Bournemouth Junior Chess Weekly Newsletter
December 6th, 2025 Update
Session Highlights
On a windy and rainy day, we had the company of 24 Juniors who came along to learn and play chess – great stuff! Our experienced instructors delivered engaging sessions across all skill levels:
- Tony took participants through his usual repertoire of master game challenges with points awarded to those that found the right move.
- Graham guided the main group of Intermediates through a selection of puzzles. Special mention to Sarah who is showing real promise.
- Paul and Eric worked on knight forks and opening lines with individual players.
- Steve gave dedicated attention to beginners Erin and Omer who are making steady progress.
Find the Master Move Challenge – Advanced Group
A weekly challenge where players test their tactical skills by finding the winning move in master game positions. Points are awarded for correct solutions.
| Player | 18 Oct | 1 Nov | 8 Nov | 15 Nov | 22 Nov | 29 Nov | 6 Dec | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Themes: King’s Gambit | Bird’s Opening | Schliemann | Bird’s Opening | Classic Line | (Various) | (Various) | ||||||||
| Peter | 9 | 13 | 9 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 73 |
| Nicolas | 11 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 59 |
| Nathaniel | 15 | 6 | 10 | – | 12 | 4 | 12 | 59 |
| Neil | 6 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 58 |
| Kautum | 6 | 5 | 6 | 15 | – | – | 6 | 38 |
| Rafan | 9 | 7 | – | – | 5 | 5 | 5 | 31 |
| Harvey | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | 8 | – | 20 |
| Sam | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | 14 |
Maximum Points Available: 26 (18 Oct) | 30 (1 Nov) | 32 (8 Nov) | 52 (15 Nov) | 28 (22 Nov) | 27 (29 Nov) | 28 (6 Dec)
Advanced Group – Final Standings (1st Session)
| Position | Player | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ? | Peter | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| 2nd | Nicolas | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| 3rd | Nathaniel | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 4th | Neil | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| 5th | Kautum | 9 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| 6th | Rafan | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
Congratulations to Peter on winning the Advanced section! Well done to Nicolas who came so close and Nathaniel who pushed them all the way. Special mention to Neil for his great improvement and final push, beating many of the top players in recent weeks. Excellent attendance throughout the 11-week term.
Intermediate Group – Final Standings (1st Session)
| Position | Player | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ? | Harvey | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| 2nd | Nirvan | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| 3rd | Markas | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
| 4th | Pavina | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 5th | Kit | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 6th | Sarah | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Congratulations to Harvey who ran away with the Intermediate section scoring an impressive 15 points. Nirvan came in 2nd with 12 points, and Markas secured 3rd place with 11 points. Special recognition to Markas for his outstanding attendance of 11 out of 11 weeks.
2nd Session Finals – Mixed Groups
| Position | Player | Level | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Inter ? | Nilay | Intermediate | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 2nd Inter | Hektor | Intermediate | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 1st Beginner ? | Andreas | Beginner | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 14 |
| 2nd Beginner | David | Beginner | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 3rd Beginner | Sepanta | Beginner | 9 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Other | Manvik | Intermediate | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Congratulations to Nilay for winning the Intermediate group narrowly by 1 point from Hektor in 2nd place. Andreas was the clear winner in the Beginners group. Both David and Nilay are showing real progress as ladder board winners.
Upcoming Events
? Next Saturday, 13th December
We are running a 10-second Buzzer Competition in both sessions. This will be fun and is an all-play-all event. Test your speed and tactical skills!
? Final Week – 20th December
Both groups will join together to play in a Christmas Event with prizes, medals, and certificates for all. The session runs from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Please come along to enjoy the morning!
Special Recognition
Excellent work from all participants in the Autumn term! Special mentions go to:
- Sarah for showing real promise in the Intermediate section
- Markas for perfect attendance (11/11 weeks)
- David and Nilay as ladder board winners in the 2nd session
- Kautum for returning after illness and performing well
Bournemouth Junior Chess Club – Where Young Minds Learn to Think Ahead
For more information, contact Eric Sachs
