Wallasey players made up half of Wirral’s contingent of 18 at the Pennine Cup in Liverpool on Sunday 22 March.

This annual team tournament for northern counties sees the best junior chess players from as far afield as Northumbria, Cumbria and the Wirral battle it out in a Swiss tournament comprising teams of six players each. There were 16 teams entered this year.

Wirral A were headed by Wallasey’s own Thomas Moran, who came away with two wins, two draws and one defeat against the tops players of a host of other counties. Terrence Jiang returned 3/5 on board 3, while Joe Ledgerton went one better with 4/5 on board 4. Sam Bakhshian, winner of Wirral’s trial tournament, scored 2/5 on board 6. The team ultimately finished joint second (third on board count), with four wins, their only loss being in round 3, by the narrowest possible of margins (3½-2½) to eventual champions Northumbria A. For the second year in a row, Wirral’s best youngsters, led by Wallasey Chess Club members, did the county very proud indeed.

The other two Wirral teams were always going to find life tougher further down the pecking order. Wirral B was led on the top two boards by Wallasey’s Kingsley Tan (1½/5) and Tony Leong (2/5), with 9-year-old Leo Rogers justifying his place on board 4, also returning 2/5. As Wirral’s youngest player on the day, he has a very bright future ahead in chess. Having lost their first two rounds, the team defeated the only teams entered by Leyland and Cumbria, before succumbing to a whitewash by the much stronger Manchester A side. They finished in joint ninth place, 13th on board order.

Wirral C included Wallasey’s Charlie Ren on board 3 and Seth Marks on board 5. Charlie had a torrid day, coming away with nothing to show for his efforts. Frequently the last to finish in each match, he gave it everything he had and gained sympathy for his tears in round 4 when his phone rang and he was led to believe (incorrectly), that he had to forfeit the game. Seth had a better time, defeating a far higher rated player with his favourite opening in round 1 and going on to be the third-best-performing Wirral player with 3½/5. Like Wirral B, the C team lost their first two rounds and suffered a whitewash later on, but they drew against a much stronger Manchester B side and beat Merseyside C, who lost every round. The team finished in 14th place.

Overall, Wallasey can once again be proud of the contribution we make to local junior chess and continue to provide the best outlet for the game on the Wirral at secondary school level. Well done to all who played.