Once upon a time all chess activity at our club used to stop for the summer, and we all went on our holidays, or sat in the garden and forgot how to refute the terrible Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. By contrast, and despite the record breaking hot sunny weather this year, we have enjoyed a record-breaking level of chess activity at RBCC’s splendid venue.
A newly established summer Rapid Play league (invented by President Neil Graham, the lead enthusiast for the aforesaid Blackmar-Diemer car crash) saw us enter not one but three teams in a cycle of good-spirited but competitive matches. The Bingham Bombers competed with some success in the Under 1800 section but were in no danger of winning the laurels. Radcliffe Rascals, however, swept (nearly) all before them and came out on top in the Under 1500 section. Trent Tornadoes, a late entry to the field, fared less well but can at least claim to have blooded some of our keen new members in the dark arts of match play.
The club can claim a major coup for this Summer by hosting not one but two County Championship events. We (i.e. the Beemaster and the Librarian) took on the challenge of organising the Nottinghamshire County Championship, split over two Sundays in June and July. Entries were just as low as last year, a clear pointer for 2026 to another time of year and a different format (and different organisers), but it went smoothly with a little help from friends and served to show off our fine premises for any stars interested in a big money transfer.
The County Blitz in August was also held at the Legion and was much more successful in terms of numbers. A great time was had by all on a fine Monday evening and no one in the club won a prize, but the bar takings went through the roof. The picture shows the Legion ballroom the fullest it has ever been of chess players by far – until the next even bigger event…
The Big Outdoors event of the Radcliffe Carnival deserves special mention. Not only was a good time had by all who came too close to our stall to avoid being drawn in to play a game, but we also made lots of useful contacts and raised both knowledge of and interest in our club. And the weather was great too!
All through these events and all through the summer, the first ever RBCC summer tournament has been running. This built on the insatiable appetite among members for meaningful serious chess, and the format allowed for the games to be ECF-rated. The bonus points handicap system was clearly mishandled by the controller, however, since he came in joint last place out of the 20 that competed.
An unassailable first place was taken by Julius, with Evaldas in (2nd place) and Mark and Alan G (joint 3rd) trying to keep pace.
Here is a picture of the magnificent new trophy that would have been presented last week if Our Man From Lithuania had turned up to collect it…