CLUB AND COUNTY

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updated 4.9.04
CLUB AND COUNTY NEWS

SUSSEX RESULTS 2003-4: update
McArthur Cup
Brighton regained the title they had not held for four years by defeating traditional rivals Hastings on board count (3 - 3) in the Final on 22nd August 2004. Yes, Hastings had been Champions for four years. This was Brighton's 34th win to Hastings's 18. The competition goes back almost continuously to 1889, so obviously other clubs are allowed to win it as well.
      The Hardstone Cup (for the highest-placed Western team, and we had not heard of it before) went to Chichester who reached the semi-final for the second time in 30 years. We do not know what the total entry was.
County Championship: Feliks Kwiatkowski
West Sussex Queen: Daniel Hirsch
East Sussex Queen: no entries
Veterans: "Of the three contestants, two have still to play and produce a winner of the tournament. One hopes this will occur during 2004."
Sussex Jamboree 10th July 2004, for the Bickerstaff Cup, attracted only six teams. 1-2 The Holt, Presidents Select 4½/6...
We give no results from the Mid-Sussex and South-West Sussex Leagues, nor from Sussex Juniors, since all of these have websites of their own. (See Links page).
Results Sussex Chess 2004

JACK SPEIGEL 1931 – 2004
We have to report the death of Jack Speigel at the age of 72.
     Jack grew up in Southend, being a pupil at Southend High School For Boys which was when he started playing chess. He joined Southend Chess Club in 1946, earlier than any existing member. He organised many club tournaments from an early age right up until he died. He was match captain for the club and ran several teams at the same time. In 1957 he got the first Southend Easter Congress under way, an event which still runs today. He was Congress Secretary for 25 years (1957 – 81) and a controller for 46 years (1957 – 2002), a remarkable achievement. He was club secretary for ten years (1951 – 61) and President for 13 years (1991 – 2004). He also captained the Essex League 1st Team in the season before he died.
     He was involved in organising teams for the county for several years. He was Essex League secretary for nine years (1954 – 63) and the Association Chairman for 12 years (1979 – 91). He was made a Life Member of the county when he retired as chairman. He was also a qualified BCF Arbiter.
     Jack played a lot of chess during his life. Not only did he play for Southend but also for Cavendish in the London League until he retired. He played in many congresses throughout the country. The most regular being Paignton and Hastings. He always enjoyed playing in events with no quick play finish.
     He worked in industry in his younger days before taking up work at Stamford House, Shepherds Bush looking after teenage boys who were on remand, a job that he enjoyed up until his retirement in 1990.
     His other hobbies were listening to classical music, jazz music and going to the theatre. He regularly spent several weeks each year away in Edinburgh for their festival. He was a real ale fan and a member of CAMRA (Campaign For Real Ale), visiting beer festivals whenever he could.
     Jack died in Wellesley Hospital, Southend on 4 July 2004 after a short illness. He made many friends throughout his life and will be sadly missed by those that knew him.
SLW
[rjh: I knew Jack only slightly, but will remember him as one who was never afraid to speak his mind. His memorial, for me, is his quote in the Ragbag.]

COULSDON CF WINTER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 2003-4
Scott Freeman writes:
The CCF Winter Chess Club Championship was won by Ian Snape with a superb 8 out of 8 in the FIDE-rated Premiership. A pyramid structure of divisions has developed over the last few years and we had a total of nearly 90 players competing this season; results were recorded in every match with few defaults. Players play up to a maximum of 9 games during the season (in principle according to a fixture schedule) battling for promotion or to avoid relegation. This season we had players travelling from as far as Hastings, Brighton and London to play, such was the pulling power of the event. Several players who play league chess against Coulsdon also regularly play. Next season, we will also have a player travelling from Basingstoke!
Premiership (FIDE) Ian Snape (Coulsdon, Beckenham & Bromley)
Division 1 David Barron (Coulsdon)
Division 2a Carlos Penalba (Dulwich Plough)
Division 2b Robert Hamilton (Coulsdon)
Division 3a Chris Paul (Coulsdon)
Division 3b Joe Xuereb (Coulsdon)
Division 3c Harry Gold (East Grinstead)
Division 4 (Open Swiss) Robert Hulley (Coulsdon)
Rapid Play Division 1 Dave Cork (Coulsdon, Crawley)
Rapid Play Division 2 Chris Constable (Coulsdon)
Rapid Play Division 3 Robert Maguire (Coulsdon)
Coulsdon & Purley "Dickie White" Winner: Peter Rhodes (South Norwood)

HASTINGS CC 2003-4
Francis Rayner, a 43-year-old concert pianist of St Leonards on Sea, is the latest Champion of the Hastings & St Leonards Chess Club, a title which goes back to the 19th century.
     Rayner, a former Welsh international, took the title with an unbeaten 6½ points from his eight games in the Championship Division, winning five games and conceding three draws. He was followed home by defending Champion Alan Barton with 5½, while Richard Almond finished third with 5 points.
Source: PB

KENT FINALS DAY 16th May 2004
Open Maidstone I 3½ 2½ Lewisham I
Lewis Cup (mean grade <= 160) Beckenham & Bromley II 4½ 1½ Tunbridge Wells I
Stevenson Cup (<= 140) Tonbridge & Hadlow I 3½ 2½ Rainham I
En Passant Cup (<= 120) Folkestone II 3½ 2½ Tonbridge & Hadlow II
Harvey Cup (<= 100) Kilndown II 4 2 Hastings & St Leonards III
Tom Fuller Cup (<= 80) Medway IV* 2 2 Petts Wood V
Intro Cup (<= 60) was not competed for at Finals Day because it is contested only in Metropolitan Kent. The winners were Petts Wood & Orpington VI with 5/6 in the Metropolitan league.

ESSEX CA are concerned about dwindling League activity. To quote the November/December Chessex: -
"... There is an ongoing debate surrounding the Essex League and its continued shrinkage (Division II is fine, but Division I has only 8 teams, and Division III but 7). One consideration is whether a weekday evening league no longer meets players' requirements. At a recent meeting of the ECA's "Chess in Essex" sub-committee headed by Colin Ramage, the decision was taken to ascertain whether there was sufficient support for a weekend league (either Saturdays or Sundays)."
     The idea is a central venue for all matches. More details on the Essex CA website.

FRANK PARR 1928-2003
Frank Parr of Surrey died in hospital on Sunday 28th December 2003. He was 85 on 17th December. It is sad that Frank and his son David should have died within a few months of each other. He leaves another son and a daughter who live in Australasia.
     Frank first played in the British Championship in 1936 when he was 18 years old. His best result was in 1956 when he scored 9/11(!!) and came second to Hugh Alexander. He won the Hastings premier in 1939/40 (the only occasion the Hastings Congress has been run in wartime).
     Away from chess Frank was a lifelong Fulham supporter. He attended all their home games until they moved to Loftus Road. He was also a member of Surrey County Cricket Club and would regularly visit the Oval. However his greatest love was gardening. His house where he lived for over 50 years had an enormous garden that gave him great pleasure.
     We thank Ken Norman for this information.
Kevin Thurlow 3.1.04: I was very sorry to hear about Frank Parr. He was always a gentleman - a rare occurrence these days.

NORTH CIRCULAR LEAGUE: 44th Capes Trophy 26th September 2003
An annual team Blitz event
1. Powdermill 37½/48; 2 Imperial Knights 30; 3 Wanstead I 29; 4 Waltham Forest 23½; 5 Wanstead II 16½, 6 Edmonton 16; 7 Beckton Revisited 15½. Best U150 Waltham Forest; Best Individual Score Caius Turner (Powdermill) 11/12
Results Gary Cook. Full results should on the North Circular website shortly.

BERKSHIRE LEAGUES 2002-3
Div 1 (10 teams) 1 Camberley A 17/18; 2 Crowthorne A 14; 3 Bourne End A 12...
Div 2 (10 teams) 1 Met Office A 15/18; 2 Newbury 13; 3 Maidenhead B 11...
Div 3 (10 teams) 1 Basingstoke D 14/18; 2 Crowthorne D 13 (GP 34); 3 Henley 13 (30½)...
Premier Precision Cup Crowthorne A beat Reading A 5½-½ in the Final. Jubilee (Tarrant) Plate: Basingstoke A beat Basingstoke B by the same margin.
Results Roger de Coverly. Fuller details on the Berkshire website www.berkshirechess.com

SUSSEX RESULTS 2002-3
McArthur Cup has been retained by Hastings, who beat Lewes 3½-2½ in the Final. Individual Championships:
Sussex Championship Bernard Cafferty
Veterans Julian Simpole, again
East Sussex Queen Charlie Linford
West Sussex Queen Daniel Hirsch
Sussex Jamboree at Dorothy Stringer HS 12.7.03, for the Bickerstaff Cup (9 teams of 6) 1 The Holt 4½/6; 2-3 Bognor & Arun, Lewes 4...
We omit the Mid-Sussex and SW Sussex Leagues and loads of Junior results because you should be able to find them on other sites. ("When will the SCCA have its own website?" - CPR twelve months ago. It still hasn't.)
Source: Sussex Chess 2003

SUSSEX CHAMPIONSHIP 2002-3
has gone to Bernard Cafferty of Hastings, who beat David Oates of Worthing 1½-½ in the Final. The two top seeds, Luke Rutherford and Feliks Kwiatkowski, fell at the semi-final stage. Eight played. More details on the Mid Sussex League site.

Earlier material is in the Archive.