Information - temporary Thursday evening changes

A note for everyone who attends or plans to attend our Thusday evening sessions, courtesy of our esteemed club chairman: "As many members will have heard by now, the Gauntlet pub where we having been playing for the last few weeks is to close this Sunday. The pub chain who own the building are apparently in talks with several interested parties about taking on a new Lease but nothing has yet been agreed. Mark and I have decided that rather than seek an alternative venue at this stage, we will await developments to see if the Gauntlet does reopen and if so, whether we can continue to play there. We have considered other options but at present, we would prefer to continue at the Gauntlet. For the interim period, we have decided to revert to online play as happened during Covid. There is already an established Kenilworth club on the Lichess website where many of you will already be members. In addition we use a program called Discord which enables us to talk amongst the members present on the site. Josh set this up for us at the start of the Pandemic and has kindly agreed to issue guidance as to how to join. The intention is that we will meet online on Thursday evenings from 7.30 until we can play in person again, be it at the Gauntlet or if necessary elsewhere." Hopefully we will all be back up and running in a few weeks, but if anyone does plan to join us online on Thursdays in the interim, just send me an email (imscar1986@gmail.com) and I can send you the necessary information.

World Exclusive - Magnus Carlsen Reads the KCC Blog!

 Well, that's the only conclusion I can come to after yesterday's events in Round 6 of the Norway Chess tournament being held in Stavanger. There simply isn't any other possible explanation. As the Iron lady said, "There is no alternative."

You only have to go back to the post of April 3rd to find the key piece of evidence. The report of the A team's win over Stratford A (which clinched our fourth successive LDCL Division 1 title) contained the beautiful queen sacrifice finish which Billy pulled off against Richard Dobedoe. If you can't remember what happened, here it is again, in all its glory.

Well, knock me down with a feather, but what happened yesterday in Norway but this. World number 1 Magnus Carlsen used Billy's exact motif to  deliver checkmate against current - but clearly ailing - world Champion, Ding Liren. 

So I think I'm on safe ground in being pretty confident that Magnus must be a KCC Blog reader, because there is simply no other way he could ever have come up with such a great idea if he wasn't copying Billy

Anyway, now we've established exactly where Magnus gets his best ideas from, it can only be a matter of time before we see some of Joshua's bizarre opening systems appear in his repertoire. And I expect he'll soon be fianchettoing his knights, too!!

Meanwhile here's an old favourite (though not with me, I can't stand the song!), but this post has clearly shown that its not only the history book on the shelf which is always repeating itself!

Return to The Gauntlet

After 19 months at The Ale Rooms, during which time the available furniture inexorably reduced till it was almost a case of standing room only, KCC's Thursday evening club nights have returned to our former home, The Gauntlet. Our first stay at the Gauntlet ran from June 2017 to October 2022 and spanned the 15 month Covid-lockdown period.

Home sweet home! Again!!

It doesn't seem to have changed a lot from what I could see based on our first night back last week, which rather unfortunately coincided with one of the infrequent Kenilworth Runners' social meetings. As a result we were confined to the dark side of the moon, I mean room, but we hope to be back on the sunny side of the street, I mean room, next week.

There's a lot of rubbish talked about "You can't go home" or "You can't go back", but we can and we have! Fingers crossed for a long stay, though in the modern world of the hospitality industry, that might be a tad optimistic. You never know. Anyway, enjoy this week's song. Very appropriate, I thought.

The 2023-24 KCC Stars

It wasn't quite like Oscars Night at the AGM last week (not a red carpet in sight, for a start) but in our little world the crowning of the two KCC stars for the 2023-24 season was just as exciting and important. Two new, richly deserving winners added their names to the roll of honour of previous illustrious winners.

The newly crowned Player of the Year is Paul Badger - making Paul the third successive winner of this award (after Hector and Harry) in their debut competitive season for the club.

Paul - one of the very few club members able to look the Chairman in the eye! - receives the historic Tilley Trophy from Bernard, as KCC Player of the Year

Final standings:-

1 Paul B 9/11 (81.8%)

2 Javier 18/23 (78.3%)

3 Bruce 17/22 (77.3%)

And a record was set in the Clubman (Clubperson!) of the Year award, which went to the youngest ever recipient, Keatan, for his outstanding contribution to the club -  both competitively (4th in the PotY competition; played in 4 of our 5 LDCL teams; match winning hero in the U8750 Cup Final; played in both our Coventry League and Cup teams) and socially (regular on Thursday evenings, despite rather pressing alternative demands on his time - good luck with the exams!!).

Keatan receives the shinier and larger (but less historic!) Clubman of the Year Cup from the Chairman

 

Many congratulations and well done, chaps!

Three Steps to Heaven

Place: Solihull

Date: Wednesday May 8th, 2024

Details that will be spoken of in hushed tones for years to come, as this was where and when history was made. For the second time in three years we got all three of our Leamington League Cup teams through to Finals night. In 2022 we managed to lift the Open and U8750 Cups, while last year we "only" made the final of the Open and U1600 competitions but in winning both we again picked up to two out of three trophies. In 2024, KCC was again trying to go one better and win all three cups in the same season, for the first time ever. This was a feat which had been performed only once this century (by Banbury in 2015), so clearly this is no everyday happening. How did it go? Let me tell you!

Step One - Kenilworth 3.5 - 0.5 Daventry (U1600 Cup Final)

The Kenilworth team comprised three juniors - Dylan, Lionel and Gregory - and a (very!) senior - Roy. The Daventry team unfortunately comprised only three players in total, which meant a wasted journey for Lionel and an extra hour wait before he could claim the win - a great shame as this is clearly the only time he will ever be eligible for this competition, given his tremendous recent form and rocketing rating.  1-0 soon became 2-0, as Dylan scored an absolutely crushing win on Board 1 (with the Black pieces) after forking his opponent's king and queen in double quick time. This actually meant we had already won the cup, as even two losses would have left us winning on tie break (board elimination), but our boys were not having any of that, and after Roy secured a steady draw on Board 2, Gregory rounded things off with another win to give us a decisive victory.

The U1600 Cup Heroes: Back (l-r); Patrick (non-playing Captain), Roy and Dylan. Front (l-r); Lionel and Gregory

Step Two - Kenilworth 3.5 - 1.5 Stratford (Open KO Cup Final)

A fourth consecutive triumph (and 6 of the last 7!) for Kenilworth, and a third consecutive League and Cup double in the process. But it was not plain sailing by any stretch of the imagination. Javi drew quickly and efficiently on Board 1 against Ben Larkin, but it was all to play for on the other boards. I was especially nervous about Joshua's position (for virtually the whole evening!) though he has subsequently assured me the engine never thought he stood worse. I can only assume the engine in question was PinkFish, and is programmed to be biased in favour of Joshua-style dubious positions! Jude was actually second to finish, defeating Richard McNally for the second time in a few weeks, before Joshua - inevitably - took us to the verge of victory by beating Richard Dobedoe. The victory celebrations had to put on hold when Bruce, uncharacteristically, went down disastrously against David Gardiner in a queen ending where one side had a lot more pawns than the other, but victory was confirmed when after a very measured game Andrew's steadily growing control translated into decisive material gains against Sam Cotterill. 

The Open KO Cup Heroes - (l-r) Bruce, Andrew, Javier, Joshua and Jude

Step Three - Kenilworth 2.5 - 2.5 Olton (U8750 Cup Final) - Kenilworth win on tie break!

So two down, one to go, but things were not going according to plan in the U8750 final. Dhairya had got us off to a flying start with a brutal kingside attack against Andy Cottom which only ended when checkmate was delivered and when Paul drew against Rob Reynolds everything in the garden looked rosy. But then Solomon and Ben both fell to defeat (against Richard Evans and Richard Liszewski, respectively), which left us facing defeat. But there was still hope - if Keatan could win on Board 1, he would tie the scores at 2.5-2.5, and we would win on board elimination. But he faced no easy task, as Black against the very experienced Richard Reynolds (how about that - Olton had three Richards in their team!?) . The position was very complicated and Richard sacrificed an exchange, although it wasn't at all clear to me that it was good. And indeed Keatan, despite severe time pressure, then played excellently to invade with his rook and dominate White's remaining minor piece. A rampant passed a pawn then won that minor piece and with it the game - and the Cup. A tremendously composed and mature win from Keatan, in highly pressurised circumstances.

The U8750 Cup Heroes:- (l-r) Solomon, Paul, Keatan, Ben (Captain) and Dhairya

And so the season ended in an unprecedented blaze of glory. It was particularly gratifying to see all 6 of our junior players winning on the night. (Watch out KCC oldies - they're coming for you!) Congratulations to all the members of our three victorious teams - though I like to kid myself that non-playing captains and spectators also deserve a share of the glory - as Milton nearly wrote several centuries ago, "they also serve, who only stand and watch!"

Kenilworth Dominate LDCL Blitz Championships ...... Again!

It was another highly satisfactory night at Solihull yesterday for Kenilworth at the annual Leamington League Blitz Championships - which  for reasons unfathomable to me, many people insist on calling the Lightning Championships (or even worse the Lightening Championships, which is something entirely different!)

After last year's clean sweep of the podium, courtesy of Javi, myself and Bruce, history repeated itself, as KCC again took the top 3 spots. However, there was a significant change in the personnel involved! Clearly showing my age, I dropped out of the pace-setters early in the event, and it was left to Bruce to make the running. Which he did to marvellous effect, winning all his first 7 games, including a win over red-hot favourite Javi. At that stage it looked like he could coast to victory, as he had a full 2 point lead on the rest of the field. But in a spectacular melt down he managed to lose his last two games, which enabled Javi to catch him and - in the absence of a tie-break - share the title. There was more glory, though, as Bernard turned back the clock to put in a performance redolent of his golden years, when he won this event (1988) and finished runner-up on several occasions. Clearly those thousands and thousands of Thursday evening blitz games have served some purpose after all.  There was no money for third place, but Bernard did scoop some cash by winning the Category 2 prize (under approx 1820) which was well deserved. Before the event I told him his role was to beat anyone from another club and lose to other Kenilworth players, and he followed my instructions to within an inch of perfection. He notched up 6/6 against non-Kenilworth players but netted 0.5/3 against KCC opposition thanks to a draw with Ben.

Ben and myself finished in a tie for 10th with 5/9 - a big disaster for me as second seed, but exactly what my play deserved. Ben spent much more time than me at, or near, the top boards and also had to help out with organisation between rounds, so his finishing result was certainly more meritorious than mine.

Javi looks happy to have just about held on to his title; Bruce looks mortified at letting a 2 point lead slip to only share first; while Ben shakes hands with the Invisible Man

Never mind the glory, give the man his cash! Bernard back in the big time.

So everyone from KCC was either dishing out the prizes, or collecting them. Except me. Which explains this week's choice of music. Never has a title been more expressive!

Job Done

So there you have it. The Division 1 season has finally come to an end, with the A team - after already clinching a fourth consecutive title after beating Stratford A on March 25th - playing two competitively meaningless fixtures in the last week. Our star top two boards took a well earned rest, and with the B team's season already concluded there was no problem in still being able to field strong line-ups in each match. Even if they may not have looked that strong with me on Board 1!

Last week we travelled to Solihull, and returned home with 2 more points after a 3-1 win. Bruce and Andy B packed too big a punch for the home team on Boards 3 and 4 and took us most of the way to the winning line. I especially liked Andy's clean transition to a winning bishops of the same colour ending, while Bruce's victory was gained in typically chaotic/creative style. And talking of chaos, we were actually losing on the top two boards for quite some time. I dropped an exchange against Don Mason after overlooking that a tiny little move by him (pawn from f7 to f6) suddenly set up a cheapo that I had seen didn't work the move before. Thankfully I got a pawn in compensation, but I was dead lost nevertheless. But Don got himself into serious time trouble and made a couple of inaccuracies which enabled me to get an equal position. However, I then went wrong again and grabbed a second pawn which gave him the edge again, but as he was down to 20 seconds by this stage - and the correct sequence was not easy to find - he felt obliged to offer a draw. Andrew's game against Ray Carpenter on Board 2 was even more erratic. Andrew was clearly better but completely overlooked a big knight fork, which cost him an exchange. Somehow, though, he fought back so strongly that he ended up in a winning position thanks to a monster passed pawn and a very active king. But just as it looked like he would pull off a win, there was another change of fortune, and Ray somehow salvaged a draw.

And then last night it was off to Olton for the final league match of the season. The team was the same as against Solihull, except that Joshua came in as a replacement for Andy who - of course - could not possibly be available for two matches in a row! And in an uncanny repeat of the previous week, his Board 4 game also came down to a bishops of the same colour ending where he was able to annex some White pawns to achieve victory. A most un-Joshua like sort of game, with scarcely an outrageous move to be seen! Which was not the case in Bruce's win over Richard Reynolds on Board 3, where his pet opening seemed to have somewhat misfired at one point, with the Black position looking preferable to me. But massive confusion inevitably soon took over the board, and while Joshua tells me that Bruce could easily have dropped a piece in the time scramble, what actually happened was that Richard overlooked that Bruce could play the move Qa8 mate! Though by that time Bruce was winning anyway.

Things did not go so well on Board 2, though, where Andrew had a distinct off night against Mark Cundy and came under persistent pressure on the kingside while having little or no counterplay in return. I missed the denouement, but apparently a Black knight dropped off and that was that. Luckily, however, I was playing Alan Lloyd on Board 1, and after achieving a breakthrough win against him last summer in the Phil Holt Memorial Team Tournament (after previously losing 5 and drawing 5 of our first 10 encounters!) the chess gods have clearly decided to balance the score. We had a very exciting game (as I said to him afterwards, "People of our age really shouldn't play that sor of chess!") where it was equal; then I was worse; then I was winning; then it was equal; then I was better; and then I was winning. His resignation looked a bit premature, to me even though I was winning a clear exchange, but I was especially glad to take the point, as a loss would have taken my rating below 2100 for the first time in very many years. And so it was 3-1 again, which meant that we had won every match this season by either 3-1 or 3.5-0.5 ....... except the one we lost to Banbury A! The (almost) final league table really tells the story of the domination of the two Kenilworth teams - and especially of the A team, given its huge game points difference.

As they used to say in 18th century English horse racing circles: "Eclipse first, the rest nowhere."

And talking of which, here is the animal himself, as captured for posterity by George Stubbs.

Regrettably, the A and B teams won't be joined in Division 1 next season by the C team who just missed out on promotion last night, but 2 Kenilworth teams in Division 1 is probably quite enough for the rest of the league.

That just leaves the little matter of 3 Cup Finals for the club to contest. We won 2 of the 3 when we last managed to reach 3 finals in 2022, and 2 out of 2 last year, so there is a chance for history to be made on May 8th. May the force be with us!

So, four consecutive Division 1 titles demands an epic musical contribution. And if this isn't epic then nothing is! But please note the special Club rule that applies here - once you start watching/listening you have to play the WHOLE video. And - you lucky people - that means instead of the 9 minutes 5 seconds of the album cut, you get 11 minutes and 48 seconds on this 1977 live version! And if you don't like the music, you can always enjoy the scenery.

Game On

The C team travelled to Solihull last night, knowing that victory against their B team followed by a win against Leamington A next week, would secure promotion to Division 1. A quest that seemed improbable at the start of the season and still unlikely at Christmas, has certainly gathered momentum in recent weeks...

With Harry away, I stepped into the team as captain, perhaps becoming the first player in League history to play Solihull B four times in the course of the season! Having won 0.5 - 3.5 away to Solihull B with the D team recently, and with Solihull's team actually being slightly weaker than on that night, we were certainly hopeful that we would get the job done. 

In the end we ran out 0 - 4 victors, but as ever there is always a little more to an evening than the final score. I was the first to finish, against Mike Warden on Board 4. We'd got out of the opening with me having the better pawn structure and some interesting kingside play, and I was manoeuvring to find a break though when Mike attempted to simplify by offering an exchange of queens. In so doing, missing a tactic that enabled me to rip open his king, chase it up the board and deliver checkmate.

Paul finished a few minutes later against Matthew Allen on Board 3, who since his excellent win against Solomon earlier in the season hasn't had much joy against Kenilworth players. Having lost spectacularly quickly against Dhairya last week, there weren't the same fireworks here, but 15 minutes in I thought Paul had a won position. He'd picked up a pawn, had much the healthier queenside structure, and Matthew lacked any obvious counterplay. Following which Matthew proceeded to swap everything off at lightening speed. With no realistic hope left, Matthew slowed his pace, but Paul's excellent technique meant that victory was just a matter of time and by 9.00 we were 2-0 up.

Bernard's game against Akshath Shivakumar on Board 2 ebbed and flowed and was not a great deal of fun to watch. I certainly thought Akshath was better at the halfway stage, and complexities abounded. Bernard gradually assumed control. It seemed to me and Keatan that Bernard missed a stone cold kill, when Rb8 would have lined Bernard's queen, rook and g7 bishop up on white's b2 pawn and king on c1 in a way that would have ended the game on the spot, but chess is always an easier game to watch that it is to play. Bernard might not have been totally clinical, but he still had enough, and around 10.20, he brought home the full point against a very talented junior.

Which just left Keatan against Julian Summerfield on Board 1. Keatan played brilliantly, and in winning deservedly lifted his rating over 2000, which is a tribute to his commitment, talent and dedication this season. I expect when the game is analysed, people will be full of praise for the way in which Keatan slowly squeezed Julian out of squares over approximately 1000 moves. However, as a watching captain, it was nowhere near as much fun in the moment. With the match win so crucial (and Bernard's game uncertain) I found myself praying that Keatan (who was very short of time) did not buckle, as Julian had offered a draw that would have won us the match. Clearly Keatan has much stronger nerves than me, and the way in which he eventually broke through was terrific. He thoroughly deserved his win. 

So the best two teams in Division 2 will go head to head for the title and automatic promotion next week. Kenilworth C need to win. For Leamington A a draw will do. It promises to be an interesting evening. 

Whatever happens, the team's exploits this season highlight the sheer strength and depth at the club. We have come a long way and can truly celebrate all that has been achieved.

A Visitor from the East!

A couple of weeks ago we had the great pleasure of welcoming back, just for one night, a KCC member from pre-covid times, Algis Toleikis. Algis was visiting Kenilworth with his family from his home land of Lithuania, and found time to pop into the Ale Rooms to catch up with a few old friends and play some chess. I say a few, because only Joshua and I of the older club members were there initially, though Bernard did hot foot it back from Solihull, after a crushing win for the D team, to join in the reunion. But thankfully there were several newer KCC members also in attendance to join in the welcome. A shame that more of Algis' old friends from the Gauntlet days weren't around, but  - no names mentioned - they are bound to miss out on such enjoyable occasions if they opt to sit in a dark room in, say, Fen End instead of socialising with their mates on a Thursday evening! Anyway, I can report that Algis was in excellent spirits and reported that things were going very well back home, where he is once more in the world of academia, but now running his own team and research projects. He certainly looked in good health!

Algis, flanked by Dylan and - lurking in the darkness - Joshua 

Algis' chief enemy was always the clock, but there seems to have been a remarkable transformation in the last few years, as within about 90 minutes of arriving at The Ale Rooms, he was doing the unthinkable, and playing a bullet game with Steph! As preserver of club morals (and club chess clocks!) I have since had to outlaw this practice on club nights as being far too exciting for a respectable chess club, but it was certainly quite a sight on that particular night.

I was extremely fortunate to win my single rapid encounter against Algis that evening, as he was giving me a very hard time for most of the game. There's no doubt he would be a very useful player for us if he ever gets the urge to return to Warwick University!

But the really big news he was able to tell us was that he had recently notched up a GM scalp. It was in a simul, but it was still a GM - and not any old run of the mill GM, but quite a celebrity in the chess world. His victim was Viktorija Cmilyte, a former European Women's Champion who has been a (full) GM since 2010, with a peak FIDE rating of 2542. She is also well known as the former wife of GM Alexei "Fire on Board" Shirov and, since 2013, as the wife of Peter Heine Neilsen, Danish GM and chief coach/second of Magnus Carlsen for many years. She is largely inactive in the chess world these days, as her career has taken her into politics where she is currently Speaker of the Seimas - the Lithuanian Parliament.

Algis in play against Viktorija Cmilyte. Little does the GM know what is about to happen! 

Regrettably, the whole game has not been saved for posterity ...... but the conclusion has! In this complex position, both teams are on the verge of landing knockout blows to the opposing king. Despite the excitement, the all seeing chess engine tells us - almost inevitably - that it is a dead draw. The evaluation, of course, is 0.0! But you still have to find the right moves, and even for a GM that can sometimes prove to be too difficult a task!

Bravo, Algis! A great scalp. Best of luck for your life and career in Vilnius from everyone at KCC. It was great to have had you as a club member for a few years, and it was a real pleasure to see you again. And hopefully it was not for the last time!

Season Review/Double Quick Time!

 Kenilworth D completed their League program last night with a convincing 3.5 - 0.5 victory away to Solihull B. While we rightly celebrate the fact that our A and B teams are first and second in Division 1, and that the C team is vying for promotion from Division 2, it would have seemed fanciful not so long ago that we could also have a D team that is so strong. 

Yet we were right up there with the Division 2 pacesetters until quite recently, and are ending the season comfortably in mid-table, with a Cup final to look forward to. As well as Solihull B, we've also triumphed against Banbury B and Olton B and have drawn one of the two matches against every other team in the Division (including Leamington A) - with only Kenilworth C doing the double over us (with a little help from our star player following Keatan's promotion.)

Dhairya has topped scored for the D team with 5/8 and secures my captain's award, as our team's player of the season as a result. Without doubt, Dhairya has a very bright future ahead of him. 

We've used ten players in all, nine of whom got on the scoreboard. In terms of the other 6 who played more than one game - Keatan's help on Board 1 in the first half of the season was terrific, and he thoroughly deserved his subsequent promotion to the C team. We were very fortunate that we subsequently picked Michal up out of nowhere, and he proved to be an excellent replacement on Board 1 in the final stages of the season. Bernard Rogers, Phil and Solomon all played a decent number of games to good effect. I played the most of all (10 of the 12) and if far from spectacular was pretty solid. Hopefully I have something to build on after a steadier season than the previous one. 

So how did we beat Solihull having lost to them 0.5 - 3.5 at home a matter of weeks ago? Well, the short answer is very quickly. Dhairya was stuck in traffic so we kicked off a player down, with Dhairya arriving at 7.45, prior to the single most eventful 15 minutes of the season.

Bernard was playing Paul Silverman and Paul walked headlong into an awful trap, with multiple pieces including his queen under attack. It was just horrible for him straight out of the gate. I settled down to think about my move against Shivakumar Akshath, when I heard an end of game conversation breaking out, and the sound of pieces being tidied away. I assumed Paul had decided to call it a night, but to my amazement saw that Matthew Allen had resigned his game against Dhairya, after ten minutes of playing time. Dhairya literally hadn't even taken off his coat! Again, Matthew had walked into a trap and couldn't face playing on. So Dhairya was able to head for home barely before he had arrived, having put us in a great position.

There is no better player when he is ahead than Bernard. In hindsight, Paul probably wished that he had followed Matthew's example and resigned earlier... With a glint in his eye and a ruthless level of efficiency on the board, Bernard spent the next 45 minutes or so brutally demolishing his opponent. It was a joy to watch and we were 2 - 0. It wasn't even 8.30!

I had a slight edge against Shivakumar and I thought Michal also looked better, so I offered the draw that would secure us the two points, and wasn't that surprised when it was accepted. The team had achieved a famous scalp!

I actually headed home at this point so I could enjoy the end of Chelsea - Man Utd. (I am a Man Utd fan, so I didn't, but that's another story...) But Michal's subsequent text to tell me he had won against Julian Summerfield was welcome news indeed! 

Hopefully the U8750 team can repeat this triumph when we return to Solihull to play Olton on the 8th May. It really has been a very good season. While the D team won't grab the headlines, all involved should be really proud of their efforts.