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Good start to the season in the 7200 League 11/10/22

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Written by: sjb

Category: Club News

Published: 12 October 2022

A good start this week for Atticus in the 7200 League  picking up useful victories over Waterloo and Hoylake.

MCA U7200 Mon 10th Oct 2022

MCA U7200 Tue 11th Oct 2022

Atticus 4 Travel Well

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Written by: Sanjoy Banerjee

Category: Atticus 4

Published: 16 September 2022

There may well be higher profile fixtures as the season unfolds, but this one seemed to come with just a sprinkling of stardust...

Atticus 4 travelled together in good spirits (and even brought three travelling supporters) to Wallasey for a match where both sides fielded a combination of experienced hands and young tyros.  On paper it looked to be a tight contest, and the final result does not reflect how keenly contested most of the games were.

Chris sealed the first point for the team getting the night off to a good start.  On board 3 Martin opted for a Semi-Tarrasch yet after the unusual but playable 5.Bf4 found himself on the wrong end of some sharp tactics.  John's aplomb in finding mate in 5 from move 18 gives further warning of the potential of this fast improving player.

Nathan was next to finish in an up and down game that looked lost, then salvageable and finally decisive in our favour.  Steve Winstanley and Natasha both gained creditable draws, effectively sealing the match, the former in a reverse Carlsbad structure where a peace accord broke out late in the evening yet early in the middlegame, the latter deep into the endgame against a Hedgehog.

The pièce de résistance however was the competitive debut of fourteen year old Alfie Melia, against relative novice at this level (and incidentally my pupil), Saul Marks.  A wild game of back and forth devolved to a knight v bishop endgame, with Alfie having doubled f-pawns in a kingside 4 v 3 majority versus Saul's passed c-pawn.  The composure both players showed in a balanced and subtle endgame does them both great credit, yet the chess gods decreed there would be a winner...and it was Alfie.  We will see much more in the future of this talented young man.

So a breathless evening drew to an end, at a venue where it has always been a pleasure to play.  Wallasey will pick themselves up and dust themselves down, while Atticus 4 will move onward and upward, sending the fans home happy!

Cross Keys Closed Monday Sept 19th at request of the Management,all matches to be rearranged

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Written by: sjb

Category: Club News

Published: 15 September 2022

Cross Keys Closed Monday at request of the Management

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Written by: sjb

Category: Club News

Published: 15 September 2022

Newcomers Lead the Way as the New Season Starts in Earnest

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Written by: Sanjoy Banerjee

Category: Club News

Published: 14 September 2022

After the summer hiatus (during which time Atticus members traditionally seek out such exotic spots as the Rivieira, the Algarve and the Wirral), the new season began with a blizzard of fixtures.

It was a renewal of acquaintances with Izzy Abuleela, who migrated Down Under twelve years ago, but was back to head up a stellar Atticus 3 line-up on Monday night against a strong Skelmersdale side.  Izzy and Steve Burge drew on the top two boards, while Mike Williams and Mark Wadsworth gained handy victories on boards 3 and 4.  Our very own "Captain Tom" (Webb) shared the spoils with Bart McHugh on board 5, and Artur Hrabchak marked his debut for the club with a victory on board 6, taking the tally to 4.5 v 1.5.  We are pleased to welcome Artur and his girlfriend Olena to the club.

On Tuesday, Atticus 6000 went one better, by notching up a 4-0 victory away at Prescot & Knotty Ash.  With board four defaulted, two of the club's phalanx of Steves did the business on the top two boards (respectively Philp and Winstanley) while another debutant, the fast improving John Pickering, a regular of the Tuesday night crew at Bookbinder in Lark Lane, exploited an ill-timed f6 in the French to land checkmate in 17 moves!

Life was less straightfoward in cyberspace where Atticus kicked-off the new 4NCL online season with a fixture against Plymouth 1.  Steve Kee won a nice game, but Roger was ambushed by a FIDE Master on top board, and myself and Neil Tabor were left to lick our wounds, culminating in a 3-1 reverse.

So, the season begins in earnest and it looks as though the new kids on the block have started firing the first shots.  It was a pleasure to welcome old friends and new, with Steve Burge's sister and her friend Cosetta from Bologna also attending the club on Monday night.

Well done to all that played, and we look forward to many more fun nights ahead!

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