Bury League gets under way

The other league that features Suffolk-based clubs, the Bury Area Chess League, got under way yesterday, one week after the start of the Suffolk League.

Two matches in Division 3 took place, one of which was between teams from the two participating Suffolk clubs – Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds.   This match was unusual in that the teams included only one adult male between them!

Most matches played in Suffolk are between teams of four men, but in this match there were five juniors and two women.   Stowmarket is the only local club to count three females amongst its members, whilst Bury St Edmunds has a dozen or more juniors to call on.

The Board 1 match was between two old Bury Knights adversaries, Alex Sheerin and Alan John who, incidentally, played out a draw last week at Ipswich when they played each other in a Suffolk League match.   The game was again drawn, with Alex turning out for his ‘second’ club Stowmarket.

The two women in Stowmarket’s team, Vicky Allen and Chris Hargan, on Boards 2 and 3, lost respectively to youngsters Adam John (aged 9) and Tom Roy (11).   It was left to Stowmarket’s Ray Firmin to salvage some pride for the men by beating Bury’s Board 4, 12-year old Alwin Jose.

So the result of the match (the winning team gaining a bonus point in this league) was 3½ – 1½ to Bury St Edmunds.