This one might be sub-titled "Pawnography", insofar as Prakash Chatterjee on board 3 converted 2 extra connected passed pawns (in a double rook ending) into a loss; while for the visitors Alan Warne devoted 8 of his 13 moves to the 'little fellows' . It may be fairly added that Alex Dunn's handling of the pawns in his ending against Bob Downing, although ultimately successful, was less than adroit. Happily for Horfield, Mike Gladstone, as befits of a top board player, showed better regard for his infantry, and how their numerical superiority should count. On paper it ought to have been a very tight match, but on the night the home side was always comfortable. With about an hour to go it was 3-0 to Horfield, and all the not-so-smart money was on a 5-1 result. Insiders knew, of course, that Pollett would induce his opponent to commit suicide in a won position, so they were smugly anticipating 6-0. Pollett duly produced another Houdini-like performance, but meanwhile David Reed had allowed Graeme Thomson to get out of jail, and Alan Papier had doggedly driven Chatterjee to one error after another. So, complete turnarounds in the last 3 games to finish. But, as we all know, it's a game of three halves. (HKM)
|
Nigel "Houdini" Pollett |
Sailors (Cabot) v Old Lags (Horfield)
As usual, our encounter in the tent at the Colosseum had plenty of drama. Home captain, Richard Collis, had to substitute himself on board 4 some time after the start after Paul Pierstorf failed to appear, and when Edwin Turner’s mobile phone went off a few minutes later a cry of “One nil, One nil..” was heard from the visitors. This was amicably passed over and battle continued without further interruption. Collis, probably unsettled by the events above, soon had rather the worst of it against Millbank. This was balanced by Chantry’s aggressive deployment of some Chris Beaumont openings tuition against Pollett. Other boards were pretty level. Soon after 9 o’clock the balance swung heavily in favour of the home side when one of Dunn’s bishops fell to a pawn and,catastrophically, Amos(on board five) left his queen en prise after long consideration of how to continue a very promising-looking attack. Throughout all this, on top board Gladstone had been calmly going about his usual business with the white pieces, rebutting whatever Watson put to him and keeping an edge;while Pollett on board two,and with characteristic grit, looked to have survived Chantry’s onslaught.
As so often at this level (and with the added pressure of a quick-play finish) the final 40 minutes brought the greatest drama. Dunn, never a quitter, kept posing problems and was rewarded with the return of his lost piece. When Turner (his bottom board opponent) obligingly allowed the exchange of queens the Horfield man, against all expectations, found himself in a favourable King and pawn ending with which he made no mistake. Just before this Collis had resigned to Millbank on board four and Chantry had blasted Pollett away with a fresh and irresistible salvo. Two all! Attention turned to Reed-Collier(board three),which had been a steady affair all evening and had progressed to the dreaded rook and pawn phase. Here at last Reed showed his superiority, and when Watson had to give up his last piece for a monster pawn the Old Lags soon found themselves toasting a 4 –2 victory. (HKM)
Report to follow.