In 2022/23, Queens Park Members have the opportunity to compete in our five round Club Championship, supported by our season sponsor Beltrami & Co.
Each round has a ‘designated date’. This is a Tuesday evening club night at which we encourage Members to play their Beltrami Club Championship games in our usual venue.
Games are played over-the-board at the 60+0 time control, under Chess Scotland rules, involving use of a clock and notating moves. One point is awarded for a win, and half a point for a draw. Using the Swiss pairings format, the number of points Members are on will determine who they are drawn against in the next round – i.e. “winners play winners”.
The designated date for round 3 is Tuesday 21 February, with a 6:45pm start time in The Bungo.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you are participating in the Club Championship, and cannot make this date, please contact Tournament Controller Alex Lane, or another Member of the Committee, by WhatsApp or email, and we will work with you and your opponent to reschedule.
There were a number of defaults in round 2. Those who do not turn up for their game, or notify us in advance, risk inconveniencing their opponent and forfeiting the game. Repeat offenders may be removed from the tournament, as those affected have to wait around for an opponent to show up, and also miss out on the opportunity for a graded game. We appreciate all cooperation in making the tournament an enjoyable experience for everyone taking part.
The round 2 standings and the round 3 pairings follow below.
Paul Cumming (left, facing) is one of seven in the leading pack
In 2022/23, Queens Park Members have the opportunity to compete in our five round Club Championship, supported by our season sponsor Beltrami & Co.
Each round has a ‘designated date’. This is a Tuesday evening club night at which we encourage Members to play their Beltrami Club Championship games in our usual venue.
If Members are not available on this date, Tournament Controller Alex Lane will work with you and your opponent to find an alternative date – and possibly a different venue – that suits both players.
Games are played at the 60+0 time control, under Chess Scotland rules, involving use of a clock and notating moves. One point is awarded for a win, and half a point for a draw. Using the Swiss pairings format, the number of points Members are on will determine who they are drawn against in the next round – i.e. “winners play winners”.
Round 1
32 players competed in the first round. Unusually, all games were decisive, with no draws. Round one winners included the Club’s highest rated players Tommy Lally (1616) and Craig Thomson (1582), and defending champion Rhys McCrosson (1477).
On the lower boards, unrated newcomers Connor Thompson, Andrew Speirs, Ash Angappan and Paul Stewart also picked up full points.
Seven new members joined the Beltrami Club Championship at round two. Most games were played on the designated date of Tuesday 10 January at 6:45pm.
The results follow:
Board
White
Rating
Score
Black
Rating
1
Tommy Lally
1616
1-0
Derek Rankine
1318
2
Chris Dinwoodie
1025
0-1
Craig Thomson
1582
3
Rhys McCrosson
1477
1-0
Iain Shields
1093
4
Andrew Speirs
0
0-1
Paul Cumming
1432
5
Giuseppe Bosco
1411
1-0
Greg Forrest
0
6
Connor Thompson
0
1-0
Harvey Dellanzo
1373
7
Graeme McKinnon
1339
0-1
Ash Angappan
0
8
Paul Stewart
0
0-1*
Alistair Ahmed
1606
9
Wull Swales
0
1-0
Jass McNeill
1254
10
Caitlin McCulloch
1128
0-1
Ryan McGill
0
11
Ronnie Martin
0
1-0
Aidan Doye
0
12
Moray Lennox
0
0.5-0.5
Douglas Veitch
0
13
Harry Thomson
0
0-1
Sagar Kukreja
0
14
Rhys Brown
0
1-0*
Jackie Logan
0
15
James Carson
0
0-1*
Gemma Dickson
0
16
Sachin Vats
0
0-1*
Jonny Linney
0
17
Jordan McNaught
1422
0-1*
Stewart Gray
1449
18
Thomas Fowley
0
1-0
Michael Mathieson
0
19
Philip Blaber
1260
1-0*
Ethan Small
0
* = Default Win
The designated date for round three is Tuesday 21 February. The draw will be shared with Club Members via email and WhatsApp, and posted on the blog section.
Please contact us if you cannot play your game on this date and we will work with you and your opponent to reschedule. Those in the draw who do not turn up to play their fixture, or notify the Club in advance, risk a loss by default.
November 2022 was another packed month for the Club. Business continued for our three teams in the Glasgow and Dunbartonshire Chess Leagues, the Beltrami Club Championship got underway, and we initiated a Club Leaderboard. We were represented at national tournaments in Oban and Livingston, and we hosted a group of visitors from the admirable Freedom From Torture charity.
We reached an impressive milestone of 40 members, making Queens Park one of the bigger chess clubs in Scotland. That is all the more impressive given it doesn’t include non-members who: join us in Wellcroft Bowling Club for casual chess on Tuesdays; play in the Thursday Chess Group; and/or join our meetups on Sunday mornings. Full details follow.
Beltrami Championship
32 players competed in the first round of our Club Championship, sponsored by law firm Beltrami & Co. The tournament provides an opportunity for members of all abilities to test their classical skills, gain or improve upon a national rating, and compete for the prestigious trophy.
Round one winners included the Club’s highest rated players Tommy Lally (1616) and Craig Thomson (1606), and defending champion Rhys McCrosson (1477). On the lower boards, unrated newcomers Connor Thompson, Andrew Speirs, Ash Angappan and Paul Stewart also picked up full points. Full results here.
Round two, which has the designated date of Tuesday 10 January, will see six new Members join the tournament. Players unavailable on this date may arrange for their game to take place later in January. The round two draw will be made by Tournament Controller Alex Lane in early December, and will pair winners against winners using the Swiss format.
All round one games concluded in November
Club Leaderboard
This month saw the launch of Queens Park’s own elo system in a special Club Leaderboard administered by Club President Graeme McKinnon. “Queens Park elo” does not contribute to Chess Scotland or FIDE ratings – but it does provide all-important bragging rights.
The Leaderboard is open to members and non-members alike, and simply involves playing a timed over-the-board rapid game (10+0, 15+0 or 30+0) with another player during a Club night, and recording the outcome in a score slip.
All players start at 1200. At the end of November, Rhys McCrosson leads and is the first player to cross the 1300 threshold, out of more than 30 players that have played at least one Leaderboard game to date. Click here to see the standings and rules.
Driven: Rhys leads in no. games and rating
Oban Congress
Congratulations to Queens Park’s Jordan McNaught, a surprise joint winner of the Major section of the 2022 Oban Congress. Jordan, ungraded, was one of three players to share the prize money with 3.5/5.
Just behind on 3/5 were Alex Lane and Alex Radevic, while Derek Rankine scored 2.5/5. With Queens Park supplying the three lowest seeds of 14 players, it was an impressive outcome for the Club.
Oban: (l-r) Alex R, Zizheng, Alex L, Derek, Iain & Jordan
Queens Park was also represented in the Minor section by Iain Shields, who got 2.5/5, while Strathclyde Uni’s Liu Zizheng, who regularly visits Queens Park, achieved 2/5 in the Challengers section.
The five round classical tournament (75 mins per player for the first 30 moves, then an additional 30 mins per player) was held in Oban’s Royal Hotel on the weekend of 18-20 November.
International Master Andrew Greet, who will be visiting Queens Park on 31 January 2023 for a special 22 board simultaneous exhibition, won the tournament’s Open section with 4.5/5. An invitation to the simul will be shared with Members in early January.
Jordan collecting his well-earned Oban prize money
Livingston Allegro
A Queens Park delegation was in attendance at a Scottish Chess Tour rapid tournament in Livingston’s Mercure Hotel on 8 November. In a tough Major section, Graeme McKinnon scored 2/5 and Jordan McNaught got 1/5.
In the internationally rated Minor section, Connor Thompson achieved three consecutive wins to finish on 3/5, while Jonny Linney got 2/5 and Ryan McGill got 1/5. The time control for the five round Swiss pairings event was 20+10.
The international charity Freedom From Torture, which provides therapy and support for people who are recovering from torture, visited Queens Park this month. The charity’s Scottish branch runs a chess group for some of its service users. On 23 November, the group joined us for some casual games and advice on learning and development.
Our Members greatly enjoyed meeting the group and sharing some tips around opening principles and middlegame strategy. The group have an open invitation to join us again anytime in future.
Freedom From Torture’s chess group visited Queens Park
Monthly Interview
Our interview series continued with Ryan McGill as our November subject. Ryan is an enthusiastic new Member who arrived at Queens Park Chess Club via our local partner, Thursday Chess Group.
In his interview, Ryan tells us about how his interest in the game developed, picks out several highlights from his first few months in the Club, and shares some useful advice to newer players.
Meanwhile, the Thursday Chess Group is also growing in size. This month they set up home in a new location, the Corona Bar in Shawlands. Thanks to a successful joint bid to the Thriving Govanhill Fund, players no longer have to bring their own chess sets, and can turn up for a game anytime from 6pm on Thursday.
Our Thursday Group partners in their new venue, Corona Bar
Endgame Class
Our internal Club training sessions continued with Alex Radevic hosting one on practical endgames on 29 November. Alex used our new demonstration board (purchased with Thriving Govanhill funding) to set up and work through a series of positions with a group of eight.
Next month, Graeme McKinnon will take a class on developing an opening repertoire. The session will be particularly valuable to those at intermediate level who are less clear about how to build up an appropriate depth of knowledge in their favoured openings. A session invitation will be shared via the Club Member WhatsApp group next month.
League Update
Queens Park’s impressive start in the Glasgow Chess League continued with a 2-2 draw away to the Glasgow University A team on 16 November. The result, achieved from wins by Tommy Lally and Paul Cumming on boards two and four respectively, keeps Queens Park’s promotion chances in good health at the top of Division 3b.
In the Dumbarton & District Chess League, Queens Park’s A team in Division 1 lost 0.5-3.5 at home to Stepps A. Craig Thomson achieved Queens Park’s half point by drawing an opponent rated more than 400 points higher, and ungraded Connor Thomson put up a tremendous fight against 2000+ rated Stepps opponent John Henderson.
Queens Park’s B team had mixed fortunes in Division 2 of the Dunbartonshire League. Caitlin McCulloch captained the team to an impressive 3.5-0.5 win away to a Giffnock side featuring her father, Andy, on 7 November. The following week, on 15 November, the team suffered a 4-0 defeat at home to an impressive Strathclyde University side. The second game saw league debuts for new and ungraded Queens Park Members Sachin Vats, Greg Forrest and Sagar Kukreja.
Queens Park lead Division 3b of the Glasgow Chess League
The Dunbartonshire teams are frequently rotated with a view to giving newer players experience alongside some of our higher rated Members. Those wishing to join a future team are encouraged to respond to calls for league players issued by captains in the Members WhatsApp group.
As some Members have reported difficulty finding the latest league tables, this website will feature a regularly updated set of tables on a dedicated new League Info page. In addition, our website calendar also provides detail on all league fixtures across the 2022/23 season, as well as special events.
National Ambition
In early 2023, Queens Park will be going national. We have registered teams in two Scotland-wide Cup competitions – the Spens and the Richardson.
The ‘first’ Queens Park Chess Club, which was active from the 1870s to the 1930s, won the prestigious Spens Cup on several occasions. While it is unlikely we will match their success on our first try, we will look forward to following in their footsteps and testing ourselves against other Clubs across the country in the five board Cup.
Queens Park may be entering the Scottish National Chess League too. The Committee are considering an invitation to join Division Five for the current season, with fixtures beginning in January.
The historic Queens Park Club first won the Spens Cup in 1903
Public Posters
The posters highlight the three busy chess meetups
Finally, those in Govanhill and Shawlands may have spotted our above poster, highlighting the three regular and free-to-attend chess meetups around Queens Park. The posters are currently on display in community noticeboards and selected venues.
The closely fought contest was won on tiebreak by Rhys McCrosson, who finished equal on points with Aidan Doye, and half a point ahead of Alex Radevic.
Can the champion defend his hard-won title? Will Aidan mount another challenge? Could one our many new members – tournament prize-winners among them – emerge victorious? Will we see some big rating upsets? There is only one way to answer these questions….
Jonny (l) & Giuseppe (r) met in round one
How It Works
The five round tournament starts in November 2022. Subsequent rounds will take place over the remainder of the season, concluding at the end of May 2023. Each round has a “designated date”. This is a Tuesday evening club night at which we encourage Members to play their Beltrami Club Championship games in our usual venue.
If Members are not available on this date, Tournament Controller Alex Lane will work with you and your opponent to find an alternative date – and possibly a different venue – that suits both players.
Each game will last up to two hours, at the 60+0 time control, played under Chess Scotland rules, involving use of a clock and notating moves.
One point is awarded for a win, and half a point for a draw. Using the Swiss pairings format, the number of points Members are on will determine who they are drawn against in the next round – i.e. “winners play winners”.
For newer players, the Beltrami Club Championship provides a valuable introduction to competitive, classical chess, and results will count towards achieving a national grading.
In the event of tied scores, the Sonneborn-Berger score will be used to determine final placings. This takes the performances of players’ opponents into account.
Jordan (l) vs Harvey (r) on board six
Round 1 Draw
Designated date: Tuesday 1 Nov, 6:45pm
Board
White
Rating
Score
Black
Rating
1
Douglas Veitch
0
0-1
Tommy Lally
1620
2
Craig Thomson
1590
1-0
Harry Thomson
0
3
Jackie Logan
0
0-1
Rhys McCrosson
1477
4
Paul Cumming
1437
D-0
James Carson
0
5
Jonny Linney
0
0-1
Giuseppe Bosco
1411
6
Harvey Dellanzo
1354
1-0
Jordan McNaught
0
7
Michael Mathieson
0
0-1
Graeme McKinnon
1339
8
Alex Lane
1316
1-0
Philip Blaber
0
9
Ryan McGill
0
0-1
Derek Rankine
1277
10
Jass McNeill
1254
0-1
Connor Thompson
0
11
Greg Forrest
0
0-1
Caitlin McCulloch
1128
12
Iain Shields
1122
1-0
Wull Swales
0
13
Sagar Kukreja
0
0-1
Chris Dinwoodie
1025
14
Aidan Doye
0
0-1
Paul Stewart
0
15
Gemma Dickson
0
0-1
Andrew Speirs
0
16
Ash Angappan
0
1-0
Ronnie Martin
0
D = default win
The above table will be updated as results come in. Once all round one outcomes are confirmed, they will be shared with Chess Scotland for grading, a standings table will be produced, and pairings for round two will be generated.
For any questions about the Beltrami Club Championship, Members can contact Alex Lane via WhatsApp.
Govanhill’s 2021/22 Club Championship concluded in May 2022. The five-round Classical tournament, which uses Swiss pairings to match winners against winners, was a tightly fought contest.
Wellcroft Bowling Club’s Ian, pictured above, made the ceremonial first move on board one in the final round.
The Winner Is…
Congratulations to Rhys McCrosson, who wins on tiebreak after finishing joint first with Aidan Doye.
Rhys and Aidan both finished with an impressive four wins each, but Rhys edged ahead on tiebreaks using the Sonneborn Berger system, which takes opponents’ strength into account.
Alex Radevic finished in third place, one half point behind. 20 players competed in the Championship, the first in the Club’s history, and 11 played all five rounds.
Rhys maintains the lead with a 100% record, while Harvey and Aidan also won their games to move up into second and third place respectively. A point separates the top three, and the mid-table is also closely bunched, with one point between 4th and 11th.
The Swiss format tournament will conclude with a final round in May. The results, standings and round four draw follow.
Individual results and overall standings are also available on the Chess Scotland website.
16 players are competing in Govanhill’s first Club Championship, a five-round Swiss format tournament at the 60+0 classical time control.
The Club Championship started in January, and all games in the second round have just concluded. The remaining rounds take place in March, April and May.
The results, standings and draw for round three follows.
