How can our promising juniors develop their long play (classical) chess?
Can I still play for Sussex when I am no longer a junior?
These questions are frequently asked and the good news is that Sussex have teams that play in the counties league and in the national club league.
Details of the Sussex county teams and results can be found here Sussex County Chess Association.
Sussex Junior Chess also sponsor the Sussex Martlets who compete in the 4NCL (4 Nations Chess League).
We run 3 teams and they are full of ex-Sussex Juniors, current Sussex juniors and a few experienced Sussex coaches and players. Rhys Cumming (FM) captains the 1st team, Will Graham the 2nd team and Tim Woods the 3rd team. Selection is done by Rhys and myself.
On 18th March the Finn family provided half of the 3rd team with Thomas, Daniel and Elizabeth lining up on boards 2, 3 and 4 – and all won!
For the 2nd team, Sussex under-11 board 1, Andy Nguyen, lined-up against the very experienced chess commentator and author Stewart Reuben (84 years young). Here’s what happened:
(1) Nguyen,Anh (1845) – Reuben,Stewart (1921)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.Be3!? [a rare sideline against the accelerated Dragon prepared in advance by Andy]
4…d6 5.Nc3 Nd7? [this reasonable looking move is a mistake, Black blocks the Bc8 to get another guard on c5]
6.Qd2 Ngf6? [another reasonable looking move but another mistake – Andy now pounces impressively]
7.dxc5! dxc5 8.0–0–0 [threatening Bc5 because the Nd7 is pinned]
8…Qc7 9.e5! Ng4 10.e6!? [cracking open the Black position – there were other stronger engine moves but this is very appealing to the human eye]
10…fxe6 11.Ng5 Nde5 [so the Bc8 guards e6 but …]
12.Nb5! [and with a crushing position after just 12 moves. I imagine there are very few occasions in his long, illustrious career where Stewart can have been in such trouble so early].
12…Qd7 13.Qxd7+ Bxd7 14.Nc7+ Kd8 15.Ncxe6+! [“why didn’t he take the R in the corner?” said Andy’s Dad, Cam, to me after the game. Because this is stronger – Andy avoids any complications about the N being trapped on a8 and grabs the Dragon Bishop for free instead]
15…Kc8 16.Nxg7 [Stewart desperately tries to find a way back but Andy wraps up comfortably]
16…Nxe3 17.fxe3 Ng4 18.Re1 h6 19.N5e6 Nf2 20.Rg1 Ne4 21.Bd3 Ng5 22.Nxg5 hxg5 23.Bc4 Rh4
24.Bd5 Kc7 25.Ne6+ Kd6 26.Rd1 Rb8 27.Nxg5 Bg4 28.Bf3+ Ke5 29.Rd5+ Kf6 30.Ne4+ Ke6
31.Nxc5+ Kf7 32.Rd4 Rc8 33.Nd3 Bf5 34.Rxh4 Bxd3 35.c3 g5 36.Rd4
1–0
Dave Graham, Sussex Junior Chess Coach