Essex Summer Rapid Knockout 2025

The match format for the Essex Summer Rapid Knockout is two matches of five boards at G20+10.

In the 2025 competition Essex Knockout Wanstead has entered two teams, styled EKA and EKB.

Essex KO on the ECA website | Essex KO Cup 2025 on ECF LMS | Essex KO Plate on ECF LMS

EKA
Played Wednesday, 25 June 2025, Away
  Thurrock R1 R2 W&W A
Ralys, Vincas 1868 (W, B) 1-0 ½-½ Mulay, Partha 2123 (B, W)
Byram, Tye A 1719 0-1 0-1 Spearman, David 2047
Wilson, Mathew 1670 1-0 0-1 Cawdery, John 2027
Van Litsenborgh, Rudi 1650 0-1 0-1 Rix, Steven JL 2002
Sharma, Mridul 1839 0-1 ½-½ Hunnable, Ian D 1905
  Average: 1750 2–3 1-4 Average: 2021
    3-7  

Thurrock gave us a scare in Round 1, with wins on 1 and 3. But we made full use of our only two Whites of the round and had a narrow lead from our only win with Black.

Thurrock were unable to add to their scalps from Round 1 as David and Steve completed win doubles while for Thurrock Mridul had a much better game than in Round 1 to halve the point. But this was only instrumental in our taking a winning lead. John then reversed his R1 defeat to add to the WW lead and attention turned to the last game to finish, on Board 1, where Partha was defending a bishop ending (same coloured bishops) a pawn down. Once the material reduced to one Black pawn, it was odds on a draw, but Partha was playing on increments against his opponent’s 10 minutes. There were still plenty of moves to be played but Partha kept his concentration and secured the draw.

Thurrock’s top board is clearly a much stronger player than his standard rating of 1868 suggests. This, however, is related to the modest ratings of his opponents in standard rated games, against whom he has recorded 10 wins, a draw and one defeat, the first 10 of these 12 results being calculated on the P rating method for new players, which uses the average rating of his opponents. His Rapid results are just the two games above, from which he has a P rating of 2103, which gives a much better impression of his playing strength.

Here’s the Board 5 game in R1:

EKA
Played [Date], [Venue]
    R1 R2  
       
       
       
       
       
         
       

EKB
Played Thursday, 3 July 2025, at Wanstead
  Basildon R1 R2 Wanstead B
Somogyi, Tamas 2079 (W, B) 1-0 0-1 Whitton, Terry D 1870 (B, W)
Baptie, Justin P 1943 1-0 1-0 Murrell, Mark RA 1827
Bara, V Radu 1901 1d0 1-0 Staniland, Philip 1734
Gedvilas, Arunas 1901 1-0 ½-½ Lataille, Matthias 1685
5 Millward, David J 1691 1-0 ½-½ Nickals, Peter A 1619
    5-0 3-2  
    8-2  

Gridlock on the A406 – Philip’s piccy

Basildon all but secured their passage into the next round with a 5-0 whitewash in Round 1, helped by a default when an almost closed A406, owing to an accident, caused Philip to arrive too late.

Basildon had generously delayed the start until 8.00 pm and Philip had got a message to Matthias to avoid tailbacks on the A406 and divert to the M11/M25. Philip, already snared (pic right), did not arrive until 9.05 by which time R2 had started, which he was then able to join.

WWB made a much better show in R2 with an excellent result for Terry on Board 1 and two good draws in the lower order. But Justin and Radu completed win doubles for a convincing 8-2 victory by Basildon.

Basildon have a Bye in Round 2 of the Cup and in the semi-finals will meet the winners of Loughton and Brentwood A. WWB go into the Plate competition.