top of page

Sussex League Team Updates

  • Sussex League - 1st Team Season Report

 by Russell Granat - 13/05/2024

The Worthing first team has had a very creditable season finishing strongly with 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 matches.

Overall we finished 4th in the 1st division behind winners Horsham, followed by Hastings and Brighton. We won 7, drew 2 and lost 2 (to Horsham and Brighton).

We welcomed back Dave Graham for the last half a dozen fixtures after a period of enforced absence.
Thank you to each of Matt Payne, Dave Graham (both of whom went through the season unbeaten) and to Peter Larwood and Nick Skinner who together with myself made up the 5 man squad that represented the team this season.

I look forward to next season and if we are able to put out our strongest team then we have a realistic chance of challenging for top spot.

  • Sussex League - 2nd Team Season Report

 by David Bradley - 12/05/2024

Worthing 2 finished the 2023/24 season in eighth position of The Sussex Chess League Division 3.

The Division was won by Brighton and Hove 3  who won all ten of their matches.

Our campaign got off to a good start back in October with a home win against Bexhill 4. This was followed by two defeats away at Eastbourne 4 and Haywards Heath 2 before we got back to winning ways  against Haywards Heath 3 who travelled over to Worthing on a freezing cold night the second week of the New Year.

Our one and only drawn match came two weeks later at home to Eastbourne 5.

This left us sitting exactly halfway in the league. However, things went downhill from then with four consecutive defeats.
Two whitewashes away against the top two teams: Brighton 3 and Hastings 3 were sandwiched  by losses at Horsham 4  and home to Horsham 5.

So to April and the last match of the season. This was at  home to East Grinstead Bookshop who sat one place below us at the bottom of the league. The losers of this match would end up bottom with the proverbial wooden spoon. Our players stepped up to the challenge and we won 4-0 which pushed us away from the bottom eventually finishing eighth.

Singling out individuals is a bit difficult as we had a core of players throughout the season who all gave of their best in representing Worthing Chess Club.
However, plaudits should go to Dave Wallis who played in every match for us and also was our top scorer  with 4.5. Graham Davie only lost one game out of six.
Notable performances were from Dave again, who got a draw when outgraded by over 270 points in our drawn match with Eastbourne 5. Also of note in the final game of the season, Keith  Guinness came into the team and although giving away over a hundred grading points, battled for over two and half hours to win a pawn endgame and secure our 4-0 victory.

Eight place in the league was certainly no disgrace for Worthing 2. We came up against some very decent club players throughout the season. With a bit more luck;  that is to say when a few games here and there slipped away from our players while in good positions we might have picked up a few more points and finished higher up the league.

So this is all very encouraging as we look forward next Autumn to once more entering new challenges in the Sussex Chess League.

  • Sussex League - 1st Team Match Report

 by Peter Larwood - 03/03/2024

The Worthing 1st Team enjoyed the Friday night A27 run to Eastbourne.

I was first to finish; a tame draw on board 3 against Adrian Pickersgill when all the Rooks came off in a balanced position.

Dave Wallis was holding vs Paul Carpenter but went into a worse pawn endgame and lost.

Dave Graham on board 2 was the exchange up but had awkwardly placed pieces which worsened when he nicked another pawn; Oli Froome found counterplay resulting in a Perpetual Check.

Matt Payne, playing Mats Rozman, had a poor Bishop against Knight. All major pieces still on the board. When I next looked they were analysing and I presumed a draw. But Matt reported a Win - bit of a swindle he said !

So back home with a final result of 2-2.

  • Sussex League - 1st Team Match Report

 by Russell Granat - 01/02/2024

January had two first team matches. We started with a home match against Hastings 1st team on Monday 15th January. Hastings had already maintained a 100% winning record with their first 4 league matches, and we had only managed a draw against their 2nd team, so a tough match was to be had.

Matt on Board 2 achieved a good position with an advantage but his wiley opponent John Sugden clung on for a draw. Both Peter and Nick on Boards 3 & 4 playing stronger players played solid games and each secured a draw. 1.5 all with my match still to finish.

My game against Francis Rayner as Black started passively and my opponent built up an imposing kingside advance (I had castled kingside) that I had little choice but to allow. However I tried to do the same against his queenside castled King. Whilst my attack appeared slower, my opponent took measures which I thought unnecessary giving me more time to secure the attack. I had to take a risk with a speculative sacrifice on move 21. This energised my position and rattled my opponent, who was by now also short on time and he played some inaccurate moves giving me a win and the team a match win of 2.5 v 1.5.


White : Francis Rayner
Black : Russell Granat

1. e4           Nc6
2. d4          e5
3. dxe5       Nxe5
4. Nf3         Qf6
5. Nxe5       Qxe5
6. Bd3         Bc5
7. Nc3          Nf6
8. Qe2         Bd4 - This position has occurred before, but cannot say I feel comfortable.
9. Bd2         d6
10. h3          c6
11. O-O-O  O-O
12. Kb1        b5
13. f4           Qe7
14. Qf3         b4
15. Ne2        Bc5
16. g4          a5
17. Ng3        a4
18. g5          Ne8
19. Nf5         Qa7 - Nf5 seems intuitively wrong as it blocks White advance.
20. Rhe1     Be6
21. Ne3        Bxa2+ - Decided this was now do or die.
22. Kxa2      b3+
23. Kb1        a3
24. Bc3        axb2
25. Bxb2       Qa2+
26. Kc1         Nc7
27. Bc4         Ba3
28. Bxa3       Qxa3+
29. Kd2        b2
30. Ke2        Rfb8
31. Nf5          Qc5
32. Qc3        Ne6 - White's Qc3 threatens checkmate, but ultimately it is incorrect.
33. Nxd6      Ra3
34. Qd2        Rxh3
35. Rh1         Rxh1 - White is down to the last 60 seconds of time left.
36. Rxh1       Nd4+
37. Kf2          b1=Q
38. Rxb1       Rxb1
White Resigns. 0-1


Secondly we played Lewes 1st team away on 23rd January. Again on paper a difficult match against a team with two promising juniors in their team.

My game was against Henry Adams, who last year had managed a newsworthy draw against Michael Adams, the country’s leading player. This proved to be relatively straight forward and gave us an early lead.
Matt had an early advantage but some highly resourceful play by his opponent resulted in a draw.
Nick on Board 4 was struggling from early on and despite putting up a valiant defence ultimately bowed to pressure.
Peter knew he needed a win to secure an overall team win and he duly succeeded providing a final score of 2.5 v 1.5. (His game has been posted below.)

So we go into February in 4th place in the league with three wins, one draw, a loss and all to play for.



White : Russell Granat
Black : Henry Adams

1. e4           c5
2. Nf3         d6
3. Bb5+      Bd7
4. Bxd7+    Qxd7
5. O-O        g6
6. c3            Bg7
7. d4            cxd4
8. cxd4        e6 - not sure about e6, seems to leave a potential weakness on d6.
9. Nc3          Ne7
10. Bf4         O-O
11. Qd2        Nbc6
12. Bh6        d5
13. Ne5         Nxe5
14. dxe5       d4
15. Rad1       Rfd8
16. Bxg7       Kxg7
17. Qg5         Nc6
18. Nb5         Qe7
19. Qxe7       Nxe7
20. Nxd4      Rac8? - g5 is essential.
21. f4           Rc4
22. Ne6+ - Black Resigns. 1-0

  • Away Match at Lewes, Board 3 - Game Report

 by Peter Larwood - 23/01/2024

White : Peter Larwood (1870)
Black : Richard Welford (1959)

1. d4        Nf6
2. Nf3      e6
3. Bf4      d5
4. e3        c5
5. c3        Nc6 - a punt at the London system
6. Nbd2  Bd6 - its his better bishop but...
7. Bg5
Richard said this was a surprise. I saw it played recently so if my betters do, why not ?
This proved an annoying pin.
7. ...         O-O
8. Bd3     e5 - this was after a big think by him. I think Re8 would have prepared better.
9. dxe5   Nxe5
10. Nxe5  Bxe5
11. Nf3     Bc7
12. O-O   h6
13. Bh4    Be6
14. Qc2    Qe7
15. Rad1   Bg4
16. Be2    Rad8
17. Rfe1    Qe4
18. Bd3    Qe6
19. Be2    Qe4
20. Bd3   Qe6 - Just to get a bit more time on the clock. He was 15 mins down due to move 8.
21. Be2    Rfe8
22. Bxf6  - preparing my next.
22. ...       Qxf6
23. Qa4 - I have been under pressure, at last a threat.
23. ...       Bxf3
24. Bxf3 - I am now slightly better.
I thought Russell and Matt were winning too, so I offered a draw to "win" the match.
Richard is not a draw person.
24. ...       Qe5
25. g3      Bb6 - This is horrible and loses a pawn anyway.
26. Rxd5 - Playable because the Rook on e8 becomes undefended.
26. ...       Qf6
27. Qd1    Qe6
28. c4 -  locking his bishop out of the game.
28. ...       Qf6
29. Qe2  Qg6
30. Red1  f5?? - Oops..
31. Bh5    Qf6
32. Bxe8  Rxe8
33. Qd2    h5
34. Rd6   Qe5
35. Qd5+ Qxd5
36. R1xd5  h4
37. Rxf5     hxg3
38. hxg3    Ba5
39.  Rd7  1-0  (not Rc5, Bb4. But I would still be 3 pawns up.)

  • Sussex League - 1st Team Report

 by Russell Granat - 07/12/2023

The Worthing Chess Club 1st Team plays in the first division of the Sussex Chess League. The format is a single match (either home or away) against the other 11 teams in the division comprising 4 boards per match.

Our season has started slowly with only 3 matches before Christmas. We have fielded the same 4 players, Russell Granat, Matthew Payne, Peter Larwood & Nick Skinner in all matches.

Our first match paired us at home against Brighton, last season’s champions, so a tough challenge was expected and duly arrived. Boards 1 and 2 were between evenly matched players and while I had commanding position on board 1 in the early middle game I squandered my chances, thanks in part to some resourceful defending by my opponent and the game petered out to a draw. Matt on board 2 was playing Callum Brewer who he knows well and the game was unlikely to be anything other than a draw. Both Peter and Nick on boards 3 and 4 were out graded by experienced players and lost. Final result a loss by 1 to 3.

Our second match paired us away against Hastings 2nd team. While on paper a match we should win a travel time of approximately 1.5hrs never puts the away team in the best playing frame of mind. I played a poor game on board 1 and was fortunate to salvage a draw by stalemate. Matt played an impressive game on board and secured a win. Peter, playing the resourceful player Paul Kelly on board 3, struggled and lost, but Nick having had a bad start, and looked lost, salvaged a draw. Final result 2 all. The journey back from Hastings was a nightmare with two sets of road closures with large diversions only very minor country lanes.

Our third match paired us away against Horsham 2nd team. Again on paper a match we should win and this time we delivered in style with a 4 – 0 win. I had a very quick win on board 1 by confusing my opponent in the opening. Matt on board 2 created a strong position fairly early on and it looked as though he was also cruising to an early win, but his opponent dug deep and made life difficult but ultimately could not cope and lost. Both Peter’s (on board 3) and Nick’s (on board 4) opponents, mindful of the their teams expected losses on boards 1 and 2 both played more aggressively to achieve wins, but this backfired on both boards giving us 2 more wins.

So we go into the festive break in mid table.


My game against Horsham :

White:  Russell Granat
Black: Phil Stimpson

1. e4           d6
2. c4           c5
3. Nc3        Nc6
4. Nf3         g6
5. d4           cxd4
6, Nxd4      Bg7
7. Be3          e6 – a fairly natural type of move, but in this position, it is disastrous
8. Ndb5       Bf8 – an embarrassing retreat, and worse than that
9. Bf4           e5 – effectively forced with the threat to d6
10. Nd5        exf4
11. Nbc7+    Kd7 – black is already objectively lost
12. Nxa8      Nf6
13. Nac7      Nxe4
14. Bd3        Nc5 – unfortunately trying to mate on the h3/c8 diagonal does not quite work
15. O-O       Nxd3
16. Qxd3        Ne5
17. Qb3        Qg5?
18. Qb5+     Resigns – Black is faced with either checkmate or the loss of his Queen
 

  • Sussex League - 2nd Team Report

 by David Bradley - 07/12/2023

The Worthing Second Team have now played three matches. We started with a 2.5 - 1.5 home win against Bexhill 4, with Dave Wallis and Phil Crompton both winning their games.
Then came two away games which were somewhat less successful. Graham Davie's draw saved a whitewash against Eastbourne 4.
In the next match at Haywards Heath, we did not win any games against their second team although Dave Wallis and Graham Davie both managed commendable draws.
So we are hoping to get back to our winning ways at home in the New Year, when Haywards Heath Team 3 will be visiting us.

  • Sussex League Cup Match Report

 by Peter Larwood - 08/11/2023

Worthing entered a team into the Sussex League Cup. 

It is grading handicapped and we found that the team that Horsham put out meant a 2-2 result would put us through.

David Bradley on Board 4 was heavily outgunned being rated 536 points below his opponent. He came out of the Opening well but the Middle-Game saw him with an isolated pawn and a worse Bishop and Knight. The pawn went, exchanges followed and his opponent marched 2 pawns down the queenside to win.

Matt on Board 2 had all the play and pressure on his opponents King position. But when the Queens were forced off, a draw was soon agreed.

My Opponent on Board 3 rather conceded the Centre in trying to unbalance the position by opposite side castling. In analysis he showed me a win -involving a Knight sacrifice - after he had moved his Queen to push against my king. And Matt found an earlier bishop move which was much better than my idea. However another draw.

So Russell on Board  1 needed to win. 6 pawns and all major pieces with both kings safe.
A late finish but another draw.

Maybe Next Year....

Final Results :-

Mark Broom (2120) 0.5 Russell (2244)
James Mansson(2055) 0.5 Matt (2143)
Anthony Higgs(2036)0.5 Peter (1903)
Ian Comley(1908)1-0 David (1372)

bottom of page