Bristol League Chess

Thought I'd use today's entry to shine a light on the Bristol League. In Div.1 Bath 'A' and Clifton 'A' are neck-and- neck in the race for the title. It's difficult to tell precisely who's in the lead, as not all of the results are included on the website at the moment (I'm thinking specifically the Bath 'A'- Clifton 'A' match from 13/1), but the league tables currently show Bath 'A' hold a 1 point lead, but having played 2 matches more.

Tonight sees Clifton 'A' play host to third placed Horfield 'A', and could well be a critical match in deciding the outcome of the league. Horfield boast Steve Dilleigh (192 grade), and Derek Pugh (184 grade) as their top 2 players, and I'd be surprised if their bottom board is lower graded then 160. Nevertheless, it'll take a bit of an upset to overcome Clifton 'A', who probably have the strongest 6- board team in the south west. James Cobb (210), Andy Pickering (187), David Collier (187), Gareth Morris (181), Duncan Grossett (180), John Curtis (180). That's scarily strong.

Also, for anyone who reads this and plays in the Bristol League: 12th-14th March is the Bristol League Congress, held at Filton Sports & Leisure Centre. It's only open to people who play in the Bristol League, which I've always found curiously restrictive. Nevertheless...

Here

is the link with the entry form.