The Lancashire U11 team took part in its first EPSCA event since the Covid pandemic. The last time we entered a team was in 2020. Five years later, we are starting up from scratch again, and building up a pool of players.
A team of 24 players travelled down to Cheadle Hulme on Sunday 16th March. The mini-bus provided courtesy of Highfield Priory, who provides wholehearted support for the Lancashire Junior Chess scene. Our thanks again to the school for all their support.
Arrival at the tournament to be advised, one team had withdrawn, which would mean an all play all series. The other teams taking part were Manchester, Cheshire & North Wales and Wirral. In the first round, Manchester played Lancashire. Despite some really close matches, it was a real baptism of fire, with only one draw and 19 losses, against what would be a record-breaking Manchester team.
Despite this initial setback, the team was still eager to play and full of enthusiasm for the remaining two matches. The matches against C&NW and Wirral were a lot closer. In the matchup against C&NW we lost 12-8, and against Wirral we lost 12.5 – 7.5. Ending up with a total score of 16 points.
Board 1, Eyad finished with 1/3, which was a creditable performance, as his opponents were all strong and rated higher than he was. Board 2, Oliver finished with 2/3. Board 7, Liam was our only undefeated player on the day, with 2 draws and a win, a great score by Liam. Most players earned points that day, and those who struggled should remember that this was their first competition at this level.
To put the performance in context, all the players for the other teams would have played at this level in previous years at U11 and U9 level. For all the Lancashire players, apart from Eyad, this was their first taste of the EPSCA competition. After the slow start against Manchester, the team showed great spirit and grit. The GOOD news, 75% of this team will play next year! This team was effectively an U10 team!
Looking back to the team of 2020, well the team of 2025 scored more points, so promising signs for the future!
WELL DONE to all the players! Thank you to the parents who travelled on the day and arranging drop off and pick up for the mini-bus drop. Thanks (once again) to Highfield for a loan of the mini-bus.
U11 North – Final Table
| Rk. | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | TB1 | TB2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | * | 15 | 18½ | 19½ | 53 | 6 |
| 2 | Cheshire and North Wales | 5 | * | 9 | 12 | 26 | 2 |
| 3 | Wirral | 1½ | 11 | * | 12½ | 25 | 4 |
| 4 | Lancashire | ½ | 8 | 7½ | * | 16 | 0 |