CHEDDLETON and Leek Chess Club's National League promotion hopes suffered a blow on Sunday with a narrow defeat against Warwickshire Select.

The Cheddleton outfit were out-graded on the lower boards, so a tough fight was always going to be on the cards in the Division Two B match.

By the halfway stage, only Pat Bennett had avoided defeat of the four players to have completed their games.

With defeat looking all but inevitable, the remaining four players dug in to salvage as much as they could.

Jon Hawkins and Robert Bellin gained draws, while Cheddleton's two grand masters, Keith Arkell and Danny Gormally, both triumphed.

One day earlier, Cheddleton took on Cambridge-based Poisoned Pawns II, who started the day third in Division Two B. Women's Grand Master Sheila Jackson again made her presence felt with a valuable draw on board seven and slowly but surely the Moorlands team began to chalk up victories.

Bennett gained his fifth successive win and victories for Hawkins and David Eggleston soon followed.

Paul Wallace and Arkell then added another point each before Bellin and Gormally completed the match with two stalemates to cap a good victory.

In the North Staffs and District League, an under-strength Cheddleton took on a Stafford side also missing key players in the quarter-finals of the NSDL Cup last week.

And it was the Moorlands side who coped best.

Chris Baxter settled for a draw, while Rob Shaw maintained his strong record against Gerald Acey on the top board.

Craig Whitfield and Bill Armstrong also won handsomely to put Cheddleton firmly in control.

Matt Wyza used all of his ingenuity to gain a commanding position on his board and then produced the win in masterly fashion.

With the match over, Phil Birks settled for a draw on his board to set up a semi-final against Newcastle.

In today's fixture, the under-140 grade team play Lichfield in the Staffordshire Cup.

On Friday, Cheddleton B entertain Holmes Chapel C in a NSDCL Division Two fixture.

Results. 4NCL Division 2B

Cheddleton 6½, Poisoned Pawns 1½

K Arkell 1, D Rosen 0; D Gormally ½, O Winfridsson ½; D Eggleston 1, P Kemp 0; J Hawkins 1, N Hutchinson 0; R Bellin ½, S Doci ½; P Wallace 1, R McCorry 0; S Jackson ½, P McMahon ½; P Bennett 1, D Redman 0.

Warwickshire Select 1 4½, Cheddleton 3½

D Mason 0, D Gormally 1; N Thomas 0, K Arkell 1; J Pitcher 1, D Eggleston 0; C Shepherd ½, J Hawkins ½; A Hynes ½, R Bellin ½; B Clarke 1 P Wallace 0; A Baruch ½, P Bennett ½; P Webster 1, C Whitfield 0.

North Staffs & South Cheshire League

Stafford 3, Cheddleton 5

G Acey 0, R Shaw 1; M Armstrong 1, D Buxton 0; S Pedder 0, C Whitfield 1; R Butters ½, P Birks ½; R Hyde 0 W Armstrong 1; I Climie 1, C Gartside 0; A Leadbetter 0, M Wyza 1; K McNulty ½, C Baxter ½.