Ten years ago this day, I was involved in one of the biggest upsets in Merseyside Chess history, when Atticus 2 travelled to Widnes for a match where we were significantly outgraded on every board.

Widnes were league leaders at the time and you had to go back to the 2007/2008 season to find when they had last lost a match.  Conversely our second team that season was rather a patched up affair, following the loss of a number of players.  What unfolded just goes to show that you can never take anything for granted in sport.  Whoever the opponent, and however long the odds, nothing is ever impossible!

It was the start of a successful decade for Atticus 2, under Steve Burge’s leadership, culminating in a hat-trick of title successes in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Ten years on, six of the eight players are still regular club members, and we still like to reminisce from time to time about that memorable night.