Nine Wanstead players entered the Southend Easter Chess Festival 17-21 April 2025. These included Ryan Colclough defending the Essex Minor Champion, with hopefuls Philip, Mark, Colin Li and Mary all going in the U1900 where that trophy is awarded.
It was Mark who started off like a train, though he admitted he rode his luck in some early games. But the wins kept coming, 3/3, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, by which time Mark had secured the Essex Minor Championship from Ryan, to keep it in Wanstead hands. Now he had is eyes on the £300 first prize. Although there were two players on 5/6 who could catch him, both of whom Mark had beaten in earlier rounds, they were playing each other. In his last game, Mark finally tripped up, hanging a bishop and lost. He now could only wait for the game between the two players on 5/6 to finish.
This is the bizarre end to that game. In this position, Black, a knight and four pawns to the good was presumably wondering what he would do with his share of the prize money. White’s game is obviously resignable, but he had one last chance which of course he had to try. He played 37 Rf3+.
Mark had won the tournament while availing himself of the luxury of losing the last round.
Here is the finishing scores of other Wanstead players, followed by a selectioin of games.
Rapid
Open
John Cawdery, 3½/6.
U1700
Mary Cawdery, 2½/6.
Congress
Open
Ashwin GopiKrishna, 3½/7.
U1900
1st Mark Murrell, 6/7;
8-15th Philip Staniland, 4/7;
6-18th Mary Cawdery, 3½/7;
19-27th Ryan Colclough, 3/7; Colin Li, 3/7.
U1600
7-8th Nigel White, 3½/7;
9-13th John Jestico, 3/7.
Games
Here is a selection of Wanstead games from , wins and draws, taken from the live boards download from chess.com.
The U1900
The FIDE Open
The Rapid