Editor– Bexhill club members recently enjoyed a great tournament at our neighbour club and performed well, as is clear from Bill Tracey’s report below. Relations between the clubs, always friendly, are cemented by such welcome initiatives ( pic below from last year’s friendly match v Hastings featuring this tournament’s controller, Marc Bryant , looking at camera, at their historic club venue) :
” Three Bexhill members entered the u1900 weekend tournament at the Hastings club on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October, these being Andrew Fleming, Michael Hayward and myself.
Michael ended the 5-round tournament with 2 points ( one win, 2 losses, a draw and a half point bye) but this hides the fact that he was involved in some really hard fought matches , 2 of which lasted just short of 4 hours.
Andrew and I finished on 3 points . We played each other in the first round in a game that lasted 4 hours. I offered a draw after 75 moves in what I thought was a certain draw. Andrew had other ideas and 10 moves later I resigned!
Overall, Andrew won 2 ,lost 1, drew 2. He also had perhaps the game of the tournament winning with a double piece sacrifice.
I lost one, drew one , won two and got a half point bye. I was pleased and surprised to be awarded a rating prize by Marc Bryant the organiser.
We would recommend this event as it is local, well run and held in a friendly atmosphere.”
Editor :We should look out for more such opportunities for tournament play at Hastings , at middle-range ratings.
Tuesday evening at Lewes saw the club’s league season kick off with what was clearly a tough match. Congratulations to James for a cracking result, when out-rated, on Board 2. Given his recent decisive form in Summer Rapidplay at the club this result isn’t surprising. Andrew maintained his solid form.
There’ no full match report – apologies
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Then Friday at the club saw our in-house rivalry at its height with two well-matched sides in Division 3 :
Bill Luxton being unable to play, Bill Tracey stepped in on Board 1 for the 4th team, replacing Lawry who swapped from the 4th team and joined the 3rd team on Board 3.
Bill and Jo gave few chances away in a fairly symmetrical pawn structure and honours were shared. Jonathan had creative ideas against Oli with a nice combination of Bishop and Knight on White’s castled position, but Oli’s heavy pieces seemed to win the late endgame. Jonathan, again played in Rapidplay style, using very little time .Perhaps his skills would translate into results with more considered strategy?
Oliver won in fine style in a complex struggle. Michael had made progress with a solid, advantageous position after a timely pawn lever 9.e4, when exchanges resulted in a broken pawn structure on Black’s K-side, and Oliver’s King unable to castle.
From here , Michael could have consolidated with 17.Rad1. Instead he took the bait of Q-side pawns in this position, with 17.Qxc7?!, which seriously risked trapping his queen. Black chose the tactic of 17….Nd4!? 18.Qxb7, Nxe2 which was with check, so winning a piece for the 2 pawns.
Lawry’s game against Geoffrey was last to finish. Geoff seemed to to draw White pawns forward initially, conceding White much of the centre. A pawn structure emerged which largely shut out Black’s bishop pair on the Q-side. But Lawry ran into trouble against a double-rook battery against his King on the h-file and was fortunate not to have lost more than a pawn ,when Geoff exploited a pin on g4. It’s fair to say both missed multiple opportunities to turn the tables. Black had a mass of pawns on e6-e5-f4, but these hindered transfer of Black’s Q and black-squared bishop to the K-side . White had a N planted on e4, which was not challenged- at one point t could have been pinned by Black’s Q . Black also could have sacrificed a pawn at some points with ..b6-b5!?, to free the black -squared bishop on a7.
In this position , for example , Black could have drawn by perpetual check with 36.Rx h3+! :
White’s use of the fully open g and d-files eventually prevailed. With Black’s King still in the centre, the N went to g5, A combination with a rook on g6 and a back row check on d8 led to a decisive decisive Nxe6 , forking Black’s heavy pieces . The outcome was very much hanging in the balance near the end, as Lawry was left with 1 min. on the clock. Gratitude for 30 sec. increments!!
Geoff had a League run of 6 consecutive won games since joining our club last season and his hypermodern style should make good results again.
Friday 2nd October – Chairman Bill Tracey’s report :
“It was great to see the place buzzing with 14 matches being played. The form guide suggested a Hastings win particularly as they out rated Bexhill on all the top 8 boards. The final score of 8- 6 reflected the difference in ratings but it also shows how well Bexhill competed.Notable performances for Bexhill came from Andrew Fleming drawing on board 3, Bill Luxton drawing on board 6 and fine wins from James on board 2, Lawry on board 7, Geoff on board11, Oli on board 12 and Mike Reynolds on board 14. I would like to thank all 14 members of our team for how well they represented our club. The full team in board order was Luke, James, Andrew, Janis, Jo, Bill Luxton, Lawry, Bill Tracey, Michael Hayward, Jonathan Mfula, Geoff Veale,Oli, Jon James and Mike Reynolds.”
And thanks too to our guests for the amicable spirit in which the match was conducted.
At the Annual General Meeting of the club on Tuesday 29 September, our Chairman Bill Tracey reported on the year’s successes : fielding 5 teams across 4 Divisions, increasing membership ( now 38), stable finances, recognition for the best premises in the League, being the only club in the League to run 2 sessions/week etc etc …( for full details, members will shortly receive the Minutes of the meeting).
Bill went on to award some remaining trophies ( Bill Luxton having already been presented with a Sussex League award for the best score in Division 4, and James Lumsden also having received his Grand Prix Series award). At the AGM Mike Chapman collected the superb-looking Club Championship Trophy ( pictured below) on behalf of Luke Chapman, this season’s winner after tough battles against the talented runner-up Andrew Fleming.
After an amazing season, Luke , at the age of 15, can also celebrate his joint title in the Hastings Club Championship this year, battling through a long tournament there. His other club successes included individual Grand Prix tournament wins plus his 11 wins, 3 draw and only 1 loss in the recent Simultaneous Display ( his first).
While the AGM was in session, the final match in the Gordon Cup was taking place in the adjacent quiet room, between David Pratt and David Slidell.
David Pratt emerged afterwards as the winner. Here he is pictured , after a ‘slugfest’, ‘ding-dong’ scrap, i.e. a memorable, good-humoured and challenging contest, accepting congratulations from Bill ( the Gordon Cup trophy will follow on another occasion). The two Davids have known each other since schooldays at Grove School, so this is epic lifelong rivalry!
Your club Secretary, Lawry Rhodes ( below) was pleased to receive a new award for the season’s top score for the club ( 9/12 games)
The meeting confirmed that the current committee members ( apart from one) are remaining in place, and welcomed Steve Blewitt onto the committee, in his absence ( apologies for missing the meeting having been received from him).
Our chairman took time to outline the achievements of the one departing committee member, Joe Sharp, who will be leaving to live with family in Perth, Australia. Being a lifelong player and the longest standing member for over 20 years, Captain, Chairman, Secretary, Tournament Controller. For his services he has been awarded the position of Life President. There followed a deluge of recollections and endorsements from members, explaining that, although this year the club is 130 years old, it is highly unlikely it would be existing today without Joe’s single-handed determination in reviving it in the 1970s from days when Joe played at Hastings ( alongside Alan Ticehurst who recalled this). Then the above -mentioned David Pratt explained that Joe’s various roles ( outlined above) were performed by him simultaneously, not sequentially!
For the new season, there was anticipation for success again this year in the Annual Open Rapid Tournament on November 28th, with an appeal by Bill for early entries please! Reflection on an intensive year just past with 5 teams, was the background to the committee’s decision to field 4 teams in the upcoming season. Michael Hayward‘s tireless efforts in team co-ordination were recognised and thanked.
It was overlooked by Bill, who concluded the meeting by thanking others ( full details in the Minutes), that, as Chairman and Treasurer, he was unanimously recognised by the committee at its last meeting as this year’s outstanding club member.
Paul Lendon proposed a vote of thanks to him, which the meeting unanimously expressed.
Friday 25 September was an experiment for the club: a rated Rapidplay event for the over 18s, open to outside club players. “It was a great tournament,” commented Rose Burgess, having recently qualified as an arbiter and having done a great job ‘flying solo’ as arbiter for the evening.
Well done, and thank you, Rose ( pictured below)
The results crosstable below shows how strong a contingent of players had gathered for this event, no doubt attracted by our fine venue and organisation as well as some cash prizes!
Rank SNo. Name Rtg FED Club Pts Tiebreak 1 1 Rich Mark C 2220 ENG Bexhill 5½ 21.5 2 2 Sugden John N 2025 ENG Hastings & St Leonards 5 24.5 3 14 Walvin Daniel 1502 ENG Eastbourne 5 19 4 3 Honarvarmahalati Hooman 1865 ENG Brighton and Hove 4½ 22 5 7 Brougham Mark D 1732 ENG Hastings & St Leonards 4 23 6 23 Mfula Jonathan 0 ENG 4 18 7 4 Fleming Andrew Sj 1835 ENG Bexhill 3½ 21 8 9 Blewitt Stephen D 1643 ENG Hastings & St Leonards 3½ 20 9 8 Reddie Michael J 1667 ENG Eastbourne 3 21.5 10 6 Goodyer Ian 1754 ENG Eastbourne 3 21 11 10 Cload Adrian 1622 ENG Hastings & St Leonards 3 18.5 12 15 Finch Peter 1492 ENG Eastbourne 3 17.5 13 18 Holdstock Peter 1460 ENG Eastbourne 3 17 14 19 Dineen Thomas 1408 ENG Eastbourne 3 16 15 17 Rhodes Lawrence 1471 ENG Bexhill 3 13 16 5 Hoxey Terry 1799 ENG Hastings & St Leonards 2½ 20.5 16 Kuzmanoski Oliver 1487 MKD Bexhill 2½ 20.5 18 13 Hayward Michael 1556 ENG Bexhill 2 17 19 11 Gowers Mark 1616 ENG Eastbourne 2 15 20 12 Carthew Jo 1592 ENG Bexhill 2 14.5 21 20 James Jonathan 1155 ENG Bexhill 2 13.5 22 21 Boxwell Steve 0 ENG 1½ 14 23 24 Pratt David 0 ENG 1½ 10.5 24 22 Lennon Annabelle 0 ENG 0 13
The winner was Mark Rich, favourite based on initial ranking. However, such was the intensity of competition, Mark’s victory hung in the balance in a tense 6th (final) round against Hooman, where( with white) Hooman had several pawns advantage in an endgame with pressure from active rooks. A fast rate of play, 10 mins with 2 secs increments, a tine scramble ensued. Positionally White’s connected passers on the Q-side looked to be deciding the game Hooman’s way, but Mark kept pressing for active counter chances rather than passive defence and, with only seconds difference between them, Hooman’s flag fell.
Mark is pictured below collecting his prize :
The crosstable with record of individual round scores is shown below ( this website’s program does not copy Excel spreadsheets too wellbut the blow-by-blow information is there if you can decode it!) :
Rank SNo. Name Rtg FED 1.Rd. 1.Rd. 2.Rd. 2.Rd. 3.Rd. 3.Rd. 4.Rd. 4.Rd. 5.Rd. 5.Rd. 6.Rd. 6.Rd. Pts Tiebreak 1 1 Rich Mark C 2220 ENG 18 w 1 8 b 1 16 w 1 2 b ½ 5 w 1 4 b 1 5½ 21.5 2 2 Sugden John N 2025 ENG 3 b 1 17 w 1 5 b 1 1 w ½ 4 b ½ 10 w 1 5 24.5 3 14 Walvin Daniel 1502 ENG 2 w 0 22 b 1 7 w 1 10 b 1 9 w 1 11 b 1 5 19 4 3 Honarvarmahalati Hooman 1865 ENG 12 w 1 11 b 1 9 w 1 16 b 1 2 w ½ 1 w 0 4½ 22 5 7 Brougham Mark D 1732 ENG 14 w 1 6 b 1 2 w 0 11 b 1 1 b 0 17 w 1 4 23 6 23 Mfula Jonathan 0 ENG 19 b 1 5 w 0 18 w 1 8 b 1 7 w 0 9 b 1 4 18 7 4 Fleming Andrew Sj 1835 ENG 17 b 0 15 w 1 3 b 0 12 w 1 6 b 1 8 w ½ 3½ 21 8 9 Blewitt Stephen D 1643 ENG 22 w 1 1 w 0 17 b 1 6 w 0 13 b 1 7 b ½ 3½ 20 9 8 Reddie Michael J 1667 ENG 21 b 1 13 w 1 4 b 0 14 w 1 3 b 0 6 w 0 3 21.5 10 6 Goodyer Ian 1754 ENG 13 b 0 21 w 1 12 b 1 3 w 0 14 b 1 2 b 0 3 21 11 10 Cload Adrian 1622 ENG 24 b 1 4 w 0 13 b 1 5 w 0 21 b 1 3 w 0 3 18.5 12 15 Finch Peter 1492 ENG 4 b 0 23 w 1 10 w 0 7 b 0 15 w 1 20 b 1 3 17.5 13 18 Holdstock Peter 1460 ENG 10 w 1 9 b 0 11 w 0 18 b 1 8 w 0 16 b 1 3 17 14 19 Dineen Thomas 1408 ENG 5 b 0 19 w 1 20 w 1 9 b 0 10 w 0 18 b 1 3 16 15 17 Rhodes Lawrence 1471 ENG 16 b 0 7 b 0 24 w 1 19 w 1 12 b 0 21 w 1 3 13 16 5 Hoxey Terry 1799 ENG 15 w 1 20 b 1 1 b 0 4 w 0 17 b ½ 13 w 0 2½ 20.5 16 16 Kuzmanoski Oliver 1487 MKD 7 w 1 2 b 0 8 w 0 20 b 1 16 w ½ 5 b 0 2½ 20.5 18 13 Haywood Michael 1556 ENG 1 b 0 24 w 1 6 b 0 13 w 0 22 b 1 14 w 0 2 17 19 11 Gowers Mark 1616 ENG 6 w 0 14 b 0 22 w 1 15 b 0 20 w 0 23 b 1 2 15 20 12 Carthew Jo 1592 ENG 23 b 1 16 w 0 14 b 0 17 w 0 19 b 1 12 w 0 2 14.5 21 20 James Jonathan 1155 ENG 9 w 0 10 b 0 23 w 1 24 b 1 11 w 0 15 b 0 2 13.5 22 21 Boxwell Steve 0 ENG 8 b 0 3 w 0 19 b 0 23 b ½ 18 w 0 24 w 1 1½ 14 23 24 Pratt David 0 ENG 20 w 0 12 b 0 21 b 0 22 w ½ 24 b 1 19 w 0 1½ 10.5 24 22 Lennon Annabelle 0 ENG 11 w 0 18 b 0 15 b 0 21 w 0 23 w 0 22 b 0 0 13
Runners up were jointly John Sugden and Daniel Walvin, one could say demonstrating John’s long-standing expert play, alongside Daniel’s surge with a performance level exceeding his current ranking. Well done to both contenders!
Stephen Blewitt (pictured below)was awarded the rating prize.
Thanks are overwhelmingly due to Bill Tracey, our chairman pictured with all the above ; he organised it all calmly, collected entry fees, took the photos of matches in play ( below) made all announcements and assisted Rose in her tasks. Thanks also to Michael Hayward who helped enormously with transport.
Friday 4 September saw Luke Chapman, currently our most highly rated player (while still a junior!), accept the challenge of his first Simultaneous Display. 15 cub members and one visitor played against him…
….and Luke only lost one, against Michael Hayward and drew against Harry Morter, Bill Tracey and Oli Balp. He beat everyone else over an intense couple of hours.
But everyone seemed happy at the end of the evening!
…AN OPEN INVITATION TO ANY PLAYERS AGED 18+ MEMBERS or NON-MEMBERS TO :
BEXHILL OPEN 18+ RAPIDPLAY – Fri 25 SEP 7.00 pm
It’s at our lovely venue – St Marks Community Centre, Green Lane, Little Common, Bexhill on Sea TN39 4BZ.
6 Rounds ; the first starts at 7.00 prompt.
ENTRY FEE for the above is £10 cash on the night . ( members and non-members alike) CASH PRIZES! Non-members should contact our chairman Bill Tracey before the event, indicating intention to play. Please e-mail:w.tracey@sky.com
Current levels of entry are not enough to guarantee the event can happen. So if you would like to play please email NOW :
Friday 28 September saw another fiercely contested tournament in the club’s 2026 Grand Prix series.
Congratulations to Howard Tebbs on a fine home-run innings of 4/4, hotly contested by James Lumsden and Jonathan Mfula , on 3/4 ; they have been either prize-winners or consistently in contention for leading scores in this year’s play.
Noteworthy performances came from Andrew Fleming and Jon James both on 2.5/4.
A warm welcome to newcomer to the competition and talented junior, Ayrton Crowe who had only recently made his first visit to the club and bravely took on the challenge – scoring 1.5/4, thereby demonstrating great potential.
Don’t forget to join in the opposition for Luke Chapman, joint 2026 winner of Hastings Club Championship, and British Championship finalist in his first :
