Match Report: Horfield C vs Clevedon C (14 September): We’re back!

Glory be. Chess. I must have missed the feature on the late-night national news but it felt meaningful to me.

From the openings and into the middle games the balance felt like it was marginally with Horfield. Mike L and Brian were positionally sparring in a QGD where Mike had accepted the IQP; it looked pretty even. Mike J has a space advantage with two central pawns out of the Alapin Sicilian but it was a marginal plus as Adam’s position was tidy. Scott had chosen a Sicilian against David and they had ‘anti-dynamicised’ [Ed: sort of a word….] the position with rigid pawn chains across the board blocking the centre. Felt even as well. Mikey was the only player with an obvious advantage across any of the boards; Doug had played a Scandinavian then become very passive, Mikey’s pieces were out, on good squares and Doug still hadn’t castled with possible threats lining up against e6.

Board 4 finished first; Doug self-destructed playing f5 to chase away a piece but left his pawns in a right mess (e6, f5, g7, h6) and got his pieces in a dreadful tangle which allowed Mikey to combine pressure on e6 with loads of space around the black king to invade. It resulted in muchos material lost and the game finishing in 26 moves. A very competent start of the season. Mike L and Brian swapped pieces off and I guess from Brian’s point of view (and mine as it happens) a draw against a higher graded player was a good night’s work; draw offered around move 30, draw earned with solid play, and draw accepted. Mike J had a very slight edge throughout the game but it ended with move repetition as an even position stayed even. Finally on Board 3 Scott had tried to generate play down the semi-open c-file but wasn’t able to make much of it, lost material in a squeezed position and David closed out the game.

A drawn match. Lovely to be back in action.