a point behind in equal third are Husain Nakara (Newcastle University), Gustavo Leon Cazares (Gosforth) and Paul Dargan (Tynemouth) on 4 points.

Other Zollner scores: 6 Andy Trevelyan (Jesmond) 3.5; 7-10 David Armbruster, Jack Erskine-Pereira (Gosforth) John Boyd (South Shields), Chris Izod (Jesmond) 3; 11-12 Nathan Ekanem (Newcastle) and Gary Murphy (Jesmond) 2; 13 Dalil Benchebra 1.5.

The top pairings are Burnett v Dargan, Wall v Trevelyan and Nakara v Leon Cazares.
If Burnett and Wall both win, a two-game playoff match is in prospect.

In the Sell (Under 2000), Alex Blake (Gosforth) and Stuart Skelsey (Forest Hall) are tied for first on 5/6, followed by Jounaid El Archi (Newcastle) and Paul Bielby (South Shields) equal third on 4.

Other Sell scores: 5-6 Raj Mohindra (Forest Hall) and Mick Riding (Gosforth) 3.5; 7-8 John Awesome (Newcastle) and Morgan French (Forest Hall) 3; 9-10 Mark McKay (Gosforth) and Jeremy Revell (Newcastle) 2.5; 11-14 Reece Wright (Forest Hall), Michael Allen (Newcastle University), Andrew Robinson and Alan Green (Gosforth) 2; 15 Ian Chester 1.5; 16 Stamen Kolev 0.5.

Both leaders face dangerous former champions: Skelsey faces Bielby, while Blake faces Riding.

In the Gilroy (Under 1700), David Simm (Morpeth) and Jonny Kearney (Tynedale) are on 5/6. In third place is Denise Mosse (Gateshead). In equal fourth there is a pileup of seven players on 4 points: Darren McCarthy (Alnwick), Ethan Tatters (Forest Hall), Alfie McMonagle and Thomas Cameron (Newcastle University), Kevin Cox (Gateshead), Michael Owen and Antonio Stipanovic (Gosforth).

Other Gilroy scores: 11-15 Ian Rook and Jonathan Solomon (Forest Hall), Martin Brookes (Tynemouth), Tom Krause and Alykhan Bandali (Gosforth) 3.5; 16-21 James Phillips (Newcastle), Andrew Hardy (Alnwick), Gautham Satishkumar, Sanjay Satishkumar, Joey Pramana and Alex Piercy (Gosforth) 3; 22-28 Dave Peardon (South Shields), Jonathan Rooney, Brandon Russell, Ethan Ross, Viaan Vokul Nath (Gosforth), Viktorija Bezganovic and James Flint (Newcastle University) 2.5; 29-30 Felix Glover and Aaron Cheung (Gosforth) 2; 31-35 Daniel Atcheson (Newcastle), Alan Smith, Bob Heyman, Vishnu Sraram and Steve Armstrong (Gosforth) 1.5; 36 Simon Horrocks (Gosforth) 1.

The seventh-round pairings pit Simm and Kearney against each other.

PUZZLES

This week’s puzzles feature swift retribution after one-move blunders in the Northumberland Championships.

Puzzle A: Armbruster-Dargan, Zollner 24-25 after 31 Re7? Black to move.

Puzzle B: Skelsey-Morgan, Sell 24-25 after 8…Nxd5? White to move.

Puzzle C: Awesome-Bielby, Sell 24-25 after 52 Rg2? Black to move.

Puzzle D: Mosse-Simm, Gilroy 24-25 after 24 axb4? Black to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 31…Bb5+! 0-1.
B: 9 Qa4+ 1-0.
C: 52…Qc1+! 0-1.
D: 24…Ra1+! 0-1.

What’s in a chess nickname?

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 28 March 2025)

The new BBC2 show “Chess Masters: The Endgame” has been attracting attention for the nicknames given to the contestants.


Floppy-haired actor Cai from London was dubbed “The Unruly Knight”, while Glasgow postgrad Caitlin Reid was “The Smiling Assassin”.

Another incongruous nickname was given to Welsh schoolteacher Claire, described as the “Killer Queen”, given that she chatted amiably with her opponents.

Nick, from South London, told us proudly why he was known as “The Swashbuckler”, just before he unwisely grabbed a couple of pawns in the opening and was checkmated in 15 moves.

Of course, it’s all a bit of fun and is clearly borrowed from darts, snooker and boxing. Hopefully “Chess Masters” can come up with more imaginative nicknames for future series.

Top chess players throughout history have often acquired quirky nicknames – some flattering, others less so.

Mikhail Tal, the eighth world champion renowned for his tactical wizardry, was known as the “Magician from Riga”, while current world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has been described grandly as “The Mozart of Chess”.

Garry Kasparov was dubbed the “Beast from Baku” by his terrorised opponents, while 19th century American prodigy Paul Morphy was known as “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, as he stopped playing at the peak of his fame.

Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch was called “Praeceptor Germaniae” (The Teacher of Germany) by his admirers, but “The Housewife” for his homely practical tips by rival Aron Nimzowitsch.

Over-the-board habits sometimes result in unflattering monikers. “The Piece Twirler” is a nickname given to Israeli grandmaster Boris Gelfand for his tendency to constantly play with a captured piece in his hand during games, while Yugoslavia’s Milan Matulovich was christened “J’adoubovich” ever since he said “J’adoube” (“I adjust”) after taking a move back in a tournament and moving another piece.

English players have had colourful nicknames, too. Joseph Blackburne, a 19th century master, was known affectionately as “The Black Death”, due to the colour of his bushy black beard, while mathematician John Nunn, at 15 the youngest undergraduate at Oxford since Cardinal Wolsey, was dubbed “The Doctor” by his England teammates.

Sometimes what people are called in print sticks. Nigel Short, Lancashire’s world championship challenger, was dubbed “Nosher” after Kingpin, a satirical chess magazine, published a rude anagram of his name, while onetime world No. 5 Jon Speelman has always been known as “Spess” since The Times misspelled his surname as “Specimen”.

These days, it’s YouTube personalities who have popular nicknames. Levy Rozman is “Gotham Chess”, while England’s Simon Williams is “The Ginger GM” due to his flaming red hair.

The North East’s most famous chess player, grandmaster Danny Gormally from Alnwick, has various nicknames, ranging from “The Quizmaster” to “The Gormaliser”.

PUZZLES

Puzzle A: Gormally-Zeidler, 1999. White to move.

Puzzle B: Steinkuehler-Blackburne, 1863. Black to move.

Puzzle C: Short-Miles, 1984 (variation). White to move.

Puzzle D: Visser-Speelman, 2006. Black to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Rf1! 1-0. If 1…Qxh4 2 Rf8 mate.
B: 1…Qg1+! 2 Rxg1 Nf2+ 3 Kg2 Bh3 mate.
C: 1 Qf8+! wins. If 1…Kxf8 2 Nxd7+, or 1…Rxf8 2 Nxd7.
D: 1…Qg1+! 2 Rxg1 Nf2 mate.

Gosforth battle Newcastle for title

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 21 March 2025)

As the Northumbria Chess League nears its climax, one match will decide the overall winner. Gosforth Empire enjoy a slim lead in Division 1 but are being hard pressed by Newcastle Dragons.


The two teams will battle it out at Gosforth Empire Club on 7th April. If Gosforth win or draw, they will almost certainly win the title. Newcastle need to win to go into pole position.

With two rounds to go, from 10 matches Gosforth Empire have 16 points, Newcastle Dragons have 15 and Newcastle University A 14. Both Gosforth Empire and Newcastle Dragons beat Jesmond Monarchs in their most recent matches. Gosforth won 4-0, while Newcastle won 3.5-0.5. Newcastle have 29 game points, while Gosforth have 27.5. Game points are used in a tie-break if match points are equal.

Newcastle University’s challenge faded after they could only draw against Gosforth Salters. The University need both Gosforth and Newcastle to slip up if they are to have a chance to overtake them. At the foot of Division 1, Leam Lane and Gosforth Salters are in a dogfight, with one team facing relegation. Full scores: Tynemouth A 8, Jesmond Monarchs 7, Gosforth Salters 4, Leam Lane Aces 2.

In Division 2, Gosforth Regents are on 14 points, ahead of South Shields Arbeians on 13 and Tynemouth B on 12. Mid-table there’s Morpeth A on 9 and Forest Hall Dragons on 8. The two teams battling it out to avoid relegation are Alnwick A on 6 and Gosforth Centurions on 4.

Gateshead lead Division 3 with 14 points from 10 matches, ahead of Leam Lane Bullets on 13 from 9 matches. Mid-table Gosforth Ivy, Gosforth Woodbines and Forest Hall Titans are on 8, while Gosforth Hawthorns on 7 and Morpeth B on 4 are battling to avoid relegation.

With two rounds to go, the favourites to win Division 4 are Newcastle Jesters on 16, ahead of Tynedale on 13. Forest Hall Phoenixes have 11 from 8 matches. Further back are Newcastle University B 9, Gosforth Jedis 7, Tynemouth C 6 and Alnwick B 4.

In Division 5 Jesmond Knights lead with 18 points ahead of South Shields Sand-Dancers on 15. Mid-table there’s Tynemouth D 12, Gosforth Otterburns 10, Forest Hall Griffins 8 and Forest Hall Centaurs 7. Alnwick C and Morpeth C on 5 both face relegation.

Who will win Division 6 is too close to call. Gosforth Siths have 19 after 12 matches, while Newcastle Cavaliers have 17 after 11 matches. Newcastle University C are on 15, Forest Hall Wizards 11, South Shields Custodians 10, Cramlington Royals and Morpeth D 6, Newcastle University Women 4.

PUZZLES

Puzzle A: Black to move.

Puzzle B: Black to move.

Puzzle C: White to move.

Puzzle D: White to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1…Rd2+! 2 Bxd2 (or 2 Bf2 e3 mate) e3 mate.
B: 1…Rh4+! 2 gxh4 Qf3 mate.
C: 1 Ra8+! Bxa8 (or 1…Kxa8 2 Qb8 mate) 2 Qb8 mate.
D: 1 Rxb7+! Kxb7 2 Qb5 mate.

‘Chess Masters’ comes to TV

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 14 March 2025)

This Monday, a new half-hour TV show called “Chess Masters: The Endgame” aired on BBC2 with Sue Perkins, and it’s getting a wide range of reactions.


The format is a light-hearted mix between “Bake Off,” “Only Connect” and a knockout chess tournament, and is designed to draw in viewers who don’t know much about the game. Twelve participants are assigned to two qualifying groups of six players each, and a mix of rapidplay games and visualisation puzzles are used to eliminate one competitor every week. The top two players from each group then go through to the semi-finals stage.

Despite the title, the competition does not include any masters. In this, it differs from “The Master Game”, a popular BBC show in the 1970s and 80s, which featured strong grandmasters, giving their thoughts on their moves in voiceovers. In the new show, players of average club strength have been chosen to reflect diverse demographics, with most young adults (there are no senior citizens or child prodigies in sight).

Players are given nicknames such as “The Killer Queen” and “The Unruly Knight”. Three-time British champion David Howell and Anthony Maturin, a chess coach who appeared recently on “The Traitors,” are on hand to explain the chess and offer encouragement.

The commentary is also different to what chess players are used to viewing on Twitch, YouTube and Chess.com. Mixed in with relatively advanced concepts such as back-rank checkmate and controlling the centre are the mechanics of how the knight moves, checkmate and castling.

TV reviewers so far have ranged from very enthusiastic to somewhat disappointed. “Could the BBC succeed in making chess sexy? Not quite but they did make it pretty darned exciting,” wrote Michael Hogan in The Telegraph, describing the show as “quietly compelling and full of chequered charm.”

Carol Midgeley in The Times said it was inevitable that chess “had to wear reality TV clothing, with the old ‘one of you will leave the competition today’ shtick in place to create tension”. But she added it had “a wholesome nerdy charm that is seductive.”

The most negative review came from Lucy Mangan in The Guardian, who described the programme as “thin, tired and scared.” She wrote: “[It] could have been gentle and charming if somebody involved had had some faith in the game, in the potential for people to be interested in explanations of its finer points or allowed Sue Perkins off the leash a bit to make more jokes”.

“Chess Masters: The Endgame” can be viewed at 8:00 pm on Mondays on BBC2 or watched on the iPlayer.

PUZZLES

Puzzle A: King-Conquest, 1985. White to move.

Puzzle B: Gara-Wall, 2025. Black to move.

Puzzle C: Pert-Ganguly, 2001. White to move.

Puzzle D: Keene-Miles, 1975. White to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Nf6+! Qxf6 2 Qxf6 wins. (If 1…Kh8 2 Qxh5+ leads to mate)
B: 1…Bc2! 2 Qxc2 Ne5 3 Bc4 Nxf3+ 4 gxf3 Qh2+ 5 Kf1 dxe3 6 Nc3 e2+! 7 Nxe2 Qxh3+ 8 Kg1 Bh2+ 0-1. If 9 Kh1 Bg3+ 10 Kg1 Qh2+ 11 Kf1 Qxf2 mate.
C: 1 Ng5+! Rxg5 2 Qf7+ Kh6 3 Qxf6+ Kh7 4 Qf6+ Kh7 5 Qf7+ Kh6 6 Rxe6+ wins.
D: 1 Qb1! Ne5 2 dxe5 Ne4 3 Nxe4 Kh7 4 Nf6+! Bxf6 5 Qxg6+ Kh8 6 Bg7+1-0.

Wall regains Zollner lead

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 7 March 2025)

The reigning Northumberland Open Individual Champion, Tim Wall, has regained the lead in the 2024-25 Zollner Championship, going half a point ahead of Scotsman Andrew Burnett as results from the penultimate round come in.


Wall defeated Chris Izod (Jesmond) in 25 moves in a complex Advance French after Izod got his queen and bishop caught in a queenside trap. Rather than soldier on a piece down, Izod sought to swap his queen for rook, bishop and two pawns – only to find that his bishop was also trapped. In the space of four short moves, the game had swung from advantage Black to winning for White, and Izod was forced to resign.

The result allows Wall, of Newcastle Chess Club, to leapfrog Burnett, his clubmate, into the lead. Wall now has 4.5/6, while Burnett (on 4/5) now faces Gosforth’s No. 1 player, Gustavo Leon Cazares (3.5/5), in his sixth-round game. A win for Burnett would make him odds-on favourite to win his first Zollner title, while a win for Leon Cazares or a draw would allow Wall to share the lead with one or other of those two players.

After the current round, there is one more round to go. A tie after seven rounds would be decided by a playoff match of two games, with sudden death games following that if necessary.

Wall has six Zollner titles (1990-91, 1992-93, 1994-95, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24), matching the tally by Peter Oakley in the 1970s and 80s. A win in this year’s competition would allow him to surpass Oakley’s record.

The Zollner Championship is named after the Danish consul to Newcastle, Louis Zollner (1854-1945), who was a longtime Newcastle resident, as well as one of the region’s strongest players. Zollner awarded his silver Viking trophy to the newly formed Northumberland Chess Association in 1930, and it has been presented for the winner of the Northumberland Championship ever since.

The Zollner Trophy is one of the world’s most iconic chess trophies, depicting the 10th century Viking king and ruler of Normandy, Rollo, with a longsword in hand. It has been valued by the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow at £25,000.

Full 2024-25 Zollner scores so far:
1 Wall 4.5/6;
2 Burnett 4/5;
3 Leon Cazares 3.5;
4-9 Husain Nakara (Newcastle University), Paul Dargan (Tynemouth), David Armbruster & Jack Erskine-Pereira (Gosforth) 3/5, Chris Izod (Jesmond), John Boys (South Shields) 3/6;
10 Andy Trevelyan (Jesmond) 2.5/5;
11 Nathan Ekanem (Newcastle) 2/5;
12 Gary Murphy (Jesmond) 1.5/5;
13 Dalil Benchebra (Leam Lane) 1/5.

PUZZLES

This week’s puzzles feature games by Zollner champions past and present.

Puzzle A: Oakley-Bielby, 1980. White to move.

Puzzle B: Wall-Izod, 2025. White to move.

Puzzle C: Storey-Walker, 1999. Black to move.

Puzzle D: Bielby-McDonald, 2019. White to move.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Bf6! 1-0. If 1…Rd7 2 Rc8+ Kh7 3 Rh8 mate.
B: 1 N1d2 Qa4 2 Bb2 Bxb2 3 Rxa4 Bxc1 4 Nb3 1-0.
C: 1…Rxg3+! 2 hxg3 Qxg3+ 3 Ng2 Bd4+ 0-1. If 4 Qxd4 Qxg2 mate, or 4 Kh1 Qh3 mate.
D: 1 Rh8+! 1-0. If 1…Kxh8 2 Qxh6+ Rh7 (2…Kg8 3 Rf8 mate) 3 Rf8+ wins.

Northumberland takes junior challenge

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 28 February 2025)

It’s been a few years since Northumberland entered the Pennine Cup, the premier annual competition for the strongest Under 18 teams in the Northern Counties. This year, Gosforth organiser Mick Riding took two Northumberland teams of six players each for the event in Swinton, Manchester, on Sunday February 23.


After six matches, both Northumberland teams finished fifth equal, with 7 points out of 12 – a very creditable result, given the strength of the event. On the day, Merseyside A dominated with a total of 30.5 game points out of 36.

Full results:
1 Merseyside A 12;
2 Wirral A 9;
3-4 Merseyside B & Lancashire 8;
5-9 Oldham A, Northumberland A, Northumberland B, Manchester A,
Manchester C 7;
10 Oldham B 6;
11-14 Oldham B, Cumbria A, Wirral B, Manchester B, Manchester D 5;
15 Merseyside C 4;
16-17 Cumbria B, Oldham C 3;
18 Wirral C 0.

Northumberland teams comprised 10 juniors from Gosforth Chess Club and two juniors from Newcastle Chess Club. Here are the Northumberland individual scores in board order:

Northumberland A (20.5/36 game points) – Kai Harkensee 1/6; Daniel Sewart 3.5; Lev Drobiazko 3; Joey Pramana 5.5; Gautham Satishkumar 4; James Phillips 3.5.

Northumberland B (21.5/36 game points) – Aaron Cheung 3/6; Ethan Ross 5; Sanjay Satishkumar 3; Alistair Howell 4; Maximus Scott 3; Viaan Gokul Nath 3.5.

In the Northumbria League, Division 1 leaders Gosforth Empire suffered a shock 3-1 defeat this week at the hands of Newcastle University A. This creates a three-horse race for the championship. Gosforth Empire (14/18) are still ahead, but Newcastle University A (13/18) and Newcastle Dragons (11/16) are now breathing hard on their necks.

In Division 2, Gosforth Regents (12/16) are in the lead, ahead of South Shields Arbeians (11/16) and Morpeth A (9/16).

Leam Lane Bullets (11/16) enjoy a narrow lead in Division 3, just ahead of Gateshead (10/14) and Forest Hall Titans (8/14).

Division 4 is being led by Newcastle Jesters (12/16), ahead of Tynedale (11/16) and Newcastle University B (9/18).

The Division 5 leaders are Jesmond Knights (16/18), but South Shields Sand-dancers (13/16) are still within striking distance.

Gosforth Siths are the runaway leaders of Division 6 with 16/18, having beaten second-placed Newcastle Cavaliers (13/18) in their match last week.

Several North East players took part in the Doncaster Congress (21-23 February), with Tim Wall (Newcastle) the joint winner of the Open on 4/5 and Martin Beardsley (Gosforth) third equal in the Intermediate on 4/5.

PUZZLES

This week’s puzzles are from ‘The Complete Chess Swindler’ by David Smerdon.

Puzzle A: Furman-Smejkal. White to move & draw.

Puzzle B: Liu-Wohl. White to move & draw.

Puzzle C: Smerdon (Black) to move & win.

Puzzle D: Smerdon-Tan. White to move & draw.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Nc1! a1Q stalemate, or 1…a1N 2 Nb3 Nxb3 stalemate.
B: 1 Rxc3 Rxc3 2 g6 b2 3 gxf7 Ke7 4 f8Q+ Kxf8 stalemate.
C: 1…Rf3+! 2 gxf3 Bf1 mate.
D: 1 Rg6+! fxg6 stalemate, or 1…Kf8 2 Rg8+ Ke7 3 Re8+ Kxe8 stalemate.