Scorpions win under 11 title !!! (6 May 00)
The Sussex Scorpions team exceeded their most optimistic targets by taking the honours in the Millennium EPSCA under 11 inter county team championships. Consistent performances throughout the team and the reserves paved the way for a clear 2½ advantage over joint second placed Richmond and Hampshire.
Report:
When the children in the corridors shouted “Sussex have won”, the only group of people who refused to believe it were the Sussex team and their parents in their team room. Only when the final match had finished and the team scores were completed on the results charts did the fact sink in that Sussex had actually won, and also by a healthy margin from hot favourites, Richmond.
In hindsight, the event was probably won when the management imposed a blanket Gameboy and Pokemon ban at the start of the day. This proved invaluable, as Sussex players were not drawn in to the ‘trading floor’ atmosphere of the school corridors, and chess was actually the main activity in the team room between the rounds.
The first round started well, but two or three points were needlessly given away by early draw offers and back rank mates. When Richmond clocked up 17 out of 20, it appeared that the form book was going to hold true, and Sussex would be fighting for the minor places. There were excellent wins from Sebastian Pozzo, Joe Richardson, Simon Bell and Trevelyan Harper against the stronger teams.
A stern talk from Jonathan Tuck before the second round started made it clear that more effort and concentration was needed if the team were to have any chance of achieving a medal placing. The effect this had was stunning as they then returned the best ever round by a Sussex team (16½) and leapt into first place, a clear point above Richmond. The defining moment in this round came right at the end, when Stephanie Barraclough completed a crucial win over Richmond on board 3. A real 2 pointer !
Half an hour into the last round with half of the matches finished, it appeared that all was lost as there were as many wins as losses. However, the determination of the remaining players held steady, and not a single point was lost from then on. One opponent resigned as he was more interested in completing a Pokemon card transaction ! An excellent draw from Adam Prescott, and wins from Joe Richardson and Felix Sullivan against the main contenders ensured sufficient points were gained to see Sussex home.
Congratulations are due to to the team, reserves, managers and trainers for this magnificent result.
| Board | Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
| 1 | James Asquith | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 |
| Hampshire | Manchester | Lancashire | |||
| 2 | Sebastian Pozzo | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| Wey Valley | Notts | Wiltshire | |||
| 3 | Stephanie Barraclough | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Lincolnshire | Richmond | Cambs | |||
| 4 | Grant Bucher | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ |
| Oldham | Bucks | Beds | |||
| 5 | Joe Richardson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Somerset | Kent | Wey Valley | |||
| 6 | Sebastian Elliott | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Yorks | Wirral | Manchester | |||
| 7 | Georgina Draper | ½ | ½ | 1 | 2 |
| Notts | Hampshire | Oldham | |||
| 8 | Adam Prescott | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| Lancashire | Lincolnshire | Richmond | |||
| 9 | Danny Glebocki | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bucks | Beds | Wirral | |||
| 10 | Alex Cook | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Cambs | Somerset | Wiltshire | |||
| 11 | Daniel Khoo | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1½ |
| Richmond | Lancashire | Yorks | |||
| 12 | Felix Sullivan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Wirral | Wey Valley | Kent | |||
| 13 | Steven Stracey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Manchester | Cambs | Lincolnshire | |||
| 14 | Andrew Tucker | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Hampshire | Oldham | Notts | |||
| 15 | Harry Mayhew | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kent | Wiltshire | Somerset | |||
| 16 | Matthew Doggett | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Beds | Yorks | Bucks | |||
| 17 | Simon Bell | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Wey Valley | Notts | Hampshire | |||
| 18 | Elliot Smith | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1½ |
| Lincolnshire | Richmond | Lancashire | |||
| 19 | Eleanor Hayden | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Oldham | Bucks | Manchester | |||
| 20 | Trevelyan Harper | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Somerset | Kent | Cambs | |||
| 14 | 16½ | 14 | 44½ |
Reserves
| 21 R | Jonathan Paley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Hampshire | Lincolnshire | Bedfordshire | |||
| 22 R | Christopher Cannell | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wey Valley | Notts | ||||
| 23 R | John Ryan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lincolnshire | Bedfordshire | Notts | |||
| 24 R | Ben Johnson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Oldham | Kent | Somerset | |||
| 25 R | Mark Willshire | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kent | Lincolnshire |
Team Results
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total | Position |
| Sussex | 14 | 16½ | 14 | 44½ | 1 |
| Richmond | 17 | 12½ | 12½ | 42 | 2= |
| Hampshire | 13½ | 13 | 15½ | 42 | 2= |
| Wey Valley | 14 | 13 | 13½ | 40½ | 4 |
| Somerset | 14 | 10½ | 15 | 39½ | 5 |
| Kent | 13½ | 10 | 14 | 37½ | 6 |
| Nottinghamshire | 12 | 11½ | 8 | 31½ | 7 |
| Wiltshire | 8½ | 9 | 11½ | 29 | 8 |
| Oldham | 7 | 12½ | 7½ | 27 | 9 |
| Gt Manchester | 8½ | 6 | 11½ | 26 | 10 |
| Lincolnshire | 11 | 7½ | 7 | 25½ | 11 |
| Buckinghamshire | 7 | 9 | 9½ | 24½ | 12 |
| Lancashire | 6½ | 9½ | 8 | 24 | 13 |
| Yorkshire | 7 | 8½ | 8 | 23½ | 14 |
| Cambridgeshire | 5½ | 9 | 5 | 19½ | 15 |
| Bedfordshire | 5½ | 6½ | 5 | 17 | 16 |
| Wirral | 5½ | 6½ | 4½ | 16½ | 17 |
Under 11 EPSCA Zonal, Catford (18 Mar 00)
The Sussex Scorpions snatched the final qualifying spot from Barnet in the last game of the last round. In an incredibly tense finish to the day, hotels bookings in the Wirral were distant dreams as word came from the hall that Sebastian Pozzo on board 2 was in a totally drawn position. (A win was the only result which would send the team to the finals). However, the young scorpion kept his nerve (despite offering a draw) and managed to snatch a win from a Richmond player.
| Board | Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
| 1 | James Asquith | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ |
| Wey Valley | Herts | Essex | |||
| 2 | Sebastian Pozzo | 1 | ½ | 1 | 2½ |
| S London | Barnet | Richmond | |||
| 3 | Grant Bucher | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kent | Richmond | S London | |||
| 4 | Stephanie Barraclough | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ |
| NW London | Kent | Herts | |||
| 5 | Joe Richardson | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ |
| Barnet | Essex | NW London | |||
| 6 | Sebastian Elliott | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Essex | S London | Wey Valley | |||
| 7 | Georgina Draper | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2 |
| NW London | Herts | Kent | |||
| 8 | Danny Glebocki | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Richmond | Wey Valley | Barnet | |||
| 9 | Alex Cook | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1½ |
| S London | Wey Valley | Barnet | |||
| 10 | Daniel Khoo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kent | Herts | Essex | |||
| 11 | Steven Stracey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| NW London | Richmond | Richmond | |||
| 12 | Felix Sullivan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Barnet | NW London | S London | |||
| 13 | Andrew Tucker | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| S London | Kent | Herts | |||
| 14 | Harry Mayhew | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Herts | Wey Valley | Kent | |||
| 15 | Matthew Doggett | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| S London | Barnet | Wey Valley | |||
| 16 | Elliot Smith | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NW London | Richmond | Essex | |||
| 17 | Simon Bell | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Barnet | Kent | Rihmond | |||
| 18 | Eleanor Hayden | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Herts | Essex | S London | |||
| 19 | Jonathan Paley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wey Valley | NW London | Herts | |||
| 20 | Trevelyan Harper | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ |
| Richmond | Wey Valley | NW London | |||
| 12 | 11 | 11 | 34 |
Team Results
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total | Position |
| Richmond | 18½ | 16 | 14 | 48½ | 1 |
| Wey Valley | 12½ | 13 | 13½ | 39 | 2 |
| Kent | 13½ | 11½ | 10 | 35 | 3 |
| Sussex | 12 | 11 | 11 | 34 | 4 |
| Barnet | 10½ | 11½ | 11½ | 33½ | 5 |
| NW London | 8½ | 8 | 9½ | 26 | 6 |
| Essex | 7 | 9 | 7½ | 23½ | 7 |
| Hertfordshire | 4½ | 7½ | 9 | 21 | 8 |
| S London | 3 | 2½ | 4 | 9½ | 9 |