Division 2

16/3/2005
    Keynsham A   Horfield C
1 b Tyson Mordue 1 - 0 Nigel Pollett
2 w Matthew Look 1 - 0 Alan Clarke
3 b Keith Fawcett 1 - 0 Prakesh Chatterjee
4 w Duncan MacArthur 0 - 1 Graham Strickland
5 b David Woodruff ½ - ½ Dave Elphick
6 w Len Wilmshurst 1 - 0 Peter Risdale
      4½ - 1½  

After 30 minutes we were 1-0 up thanks to Graham. Dave made it 1.5 - 0.5 after a solid draw. Prakash was a Knight up and in an attaching position but failed to guard his King and paid the ultimate price. Peter went a few pawns down and slowly lost. I never expected to get a result against a player graded 83 points above me. I played a reasonably solid game, but Tyson's experience slowly got the better of me. On move 37 I accidentally knocked my King over while reaching for my Queen, and decided that was probably the best move under the circumstances even though I could have probably lasted until move 42 ! Alan could have probably hung on for a draw, but made a few badly calculated moves under time pressure. (NP)
Division 2

1/2/2005
    Horfield C   Horfield B
1 b Nigel Pollett ½ - ½ David Reed
2 w Alan Clarke 0 - 1 Mike Gladstone
3 b Prakesh Chatterjee 0 - 1 Jim Will
4 w Geoff Amos 0 - 1 Howard Millbank
5 b Graham Strickland ½ - ½ Alex Dunn
6 w Dave Elphick 1 - 0 Peter Risdale
      2 - 4  

Division 2

18/1/2005
    Cabot A   Horfield C
1 b R Chantry ½ - ½ David Reed
2 w Mike Collier 0 - 1 Nigel Pollett
3 b Neil Derrick 0 - 1 Alan Clarke
4 w R Collis 1 - 0 Geoff Amos
5 b Paul Peirstoff ½ - ½ Prakesh Chatterjee
6 w Edwin Turner ½ - ½ Graham Strickland
      2½ - 3½  

We beat Cabot to keep our survival hopes alive in Div 2. (NP)

Division 2

11/1/2005
    Horfield C   Bath B
1 b Nigel Pollett 0 - 1 A Meek
2 w David Reed 0 - 1 A Gregory
3 b Geoff Amos ½ - ½ G Sweetland
4 w Alex Dunn 0 - 1 R Gregory
5 b Dave Elphick 0 - 1 M Farina
6 w Graham Strickland 1 - 0 Bob Selway
      1½ - 4½  

 
Division 2

14/12/2004
    Downend B   Horfield C
1 b M Sellars 1 - 0 N Pollett
2 w P Spiller 1 - 0 G Amos
3 b D Tipper 1 - 0 A Clarke
4 w R Allen 1 - 0 P Chatterjee
5 b M Passmore 1 - 0 G Strickland
6 w J Spry ½ - ½ D Elphick
      5½ - ½  

 
Division 2

25/11/2004
    South Bristol A   Horfield C
1 b D Fynman ½ - ½ A Clarke
2 w R Radford ½ - ½ N Pollett
3 b D Neagle 1 - 0 H Millbank
4 w J Baker 0 - 1 P Chatterjee
5 b B Radford 1 - 0 D Elphick
6 w ?  Alway 1 - 0 P Risdale
      4 - 2  

Alan's game went to adjudication but looks like a draw. I was a Bishop up in my game but in a hopelessly blocked position after defending the whole game. I offered a draw and it was accepted.

Howard lost after getting into time trouble. He took an hour and a half to make his first 16 moves. (Think this was right). Prakash drew after being in a better position. He only took half an hour on his clock.

Dave lost after a blunder. Peter lost in the end game being a pawn down. (NP)

Division 2

12/10/2004
    Horfield C   Hanham A
1 b Alan Clarke 0 - 1 G Crockart
2 w Nigel Pollett ½ - ½ C Bradley
3 b Geoff Amos ½ - ½ E Biddick
4 w Prakash Chatterjee  0 - 1 S Woolgar
5 b Harvey Atkinson 0 - 1 G Bell
6 w Graham Strickland 0 - 1 A MacLeod
      1 - 5  
 

Another tough match against the front runners of the division. We were heavily outgunned on Boards 1 and 2; Alan felt he was never in contention and Nigel played well to get a solid draw. Geoff's game was a  'comedy of errors' on both sides and the game was concluded with a ending with opposite coloured bishops. Harvey lost concentration in the end game and lost pawns; Prakash was the exchange up at one stage and then lost and Grahame played well  but got into a lost rook ending.

Division 2

2/11/2004
    Clifton C   Horfield C
1 b J Gooch 1 - 0 Alan Clarke
2 w A Warne ½ - ½ Geoff Amos
3 b A Killey 0 - 1 Nigel Pollett
4 w G Thompson 0 - 1 Prakesh Chatterjee
5 b A Papier ½ - ½ Graham Strickland
6 w C Stanton 1 - 0 Peter Risdale
      3 - 3  
 

A good result on the night. Alan lost a piece in the opening and then played for a mating attack which just failed to work and after he was forced to exchange queens the game went into a lost ending. Geoff lost a pawn in an unfamiliar opening  but the position became blocked and although his position was inferior  his draw offer was accepted. Nigel 'exchanged' his queen for two pieces and later gained a pawn and then conjured up a magic revival forcing his opponent to resign before he was mated or lost his queen. Prakash resisted a strong attack and played well to reverse the situation and win a good game. Graham played another very solid game against an opponent 24 grading points above him and got a good draw. Peter on his first outing for us and his first competitive game handled the clock well, lasted the course but with the exchange down got into a lost ending and resigned after an excellent effort. (GA)

Division 2

20/10/2004
    Bath B   Horfield C
1 b S Meek adj Alan Clarke
2 w A Meek 1 - 0 Nigel Pollett
3 b A Gregory 1 - 0 Howard Millbank
4 w D Thorne 1 - 0 Prakesh Chatterjee
5 b R Gregory ½ - ½ Geoff Amos
6 w D Cooper ½ - ½ Graham Strickland
      4 - 1 +1a

Another tough game with Bath's average grade 139 against our 108. We are claiming a draw on Board 1. Nigel made a weak move early on which lost a pawn but hung on until about move 60! Howard was in severe time trouble and material down but tried for perpetual check which failed. Prakash got into early difficulties in the opening and lost his g pawn and with a exposed Kingside soon lost. Geoff overcame early pressure had some advantage and took the offered draw on move 32. Graham defended well all the game, finally won a pawn and a draw was agreed in a blocked position on move 42. (GA)

Division 2

12/10/2004
    Horfield C   Downend C
1 b Alan Clarke 0 - 1 M Brannan
2 w Nigel Pollett adj Andrew Munn
3 b Prakash Chatterjee 0 - 1 Mike Passmore
4 w Harvey Atkinson  1 - 0 Richard Palmer
5 b Geoff Amos     ½ - ½ Trevor Langdon
6 w Graham Strickland ½ - ½ Bob Selway
      2 - 3 +1a

Pollett v Munn has gone to adjudication as despite both players looking at the game up to about move 60 a result couldn't be agreed. The result doesn't alter the fact that we lost this match. Alan Clarke v Mike Brannan was close but an extra pawn in the end-game gave Mike the win. Nigel Pollett v Andrew Munn was again close but a mistake near the end gave Andrew an advantage, though proving the win has proved very difficult and it has gone for adjudication. Prakash Chatterjee didn't know enough about the Milner-Barry gambit and lost to Mike Passmore. Geoff Amos had a chance to win a piece in the middle-game and overlooked it and then agreed a draw in time trouble in a won position! Graham Strickland got a draw despite being a pawn down and played very well. (GA)

 
Division 2

5/10/2004
    Horfield B   Horfield C
1 b Simon Greely 0 - 1 Alan Clarke
2 w Roger Pearce 1 - 0 Prakesh Chatterjee
3 b Andy Stuart 0 - 1 Nigel Pollett
4 w Brian Crewe 1 - 0 Noel O'Connell
5 b Alex Dunn 0 - 1 Geoff Amos
6 w Graham Strickland 1 - 0 Jim Draisey
      3 - 3  

The "C" team got their first points of the season with a good victory over Cabot "A".

 
Division 2

21/9/2004
    Horfield C   Cabot A
1 b Alan Clarke 1 - 0 M J Collier
2 w Prakash Chatterjee 1 - 0 N Derrick
3 b Nigel Pollett 1 - 0 E Turner
4 w Harvey Atkinson  1 - 0 G Steer (default)
5 b Geoff Amos     ½ - ½ R Collis
6 w Graham Strickland 0 - 1 R Sully
      4½ - 1½  

Cabot's highest rated player failed to turn up so Harvey had an early night. Alan built up a strong attack and then his opponent blundered in time trouble. Prakash developed quickly, built up a strong attack and won quickly. Nigel played a solid game and got to adjudication with a clearly won endgame. Geoff failed to find the best moves in the opening, lost two pawns but by better development regained the material  and a draw was agreed in a complex position. Graham's king was unable to castle and he succumbed after a long struggle. (GA)

 

Division 2

14/9/2004
    Horfield C   Keynsham A
1 b Alan Clarke 0-1 Tyson Mordue
2 w Prakash Chatterjee 0-1 Matthew Look
3 b Nigel Pollett 0-1 Roger Parry
4 w Harvey Atkinson  0-1 Keith Fawcett
5 b Geoff Amos     1-0 James MacArthur
6 w Dave Elphick 1-0 Patrick Sartain
      2-4  

.The 'C' team had a tough first match in Division 2 meeting Keynsham 'A' who were relegated from Division 1 last season. Keynsham's grade average was 143 compared with our 110 so we all played stronger players but thankfully it wasn't a whitewash!

Alan played well but was overcome by a player 67 points stronger. Prakesh lost to unstoppable mating threats on the back rank. Nigel, having agreed a quick play finish lost on time with at least an equal position. Harvey lost which should have been at least a drawn game. Geoff defended well and  took advantage of his opponent's congested attack and won a knight for a pawn before his opponent kindly allowed a night fork of queen and rook in time trouble. Dave played an exciting game and won the end-game with an extra knight. We should have split the points but better luck next time. (GA)