News from 2025-26 for Oxfordshire Chess

End of Season Round-Up

1. Season Round-Up: The season 2025-2026 has concluded with the following results
Division One Winners - University 1;
Division Two Winners - University 2;
Division Three Winners - University 3;
Division Four Winners - Bicester 2
Frank Wood Shield - Bicester Pheonix
Best Junior - Noah Bevis
Any games you wish to submit for consideration of best game prize, please email to me by July 31st 2026

2. For Season 2026-2027, the OCA committee will make the recommendation to AGM for the structure of the league to be 8, 8, 8, 6 - Divisions 1, 2 and 3 will be played home and away for 14 games; Division 4 will have 3 rotations of games so 15 matches. Reasons for this recommendation will be made in full to the AGM but briefly it was felt that this structure would address some concerns from players about the reduction in games experienced in the lower divisions.
Additionally, Division 4 would be retained over 4 boards.
Finally, the Rapid-play time control adopted in the Frank Wood Shield will be maintained for the coming season.

3. Volunteers
The OCA committee seeks to recruit a County Captain for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. Anyone interested should contact either the outgoing captain who can answer any immediate/handover questions (Tony Burcham) or myself.
Additionally, in order to future proof the committee, we are keen for any volunteer to identify themselves at any time.
There will be roles upcoming in future seasons that shadowing/preparing would be useful to have some people ready and able to stand in when required, as well as widening the pool of people who can bring fresh ideas to the committee.

Cowley Summer Blitz, 8 June 2026

Cowley Chess Club invites you to its Summer Blitz Tournament, which will be held on Monday 8 June at Cowley Chess Club (at Rose Hill Methodist Church, in the Main Hall downstairs), with Round 1 beginning at 7.15 pm. All chessplayers are welcome.

There will be ten games in the Blitz (five rounds playing games with each colour, with a digital clock and a time allowance per player per game of 3 minutes plus a 2 seconds increment per move added from move 1). The tournament winner may take either a prize from the prizes table or a cash prize of 10% of the entry fees. There will lots of other prizes of books, etc., on the prizes table, including grading prizes, prizes for juniors in various age groups, for the best slow starter, etc.

We rely on donations of prizes, mainly chess books but also other (non- alcoholic) prizes, and these will be gratefully received.

Round 1 is scheduled to start at 7:15pm. Players who have not notified their entries in advance are asked to register by 7pm at the venue on the night, to enable pairing cards to be written and the first round draw to be completed promptly.

The Prizegiving for the Blitz will be at approximately 9:45pm. (It will be possible for young juniors for whom a 9:45pm finish is too late to play in either two rounds [8:05pm finish approx.] or four rounds [8:55pm finish approx.] if this is arranged in advance.)

Entry fee: £5 for adults, £3 for juniors (i.e., under 18 on 8 June) , to be paid when you arrive on the night. We will also be glad to receive additional donations for the Lester Millin Memorial Fund, which supports Cowley junior players.

To help us make a prompt start, please register your entry in advance if possible by sending an email to [email protected] giving the information requested below or by filling in one of these forms, hard copies of which will be available at the Cowley club, and handing it (or otherwise getting the requested information) to Gerard OReilly:

________________________________

Name:

Club:

Current Rating (Standard-play rather than Rapidplay if you have one):

Age in years on 8 June if under 18:

Finally, if the entrant is a junior who can play in only the first two (or the first four) rounds, please specify which:

________________________________________________

NB. Advance registration by email will be accepted until 4pm on Monday 8 June.

Gerard OReilly

Oxon A record their first win of the season

A strong Oxon team convincingly beat Bucks 15.5 - 4.5 on Saturday 24th January in the Chiltern Chess league to record their first win of the 25/26 season. It was great to see so many strong players representing the county, so thanks to everyone for your availability. This proves what we are capable of as a county chess contingent and what should really be the norm, rather than the exception. Thanks to all who helped out setting up and putting away the equipment, it really does make a difference. We have a few weeks break now before our next fixture, which is a home fixture against Hants, to be played on Saturday 14th March 26. I will be in again touch closer to the time.

Don't forget the Kidlington Chess Congress takes place this coming weekend Sat 31st Jan and Sun 1st Feb. There is still time to enter.

Oxfordshire Junior Chess Tournament Results 3rd / 4th Jan 2026

The Oxon Junior Chess Trials and Championships were held at Cumnor Primary School on the weekend of 3rd /4th Jan 2026. Despite the chilly weather, we had almost 100 entries over the four sections: U9, U11, U13, U15/18. It was lovely to meet so many new, young players, as well as to see the top junior talent in the county contest the top places.

Congratulations to our 2026 Oxfordshire junior champions:

U9: 1st Nicholas Tanuwidjaja, 2nd Yuqi Liu, 3rd Gregory Schlackow

U11: 1st Anna Gray, 2nd Yechu Chen, 3rd Edmond Du

U13: 1st Aden Kennedy, 2nd Gavin Wang, 3rd Kadhir Cholan

U15 champions: Daniel Udovenko and Jan Murawski

U18 champion: Kenneth Hobson

U18G champion: Shambavi Hariharan

Best performing primary schools: Dragon and MCS *

Best performing secondary school: Cherwell *

*based on top four scores of players, no single school can win the prize twice in consecutive years.

Player lists and results can be found via the following links:

U9s U11s U13s U15/18s

Special thanks to the welcoming Cumnor Primary School for hosting and to:

- arbiters / controllers: Joe Conlon, Alex Conlon, Andrew Varney, Zoe Varney, Craig Miller, Matt Bevis

- U9, U11, U11G captains: David Scott, Dan Schmidt Valle, Julie Gray

- front desk and bookstall: Ola Murawska

- general help: Juliette Sherwood, Fulya Markham

- Ojays coach: Joe Cossins-Smith.