County Championships

Those results in full -
Minor | Open | Under_100 | Under_120 | Under_140 | Under_160 | Under_180
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The County Championships Final Stages ended as last year’s, at Moat College in a heat wave!
We were again fortunate to obtaining the services of Sir Peter Soulsby M.P., the member for Leicester South in whose constituency the College is found. His opening speech was the epitome of brevity, wit and awareness of the game of chess. We are grateful for his support of the ECF and its campaign to restore the cuts imposed by the DCMS..
Back to the actual games. In the Open, Lancashire made their traditional pilgrimage to the Finals, and defeated a very strong Sussex team 11-5. An excellent result in the circumstances.
The Minor Counties saw Hertfordshire come with their trophy and defend it successfully against Middlesex 10-6.
The newer grading bands threw up some interesting matches. An all-Midlands match saw Warwickshire clash with Nottinghamshire in a match with no fewer than 8 draws, Warwickshire getting home by 9-7.
Yorkshire were again defending their County 3rd team trophy in the U160s against Suffolk. The East Anglians defeated their higher rated opponents by 9½- 6½.
The U140s was the closest match of all, with Hampshire drawing 8-8 with Nottinghamshire, another match with 8 draws with Hampshire winning on board count.
The U120s was an all SCCU affair, with the men of Kent defeating Hertfordshire 8½- 3½ in a match which ended surprisingly quickly. The “new” u100 saw a weakened Warwickshire team succumb to Essex, also 8½- 3½.
I must thank David Welch, Adrian Elwin, John Shaw and John Wickham for their quiet work as a very good arbiting team. Peter Cresswell worked tirelessly in the back ground, and we thank him. Julie Johnson excelled herself in providing food and drinks for all present.
I took this task on at the request of some friends to prevent the changes of controller having a deleterious effect on this event. I told Adam Raoof that I would do this for one year, and so I walk away, accompanied by Julie. I will offer help and advice to anyone who seeks to take this most rewarding of jobs on, but warn that from the end of March to early July, they must make themselves available for queries, contacts and to act as the successor to Solomon. My thanks to Julie for putting up with this, and to my friends who attended the finals, and to Moat College for their help

- Cyril Johnson

Quarter Finals
Q1 Norfolk [E1] v Essex [S3] [result]
Q2 Lancashire [N1] v Kent [S2] [Kent conceded, Lancashire win]
Q3 Staffs [M1] v Yorkshire [N2] [result]
Q4 Sussex [S1] v Warwickshire [M2] [result]

Semi Finals
SF1Essex v Lancashire [result]
SF2 Staffordshire v Sussex [result]

MINOR
Quarter Finals
Q1 Lincolnshire [M1] v Suffolk [E2] [result]
Q2 Middlesex [S1] v Hampshire [W2]
Q3 Cambridgeshire [E1] v Hertfordshire [S2] [result]
Q4 Gloucestershire [W1] v Leicestershire [M2] [result]

Semi Finals
SF1 Lincolnshire v Middlesex [result]
SF2 Hertfordshire v Leicestershire [result]

Under 180
Quarter Finals
Q1 Yorkshire [N1] v Essex [S2] [result]
Q2 Bedfordshire [E1] v Nottinghamshire [M2] [result]
Q3 Warwickshire [M1] v Lancashire [N2] [result]
Q4 Surrey [S1] v Devon [W1] [result]

Semi Finals
SF1 Essex v Nottinghamshire [result]
SF2 Warwickshire v Devon [result]

Semi Finals
SF1 Yorkshire v Essex
SF2 Suffolk v Leicestershire

Under 140
Preliminary
P1 Sussex [S3] v Worcestershire [M3] [result]
P2 Staffordshire [M2] v Yorkshire ‘A’ [N2] [result]

Quarter Finals
Q1 Surrey [S1] v Nottinghamshire [M1] [result]
Q2 Yorkshire ‘B’ [N1] v Sussex [S3]
Q3 Suffolk [E1] v Staffordshire [M2]
Q4 Hampshire [W1] v Kent [S2] [result]

Semi Finals
SF1 Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire
SF2 Suffolk v Hampshire [result]

Under 120
Quarter Finals
Q1 Staffs Bulldogs [M1] v Lancashire [N2] [result]
Q2 Norfolk [E1] v Hertfordshire [S2]
Q3 Kent [S1] v Warwickshire [M2] [result]
Q4 Yorkshire [N1] v Nottinghamshire [M3]

Semi Finals
SF2 Lancashire v Hertfordshire
SF2 Kent v Yorkshire

Under 100
Quarter Finals
Kent [S2] v Yorkshire [N2]

Semi Finals
SF1 Warwickshire v Yorkshire
SF2 Lancashire v Essex [result]