Sussex Junior Chess

EPSCA U11 Championships

Final - 6th May 2000

Zonal - 18th Match 2000

Final - 6th May 2000

Sussex U11 team 2000

The Sussex Scorpions team exceeded their most optimistic targets by taking the honours in the Millennium EPSCA under 11 inter county team championships. Consistent performances throughout the team and the reserves paved the way for a clear 2½ advantage over joint second placed Richmond and Hampshire.

When the children in the corridors shouted "Sussex have won", the only group of people who refused to believe it were the Sussex team and their parents in their team room. Only when the final match had finished and the team scores were completed on the results charts did the fact sink in that Sussex had actually won, and also by a healthy margin from hot favourites, Richmond.

In hindsight, the event was probably won when the management imposed a blanket Gameboy and Pokemon ban at the start of the day. This proved invaluable, as Sussex players were not drawn in to the 'trading floor' atmosphere of the school corridors, and chess was actually the main activity in the team room between the rounds.

The first round started well, but two or three points were needlessly given away by early draw offers and back rank mates. When Richmond clocked up 17 out of 20, it appeared that the form book was going to hold true, and Sussex would be fighting for the minor places. There were excellent wins from Sebastian Pozzo, Joe Richardson, Simon Bell and Trevelyan Harper against the stronger teams.

A stern talk from Jonathan Tuck before the second round started made it clear that more effort and concentration was needed if the team were to have any chance of achieving a medal placing. The effect this had was stunning as they then returned the best ever round by a Sussex team (16½) and leapt into first place, a clear point above Richmond. The defining moment in this round came right at the end, when Stephanie Barraclough completed a crucial win over Richmond on board 3. A real 2 pointer !

Half an hour into the last round with half of the matches finished, it appeared that all was lost as there were as many wins as losses. However, the determination of the remaining players held steady, and not a single point was lost from then on. One opponent resigned as he was more interested in completing a Pokemon card transaction ! An excellent draw from Adam Prescott, and wins from Joe Richardson and Felix Sullivan against the main contenders ensured sufficient points were gained to see Sussex home.

Congratulations are due to to the team, reserves, managers and trainers for this magnificent result.

Team Results:

Team	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total	Position
Sussex	14	16½	14	44½	1
Richmond	17	12½	12½	42	2=
Hampshire	13½	13	15½	42	2=
Wey Valley	14	13	13½	40½	4
Somerset	14	10½	15	39½	5
Kent	13½	10	14	37½	6
Nottinghamshire	12	11½	8	31½	7
Wiltshire	8½	9	11½	29	8
Oldham	7	12½	7½	27	9
Gt Manchester	8½	6	11½	26	10
Lincolnshire	11	7½	7	25½	11
Buckinghamshire	7	9	9½	24½	12
Lancashire	6½	9½	8	24	13
Yorkshire	7	8½	8	23½	14
Cambridgeshire	5½	9	5	19½	15
Bedfordshire	5½	6½	5	17	16
Wirral	5½	6½	4½	16½	17

Individual Results:

Board	Name	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
1	James Asquith	½	0	½	1
		Hampshire	Manchester	Lancashire
2	Sebastian Pozzo	1	1	½	2½
		Wey Valley	Notts	Wiltshire
3	Stephanie Barraclough	1	1	1	3
		Lincolnshire	Richmond	Cambs
4	Grant Bucher	½	1	1	2½
		Oldham	Bucks	Beds
5	Joe Richardson	1	1	1	3
		Somerset	Kent	Wey Valley
6	Sebastian Elliott	1	0	1	2
		Yorks	Wirral	Manchester
7	Georgina Draper	½	½	1	2
		Notts	Hampshire	Oldham
8	Adam Prescott	1	1	½	2½
		Lancashire	Lincolnshire	Richmond
9	Danny Glebocki	0	1	1	2
		Bucks	Beds	Wirral
10	Alex Cook	1	1	0	2
		Cambs	Somerset	Wiltshire
11	Daniel Khoo	0	1	½	1½
		Richmond	Lancashire	Yorks
12	Felix Sullivan	1	1	1	3
		Wirral	Wey Valley	Kent
13	Steven Stracey	1	1	1	3
		Manchester	Cambs	Lincolnshire
14	Andrew Tucker	0	1	1	2
		Hampshire	Oldham	Notts
15	Harry Mayhew	0	1	0	1
		Kent	Wiltshire	Somerset
16	Matthew Doggett	1	1	1	3
		Beds	Yorks	Bucks
17	Simon Bell	1	1	0	2
		Wey Valley	Notts	Hampshire
18	Elliot Smith	½	0	1	1½
		Lincolnshire	Richmond	Lancashire
19	Eleanor Hayden	1	1	0	2
		Oldham	Bucks	Manchester
20	Trevelyan Harper	1	1	1	3
		Somerset	Kent	Cambs
		14	16½	14	44½

Reserves:

21 R	Jonathan Paley	1	1	0	2
		Hampshire	Lincolnshire	Bedfordshire
22 R	Christopher Cannell	0	0	1	1
		Wey Valley	Notts
23 R	John Ryan	0	1	0	1
		Lincolnshire	Bedfordshire	Notts
24 R	Ben Johnson	1	1	0	2
		Oldham	Kent	Somerset
25 R	Mark Willshire	1	1	0	2
		Kent		Lincolnshire

Zonal - Catford - 18th March 2000

Sussex U11 Zonal Team 2000

The Sussex Scorpions snatched the final qualifying spot from Barnet in the last game of the last round. In an incredibly tense finish to the day, hotels bookings in the Wirral were distant dreams as word came from the hall that Sebastian Pozzo on board 2 was in a totally drawn position. (A win was the only result which would send the team to the finals). However, the young scorpion kept his nerve (despite offering a draw) and managed to snatch a win from a Richmond player.

Board	Name	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
1	James Asquith	0	½	0	½
		Wey Valley	Herts	Essex
2	Sebastian Pozzo	1	½	1	2½
		S London	Barnet	Richmond
3	Grant Bucher	0	0	1	1
		Kent	Richmond	S London
4	Stephanie Barraclough	½	1	1	2½
		NW London	Kent	Herts
5	Joe Richardson	1	1	½	2½
		Barnet	Essex	NW London
6	Sebastian Elliott	0	1	1	2
		Essex	S London	Wey Valley
7	Georgina Draper	½	1	½	2
		NW London	Herts	Kent
8	Danny Glebocki	0	1	0	1
		Richmond	Wey Valley	Barnet
9	Alex Cook	½	1	0	1½
		S London	Wey Valley	Barnet
10	Daniel Khoo	1	0	1	2
		Kent	Herts	Essex
11	Steven Stracey	1	0	0	1
		NW London	Richmond	Richmond
12	Felix Sullivan	1	1	1	3
		Barnet	NW London	S London
13	Andrew Tucker	1	1	0	2
		S London	Kent	Herts
14	Harry Mayhew	1	1	1	3
		Herts	Wey Valley	Kent
15	Matthew Doggett	1	0	1	2
		S London	Barnet	Wey Valley
16	Elliot Smith	0	0	1	1
		NW London	Richmond	Essex
17	Simon Bell	1	1	0	2
		Barnet	Kent	Rihmond
18	Eleanor Hayden	1	0	1	2
		Herts	Essex	S London
19	Jonathan Paley	0	0	0	0
		Wey Valley	NW London	Herts
20	Trevelyan Harper	½	0	0	½
		Richmond	Wey Valley	NW London
		12	11	11	34

Reserves

21 R	John Ryan	½	0	0	½

22 R	Christopher Cannell	0	1	½	1½

23 R	Ben Johnson	0	1	0	1

24 R	Mark Willsher	1	0	0	1

Team Results

Team	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total	Position
Richmond	18½	16	14	48½	1
Wey Valley	12½	13	13½	39	2
Kent	13½	11½	10	35	3
Sussex	12	11	11	34	4
Barnet	10½	11½	11½	33½	5
NW London	8½	8	9½	26	6
Essex	7	9	7½	23½	7
Hertfordshire	4½	7½	9	21	8
S London	3	2½	4	9½	9