Horfield A kick on with comfortable win at Clifton B (21/09/17)

On Board 3, Mike Harris quickly put his opponent to the sword in 22 moves using yet another “unconventional” opening…

On board 1, Aaron built a very threatening position against Chris’s Modern Defence. However, Chris was able to make it complicated with a timely e5 break, and although black’s position looked on the verge of collapse it was more difficult than it seemed. Reluctant to open up his own king in an attempt to push his queenside pawns, Aaron decided that a draw by repetition was the safer option.

On board 2, I tried the same line of the French as in the last match, and again found that I had perhaps allowed white too free an attacking hand. However, this time, rather than accepting a short draw, I played for complications with my two bishops in an open position providing plenty of compensation for a pawn, and this proved decisive.

On board 3, Mike H’s unorthodox opening quickly paid dividends when he was able to gain time to push his central pawns before the black king had found safety. Once Mike’s e pawn reached e6, this was too much for the black position to bear, and with the black queen lost, his opponent resigned.
Phil on board 4 was a pawn up in the early stages of the game, although it wasn’t clear to me whether the pawn had been lost or sacrificed. White certainly had compensation and could perhaps have made more of his chances. I missed the details of end of the game, but Phil managed to find counterattacking chances and ended the game with checkmate.

Rob, on board 5, was able to push a pawn to e6 (echoing Mike’s push on board 3), cutting black’s defences in two, and forcing a quick conclusion.

Mike J had stepped in to the match at short notice and put up a good fight into the endgame on board 6. Unfortunately, a tactical slip cost him his knight, and this was too much to avoid defeat.

So, overall a good result, helped as ever by the replacements brought in to replace the A team regulars.

(1) C. Beaumont 0.5 – 0.5 A. Guthrie

(2) J. Waterfield 0 – 1 D. Pugh

(3) M. Sierra Jiminez 0 – 1 M. Harris

Play through game

(4) J. Coxwell 0 – 1 P. Nendick

(5) T. Jankowski 0 – 1 R. Attar

(6) A. Carver 1 – 0 M. Jennings

CLIFTON B 1.5 – 4.5 HORFIELD A

NB: Horfield were black on boards 2, 4 and 6.