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Three Essex clubs fought their way through to the National Club Finals, Ilford in the Open and Writtle and Wanstead facing each other in the the Major, thus ensuring an Essex winner. The Open and the Major Finals were among five finals being played on 10th July at Golden Lane Estate, London EC1, the central venue for the London League.

While the Major assured an Essex winner, the Open pitted Ilford against the mighty Wood Green.

Pictures: click on 'what's this?' below the panel on the right and follow the link to National Club Finals.

The Open

If you have four 200s in your side - one of them an IM - and a lowest grade of 192, you have to think you have a chance. But when the opposition boasts three GMs and two IMs and goes down to a lowly 218, the only chance you have requires climbing a mountain.

David Sands and Jon Manley prevented a complete rout and you can play through their games from the link below. Otherwise Ilford are disappointed they did not come closer, but Jon Manley is determined to win the National Club next year!

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The Major

These two sides have been locked in a season-long rivalry in the Essex League, which eventually went to Wanstead.

Writtle suffered a late change to their line-up when Kerry Chilvers (147) was unavailable at short notice due to work commitments. In this section, where there is a limit of an average grade of 160, a late change causes the skipper to reach for his abacus; you can't simply bring in the first player available, you have to consider the grading structure of the team and the average grade requirement. Pat McDermott was drafted in as a late replacement but his grade at 148, although only a point higher than Kerry, meant that skipper Ivor Smith, who intended to be a non-playing captain, had to drop Francis Chin (168) and step in himself in order to balance the average grade.

Wanstead, the defending Major Champions, had no such problems and remained unchanged from their semi-final against Loughborough.

The closeness of the scoreline on this occasion is a reliable indication of the match as a whole. Writtle gained an early edge when Chris Fegan went a pawn ahead in the early middlegame, but Larry Marden obtained reasonable compensation in that he could steer towards a R & P ending. Chris Fegan meanwhile, had noticed something in the game on the adjoining board of which neither of the board 2 players were aware, until Chris mentioned it after the match: Ian Hunnable had unwittingly offered David Millward a piece. Neither player saw it, the piece remained on the board and the game ground to a draw. Terry Whitton and Pat McDermott drew; a result that turned no hairs. Rodie-Murrell headed for a R & P ending, while Ivor Smith had to scramble to make the first time control. He managed it, the exchange ahead to boot.

Fegan-Marden reached a position of R&2 v R&1 but Chris could find no win and Larry converted to a drawn K&P position.

This left boards three and five in play. Board 5 favoured Mark Murrell, although Robert Rodie had some subtle defensive resources. However, as Ivor had not only kept ahead, but was drawing away from Steve Gilmour at an increasing rate of acceleration, the result of bottom board became irrelevant: if Ivor won, a Wanstead win on bottom board would still leave Writtle winning on board count. Mark and Robert saw the sense of this and agreed terms, leaving Ivor to win the match.

Congratulations to Writtle on a gritty performance.