The Handicap Trophy came to a fascinating conclusion on Tuesday, February 28 at the club.
After four gruelling rounds of knock-out chess, four players were left standing. The ever-inventive and magnificently named Venerando Bermudez was squared up to face the player some may still have thought of as an interloper: Edward Clark.
Ed had come up the hard way having been knocked out in the second round by the junior Gregory Konyakhin, but when Greg had to withdraw Ed was promptly bounced back into the competition for a third round.
This time he made no mistake and knocked out Will Stafford to win a place in the semis. Djuna Tree’s progress through the rounds had been more conventional. She just kept winning. Wins against the strong opponents Paul Stokes, George Ainsworth and Ven Bermudez (puzzled? Ven lost to Djuna but got himself back into the semis by winning the loser’s round robin) had probably set her up as bookie’s favourite for the title.
This is not always a comfortable place to be. Her opponent in the semi-final would be Son Tung Nguyen. Tung had also just kept winning too – but having to give two moves to Alan Palmer in the third round was just too much and he scored his first defeat.
He thought his run was over, but Alan had to withdraw and Tung found himself right back in the thick of it and having to face Djuna – and give her odds – in the semi-final.
The Semi-Final
Venerando Bermudez (1514) 0 – 1 Edward Clark (1506)
Son Tung Nguyen (1815) ½ – ½ Djuna Tree (1605)
Tung and Djuna’s draw meant they had to play a 3 + 2 blitz decider. This went Tung’s way and Djuna’s brilliant run in the Handicap was over The Final was set up between Tung and Ed Clark. Tung’s groan could probably have been heard in the bar. He’d had to give odds in every single game and the final was not going to be an exception. Ed on the other hand was still bemused and wondering just where he’d gone right to get himself into the final.
The Final
Edward Clark (1506) 0 – 1 Son Tung Nguyen (1815)
Tung, playing with the black pieces and without his f pawn was a worthy winner. He reflected afterwards that he’d managed to consolidate and then equalise. He wondered if an odds receiver might feel obliged to exploit their advantage and play in a style actually unfamiliar to them. Ed was full of admiration for Tung’s play. Tung had played fast and built up a lead of eighteen minutes. It had come down to an endgame of Ed’s two rooks against Tungs’s queen but Tung had a dangerous passed pawn and so was able to convert. Ed had played d4 and c4 for his first move as odds receiver but later wondered whether this was in fact the best. It was all over bar the photographs and this report.
It is nine years since the Handicap Trophy was contested. It’s great to see it up and running again. It is a handsome trophy and would grace anyone’s sideboard. Let’s make sure it’s not another nine years before someone gets the chance to wrest it from Tung’s very capable hands. Congratulations to the winner and the runner-up – Ed can put aside his imposter syndrome he thoroughly deserved his place in the final – and a big thank you from me to a
