In memory of Syd Kalinsky

Tomorrow, 18 June 2023, we shall be holding the double event of the Essex Team Blitz and the ECA Lightning Championship, at Ilford CC’s venue at the Redbridge Social Centre. “Team Blitz and Lightning” day was sponsored by the late Syd Kalinsky since 1997. This, the first such event since his passing, is being held […]

Open this post

What a semi-final that was!

Essex U1850 having bowed out in their match against Yorkshire, on 13 May, the other three Essex teams each contested their Semi-Finals – a triple header against Yorks – in Syston on 10 June. ECF U2050 SF: Yorks 6½-9½ Essex – ESSEX TO THE FINAL!At Syston, Leics. 10 Jun 2023. From Mark Murrell. Outrated on […]

Open this post

Essex Knockout 2023

The Essex Knockout is under way with the same 10 teams as last year, save that Writtle are entering as Chelmsford (many members are common to both clubs and entering as Chelmsford allows access to a few more players). In the early years of the competition in its current Rapid format, Chelmsford entered in addition […]

Open this post

ECF County Championships

With apologies for lateness, we catch up on the ECF County Championships. ECF QF U1850: Yorks 9-7 EssexPlayed 13 May 2023 At some stage in this year’s competition all the Essex teams face Yorkshire. For the U1850 team this was at the QF stage. Yorks had a slight edge on ratings of just 29 points […]

Open this post

It’s Wanstead!

The League Champions are Wanstead. By a hair’s breadth over Writtle. Division 1 The first phase of seven matches all-play-all, left Writtle leading by a point over Wanstead. The top four after the first phase, Writtle 12, Wanstead 11, Barking 9, Brentwood 8, then had to play each other again to decide the Championship, first […]

Open this post

Rearguard action saves the day

From Mark Murrell Last season Kent teams in the closing stages of the SCCU County Championships were responsible for ending Essex ambitions and how close they came on the final day of the present Essex U1850 and U1450 campaigns. In the U1450 Kent raced into a 3-0 lead whilst in the U1850 three early draws […]

Open this post

Battles Royal at Wembley

From Mark Murrell Middlesex playing at their fourth venue this season, at Clayhill Community Center, Wembley Park, seemed to hold all the cards for a difficult away trip for both Essex U1850 and U1450 teams, particularly as the U1450 team lost a key middle order player over night due to illness. Just how Essex like […]

Open this post

Crowning glory

From Mark Murrell As champions elect going into dead rubbers for our Essex U2050 and U1650 teams and the longest excursion of the campaigns, skippers Mark Murrell and Malcolm Crane nevertheless assembled competitive teams whilst taking advantage of the opportunity to introduce new players to Essex over-the-board county chess. It was not however all plain […]

Open this post

Reverse Double

From ECA Match Captain, Mark Murrell: Essex made up for a double defeat away to the visiting Surrey teams back in November with a double home win both the Essex U1850 and U1450 teams turning the tables – and some – in the case of the U1450s, who as a result top the table with […]

Open this post

Southend 2023

The SOUTHEND EASTER CHESS FESTIVAL 2023,  including the Southend FIDE Rapid and the 65th Southend Easter Chess Congress, has been launched on the Festival website. The Festival runs from Thu 6 April (Maundy Thursday) to Monday 10 April, at the Southend Adult Community College, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2UN, its home since 2014. The principal events are: […]

Open this post