20 May 2002
The final matches of the East Glamorgan Chess Association’s 2001/2002 league season were played last week and members of Barry Chess Club have experienced mixed emotions regarding the fortunes of their five teams.
There had been no illusions that this season’s results would not seem an anticlimax when compared to the club’s 2000/2001 triumphs but there was still a reasonable degree of satisfaction with most performances.
The club’s first team, the Bosons, was unable to hold on to the division 1 title which it won last year but, despite incurring some penalties along the way, still finished a creditable second to Cardiff Castles. Having lost the title to Aberdare A in 1999/2000 and the Bosons in 2000/2001 the Castles dug deeply to regain the premiership crown by a convincing margin while Caerphilly Kings and Cardiff A, as ever, made their presences felt.
Last season Barry had won division 2 with its second team, the Camelots, and, for the first time ever, been doubly represented in division 1. Solid performances throughout the year proved that this had been no fluke as the Camelots comfortably held their new divisional status.
Although the Barry Stauntons had won division 4 in the 1999/2000 season and division 3 in 2000/2001 there were suspicions that the club’s third team may have reached the limit of its capabilities but, most pleasingly, that proved not to be the case as, despite some anxious moments, the squad held its nerve in what was always going to be a hard fought division. Even if the team is successful in an outstanding appeal against an adjudicated game it can only finish second, pipped at the post by Bridgend A on match points, but members are nevertheless delighted at having gained promotion as Barry will now have not two but three teams in East Glamorgan’s top division.
Unfortunately all was not sunshine. Players in the club’s fourth team, the Gambits, having also won promotion last season, found the going too tough in division 3 and some lacklustre performances mean that they must, for next season at least, return from whence they came, regroup, analyse what went wrong and plan their assault on the 2002/2003 division 4 title.
Barry’s fifth team, the Saracens, may well have finished a few positions higher in division 4 had it not again been plagued by a shortage of players resulting in a consequent slump in morale. Considering the problems which the team experienced throughout the season it has been far from disgraced and, if the squad can be organised in such a way as to avoid losing points through defaulted boards then it too could go very near to being promoted next year.
{Final league tables here}
As the affairs of the league season were wound up the opening salvos in the 2002 East Glamorgan Summer Knockout Cups were fired. The first round of this competition is always seeded and, although clubs relish the thought of a ‘giant killing’ performance - providing, of course, that they are not on the wrong end of it, there are seldom any surprise results.
The unavoidable absence of a player meant that Barry A had to default board 4 to Caerphilly B in such a match last Monday evening but there was still little doubt as to the eventual outcome of the contest with the Barry players present all winning their games and proceeding to the next round with a 3:1 victory.
In the second Summer Cup clash of the week, Barry C travelled to play North Cardiff A. Barry were the underdogs on this occasion and there were no shocks here either as the hosts chalked up a comfortable 3½ : ½ win. Barry C will now join Caerphilly B in the draw for the 2002 Consolation Cup.
Barry Chess Club meets every Wednesday evening at 7:45 p.m. on the first floor of the Witchill Hotel, Barry Road while a variety of chess information including the latest club, league and cup match details can be obtained by visiting the club`s web site at www.barrychessclub.org.uk.