Match Report: DHSS v Battersea 2, 21st Oct '09
Once again we fielded a complete team with no defaults and everyone arriving on time - I might add that the latter is a considerable help to the captain as he watches and waits with trepidation for people to arrive - in fact I think I was the last!
The score stands at 5/2 in our favour with Adrian adjourned on board 2 facing a dificult rook and pawn endgame, a pawn down against an implacable opponent. Good luck Adrian - I hope it will help you to relax knowing that the match is won. We did outgrade the DHSS team for the most part but still, the job has to be done.
We were fortunate to have the magnificent Chris Beckett on board 1 who ouplayed his opponent's semi-slav defence and ended up with a curious endgame in which, despite it being on a wide open board, Chris's agile knight was far superior to his opponent's bishop: Brendan O'Gorman DHSS's regular top player duly resigned. Andy on board 3 left the playing hall barely ten minutes into the match, disgusted after overlooking a mating attack by his opponent. We've all been there so we all sympathise Andy, but I appreciate that is not much help - any more than is the fact that greater players than us have done the same thing and I'm sure will go on doing it. I played a lack lustre game winning two pawns with the black side of a semi-slav Botvinnick variation but running out of position in the process and finally having to concede a draw to an opponent sixteen grading points below me. David polished off his opponent in fine style and left early to spend more time with his family. Nick faced a French, advance variation, and engineered a useful draw with the black pieces. Martin, always willing to vary his approach, played a Scotch - 4 knights variation - which someone in the bar referred to as a Double Scotch - and his opponent resigned in a materially equal position sensing that Martin could march his King up the e1/a5 diagonal and attack his queenside pawns while his own king was stuck on the king's side. Mark prevailed against Ian Lawrence's (DHSS's long serving captain) Torre attack. Looking at Ian's book on the subject in the bar afterwards, Mark decided that the defence he had played had been a rare one. He also found a move at one point that would have handed the advantage to his opponent. He should not allow this to cloud his pleasure at the win: a win is a win - and on this profound observation I shall close this report.
Well done everyone.
Details with grades where known:
Home
team DHSS | Away team Battersea
2 | Adjournments | date | time | venue | 1 | B. O’Gorman (166) | 0 | 1 | Chris Beckett (178) | | | | 2 | G.
Cook (154) | A | A | Adrian Somerfield(144) | 28/10 | 7.00 | GL | 3 | D. Gilbert (134) | 1 | 0 | Andy Palmer (153) | | | | 4 | M. Whitworth (128) | ½ | ½ | Arnold Hunt (144) | | | | 5 | B. Tysoe
(127) | 0 | 1 | David Wigg (134) | | | | 6 | M. Smith
(112) | ½ | ½ | Nick Ward
(not known) | | | | 7 | D. Ash (not known) | 0 | 1 | Martin Gill (122) | | | | 8 | I. Lawrence
(81) | 0 | 1 | Mark Somerfield (u) | | | | Latest/Final score | 2 | 5 | |
Next match Friday, 20th November. Arnold | 