The match format for the Essex Summer Rapid Knockout is two matches of five boards at G20+10.
In the 2026 Essex Knockout Wanstead again entered two teams, styled A and B.
Essex KO Cup 2026 on ECF LMS | Essex KO Plate 2026 on ECF LMS
EKA
Player stats
…will appear here.
EKA
EKO Round 1 – Played Wednesday, 22 July 2026, Away
| Loughton | R1 | R2 | Wanstead A |
| Middleton, Stephen 1840 [W, B] | 0-1 | 0-1 | Hodgson, John H 2084 [B, W] |
| Moth, Simon C 1766 | 0-1 | 0-1 | Spearman, David 2032 |
| Van Tol, Martin 1690 | ½-½ | 0-1 | Cawdery, John 2016 |
| Kershaw, Graham J 1629 | ½-½ | 0-1 | Rix, Steven JL 1984 |
| King, Oliver 1614 | 1-0 | 0-1 | Murrell, Mark RA 1805 |
| Average: 1708 | 2-3 | 0-5 | Average: 1984 |
| 2-8 | |||
A close encounter in Round 1 was put in its place by the R2 whitewash visited upon the home team in Round 2.
In the Semi-Final we meet Brentwood A, being played Tuesday, 11 August, at Wanstead. The other semi-final is between Chelmsford and Basildon, being played 17 August.
EKA
EKO Plate Semi-Final – Played Tuesday, 11 August 2026, at Home
| Wanstead A | R1 | R2 | Brentwood A | |
| 1 | Mulay, Partha 2122 [B, W] | 0-1 | 0-1 | Pert, Richard G 2434 [W, B] |
| 2 | Hodgson, John H 2092 | ½-½ | 0-1 | Pert, Max P 2259 |
| 3 | Spearman, David 2029 | 0-1 | 1-0 | Pert, Nina P 2026 |
| 4 | Cawdery, John 2033 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Coote, Trevor D 1897 |
| 5 | GopiKrishna, Ashwin 2016 | 1-0 | 0-1 | Hughes, Gavin James 1889 |
| Average: 2058 | 2½-2½ | 2-3 | Average: 2101 | |
| 4½-5½ | ||||
EKB
Player Stats
…will appear here.
EKB
EKO
Round 1 – Played Thursday, 16 July 2026, Away
| Barking | R1 | R2 | Wanstead B |
| Pereslavtsev, Alexandr 2251 [B, W] | 1-0 | 1-0 | Hunnable, Ian D 1814 [W, B] |
| Sands, David A 2145 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Barclay, Paul R 1730 |
| Goldberg, Jeff A 2099 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Lataille, Matthias 1730 |
| Ismailov, Roman 2039 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Jones, Keith S 1673 |
| Robinson, James M 1895 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Qureshi, Zain 1530 |
| Average: 2086 | 5-0 | 5-0 | Average: 1695 |
| 10-0 | |||
Not much one can say about this. Hopelessly outgunned, a one-way ticket to the Plate.
EKB
EKO Plate Semi-Final – Played Tuesday, 4th August 2026, at Home
| Wanstead B | R1 | R1 | Brentwood B |
| Whitton, Terry D 1868 [B, W] | 1-0 | ½-½ | Prince, Alan R 1801 [W, B] |
| Hunnable, Ian D 1811 | 1-0 | 1-0 | Saveall, Flynn 1633 |
| Lataille, Matthias 1725 | 1-0 | 0-1 | Davies, Robert JV 1520 |
| Jones, Keith S 1668 | ½-½ | 1-0 | Fisher, Russell 1467 |
| Yiannoullou, Nicholas 1462 | 1-0 | 1-0 | D’Cruz, David 1206 |
| Average: 1707 | 4½-½ | 3½-1½ | Average: 1525 |
| 8-2 | |||
One of the more interesting things about this match is that our opponents could well have been Chelmsford. Brentwood B lost to Chelmsford by 5½-4½, but had they been able to squeeze out half a game point more, to tie the scores, Brentwood B would have won on Board Count.
Brentwood B were missing Malcolm Kinglsey and Xander Bloom from their Chelmsford line-up, weaker than that team by 84 rating points. Keith Jones had an interesting evening: in Round 1 he saved Brentwood B from a whitewash, while in Round 2 he scored the match-winning point.
In the Plate Final we will meet the winners of the other Semi-Final between Loughton and Thurrock, date not yet set.
EKB
EKO PLATE FINAL – Wednesday, 19 August 2026, Away
| Loughton | R1 | R2 | Wanstead B | |
| 1 | Somerfield, Adrian P 1914 [W, B] | 0-1 | ½-½ | Bancroft, Paul 1854 [B, W] |
| 2 | Horan, G 1811 | 0-1 | 1-0 | Veselow, Zoe 1915 |
| 3 | Stirling, William J 1872 | 0-1 | 1-0 | Hunnable, Ian D 1836 |
| 4 | Moth, Simon C 1748 | ½-½ | ½-½ | Barclay, Paul R 1722 |
| 5 | Spear, Brian 1626 | ½-½ | ½-½ | Cawdery, Mary 1644 |
| 1-4 | 3½-1½ | |||
| 4½-5½ | ||||
Report by Mark Murrell
Our British Champions Bancroft’s Schoolgirls played a key part tonight but it was Paul Bancroft on Board 1 who broke the symmetry to land the Essex Knockout Plate.
Loughton as expected strengthened their team and had the paper advantage on August ratings. It was something of a shock to find themselves 4-1 down at half time. In addition to Paul’s Board 1 win with black pieces, Zoe Veselow took out George Horan and Ian Hunnable took out Bill Stirling to give a clean sweep across 1, 2 and 3 after our Club Rapid Champion Paul Barclay took an early draw with Simon Moth, whilst Mary Cawdery held bottom board a pawn adrift in the ending.
Second half reverses are common in this format but despite such an occurrence, the match win was not in jeopardy with Board 1 finishing first with a draw. Bill Stirling pulled one back not long after, followed by Mary Cawdery securing the match win, eventually accepting one of Brian Spear’s many draw offers to reach 5 game points and an unbeatable 1, 2, 3 Board Count, with two to play. George added to the list of black piece wins to pull another point back, leaving Paul Barclay still in play eventually holding on for a draw and a 3½-1½ reverse, to give the visitors a narrow victory by 5½-4½.