North East clubs lead grassroots chess revival

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(Chronicle Chess 29th December 2023)

It’s been a good year for grassroots chess in the North East – a trend that looks set to continue in 2024.

The Northumbria League, which includes clubs from as far afield as Alnwick and Corbridge in Northumberland to South Shields, Gateshead and Leam Lane, is growing again, with a total of 38 teams of four players each competing in six divisions in the 2023-24 season.

This means the league has now fully recovered from Covid, which saw over-the-board chess cancelled for the 2020-21 season and take a long time to revive.

While the numbers of players are roughly the same as pre-pandemic levels, the makeup of clubs and teams are now different demographically. Many more young players, including more juniors and younger adults, are now playing club and league chess – replacing older players who have effectively retired from the scene. And these new players are not like new recruits to chess from decades ago: many newcomers are experienced at online chess, and have cut their teeth on YouTube instructional videos and streaming rather than traditional chess books.

The boom in online chess and the popularity of the TV series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ have undoubtedly played a big part in bringing new people into the game, and this is filtering through into bigger attendances at some North East clubs. Gosforth is leading the way here, with nine league teams and more than 50 players meeting weekly at Gosforth Empire Club on Salters Road. Other clubs have also followed suit, with Alnwick, South Shields, Tynemouth and Newcastle University adding new league teams.

There is also a brand new city centre club, which formed in September 2023, entering two teams in the Northumbria League. Newcastle meets at the Tyneside Irish Centre, Gallowgate, on Monday evenings, 6:30pm-9:15pm, and also runs a Junior Club at Jesmond Library on Sundays from
2:30pm-4:30pm and a drop-in club for social chess on Saturdays, 11am-1pm, at Newcastle City Library.
The core of the new club is the 2022-23 Division 1-winning Forest Hall A team, whose members are geographically spread around the North East and therefore find travelling into Newcastle city centre easier. The new Newcastle club reties the knot of history, as previous incarnations of Newcastle Chess Club go back as far as 1842, according to newspaper archives.
Newcastle’s teams are leading Divisions 1 and 6 at the New Year mark, and could well end up winning both divisions by the end of March.
For more info about Newcastle’s weekly activities, tournaments and other events in 2024, go to: https://newcastlechessclub.com, email club secretary Tim Wall on timpeterwall@gmail or text 0750 372 2366.

Today’s puzzles are taken from this week’s FIDE World Rapidplay Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan:

Puzzle A: Sklokin-Murzin (Black to play)

Puzzle B: Petrov-Duda (Black to play)

Puzzle C: Radjabov-Ilyushenok (Black to play)

Puzzle D: Cheparinov-Rapport (White to play)

Answers:
A: 1…Bxd4+ 2 Qxd4 Qxc3! 0-1. If 3 Qxc3 Nxe2+ 4 Kf2 Nxc3.
B: 1…Qxh4+! 2 Kg1 (or 2 gxh4 Rxg2+ 3 Kh3 Nf2+) Rxg3 0-1.
C: 1…Bxa3! 2 bxa3 b4! 3 Bc5 Rc8 4 Bf1 Rxc5! 0-1.
D: 1 Re8! Rxe8 (if 1…Nxe8 2 f8(Q)+) 2 Qxf6+! 1-0. If 2…Rxf6
or 2…Kxf6, 3 fxe8 (N)+! forks king and queen.

Try our Christmas Chess Quiz!

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(Chronicle Chess 22nd December 2023)

Try our Christmas Chess Quiz:

1) Christmas Tree: White to play & mate in 3:

2) Silent Knight: Black to play & mate in 5:

3) Christmas Castle: White to play & mate in 3:

4) Santa’s Chimney: White to play and win:

5) How many moves does it take a knight to go from a1 to h8?
a) 4
b) 5
c) 6
d) 7

6) Where did the rook get its name?
a) The New Castle
b) Rooks in the Tower of London
c) Rukh the Arabic word for chariot
d) The Eiffel Tower

7) Who scored the best female performance at the 2023 European Blitz Championship?
a) Judit Polgar
b) Beth Harmon
c) Jovanka Houska
d) Bodhana Sivanandan

8) Who won these tournaments in 2023: World Over 50s, London Classic, British Championship & English Championship?
a) John Nunn
b) Michael Adams
c) Nigel Short
d) Howard Staunton

9) Which world champion appeared as himself in the Russian film ‘Chess Fever’?
a) Jose Capablanca
b) Mikhail Tal
c) Boris Spassky
d) Bobby Fischer

10) Which chess club, formed in 1842, now meets at the Tyneside Irish Centre?
a) Jesmond
b) King’s
c) Gosforth
d) Newcastle

11) Which politician officially opened the 2023 Northumbria Masters Chess Congress?
a) Chi Onwurah
b) Jamie Driscoll
c) T Dan Smith
d) Tony Blair

12) Who played 40 games simultaneously in Newcastle in 1919?
a) Emanuel Lasker
b) Jose Capablanca
c) Alexander Alekhine
d) Max Euwe

13) Which opening was invented by a Newcastle-born chess player?
a) Ruy Lopez
b) St. George’s Defence
c) Caro-Kann
d) The Sniper

14) Which North East player won the British Championship in 2014 & 2015?
a) Charlie Storey
b) Jonathan Hawkins
c) Danny Gormally
d) David Eggleston

15) Who has won the most Northumberland Chess Championships?
a) Peter Oakley
b) David Mooney
c) Louis Zollner
d) Tim Wall

16) Which form of chess gives each player 60 seconds for all their moves?
a) Rapidplay
b) Lightning
c) Armageddon
d) Bullet

17) Where was a chess tournament held in the 1970s & 80s?
a) Baltic Art Gallery
b) Vindolanda Roman Fort
c) Alnwick Castle
d) St James’ Park

18) Which death metal band was named after a world chess champion?
a) Morphy’s Addiction
b) Alekhine’s Gun
c) Oh Capablanca
d) Kasparov’s Kalashnikov

19) Where is the UK government installing chess tables?
a) Prisons
b) School playgrounds
c) Trafalgar Square
d) Parks

20) Which North East musician played against Garry Kasparov?
a) Sting
b) Eric Burdon
c) Sam Fender
d) Chris Rea

Answers:
1. 1 Re3! fxe3 2 g3 e2 3 f4 checkmate, or 1…dxe3 2 c3 e2 3 d4 checkmate
2. 1…Qh4+ 2 Kd1 Nf2+ 3 Ke1 Nd3+ 4 Kd1 Qe1+! 5 Rxe1 Nf2 checkmate
3. 1 Rf4 Kxg3 2 0-0! Kh3 3 R1f3 checkmate
4. 1 Qg4! Qb5 2 Qc4! Qd7 3 Qc7! Qb5 4 a4! Qxa4 5 Re4! Qb5 6 Qxb7! 1-0
5. C
6. C
7. D
8. B
9. A
10. D
11. B
12. B
13. C
14. B
15. A
16. D
17. C
18. B
19. D
20. A.

Christmas party time at Newcastle clubs

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(Chronicle Chess 15 December 2023)

Newcastle and Gosforth Chess Clubs are celebrating the holiday season in style this year, with both holding Christmas party blitz tournaments with food, drink and festivities.

With the league season pausing for the New Year break, both clubs are taking the opportunity to let their hair down with fun events on Monday 18 December.

Newcastle Chess Club’s Christmas Party Blitz at Tyneside Irish Centre will feature snacks, music and games from 7:15-9:15pm. Anyone can turn up and play – no need to book ahead. Festive prizes will be on offer, and entry is £5 on the night.
Contact: timpeterwall@gmail.com or 0750 372 2366 for more details.

Gosforth’s Christmas Party (also from 7:15pm, tickets £5) at Gosforth Empire Club features a Fischer Random tournament and a buffet. Numbers limited, so contact enquires@gosforthchessclub.co.uk to book a place.

Newcastle City Library Chess Club’s drop-in sessions (Level 2, Saturdays 11am-1pm) go ahead on 16 and 23 December, with only 30 December off while the library is closed.

As the Northumbria League season nears its halfway mark, clear leaders are emerging. Division 1 leaders are Newcastle A on 8/8, followed by South Shields on 6/8 and Leam Lane on 5/10.

Newcastle University A have edged in front in Division 2, leading with 8/10 ahead of Gosforth Salters (7/8) and Gosforth Regents (7/10).

Tynemouth B lead Division 3 on 9/10, ahead of Gosforth Centurions on 8/10 and Alnwick A on 6/10.

Leam Lane Bullets are ahead in Division 4 with 10/12, followed by Gateshead A on 8/12 and Gosforth Hawthorns and Gosforth Woodbines on 7/12.

Division 5 leaders are Newcastle University B with 10/10. In their wake are Gosforth Jedis on 6/10 and South Shields C on 5/8.

In Division 6, Newcastle B are runaway leaders on 10/10. In a distant joint second place are Tynedale (4/8), Gosforth Otterburns (4/10) and Newcastle University C (4/10).

With two rounds of the Northumberland Individual completed, Tim Wall (Newcastle) and Andy Trevelyan (Jesmond) are joint leaders of the Zollner (Open) with 2/2.

In the Sell (Under 1900) event, James Ross and Mick Riding (both Gosforth) are on 2/2.

And in the Gilroy (Under 1650), there is a four-way tie for the lead. Dave Peardon (South Shields), Jeff Baird (Forest Hall), David Pritchard (Gosforth) and David Simm (Morpeth) are on 2/2.

This week’s puzzles:

Puzzle A: Mark McKay (Gosforth, White) to play and win:

Puzzle B: Didrik Leivdal (Newcastle, White) to play and win:

Puzzle C: Otto Nemeth (Newcastle, Black) to play and draw:

Puzzle D: Tim Wall (Newcastle, Black) to play and win:

Answers:
A: 1 Rxd6! Qxd6 2 Bf4 wins a piece.
B: 1 Na4! wins. If 1…Ne4 2 Nxb6 Nxd2 3 Rxd2 Nxc4 4 Nc7
checkmate.
C: 1…Rh6! (1…Rxc6! 2 Rxc6 Qh4 should also draw) 2 Nxd8
Bd6+ 3 Kg1 Bh2+ is perpetual check.
D: 1…Bb6! wins. If 2 Rxd8 Qb5+! 3 Kg1 Bxf2+! wins the queen;
2 Rd7 Rxd7 3 Qxd7 Qb5+ 4 Kg1 Qxb2! 5 Qxc6 Bxf2+ 6 Kf1
Be3!; or 2 Qxc6 Rxd1+ 3 Ke2 Rd8! 4 Qxb6 Qd5!

The perfect Christmas chess presents

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(Chronicle Chess 8 December 2023)

What should I get young Beth or Uncle Harry for a Christmas present?

If you have friends and/or family who you think would enjoy playing chess, you can do a lot worse than buy them a set of pieces and board.

A fancy wooden set costs from £60, but a simple set of plastic pieces and rollup board is as little as £15. A good place for Christmas deliveries is Chess & Bridge (go to https://chess.co.uk or call 020 7486 7015).

Many expert players prefer standard sets, as they are easier to carry and don’t cause major trauma when one of the pieces goes AWOL or gets mauled by the family cat. Get a set with the algebraic coordinates (a-h and 1-8) marked around the board, as this helps you record the moves of the game. You can then review the game afterwards to see how you could play better next time.

OK, so you’ve got your playing kit, what’s next?

The are many resources to help you get better at chess. Go to lichess.org (everything’s free), chess.com (partly free) or YouTube (free but of varying quality) and you’ll find tournaments, tutorials and tactics trainers, covering from basic checkmates to advanced strategies.

Chess books are a great stocking filler for any budding Magnus Carlsen or Beth Harmon.

Good improvement books are “Comprehensive Chess Course 1 & 2” by Alburt & Pelts, which take the newcomer from beginner to tournament player; “Logical Chess: Move By Move” by Chernev; and Nunn’s “1001 Deadly Checkmates” and “Learn Chess Tactics.” For serious players, “Bobby Fischer’s 60 Memorable Games” and “The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal” are inspiring. For sheer fun, beg, borrow or steal two out-of-print gems, the cunning “Chess for Tigers” by Simon Webb, and the hilarious “How to Cheat at Chess” by William Hartston.

Books to avoid are those promising a “killer” or “winning” opening repertoire. No such silver bullet exists. Just get good at tactics and endgames, and remember to develop your pieces in the opening and castle.

The next step is to find some flesh-and-blood opponents. Go to northumberlandchess.com and you’ll find a club near you. Most meet on weekday evenings, while there are also chess clubs in libraries and schools (check out: https://www.chessinschools.co.uk/ for more info).

And don’t worry: Chess is not just for Christmas. You can enjoy mastering its secrets over a lifetime.

Wanna be world champ? Play in Newcastle!

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(Chronicle Chess 1 December 2023)

If you want to be world champion, you could do worse than prep for the big match by playing chess in Newcastle. It’s a curiosity that three successive future world champions played here shortly before winning the title.

In 1892, Germany’s Emanuel Lasker played a match against British veteran Henry Bird at Newcastle Chess Club. Lasker won the match 5-0, and two years later defeated Wilhelm Steinitz in New York to claim the world title. (In another Newcastle game, Bird checkmated Lasker in 12 moves. But that was probably a friendly.)

Twenty-seven years later, Lasker’s successor, Cuban Jose Capablanca, came to Newcastle in 1919 and took on 40 opponents in a simultaneous display. Two years later, Capablanca beat Lasker for the World title in Havana.

Not to be outdone, Capablanca’s successor, Russian Alexander Alekhine, played a simul against 19 opponents in Newcastle in 1926, winning 18 games and losing one, to a certain Mr. E. Carmichael. A year later, Alekhine defeated Capablanca in an epic 34-game match in Buenos Aires.

Whether it was the chess or the beer, we don’t know, but Alekhine clearly enjoyed his time on Tyneside, coming back to give another simultaneous display in 1938.

One further connection between the Toon and World Champions exists. In 1972, Ron Markham, a Newcastle hypnotist who once claimed to have cured 2,000 people of smoking by mass hypnosis, challenged Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky to a consultation chess match for £125,000 after
their ‘Match of the Century’ in Reykjavik. The Markham v. Fischer and Spassky match never took place, but it would have been quite the spectacle.

The original Newcastle Chess Club is said to date back to the 1840s, and has had many incarnations and venues since then. It now meets at Tyneside Irish Centre, Gallowgate, playing on Monday evenings from 6:30pm to 9:15pm. In addition, the club runs a junior section at Jesmond Library on Sundays from 2:30-4:30pm.

The club is also holding a FIDE-rated Christmas Blitz on 18 December at 7:15pm.

Anyone interested in playing in the Blitz or for the new Newcastle club in league and/or junior games can sign up by contacting: timpeterwall@gmail.com or calling: 0750 372 2366.

Players of all strengths and ages are welcome, particularly future world champions.

Gosforth riding high in Northumbria League

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(Chronicle Chess 24 November 2023)

Nothing succeeds like success, they say, and Gosforth Chess Club is on the crest of a wave with its recent victories across the divisions of the Northumbria League. After six weeks of the 2023-24 league season, Gosforth, which continues to add more and more members to its popular Monday club nights, is leading or challenging for the lead in four of the six divisions.

In Division 1, Gosforth Empire are challenging leaders Leam Lane Aces. Scores so far:
1 Leam Lane Aces 5/6;
2 Gosforth Empire 4/6;
3 South Shields A 3/4;
4 Newcastle A 2/2;
5-6 Tynemouth 0/4 and Jesmond A 0/6.

The X factor is pre-season favourites Newcastle A, who have played just one match so far. Once they catch up with their fixtures, the true picture will be clearer.

Division 2 is shaping up to be a thrilling three-horse race between the two Gosforth teams there (the Salters and the Regents) and a resurgent Newcastle University A. Scores so far:
1 Gosforth Salters 7/8;
2 Newcastle University A 6/8;
3 Gosforth Regents 5/8;
4 Morpeth A 2/6;
5-6 South Shields B 0/4 and Forest Hall Foxes 0/6.

Newcastle University Chess Club is reportedly booming this year, with dozens of active players and several strong undergraduate players joining their three teams, including one of Yorkshire’s leading juniors, Mate Ther from Harrogate.

Gosforth Salters may yet have the edge over Newcastle University A, due to Gosforth’s greater strength in depth and student holiday absences potentially affecting the University’s ability to field its strongest team for all matches.

Division 3 is perhaps an even clearer two-way struggle for supremacy between Tynemouth B and Gosforth Centurions. With three rounds completed, they share the lead well ahead of their rivals. Scores so far:
1-2 Tynemouth B and Gosforth Centurions 6/6;
3 Alnwick A 3/6;
4 Morpeth B 2/6;
5 Gosforth Ivy 1/6;
6 Forest Hall Woodpeckers 0/6.

Gosforth teams dominate in Division 4, with the Woodbines and the Hawthorns top dogs. Scores so far:
1 Gosforth Woodbines 7/8;
2 Gosforth Hawthorns 5/8;
3-4 Leam Lane Bullets 4/6 and Gateshead A 4/8;
5 Tynemouth C 3/8;
6 Forest Hall Squirrels 2/8;
7 Morpeth C 1/6.

Newcastle University B is the clear leader of Division 5, winning all three of their matches. Scores so far:
1 Newcastle University B 6/6;
2 South Shields C 5/8;
3 Tynemouth D 4/6;
4 Alnwick B 3/8;
5-6 Leam Lane Comets 2/6 and Gosforth Jedis 2/4;
7 Forest Hall Owls 0/6.

In the brand new Division 6, Newcastle B team are the surprise leaders, winning all three matches. Scores so far:
1 Newcastle B 6/6;
2 Tynedale A 4/4;
3-4 Gosforth Otterburns 2/6 and Newcastle University C 2/4;
5-6 South Shields D and Alnwick C 1/6.

North East schools chess booming

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(Chronicle Chess 17 November 2023)

Imagine the scene: a school cafeteria packed with more than 80 teenagers. But for nearly three hours, you can hear a pin drop. This was the serious atmosphere this week at St Mary’s Catholic School, Newcastle, where a total of 14 school teams were battling it out in a struggle for chess supremacy.

Secondary schools chess is booming in the North East, with the regional qualifier for the English Under 19 National Schools Championships attracting the highest level of participation of any event so far in the national championships.

This is a radical improvement on a few years ago, when St Mary’s had to struggle to find even a single North East school to compete against in a qualifier, and the regional knockout stage had only two or three schools taking part.

The upsurge in entries is due to the efforts of St Mary’s Catholic School, which has marketed the tournament far and wide across the North East,
particularly among state schools. The schools this year came from as far afield as Ashington, Hexham, Boldon and Durham.

St. Mary’s B team won all three matches to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. Also qualifying for the first time for the knockout stage were Jesmond Park A, St Cuthberts, Dame Allan’s and Boldon.

Two school teams had already qualified for the regional knockout stages – St Mary’s A and RGS Newcastle – by virtue of playing in the national
finals this summer.

Scores in full:
1 St Mary’s B 6;
2-3 Jesmond Park A, St Cuthberts 5;
4-5 Dame Allan’s, Boldon 4;
6-9 Ashington, Durham CSF, Queen Elizabeth Hexham A, Ponteland A 3;
10-12 Jesmond Park B, Queen Elizabeth Hexham B, Hexham Middle A 2;
13-14 Ponteland B, Hexham Middle B 0.

School students will also be competing later this month in a tournament organised by Northumbria Junior Chess Association. The event will take
place at RGS Newcastle Junior School Cafeteria, Lambton Road, Jesmond, on Sunday November 26 from 10am to 4pm. Entry costs £8 and is open to all players under the age of 18. Online entries are being taken at: https://njcachess.co.uk/

The growth in schools chess is also due in part to coaching by Tyneside’s three junior chess clubs – Gosforth, Jesmond and Forest Hall.

Gosforth Juniors meet at Gosforth Empire Club, 32-34 Salters Road, on Saturdays from 10am-12 noon. Contact: mickriding@hotmail.co.uk for
more details.

Jesmond Juniors (part of the newly formed Newcastle Chess Club) meet on Sunday afternoons from 2:30-4:30pm at Jesmond Library, St George’s Terrace. Contact: timpeterwall@gmail.com for full info.

Forest Hall Juniors meet at Forest Hall Ex-Servicemen’s Institute, Crescent Way North on Fridays from 5pm-7pm. Info: https://www.foresthallchess.org.uk

We are the champions (of little kids and golden oldies)

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(Chronicle Chess 10 November 2023)

If you walk into most North East chess clubs, the chances are you’ll be surrounded by pre-teens and gentlemen of a certain age (either pensioners or not far off pension age).

It’s often said that chess is a game you can master, no matter how young or how old you are. This has now been proven by England winning world titles in the Girls Under 8 and Over 50 and Over 65 age groups.

Britain’s Bodhana Sivanandan this month won the World Under 8 Girls’ Championship, becoming England’s first world junior champion in 25 years. Shortly afterwards, two of our best-ever players, Grandmasters Michael Adams and John Nunn, won the World Over 50 and World Over 65 titles, respectively. Bodhana has undoubtedly a great future in front of her, while Adams (51, a former World Championship Finalist) and Nunn (68, a former World Championship Candidate) both have great pasts behind them.

These results would seem to indicate that England is among the top countries in the world for chess, but it’s only in the categories for young children and the golden oldies.

Nunn could be described as the smartest chess player of all time, as he is a true polymath – a maths and computing genius who went to Oxford University at the age of 15. It’s often said Nunn was “too intelligent to be world champion.” Adams, a former chess prodigy from Truro, Cornwall, is a nine-time British champion still regularly consulted as an expert by the world’s top players for his deep understanding of chess.

We seem to be great at producing the occasional genius, but in between the very youngest and oldest players, there’s a relative desert. We do very well in Seniors team competitions (winning the World Over 50 and Over 65 championships), but not so well in younger team categories.

In contrast to India, China, Russia, the USA and Uzbekistan – the world’s current strongest chess nations – we are an amateur also-ran, left trailing behind due to a lack of funding and proper training for future grandmasters.

Why is this? Probably it’s because chess is not a sustainable career path in the UK for anyone except the very best and brightest. Unlike other countries who arrange state and private sponsorship for the game, plus full sporting status, in the UK we are still a Cinderella outfit without major sponsorship, and still lacking proper recognition.

Until then, it seems we will have to rely upon our youngest and oldest players for international glory.

Leam Lane take league lead south of the Tyne

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(Chronicle Chess 3 November 2023)

Just like local football rivalries, the competition between teams from north and south of the Tyne is an intense one. In recent years, Newcastle and North Tyneside teams have dominated, but this week Leam Lane Aces took the lead south of the Tyne in Division 1 for the first time in a few seasons.

Winning their first match 4-0 v Tynemouth, and drawing 2-2 against Gosforth Empire, has lifted Leam Lane to top of the table, with their top boards David Walker and Graeme Oswald on a combined 3.5/4 from the first two matches.

Leam Lane have 3 points, ahead of Gosforth Empire and Newcastle A on 2 points. South Shields A are on 1 point, while Jesmond and Tynemouth have yet to score.

In Division 2, the spoils so far are shared by Gosforth Salters and a resurgent Newcastle University A, who drew their second-round match to go equal top on 3 points. Newcastle University have a thriving club thanks to an influx of new players, including one of Yorkshire’s top young talents, Ther Mate from Harrogate. On 2 points are Morpeth A and Gosforth Regents, while Forest Hall Foxes and South Shields B are on zero match points.

The clear Division 3 leaders are Tynemouth B, with 4 match points, ahead of a chasing pack of Alnwick A, Morpeth B and Gosforth Centurions on 2 points. Gosforth Ivy and Forest Hall Woodpeckers are the unlucky teams yet to score.

Leam Lane Bullets are the early leaders of Division 4, with a maximum 4 match points so far. Behind them are Gosforth Hawthorns, Gosforth Woodbines and Tynemouth C on 3 points. Gateshead and Forest Hall Squirrels are on 2 points, while Morpeth C and are on 1 point.

Division 5 is notable for having a total of five joint leaders, all on 2 match points: Tynemouth D, Alnwick B, Newcastle University B, Gosforth Jedis
and Leam Lane Comets. South Shields C and Forest Hall Owls are pointless so far.

There’s a three-way tie for first in the newly created Division 6, between Tynedale, Gosforth Otterburns and Newcastle B, on 2 match points. South Shields D and Alnwick C have 1 point each, while Newcastle University C have yet to get off the mark.

Last weekend, the North of England’s biggest weekend congress, Scarborough, saw fewer North East players taking part than usual. However, the event was a triumph for Alnwick Grandmaster Danny Gormally, who won the Open with 4.5/5 and pocketed a first prize of £700.

Joined-up thinking needed for English chess revival

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(Chronicle Chess 27 October 2023)

Newcastle United fans will remember the folly of neglecting the club’s reserve and youth teams in the 1990s, and how this affected North East football for a generation. In a similar way, other sports that rely on big-money signings from overseas often neglect grassroots development.

Chess, even though its funding is tiny compared to most sports, is in danger of going down this route. English chess has recently been awarded a £1 million grant over two years by the UK government, including £500,000 for the development of “elite” chess, and it seems a big chunk of this will go towards the England Open team, and the signing of 36-year-old Russian grandmaster Nikita Vitiugov.

Sadly, very little government funding is expected to flow into chess in the North East or the North of England in general. Some primary schools in the region may receive funding for online coaching lessons and to buy chess sets, and some parks may have a chess table installed, but local chess organisations have received no information so far about these initiatives.

Vitiugov, the current world No. 30, is part of a growing exodus of top players from Russia, after their national federation was banned from international competitions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Vitiugov will lead England into the 2023 European Championships and the 2024 Olympiad, and help train the team.

However, while the schools and parks initiatives are laudable, they do not seem to be part of a joined-up plan for the development of English chess as a whole. There is very little support for the growth of city chess clubs or grassroots junior chess, and the once-thriving weekend tournament circuit is now on a virtually amateur level.

The UK’s Grand Prix circuit in the 1980s used to have had a first prize of £10,000. This has now shrunk to £1,000.

The North of England’s biggest international congress, the Northumbria Masters, has struggled financially with the rising cost of venues, bringing its future into question. Funding for chess is always welcome, and success at the top level may inspire new generations. But if talented players are going to make it to the professional and elite grandmaster levels, the game’s infrastructure needs public and private investment at all levels.