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News & Web Changes

This is where we'll announce the most recent additions to our web site.  If you've visited us before and want to know what's changed, take a look here first (league results and tables are constantly updated without notification here!).


25/4 - The first round draws for the 2011 County Championships have been published.


25/4 - The MCCU Stage Matches have now been completed.  Leicestershire will play as Midlands 2 in the Minor Counties section of the ECF County Championships.


25/4 - The League has now been completed.  Division 1 was won by Wigston 1; Division 2 by Shepshed 2; Division 3 by Ashby 2; Division 4 by Melton Mowbray 3; Division 5 by Spinney Hill 2.


22/2 - Scraptoft Valley Chess Club has been forced to find new premises.  With immediate effect, this club will now play at the Swallow Inn, Thurnby.


21/12 - The draws for the remaining rounds of the Major League Cup and for the third round of the Minor League Cup have been published.


30/11 - Hinckley player Peter Gibbs has, as a result of consistent high performance during his prime, been awarded the title of English National Master by ECF.  Congratulations, Peter!


17/11 - The 150th Anniversary of LRCA was celebrated on Friday 5 November by a GM Simultaneous Display by Keith Arkell, held at the Braunstone Civic Centre.  Eighteen Leicestershire players faced Keith, three of them juniors.  (Keith thought this was a good turnout).  All eighteen survived until the mid-evening break, at which wine and food were served.  Soon afterwards, however, Keith’s victims started to accumulate, and he finished with a score of +16, =1, -1.  Congratulations to Richard Vann of the Ashby club, who took full advantage of a rare GM error to score our only win, and to John Glover of Loughborough, who achieved a sound and excellent draw.  Keith was also full of praise for Amber Carter of Red Admiral, who succumbed at the very end of the evening, having tenaciously fought a difficult endgame against one of the country’s strongest endgame experts.  “She found the best move time and again” said Keith.  Overall a good time was had by everyone, and LRCA should perhaps look out for similar opportunities for social events in future.  Our visitor proved to be a really delightful and friendly opponent as well as a formidable one, and his efforts on our behalf are much appreciated.


4/11 - The draws for the second round of the Major and Minor League Cups have been published.


4/11 - Braunstone Chess Club has a new website.


26/10 - Congratulations to Alan Byron for winning the County Championship Open section for the second year running.  See the Leicester Mercury article.


17/10 - Leicester University is sorry to report that it has withdrawn from the Leicestershire Chess League.


6/10 - LRCA would like to welcome new club Kirby Castlers and the return of Leicester University into the Leicestershire Chess League.


2/10 - The Annual Charity Evening was held on Thursday 30 September at the Spinney Hill WMC in Leicester.  Sixteen teams of four took part in a 4-round rapid play event.  The Smith trophy for the overall winners was taken by Wigston 1 with 7 points, after a very close last round match against Scraptoft Valley 1, who finished with 6 points, along with Loughborough 1, Heathcote Arms 1, and Shepshed.  The Boot Trophy, in which players' rapid play grades are used to decide a handicap competition was again won by Hinckley, by the closest possible margin from Loughborough 1.  This very enjoyable event resulted in a total of £150 being raised from entrance fees and donations for the Chairman's annual charity, which this year was the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.


23/9 - The funeral of Alan Edwards on Tuesday 21 September was attended by over 50 people, including many of the county's leading players, past and present.  Long-standing friend Brian Foreman provided details of his career for the minister's address.


17/9 - The Summer Cups have now been completed.  The Chapman Cup has been won by Braunstone, the Birstall Cup by Heathcote Arms 1, the Wylie Cup by Heathcote Arms and the Harrod Cup by Syston.  Congratulations to all!


8/9 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of Scraptoft Valley player Alan Edwards on Tuesday 7 September.


8/9 - The draws for the fifth and final round of the Harrod Cup have been published.  Wigston 2 will play Heathcote Arms 1 in the Birstall Cup final.


25/8 - The draws for the semi-finals of the Birstall Cup have been published.  Matches are to be played by 3 September.  The Chapman Cup finalists are confirmed to be Wigston 1 and Braunstone; date and venue to be confirmed.


8/8 - LRCA would like to congratulate Julie Johnson, who has received the ECF President's Award for services to chess.


8/8 - The draws for the fourth round of the Harrod Cup have been published.


24/7 - The draws for the semi-finals of the Chapman Cup and remaining first round matches of the Birstall Cup have been published.  Chapman Cup matches are to be played by Friday 20 August, and Birstall by Friday 13 August.


14/7 - The draws for the third round of the Harrod Cup have been published.


13/7 - The draws for the remaining rounds of the Wylie Cup have been published.


28/6 - The County Championships are now underway, and the schedules and draws have been published.


21/6 - The draws for the second round of the Wylie Cup and Harrod Cup have been announced.


8/6 - The draws for the second round of the Chapman Cup and half of the first round of the Birstall Cup have been announced.


23/5 - The 2010 Summer Cups have now begun.  A new RSS feed has been started for the results of its matches.  This replaces the all-in-one results RSS feed, which will be discontinued at the end of the 2009/10 League season.  New RSS feeds for the League and League Cups will be announced at the beginning of the 2010/11 season.


17/5 - The January 2010 rapidplay grades have been published.


12/5 - The draws for the first round of the Summer Cups have been announced.


12/5 - Congratulations to the winners of the 2009/10 League:


6/4 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of long-time Loughborough player Otto Hardy on Sunday 4 April.


13/2 - The draws for the fifth and final round of the 2009/10 Senior and Junior League Cups are now online.


13/2 - Congratulations to Loughborough for defeating Scraptoft Valley to win the Junior League Cup.


28/1 - The draws for the fourth round of the 2009/10 Senior and Junior League Cups are now online.


13/1 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of George Winterton, founder of Littlethorpe Chess Club as it was, on 9 January.


16/12 - The draws for the third round of the 2009/10 Senior and Junior League Cups are now online.


16/12 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of John Krumins, who passed away on 12 November.


1/11 - The draws for the second round of the 2009/10 Senior and Junior League Cups are now online.


26/10 - The draws for the first round of the 2009/10 Senior and Junior League Cups are now online.


25/10 - Match results and tables for the current League season are now online.  League Cup information to follow.


3/10 - Congratulations to Wigston 1 for winning the Charity Quickplay held 1 October.  Hinckley take home the Boot handicap trophy.


1/10 - Congratulations to Red Admiral 1 for defeating Ashby to become the winner of the Harrod Cup.  Spinney Hill 1 finished as runner-up.


1/10 - Congratulations to Spinney Hill for defeating Loughborough 2 to become the winner of the Birstall Cup.  Spinney Hill therefore hold the normally impossible distinction of having won both the Chapman and Birstall Cups in the same year!


29/9 - Two of our clubs - Wigston and Syston - participated in the National Club Rapidplay.  Wigston had the highest scratch score (of the eight teams involved), but Syston won the competition on handicaps.  Congratulations to both!


25/9 - Congratulations to Spinney Hill for defeating 2008 champions Market Harborough to become the winner of the Chapman Cup.


23/9 - Congratulations to Wigston for defeating Spinney Hill to win the Wylie Cup, thereby reclaiming the title from Braunstone.  The runner-up will be whoever wins the match between Heathcote Arms and Melton Mowbray.


19/9 - Congratulations to Alan Byron (Wigston) for defeating 2008 champion Brandon Clarke to reclaim the Open County Championship title.


19/9 - The Chapman Cup final between Spinney Hill and Market Harborough will take place on Thursday 24 September at Wigston.  Syston plays host to the Birstall Cup final on Tuesday 29 September, which is between Spinney Hill and Loughborough 2.


19/9 - The draws for the fifth and final round of the Wylie and Harrod Cups are now online.  Matches are to be played by Wednesday 30 September.


27/8 - The draws for the fourth round of the Wylie Cup are now online.  Matches are to be played by Friday 4 September.


11/8 - The draws for the fourth round of the Harrod Cup are now online.  Matches are to be played by Friday 4 September.


17/7 - The draws for the semi-finals of the Birstall Cup are now online.  Matches are to be played by Friday 28 August.


17/7 - The draws for the third round of the Wylie and Harrod Cups are now online.  Matches are to be played by Friday 7 August.


17/7 - The draws for the semi-finals of the Chapman Cup now online.  Matches are to be played by Friday 28 August.


20/6 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of Ian Downie of Loughborough.


20/6 - An obituary of Geoff Carlin, written by Colin Chambers of the Braille Chess Association, has been published..


5/6 - Congratulations to Loughborough B who have, by their win against Melton B and a tie-break on progressive scores, become the winners of the first ever D34 League Cup.


3/6 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of Geoff Carlin, a long-standing Leicestershire player and British Blind Chess Champion.


1/6 - The final League standings for the 2008/9 season are in.  Division 3 is the final one to have its promotions decided, as Spinney Hill 2 and Ashby 2.  Littlethorpe 4 and Braunstone 3 are relegated.


25/5 - The final Division winner to be decided for the 2008/9 season comes in the form of Ashby 2, named as the champions of Division 3 after winning their final match against Red Admiral 1.


15/5 - Melton 1 and Braunstone 2 have the Division 2 promotions.  Littlethorpe 3 and Market Harborough are relegated.


14/5 - Melton 1 have been named as the champions of Division 2 after winning their final match against Market Harborough.


6/5 - The draws for the first round of the 2009 Wylie and Harrod Cups are now online.  Matches are to be played by Friday 29 May.


6/5 - The 2009 County Championships have begun.  First round draws are now online.


6/5 - Congratulations to Littlethorpe A who have, by their win against Spinney Hill, become the winners of the first ever D12 League Cup.


4/5 - Ashby 3 have been named as the champions of Division 4.  They and Spinney Hill 3 have the promotions.


22/3 - For the third season running, Wigston 1 have been named as the champions of Division 1.


15/3 - The fifth and final round draws of the D12 and D34 League Cups have been published.


11/3 - Initial information on the 2009 Summer Cups has been published.


10/3 - LRCA is sorry to report the death of Jim Gilbert of Market Harborough.  Apparently Jim played for and in Sussex before coming to this part of the world, and then played here for 40 years.  He was a member of MH's Chapman Cup winning team last year, the only time they have won this event.


3/3 - The Gradings section has undergone a minor reorganisation, including consolidating most of the old grades pages into a History page.


3/3 - Issues 28 (August 2008) and 29 (September 2008) of The Middle Game have been added to this website.


21/2 - The fourth round draws of the D12 League Cup have been published.


18/2 - The fourth round draws of the D34 League Cup have been published.  Draws of the D12 League Cup are to follow.


7/2 - The January 2009 rapidplay grades have been published.


7/2 - Alan Byron (Wigston) has been playing in the Gibraltar Chess Festival.  He finished in fifth place (out of 59) in the Challengers 1 section.  He also put up a good fight in the Masters section.  Just one of the photos of him in action.


19/1 - The third round draws of the D12 and D34 League Cups have been published.


20/11 - The second round draws of the D12 and D34 League Cups have been published.


30/10 - The County Championships have been completed.  Congratulations to Brandon Clarke (Littlethorpe), Karl Potter (Spinney Hill), Graham Booley (Littlethorpe) and Ian Farquharson (Melton Mowbray) for winning the Open, U150, U125 and U100 sections respectively.


24/10 - Leicestershire has a new County Chess Champion after the top boards in the final round were played a week early.  12-year-old Brandon Clarke became the youngest Leicestershire Champion in history when he defeated reigning champion Martin Burrows with the black pieces.  Playing the Alekhine-Chatard attack variation of the French defence, white seemed to go slightly awry with his attack which allowed black to co-ordinate his pieces beautifully and launch a stunning winning combination.  Clarke was confirmed the winner when his nearest challengers, Alan Byron and Walter Dehnen could only draw despite the best efforts of both players to produce a decisive result.  Download PGN


21/10 - A result submission facility for the League Cups is now online.


19/10 - The rules and first round draws of the League Cups have been published.  Ten teams have entered each of the Cups.


13/10 - Initial information on the forthcoming League Cups has been published.  There will be two League Cups this season, for Divisions 1 and 2 players and for Divisions 3 and 4 players respectively.  Further information and first round draws are expected to be available at the end of this week.


2/10 - The draws for the sixth and final round of the County Championships have been published.


29/9 - A new RSS feed has been set up to report match results as they are posted to the website.


28/9 - Congratulations to Wigston 1 for winning the Charity Quickplay held 25 September.


24/9 - The fixtures for the 2008/9 League season have been published.


24/9 - Some players' new-style grades have been revised by ECF.


24/9 - The draws for the fifth round of the County Championships have been published.


24/9 - Congratulations to Braunstone for winning the Wylie Cup.


24/9 - Congratulations to Market Harborough for winning the Chapman Cup.


16/9 - Congratulations to Spinney Hill 1 for winning the Birstall Cup.



11/9 - Congratulations to Ashby 1 for winning the Harrod Cup.


4/9 - The grade list has been updated with the July 2008 grades, including the 'new style' grades which will be used in the upcoming League season.


2/9 - The draws for the fifth and final round of the Harrod Cup have been published.


29/8 - The Birstall Cup finalists are decided!  Spinney Hill 1 will play Wigston 1 on 15 September at the Plough Inn, Littlethorpe.


29/8 - The result submission facilities for the Standard and Rapid cups are back online!


10/8 - The Chapman Cup finalists are decided!  Market Harborough will play Littlethorpe 1 on 15 September at the Plough Inn, Littlethorpe.


1/8 - The draws for the fourth round of the Harrod Cup have been published.


1/8 - The draws for the fourth round of the County Championships have been published.


29/7 - George Mason Chess Club has relocated and is now known as the Red Admiral Chess Club.  The club will meet on Wednesdays beginning 30/7.


27/7 - The draws for the semi-finals of the Birstall Cup have been published.  Loughborough 1 play Spinney Hill 1, and Wigston 1 play Wigston 3.


17/7 - The draws for the semi-finals of the Chapman Cup have been published.  Littlethorpe 2 play Market Harborough, and Ashby play Littlethorpe 1.


25/6 - The draws for the third round of the Harrod Cup have been published.


13/6 - The minutes of the League Management Committee AGM have been published.


6/6 - The draws for the second round of the Chapman Cup and the first round of the Birstall Cup have been published.


6/6 - Wigston 1 have been named as the champions of Division 1.


28/5 - The draws for the second round of the Harrod Cup have been published.


23/5 - The Archive section has undergone a minor reorganisation, and now includes the histories of County Championship winners.  More of the archived data will be incorporated into this section in due course.


20/5 - Division 2 is now completed, and Scraptoft Valley 1 and Littlethorpe 2A have the promotions.  Market Harborough and Scraptoft Valley 2 are relegated.


17/5 - The relegations from Division 1 go to Wigston 2 and Braunstone 1.


13/5 - A result submission facility for the Wylie and Harrod Cups is now online.


7/5 - Loughborough 3 are the champions of Division 4 following their 3-1 win over Syston 2.  They and Ashby 2 are promoted; Littlethorpe 6 and 7 are relegated.


4/5 - The draws for round 1 of the 2008 County Championships have been published.


4/5 - A result submission facility for the Chapman and Birstall Cups is now online.  A submission facility for the rapid-play cups (Wylie and Harrod) is to follow.


1/5 - Ashby 3 have, with their 3½-½ victory against already-declared Division 5 champions Melton 2, achieved promotion.


24/4 - Braunstone 2 are the champions of Division 3 after Melton 1 failed to catch them up, having been beaten 4-1 by Spinney Hill 1 in the final match of the Division.


20/4 - Scraptoft Valley 1 are the champions of Division 2.


20/4 - The schedule for the 2008 County Championships has been published.  If you wish to play in a County Championship, please sign up by 2 May.


19/4 - Melton 2 are the champions of Division 5 after a runaway 4-0 victory over Syston 4.


18/4 - The draws for the first round of the 2008 Harrod Cup have been published.


18/4 - LRCA would like to welcome new club George Mason, based at Leicester's first chess café.


18/4 - The draws for the 2008 Wylie Cup and first round of the Chapman Cup have been published.


11/4 - Warwickshire have beaten Nottinghamshire in the final of the MCCU Under 100 championship and are thus the Midlands 1 team for ECF.  Nottinghamshire qualifies as Midlands 2.


11/4 - The promotions and relegations in Division 3 have been decided.  Melton 1 and Braunstone 2 have secured promotion.  Watch this space to find out which of them wins the Division!  Syston 1 and Hinckley have the relegations.


8/4 - The Committees section has been refurbished and updated with the minutes of the League Management Committee meeting held on 12 March.


7/4 - Jim Bingham has put out a request for people who may be able to fill committee positions to come forward.


3/4 - The final scores in the MCCU Under 150 championship are now up.  Leicestershire finished in third place, behind Nottinghamshire (M2) and Warwickshire (M1).


26/3 - The grade list has been updated with the January 2008 rapidplay grades.  These grades will be used in the upcoming Harrod and Wylie Cups.


19/3 - Lincolnshire have dropped out of the MCCU Under 125 championship, meaning that Leicestershire qualifies as the Midlands 3 team in the national ECF Under 125 championship.


18/3 - After some delay, the MCCU Under 100 finalists have finally been announced.  This match will be played on 29 March between Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire.


18/3 - The County Teams section has been revamped and mostly updated.


18/3 - LRCA news is being made available as an RSS feed on an experimental basis.  If it works well, it will continue.  If it doesn't, then it won't.


16/3 - Bob Veitch has announced his retirement from the post of Correspondence Chess Captain.  A new captain is needed for the 2008/9 season.


15/2 - Stewart Gordon is now the LRCA webmaster.  More updates to come soon!


2/2 - The U150 side achieved a very creditable 8-8 draw with Nottinghamshire, having been 8-5 down with three boards to play (!) to leave qualification for the National stages firmly in their own hands.


30/1 - The County first team beat Derbyshire 10½-5½ last Saturday to book their place in the national quarter finals of the minor counties championships.