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Chess puts town on the map

3/ 7/2008

HEYWOOD Chess Club attracted top grade players to the town as they descended on the Civic Hall to play in the 14th Chess Congress.

Participants from all over the UK, were joined by local players and nine players from Heywood’s twin town of Peine in Germany.

The Heywood Advertiser Open developed into a titanic struggle between chess Grandmaster Keith Arkell, of Worcester, and the leading Peine player Helge Hintze. They played each other in the final round, but agreed a draw to leave each other as joint winners. Young Heywood players Dominic and Liam Rabbitte scored very creditable half marks.

The Dunnes Stores Major was won by Richard Bryant of Shrewsbury. Richard is making Heywood a winning haunt, having won the same event last season. Peine player Jurgen Garbuszus secured second place

The Antonin Weleminsky Intermediate was won by Robert Clegg of Huddersfield. Heywood player Emlyn Dobson shared second place.

In the Coversure Insurance Minor, Oldham players took the first prizes. Steve Flaherty of Heywood took the third prize. But there were also excellent performances from Heywood’s Harry Praeger, Liam O’Rourke and Peine’s Hans Juergen Ebeling and Mils Brylski.

The Kumon Maths Novice was won by Antonis Kokossis who travelled from Surrey.

Organiser Bill O’Rourke said: "In the chess world Heywood is well-known for providing an excellent chess event.

"Most players admit to never having heard of Heywood before the chess congress.

"But it is the local sponsors that allow this event to take place, truly magnificent support from the Heywood Advertiser, Dunnes Stores, Coversure Insurance and Kumon Maths and English, without whom the event quite simply couldn’t take place."

The next chess event in Heywood will be the Heywood chess rapidplay on 18 January next year, The Heywood Chess Club meets every Tuesday at the Hopwood Unionist Club from 7.15pm onwards, players of any standard welcome.

THE HEYWOOD ADVERTISER OPEN:

1st = Keith Arkell (Worcester) and Helge Hintze (Peine) 4.5/5 £225 each; 3 James Hanley (Lancaster) 4/5 £80; Grading prizes: Dominic Rabbitte, Liam Rabbitte (Heywood) and Malcolm Armstrong (Stafford) 2.5/5

THE DUNNES STORE HEYWOOD MAJOR:

1 Richard Bryant (Shropshire) 5/5 £200; 2 Jurgen Garbuszus (Peine) and John Stephenson £75 each

Grading Prize: U148 Clive Davies (Rose Forgrove, Leeds), 3/5 £20

ANTININ WELEMINSKY INTERMEDIATE:

1 Robert Clegg (Huddersfield) 5/5 £160; 2 Richard Mounce (York) , Carl Gartside (High Peak) and Emlyn Dobson (Heywood) 3 5/5 £60 each

Grading Prizes: U133-126 Mick Connor (Widnes); U121 Geoff Pennington (Preston) and Jean Luc Weller (York) 3/5

COVERSURE MINOR

1 = Sam Towse (3C’s) and Tom Clements (3C’s) 4.5/5 £120 each; 3 Neville Pearce (York), Maziar Jalini (York) and Steve Flaherty (heywood) 4/5 £40 each; Grading prizes: Lee Baron (Bury), Steven Jones (Grappenhall), Liam O’Rourke (Heywood), Brian Slater (Radcliffe), Senik Solomczak (Rochdale), Matthew Wedge Roberts (Hebden Bridge); Geoff Lee (Newcastle), Rob Hart (Chorley), Roger Walker (Belper), Steve Rush (Rhyl), David Innes (Crusaders, Blackburn), Thomas Fielding (Preston)

KUMON MATHS AND ENGLISH NOVICE:

1 Antonis Kokossis (Guildford) 4.5/5 £50; 2 Lothian Innes (Crusaders) and Chris Fielding (Preston) 3.5/5 £15 each

Puzzle competition winner: Chris Fielding (Preston) £10

Top Peine players: Hans Juergen Ebeling and Thomas Wenderhals 15 Euro