Leominster Chess Club were delighted to be invited to take part in the Marches League for 2026. This long standing competition has been recently revived and brings together local teams for a series of competitive matches.
Leominster Club Captain, Stephen Priestly, gives us his review of the competition below:
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who took part in the Marches League games this season. It has been quite a step up playing in a competitive chess league and really appreciate everyone making time to play in these matches – I think we have performed creditably.
Our first match at home against Hereford was a hard-fought battle, with the away side bringing a strong line-up. Leominster lost by the narrowest of margins, with draws on Boards 1 and 2, a win on Board 3 and losses on Boards 4 and 5 (3-2). Richard Croot was especially unlucky not to win on Board 1 against Lee Davis.
The second match, away against Hay on Wye, was again a close-fought battle but Leominster gained a deserved victory against a strong Hay side, with wins on Boards 1, 2 and 5 and a draw on Board 4 (3.5-1.5). Particular credit to Nick Hanne on Board 2 and Dylan Connor on Board 5 for two fine wins.
The third match, again away against Kington, was a more decisive result (4-1). Richard won a close game against the Hereford Club champion Henry Spedding and there were also wins on Boards 2, 4 and 5. The team particularly enjoyed the hospitality at Ye Olde Inn at Kington both during and after the match!
The final match, against Forest of Dean Club (held at the Herdsman) ended in a 5-0 loss but we were facing a strong, experienced team who play regularly in the Bristol and Gloucestershire leagues. All five games were closely contested affairs.