Open B: Essex 5-8 Greater Manchester – on ECF LMS
On chess.com Nothing much between the teams on paper, with Essex holding the edge on grades on the lower boards. Board 5 was afflicted by connection problems when we held a winning advantage and the outcome is unresolved at present. Essex’ two wins:
U1825B: Surrey 3-9 Essex – on ECF LMS
On chess.com A convincing win against 10-player Surrey, losing only two games, on Boards 5 and 6, against six wins and the two default points. Here are the six Essex wins:
Mark Murrell rounds up the current position in each section:
Open
The fates were against us today!
The state of play with one game to go in the group stage is this:
Northumberland have won Group 1B and will play the runner up from group 1A (either Middlesex A or Devon) in the Open semi-final.
Leicestershire have been eliminated (inferior tie-break to Essex and Surrey).
On Saturday 1st August Essex plays off against Surrey for the last qualifying place (4th in the group) to go into the Major Open Championship. The loser will be eliminated from the competition.
The winner of the head to head (which goes down to bottom board elimination) will have a semi-final on 8th August against one of Devon. Yorkshire or Cheshire & N Wales, of which Yorkshire is looking the most likely.
U1825
The League Table has been updated with known Championships qualifiers.
The winner of Essex v Oxfordshire on 1st August will play Northumberland in the U1825 Championship semi-final.on 8th August.
The loser (3rd place in the group) goes into the U1825 Challengers Championship to play the loser of Greater Manchester v Norfolk.(who will both play in the Challengers), also on 8th August.
Middlesex has won Group B with a game in by virtue of superior tie-break (head to head) and Surrey will finish bottom given their tie-break position, even if they pull off a shock win against Middlesex in their last Group B match.
Middlesex v Lincolnshire is the other semi-final in the U1825 Championship.
Leicestershire has been eliminated from the competition.