By Isle of Wight Observer
Michael Plowden-Roberts produced a career-best result at the Hampshire Chess Congress, winning the Minor (Under 1600) section outright to take home the Parsons Cup.
Seeded 26th among 33 players, Michael started as one of the section’s outsiders. He finished top of the field with 4.5 points from five games, scoring four wins and a draw. His confident, attacking play carried him past higher-rated opposition and put him half a point clear of the runner up.
In the final round, Michael faced unbeaten section leader, Sam Lawrence, of Portsmouth, who was rated 300 points higher. The Parsons Cup is awarded each year to the highest-placed eligible county player in the Minor section. It honours Harold Leslie Parsons, whose work helped shape chess in Southampton and Hampshire.
The Cup has now been won by an Islander for the second year running, following David Lightfoot’s win last year. The back-to-back victories reflect the growing strength of chess on the Island.
There were strong performances from Islanders in the Major (Under 1850) section too. Richard Edney and Alex Short both finished joint third, scoring 3.5 points from five games. For more information about local chess, and where to play, follow iw.observer/iow-chess.
