Frodsham Weekend Chess Congress

A Short History

Frodsham Community Centre, Fluin Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 7QN

Pre-History

The first weekend congresses at Frodsham took place in 1986 and 1987, organised by the Cheshire & North Wales Chess Association, as the C&NWCA Annual Congress, at which county titles were awarded. This congress moved to the MANWEB (Merseyside and North West Electricity Board, now absorbed into Scottish Power) offices in Chester. It continued there until 1991, moving to the Rolls Royce (subsequently Bentley) works canteen in Crewe and held there from 1992 to 2004. (There are details of C&NWCA congresses up to 1988 in The Cheshire Hundred (1888-1988) and the C&NWCA 1988 Review, compiled by Richard Furness.) There were also one-day Rapidplay Congresses at Frodsham from 1988 to 2006.

Crewe 2001

From 2001, thanks to the friendship between Roger Edwards (Chief Controller) and Tony Atkins, then Secretary of the British Go Association, a one-day Cheshire Go Tournament was held alongside the Crewe Congress.

In 2005, however, the Crewe Congress had to be cancelled because the Bentley works canteen, at short notice, was unavailable, though the Go found an emergency venue in Wilmslow.

Recent History

In 2006, the Congress (and Go Tournament) moved to the Community Centre in Frodsham, with the same organiser (Jim McPhillips) and control team (Roger Edwards, Robert Milner and Jim McPhillips), where it has been held ever since.

View of Frodsham Community Centre    View to the hill from the Centre

In 2009, Jim McPhillips stood down as Congress Organiser (but continued as a section controller), with Pat Ridley taking over.

In 2010, Ian Campbell joined the control team. Up to 2010, Maureen Edwards and helpers provided refreshments, raising funds for Tunstall Special Needs Club, as she had done while the congress was at Crewe.

Go reviewed in analysis room 2010      Chess room view 2017      Chess games 2017

In 2011, funds were raised for the Canal Boat Adventure Project. Since 2012 members of the Chess club and their families and also Go players have manned the refreshments.

Fischer time limits were introduced for the first time in 2011. After the 2014 event, Roger Edwards finished as arbiter after 35 years at the job.

View of Frodsham Arbiters 2014    Top Board Action Frodsham 2014

View of Frodsham 2013    Winner of Frodsham 2013

In 2016 Alex Holowczak took over as chief arbiter, with David Clayton in 2019. In 2020 the arbiter is Francis Bower.

Winners

YearMajorIntermediateMinorTeam
2006    
2007    
2008Richard Bryant
Chris Doran
Nathan TalbotHarry Brooks 
2009Chris Doran
Simon Hughes
Steve EdwardsMatthew WyzaChester
2010Khalid KamaraJoe NemcekMatthew FanningChester
2011Michael SurteesSteve LloydHuw Davies
Tim Hilton
Conrad Jowett
John Simmons
Chester
2012Andrej StancakCarl Gartside
Ian Stephens
Ray Williams
Brian CromptonChester
2013Michael SurteesMichael McDonaghJonathan MahonyWigan Knights
2014Jim BurnettMark A Cromwell
Richard E Desmedt
Roy G WatsonFrodsham
2015Michael SurteesColm BuckleyPhillip ShaughnessyChester A
2016Michael Surtees
Oliver Jackson
Nugith Jayawarna
Robert FurnessAnthony Jinks Formby
 OpenU160U120Team
2017Michael SurteesBarry GrovesKhalid KokharWidnes
2018Michael SurteesM John CawstonMark WaterfieldFormby
2019Oliver Jackson
Thomas Carroll
Greg Hughes David Price Crewe
2020Aditya Munshi Barry GrovesThisumi Jayawarna

Chess hall view  2017


View of Playing Room      

View of Hall 2018      

Reports/Results

2009 
2010 
2011Results
2012Results
2013Results
2014Results
2015Results
2016Results
 Results U210
 Results U160
 Results U120
2017Results Open
 Results U160
 Results U120
2018Results Open
GamesResults U160
TeamsResults U120
2019Results Open
  Results U160
  Results U120
2020Results Open
  Results U160
  Results U120

Next Congress - TBA

With 2021 cancelled and 2022 not organised due to pressure of work, it is not known when, or even if, the next Congress will be.

View of Playing Room 2016     View of Open Section 2017

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