South Hams Chess Club
South Hams Chess Club

DCCA Mamhead Challenge Cup Season 2016-17

In 2016-17, South Hams has a team competing in the Devon County Chess Association (DCCA) Division 2 League, also known as the Mamhead Challenge Cup. The league is named after Lord Mamhead - Sir Robert Newman MP - who became the DCCA's third president in 1920. The Keverel Chess website has an interesting article on Sir Robert and Mamhead House, including a picture of the Challenge Cup.

The Mamhead is a 4-board competition, with an aggregate grade limit for each match of Under 640. There is no limit on individual player grades.

The Mamhead is a Saturday competition in order to enable teams from throughout Devon to travel to their away fixtures. The generous time controls - 40 moves in 100 minutes plus a 20 minute Quickplay finish - are intended to encourage a high standard of chess!

In the 2016-17 season, South Hams has home fixtures against Barnstaple, Exmouth and Tiverton, and away fixtures against Newton Abbot and Teignmouth. When fixture dates have been set, and when results are available, this information will be posted on our 2016-17 Fixtures and Results page.

Except when otherwise agreed between team captains, the venue for South Hams home matches in the Mamhead Challenge Cup will be Rattery Village Hall, Rattery, Devon TQ10 9LD. Click here for a map of the venue.

The South Hams team captain is Steve Levy, who can be contcted by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The DCCA competition rules can be downloaded here.

Fixtures and Results

You can apply a filter to the fixtures by typing into the Search box. For example, if you type Ply then only the fixtures against Plymouth will be displayed.

Click on a match score to view the game results for the match concerned. If the word "Report" appears against a particular match, then when you view the game results you will also see the match report.

DayDateCompetitionCompHomeAwayResScoreReport
Saturday03 Dec 2016DCCA MamheadMamhSouth HamsBarnstapleW3-1Report
Saturday26 Nov 2016DCCA MamheadMamhNewton AbbotSouth HamsL3-1Report
Saturday18 Feb 2017DCCA MamheadMamhTeignmouthSouth HamsD2-2
Saturday04 Mar 2017DCCA MamheadMamhSouth HamsExmouthL1-3Report
Saturday22 Apr 2017DCCA MamheadMamhSouth HamsTivertonL½-3½Report
 

Individual Player Statistics

Here are the current player statistics for South Hams players in the DCCA Mamhead Division during the 2016-17 season:

NameGradeECFPWDLAve OpPerf%Pts
Ashby, Ken93181837F110067117100.01.0
Willcox, Chris114308555H1001122720.00.0
Peach, Cliff96116851E520311410240.02.0
McConnell, Phil126285386D410315112525.01.0
Archer, David151300734A321015218683.32.5
Levy, Steve177134450L502317814820.01.0
Davies, Alan110304962A10011501000.00.0
 

Overall Team Statistics

Matches Played:5
Matches Won:1
Matches Drawn:1
Matches Lost:3
Match Points:3
Percentage:30
Average South Hams Team Rating:546.2
Average Opponents' Team Rating:553

DCCA Mamhead: Newton Abbot v South Hams 26 Nov 2016

Bd Newton Abbot Col Rating ECF Result South Hams Col Rating ECF PGN
1 Levy, Steve W 177 134450L ½-½ Thynne, Trefor B 170 120405B View
2 Archer, David B 151 300734A ½-½ Brooks, Paul W 161 215149C View
3 McConnell, Phil W 126 285386D 0-1 Howard, Charles B 150 113071H View
4 Peach, Cliff B 96 116851E 0-1 Kinder, Andrew W 140 162701G View
Overall Match5503-1621
Bd Newton Abbot Grade Res South Hams Grade PGN
1 Levy, Steve 177 ½-½ Thynne, Trefor 170 View
2 Archer, David 151 ½-½ Brooks, Paul 161 View
3 McConnell, Phil 126 0-1 Howard, Charles 150 View
4 Peach, Cliff 96 0-1 Kinder, Andrew 140 View
Overall Match5503-1621
 

Match Report

Author:  Phil McConnell

Date:  5 Dec 2016

On behalf of Steve Levy...

In the club's first ever match in the DCCA leagues, we were away to a Newton Abbot team who broadly matched our strength on Boards 1 and 2, but out-graded us by 68 grading points on Boards 3 and 4. The results corresponded to the grades: draws on Boards 1 and 2, defeats on Boards 3 and 4.

On Board 1, Steve fought a very even game against Trefor Thynne. The players agreed to a draw after 24 moves, with plenty of pieces left on the board.

Board 2 was the most entertaining game of the day, with both players attacking and defending well. A draw was a fair result.

On Board 3, Phil was out-manoeuvred slightly in the opening and had a more cramped position than his opponent, who exploited his advantage well - entering the end game a pawn up was enough for him to force a win.

On Board 4, Cliff played well for 25 moves, holding his own against a "140", but under time pressure lost a piece after which the end came quickly.

So, a deserved win for Newton Abbot. Despite our defeat, the whole team enjoyed the afternoon's chess. Thanks to Newton Abbot for the hospitality.

DCCA Mamhead: South Hams v Barnstaple 3 Dec 2016

Bd South Hams Col Rating ECF Result Barnstaple Col Rating ECF PGN
1 Rudd, Jack W 213 118310C 1-0 Levy, Steve B 177 134450L View
2 Munsey, Jon B 137 214834B 0-1 Archer, David W 151 300734A View
3 Clarke, Steve W 133 187545A 0-1 McConnell, Phil B 126 285386D View
4 Jones, Graham B 88 149034F 0-1 Peach, Cliff W 96 116851E View
Overall Match5713-1550
Bd South Hams Grade Res Barnstaple Grade PGN
1 Rudd, Jack 213 1-0 Levy, Steve 177 View
2 Munsey, Jon 137 0-1 Archer, David 151 View
3 Clarke, Steve 133 0-1 McConnell, Phil 126 View
4 Jones, Graham 88 0-1 Peach, Cliff 96 View
Overall Match5713-1550
 

Match Report

Author:  Phil McConnell

Date:  5 Dec 2016

On behalf of Steve Levy...

Barnstaple fielded an International Master on Board 1, which was always going to be an uphill struggle for Steve, but the gradings suggested a close battle on Boards 2, 3, and 4.

On Board 1, Steve indeed succumbed to Jack Rudd, thinking afterwards that he'd treated his renowned opponent with "too much respect".

Board 2 was an exciting encounter. David survived a period when his Queen was being pushed around and looking vulnerable, came up first with a complicated tactic that gained a slight advantage, and later another neat tactic which forced his opponent to resign.

Board 3 was a dour struggle, with Phil on the defensive due to his opponent's knights being better-placed than Phil's. However his opponent made the mistake of allowing the knights to be exchanged off, leaving Phil with the better pawn formation and a winning position.

On Boad 4 Cliff looked to be in trouble in the middle game, a pawn down and massively behind on the clock. However he kept his cool, played the end game really well, and when he queened his a pawn it was all over.

Our first vistory in the Mamhead, and an excellent result.

DCCA Mamhead: Teignmouth v South Hams 18 Feb 2017

Bd Teignmouth Col Rating ECF Result South Hams Col Rating ECF PGN
1 Ingham, Bill B 162 173310C 1-0 Levy, Steve W 177 134450L View
2 Tidy, Norman W 122 120413A 1-0 Willcox, Chris B 114 308555H View
3 White, Michael B 76 292251E 0-1 Peach, Cliff W 96 116851E Submit
4 Moorhouse, Anthony W 67 301058C 0-1 Ashby, Ken B 93 181837F View
Overall Match4272-2480
Bd Teignmouth Grade Res South Hams Grade PGN
1 Ingham, Bill 162 1-0 Levy, Steve 177 View
2 Tidy, Norman 122 1-0 Willcox, Chris 114 View
3 White, Michael 76 0-1 Peach, Cliff 96 Submit
4 Moorhouse, Anthony 67 0-1 Ashby, Ken 93 View
Overall Match4272-2480

DCCA Mamhead: South Hams v Exmouth 4 Mar 2017

Bd South Hams Col Rating ECF Result Exmouth Col Rating ECF PGN
1 Levy, Steve B 177 134450L 0-1 Wensley, Oliver W 168 285021H View
2 Archer, David W 151 300734A 1-0 Shaw, Meyrick B 159 290163J View
3 McConnell, Phil B 126 285386D 0-1 Scott, Chris W 152 248908K View
4 Peach, Cliff W 96 116851E 0-1 Dean, Alan B 139 304816A View
Overall Match5501-3618
Bd South Hams Grade Res Exmouth Grade PGN
1 Levy, Steve 177 0-1 Wensley, Oliver 168 View
2 Archer, David 151 1-0 Shaw, Meyrick 159 View
3 McConnell, Phil 126 0-1 Scott, Chris 152 View
4 Peach, Cliff 96 0-1 Dean, Alan 139 View
Overall Match5501-3618
 

Match Report

Author:  Phil McConnell

Date:  4 Mar 2017

An enjoyable afternoon, and four good games, but Exmouth's grading superiority was telling, and in the end they won comfortably.

David played a great game on Board 2 to secure the only win for South Hams. On Boards 1, 3 and 4 the South Hams players had reasonable play at the tea interval, but in each case Exmouth played well in the second half to out-manoeuvre their opponents.

Congratulation to Exmouth on a well-desereved victory.

DCCA Mamhead: South Hams v Tiverton 22 Apr 2017

Bd South Hams Col Rating ECF Result Tiverton Col Rating ECF PGN
1 Levy, Steve W 177 134450L ½-½ Retallick, Lloyd B 175 148665C View
2 McConnell, Phil B 126 285386D 0-1 Haynes, Jos W 170 193222G Submit
3 Davies, Alan W 110 304962A 0-1 Annetts, Ivor B 150 105769J View
4 Peach, Cliff B 96 116851E 0-1 Fotheringham, Gregor W 125 300559J View
Overall Match509½-3½620
Bd South Hams Grade Res Tiverton Grade PGN
1 Levy, Steve 177 ½-½ Retallick, Lloyd 175 View
2 McConnell, Phil 126 0-1 Haynes, Jos 170 Submit
3 Davies, Alan 110 0-1 Annetts, Ivor 150 View
4 Peach, Cliff 96 0-1 Fotheringham, Gregor 125 View
Overall Match509½-3½620
 

Match Report

Author:  Phil McConnell

Date:  22 Apr 2017

South Hams fell to a strong Tiverton team who outgaded us by over 100 points.

First to fall was Phil on Board 2, whe was in an uncomfortable position, with under-developed pieces, from the opening - and his position gradually got worse and worse.

On Board 3, Alan put up a good fight (and was complimented by his opponent) but succumbed in the early end game.

Board 1 was an even tussle throughout and Steve agreed a draw with his opponent after 35 moves.

Last to finish was Board 4, where Cliff lost the exchange, which his opponent returned in the end game in order to achieve a passed pawn. For a while it looked as if this might be a misjudgement, but Cliff's King had to leave his queenside pawns unguarded in order to prevent the passed pawn from quening, and then the end was inevitable.

Thus ends our first season in the DCCA Mamhead competition. Results haven't been outstanding, but we look forward to putting up a better fight next season!