Horfield E come a cropper against Bath University

Horfield E 1.5  The University of Bath 2.5

Horfield E left winning ways against The University of Bath at the club on Tuesday 16 October.  Horfield despite a quick win from Jonnie couldn’t quite do enough to slay their august opponents.  Jonnie won on board four after Thomas McIlveen dropped his queen but only Peter on board 3 was able to score anything after that.

Jonnie won quickly exploiting his opponent’s inexperience at this level, despite being half his opponent’s age.  Loni’s game went backwards and forwards, a pawn down, the exchange up but the active knight, with a rook against the two rooks caused trouble as Loni’s rooks were too far up the board and so vulnerable to the mobile forking knight.  Peter’s french held only just for the draw and Graham was always struggling to maintain parity and in the scramble at the end had to resign significant material down.

After the match, where both Graham and Oliver had written there moves down right to the end it was wondered if this is required.  (Well Derek wondered!)  I have checked the laws of chess and there is no need to write the moves down once you have less than five minutes on your clock, even if you earn enough time to have more than five minutes left you don’t have to write them down.  (If increments are 30s or longer you do have to write moves down whatever.)

Also you can move as soon as your opponent moves but you have to write you last move down before you make you next.  So, as white, you play move 30 and must record it before you make move 31.  But you can play this before writing down black’s move 30.  This is important if you are short of time.

Congressbury have pulled out of the league so there is no fixture now until 13 November when we paly the University of Bristol C team.

Alex