The 6th Heywood, Lancashire, Chess Congress
June 24-25 2000
Heywood Chess Congress attracts the Country's best
The Heywood Civic Hall was kept busy again this weekend with competitors for Heywood’s sixth chess congress. And the event is getting so well known that for the first time the British Champion, Julian Hodgson, came up to compete.
Bill O’Rourke, Congress Director, reports: "Heywood can be proud of this event. The Civic Hall was again a magnificent venue, and the event owes a great deal to the sponsorships supplied by the Heywood Advertiser, The Freemasons Arms Heywood, The Heywood Distribution Park and Kumon Maths. This year we had the British Champion, Grandmaster Julian Hodgson, and he thought the whole event was excellent – and he says not to change anything about the congress - it’s great as it is!”
Shortly after 9 a.m. the Mayor Brian Leather got the games under way. In the Open, Hodgson had several tough games, especially against fellow grandmaster Hebden, but managed to win his section with a clear 5/5.
Several Heywood chess club players came close to winning prizes in most of the five sections, but just missed out. The total prize fund of £1800 was presented by the Mayor and Mayoress on the Sunday evening.
Results
HEYWOOD ADVERTISER OPEN
1st GM Julian Hodgson (London) 5/5 £300
2nd= GM Mark Hebden (Birstall) and D. Hulmes (Stockport) 4/5 £115 each
Grading prizes: Graham Lilley (Prescot, disabled player) and Oliver Jackson (Wales) £20 each
FREEMASONS ARMS HOTEL HEYWOOD MAJOR
1st= M. Cutmore (Wood Green), C. Dunlop (Crusaders, U21), P. Mulleady (Atherton) and A. Walton (3C’s) 4/5 £87.50 each
Grading prizes: A. Ashton (3C’s, U21) and D. Atherton (Oldham)
HEYWOOD DISTRIBUTION PARK INTERMEDIATE
1st R. Chapman 4.5/5 (Great Lever) £160
2nd= M. Cawston (Cumbria), T. Pawson (Leeds), E. Taylor (Hoylake) and D. Aspinall (Oldham) 4/5 £30 each
Grading prizes: K. Salman (Chorlton), B. Shaw (East Cheshire), N. Burrows (Salford), R. Wilding (Blackburn), R. Desmedt (Netherton) and A. Wiseman (Heywood, U21)
KUMON MATHS MINOR
1st M. Wood (Pensby) 4.5/5 £140
2nd= A. Roberts (3C’s) and Bill Heyes (Wigan) 4/5 £55 each
Grading prizes: G. Whitehead (Eccles), J. Dilworth (EEC), S. Sriharan (York), A. Sharkey (Bolton), Malcolm Plant (3C’s), B. Tinton (Cleveleys, U21), P. Coleman (Lytham), D. Bower (Rawtenstall, U21), W. Derbyshire (Chorley) and M. Worrall (Liverpool)
KUMON MATHS NOVICE
1st= S. Cropper (Atticus), B. Parry (Rawtenstall, U21) and A. Scoular (Swinton) 4/5 £27 each
Puzzle competition winner: Mark Taylor (Rochdale) £10
Total prize fund = £1800
Note – no female prize winners