|
|
|
| "It's not an important match, is it?", said my wife. "Yes, it is!!", I replied, "if we finish second in the league we get a place in Europe". "Do you?", she said. I don't think she really believed me about Europe, but even if true, we almost certainly haven't got it. We just needed to score the same or better against Grendel as Downend A do in their last match, and we screwed it up. It all started when Steve Dilleigh, normally Mr Reliable, got his diary muddled up (0-1). Then Martin lost (0-2), and Mike took a draw (½-2½). I managed to run over Pat Flexman to give us a chance (1½-2½), and all eyes turned to boards 2 and 3. Phil was suffering but had some swindling chances, while Thomas, playing his last game before returning to Germany, looked dead level. Phil did get the draw, but Thomas's position fell apart to a couple of frisky knights. Having suffered 6 DPPs, we're now behind on that measure. Downend A now need to score just 2½ points against Grendel to pip us to the runners-up spot. (JR) Downend B's board one didn't show, so Martin White stepped in at the last minute. Downend B are still struggling to escape the relegation zone so needed some points, while we needed to win to help our own B team as well as continue the chase for second place. The two Martins drew, while Mike picked up a solid half as well. Phil put us in the lead with a very nice win against the somewhat Basmanic play of an on-form Geoff Taylor (fresh from a fantastic 2nd place at the WECU). I thought I was winning and watched in disbelief as the game swung back the other way. Still, taking the draw looked safe because we were ahead on board two, and on board six Dave Tipper's flag was poised to fall. All our Dave had to do (with 30 minutes on his clock but an exposed king) was to avoid the swindles for a few more moves,. But Dave T is a wily old fighter and managed to steal it away to level the match. So, all over to board two. Chris and Ian were playing a double rooks and pawns ending, but Chris was way ahead on pawns and the clock. All went as it should, and all was well with the world. The win puts us second in the league, level on match points with Downend A, but we have half a game point more and fewer DPPs. Both have to play Grendel A in their final matches, so the maths is simple: Downend has to score at least one more game point than us to take second place away. (JR) Mike Brigden was very apologetic about turning up one short, and feared that it would cost them second place. Still, there was a match to win and, like football, it's amazing how often the side one short ends up winning. Especially when we hadn't played for five weeks. I soon showed my rustiness but I wormed my way back in and took an early draw. Mike kept us moving towards the finishing line with another half. Meanwhile, Phil had unleashed a rally nasty knight tactic against Mike Brigden, picking up a queen for two bits and duly won. Martin sealed the match with a draw, leaving just Steve to go who also drew. That brings us two points behind Downend with a match in hand and two matches left. We could finish runners-up. (JR) Standing in as captain for Phil, I got the team off to the worst possible start by an early loss. It was one of those horrible blunders where you think you've worked it all out, play the move, and then realise the slight flaw - ending up a whole piece down with practically no compensation. Fortunately, the rest of the team played a blinder. Mike brought us level, and then it was a long wait on tenterhooks. Chris took a draw. Martin got into a mutual time scramble a piece up, and took his opponent's king after an illegal move; both players seemed to believe they were playing blitz rules but they seemed content with the outcome. Thomas had a fine win in a ferociously complex game, and Steve and Chalks played each other to a stand-still. We now lie a very respectable third, but not close enough to Downend A or Clifton A to worry them. The peculiarities of the fixtures mean we have five weeks before our next match. (JR) 17/2/2009 Horfield B 1½ - 4½ Horfield A Ouch. I wasn't there - but it doesn't look I'd have made a difference. (JR) I think this is the first time I've met 1.d3 as an opening move since about 1970. I got an edge, but it petered out. Thomas got a good draw against Jim Sherwin, and Chris won a rook to put us in the lead. It didn't last long. Steve's reasonable position had turned horrible as he tried to deal with David Buckley's massive pawn on c7, and the match was level. Martin put us 3-2 up, and it was all on Phil's game which had rapidly become a probably lost ending. But Phil had about four minutes left and Adam had only two. With both players seemingly unaware of the match position, Adam offered a draw. Phil hesitated only to check the match score. The win puts us in clear third place, just three points behind the leaders. Clifton and Downend shouldn't assume it's a two-horse race. (JR) Visiting the bottom team for the first match in a new year should always be treated with caution; slip-ups seem all too common. And when Phil got swiped with a horrible sadistic tactic, it looked like we might have a nightmare night on the cards. I thought I was losing as well, and it wasn't looking promising elsewhere. But then Steve got a queen and minor piece for a couple of rooks and his position started looking rosy. I equalised and was well ahead on the clock, and none of us, apart from Phil, looked in danger of losing. So it proved, as the points came romping home. I sacced a rook (perfectly sound according to Fritz, setting up a forced mate in 5), but instead of the correct follow-up of checking with the other rook, I checked with my queen which should have let my opponent off with a perpetual. But he managed to find the only move which lost. In the end, we were flattered by the score-line. (JR) So, my 26-game unbeaten run (15 wins, 11 draws) comes to an end. I was last beaten on 17 April 2007, and needed just one more result to have gone through 2008 without a loss. Inevitably, it was a crass blunder played almost instantly that was my undoing. Phil and Martin rescued the day. (JR)
A fire engine turned up early on and parked outside with its engine running and blue light flashing - not good. Martin blundered and Steve got sort of gently outmanoeuvred. Mine petered out to a 20-move draw with all the material still on the board. But we were looking good on 3 and 6 when I left. Chris's advantage must have petered out, but Phil and Mike rescued a point. (JR)
I can't remember how many years it is since this fixture last occurred (8? 9?), but I seem to remember that the A's made a pig's ear of it. This time it was a clear win, but the scoreline is a bit flattering - it was closer than that! Thomas's game fell apart to a unusual knight fork, and David could have beaten me if I had pushed for a win. (JR)
We haven't started well, but Downend B is having a torrid time in comparison. It's difficult to know why but, like my football team Spurs, they cannot seem to win. It must come good eventually, surely. This match was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests for most of the evening. I managed to win the exchange, but Alex had compensation and I decided I had to return the material to head for a draw. So the unbeaten run is now 24 games. Tom was the last to finish and had offered a draw as I left. Ian decided to play on as he was ahead on the clock; looks like it was a bad decision. We're now on 50%. (JR)
A weakened side, and we duly lost. Though David was unfortunate to lose and Martin may have had a win. Howard fought well for his half point. My unbeaten run continues (now 23 games and 18 months), and against Tyson, who normally despatches me without breaking into a sweat. I held on grimly and Tyson ran short of time. (JR)
Mike finished first after looking to be in serious trouble, but triumphed with a crushing attack. His opponent was heard to exclaim that he couldn't believe he'd lost after being the exchange and a pawn up. Thomas then achieved a creditable draw against Jim. Chris won the exchange and then converted this into a pawn advantage but could never fully develop his pieces where he wanted them which led to the game being a draw. Steve also drew, a queen and knight endgame. Martin's opponent finally succumbed as he faced unstoppable c and d pawns on the 6th rank, which just left me to offer a draw so we could go home. This was a welcome return to form against a good Bath side after our drubbing in the previous match. (PN)
I asked John to win and he said he would - should have tried it on everyone else too (PN). It was always going to be an uphill task going to Clifton without Steve Dilleigh or Alex Easton. Dave Edmonds made his A team debut and acquitted himself well, but Bennett is a tough opponent. Everyone else struggled, including me, but Gareth burned time and let me take the initiative. My unbeaten run is now 22 games and the chess gods continue to smile on me. The last to finish was Chris, and it looked like he had good chances, but James Cobb is a frustrating player to be up against when time is short. He always looks so composed and in control, and almost inevitably the game swung his way. (JR)
Last season, we had exactly the same result - all draws! Very frustrating it was too. Chris drew early when his position petered out. Martin was next to call it even. Phil was a piece up, but it came to naught. I was gifted a pawn early on, but the next pawn was poisoned and I had to cling on for a while, but went into a rooks ending a pawn up. With Steve also drawing, I really wanted to win but it was not to be. There was a final bit of drama as Thomas would have lost a pawn promotion race if his king ended on the wrong square, but he saw it and made it safely to the sixth half point. (JR) |