Welcome to the first interview from ‘Presenting Anstey Chess club’. In this series we will present the players from the club starting naturally with ‘El Presidente’ Ben who is our chairman. An experienced chess player and a busy father of one, Ben takes us through the joys of being a working dad, league chess player, owner of a chess club and junior trainer.

ACC: Alright, let’s turn to Ben, the chess player, with a series of quick questions. What is your current rating, both over the board (OTB) and online?

Ben: 1600ish OTB and about 1450 blitz on chess.com.

ACC: Do you play exclusively on chess.com?

Ben: I have a membership on Lichess but I rarely go on it. I do almost exclusively play on chess.com.

ACC: What is your favourite opening and why?

Ben: My favourite opening is the Ruy Lopez for its open variations that are still being analysed to this day. I love the generally open and aggressive lines that can be played and the traps that can be fallen into for both sides.

ACC: Do you prefer it only as White, or do you like to play against it as Black as well?

Ben: Only as white. As black against 1.e4 I play the French. The reason for this is because I found it challenging to play against as a 1.e4 player myself. Again there are traps for both sides.

ACC: What type of player would you say you are?

Ben: I like to play open and aggressive games which is kind of ironic for a French player.

ACC: Why do you think that is? Is the French considered a boring opening in general?

Ben: It is considered as inferior to other more aggressive lines but I am ok with that.

ACC: What is your favourite part of the game? Are you obsessed with the openings, do you like the tactical and positioning battles of the middlegame, or do you prefer the endgame?

Ben: I don’t have a favourite part of the game. I guess if I had to choose, I would say the opening. The reason is that I view a game of chess like building a house. To build a house you need a solid foundation, just like in chess you need a solid opening to build your game from.

ACC: Alright, and what is your least favourite part of the game? If there is one?

Ben: Rook and pawn endings probably. They are so difficult and it is very easy to make a mistake without realising until it is too late!

ACC: Yes, they are notorious for being difficult. Who would you say is your favourite player?

Ben: I don’t have a particular favourite. Bobby Fischer is up there with my favourites as is Mikhail Tal – aggressive and tactical players. I have books of theirs (the Tal book was a gift from a close friend). Excellent reads when I have time!

ACC: Awesome! You stream on twitch.tv under the name notquiteagm. How did you decide to go on twitch and why did you choose this particular username? Also, how often do you stream?

Ben: I stream as often as I can really. I decided to go on Twitch myself having watched a lot of content myself. I found it fascinating that you can host a stream and have people watch you. I already teach youngsters and have previously taught adults so I thought I would give it a go myself. I am grateful to all my followers for growing the channel to 80 followers to date – this is more than I imagined I would get!
I chose notquiteagm because it had to be catchy and a little bit funny. I am some way off GM level so with a hint of sarcasm, I am notquiteagm.

ACC: You recently had a couple of streams, one with blitz and rapid games and one with puzzles. Which one do you prefer?

Ben: I genuinely 100% do not prefer one or the other. As long as people find the content engaging, that’s what means the most to me.

ACC: Alright, let’s take a look at Ben, the chess club owner and junior trainer. How would you describe owning a chess club?

Ben: Exceptionally rewarding. Seeing people coming through the door every week both new players and old players is all the reward I need. Trophies and winning things doesn’t matter to me.

ACC: You mentioned recently in your blog article that you created the Anstey Chess club because you wanted to play chess in the area. Was it a great effort and do you feel that it was worth it?

Ben: It was initially very hard, starting from scratch. I am very grateful to so many for sticking by the club when we first started and seeing out our first season. It was a case of trying to keep people interested in coming that weren’t winning games all of the time. Losing in chess is hard but it is how you learn. Seeing how much the club has grown has made every little effort worthwhile and long may new and old players keep coming through the door.

ACC: Hear, hear! How would you describe the atmosphere in Anstey Chess Club? Both during club nights and when there is a league match?

Ben: We are informal to say the least! We have a wonderful mix of talented, young and old chess players that each contribute to fun and enjoyable club nights. Match nights are quiet and respectful, as they should be.
ACC: Speaking of match nights, how do you feel about the league season so far? At the moment both teams seem to be quietly sitting mid-table in their divisions.

Ben: People measure the success of a chess club in different ways. Success for me is people coming through the door every week whereas success for others is winning trophies and picking teams to win matches. The second team is a vehicle for people new to league chess to get games. The first team is for more experienced players. I genuinely don’t mind where either side finishes in the league.

ACC: As we are on the topic, how do you decide on the team for a particular league game?

Ben: The first team pretty much picks itself. We try and give everyone the same amount of games but COVID has had an impact on numbers and affected people coming.

ACC: In chess one of the things after a game is to sit down and analyse possible lines and moves. How do you approach analysis of the games after the match? Do you leave everyone to do it themselves, or are you all involved as a team? Also, do you use engines?

Ben: The offer of post match analysis goes throughout the club for all players either on the night or at subsequent club nights. Me and Mick have always historically gone through matches for all players. Generally this is done in our minds but we have been known to use an engine on the odd occasion when we haven’t quite understood a complicated position.

ACC: Let’s turn our attention to Junior chess in Anstey! What can you tell us about the junior chess program you are involved in?

Ben: I run a children’s chess club in partnership with Beanies soft play in Anstey. It is for all children of all abilities and costs £3 per child per session. The sessions are on Saturday mornings from 9-11am.

ACC: Can you describe a typical training session?

Ben: Initially I try to assess the ability of a new child with a game against another. We will then try various exercises based on ability that make the sessions fun whilst teaching them the rules and what you can and can’t do.

ACC: Are the parents involved as well?

Ben: Not usually no. They can sit and watch or if a child is particularly nervous then their parent may sit and play with them to help them settle.

ACC: Awesome, a few final thoughts as we know you are busy. In just a few words, what makes Anstey Chess Club the place to go and play OTB?

Ben: We are a fun, relaxed chess club with a wide range of abilities and a very welcoming atmosphere.

ACC: Where can people find yourself? Both live and online?

Ben: Anstey Methodist church centre in Anstey on Thursday evenings from 7pm onwards from September until June. Online at Ansteychessclub.Co.uk or on twitch twitch.tv/notquiteagm. We are also on Facebook – search for Anstey Chess Club.

ACC: Finally, what advice would you give to the aspiring chess players out there?

Ben: Come to Anstey Chess Club! If not, keep learning, keep playing and it is hard to lose but it is how you learn. Ultimately at club level, you will learn all of the time by winning and losing.

ACC: Thanks, Ben, you have been awesome! Please feel free to share any final thoughts.

Ben: Thank you for having me! As a final thought I will say that chess is a wonderful and inclusive game for all ages, abilities, genders, religions and races. If you fancy a game, come down to Anstey Chess Club!