While Liverpool may have secured the Premier League football title after a three month break in league fixtures, for Malpas and Oswestry Chess Team, the wait goes on.

Malpas and Oswestry were top of Division One of the Chester and District Chess League when the lockdown took place, having finished last in 2018-2019 and 2017-2018 seasons, and have never won Division One of the league.

Captain Charles Higgie has been playing in the league off and on since the early 1970s and has never played in a side to have won Division One.

In the meantime the club continues to field sides in the various online leagues.

On Tuesday, June 30 the team drew 3-3 with Surbiton A in the Five Counties League.

The wins all came on the bottom three boards, with Peter Lovatt winning on board four, Peter Fisher on five and Leon Cox on six.

On Wednesday, July 1 they beat D'Ascanio Vintage from Italy in the International 2020 chess.com tournament 6-2 with Charles Higgie, Brian Whyte and Tom McMahon all winning both their games.