BATTERSEA 1^ST TEAM

London League – Division 2

Adjournments every night until Christmas…

Well, it may have been Thanksgiving in the US, but travelling into town I didn’t expect much to be thankful about at Golden Lane. Lewisham manage to field a consistently solid side and we were without Alan, Dan (who was unwell), Joe and Robin. On boards 9 and 10 we were outgraded by 20 points average.

As it stands, we need 3.5 points out of 5 adjourned games, but this is distinctly possible.

Tony’s opponent played Karpov’s old favourite 3. Nd2 against the French, aiming for a long term positional advantage. Hopes of a perpetual check at the adjournment proved false and Tony resigned without resuming. Ray took a different approach and played the closed / KIA line against the French and adjourns in a dead level position. My opponent observed after the game that he had never seen anyone play the opening against his wing-gambit Sicilian as quickly as me (let’s face it, not a comment that can be made very often about my games –must be those vitamin pills.). After soaking up some early kingside pressure I adjourn a passed pawn up on the 6^th.

Paul enjoyed a tactical slugfust against the Alekhine in the kind of game that’s fun to play. Although I didn’t study his game much it was apparent from the Smyslov-like way he was moving the pieces that he had a nice position and so it proved. Tim, I think, played a Slav, and although having a better bishop vs knight middlegame, a draw was always likely. Emil often seems to get middlegame positions where he stands slightly better but without enough to convert to a win. Andy’s opponent adopted a Kings Indian Attack set-up and Andy had the unenviable task of defending a cramped, difficult middlegame but goes into the adjournment in an unclear position.

Many thanks to Arnold who stood in at short notice for Dan and despite having early queenside pressure against his opponent’s Dutch, suffered due to his opponent’s strong knight on e4. David’s opponent played an early bishop sac on f7 in the Petroff, which to my superficial glance just seemed to give up a piece for little compensation, but there you go. David said later that his opponent explained that it is a book line, but is known to be unsound. Despite missing a mate in two, David adjourns clearly ahead. Andres put in his usual strong performance, this time not hindered by rapidplay concerns (although it still helps to press the clock, Andres!) and came out of a Keres Attack in the Sicilian into an ending two pawns ahead.

As always, my comments are based on a superficial wander around during play. It’s always possible –even likely- that they’re grossly inaccurate or even downright unfair. If so, er, sorry.

Thanks, as always, to everyone for playing. I look forward to the points rolling in from the adjournments!

Richard Edwards

28^th November 2009