TAFCA CASTLEHILL UPDATE – Tues 14th March 23
TAFCA UPDATE – Tues 14th March 23
As the first OTB TAFCA season draws to a close, how have things gone for Castlehill and the other clubs involved?
TAFCA LEAGUE
With 6 teams in division one, it kind of overloaded our fixtures and players, and getting the matches played was problematic for some of our teams. Also having a very inexperienced junior team which in reality should have been in division two, just complicated matters, especially for away fixtures!
Still it’s good to be back playing competitive league chess again and I am sure the problems will iron themselves out for season 2023-24! They better or TAFCA may not be so lenient the next time!
Castlehill A surprisingly are still in the race for the division one title after St. Andrews Uni A shocked Dundee A to take the points! To top that off, Castlehill A did exactly the same thing to St Andrews A to take the points! St Andrews Uni A tops the table on 16 points, just a point ahead of Castlehill A on 15 points but with a game in hand!
All St Andrews A had to do was win their last two games against Castlehill A and Kirkcaldy A and they were champions! I think given the players Castlehill A turned up with (on offence meant, just being honest!), this was a missed opportunity for St. Andrews A and one they might not get again? But it has left the door ajar for Dundee A, who are in 3rd place on 12 points, but with 2 games in hand, and given them a big chance to redeem themselves and take the title for the 7th time in a row OTB and 10th time in total counting the two years online! All that stands in their way now are two Castlehill teams, A & B! We can but dream! “B” team first to take them on and possible do our “A” a favour!
Castlehill F will be relegated, but who will join them? I am positive it will be another Castlehill team, but which one? It looks like it’s between, “C”, “D” & “E”, with the “E” team odds-on, but our “C” team still in the danger zone with only one game left! Squeaky bum time!
TAFCA TIME HANDI-CAP KNOCKOUT
Castlehill had 4 teams entered in this event, 2 were knockout out in the first round and the other two meet each other in the next round to leave just Castlehill B who reached the semi-finals! Unfortunately in the semis they faced St Andrews Uni A who torpedoed them out of the water 7½ – ½ (Thank you Andy Rowe!). Nothing more you can say with a score line like that!
With defending champions, Dundee A going out in the semis to Perth A on tie-break rules, the final is between Perth A & St Andrews A. Good luck to both teams on the night!
The J.R.CHALMERS GRAND PRIX MEMORIAL CUP
This event is in memory of our late TAFCA president, Jim Chalmers, a well know and renowned chess organiser in our area and beyond! He is sadly missed by those that knew him.
This is a tough one to win as you need to play in all the different events to give yourself a chance to win it! They include; The TAFCA League, The George Pyrich OTB Allegro Championship Series (5 of them), Any Chess Congress held within the TAFCA area (this season Dundee Congress & Perth Congress).
Leading the way is Alastair Dawson (Dundee & Castlehill) on 18 points, closely followed by Master Rishi Vijayakumar J11 on 17½ points. Defending champion, Richard Kynoch (Castlehill) is not even in the picture, but of course the last two seasons, it’s been “ONLINE” due to the pandemic, but now it`s back to it’s original format of only “OTB” events, which given Richard is an online member, knackers him! Ed Spencer (Dundee) is right on the coat tails of Alastair and Rishi on 17 points, just waiting for that slip up, or maybe them not playing in the Perth Chess Congress in April!
The GEORGE PYRICH ALLEGRO CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (5 events)
It was disappointing that Newport Knights could not kick things off due to bad weather on the night and the bridge being closed! However the show must go on and Perth opened the George Pyrich Allegro!
INDIVIDUAL CHESS CLUB EVENT WINNERS
- PERTH CC : Alisdair McLeod (Castlehill) & James Anderson (Dundee)
- CASTLEHILL CC: Ed Spencer (Dundee)
- DUNDEE CC: Ed Spencer, Jacques Ophoff & David Findlay (all Dundee)
Congratulations to all the above TAFCA individual Chess Club champions 22-23!
After 3 events, Ed Spencer (Dundee), the defending champion, leads the field by 2½ points from his nearest rival Alisdair McLeod (Castlehill). James Anderson (Dundee) might have been closer, but due to the high turnout of new players at the Dundee leg, he decided not to take part, which might have been a mistake! Anyway with at least one event left at Kirkcaldy and hopefully a re-arranged night for Newport, still plenty to play for!
TAFCA ONLINE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP 22-23
A new competition for TAFCA embracing the online trend! A decent 22 players are taking part, including the old top dogs of chess in TAFCA! This is a 5 round Swiss, 45 minutes + 15 seconds event.
After 3 rounds, we have a three way tie for 1st place with David Findlay, Ed Spencer & Alan Borwell (all Dundee) on 3 points. Just behind them on 2 points are 5 players, Andre Babin, Richard Kynoch, Alisdair McLeod (all Castlehill), Josh Cargill (St Andrews) & WFM Rhian Hughes (Newport Knights).
I think it will go down to the wire this one, but who will be the first player to be crowned, TAFCA Online Singles Champion 2022-23?
The TAFCA ONLINE ALLEGRO CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (5 events)
Held on a Tues night, this is another new online TAFCA event. After 3 rounds, that name crops up again and again this season, Ed Spencer (Dundee) leads the field on 13 points, a massive 5 points clear of 2nd placed Rishi Vijayakumar J11 (Castlehill). With only 2 events left, its hard to see anybody catching him, but you never know, maybe he will be unwell and not able to take part, or play so well on the night? Yes, as the great man, Martin Luther King Jr once wrote, “I have a dream”!
TAFCA ONLINE TEAM BATTLE
This was all decided in January and reported, but just a reminder of the winners as it’s our website!
TAFCA ONLINE TEAM CHAMPIONS 2022-23: Castlehill “A” team!
TAFCA ONLINE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS 2022-23: Richard Polaczek IM, Rishi Vijayakumar J11 (both Castlehill) & Ed Spencer (Dundee)!
There is also the matter of the TAFCA most improved Junior?
Not long to find out the answers to all of the above as the season nears it`s end!