Welsh Chess Union (Undeb Gwyddbwyll Cymru)

NYCA Team Championship success for U-18’s and U14’s!

Every season we enter four teams from South Wales in the National Youth Chess Association competitions. In effect, these are English intercounty championships. As is to be expected, the opposition is strong and successes are few and far between, an occasional place in the top three being the best we can hope for. Continue reading NYCA Team Championship success for U-18’s and U14’s!

First Rank Edition Issue 27

This can be viewed here.

Cardiff Primary Schools Championship

This year the Cardiff Primary Schools Championship takes place on WEDNESDAY 20th NOVEMBER at CARDIFF CITY STADIUM.

This year’s Championship is supported by “Mostyn Estates Ltd”.

Entries are invited from primary schools. You can find the entry form here

Welsh Junior Rapidplay Congress 1 21/9/19 Results

Premier: 1= Anshul Swamy, Oliver Sapsford (4/5) 3= Alex Lawrence, Ben Jaberansari (3.5)

Major: 1= Hassan Amar, Ben Morgan, Lucy Taylor (4/5)

Starters: 1= Edward Swartz, Vivien Townsend (4/5), 3. Noah Grifiths (3)

A special mention for Edward Swartz and Ben Morgan who were playing in their first competitive event.

The rapidplay ratings site is now back functioning, and games from this event have now been rated.

Welsh Seniors Championship 27th-29th September Reminder

Don’t forget it is not too late to enter this event. Kevin Staveley is urgently seeking entries for this!

First Rank Newsletter Edition 26

This can be viewed here.

IQE to sponsor 2019/20 Welsh Secondary School Championships

The Welsh Chess Union are very pleased to announce that Cardiff-based multi-national IQE (https://iqep.com/) will be sponsoring the inaugeral 2019/2020 Welsh Secondary Schools Chess Championships.

This has been a priority for the Welsh Chess Union for some time as chess in Welsh Primary Schools has been well established for many years but has been largely lacking in Welsh Secondary Schools.

The individual competition will take the form of an online Rapidplay Championship and is open to all players at Secondary Schools within Wales.

For more information please contact Richard Stevenson (email:welshsecondarychess@gmail.com).

The flyer for the event can be downloaded here.

ECU E-Magazine August 2019

This can be downloaded here.

Chess event for Secondary School players Saturday 21st September

On Saturday 21 September there will be afternoon of fast-paced, light-hearted chess for secondary school players of all standards. This will be held at Bishop Hedley High School, Merthyr Tydfil, from 2-5 p.m. (the full address is Bishop Hedley High School, Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 9AN).

Attendance is free. Players will be divided into teams at random, giving everyone a chance of success while having the opportunity to get to know new players. They will play a mix of Blitz, “doubles chess”, and possibly some other chess variants. (If you don’t know what “doubles” is, it is detailed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bughouse_chess). As far as possible, players will be paired against those of similar standard.

Note that there is also a Junior Congress, held at Bishop Hedley High School, on the afternoon of 21 September. So if players are looking for a more competitive afternoon of chess, and have a Welsh Rapidplay rating below 1400, they should enter this competition.

Those that wish to attend the Secondary School event should send an e-mail to Richard Stevenson, who can be contacted at: welshsecondarychess@gmail.com

Alan Rosser RIP

Sad news has reached us that Alan Rosser passed away on 27th August.

He had been diagnosed with cancer.

Alan started playing chess in the West Wales Chess League in the early 70’s by
joining the Tycoch Chess Club.. This club quickly folded, but with encouragement
from Paul Headon, Alan and a few others joined the Hendrefoilan Club in Killay.
Alan has beena loyal member of the League until the present day although the club
itself has changed it’s name many times as we moved from venue to venue.
Alan’s profession was as a teacher with most of his time spent at the Pennard Junior
school where he eventually rose to become headmaster. He decided to take early
retirement, and then enjoyed a pleasant sideline of delivering flowers for a well
known Mumbles florist. He particularly remembered delivering a huge number of red
roses to Bonny Tyler who accepted them at the door herself .

His interests were varied, but he was an excellent Badmington, Tennis and squash
player. Alan and I also tried our hand at orienteering but with mixed success.
Rugby was his big love. He was a loyal fan of Swansea and recently of course the
Ospreys. Over the years we have both enjoyed going to International matches
together, and have had many happy memories. He particularly loved travelling
abroad, and enjoyed France so much that he and his wife Liz bought a holiday home
near Royanne on the Gironne estuary.

Alan will be sorely missed by all his friends an family and the WCU wishes to send them our condolences at this very sad time.

The funeral will be a cremation for family members only.

There will however be a service of remembrance at the Uniting church on Dillwyn Road, Sketty at 2.00pm Thursday the 12th September. Parking will be near the Poppy lounge so will not be easy. Give yourself time for this.

Note :- This is the old church and not the modern one just around the corner which has the same name.

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