The Coventry League got off to a somewhat belated start this week, when joint defending Division 1 champions, Coventry A, breezed into our small town (population c25,000) only to be sent back to their teeming metropolis (population c325,000) on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.
There was, though, quite a difference between the Coventry team which won the title in 2019-20 and the team which we faced on Tuesday. Missing/gone were top board Henrik Stepanyan and Board 3 stalwart Dave Ireland, while first and second reserves Bernard Charnley and Ed Goodwin were also conspicuous only by their absence. This left much-loved KCC double agents, Joshua and Lionel on the top two boards for the visitors, with Bava Manackam and Warwick Scaife rounding out their team. We fielded our normal job lot, except that Bernard R had been drafted into the squad (rather unwillingly!) to replace Dave Shurrock, who is on a sabbatical from league chess.
Four tough games ensued, though it was slightly disappointing that we managed only two draws from the first two games to finish - in both of which we had White. Bernard was close to mounting a decisive kingside assault in the Board 4 encounter, but he couldn't quite line up the right sacrifices to breakthrough. In the end he sacked a bishop on h6, but this was only enough to force perpetual check. Still, a decent Division 1 debut for Bernard, and only his third ever CDCL game, despite being an active KCC player for over 40 years!
The second draw came on Board 2, where Mike seemed to be just exerting a slight squeeze on Lionel's position, with a doubled Black pawn on c6 looking rather vulnerable and a great outpost on c5 for a White piece. But as we all know, Lionel plays a tough game, and he was able to keep the balance with some kingside counterplay and both players were content to agree a reasonably early draw.
Then we struck a decisive blow on Board 3, where Ben beat Bava after a very tough struggle. For all evening it looked far more drawish to me than the two games that did end in draws, but both players just kept grinding away and in the end it seemed to be White's clock management that let him down and enabled Ben to win in the ending. A splendid example of perseverance and determination.
And so to Board 1, where I was playing Joshua for the first time OTB since January 2015 - other than the 27,000 blitz and rapid games we have played on club nights in those ensuing years - and for the first time in a Kenilworth v Coventry encounter - other than the three online games we played during lockdown, in one of which I/Joshua contrived to lose the league title for KCC through him winning. Still, I went into the game with a +3 =3 score against him OTB, but knowing that there was going to be a big fight. That's just the kind of guy he is! Though hopefully with age he will become just the kind of guy who agrees quick draws so we can save ourselves a lot of angst and torment!
Of course, he went straight for the jugular, but an early inaccuracy left me in a comfortable position, though I was apparently not better as I wrongly believed during the game! But then he went wrong, and I missed a one move win. Then he went wrong and I missed another win (both times the key move was Rxa3+ sacking a whole rook!), and we all know what happens in those circumstances. In increasing time trouble I refrained from an obvious and strong move in favour of a "safe" move - which was actually so unsafe that it almost lost the entire house. From two pawns up, I lost both and also had to give up my queen for two rooks - at one point going down to 4 seconds on the clock. Joshua soon followed me down on the clock, as he looked for a win that wasn't there, but which he had to try and find for the sake of the match score. Many moves were made, (some of which may not even have been blunders); Joshua made some progress, but my defences just about held and it remained a totally drawn position. But when you can't/won't play a drawing move, you are eventually bound to play a losing one, and so it came to pass and Josh had to resign as a surprise mate threat proved impossible to stop without giving up the queen. An epic game with - from my perspective! - a fair result, though definitely not achieved in the right way. Josh may have a different view of events!
It was nice to get off to a winning start, as with only 8 league games in total, there are not that many opportunities to win any points. And once again, no individual games lost. Not sure how long this will continue, but let's enjoy it while we can.
And meanwhile, here's the last time Coventry suffered such a giant killing - though on that occasion - when I was unfortunately present - Sutton could only win 2-1. Which was still enough to make it one of the worst days of my life!
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