The same thing happened last year when we played Wigston. At that time, Alan Byron, the reigning County Champion really wasn't expecting to be playing me.
Next year, if we are only running one team, we probably ought to call ourselves Heathcote Arms 2 (or even 3) from the outset to save confusion.
Anyway, we were outgraded by a little over 300 points.
We began the match with a 3.5 point handicap bonus and needed a single draw from four games to win the match.
The outcome was predictable. Michael the younger held out until about 8.20PM. I think Gordon managed to hang on a bit longer.
I had been playing black against John Robinson (one of our regular readers it transpires) and allowed his central pawns to advance onto my half of the board. My position was cramped and, then John's knights and queen came in and lay waste to all before them. Fritz gave John a double exclamation mark on move 24 and another exclamation mark on move 31. At this point, i had had enough.
(178) Robinson,John - Ross,Colin [A34]
Chapman Cup Leicester, 08.05.2012
A34: Symmetrical English: 2 Nc3, lines with ...d5 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 c5 4.Nc3 Nc6 last book move 5.d5 exd5 6.cxd5 Ne7 [6...Nb4 7.e4 d6 8.a3+-] 7.e4 [7.d6 Nf5 8.e4 Nxd6+-] 7...d6 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.a4 [9.Bxd7+ Nxd7 10.Qb3 Rb8±] 9...Qa5 [9...Ng6!?²] 10.Bd2 [10.0–0 Ng6+-] 10...Bxb5 [10...Qc7 11.Nh4±] 11.axb5 Qb6 12.Qe2 [¹12.Qa4±] 12...g6?? cause more grief [12...Ng6 13.Nd1 Qd8 14.Bc3±] 13.0–0 [¹13.e5!? and White can already relax 13...dxe5 14.Nxe5 Qd8+-] 13...Nd7? [¹13...Bg7±] 14.Na4+- Qc7 15.Bc3 White prepares e5 15...Rg8 16.Rfd1 [16.e5 might be the shorter path 16...Bg7 17.e6 fxe6 18.dxe6 Nf8+-] 16...b6 17.e5 0–0–0?? a blunder in a bad position [17...Bg7+-] 18.e6 [¹18.exd6 secures the point 18...Qxd6 19.Ne5 Nf5 20.Nxf7 Qe7+-] 18...fxe6 19.Qxe6 [¹19.dxe6 keeps an even firmer grip 19...Nb8 20.b4+-] 19...Re8?? Black has lost his nerve... understandable when you consider his position [19...g5 20.b4 Rg6 21.Qe2+-] 20.b3 [¹20.Ne5! and White has reached his goal 20...dxe5 21.d6+-] 20...Bg7± 21.Bxg7 Rxg7? [21...Nf5!? 22.Qf7 Nxg7±] 22.Nb2 [22.b4 seems even better 22...Kb7 23.bxc5 bxc5+-] 22...Kd8? [¹22...Rf8 23.Ne5! surprise! 23...dxe5+-] 23.Ng5 Ne5 [23...Nf5 the only chance to get some counterplay 24.Nf7+ Rxf7 25.Qxf7 Rf8 26.Qxh7 Nd4+-] 24.Qxe5!! Double attack: c7/d8 24...dxe5 25.Ne6+ Kd7 26.Nxc7 [26.Nxg7?! is a useless try 26...Rg8 27.Ne6 Qb7=] 26...Kxc7 27.d6+ [¹27.Rxa7+ makes it even easier for White 27...Kb8 28.Rda1 Reg8 29.Ra8+ Kc7 30.R1a7+ Kd6 31.Rxg8 Rxg8 32.Nc4+ Kxd5 33.Rxe7 Kd4 34.Nxb6 Kc3+-] 27...Kb7 28.dxe7 Rgxe7 29.Nc4 Rf8 [29...Kb8 does not improve anything 30.Ra2+-] 30.Re1 e4 31.Rxe4! Decoy: e4. . . . . [31.Rxe4 Rxe4 32.Nd6+ Kb8 33.Nxe4+-] 1–0
Raymondov and the Grinder showed up at around this point to lend support.
Mike C just would not give up, making Paul Colburn mate his lone King, with Queen and King (and he also had a spare pawn).
| 08 May | Braunstone 1 | v | Heathcote Arms 1 | GD | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 - 0 | -176 | ||||||
| Handicap | 0 - 3½ | ||||||
| 4 - 3½ | |||||||
| 1 | B | 180 | Colburn, Paul | 1 - 0 | Cowley, Michael | 154 | -26 |
| 2 | W | 170 | Robinson, John | 1 - 0 | Ross, Colin | 120 | -50 |
| 3 | B | 168 | Hanscombe, Richard | 1 - 0 | Bubb, Michael | 41 | -50 |
| 4 | W | 160 | Bingham, James | 1 - 0 | Milner, Gordon | 60 | -50 |
On Tuesday, 15th May, we will be playing in the Harrod Cup at home, and there should also be a decent sized club night.
Gordon and Michael, bring your score sheets from this week down on Tueday and we will see if we can find someone stronger than me to look at them.
Well Done Braunstone,
Colin.
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