Why playing in the real world is so much more satisfying
CORBRIDGE is a great place to visit. A beautiful Northumberland village with all the attractions you would expect of a place alongside the River Tyne, steeped in the history of the Roman invasion and settlements.
The modern Corbridge is terrific, too, with excellent shops, pubs and cafes. A less wellpublicised feature is its excellent chess club, called Tynedale Chess Club. It has teams in the Northumbria League and the Tynedale League too. Catering for players of all standards from beginners to county representatives, it is a great club to visit or, better still, play for. It meets on Thursday nights from 7pm in the Village Hall in St Helen’s Street. Newcomers are always made welcome.
This is true of all the chess clubs in the area. Chess is on a steep upward trajectory as a pastime, as a competitive game, as an educational tool or simply as an activity offering fun and relaxation. The Northumbria League clubs have a strong membership covering all ages A. White’s position should have an X-certificate. Isolated pawns! Queen attacked! White to play.
and a variety of backgrounds. It is a game that almost anybody can learn, enjoy and gain pleasure and satisfaction from.
At the club in Corbridge there are players who are happy to teach newcomers the game, and help players of little experience improve.
Do you play chess on websites? This too can be good fun and it is convenient because you don’t have to leave the house to play. But it is not the same as over-the-board chess. Real chess, as I prefer to call it, is far more exciting and, as a big bonus, it is also far more likely to improve your game. Win or lose, it’s great to share the post-match conversation and analysis. (Actually, it is better to win!) We all appreciate that, but often it is what you learn from the losses which leads to you playing better chess. Being in a club with players who are willing to share their insights and knowledge is a big boost. It is also a lot more sociable. I’m always surprised when some people describe chess as a game played by geeky, antisocial people. Nothing is further from the truth! If you live in the Corbridge area or surrounding villages and towns, try visiting that club. You won’t regret it! If you live elsewhere, look up the Northumbria Chess website. There are 10 other clubs. At least one will be near you!
Hurrah, the league season is about to start! John Wheeler has done a great job in getting the fixtures out to clubs soon after last week’s annual general meeting, when the composition of the leagues was finalised.
Who are the favourites? Gosforth won all three divisions last year and must be favourites to contest the top places again. Forest Hall have a lot of improving juniors to support the experienced players and are likely to be in contention. Morpeth have strong players, too, as have South Shields. All of the other clubs are looking healthy too. It’s going to be an exciting competition!
This is preceded by the annual Northumberland Chess Congress, held at the Parks centre in North Shields. As usual it has attracted a good entry, including players with international experience and raw beginners and all shades in-between.
Time to dust off the cobwebs and freshen up.