The 11th Heywood, Lancashire, Chess Congress
June 18-19 2005
11th Heywood Chess Congress one of the biggest ever!
173 players descended on Heywood Civic Hall last weekend to participate in the eleventh Heywood chess congress, a 22% increase on last year. Held over two days, participants flocked from all over the UK from Scotland, Wales, London, Newcastle and Kent, joining local players competing over five different sections for prize money. Every section was up on numbers compared to last year.
Brett Lund of Preston finally emerged as the HEYWOOD ADVERTISER OPEN winner, holding off students from Bristol University and the top graded player from York.
The DUNNES STORES MAJOR was won by Richard Bryant of Shrewsbury.
The ANTONIN WELEMINSKY INTERMEDIATE was a section run in tribute to Heywood Chess Club player Antonin, who died in February this year. This section was won by Martin Burns of Stockport, and the prizes were awarded by Antonin’s daughter Eva Bate. Fittingly Heywood player Jim Tennant-Smith, who played in the Intermediate and who became 78 years old during the congress, now becomes the oldest competitor in the congress.
Two Heywood players won a prize this time, Vinny Lewis and Martin Mills sharing first place in the COVERSURE INSURANCE MINOR!
The KUMON MATHS & ENGLISH NOVICE saw good performances from Heywood players, Peter Edhouse, Liam O’Rourke, John Crompton and Jason Chapman, but was won by young William Hart of Chorley.
Organiser Bill O’Rourke said "Heywood is truly recognised in the UK chess scene as a centre for excellence. Not only are we bringing players from all over the country to spend money in the local economy, we are also raising Heywood’s profile – most players admit to never having heard of Heywood before the chess congress! Twenty five chess players stayed at the Albany Hotel, and players were in and out of local shops and the market all weekend. I would really like to congratulate the local sponsors that allow this event to take place - truly magnificent support from the Heywood Advertiser, Dunnes Stores, Coversure Insurance and Kumon Maths & English, without whom the event quite simply couldn’t take place."
Prize winners galore, with Heywood players Vinny Lewis (5th from left) and Martin Mills (2nd from left)
Results
HEYWOOD ADVERTISER OPEN
1st Brett Lund (Preston) 4.5/5 £300
2nd Adam Ashton (3C’s) 4/5 £150 (and British Championship Qualifier)
3rd= Alan Walton (3C’s) and Simon Ansell (York) 3.5/5 £40 each
Grading prize: John Lyth (Morecambe) 3/5 £20
DUNNES STORES HEYWOOD MAJOR
1st= Richard Bryant (Shropshire) 5/5 £200
2nd= Golam Ali (South Birmingham) and Paul Stephenson (Prescot) £75 each
Grading prize: U148 Brendan Kane (PKA) 3.5/5 £20
ANTONIN WELEMINSKY INTERMEDIATE
1st= Martin Burns (Stockport) 4.5/5 £160
2nd= Richard Gavin (Oldham) and David Bryan (Altrincham) 4/5 £60 each
Grading prizes:
U125-118 Gerry Chandler (PKA), Mark Taylor (Rochdale) and Denis Horton (Urmston) 3.5/5 £6.66 each
U118 Robert South (Alwoodley) and Neil Hati-Kakoty (Bolton School) 2.5/5 £10 each
COVERSURE INSURANCE MINOR
1st= Vinny Lewis (Heywood) and Martin Mills (Heywood) 4.5/5 £105 each
3rd= John Sutcliffe (Chester) and Dave Colledge (Courier) 4/5 £20 each
Grading prizes:
102-93 Roger Walker (Belper), Les Parkinson (Chorley), Mark Cunningham (Halifax), David Gilbert (DHSS) and Phillip Armstrong (Oldham) 3.5/5 £4 each
92-81 Barry Groves (St Helens) 4/5 £20
U81 Paul Cosens (Liverpool) 4/5 £20
KUMON MATHS & ENGLISH NOVICE
1st William Hart (Chorley) 4.5/5 £50
2nd Richard Prescott (Blackburn) and Alan Jones (St Helens) 4/5 £15 each
Puzzle competition winner: Paul Talbot (St Helens) £10