The spoils are shared at Lord’s

Before tonight both the MCC and the RAC had 100% records, but with the two coming together for their last match of the season something had to give. Tonight the two giants clashed and honours were even 4-4 and so both clubs finished on 15 points out of a possible 16, and therefore are certain of sharing first place in the Hamilton-Russell Cup for 2023-24 as they are out of reach of those sides with fixtures remaining.

Well done to the MCC and the RAC!

A few photos – courtesy of Rob Matthews followed by the match card:

RAC players listed first – RAC were Black on odd boards

Chris Gant            0          v        1         Tom Eckersley-Waites

Natasha Regan    0          v        1         Adam Eckersley-Waites

Stephen Meyler    0          v         1         Gary Senior

Alex Burgansky    1          v         0         Nick Collacott

Lee Green            1          v         0         Robert Stern

Colm O`Shea      ½          v         ½        Ian Reynolds

Wayne Clark       ½          v         ½        David Bates

Henry McWatters 1          v          0        David Clarkson

MCC defeat the Reform

The MCC’s tail wagged as it beat the Reform 4.5-1.5 in the Cup.

Full match card (Reform players first):

Alek Safarian 0.5-0.5 Gary Senior

Danny Rosenbaum 0.5-0.5 Dominic Lawson

Mark Glover 0-1 Robert Stern

Marc Hammerson 0.5-0.5 Ian Reynolds

Gordon Hamme 0-1 David Clarkson

David Roodyn 0-1 Wil Ransome

MCC thinkers: Ian Reynolds (l) Robert Stern (r)

Reform thinkers: David Roodyn (l) Gordon Hamme (r)

 

MCC beat the O&C

The MCC beat the Oxford & Cambridge Club 4.5-1.5 in the Cup.

Match card below (O&C players first):

Andrew Rogozinski 0-1 Tom Eckersley-Waites

Nigel White 0-1 Adam Eckersley-Waites

Peter Webster 0.5-0.5 Gary Senior

Edvin Morell 1-0 Nick Collacott

Mohammed Amin 0-1 Ian Reynolds

Kaushalya Kularatnam 0-1 David Clarkson

 

 

MCC defeat Hurlingham

The MCC beat Hurlingham 4-2 in the Cup.

Match card below (MCC players first):

1 W Nick Collacott 0.5 0.5 Mark Woloshyn
2 W Ian Reynolds 1 0 Stephen Quartermaine
3 B David Bates 1 0 Michael Yeoh
4 W David Clarkson 0 1 James Phillips
5 B Louis Ditz 0.5 0.5 Chris Clark
6 W Wil Ransome 1 0 Philip Fleury

The MCC beat Oriental/East India

The MCC beat the combined Oriental and East India side 4.5-0.5 in the Cup.

Match card below (ORI/EIC players first):

1 Edward Ko (EIC) 0 v 1 Tom Eckersley-Waites
2 Robert McClatchey (ORI) 0 v 1 Gary Senior
3 Andy Dugdale (ORI) 0.5 v 0.5 Nick Collacott
4 Habib Amir (ORI) 0 v 1 Ian Reynolds
5 Alex Kamieniecki (EIC) 0 v 1 David Clarkson

MCC beat NLC

The MCC beat the National Liberal Club 4-2 in the Cup.

Match card below (MCC players first):

Gary Senior 1-0 Izaan Khan

Robert Stern 0-1 Nigel Giffin

Nick Collacott 1-0 Leela Widger

Ian Reynolds 1-0 Andrew Jacobs

David Clarkson 1-0 Nic Ioannou

Wil Ransome 0-1 Susan Yu

 

MCC Beat the Chelsea Arts

The MCC narrowly beat the Chelsea Arts Club 3-2 in the Cup.

Match card below (MCC first):

Adam Eckersley-Waites 1/2 v Matthew Flowers 1/2

Gary Senior 1 v Joe Coles 0

Ian Reynolds 1/2 v Luke Williams 1/2

David Clarkson 1 v Mike Radcliffe 0

Wil Ransome 0 v Marc Wolff 1

MCC Win the Sheldon Marshall Trophy

Henry McWatters reports on the 2023 speed chess tournament …

In spite of Mick Lynch’s industrial action threatening to sabotage proceedings this year, the Sheldon Marshall Trophy attracted a field of 60 players and could not be derailed altogether.

Ten teams of six players took part in the event.

The bookies favourite was the dominant MCC team who once again defeated all-comers on their inexorable path to a clean sweep winning nine out of nine of their matches and once again achieving the perfect score. This was no mean feat which they have, to my knowledge, now managed every year since the Inter Club Speed Chess event was rebranded the Sheldon Marshall Trophy. An astonishing feat of consistency, many congratulations to them.

Runners-up were the RAC A team, who managed to win a streak of eight games only after their loss in the first round to MCC.

Chelsea Arts occupied third place with six out of nine narrowly pipping RAC B on 5.5. It was not an entirely unpredictable success for Chelsea Arts with GM Jonathan Speelman winning nine out of nine games personally. The only player in the room to achieve this accolade, securing the rarest of all prizes: a bottle of RAC Club Wine.

Here is the final table:

1. Marylebone Cricket Club
2. Royal Automobile Club (A)
3. Chelsea Arts Club
4. Royal Automobile Club (B)
5. Athenaeum/Lansdowne
6. East India/Oriental
7. Reform
8. Hurlingham
9. National Liberal Club
10. Oxford & Cambridge

Photo of the winning MCC team courtesy of Gary Senior.

RAC beat MCC and win the Cup

The RAC beat the MCC 5.5-2.5. It was a crucial victory and meant that they win this season’s Hamilton-Russell Cup.

Many congratulations to the RAC.

Match card below (RAC first):

1. Nigel Povah 1 v 0 Tom Eckersley-Waites
2. Chris Gant ½ v ½ Gary Senior
3. Richard Farleigh 1 v 0 Robert Stern
4. Natasha Regan ½ v ½ Ian Reynolds
5. Stephen Meyler 1 v 0 Ed Goodall
6. Alex Burgansky 0 v 1 Nick Collacott
7. Lee Green ½ v ½ David Bates
8. Wayne Clark 1 v 0 Wil Ransome

MCC and the National Liberal Club draw

The MCC and NLC drew 3-3 in the Cup.

Match card below (NLC first):

1 Nick Kirby 0 1 Gary Senior

2 Nigel Giffin 0 1 Dominic Lawson

3 Peter Burgoyne ½ ½ Ian Reynolds

4 Andrew Jacobs 1 0 David Clarkson

5 Leela Widger 1 0 Wil Ransome

6 Zachary Barnett ½ ½ Colin Ferguson