Welsh Chess Union (Undeb Gwyddbwyll Cymru)

Gary Wakeham RIP

It is with great sadness that we have learned that Gary Wakeham passed away at his home on Wednesday 14^th April at the age of 64.

Gary was a long standing member of Cardiff Chess Club and over the years served as Club Secretary and Team Captain and was also a very popular Junior Coach.

Away from the board, Gary ran his own building maintenance business and was also a very talented artist, selling many of his paintings to customers both in the UK and worldwide.

Above all, Gary was a devoted family man and liked nothing better than relaxing with his wife Gail and his children and grandchildren.

We will miss his hard work, integrity and great sense of humour, as well as the times spent at the end of a chess evening, putting the world to rights over one or two shandies.

2021 Welsh Correspondence Championship

The 2021 Welsh Correspondence Chess Championship will commence in June 2021.

Entry to the 2021 Championship is open to all Welsh flagged chess players; there will be no entry fee for this season only.

The tournament will be played online using the ICCF webserver https://www.iccf.com

All players must be registered under the Welsh flag. Player who are not yet registered with ICCF may do so by following the “New Player” link under the sign in box.

There will be a championship section of between seven and eleven players and one or more qualification section. The winner of the championship section will receive the title of “2021 Welsh Correspondence Chess Champions” and an engraved trophy; The WCCC is a qualifying event for the British Correspondence Chess Championship.

The time control will be ten moves in 40 days, with duplication after 20 days and 45 days leave.

All applicable ICCF rules will apply, for the full rules, please see

https://www.iccf.com/message?message=447 (Playing Rules, Server)
http://welshccf.org.uk/content/86

For a list of previous winners, please see http://welshccf.org.uk/content/87

To enter the Welsh Correspondence Chess Championship, please contact the WCCF International secretary, Russell Sherwood by email: leanthinker@hotmail.co.uk

The closing date for entries is 1st June 2021, the tournament will start shortly after this date.

ECU E-Magazine March 2021

This can be viewed here.

WCU Online 2021 Games now available

They can be viewed here.

New Welsh Candidate Master

FIDE have just awarded the CM title to Paul Atkinson. He is currently living in Germany, but intends to start playing in Welsh tournaments again when that becomes possible.

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‘The King’ Chess Training 17th-18th April 2021

Welsh International FIDE Master Jonathan Blackburn will be running training courses online via Zoom for Adults, U18’s and U11’s.

A statement from FM Jonathan Blackburn:

I’m running the second in my series of online chess training sessions on Saturday and Sunday 17th & 18th April, please find the flyer here: (see attached).

To book please email jonathan.blackburn1985@gmail.com . The first sessions were well received and based on feedback I have split the junior group into two.

I plan to hold regular weekend face to face training sessions across a variety of venues in Wales post pandemic. I intend to create a Welsh Chess Academy (with the blessing of the WCU) which I will progress with at pace, once the pandemic subsides.

Please see further details here.