Essex U2050 retain SCCU crown

SCCU U2050: Essex 11-5 KentAt Wanstead. First v second, final match of the SCCU stage. Essex would retain the SCCU U2050 Championship with a win or a draw; Kent would steal the crown with a win and relegate Essex to third to boot. The Kent squad was average 1895, but they found Fortress Wanstead was […]

Open this post

Teams 2023-24 up and running

Having emerged from the AGM in June with absolutely no County teams personnel at all, the ECA is happy to announce that the four rating-limited teams entered for the County Championships now have team captains and, what’s more, one deptuty team captain. Team Captains for 2023-24U2050 – Michael Spurr; Deputy Captain, James Robinson;U1850 – Mark […]

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

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

Get in there!

SCCU U1650: Essex 10½-5½ SurreyAt Wanstead. At the start of play skipper Malcolm was bemoaning the loss of some of his top players who were available for the original match date back on October 1st but not for the rescheduled match. On paper, Surrey out-rated Essex over the top 10 boards, but Essex won by […]

Open this post

Another double

SCCU U1850: Essex 10-6 KentAt Wanstead House Essex fielded their strongest team of the campaign, but Kent held the edge by nine points a board. At one point in the early results Essex were two down and it was not until the eighth result in the match, at 4.25 pm, that Essex U1850 took the […]

Open this post

Essex U2050 qualify

Mark Murrel reports on another Essex double. SCCU U2050: Surrey 7-9 EssexAt Cheam. The U2050 team became the first qualifier for the ECF Counties Championships with two matches to spare after a steady-as-she-goes away win against Surrey at Cheam; and its still November! Only Kent and Middlesex can now catch run away leaders Essex if […]

Open this post

Essex win Ward-Higgs

From Steve Abbott Essex have won this years competition, for the third time in the last four years. Congratulations to the Essex A team of: Peter ColemanStephen WilliamsTrevor CarrAndrew LewisJon ManleyMartin FleuryTony StebbingsJohn Sargent. Thank you, Steve. Essex have three teams in the County & District Correspondence Chess Championships. Essex B, captained by John Davenport, […]

Open this post