Wednesday 30 November 2011

Bobby Fischer Documentary on TV Tonight

BBC4 9PM Wednesday 30th November.

Bobby Fischer - Genius and Madman (90 minutes)

It is not clear whether this is the same film as Bobby Fischer Against the World (which is the same length and came out in the summer) or something different - should be worth a look anyway. It centres on the World Championship Match.

Stuck in Icelandic traffic! Really?

Colin.

It is indeed the same film - excellent stuff.

Friday 25 November 2011

League Cup Matches & CCs (Major) Play Off

Running three League Cup teams is altogether a different thing from running three League teams. The principal difference being the stricter barring rules in the Cup competitions which commit all players to a specific squad once they have played once for that team.

It became obvious to us that we were not going to be able to field three teams in the League Cups this week. HA1 and HA3 were both a player short and HA2 was going to be two players short. On Monday, we took the decision to fold the HA2 cup team. I contacted Peter Poolan at Melton to default the match and apologise. I also contacted Iain Dodds to withdraw the team from the rest of the Minor League Cup.

We had been hoping to play Rob in HA2, but with HA2 out of the picture, we were able to donate him to the HA1 squad. This just left the problem of getting an HA3 team out.

In a discussion between Iain Dodds and Mike Salisbury, the decision was made that since only one round of the competition had been played, and since there might still be problems in playing an HA3 side, that we could play HA2 players in the HA3 side. This reduced the chances of us having to fold HA3, too, in future rounds and also enabled us to play John and Ray rather than the higher rated Pete (who would have been able to play for HA3).

HA3 had a 1.5 point head start. I was not around on the night, but from what i hear, Drew and Michael (or maybe Michael and Drew) finished first and second. John then won, and it all came down to Ray's game with bits all over the place. Ray losing, then winning, and then his opponent achieving a perpetual.

A 3 point to 2.5 point win after the handicap was added.

22 NovHeathcote Arms 3vBraunstone 3GD
1½ - 2½65
Handicap1½ - 0
3 - 2½
1W119The Grinder1 - 0Closs, Guy118-1
2B105Raymondov½ - ½Barlow, Steve91-14
3W40Bubb, Andrew0 - 1Tangney, Vince7636
4B36Bubb, Michael0 - 1Reid, Patrick8044


A draw over the boards, but a loss after the handicap for HA1.


23 NovLoughborough 1vHeathcote Arms 1GD
2 - 220
Handicap½ - 0
2½ - 2
1B173Mitchell, John½ - ½Sharpe, Graham1818
2W167Eagleton, Greg1 - 0Bray, Dave1703
3B136Fraser, Michael½ - ½Booley, Graham14711
4W130Hickman, Peter0 - 1Ensor, Rob128-2


On Thursday, it was my play off against David Reynolds and Bob Collins for the Major Section of the County Championship. The format was for each of us to play two games, one with white and one with black with a time control of 20 minutes each. If after the first round there was a tie, we were to do the same again with half the time limit.

We spun some coins and it was David with white versus me with black in the first game. David opened with g4 and some unusual stuff. I was quickly in trouble losing a pawn and with some threats against me. I was able to reorganise though - forced him to double some pawns - swapped off queens and was able to pick up the pawn to equalise. I then had a mate threat with a rook along the seventh - David defended against that but allowed me to knight fork his king and rook. An exchange up, for a while i felt that things were going well, but then ran in to the inevitable time trouble and, returning the earlier favour, allowed David to knight fork my two rooks. Game over.

David then had the black pieces against Bob. David, by now warmed up, piled on the pressure, and then some more pressure, against Bob's kingside and Bob had no chance.

With David 2-0 up, he could not be caught and so there was no point in Bob and I playing a third game. Bob, and The Grinder (who had come to lend some support), and i retired to the bar for a few halves.

Next Tuesday:

HA1 play at home against Ashby 2
HA3 play at home against Braunstone 5

There will probably be the chance of some friendly games for anyone popping down on spec.

Well done everyone,

Colin.

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Ay Caramba!

HA3 were at home against Red Admiral 2.

Michael lost out to the more experienced Calvin Burton.

Gordon was a piece down but hung on against Stan and made him work for it.

Haka Dave started out looking worse, but ended up with Queen and King against Bishop and King. His opponent offered him a draw two moves from mate - this was refused. There was some confusion after this game as Peter (with a barely detectable twinckle in his eye) told his Captain that a draw had been agreed.

As usual, i was last to finish. I had been equal on material throughout, but an isolated queen's pawn, having been a thorn in my side for most of the game, proved too much of a weakness in the ending.

15 NovHeathcote Arms 3vRed Admiral 2
1 - 3
1B118Ross, Colin0 - 1Carter, Andy110
2W93Ricketts, Dave1 - 0Barabas, Peter80
3B100Milner, Gordon0 - 1Parsons, Stan82
4W36Bubb, Michael0 - 1Burton, Calvin79


Next week, we have League Cup matches:

HA3 is at home against Braunstone 3 on Tuesday 22nd November.
HA2 is away at Melton Mowbray on Wednesday.
HA1 is away against Loughborough in the Major League Cup on Wednesday.

On Thursday, i take part in the play off for the County Championship Major Section.

Well done everyone,

Colin.

Saturday 12 November 2011

Latimer (1) 3-2 HA (2)


Peter the President Reports:

Karl sent me a text about 6pm on Tues asking if we could play 5 boards. I said I'd ask at the club. Gordon was there and keen to play. So we arrived to find we were outgraded on every board. Gordon played really well only to lose out in the end to a very strong opponent. Ray won nicely. I was a pawn up against Chino and he sacrificied a second pawn to block the position. I offered a draw missing a trick to win the exchange pointed out to me afterwards. Shucks! Rob did really well to hold out against Karl, which left the match at 2 - 2 with John's game the decider. He was recovering from the lurgy and his stamina wilted at the end unfortunately. So, our first defeat but well played by everyone as we nearly upset the odds.

Peter the President.

10 NovLatimer 1vHeathcote Arms 2
3 - 2

1B170Nwachukwu, Chino½ - ½Harrison, Peter149
2W162Potter, Karl½ - ½Ensor, Rob128
3B123Slater, Brian L1 - 0Manger, John119
4W126Gurney, Roy0 - 1Beach, Ray105
5B120Zainuddin, Zaime1 - 0Milner, Gordon100

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Heathcote Arms (1) 4-1 Ashby (1)

Graham B Reports:

This match was not as easy as the score line suggests, one thing Ashby do is make you grind out your results, and apart from Graham's rather exciting game that's what we did.

Rajan's was a slow positional game that eventually just strangled Chris Tipper's position and it cracked under Rajan's and the clocks pressure.
Dave looked like he had won an early pawn, but then realized his opponent could allow his own bishop to be blocked in on a7 & b8 and get the pawn back, Dave said from this point he didn't think he was better but Roy decided to swap pieces off which gave Dave an easy winning ending.
After 2hrs 35mins Mike and Larry had only took off 1 major piece and 1 or 2 pawns each and although Mike had queen and 2 rooks on the g file he couldn't break through and Larry wasn't doing anything. I think his last 5 or 6 moves were Qe7,Qd8,Qe7,Qd8,Qe7- draw agreed.
Graham's was a typically solid game until Richard sacked a rook on h6 to give him an attack on Graham's King, which looked like a winning attack, however, Graham doesn't give in and manages to manoeuvre his king toward his queen, although Richard was still threatening mates and forks with only a queen and knight. Graham has to give his rook back, gets Richards knight off for his bishop and goes into the ending 2 pawns down (Queen & 5 against Queen & 3) but has done enough to eventually get the draw.  An ending well worth seeing, I will try and get a copy from Graham.

So, a hard fought win keeps us top of Div 2 and on course to return to div 1 next season.

Graham B

P.S. pleased to see Michael get a win     

08 Nov
Heathcote Arms 1
v
Ashby 1
1
B
181
Sharpe, Graham
½ - ½
Vann, Richard
163
2
W
173
Ganger, Rajan
1 - 0
Tipper, Christopher
147
3
B
170
Bray, Dave
1 - 0
Evans, Roy
143
4
W
159
Cowley, Michael
½ - ½
Hayden, Lawrence
137
5
B
147
Booley, Graham
1 - 0
**DEFAULT**
?

4 - 1

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Braunstone (5) 2-2 Heathcote Arms (3)

HA3 are on the scoreboard at last. Everyone started solidly enough. Gary was the first to succumb. Then Michael pulled off a fabulous win when his opponent resigned a bishop and a rook down with only pawns remaining. Drew had chances but lost out against Paul Martin. It was down to me to draw the match. Things had been even for most of my game, but then my opponent blundered a rook.
We are now no longer bottom of the table.

Well done everyone

Colin.


08 Nov Braunstone 5 v Heathcote Arms 3
2 - 2
1 B 101 Read, Barry 0 - 1 Ross, Colin 118
2 W 100 Hoch, Toby 1 - 0 Sanders, Gary 50
3 B 93 Martin, Paul 1 - 0 Bubb, Andrew 40
4 W 76 Tangney, Vince 0 - 1 Bubb, Michael 36

Shropshire Vs Leicestershire

Leicestershire lost 10-6 to Shropshire on Saturday. As usual, Heathcote Arms players were in action.


Section:  Minor open

Home Team: Shropshire
Away Team: Leicestershire
Venue: Shifnal
Date: 5th November
Team having white on odd boards:
Result reported by: Graham Booley
Board
ECF Code
Grade
Home team players’ names
Score
Score
Away Team players’ names
Grade
ECF Code
1
118369C
205
N.Rutter
0
1
Mark Hebden
241
112455K
2
110539F
190
N.Ferrington
½
½
Martin Burrows
200
125697L
3
240985K
188
G.Cooper
½
½
Ray Burgess
182
107674H
4
112969H
182
J Hopkins
1
0
John Denton
174
109613J
5
107574D
178
R Bryant
½
½
John Robinson
169
118096E
6
110730G
176
J Footner
1
0
Richard Vann
163
163691B
7
183527A
160
P Kitchen
½
½
Brian Galligan
173E

8
117515E
159 
G Pugh
1
0
David Farrall
168
213110K
9
106353F
159
J Bashall
1
0
Alfonso Jimenez
164
279527K
10
240258D
156
C Lewis
½
½
Patrick McDermott
158
115247G
11
245834C
151
N Paul
1
0
Jim Miller
157
115535A
12
256377A
150
A Tonks
1
0
Jim Bingham
161
106748F
13

143
R Gillispie
1
0
Greg Adcock
157
130161F
14
240291K
146
J Whittaker
½
½
Mike Cowley
159
108975E
15
116900C
130
W Peck
0
1
John Pattinson
157
116818G
16
179346K
129
S Tennent
0
1
Graham Booley
147
106989F