Here's a challenging puzzle for you all.It was set by Andrew Martin IM at the recent coaching session. White is about to queen its c-pawn but has to be careful about that black bishop!
White has the move, how can he force a draw? It's a very tricky solution but very beautiful. If you can find it, leave your answer as a comment here.
International Master Andrew Martin conducted a fantastic coaching session for Shropshire juniors on Saturday 12 June. The event was organised by Shropshire Junior Chess Academy.
Local juniors worked through a tough series of challenges set for them by Andrew and in the prixze competition Sam Eardley and Laura Newey won special prizes of Andrew's chess DVDs.
The session was a great success and we look forward to all the juniors putting what they have learnt into practice in the forthcoming season.
Following the coaching session there was a simultaneous match involving Andrew playing 19 opponents at the same time. The juniors did very well at this as well with Matthew Best getting into a winning position only to be squeezed out by a mating attack and Heath Pearson being one of the last to finish.
The final result of the simul was Andrew Martin 17.5 Shropshire 1.5 with Peter Kitchen, Shrewsbury getting a striking win and Andy Tunks getting a well-deserved draw.
Junior chess players in the county have an opportunity to attend a coaching masterclass next month with International Chess Master Andrew Martin in an event organised by Shropshire Junior Chess Academy.
As well as running a coaching sessions for some of the county’s budding chess players, the chess master will also take on all-comers in a simultaneous display involving 30 of the county’s top players.The event takes place at Trinity Primary School, Ford on 12 June with the junior coaching session in the morning and the simultaneous chess display after lunch.
The morning coaching session costs just £6 and it is the same price for the afternoon simultaneous display. Juniors attending the whole day costs £10. Players need to register for the event in advance.
Six Shropshire Juniors have qualified for the Gigafinal stage of the UK Chess Challenge competition after competing in a regional qualifying tournament held in Herefordshire.
The next stage takes place in Cheshire in July and includes top juniors from across the midlands and the north.
To qualify for the gigafinal the juniors had to achieve a score of 4 out of 6 games. The top boy and girl in each group also gets the title Supremo/Suprema.
UK Chess Chalenge 2010 Gigafinal qualiers
Ieuan Fenton U18 Supremo
Francis Rooney U15 Supremo
Jonathan Newey U15 runner up
Matthew Best U14 Supremo
Athar mehmood U13 Supremo
Laura Newey U11 qualifier
Shrewsbury Juniors were bolstered by the addition of an adult for much of the season after they lost their fifth player Angelica Dean early on. The team got six wins and one draw from 12 matches and ended up only just behind the promotion slots. Notable performances for them included Matthew Best 5.5/10, Chris Lovejoy 5/9 and Henry Graham 5/8.
Both teams have a further chance to take some adult scalps in the forthcoming summer cups.
The qualifying tournament resulted in a tie for first place between Ieuan Fenton and Athar Mehmood, with Athar getting the trophy on the tie break from sum of progressive scores, while Francis Rooney came in third place.
The qualifiers, who will take part in the Megafinal to be held in Herefordshire on 1 May, are:
Ieaun Fenton U18
Sam Eardley U17
Jonathan Newey U15
Francis Rooney U15
Matthew Best U14
Athar Mehmood U14
Heath Pearson U9
Take part in the UK’s largest chess competition!
Shropshire Junior Chess Academy is holding a qualifying event for the UK Chess Challenge on Sat 20 March at Trinity School, Butts Lane, Ford, Shropshire, with the kind permission of the head teacher.
The event is a major national competition that attracts around 70,000 children each year. Those who take part in the Shropshire event on 20 March have the chance to qualify for a regional Megafinal in Herefordshire in May. And beyond that there is a Gigafinal and even a Terrafinal to find the champion of champions!
Entry fee £3.