October Chess

CJCC has split as last season into 2 separate clubs based on age with each half meeting fortnightly. The dates up to half-term are below

 4^th October – Older Half

11^th October – Younger Half
18^th October – Older Half and Josh’s Birthday Celebration Day.

We’ll be closed half-term week and reopen on 1^st November with the younger half.

 

We've also started 2 ladder tournaments where you move up for winning games, teaching chess skills, demonstrating a new skill or solving puzzles. Positions are fluid but after Week 1 Lucas and Illamaaran lead the younger half and Nina and Alice the older.

 Below are the dates for a number of upcoming chess events. If you would like further details of any of them please get in touch. Don’t leave it too long before entering – the Brentwood ones in particular will quickly become fully booked. Like Christmas these events will be here before you know it.

8^th October – EJCA tournament in Chelmsford (entry form at www.ejca.co.uk)

16^th October – 2^nd Brentwood Train and Play (entry form below)

6^th November – 2^nd EJCA Coaching Day at Writtle (near Chelmsford)

13^th November – 3^rd Brentwood Train and Play (with special simultaneous challenge)
20^th November – Basildon Rapidplay (2^nd EJCA Grand Prix event)
4^th December – 3^rd EJCA Coaching Day

Best Wishes

Robin
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com

1st Brentwood Train and Play

Today (Sunday 11^th September) was the 1^st Brentwood Train and Play which saw a number of CJCC players take part. This was a new event combining coaching sessions with a team competition that was organised jointly by me and British Rapidplay Champion IM Richard Pert. CJCC parent Russell White and English Chess Federation coach Tim Woolgar completed the coaching team.

Team Bobby Fischer (our youngest team) won the team prize by a single point. They were managed by former British junior champion Aditya Verma and over half the team played in the British U8s or U9s Championships in the summer.

The next Train and Play event will be on Sunday 16^th October. The first one reached full capacity so if you wish to enter the next one please email me for an entry form.

 

 

Best Wishes

Robin
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com

Week One (and future dates)

CJCC met back on 6^th September and it was lovely to see so many players there. Photos from Week One below. From next week we’ll split the club by age to make the numbers sensible and give more structure and coaching to the chess.

These boundaries are fluid. If particularly Year 5s want to come to the younger week and Year 4s to the older one that is fine. If you have siblings bring them both to whichever is most convenient and if you can only come occasionally pop along when you can.

So dates up to half-term …

13^th September – Younger Group (Years 1-4)

20^th September – Older Group (Years 5-8)
27^th September – Younger Group
4^th October – Older Group
11^th October – Younger Group
18^th October – Older Group

We’ll be closed half-term (25^th October) then reopen on 1^st November with the younger group.

Best Wishes

Robin
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com

Chess Event Calendar

Plenty of junior chess coming up in the next couple of months. I have more details for all of the events below so please get in touch for an entry form etc.

It has been great to see so many juniors taking advantage of the holidays to attend the adult club in Chelmsford on Thursday evenings.

Tuesday 16^th August – mid-summer CJCC meeting.

Saturday 20^th August  - CJCC Coaching Workshop.

20^th/21^st August – Terafinal Weekend in Loughborough (qualifiers only).

Tuesday 6^th September  - CJCC restarts. Everyone welcome.

Sunday 11^th September – First U12s Train and Play at Brentwood.

Saturday 17^th September – one day mixed tournament at Bures (Essex/Suffolk border).

Sunday 18^th September – Eton College secondary school competition (KEGS entered).

Saturday 24th September - Essex Blitz Championship.

Sunday 25^th September – First EJCA training day at Writtle.

Saturday 8^th October – First EJCA Grand Prix tournament in Chelmsford.

Best Wishes

Robin
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com

Brentwood Chess Train and Play 11th September

On Sunday 11^th September will be the first Brentwood Train and Play. This is an exciting new chess event I’m organising with IM Richard Pert and will combine coaching sessions aimed at players of different standards and rated match play against opponents of similar standard. There is a strong CJCC flavour to the day with fellow CJCC parent (and former Essex Champion) Russell White part of the coaching team.

Richard and I have spent a fair amount of time deciding on the format and putting the day together and plan to run a series of these events in the future. The Essex Junior Chess Association are also planning a series of coaching events which I’m also involved with. Details of these will appear at www.ejca.co.uk

Also on the EJCA website is the entry from to the first of the Grand Prix tournaments to be held in Chelmsford on 8^th October.

Next week (16^th) CJCC will meet for mid-holiday chess and I’m running an invitational coaching morning on Saturday 20^th.

Best Wishes

Robin
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com

Another British Champion

I’m delighted to tell you that Chelmsford Chess Club’s Elliot Cocks is the new British U16 Champion. His score of 5.5/7 put him half a point ahead of a tough field (he was seeded 7^th).

Before playing at the British Elliot represented England at the European Schools Championships in Greece and in the Glorney Cup so has not been short of match practice. Tomorrow (Sunday) he starts in the U15 Championships and is midway through the Major Open.

Elliot was a key part of the Chelmsford A team who won the North Essex Chess League this season and has been coming along to the adult club since he started at KEGS. Back then I used to share chess ideas and interesting games with him. These days it is the other way round.

Elliot also has a unique place at CJCC despite being too old and too good to come along because he designed our poster.

Best Wishes
Robin Slade
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com

British Championships - and a CJCC National Champion

The British Championships are in full swing now but the main focus for CJCC was the U8s and U9s sections which have now finished.

Olga (3/6), Nina (4/6), Max (3/6) and Harry (3/6) all played in the U8s and can all be very pleased with themselves. Harry deserves a special mention for scoring 3/6 at the age of 5.

Nina (4/6) and Harry (2.5/6) also played in the U9s and were joined by Harry’s older brother Jerry (3/6) and brothers Ethan and Max Yau (both 2/6) who came along to the last CJCC coaching workshop.

These scores alone are excellent but Nina was also the joint highest scoring girl in the U8s and U9s making her U8 and U9 National Girls Champion. On behalf of CJCC many congratulations to Nina and all the other players. We are very proud of you.

Below are a couple of photos of Nina in the playing hall and (for balance) one of Jerry, Harry, Ethan and Max on the beach. Also one of Ethan at the Gigafinal where he scored 4/6 to qualify for the Plate competition.

All the details are available via the link on the English Chess Federation website. Also on the website is a link to the new grades which reflect the fine progress made by our tournament players. www.englishchess.org.uk

Best Wishes
Robin
chelmsfordjuniorchess@gmail.com