Suffolk Chess

Following an exhausting 10 days in Montenegro, competing in the European Youth Chess Championships, the 23 members of the England Junior team have now returned to the UK.   They included Suffolk players Adam Taylor (Manningtree) and Anita Somton (Bury St Edmunds).

Adam (2034 Elo) played in the Under 16 Open, a strong section which included four IMs and five players with ratings over 2400.

Seeded 58th out of 92 competitors, he finished on 4 points out of nine, in joint 52nd place (63rd on tiebreak).   Adam's best result was a draw against a German rated 2239.

9-year old Anita doesn't have an Elo rating yet, but managed to beat two rated opponents whilst scoring 5 points out of nine in the Under 10 Girls section.

She finished in equal 22nd place (32nd on tiebreak) out of 76 competitors.   She will be able to compete in the same event next year, as her birthday is after the 1 January deadline.

The finish of her seventh game was featured on the ECF website by her coach, IM Jovanka Houska.   Here it is again (Anita is Black):

Anita's opponent blundered with 27. Rxa6, to which Anita replied ... Rbxe2!   28. Rxe6   Rxe6   29. Rxe6   Bxe6, and won after 42 moves.

Anita now returns to League chess, where she will be playing this evening in a match for Bury St Edmunds Vipers against Cambridge Bollards in the Bury Area Chess League Division 2.