Wrekin Chess Congress - in pictures

Almost 90 players from all over Britain took part in Shropshire's chess showpiece event - the Wrekin Chess Congress - a major tournament in which all contenders played five games over the two days of the weekend.

And there were "home wins" in two of the three sections, with Newport student Gavyn Cooper winning the super-strong Premier, and Shifnal's Roger Brown blowing away his opposition with five straight wins to grab the glory in the Minor.

Both took home £200 first prizes.

Four Shropshire children - Heath Pearson, Matthew Best, Francis Rooney, and Peter Mellor - won junior prizes.

The event was at Madeley Court Centre with a total prize fund of over £1,000.

Organiser Richard Thompson said today: "It all went pretty smoothly and everybody seemed to be fairly happy. Numbers were a little bit down but I think that seems to have been the pattern with congresses during the last few months.

"It was a good result for Shropshire, with outright wins in two of the sections. I'm pleased with how it went."

A question mark hangs over the January 2012 congress, as Madeley Court Centre is due to close with the opening of the new Abraham Darby Academy, currently under construction about a mile away.

But Mr Thompson said he was not sure whether or not it would be the last congress at the Court Centre.

"When we spoke to the people there last night there seemed to be a little bit of doubt as, while things will be starting to move to the new place in the later part of this year, it was not by any means certain they would have stopped using Madeley Court."