This was the first week of the season.

We started with a bang as 13 players were in action on the first night, Wednesday 2nd September. In the Wolverhampton league we hosted Mercia in the first round of the Pittaway Cup (8 players) while our Wolverhampton league Division 3 team (5 players) travelled to Stafford.

Mercia are a division 2 team so they had a 2¼ handicap against Stourbridge meaning SCC needed to score 5½ over the 8 boards. Mercia were also finalists last season. We were very close to full strength with only one regular first team player missing. Mercia were a long way from full strength.

Stourbridge heavily out-graded Mercia, with most players being graded 40 or more points higher than their opponents. But winning chess games isn’t always that easy, and the question was would Stourbridge score the number of wins needed?

However on the night it was much closer than expected. Stourbridge were 4-2 ahead and had to score 1½ from the last 2 games. Fortunately they won them both to make the final score 6-2.

Scc’s Wolverhampton division 3 team were missing 2 key players when they travelled north, whereas Stafford were at full strength, so they significantly out-graded SCC across the boards, with four boards over 20 points in their favour.

First to finish was reserve Steve Alcock who won in 20 minutes and 11 moves.

Two hours later Sam Bradley also won to make it 2-0.

SCC now needed one point from three games to win the match which was secured by Martin Berridge and Colin Woodall both drawing.

The following night our Wolverhampton league Division 3 team had to play away again, this time at Wolverhampton.

First to finish was Colin Woodall playing the Sicilian. Young Lewis Clarke went wrong in the opening.

He lost his knight which got pinned making it 1-0 to Stourbridge.

Jeremy Humphreys played solid game which ended in draw. Martin Berridge won a rook and proceeded to bring home the win.

Steve Alcock won a knight and then won the endgame. Sam Bradley’s game was evenly balanced when Sam miscalculated a sacrifice and lost.

Wolverhampton 1½ - 3½ Stourbridge. This is excellent.

Wolverhampton out-graded us on every board, but not by much. Two matches in two nights, both away, both wins. Great start for the team.

And best of all, players willing to play two in two nights to help out the club.

Next week all three of our Birmingham league teams start their league campaigns.

Anyone who is interested in joining Stourbridge chess club or should contact Dave Scriven on 01384 423642 or visit www.stourbridgechess.f9.

co.uk for more information about the club.