Very wet, roads closed, a notice on the door saying the Jackson Social Club is closing. All a bit ominous if you like to read the runes.
Looking across the boards out of the openings no one had decisively made such a mess as to think it was definite points in the bag. Alan had kept the centre open and had a number of pieces pointing at f7. The pressure told and Andy gave up the exchange and a pawn to calm the situation. Alan noted he then missed the most crushing line and black had some compensation with the bishop pair and some decent looking outposts for his knight. Advantage white but a lot of play left. There was another open centre on board 2, Michael looked a little better but not decisively so. On board 3 I’d built pressure down the c file with a few pins; Alex had elected to keep his king central to hold things together and avoid his weakened kingside but it was definitely advantage to white. Very even on board 4. Judd and Jeremy were testing each other’s structural awareness but it wasn’t clear who was going to find the better plan (or any plan). Likewise on board 5 Rajani and Piotr had a balanced position. Finally on the bottom board James had dropped/given up a pawn and launched a king side pawn attack but it looked very much advantage to Joaquim who had no obvious weaknesses in his position.
First to finish was board 2. White had won queenside pawns and as James strove for counter-play he overlooked a bishop check that forked king and rook. That was that and James had lost the game and his unbeaten start to the season. After that there was a long wait until the next game ended. It was board 5, in an even rook and pawn endgame time pressure told on Piotr (not a new song unfortunately) and he missed the best continuation and ended up passive and then lost. Yate 2-0 up. On board 6 Joaquim pulled a point back. Black had always been ahead and firstly simplified into two pawns versus knight to consolidate his advantage, then he forced through one of the pawns to leave it K+Q vs K+N. White played on to keep black honest but once Joaquim had separated king from knight he eased to victory.
Alan levelled the match with a good win over Andy on top board. Black had positioned his knight in the centre and asked white how he was going to progress with his pair of rooks whilst black nudged his queenside pawns forward supported by his king. After declining a draw offer white decided the answer was to take knight and pawns for two rooks. Alan had calculated his advanced kingside pawns were too far forward for Andy’s rook to deal with and after a scramble of promotions Alan’s third queen, and the fifth of the game, proved decisive. On board 4 Jeremy found a plan first and exerted pressure down the h file. Judd didn’t have coordinated counter-play and succumbed to the attack. Yate back in front and the final game on board 3 looked lost for us. I’d taken a solid advantage and turned it into an even game by not being able to find a continuation to my plan. Then from an even position I’d dithered about which side of the board to play, tried to play both sides, and let Alex in on the queenside. He’d won pawns and simplified down to queen and 5 vs queen and 3. However his advanced pawns allowed me to threaten to activate my queen behind his front line and harass his king. I won a pawn back and offered a draw. Alex turned it down and we both entered our last five minutes. As black’s time ticked down faster than white’s Alex got his king into an area without escape squares and allowed me to mate him. 77 moves of chess decided by a time induced blunder.. Match levelled and we’re still in the race for a top two finish.
Details here: More than a bit lucky
Horfield & Redland Chess Club 