Boston Spa Celebrates Another Successful Season

Boston Spa Celebrates Another Successful Season

Last night, Boston Spa hosted its annual Handicap Swiss Blitz Tournament and Awards Night. Fourteen brave competitors turned up ready to do battle over the 64 squares before celebrating another successful season for the club.

This was the 12th year of the event, and among the field were five former champions looking to reclaim the trophy: Steve Hodgson, Rob Lockwood, Bob Maltby, Paul Brencher and Richard Hardy.

A big thank you goes to John Grasham, who once again ran the tournament seamlessly, keeping the clocks ticking and the players honest throughout the evening.

After eight rounds, one player stood head and shoulders above the rest. Former champion Richard Hardy produced a flawless display, winning all eight of his games to finish on a perfect 8/8 score. In a handicap tournament where every player receives a chance, such a dominant performance is particularly impressive.

🥇 Richard Hardy – 8/8 and the 2026 Blitz Champion!

Finishing joint second on 5/8 were:

🥈 John Grasham🥈 Paul Brencher🥈 Paul May

Richard therefore regains the title after missing out last year to Peter Ackley. Congratulations, Richard!

Category Winners & Book Prizes

📚 In the middle grading category, John Grasham took top spot and earned first choice from a selection of chess books generously donated by David Halpin and Alan Riddle.

🏆 The lower grading category was won, for the second year running, by speed demon Mick Carrigan, who also took home a well-deserved book prize.

Player of the Season

The Player of the Season award is presented to the club member with the highest scoring percentage in Leeds Chess Association team matches.

This year's standings were:

🥉 Paul Brencher & Jack Howorth – 7/11 (64%)

🥈 Richard Sanger – 7.5/11 (68%)

🥇 Peter Harrington – 7/9 (78%)

A huge congratulations to Peter, who not only takes home the shield for the year but also earns some well-deserved bragging rights after an outstanding season.

Most Improved Player – A Blast from the Past

Only in its second season, the Most Improved Player award is presented using a vintage trophy rediscovered and donated by Jim Postill from the original Boston Spa Chess Club of the 1980s.

The award recognises the largest rating gain between September and June, excluding provisional ratings.

🥉 Mick Carrigan – +47

🥇 Richard Sanger & Peter Harrington – +50

Congratulations to Richard and Peter on sharing the honours. They each receive a commemorative trophy to keep, while arrangements will no doubt be required regarding custody of the main trophy!

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Sanger Financial Services for their continued support of Boston Spa Chess Club through their sponsorship of the Player of the Week award.

The award has been a great success this season, adding an extra level of interest and excitement to our matches, with players competing each week for the sponsored voucher prize. It has recognised some outstanding performances throughout the year and has become a popular feature of the club calendar.

We're also delighted to announce that Sanger Financial Services has agreed to continue sponsoring the Player of the Week award for another season, which is fantastic news for the club. We are extremely grateful for Richard's ongoing support and look forward to another year of rewarding outstanding performances across our teams.

If you, your friends or family are looking for advice on mortgages or insurance, we'd encourage you to consider contacting Richard and the team at Sanger Financial Services. Here's a link to his website:- Sanger Financial Services – Mortgages, Insurance & Estate Planning

A fantastic evening of chess, camaraderie, clock pressure and competitive spirit rounded off another successful season for the club.

Thanks to everyone who took part, supported the club throughout the year, and helped make the evening such a success. We'd also like to thank our team captains for all their hard work organising fixtures, teams and players throughout the season, as well as everyone who helps set up before club nights and pack everything away at the end of the evening.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has made donations throughout the season. These contributions make a real difference and help us meet the costs of running the club.

We're still a little short of our donation target this season. If you haven't yet donated and would like to help, please take a look at our donations page Donate | Boston Spa Chess Clu, where you'll find a breakdown of the club's costs and a link to our GoFundMe page.

We look forward to seeing you all over the board again next season.