Activities
Blackpool and Fylde League
The area covered by this League includes the Blackpool, Lytham,
Fleetwood, and Preston, Lancaster and Morecambe. Unfortunately the number
of players in this league has dropped off in recent years, although it
remains very well organised.
Preston have 2 teams in division one of the Blackpool and Fylde League.
Unfortunately there are only to other teams in division 1 :- Morecambe and
Lytham Ex. Teams play each other twice per season, once home and once away.
Home matches are played on Wednesdays at the Unicorn, and away matches are
played at the away teams venue.
Last year Preston first team won this league, but narrowly lost in the final
of the challenge knockout competition to Lytham.
Central Lancashire League
The Central Lancashire League currently includes teams such as Preston,
Chorley, Leyland, Heywood, Rochdale, Blackburn.
This league operates a grading limit which means the teams average grade must
be 160 or below in the first division. There are 7 teams in the first division
and they play each other once.
Last year Preston won both the first division, and the knockout competition.
Here is a game from our recent match against Rochdale
NCCU Clubs competition
In recent years Preston has entered 2 teams in the NCCU (Northern Counties
Chess Union) clubs knockout tournament. This is open to clubs from all over
the northern counties: Yorkshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Northumbria, Lancashire,
Merseyside.
One team plays in the minor section (average team grade of 125). This team
has won the competition in the past.
One team plays in the open section (no grading limit). We have reached the
final several times, but never myet managed to win it.
Lancashire Clubs Knockout
For the past few years, the Lancashire Clubs knockout has been played as
part of the blackpool chess festival at the Hilton Hotel. Preston are the
current holders of this trophy.
Club Championship
There is an internal individual competition
every year, open to all members, to decide the overall club champion.
Weekend Individual Tournaments
In addition to the internal and league competition, some players take part
in individual competitions, which take place at the weekends. These normally
consist of about 5, 4 hour games over the course of a whole weekend, and are
called weekend congresses. Players are usually divided into a number of
sections, according to playing strength. The sections are usually run
under the swiss system, which means that all players play in all 5 games,
but winners are paired against each other.
One such tournament, at Chorley, includes the Lancashire championship.
Prestons number one player, Brett Lund is the current Lancashire champion.
A few years ago a group of Preston players attended a tournament in
Utrecht in Holland.
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