National semi-finals for Worcestershire chess teams

The county scored heavily on the lower boards.

Peter Banks (Halesowen) was delayed and even though half-an-hour down on the clock finished first to set the ball rolling for Worcestershire.

Other county winners were Steve Crockett, Giles Stanton and David Smith (all Redditch), Roy Peters (Greenlands) and Arnold Kirkland (Droitwich).

In the semi-final they will play Lancashire on Sunday, June 11, at Derby.

In other national quarter-finals Worcestershire first team lost 10½-5½ to Suffolk at Milton Keynes.

The under 120 side beat Lancashire 6‒6 on tie-break at Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Skipper John Wrench (Kidderminster) led the county’s strongest team this season with grandmaster Keith Arkell (Halesowen) playing on board one against Suffolk.

Suffolk played up-and coming Alan Merry on board one and fielded an equally strong line-up.

The flow of play saw the East Anglians go into an early lead with wins on boards eight, 11 and 16.

John Edge (Halesowen), scored Worcestershire’s first and only win but Suffolk countered with a victory on board 14 and four draws.

Suffolk secured their success with a win on board two.

Arkell was unable to make headway with a miniscule advantage in a minor piece ending against Merry in the penultimate game to finish.

Nigel Towers (Redditch) had an extra bishop but had to concede a draw in the last game when he could not stop his opponent’s queen checks.

The under 120 team was skippered by Richard Collett (Greenlands) and led by David Smith (Redditch) on board one.

Worcestershire scored first on board three where Toni Reed (Redditch) crashed through her opponent’s king-side for a winning attack. 

The teams traded games until nearly the end of the encounter when just boards one and two were still playing.

Lancashire were victorious on board one and on the other Michele Clack (Redditch) shared the point as Worcestershire won on tie-break.

The semi-final will be next month against Warwickshire or Middlesex.