NSW Country Teams Championship

NSW Country Teams Champions Gosford A

Left to right John Nutter, Stoimir Minkov and John Tindale

Gosford A has won the NSW Country Teams Championship by one point from Newcastle A. The Championship was held on the weekend of December 1 & 2. The tournament was closely contested  with the first three place getters all in contention to win the tournament going into the last round. Toukley took the reserve shield with a little help from stand ins from the Dubbo team on the first day. The tournament was ably organized and directed by the NSWCA Country Representative and Gosford president Keith Farrell. Keith's report follows.

NSW Country Teams Championship 2001
Report by Keith Farrell

Hosted at the Central Coast Leagues Club, this attracted 46 (13 teams of 3 ) players from Dubbo to Taree. In 1997 this tournament was won by Wollongong while in both ’98 and ’99 Newcastle University topped the results. This year Gosford’s reformed it’s A team from last year (then outpaced by Wollongong) determined  to do better, in the meantime they had come second in the Sydney Grade matches (under 2000 grade).

And right in the very first round the top seeds had an upset  only managing to split the match with their compatriots (where the board 3 for the B team had a crushing game but offered a draw when critically short of time.

Gosford A had either shared or snatched the lead by round by round 2  with Newcastle University drawing level in round 5. Coming into round 7 Gosford A was leading by only a point, with both Newcastle A and Newcastle University nipping at their heels on 12½ while Taree only a point behind them.

It would have only taken a dropped point in the last round from the leaders, which is what happened though after all other games was finished and the result was in the bag since neither Newcastle team had a clear round.

In the clash for the Reserve Shield Taree was not eligible this year having won it in ’98; ’99 and sharing it last year with Laurieton so that competition was wide open this year. Three teams seemed to be in contention : Gosford B; Newcastle B and Toukley  Toukley can thank loaners from Dubbo who had brought an extra player for day one and Gosford club since only the Captain of Toukley turned up, however Toukley were able to field all their own players on the second day. Notwithstanding all efforts made, a BYE was necessary and proved quite critical in the latter stages, but then that’s chess isn’t it.


 

Standings

Place Name            Score

  1   Gosford A,      15.5 
  2   Newcastle A,     14.5 
  3   Newcastle Uni,  14   
  4   Taree,          12.5 
  5   Toukley,        11   
  6   Newcastle B,    10.5 
 7-8  Dubbo,          10   
      Wollongong,     10   
  9   Oasis,          9.5  
10-11 Gosford B,      9    
      Mingara,        9    
 12   Cardiff,        7.5  
 13   Gosford C,      3.5

Cross Table

No  Name            Total  1      2      3      4      5      6      7    

1.  Gosford A,      15.5   7:1.5  2:3.0  4:2.5  6:3.0  3:1.0  5:2.5 11:2.0
2.  Wollongong,     10.0   8:2.0  1:0.0  5:.5    :1.5 10:3.0 11:1.5  3:1.5
3.  Newcastle Uni,  14.0   9:3.0  4:1.5  7:2.5  5:2.0  1:2.0  6:1.5  2:1.5
4.  Newcastle A,     14.5  10:3.0  3:1.5  1:.5   7:2.0  5:2.5  8:3.0  6:2.0
5.  Dubbo,          10.0  11:2.0  6:2.0  2:2.5  3:1.0  4:.5   1:.5  12:1.5
6.  Taree,          12.5  12:3.0  5:1.0  8:3.0  1:0.0  7:3.0  3:1.5  4:1.0
7.  Gosford B,      9.0    1:1.5 13:3.0  3:.5   4:1.0  6:0.0  9:1.5   :1.5
8.  Toukley,        11.0   2:1.0  9:2.5  6:0.0 11:2.0 12:2.5  4:0.0 13:3.0
9.  Mingara,        9.0    3:0.0  8:.5    :1.5 12:0.0 13:3.0  7:1.5 10:2.5
10. Cardiff,        7.5    4:0.0 11:1.5 12:2.0 13:2.0  2:0.0   :1.5  9:.5 
11. Newcastle B,    10.5   5:1.0 10:1.5 13:3.0  8:1.0   :1.5  2:1.5  1:1.0
12. Oasis,          9.5    6:0.0   :1.5 10:1.0  9:3.0  8:.5  13:2.0  5:1.5
13. Gosford C,      3.5     :1.5  7:0.0 11:0.0 10:1.0  9:0.0 12:1.0  8:0.0