Castell Nedd Chess Club

15/05/2026

Neath & District Chess Tournament Report

The Neath & District Chess Tournament was once again a strong success this year, featuring a healthy mix of players from Castell Nedd Chess Club as well as competitors from outside the Neath area. Participants travelled from Llanelli and Ammanford to take part, competing for the Neath & District trophies across multiple age categories.

Under 15 Section

The Under 15 category saw a competitive field, with Erik Elgersman completing his first season. Although he experienced a tougher second half after a strong start that boosted his grade, he remained the standout player in the age group. He finished on 5.5 out of 7 games, securing the Under 15 title.

Under 12 Section

In the Under 12s, Advik Ram finished in first place. Advik, already gaining experience through his second year in the West Wales Chess League, demonstrated consistency and strength throughout the event.

The runner-up position went to Oscar Purcell, another newer league player, who scored 5 out of 7. His performance marked a strong debut at this level of competition.

Under 10 Section

The Under 10 section provided opportunities for newer players to shine, especially as several more experienced juniors such as Aarush, Ethan, and Misha were competing in county events in England.

The main contest developed between Virat Nagari and Ashviga Pugalnanthy. Although Ashviga is self-taught and has had limited access to over-the-board club play, she demonstrated clear potential and strong natural ability.

However, Virat Nagari, playing in the league for the first time this year, proved dominant by winning all his games to take first place.

Under 8 Section

The Under 8 category was one of the most closely contested sections of the day. Kosta Antonov (from Llanelli) and Danny Jones, representing the newly formed Castle Neath Chess Club, finished joint first with 4 points each.

Both players showed strong promise despite their limited competitive experience. Danny Jones, who is self-taught and has only been attending Castell Nedd Chess Club for around four weeks, produced an especially notable performance.

It would have been interesting to see how returning players such as Misha and Ethan might have fared in this section.

Closing Notes

Overall, the tournament was an enjoyable and well-run event, offering competitive but friendly chess across all age groups. Additional prizes were awarded for puzzle-solving performances, adding an extra layer of engagement for participants.

Thanks are due to Anthony Beck and Michael Beck for their help in organising and running the tournament, as well as for assisting with players who received byes each round. Appreciation is also extended for providing refreshments, including coffee, tea, and squash, for both adults and juniors throughout the day.

10/05/2026

CLUB NEWS 19/26

THIS TUESDAY AT THE CLUB
12th May Committee Meeting 9 p.m.

NEXT WEEK
19th May E.J.Clarke at church hall. If any members want to join me, I will be at Aberdulais with the juniors.

EVENTS COMING UP
See Welsh Chess Union website: www.welshchessunion.uk/calendar
26th May Club AGM and Prize-giving
27th May EJ Clarke Rd 2 at Morriston
2nd June (9 pm) Post AGM committee meeting
3rd June EJ Clarke Round 3 at Llanelli
9th June EJ Clarke, Round 4 at Church Hall
17th June EJ Clarke Round 5 at Morriston
30th June West Wales AGM will be at the church hall, Cadoxton.

NEWS
Glyn has now surpassed last season’s huge match total and, to date has played 132 grading games since 1st July 2025. He still has a month and a half to add to that total! Phenomenal! He was hiding in Falmouth last weekend where he really struggled, but it is a tribute to his grit and determination that he managed to salvage three draws when he could have lost them all. This weekend he is in Leamington in Warwickshire.

Good news on the social front. The Green Dragon has been bought privately and is being done out as a pub. I was afraid it might be another block of flats. Perhaps within a year we will be able to return there for our after chess social gatherings.

4NCL
A magnificent effort by our team in Coventry confirmed promotion to Division 3 of the Four Nations Chess League next season.

This year it has been a 7-player, 11-round event with sessions in Peterborough and the Midlands. The team, competing as Castell Nedd, was complemented by several players from Cardiff chess club. Steve Smith captained and organized the team and led from the front, playing all his games on boards 1 or 2. The results of our players were as follows:

Steve Smith 5/11 Dale Westcott 4.5/9 Andrew Di Vetta 6/11
Hywel Griffiths 3.5/5 Jordan Heatman ½ Glyn Hill 2/4 (including one win by default). Well done everybody!


Promotion winning team.
Our lads with Sam Jukes and Joshua McKenna

WCPL U1850
Today our team are playing Morriston Extras at Bridgend in the 4th round of the Welsh Chess Premier League (U1850).

JUNIOR NEWS
EVENTS FOR JUNIORS COMING UP
If you are unsure whether your child should enter one of the above then speak to Hywel.

16th May Welsh Megafinal in Cardiff
https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/.../2026.../

WEST WALES CHESS LEAGUE
To see live grades : www.welshchessunion.uk/Grading/playerSummaryView.php?zone=W1&club=5CN
To see results: www.westwaleschess.org

KNOCK-OUT UNDER 1650 FINAL

CENTURIONS
1. 1634 Carl Halpin 0-1 Julian Potier 1607 Noah’s Yard B
2. 1572 Louis Ba Thein 0-1 Neil Stuart 1628 Morriston Hydra
3. 1570 Andrew Powell 1-0 Paul Bevan 1483 Morriston Hydra
4. 1394 Advik Ram 0-1 Liam John 1310 Noah’s Yard B
1-3

The competition was won by Noah’s Yard B. This was a strange Jamboree style final (and personally I hope it is not repeated). All credit to the boys who got the team to the final but for the event the team was beefed up with the inclusion of Carl, Louis and Andrew. Even they found it too tough for them and only Andrew P managed to salvage something.

Report from Andrew P.:

Board 1: Carl Halpin (1634) - Julien Potier (1607
I didn't see any of this game, but it was the first Castell Nedd game to finish and Carl looked pretty dejected walking away (it's possible he blundered and was disappointed because of that).

Board 2: Neil Stuart (1628, Morriston) - Louis Bathein (1572)
Louis was up against a strong player in Neil, and although Louis put up a valiant fight, Neil won the game. I don't have any of the game details.

Board 3: Paul Bevan (1483, Morriston) - Andrew Powell (1570)
Paul came at me with his usual speed and aggression, and it was touch and go for a while whether I'd get checkmated. However, I found the right defensive moves and was soon two pawns up and had the initiative. I was never really in trouble in my bishop vs his knight endgame; Paul resigned on move 58.

Board 4: Advik Ram (1394) - Liam Johns (1310, Noah's Yard)
I only caught the endgame where Advik had a rook and two pawns to his opponent's rook and three pawns. I think Advik was unlucky not to get the draw, but credit to his opponent for accurate play in finding all the winning move.

Martyn

22/04/2026

22/04/2026

Congratulations to Ethan for coming second in the Welsh U8 Junior and Aarush in the U10! A number of our players took part including Advik ram (in the harder U12 section), Virat Nigari and Misha Nigari. Well done all for participating.

10/04/2026

For those of our juniors looking to take art in the megafinal, here's a link to the entry page for the Welsh option in Cardiff. Remember, you can attend others as well!

https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/product/2026-wales-megafinal/

06/04/2026

Prize winners in 2015

05/04/2026

If you go down into last year you'll spot the photo that was taken when we accepted the Sheriff's Award. Blast from the past, our current President Dennis Thomas accepting the same Award after 20 years of our club in 1998!

02/03/2026

Dragon League – Rounds 1 & 2 Report

The first two rounds of the Dragon League got off to an exciting start, with new team Dwr-y-felin making an immediate impact. They stormed to a 3–0 victory over Glynneath Library, followed by a hard-fought 2–1 win against Castell Nedd’s Barbarians — a dream debut for the newcomers.

Game of the Night

One of the standout matches of the evening featured Victoria Haliston (Dwr-y-felin) against Calvin of Glynneath Library. Their top-board clash lasted over an hour and was one of the most impressive contests of the round. Calvin fought valiantly but slipped at the end of the middlegame, ultimately having to sacrifice his queen to avoid checkmate. It was a thrilling encounter that perfectly captured the spirit of the league.
It’s fantastic to see new schools Dwry-y-felin and St Joseph’s joining the competition — especially when the former is close to home for some of us (my secondary many moons ago) — and making such a strong start.

Glynneath Library Fight Back

Glynneath Library didn’t leave empty-handed, however. They secured a 2–1 victory over newcomers St Joseph’s, whose team was organised by pupil William O’Connor Gunston. Impressive when most clubs are organised by teachers and adults. It was a closely contested match and an encouraging performance from both sides. Castell Nedd’s Barbarians — made up of Virat, Antonio, and Cae — also claimed a valuable match point during the evening, ensuring a competitive start to their campaign.

Under-11s Update

In the Under-11 section, St Joseph’s Primary were unfortunately unable to field a team this year. Meanwhile, some of Glynneath Library’s older pupils have now moved up to compete in the Under-15 category, adding strength and experience to that section, but losing a second team from the under 11s. Castell Nedd stepped up by entering a second team, while Crymlyn Primary School — last year’s runners-up — showed exactly why they are such a strong force. Crymlyn stormed to the top of the standings with impressive victories over both Castell Nedd’s Beasts and the Praetorians.

Growing the Game

The Dragon League is designed to give newer players the chance to experience competitive chess in a friendly environment — without the pressure of clocks, scoresheets, and the intense silence of formal tournament play. It’s a wonderful stepping stone for young players developing their confidence and skills. It was truly inspiring to see so many juniors taking part. The continued surge in interest in chess is clear, and evenings like this show just how strong chess is becoming. Good luck to all teams in Rounds 3 and 4 on 24th March!

If your school would like to enter next year or start a chess club, please get in touch — we’d be delighted to help.

08/02/2026

Last week, St. Joseph’s Catholic School travelled to Cardiff to compete in the Secondary Schools Chess Tournament, facing an extremely high standard of opposition throughout the day.

Representing the school from Castell Nedd chess club were William O’Connor Gunston and Finley Davies, both of whom battled through three rounds of challenging games. William finished the day strongly, securing a comfortable win in his final match. Finley, newer to competitive chess but improving with every month, also showed excellent progress. In particular, his second game stood out, where he held a clear advantage until a small slip allowed his opponent back into the game.

The club (and league) tips its hat to both players for their courage and commitment, especially given that several secondary schools in the area, with even stronger players, chose not to take part. It is also worth noting that William played a key role in organising his friends to attend the event — a sign that he may well have a future as a chess manager or organiser!

Well done to both competitors.

28/01/2026

Another successful session at Castell Nedd Chess Club and saw fifteen juniors take part in a second class focused on the middlegame in chess and how to develop effective strategies after the opening.

We were delighted to welcome a number of guests from both Crymlyn Primary and Glynneath Library, who came along to learn more about chess ahead of the upcoming Dragon League, which begins in February.

During the session, players explored how pawn structure shapes decision-making in a game—whether to fight for the centre, launch a kingside attack, use open files and diagonals, or target weak structures such as isolated pawns.

The evening combined practical chess with presentations, and there was plenty of interaction as players enjoyed meeting and learning alongside others from different clubs.

Congratulations to everyone who took part including Amelia Skerry, Isobella Edgelsoutham, Advik Ram, Ethan Tirukoti, Virat Nagari, Aarush Ram, Archie Evans, Toby Dewitt, Cae Aubrey, Reuben Chesterfield, Misha Nigari, Oscar Purcell, Logan Thomas, Final Davies, Calvin Gale, Morgan Jones and Antonio Stoyle. We look forward to seeing you again soon in the Dragon League!