2018 -2019 has been a year of progress, friendship and achievement at Northenden Chess Club. It is the first time the club has won 2 major trophies in one season. This year 2019 we are the unbeaten champions of E division in the Manchester Chess Federation and we have retained the Milner Cup in that same division.
Happy is an adequate and appropriate word to describe my feelings at the time of writing this but does little to convey the journey we have been on to achieve these results. We remain a small club but our roots are spreading far and wide and new shoots are now visible. We like to punch above our weight and now we will focus our efforts on higher divisions. This year, aside from our overwhelming and hard-fought victories in E division and our taking of the Milner Cup, we have acquitted ourselves quite well in C division in Manchester and very well in division 3 in Stockport.
C division
The Alfred Milner Cup
E division
Heroes have come to the fore on occasions too many to detail. Captains Neil, Liam and John have not had to work too hard to persuade club players to go into battle.
Both Liam and Neil have upheld the duties of captain most faithfully and have played very well. Liam has excelled in all areas and is most probably our most improved player this year. I applaud them and all our members who have put in great efforts to get us to such a successful end of season.
Every player, no matter his grading, has had a positive impact this year. We feel fortunate to have so many good people among us.
We have all improved this year and Northenden Chess Club goes from strength to strength. We have welcomed more new players this year and are ready to go for next season.
We help each other in times both good and bad. Next year, thanks to Liam's demonstration board, we will be able to share better our ideas and knowledge with regard to openings, puzzles, endgames etc. We enjoy getting better at chess. It feels so good to win. It is not the be all and end all, but it feels great. Winning at all costs is not why we are here. We are here to learn, progress, win when possible and enjoy ourselves.
Northenden Social Club has been, as ever, the perfect venue for playing chess. The conditions are ideal and I know that we are the envy of many a club. Social Club members have taken us to their hearts and their support for us is unwavering and most gratifying. We really feel part of the community.
I encourage you to pay us a visit, play a few games and enjoy the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. We are always looking out for new recruits. If you play a little chess or a lot, if you want to part of something good, if you are a friendly person yourself, then please pop by some time and say hello. We meet from about 7pm on Mondays.
The future is bright. The future is...NChess.