04 April 2002
Although Barry Chess Club's second team, the Camelots, appear a reasonably safe bet to maintain division 1 status members have to keep their wits about them during all remaining fixtures while the club's third team, the Stauntons, are still fighting hard for promotion from division 2.
The fortunes of many teams have however already been decided as the East Glamorgan Chess Association's 2001/2002 league season nears its conclusion and certain inter-club matches consequently become fairly irrelevant.
The Barry Bosons are in absolutely no danger of relegation from division 1 but, sadly this season, have no chance of retaining their premiership title while the Gambits are already in line for relegation from division 3 and the Saracens have no prospects of winning division 4.
The Gambits travelled to play Llantwit Major last Wednesday evening and were able to relieve any nagging doubts which their hosts may have held regarding their own demotion. Llantwit led 4:0 at the conclusion of play although Barry may yet avoid a whitewash when an adjourned game from board 1 is concluded.
The Saracens were pleased to be on the right side of a similar scoreline in a home match against Porthcawl B on the same evening where, coincidentally, the game from board 1 has also been adjourned until a future date.
In Wednesday's second home match, the heirs apparent to the division 1 title, Cardiff Castles, visited the Bosons who, not for the first time this season, were slightly embarrassed by the non-appearance of their highest graded player. Various theories ranging from simple forgetfulness to the more fanciful alien abduction have been expounded regarding this unfortunately too regular occurrence but in any event it allowed Cardiff a free point to add to their already impressive tally. Barry also lost board 5 of the match while the remaining three games have been adjourned or are being considered for adjudication. The hosts' position on board 3 looks decidedly unfavourable but they will probably manage to draw the remaining two boards for the Castles to record a 4:1 victory.
The 2002 Welsh Championship, a seven round Swiss system tournament involving one game on Friday evening and two games on each of the following three days, took place at the Dolphin Hotel in Swansea over the Easter weekend. This gruelling format, which in the opinion of many reduces the national title to something of a lottery and dissuades some of the higher graded players in the Principality from participating, again threw up its now anticipated high proportion of shock results with Richard Jones, a popular and talented young player from Swansea Valley Chess Club, outstaying the field to emerge as the eventual winner.