Month: January 2021

Bryan Bainbridge reports on how the club is managing during the lockdown:

Since the first lockdown all the Bishop Auckland Chess Club players have played every Monday and when available Tuesday nights.

We are still playing the club championship on Monday nights then afterwards we have a Zoom meeting to go through games.

On Tuesday nights we either play in the 4NCL or the North East League then afterwards we have a Zoom meeting to go through games.

We have six new members, so everything is going well for the club. The hospital club have confirmed that we will be welcomed back once the situation allows.

Anyone interested in joining the club can contact Bryan: bryanbainbridge@gmail.com

An update from Mick Riding:

Dear All,

This is just to advise you that after conversation with the Mercure today we have agreed that the 2021 Durham Congress cannot go ahead this year. May is too soon for confidence to have been restored in public gatherings of this kind. And what lies ahead is too unpredictable to try and reschedule later in the year. One of my initial goals was to stake out our weekend so people knew what and when and I believe our best course is to stick to that.

What I will be doing however is scheduling an event at the Darlington Mercure to celebrate Northumberland (supported by a host of Durham based players) winning the 2020 ECF Online County Championship. I have in mind a 2 round Durham v Northumberland OTB match, with time rates as per the online event (60m, 15s increments), evenly matched teams with players having a White and Black against each other, small buffet and presentation of the winner’s trophy. This will happen when/if the lockdown situation and all things Covid change to the point where we can sensibly go ahead – and the respective NCA and Durham Execs will be party to that decision.

I have a couple of questions outstanding with respect to the Northumberland weekend 23 – 25 September. These are simply around costs, capacity and contingency options. When I have answers I will post you again. For now I am working on the premise it will happen.

Best – Mick

The first round of matches in the second season of the North East Online League, played on 19th January, produced these results:

Division 1. South Shields 3 Jesmond 1; Forest Hall A 2 Gosforth Empire 2; Durham City A 4 Tynemouth & Morpeth A 0.

Division 2. Durham University 3 Thornaby 1; Forest Hall B 1½ Tynemouth & Morpeth B 2½; Newcastle University 1½ Durham City B 2½.

Division 3. Durham City C 3½ Forest Hall C ½; Tynedale 3 Gosforth Ivy 1; Bishop Auckland A 0 Darlington 4.

Division 4. Bishop Auckland B 2½ Tynemouth & Morpeth C 1½; Forest Hall E 2 Forest Hall D 2; Durham City D 1 Billingham Synthonia 3.

Full results can be found here:

https://ecflms.org.uk/lms/node/62801/home