A quick chess puzzle to begin with: White (Howard Groves) has largely dominated the game, and in the position below has just played 44. Re1?? What happened next?
Thanks again to everyone who stepped forward for tonight’s match, and apologies to those I had to turn down. I’m keen to give more different players a game in what remains of the season, so please keep up the positive responses!
Host club Pimlico found their resources rather stretched by comparison, with three of their teams in action in the bustling church hall. It wasn’t long before both Ryan Benguelo and Richard Murphy were able to take advantage of some careless play to gain material, and I was close enough to Ryan’s game to enjoy seeing him totally snuff out his opponent’s counter-chances before eventually breaking through to victory. It was pleasing to also see Richard convert the full point, after his rather chastening debut for the team earlier in the season.
Up on top board – as so often in this campaign – Joe Skielnik found himself seriously outgraded, and this time there were to be no defiant heroics on his part, sadly. Meanwhile Darius Zutautas was having a bewildering-looking tussle on board 4, with his opponent looking to have more than three pawns for a sacrificed piece, given the manner in which they were advancing in phalanx on Darius’s position. However, to his credit, Darius weathered the storm and emerged into a won endgame to clinch the match.
As for my own game, it proved to be the last one in the church hall to finish. To his great credit, my 106 rated opponent, having survived long enough to reach the above diagram position, found a move I simply hadn’t seen coming with only 2 minutes left on his clock!
The game ended:
44…Rxg4+! [Gleefully, the computer switches its evaluation from “+1.5”ish to “0.00”!] 45. Kxg4 Qg2+ 46. Kh4 [other king moves actually lose] Qh2+ 47. Qh3 Qxf4+ 48. Qg4 Qh2+ with a perpetual
Had I played a move like 44. Qd2 (among others) I would have retained my advantage; but still, onwards & upwards for the team! Well done everyone (else!)…
