Essex came away empty handed from their double header against Surrey at Cheam on 7 December 2024. The Essex U2050 team lost narrowly 8½-7½ in a closely fought match. Scores were level with a handful of games still in play, Surrey edging the verdict on the run-in. Essex’ four wins came from Edgar Wilson, Robert […]
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The lack of volunteers at the time of the Association’s AGM in June threatened, in the emotive words of ECA Secretary John Chapman, to turn Essex into a “chess desert”. The brutal logic being: no organisers, no competitions. That unthinkable scenario, with the Association so recently having celebrated its 125th Anniversary, has thankfully been avoided. […]
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With the sudden death of Sean Horan just before the ECF quarter final, Essex have found themselves without an U1650 and U1450 captain in addition to the already vacant U1850 team captaincy. The ECA Executive at its recent meeting has resolved to only enter County Teams which have a captain. At the present time this means […]
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ECF U2050 SF: Essex 6-10 ClevelandAt Newark (Notts) A first meeting between Essex and Cleveland. Exchange of team lists revealed that Essex had an advantage of an average 105 points a board. But Essex, with a hat-trick of Championships at this level, were in for a shock. There is a cogent theory that says that […]
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ECF U1450 QF: Greater Manchester 4½-7½ EssexAt Syston. From Acting skipper, Mark Murrell: Essex U1450 team is off to the semis after a battling against-the-odds performance, against the reigning National Champs and this season’s NCCU Champions. Essex came back from behind three times before powering home with two wins to finish. Our U11s doubling up […]
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Two Essex teams battled through to the ECF Finals, the same two teams which were successful in a double championships last year, U2050 and U1450. On this occasion, one title gained by default, the other lost by a margin, makes for a bittersweet experience. The U2050 FInal was conceded by Warwickshire the day before the […]
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Essex retain U2050 national Championship, by default Due to have been played Saturday, 1 July, against Warwickshire, at Staines, Warwicks have conceded the match as they were unable to raise a full team. So, a complete contrast to Essex’ come-from-behind victory in the 2022 Final against Surrey. Essex retain the U2020 national Championship, but to […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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