Press Report 7th November 2024

The South Hams Chess Club is back in full swing following the summer sabbatical.

We have had just one new member so far this season, Gerard T'hart, and we welcome back members Ben Wilkinson and James Schofield, having both had a year off. Tony Tatum has other commitments this year and so we are currently just are 12 members, but a highly entertaining and dedicated bunch we are.

To date, 35 games have been played in our internal competition, the Homan league.

In that comp this year, anyone can beat anyone:

• Alan Davies beat Trevor Hurt, Trevor beat David Archer and David beat Alan!
• Arthur Doble beat Gerard T'hart, Gerard beat David Archer, and David beat Arthur!
• David Archer beat Steve Levy, Steve beat Cathy Black, Cathy beat Trevor Hurt and Trevor beat David Archer.

Our highest ranking player and often club champion, Steve Levy, after a draw with Arthur, pondering his fate, said “Way back, when, I could sit back and do nothing on the board and just wait… then it happened… a blunder by my opponent and I've won the game! As this game shows that is no longer the case, I've now been found out.” Well Steve, we’re all doing our very best to make that prophecy come true. Steve has so far 5 wins, two draws and a loss!

A second quote from a game with Steve, is from our Secretary Phil McConnell from their game on Nov. 7th. “My plan was to play a dull stodgy game and bore Steve into frustration. In the event I was sacrificing pieces all over the place and it was an edgy, exciting game!” We were all cheering Phil on (silently, not visibly and suitably respectfully, but with all our might!) and enjoyed Steve having to exchange his Queen for a Rook, just to survive. The Chess.com engine has this down as “a sharp back and forth game, where both players had chances”. Time pressure and the thought of beating Steve got the better of him and Phil went on to loose.

Phil has 40 games against Steve on our club database (games played since 2015), they have had 2 draws, Phil being the victor just 3 times.

We are again participating in the The Torbay Chess League, a series of Inter-club competitions for chess clubs in South Devon, over an area that spans Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, the Torbay area (including Torquay, Paignton and Brixham), the South Hams (including Kingsbridge, Totnes, Ivybridge and Dartmouth) and Plymouth.

So far this season our team was triumphant in Division 3 at home against Teignmouth and was defeated in division 1 at home by both Totnes and away at Newton Abbot. We sadly had to default in the rapidplay tournament against Devonport High School For Boys.

Six South Hams chess club members went to the 56th Torbay Chess congress, held at the Toorak Hotel, Torquay. An excellently run event. Well done to James Schofield who came joint 2nd in his “Major” category. For Steve Levy and David Archer in the “Open” alongside Cathy Black, Gerard T'hart and Trevor Hurt in the “Intermediate” section, we can all take solace from Cuban world chess champion José Raúl Capablanca (1921-1927) “You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player."

Can I share a recent medical experience. I went to see my GP, I told him that every time I move a bishop, it aches above my stomach, every time I move a Knight, it hurts between my shoulders and my rib cage is painful when I move the Queen. My Doctor said I was suffering from chess pains.

Anyone wanting further information about the club check out our website at www.southhamschessclub.com or ring Phil McConnell on 01803834135.

The club meets every Thursday at the Regal Club, Kingsbridge at 7pm. We will shortly be having our summer break, the club will re commence in September.