HULL & DISTRICT CHESS ASSOCIATION IN ‘THE I. M. BROWN SHIELD’.

By David G. Mills, Match Captain.

 

PART 1. HULL & DISTRICT CHESS ASSOCIATION v CALDERDALE ‘B’.

 

The first match of the Yorkshire Chess Association 2011/2012 League Division 2 season saw the promoted Hull & District Chess Association team at home to Calderdale ‘B’ on 1st October 2011.  Our opponents had finished in mid table in season 2010/2011 with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats so the outcome was likely to be a good indication as to which part of the division we would be occupying.  They included in their ranks David Milton, former Hull & District Secretary and Honorary Life Member, who left East Yorkshire in 1987.  I had decided to field the strongest team available and when our opponents arrived they were one short, having lost a player on the day to their ‘A’ team.  This gave me the opportunity to take a win by default and concentrate on the important duty of tea boy.

 

On exchanging team sheets I was pleasantly surprised to find that Hull & District enjoyed an advantage of between 10 and 29 grading points on every board.  This eventually proved far too much for Calderdale ‘B’ to overcome.  In fact, only on one board could it be said that they should have obtained a full point.

 

 

 

On top board Eric Gardiner accepted his opponent’s offer of the ‘c’ pawn in the Queen’s Gambit, judiciously returning it for queenside pressure that netted a further pawn on move 27.  A few moves later this advantage became a piece for a pawn and he comfortably won the ending of K+B+4P v K+5P.

 

Connor, M. I. - Gardiner, E. [D20]

I.M.Brown, 01.10.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nc6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.d5 Na5 7.Bxc4 Nxc4 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bd6 10.Nge2 0–0 11.0–0 a6 12.a4 b5 13.axb5 axb5 14.Qd3 b4 15.Rxa8 Qxa8 16.Nd1 Rb8 17.f3 Bb5 18.Qc2 Qa6 19.Re1 Nd7 20.Nc1 Qa5 21.b3 Ra8 22.Nb2 Qa6 23.Ncd3 Qa2 24.Rc1 Ra3 25.Nc4 Qxc2 26.Rxc2 Bxc4 27.Rxc4 Rxb3 28.Nc5 Rxe3 29.Nxd7 Rc3 30.Nxe5 Bxe5 31.Rxb4 g5 32.h3 Bg3 33.Kf1 Rc2 34.Rb5 Rf2+ 35.Kg1 Re2 36.Rb1 Re1+ 37.Rxe1 Bxe1 38.Kf1 Bg3 39.Ke2 Kg7 40.Kd3 Kf6 41.Kd4 Bf2+ 42.Kd3 Ke5 43.Ke2 Bc5 44.g3 Kd4 45.Kf2 Kd3+ 46.Kg2 Ke3 47.e5 Kd4 48.d6 cxd6 49.exd6 Bxd6 50.g4 Ke3 0–1

 

David Stephenson decided to entertain me on board 2 by playing a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit against Neil Suttie.  This looked to have been the wrong choice, however his opponent declined to play a sacrifice that appears to win whether or not it is accepted.  Four moves later a draw was agreed with black in a position to force perpetual check.

On board 3 John Thackray used the Cambridge Springs variation of the Queen’s Gambit against Dave College to win a pawn in the opening.  After advancing his queenside pawns, he returned it to obtain a huge ‘c’ pawn.  This cost his opponent a piece and black efficiently converted the ending.

 

Colledge, D. - Thackray, J. [D52]

I.M.Brown, 01.10.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5 7.a3 Ne4 8.Qc1 Nxg5 9.Nxg5 dxc4 10.e4 Be7 11.f4 Bxg5 12.fxg5 b5 13.Be2 0–0 14.0–0 Qb6 15.Qe3 e5 16.Rad1 exd4 17.Qxd4 Qxd4+ 18.Rxd4 Ne5 19.h3 Be6 20.Rfd1 a5 21.Nb1 c5 22.Rd6 b4 23.h4 Rfe8 24.h5 Nd3 25.Bxd3 cxd3 26.R1xd3 c4 27.R3d4 Rac8 28.a4 c3 29.bxc3 bxc3 30.Nxc3 Rxc3 31.Kh2 Rc5 32.Rd8 Kf8 33.Rxe8+ Kxe8 34.h6 Rxg5 35.hxg7 Rxg7 36.Rd2 Rg4 37.Rd4 Ke7 38.g3 f5 39.Kg2 Rxe4 0–1

 

An off-beat line of the Scandinavian Defence – Centre Counter if you are over age 50 – on board 4 saw Ian Bell win a pawn on move 19 and hold this into a rook and pawn ending.  His opponent then overlooked the fact that he had allowed his king to enter a mating net from which there was no escape.

 

Bryan Hesler used Pirc’s Defence to equalise on board 5 but neither player could generate an advantage.  The queen and pawn ending was agreed drawn when David Sugden was in a position to force perpetual check.

 

On board 6 David Milton’s early …. c4 to close the centre is generally regarded as a strategic mistake as white usually receives good play in the centre.  Richard Callis was able to leave his king in the centre and attack there and on the kingside.  The game was concluded with material equal when David Milton overstepped the time control with five moves still to be made.

 

Callis, R. O. - Milton, D. H. [D02]

I.M.Brown, 01.10.2011

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Nbd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 c4 7.Bc2 Be7 8.Nbd2 0–0 9.h3 Nh5 10.Bh2 g6 11.Qe2 Qb6 12.Rb1 Bd6 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Be7 15.Nf3 Bd7 16.g4 Ng7 17.Bf4 Qd8 18.h4 f5 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Be5 Qe7 21.Kd2 Qf7 22.Rh2 Ne8 23.Rbh1 Qg7 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 25.h5 g5 26.Nd4 Nd6 27.f4 gxf4 28.g5 fxe3+ 29.Qxe3 Qf4 30.Re2 Rae8 31.Qxf4 Rxf4 32.Rhe1 Ref8 33.Nxe6 Bxe6 34.Rxe6 Nf5 35.Rf6 Ng3 36.h6 Rf2+ 37.Kd1 Nh5 At this point Black lost on time. 1–0

 

Steady play in a Sicilian Defence on board 7 saw Alec Grice equalise and then enjoy a slight positional advantage.  Accurate defence by Steven Priest held the position until a draw was agreed around move 49.

 

A very encouraging start to the campaign, suggesting that Hull & District players are more likely to be contesting places in the top half of the division rather than looking over their shoulders at the relegation places.  The fact that several grade 140+ team members were not there is also cause for optimism.  Next fixture – home to Rose Forgrove ‘B’ on 15th October 2011.