Monday 26 May 2014

HA1 Out of Chapman in Preliminary Round


A strong HA1 needed to win convincingly against a weaker Kirby + a 2.5 point head start.
This was not to be, however. John and Gordon's opponents perhaps being stronger that their provisional grades suggest:


22 MayKirby Muxloe 1vHeathcote Arms 1GD
2 - 2136
Handicap2½ - 0
4½ - 2
1W76Shaw, Peter0 - 1Cowley, Michael16150
2B74Bowles, Les0 - 1Harrison, Peter15150
3W60Brown, Thomas1 - 0Manger, John14150
4B60Woodhall, Henry1 - 0Milner, Gordon46-14

John's Analysis from his game against Thomas Brown:

1. d4 d5  2.c4 c6  3.e3 Nf6  4.Nc3 Bf5  5.Nf3 e6  6.Qb3 Qc7 (I probably should have played Qb6 but decided I wanted to keep the queens on) 7.a3 h6  8.h3 Nbd7  9.Bd2 Be7  10.Be2 O-O  11.O-O Ne4
12.Nxe4 Bxe4 (was going to play dxe4 here then touched my bishop!)  13.Rac1 dxc4  14.Qxc4 Nb6  15.Qb3 Bd6 16.Bb4 Bd5? 17.Bxd6 Qxd6  18.Qc2 (threatens 19.e4) Bxf3  19.Bxf3 Rfd8
20.Qc5 Nd5  21.Qxd6 Rxd6  22.Bxd5 Rxd5  23.Rfd1 Rad8  24.Rd2? e5  25.Rcd1 c5  26.Kf1 cxd4
27.Ke2 Kf8  28.f4 f6 (...exf4 looks better)  29.fxe5 fxe5  30.Kf3 Ke7  31.exd4 Ke6  32.Ke4 g5
33.g4 R8d7  34.Rd3 exd4  35.Rxd4 Re5 (I knew that after 35...Rxd4  36.Rxd4 Rxd4  37.Kxd4 Kd6 the position was a dead draw, but decided to try for the win. This was unwise as I had 5 mins left to my opponent's 25 mins!)  36.Kf3 (obviously not Kd3 losing a rook) ...Rf7  37.Kg2 Re2  38.Kg3 Rxb2  39.Rd6 Ke5  40.R1d5 Ke4  41.Rd4 Ke3  42.Rd3 Ke2  43.Rc3 Rf1 (threatens 44. ...Rg1  45.Kh2 Kf1 with a discovered mate) 44.Kg2
 
At this point I stopped recording moves. The position was maybe slightly in my favour, but lack of time told and my opponent played more accurately than me over the next 15 moves or so until I resigned in a lost position with my flag about to fall.
 
There was a round of applause for Tom from everyone present (including me). I guess he is around 14 years old, and may be in his first year in the league. He played at about 120 strength in my opinion and fully deserved his win at the end. I think he is one to watch!
  
John
 

Saturday 17 May 2014

Horrid Cup 1st Round / 1st Round CCs Minor and Challengers


A loss by a narrow margin at home on Tuesday.

13 MayHeathcote Arms 1W - BB - WWigston 1
3½ - 4½
1185Sharpe, Graham1 - 0½ - ½Harlow, Phil150
2139The Grinder0 - 11 - 0Eastlake, Charles133
392Raymondov0 - 10 - 1Hammond, Grant114
478AWOL Hacker½ - ½½ - ½Vaughan, Ben95

At Wigston on Thursday, we saw the start of the Challengers and Minor Sections of the County Championship. Although i did not see the end of it, I gather that John lost against Jim Bingham. Earlier, Ray lost to Paul Findley, and I was eventually able to finish off John McKiernan.



Next week, there will probably be a club night on Tuesday, and there will be a Chapman Cup Prelim Round Fixture away at Kirby Muxloe on Thursday.

Well done everyone,

Colin.

Sunday 11 May 2014

Broken Foot / End of Season / CCs


I fell over on Good Friday and fractured the base of my fifth metatarsal - an injury sometimes known as a Beckham fracture. It has not affected my chess playing ability, however - I am still as bad as ever. No driving for 6-8 weeks though.

Thank you to The Grinder for stepping in to oversee HA3's last match of the season:

29 AprHeathcote Arms 3vSyston 5
2 - 2
1B140Manger, John1 - 0Mundy, Rob86
2W92Beach, Ray1 - 0Agger, Reg88
3B75Loudon, Hector0 - 1Veitch, Robert88
4W49Milner, Gordon0 - 1Morelli, Nando58

The final league tables look like this:

Division 2
PosTeamPlWDLGPDPts
1Heathcote Arms 11413103227
2Ashby 114833919
3Syston 114815517
4Braunstone 214626714
5Ashby 214527-712
6Wigston 314527-712
7Melton Mowbray 214518-1011
8Loughborough 2140014-290

Division 3
PosTeamPlWDLGPDPts
1Heathcote Arms 21511131123
2Syston 215663618
3Thurnby 216655717
4Latimer 116736317
5Market Harborough 116655217
6Ashby 316736017
7Wigston 415636-115
8Hinckley 1153210-148
9Kirby Muxloe 1163211-148

Division 5
PosTeamPlWDLGPDPts
1Braunstone 61611231724
2Braunstone 516763920
3Syston 516754919
4Wigston 6159151619
5Syston 415645516
6Red Admiral 216628-614
7Ashby 416628-514
8Heathcote Arms 316277-1111
9Kirby Muxloe 3162113-345

Brilliant performances from all three teams, with HA1 and HA2 both winning their divisions, and HA3 not coming last in Division 5.

Now that the league has finished, it is officially summer.

On Thursday, there was the first Round of the Open and Major Sections of the County Championship at Wigston.

Here is my game. I missed the last few moves owing to time, but I was able to force a draw through perpetual check.



Summer Cups this coming week - and more County Champ games at Wigston on Thursday.

Well done everyone,

Colin.