Played at the Navigation last evening -
Marple A V East Cheshire A - Stockport Lge. Div 1 - 16/04/2015
1 A Longson 1-0 J Reed
2 A Walton 1-0 P Ramsey
3 J Bentley 1-0 S Tranter
4 J Horton 0-1 T Rickards
5 I Lentzos 1-0 D Taylor
6 G Trueman 0.5/0.5 P Bamford
4.5/1.5
We began this match hoping not just for a win but a win by a high margin in order to improve our board points difference ahead of our critical final match of the season. Ultimately we went some way towards achieving our goal but the match was not without problems.
One was my game. Originally fourth reserve I ended up playing as several higher graded players became unavailable. I had previously beaten Paul in a Pirc but this time he chose a very solid Rubinstein French which he knew well. This was illustrated by the fact that on move 14 I spent some time analysing what would have been ultimately a suicidal two piece sacrifice. After the game Paul told me this was still a theoretical position and I fortunately for me I had played the recommended move. We reached an ending where I thought I had a slight advantage. I had Knight V Bishop but with a healthy 3-2 Queenside pawn majority. Pauls 4-3 Kingside majority was "spoilt" somewhat by doubled f pawns.I could also force Blacks queenside pawns onto the same colour squares as his Bishop making it appear somewhat bad and my King was one square nearer the centre. For some time I thought I was playing a "Petrosian" ending but all my winning attempts seemed to be leading nowhere. Eventually we repeated the position three times and the game was drawn.(0.5/0.5) When I got home after the match, totally exhausted, I went to bed. But I couldn't sleep, where had I missed the win?. At about 1.30 I couldn't stand it anymore got up and asked Mr Fritz to show me. What I find fascinating is my perceptions were all wrong. Paul, despite his low grading had played virtually perfect chess up until move 38 of a 41 move game. At no time in the ending was I winning, it was equal at best.The only "mistakes" Paul made were on moves 38,39 and 40 where instead of allowing the repetition Paul had missed winning, if very hard to see, moves. What I had thought was a dropped half point was actually a half point gained.
My comments on the other games will have to be brief as I saw very little of the play. Alex as in our last match showed his superb technique and achieved one of the most difficult tasks in chess by winning with Black against the London system. Particularly so here as it was essayed by a top 1d4 player in John (Reed).
(1.5/0.5).
Ioannis then won but despite playing on the next board I was aware of virtually none of the play.He had met a quiet system with an e5,c5 set up. (2.5-0.5). John then beat Steve in a pawn ending but what preceded it is unknown to me. (3.5/0.5). Alan beat Phil when Phil ran out of time but by that point Alan was already winning. In this game Phil had met one of Alans favourite systems with a KID formation but I suspect never quite equalised. (4.5/0.5).
The final game to finish produced an unexpected result but Tudor has "form" having previously beaten both Paul and myself. Here Jamie seemed to secure a small advantage against an Alekhine but as he said to me afterwards, it was one of those positions where it was very difficult to know what to actually "do" with the advantage. Ultimately Jamie overpressed and advanced his Kingside pawns too far. Aided by Jamies lack of time Tudor was able to take control and ultimately took the full point. (4.5/1.5)
Many thanks to all who played/drove. We now play Stockport in two weeks time. The mathematicians tell me there are three ways we can win the League -by winning,drawing or even by losing, providing we secure at least 1.5 points.So we hold the advantage but nothing is decided yet.
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