Category: News

02/05/23

Saxmundham came within a whisker of doing the ‘double double’ on Tuesday with both teams contesting their divisional Rapid Play Cup finals. This involves teams of four playing a double round match with a time limit of 25 minutes each per game with a ten second increment.

	Saxmundham A		4 – 4	Ipswich B
1	Simon Wilks	2078	0 – 1 ½ – ½	Yaroslav Orishko	2000
2	Malcolm Lightfoot	1756	½ – ½ 1 – 0	Simon Riley	1680
3	John Feavyour	1978	1 – 0 0 – 1	Les Jones	1693
4	Sam Gaffney	1683	1 – 0 0 – 1	Thomas Sheat	1650

The A Team had an intense struggle with Ipswich B with the advantage swaying back and forth. Sax edged the first round 2½ – 1½ with Sam and John’s wins making up for Simon’s loss on board 1 with Malcolm drawing his game. The scores then reversed in the second round with Sam and John losing, Simon drawing and it needed Malcolm’s win to keep the loss to 1½ -2½, thus tying the match 4-4. Unfortunately the tie break favoured Ipswich.

	Saxmundham B		6 – 2	Clacton
1	Mike Usher	1767	1 – 0 1 – 0	Marek Ciorga	1597
2	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1862	1 – 0 0 – 1	Melvin Steele	1560
3	Hugo Brown	1737	1 – 0 0 – 1	Warwick Estlea	1394
4	Lee Osmon	1417	1 – 0 1 – 0	Andrew Todd	1394

Sax B were playing Clacton and things got off to a flying start with a 4-0 clean-sweep in the first round. However, things didn’t continue so well in the return when first Hugo lost, followed shortly after by Matthew, and with Mike having dropped a whole Rook it looked like there might be a complete reverse. Luckily, he still had enough pieces to complete a deadly attack on my opponent’s King, and Lee romped home to his second win and we had a comfortable 6-2 result.

25/04/23

	Saxmundham		1 – 3 (R 2 – 2)	Ipswich
1	Mike Usher	1797	1 – 0	Simon Riley	1704
2	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1636	0 – 1 (R 1 – 0)	Yarolsav Orishko	N/K
3	Hugo Brown	1328	0 – 1	Les Jones	1732
4	Lee Osmon	1323	0 – 1	Piotr Dolwka	1527

Another hard day at the office for the Sax U1800 team, losing to second place Ipswich at Benhall last night. Mike managed to win on top board but the other three, Matthew, Hugo and Lee, were all heavily out-rated and duly lost. Two more matches left but it’s going to be hard to avoid the wooden spoon.

NB. The result was later revised to 2-2 after it was deemed that the Ipswich Board 2 was ineligible to play as he was clearly stronger than 1800.

18/04/23

	Saxmundham		1½ -2½	Bury St Edmunds
1	Mike Usher	1797	1 – 0	Steve Lovell	1849
2	Dominic Carter	1646	½ – ½	Mark Heffer	1685
3	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1675	0 – 1	Robert Jones	1690
4	Lee Osmon	1328	0 – 1	Danny Harrison	1629

The League may have finished but Saxmundham have still a few games to play in the U1800 Cup. On Tuesday Sax played host to top-of-the-table Bury, who out-graded us on every board. The 1½ – 2½ defeat was not surprising but a bit closer than last time. Dominic was first to finish with a draw on Board 2 but then Lee tragically blundered away a won ending on 4. Mike had a good win on top board (revenge for his loss in the first leg) which left Matthew, who fought long and hard, but ultimately in vain, to save the match.

12/04/23

	Woodbridge B		2 -2	Saxmundham B
1	Alan Lewis	1551	0 – 1	Mike Usher	1797
2	Daniel Such	1568	1 – 0	Dominic Carter	1646
3	Bernard Ross	1346	1 – 0	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1675
4	Harry Elman	1360	0 – 1 (DEF)	Lee Osmon	1328

The B Team’s League campaign came to a rather disappointing end on Wednesday night after a 2-2 at Woodbridge. Sax started with a free point due to a default on board 4, and after Mike won on top board we were looking good. However, as the evening wore on the tide turned against both Dominic and Matthew, and they both went down fighting. Although the result moved Sax B to the top of the table, we still had to wait and see if either of the two Bury teams could overtake us…..

In the event, Bury C lost 3-1 to Bury D the following night, so Bury C fell a point short. Bury D could now overtake us with a 4-0 win in their last game, but they to fell short, drawing 2-2 with Felixstowe.

So Sax B win the Division 3 title, and promotion to Division 2, to match the A Team winning the Division 2 title and promotion to the top flight. Congratulations to all involved.

04/04/23

	Saxmundham		½ – 3½	Manningtree
1	Mike Usher	1797	0 – 1	Robert Stephens	1712
2	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1675	0 – 1	Simon Webber	1700
3	Hugo Brown	1332	0 – 1	John McAllister	1659
4	Lee Osmon	1328	½ – ½	Adrian Sanderson	1497

The Under-1800 Cup is proving to be a graveyard for the club, which is anchored to the bottom of the table after a thrashing from visitors Manningtree.  Lee saved the whitewash with a solid draw, but Hugo lost in short order and Matthew let slip a winning endgame. On top board, although Mike lasted 52 moves, he was effectively lost after 14 moves when he played two moves ‘the wrong way round’ which just blundered a pawn and ruined his position. 

30/03/2023

	Bury C		1½ – 2½	Saxmundham A
1	Adam John	1922	½ – ½	Malcolm Lightfoot	1881
2	James Pack	1874	0 – 1	John Feavyour	1831
3	Steve Lovell	1861	0 – 1	Sam Gaffney	1837
4	Robert Jones	1688	1 – 0	Lee Osmon	1336

Congratulations to the Sax A Team on a thrilling win over Bury B to clinch the Division 2 Championship, and promotion to Division 1 for next season. Despite not being able to field our strongest team, and being outranked on every board, we still managed to triumph on the night. Wins on Boards 2 & 3 by John and Sam, with Malcolm holding the draw on top Board, made up for Lee’s loss on 4, and sealed a memorable night for the club. Now let’s hope the B Team can match this success!

21/03/23

	Saxmundham B		2 – 2		Felixstowe B
1	Mike Usher	1786	1 – 0	1616	Gary Hemsworth
2	Dominic Carter	1644	½ – ½	1576	Mark Weidman
3	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1697	½ – ½	1380	David Robertson
4	Lee Osmon	1336	0 – 1	1308	Trevor Wright

The B Team slipped up again last night, only drawing with bottom-of-the-table Felixstowe B, who we really should have beaten easily. All the games were well contested. Mike’s win on top board was soon cancelled out when Lee, who was winning, walked into a mating net. Matthew was doing well but after a costly mistake was lucky to get the draw. Dominic likewise started well but gradually the tide turned and he was also happy to take the draw when it was offered.

The result  leaves Sax B tied at the top with Bury C, so it will all go down to the last round matches next month. Sax are away at Woodbridge whilst Bury C play club-mates Bury D.

14/03/23

	Saxmundham A		3½ – ½		Manningtree B
1	Simon Wilks	1916	1 – 0	1757	Graeme Jones
2	Malcolm Lightføot	1881	1 – 0	1719	Robert Stephens
3	John Feavyour	1831	½ – ½	1697	Simon Webber
4	Sam Gaffney	1837	1 – 0	1674	John McAllister

Sax A notched up another convincing win, this time against Manningtree B – a result that lifts them to the top of the Division, just half a point ahead of Bury B, who they play in the deciding match on Thursday.

07/03/23

	Saxmundham B		2 – 2	Ipswich C
1	Mike Usher	1786	1 – 0	Tom Gordon (DEF)	1500
2	Dominic Carter	1644	½ – ½	Thomas Sheat	1500
3	Matthew Lawes-Wickwar	1697	0 – 1	Piotr Dolewka	1509
4	Lee Osmon	1336	½ – ½	Adam Wilson	1446

Sax B had a disappointing 2-2 draw with Ipswich C on Tuesday, despite the visitors only arriving with three players, thus gifting us a default on top board. Sadly, we couldn’t capitalise on that, with Lee and then Dominic getting no traction in their games and having to settle for draws. This left Matthew pressing hard, but at the eleventh hour he fell for a trick that lost a Rook, and had to resign on the spot.

The result leaves us in second place in the table, two points behind Bury C but with a game in hand. So it’s shaping up for a tight finish to the season.

28/02/23

	Saxmundham A		3½ – ½	Sudbury
1	Simon Wilks	1921	½ – ½	Robert Sanders	2021
2	Malcolm Lightfoot	1886	1 – 0	Andrew Donnelly	1796
3	John Feavyour	1842	1 – 0	Andrew Last	1520
4	Sam Gaffney	1851	1 – 0	Sam Kerruish	1469

Sax A earned a comfortable win over Sudbury at Benhall on Tuesday.  Simon held the draw comfortably on top board, settling for a perpetual check. Malcolm built up a small plus but his opponent managed to simplify and seemed to be headed for an even endgame when Malcolm managed to trick him to clinch the win. John had a smooth victory on board 3 and Sam also won, having gained an advantage, he survived a mutual time scramble to bring home the full point.

So Sax A stay in second place but close the gap on Bury B (who lost at Manningtree) to just 1½ points with two to go. These two are well ahead of the field so it looks like it will come down to a thrilling last match showdown at Bury at the end of the month.