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Wallasey B v Atticus 4 13/2/20

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Written by sjb

Category: Atticus 4

Published: 14 February 2020

MERSEYSIDE CHESS LEAGUE 2019-20

MERSEYSIDE CHESS LEAGUE DIVISION 3

MATCH REPORT

WALLASEY B v ATTICUS 4

Game 8 of 12 13/02/2020 WALLASEY B v ATTICUS 4

Bd WALLASEY B ECF No Grade Aug 2019 (Jan 2020) v Grade Aug 2019 (Jan 2020) ECF No ATTICUS 4

Jeff Povall 117337G 135 (142) ½ - ½ 131 (132) 301442D Mike Williams*

Anthony Roberts 188628K 138 (132) ½ - ½ 125 (128) 120918J Mark Wadsworth*

Stuart Smiley 194277D UG (154)** ½ - ½ 122 (123) 126943E Jim Wiseman* (Captain)

Ken Jones 166401D 133 (132) 1 - 0 121 (128) 121292J Tom Webb

Rick Purcell 299928G 123 (125) 1 - 0 114 (113) 119122J Howard Sleeman*

Brian Wiggett 304150F 128 (123) 1 - 0 110 (112) 176165B Steve Winstanley

MATCH RESULT

4 ½ - 1 ½

Atticus 3 played White on the Odd Boards

*= Starred Player (Cannot Play for a Team in a Lower Division)

(Jan 2020) = January 2020 Grade; ** = Last Known Grade (Year 2014)

Result Slip sent in by: Jim Wiseman (Atticus 3)

For a long while it looked like we would get something out of this top of the table clash. I had a fairly comfortable game against Stuart Smiley but could get no more than the half-point. However, we were looking good on the bottom bords so I was quite happy. When Mike Williams and Mark Wadsworth also picked up draws (Bds 1 & 2 respectively) I was quite hopeful that we might win the match.

It was not to be though. Gradually, Wallasey B began to push back against the tide. Howard and Rick Purcell played out a very interesting game. Rick went material down but got considerable counter-play. With Howard threatening Mate in one for several moves Rick held his nerve and managed to negate the threat, winning back material to boot. This proved sufficient for the win.

Steve Winstanley also had a strong position until he walked into a fork which cost him material. He, too, found counter-play but it was not quite enough and Brian found the resolute defensive moves which assured him of victory.

Tom Webb and Ken Jones played out a close fought encounter but the Wallasey player managed to gain a positional advantage that eventually won him a central pawn which, in the end, proved to be enough for the win.

Wallasey deservedly won the match and have now leap-frogged us to go top of the table   REPORT JIM WISEMAN

Aigburth v Atticus 1 12/2/20

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Written by sjb

Category: Atticus 1

Published: 13 February 2020

Atticus 1 travelled last night to Aigburth 1 in what promised to be a hard-fought match with Atticus1 seeking to regain the League top spot (in the tight three-team battle with Atticus 2 and a re-energised Liverpool team) and Aigburth trying to keep clear of another relegation battle as the season approaches the final quarter. The match was all that and much more with excitement and surprise from the start to the conclusion. Just as the Team sheets were being exchanged at 7:30 Aigburth suddenly confirmed that Andreas Vogt (who was expected later as a spectator only) was able to play and was inserted as a super-sub strengthening the Aigburth line-up considerably.  I will report as the results unfolded. Board 2:- Andreas Vogt v Charlie Kennaugh. Andreas has been brilliant in his time in the MCA and I think has only ever lost once in it. He played his usual Queen's Gambit and Charlie played the Accepted line getting a tenable but slightly weaker pawn structure. Unfortunately Charlie made a mistake and a clever Queen move saw Charlie losing a rook or being back-rank mated and we were quickly 1-0 down. Board 7:- John Lambert v Brendan Kane saw John playing a London system and he seemed to have full control and a slight edge when Brendan blundered and the score was now one-all. Board 5:- James Rothwell v Daniel Rowlandson. Daniel played a calm French and while James had well placed pieces, Daniel was super solid and as Queens and pieces came off there was no way James could get an advantage and the draw was agreed. Board 6:- Sanjoy Banerjee v Dave Eisen. Dave played the English which Sanjoy met with the solid Symmetrical system. Dave's knight was not well placed on F4 and Sanjoy pushed his F pawn creating a dynamic position. Both had play but it seemed equal-ish. I am told Sanjoy won material but the game concluded in a well fought draw...Match still level and balanced. Board 3:- Dave James v Gerry Cohen. Gerry met Dave's QP with the Bf5 Slav and chased Dave's Queen with an intetesting manouvre. Once Queens were off it looked level but Gerry over-extended and lost a central pawn. When Dave had 2 Bishops and pawns v Gerry's Knight and Bishop and one less pawn I think Dave was winning. Unfortunately the Queen-side pawns became blocked and Dave eventually took Gerry's draw offer...Match still level. Board 1. John Redmond v Roger Williamson. I am not sure what Q-pawn opening this was but John got double F pawns and Roger seemed to have a lot of play and a lot of pressure. John took the b-pawn and I missed the culmination which I am told was Roger achieving a smothered mate and we were now 3.5-2.5 down with just my game to finish. Board 4:- Nick Martin v Steve Lee.  A battle to rival Tyson Fury v Denontay Wilder's with similar conclusion !!  I played my trusted but now jaded Caro-Kan against Steve who played the Exchange variation. Black is usually very solid in this but has limited counterplay. Steve played quite aggressively and as I re-grouped he played an unexpected Queen move with threats and as I defended Steve sacced a piece giving a strong attack. Though I defended this I ran short of time finding the only defence. I got 2 pieces for a rook and we both made errors, and as the clock drew low I won further material and with both of us having less than a minute I now had a rook, a bishop and pawns against Steve's lone King and pawns but no time for me to deliver mate. We were hammering out moves furiously , oblivious that my flag had fallen and Steve had 10 seconds till his flag would fall too when an Aigburth player next to Steve loudly stated "Clock" at which point Steve claimed the win on time ! This would have been a dismal end particularly as Steve had no chance of saving the game otherwise , and I pointed out that this outside interference was expressly forbidden under the Laws of Chess and particularly by a co-team member and that  it had alerted Steve that my flag had fallen as his was about to do so too and therefore had a direct impact on the claimed win. By way of compromise Steve indicated he would accept the game as a draw and though I would have won had I just 30 seconds more it seemed a pragmatic outcome between Steve and I. Sadly it meant Atticus 1 had lost narrowly by 4-3 and were unable to regain top spot in the league and Aigburth's unexpected victory gives them much better prospect of remaining in Division One.  A fascinating if bruising encounter. Well done to Aigburth    REPORT NICK MARTIN    GRADES BELOW FROM AUGUST 2019
12th February 2020 19:30
Aigburth 1			171	4.0 : 3.0	Atticus 1		171
1	L	Williamson, Roger G	208	1 - 0	L	Redmond, John P	214
2		Vogt, Andreas		1 - 0	L	Kennaugh, Charles W	192
3	L	Cohen, Gerald M	180	0.5 - 0.5	L	James, David J	194
4	L	Lee, Steven	171	0.5 - 0.5	L	Martin, Nicholas E	166
5	L	Rowlandson, Daniel	163	0.5 - 0.5	L	Rothwell, James P	160
6	L	Eisen, David	155	0.5 - 0.5		Banerjee, Sanjoy K	129
7		Kane, Brendan D	146	0 - 1		Lambert, John F	145

Atticus 2 lose out 11/2/20

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Written by sjb

Category: Atticus 2

Published: 12 February 2020

 Atticus 2 were able to field their strongest line-up of the season but came up against an even stronger Liverpool team(apparently their strongest in 40 years) with IM Malcolm Pein on Board 1.The Liverpool Team deservedly took the points, Atticus 2 remain on top of the League but now only Board Count.

 Luke Boumphrey continued his fine season with a win over Mike Hardman, David Lawson and John Williams coming out with well earned draws. Steve Kee might have got a half point as Malcolm Pein only had 1 second left on the clock as he delivered mate. 

11th February 2020 19:45
Liverpool 1			191	5.0 : 2.0	Atticus 2		182
1		Pein, Malcolm	220	1 - 0	L	Kee, Steve	195
2	L	Foord, Dominic	203	1 - 0	L	Stancak, Andrej	193
3	L	Tian Yi, Wang	190	0.5 - 0.5		Lawson, David DA	194
4	L	Ali, Rashid Mohammed Amin	189	1 - 0	L	Bimpson, Tom	173
5	L	Hardman, Michael J	177	0 - 1	L	Boumphrey, Luke S	170
6	L	Griffin, Michael	173	1 - 0	L	Christodoulou, Giorgos	171
7	L	Januszewski, Piotr	184	0.5 - 0.5		Williams, John P	177

Just Another Manic Monday

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Written by Sanjoy Banerjee

Category: Atticus 3

Published: 04 February 2020

It is always a pleasure to host our cross-city rivals.  Liverpool were missing a couple of key players, whereas we were able to field a full-strength side for the first time this season.  I was especially intrigued to see how the board four clash would play out between the serial deracinator of foliage (Bashar) and our own arme secrète. 

Dave was first to finish, to our detriment.  What immortal hand or eye doth frame Dave’s fearful asymmetry?  When it works it is oftentimes astonishing, but this was a night of the other kind. 

Thankfully Brian was able to effect a swift redress, barrelling through in an Accelerated Averbakh against (on this occasion) a hapless Steven Lloyd, whose exertions at the weekend in Frodsham may have taken their toll. 

Martin and his opponent were locked in a blitzkrieg in a Scotch Four Knights, which was ultimately decided when white injudiciously allowed a trade of two rooks for a queen in an otherwise equal position. 

John and Ian halved in a game I had (perhaps unfairly) reckoned lost, which left just Ben and I to finish. 

I had suffered an opening malfunction, which effectively gave odds of a- and b- pawns albeit with some compensation by way of a lead in development.  The equation between material and initiative was in the balance but Peter defended accurately as my fightback ran out of steam.  Two and a half points each. 

Ben and Bashar had debated a Panov-Botvinnik, which had simmered on a low heat, but came to the boil in spectacular fashion.  Both players had two and a half minutes remaining when Ben detected a mating net.  He allowed his clock to drop to forty seconds as he coolly calculated the prospective win.  But all which glisters is not gold and Bashar, at fourteen years of age, was able to guide his team to a scintillating victory. 

On a personal note, and on behalf of Atticus Chess Club, I would like to wish a speedy return to health to Dave Leeming, whom we missed on the night and look forward to welcoming back soon as the mainstay of a solid team.

Cannon on Fire 3/2/20

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Written by shankly

Category: Atticus 5

Published: 04 February 2020

Atticus 5 v Aigburth 3  February 3rd 2020

Atticus 5 under the leadership of Chris Wentworth have become a team of Chess Allstars past and present this season. Old friends Liam Cadigan, Steve Philp, Tom Lawton and Nathan Haddy have all been involved and it was good to see Neil Tabor able to feature again.Unfortunately the team badly miss the services of Dave Hurley who has been ill in recent weeks.

 The highlight of the night was the return of Geoff Cannon who last played over 20 years ago Geoff played a fine game and his last listing of grade 110 looks to be well underrated.

The win put the team on top of the Division on level points with Liverpool Juniors,however they will be difficult to overtake having not lost a match this season.

03rd February 2020 19:30
Atticus 5			110	4.0 : 2.0	Aigburth 3		113
1		Wentworth, Chris	128	0.5 - 0.5		Kane, Brendan D	146
2		Burge, Steve J	121	0.5 - 0.5		Kane, Sean	131
3		Lawton, John	100	0.5 - 0.5		McCormick, John	102
4		Cannon, GS	110	1 - 0		Thomas, Alan	106
5		May, Natasha	90	0.5 - 0.5		Capstick, Paul	80
6		Tabor, Neil	89	+/-		Default