Sunday 24 October 2021

Odds and Sods

A good name for a post about KCC, don't you think? In fact. so good I've almost certainly used it before. But so what? If it was originality you were after, you'd hardly be visiting this site, would you?

As I'm writing this, we've been back in OTB action for just over 6 weeks, and more or less everything has been going swimmingly, results wise. All 3 Cup teams have progressed to the semi-finals, while the A and C teams are on 100% league scores, and the D team has drawn its only game so far. The B team are obviously in deep water, mixing it with a teams in Division 1, but having already scalped Banbury A, and been moral victors over Olton A (did anyone hear a mobile phone ring?), Ben's lads can also be well proud of their performances to date. And our Coventry League team is - for the moment - on 1/1. But don't anyone think this over the board success has been achieved easily. It took considerable strategical and logistical planning to put the club in such a healthy situation - as evidenced by this exclusive, and hitherto top secret, photo of the KCC Planning Summit which was held during the summer, and where the season's strategy was formulated by the club's greatest brains. We decided to call our 2021-22 plan, "Operation Barbarossa." What could possibly go wrong?

It's a miracle we've even managed to get any players to the board on this evidence! Presumably, our success must be down to the KCC mega-brain who - for security reasons - does not appear in this photo.

Due to pandemic related quirks, I now find myself in proud possession - on the club's behalf, of course - of both the Leamington League Division 1 and KO Cup trophies. The last time they both adorned my sideboard (poetic licence - I don't actually have a sideboard) was in the glorious season of 2013-14 when, superbly led by Paul on top board, we did the double. Now we (by which I really mean I) have the two trophies again - but without doing the double at all! We won the KO Cup in 2018-19, and I still have it - the 2019-20 season competition was abandoned at the semi-final stage (I am confident we would have won it anyway!) and 2020-21 was a complete washout due to Covid. By contrast, we were awarded the Division 1 title for 2019-20 on a points per game basis, when play was stopped by the first lock-down. Anyway, here they both are, with the KO Cup looking especially resplendent having just been giving a long overdue clean by yours truly!

In fact, somewhere there's a third trophy we should have, as the C team won Division 2 in 2019-20. And in fact maybe we do already have it, as the B team won it in 2018-19!! 

You'll probably have gathered by now, that the sole reason for this post is for me to use up some photos I've taken in recent months. So while I'm at it, and a propos of absolutely nothing else, here is this year's must-have fashion accessory for any self respecting chess player. Get your significant other to treat you for Christmas, or even put your hand in your own pocket and do the decent thing! Either way, make sure you mention it in your letter to Santa.

The Immortal Game, as modelled by an Immortal Body!

Well, there's only one way to finish up this meandering, and that's obviously by presenting the Immortal Game itself. Observant readers will have noticed that we have had to switch to another player to feature games here, due to technical factors beyond my understanding. Please refer to the Webmaster if by some remote chance you want more information!


In the final position Black is a mere 21 points to the good, materially speaking, but if I had to choose, I think I'd pick White! A truly awesome game. Certainly deserving to be remembered by a sweat-shirt

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