Leamington League Division 1 Winners and Runners-Up 2024 Leamington League Knock Out Cup Winners 2024 Leamington League U-8750 Cup Winners 2024 Leamington League U-1600 Cup Winners 2024 Runner-Up - ECF Website of the Year 2018
We had the second leg of our top of Division two clash away against Coventry A last night. I am delighted to be able to report that it went much better than the home match!
Chess is always about resilience, both for teams and at an individual level. I had lost back to back games at the Coventry Congress on Saturday, and my opponent then didn't turn up on the Sunday morning. "The weekend from hell" as someone put it to me. An incredibly cheering conversation followed during which it was asked whether I was in the right section (I was the number 10 seed and well over the grading limit for the section below) and it was pointed out to me that the much higher rated player I had drawn with recently "drew with everybody." More painful than the chess... But clearly the key is not to look to others for motivation but just to get on with it. I won a really good game against Ian Brodie (who I don't have a brilliant record against) on the Sunday afternoon and felt much better. Given I'd also won a game on Thursday for Shirley on the Thursday that put me on 2/4 for the set. So a convoluted way of saying that chess is all about swings and roundabouts. We all have good days and bad days. You have got to be in it to win it! Setting out with the same team that had lost 1-3 to Coventry in the previous match, we knew we needed to show what we could do both collectively and individually. Resilience is all.
Andy got us off to a terrific start against Maung Latt (who most be a contender to be the strongest player in Division 2.) Having been beaten in the previous game, Andy dug deep and played ultra-solid, ultra-professional chess. Maung had no way through and Andy delivered us an excellent half point to start things off.
On Board 2, Paul was again playing Jonathan Fowler, and another incredibly lively game ensued. Paul looked to have the better of it on the board, Jonathan on the clock. In a very complicated position a draw (mirroring their previous encounter) was a fair result. So 1-1.
There was heartbreak for Rhys on Board 3 against Ed Goodwin. The pair are of very similar strength, but Ed is becoming something of a nemesis for Rhys. In a position that looked fine to me, Rhys overlooked a tactic and fell into a mating net. This gave Ed his third win against Rhys in recent weeks. Unfortunate, but Rhys is delivering so much for the team and getting great results more generally. Just one of those nights for him... 1-2
All of which meant I had to win against John Harris on Board 4 to get us a share of the spoils. This was the only match which didn't mirror the home encounter in terms of opponents, but my challenge was a similar one. Namely to beat a lower rated player, which I had failed to do last time out, when my own terrible choices led to a draw against Dave Filer. This one would ultimately prove to be a happier experience. I found a nice tactic to win a pawn, which John countered with a knight sacrifice. For a moment my head swam and I wondered what I had missed, but the sacrifice wasn't sound. I emerged up by a piece to a pawn. At that point in the proceedings I assumed I was going to be the first to finish. However, the position remained incredibly open and complicated. As with 80% of my games these days, we played till the final few minutes and were the last to conclude. I eventually found a way to simplify and once I'd got the queens off, I was looking much more comfortable. John ultimately lost on time in a lost position. So 2-2.
We had done it! This means we stay one point ahead of Coventry A in the table, with both teams having played the same number of games. With five matches to go, it's in our own hands. Who can say whether we will hold on or not, but either way, we are all going to dig deep.
Its been a long time since I played on consecutive nights for Kenilworth, but Monday and Tuesday of this week saw me back in double action and also gave me the chance for another twofer post, when you get two match reports for the price of one.
On Monday the A team hosted Olton A in the Leamington League. We were distinctly below strength, though still fielding a pretty respectable team, but with Jude, Billy and Keatan all in the Isle of Wight this week, we were missing the youth dynamic that has been a feature of our success in recent years, and Javier was also absent. Fortunately David made one of his rare appearances for the club (nice to see you again!) but he's virtually an old man now that he's in his twenties, so we weren't expecting too much of a youthful dynamic from him, and he didn't disappoint! In fact, he was the first to finish, agreeing a draw with Mark Cundy on Board 2 after his non-mainstream approach failed to get anywhere against Mark's Dutch Defence. My game finished next, with me victorious against Richard Liszewski. Richard went wrong in the early middle game, and after some distinctly sub-optimal play from both parties I eventually won a piece for a couple of pawns and then swapped off all the pieces to secure the point. Unfortunately, though, Andrew lost on Board 1 against Alan Lloyd, and it was all level again. This left Mike to decide the match against Richard Reynolds. Mike had been pressing slightly for most of the game, and I had hopes that Richard would find the defence too difficult in time pressure, but when Mike went the wrong way about winning a stray Black pawn, Richard was able to steer the game into an opposite bishops ending that was easily drawn despite the pawn minus. So only 2-2 in a match we would have hoped to win, though it was enough - just! - to send the A team back to the top of the table ahead of Banbury A, who had also dropped a point in their most recent match against Stratford A. All still to play for.
Regrettably there was pretty much nothing left to play for in our penultimate Coventry League match of the season last night against Nuneaton A, with bost teams destined to finish amongst the also rans behind Warwick Uni A. But our encounters usually result in competitive matches in which both sides can fancy their chances when play starts. Though I didn't fancy our chances much last night almost from the off, when Ben made a horrendous blunder in the opening against Tony Green and was immediately 2 pawns down and lost. As he admitted afterwards, he almost resigned and went home, but thankfully he stayed, rolled up his sleeves and tried to find some way of making life difficult for Tony. And somehow or other he must have succeeded as he produced a miracle save to make a draw!
Which was what also happened on the other three boards as well. In each game White was better/winning, but this counted for nothing in the final analysis as all 4 games were drawn. Paul was a pawn up against Colin Green on Board 3 but was unable to hold on to the extra material in a heavy piece ending, while Mike had to tough it out on Board 2 to get a half point against Paul Davies when the position turned against him and he was saddled with a backwards d pawn and very weak light squares. But tough it out he did to secure the half point. And it was the same result in my game on top board against Phil Briggs, though in this case the White advantage was +2 or +3 for most of the time according to the engine. Not that I realised this completely at the time, as Phil played in his normal imaginative fashion to set plenty of tactical problems, which eventually I failed to solve, and just when I should have been crashing through to victory I wimped out and swapped pieces off to reach a drawn ending. Rather a waste of an overwhelming position, but at least pleasing for those who like a symmetrical result on the match card. 2-2 did neither of us any good - but nor did it do us any harm. And it passed the time quite engagingly ..... though the journey to/from Nuneaton is something of a trek, so thanks to Paul for acting as chauffeur for Mike and myself last night.
Regular readers will be expecting some splendid music to finish this post off, and here it is. Timeless magic from - good grief - over 50 years ago. RIP Dickey Betts, guitarist extraordinaire. In the right hands, I think the electric guitar may well be the greatest invention of all time.
We're getting very close to the end of our meander through the first 35 years or so of the club's history. In fact, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unless its a train coming straight towards me. Either way, this interminable saga is almost complete.
April 2009 - The Club Secretary sends out (on April 1st of all dates - I'm saying nothing) notice of the forthcoming AGM and things are serious enough that as well as an agenda he also includes a separate letter describing the difficulties of the Thursday social chess nights. Attendance is down to only 4 or 5 people on some weeks, possibly due to the fact that our home match night is Wednesday and not so many people are eager to spend two successive nights at the Royal British Legion Club. The Secretary also raises the prospect of a return to the Sports and Social Club and urges members to think of new ways to promote the club, as there have been few newcomers to KCC in recent years. I should just like to mention that in keeping with the general level of administrative excellence which has characterised the club in recent years, the Secretary once again fails to specify the AGM venue, presumably relying on osmosis or something similar to inform the membership of this minor detail.
May 2009 - The AGM is held on May 7th in the unspecified and unrecorded venue. Fifteen people somehow turn up, including many familiar names (Aldridge, Holland, Johnson, King, Krombeen, Morris, Payne, Pickering (T), Rogers, Shurrock, Watson, Whatson, Webb and Wood) and an unfamiliar one (A. Riddoch). Apologies were received from Messrs Pickering (C) and Pelton, but P. Mills, N. Mottram and K. Raison are absent without apology. (I think I should reinstate this system of naming and shaming in any future AGM Minutes I might pen.)
The Chairman was able to tell the AGM that this had been the club's most successful season for many years. With 5 teams, we were the largest club in the LDCL, and all teams finished in the top half of their divisions. Star turn was the C team, who won Division 3 by 6(!!) points, while the D team came 1st= in Division 4 ..... with the E team, who they shaded on game points! And Mike Johnson won the league individual competition, beating Dave Shurrock in the final. The Secretary, predictably, had nothing to report yet again, while the Treasurer followed suit and failed to produce any accounts. Even though the only items of expenditure had been £170 on League fees and £40 of catering for the League Jamboree. He effectively asked the meeting to believe him when he said sufficient revenue had been collected to cover these costs and subs were left unchanged. All post-holders were re-elected for the coming season, meaning we would once again field 5 teams - but the all conquering C team would remain in Division 3.
Finally the meeting arrived at the contentious issue of venue. In an uncanny foreshadowing of future years, Mike Johnson said that some members would never turn up at club nights, whatever the day of the week or venue. Roy proposed that the Committee be mandated to look at alternative venues and decide upon the best choice, but the rank and file was having none of this elitism and rejected the idea. Ever the diplomat, Mike Johnson instead successfully proposed that the Committee should indeed investigate possible venues and recommend its preference for consideration by the membership at the EGM/Team Formation Meeting before the start of the 2009-10 season. Under AOB it was reported that the club's equipment was not in great shape, and Bruce H and Chris agreed to take an inventory and make recommendations for any additional requirements.
And so the meeting closed at 10.50, with no-one any the wiser as to where they would be playing next season!
August 2009 - The EGM (18 people in attendance!) decides upon the team composition for the coming season (naming 17 players and 2 reserves), but of the much anticipated venue recommendation there is no mention. So maybe everything in the garden is rosy, after all? ............... No!!
April 2010 - Bernard writes to the membership. The club faces a serious crisis - we are being evicted by the Royal British Legion from the upstairs concert room, as it has been let (for a whole 52 weeks) to two separate aerobics classes at £20 a night. The Club Secretary told them we were rather disappointed that this had been decided without any contact with KCC, for which they apologised, but he admits it is a moot point as there was no way we would have matched this rent. The Secretary further reports that club night attendances have been very disappointing, and the small spend by KCC members has doubtless encouraged the RBL to seek alternative business. The Sports and Social Club is still available, though the room is extremely untidy and Bernard thinks this would be a retrograde step.
After canvassing member sentiment the Secretary reports that the ambiance of the RBL is much preferred for club nights over KSSC, and hopefully we could continue there on Thursday nights with no charge. But what to do about a match venue?? The AGM on April 22nd will be crucial - and everyone is urged to attend in our hour of need. However, despite the crisis and the need for a firm hand on the tiller, both the Chairman and Secretary have tendered their resignation and it will be up to some other poor saps to come in and save the club. (Alright, the letter doesn't phrase it quite like this, but I'm reading between the lines, OK?!)
May 2010 - For some reason the AGM has been delayed by 2 weeks and takes place on May 6th. The tension is palpable - there is a very real possibility that the club will collapse. But the membership have responded to the Secretary's exhortations and turn out in force - 18 present! The meeting agrees (by 14-0 with 3 abstentions) that the Committee will approach the RBL to try and secure a match venue on either Monday or Tuesday nights. Though this will significantly increase our costs. As a consequence the Treasurer proposed that club subs should increase to £60 pa. And this earth-shattering proposal was accepted.
Off the board issues may well have affected the club's performance in the 2009-10 season, as the Chairman reported an almost universally dismal playing record. Our 5 teams had not distinguished themselves - the A and E teams had both finished last; the D team 8th of 10; the C team 7th of 10 (what happened to the previous season's all conquering performance?); and the B team 3rd of 7. Remarkably, though, the club had won the Open KO Cup, beating Stratford in the final. How on earth did that happen?
Its a complete new management board at KCC, since Roy also stands down as Treasurer. The new powers in the land are Bruce (Chairman), Mike Johnson (Secretary) and Chris (Treasurer), while Carl takes over from Phil as A team captain. As well as standing down from their KCC posts it transpires that Bernard and Phil have also had enough of being League Chairman and Secretary respectively.
The AGM ends with the Team Formation Meeting being arranged for September 2nd (but where will it be??), and Bruce makes an unbelievably generous offer to buy dinner for everyone beforehand. Is the current Chairman reading this?! And finally the new Secretary urges everybody in the club to get an e-mail address. Welcome to the 21st century!
May 2011 - And - frustratingly - this is where the available Archives run out. The only other document between the 2010 and 2014 AGM's is a hand written set of accounts for the 2010-11 season. (Which record a loss of £238.58 due to a large expenditure on ten clocks, leaving a balance of just £121.42, but things could have been much worse as we had received a donation of 18 sets and boards to the value of £257.88. As the identity of the donor was not disclosed I shall respect the apparent wish for anonymity, even though I know who it was!)
So this means that there is currently no record to hand of how the venue crisis was resolved. What I do know is that the KCC match night pretty soon became a Monday, and the venue remained at the RBL until 2013. At some point, and possibly immediately, the Thursday club night venue moved to the Royal Oak, which was its location when I first started attending sometime round 2012.
KCC records resume in 2014, but given that I have written them since then, these can hardly count as coming from the archives. Which means that - for now - the journey through KCC's glorious history has ended. But it would be nice to think that the missing three years might be filled in sometime in the future. With Bruce having been Chairman, there's every chance the record keeping was maintained, and so maybe those missing documents will come to light and enable this series to end on a nice round number. But as it is, we are stuck on 19. Which makes the choice of song very easy indeed!
This week saw two big games for the club on successive nights. On Monday, Kenilworth C were in action against Coventry A, in the battle at the top of the Division 2 table. On Tuesday, we followed this by playing Daventry in the semi-final of the CDCL KO, needing a 3-1 victory to make the final.
Monday did not go well. I had inadvertently set us up on the wrong side of the table, which must have been an omen, as we were a little out of sorts. I did not see much of the Board 1 game between Andy Ward and M.M.Latt, but Andy was ultimately edged out to put us 0-1 down. Paul Badger drew an interesting game against Jonathan Fowler on Board 2, which left us needing 1.5 points from the remaining two games to cling on to a draw.
I blame myself for what happened next. On Board 4 against Dave Filer, who I had a 100% record against going into the match, I completely messed up my opening. Not in the sense of being lost, more just lifeless. Twenty-minutes in, to my horror, I realised that my winning prospects were extremely limited - and I was the Kenilworth player who had the biggest rating gap between myself and my opponent. I tried everything, and we ended up in a double rook, double bishop endgame. Eventually I did make a bit of progress, but as has been my wont since Christmas, ran desperately short of time and ultimately had to bail out with a draw. All credit to Dave though, whose improving rating reflects his improving play.
This left Rhys needing to win on Board 3 against Ed Goodwin. Rhys was slightly better for much of the game, and seemed to be winning towards the end. Yet Ed is a canny opponent and ultimately, Rhys's attempts to go all in (and all credit to him for this as we desperately needed a win) backfired and we ended up going down 1-3.
Disappointing as Coventry now close the gap on us at the top of the table, but plenty of games remain. We have a chance to put things right in the return match in a couple of weeks. It's still all to play for!
So, to Tuesday... I had to drop my other half off on the way to the game. I made the mistake of pointing out that this meant driving via a different route and not being able to follow my normal pre-match routine. As she observed, my previous routine hadn't been all that hot in terms of my results, so maybe this was for the best!
At least on Tuesday I set us up on the correct side of the table, which felt like a better start. Albeit the very fact that Daventry showed up meant that we were in for a tougher night than in the last round against Nuneaton, when we drove to their place but they did not.
Daventry has had a terrific season in Division 2, and while on paper we looked quite a lot stronger, we knew we could not be complacent. Particularly as the handicap system meant they only needed 1.5 on the night to go through.
Having instructed everyone to on no account take early draws, I was momentarily inwardly horrified to see Mike shaking hands with Andy Johnson ten minutes into their Board 2 encounter. It transpired Andy had gone wrong (we've all been there) and Mike had put us 1-0 up. I'm guessing that might well be his quickest ever CDCL victory? A great start to the proceedings!
A couple of hours later, Keatan was next to finish on Board 1 against Harvey Monroe. Keatan always looked in control and his class showed, but credit to Harvey for putting up a good fight.
That left Paul against James Brown (Daventry's new junior) on 3 and me against Abbie Stevens on four. Paul was level, I was winning, but the clocks in both games were a mirror image of each other. We were both running low... [How I keep getting into time trouble when I spend so much of my life playing online Blitz, is a question I really do need to reflect on!]
After the debacle of the previous night, I played a more aggressive opening line than I normally would against Abbie's 1. g6. I took a lot of space, got very active and then struggled to find a breakthrough (hence burning through so much time.) This again has been a feature of my games of late, in that I have frequently been in the better position but not able to close things out. However, ultimately Abbie's entombed light square bishop, weak e6 pawn and opportunities to get at her King started to tell. Despite a really robust defence, I finally picked up a piece, forced the queens off and gave myself an ending that was both routine and more than capable of being executed while under 3 minutes. All credit to Abbie though, as she played very well and they are always good games.
Fortunately my win meant that we were over the line, and Paul's game was a dead rubber. Which was probably just as well. It sounds obvious, but chess is a very hard game to play with no time! Paul missed a drawing resource and James did not need a second invitation to put Daventry on the board. I am sure James has a very bright future ahead of him.
So 3-1 on the night. We'll be up against Rugby in the final! I was quite down after Monday, but perspective is important. All is not lost in the Division 2 battle, and we have a chance for some silverware in the CDCL! The final will be played at a neutral venue, so who knows which side of the table we will be sitting on. Either way, it will be a night to look forward to!
Hmm. I'll have to think about that, but on the evidence of last night's Coventry League defeat to Warwick University A, the answer is not as straightforward/obvious as I have always thought.
This was quite possibly a title-decider, as prior to last night we trailed the University by 1 point, with a match in hand - and a better game points difference. In losing 1-3, we now find ourselves 3 points behind with a game in hand - and an inferior game points difference! With the University having only 1 game to play, the chances of any slip-ups on their part are low to zero, so it looks like we have managed to blow the healthy lead we built up before Christmas, when we had a 100% record. But then, of course, I returned to the team....
It was a very close match last night, with all boards being very tough struggles, but in the end we were just pot-muscled. Keatan finished first on Board 1, after a valiant attempt to overcome a rather disastrous opening, which left him a pawn down and with doubled isolated c pawns to boot. He fought hard in a rook and same coloured bishop ending against the University's WFM, but there was a sense of inevitability about the result for most of the night. Surprisingly, I finished next and succeeded in equalising the match score after a second win in a row. Maybe my mojo is back?! I didn't play a great game against my opponent from Kazakhstan, but after scoring just 0.5/2 against him last season, a win was not to be sniffed at. I was on the back foot after a slightly insipid opening (with White!), but Black got a bit carried away and sacked a piece for a couple of pawns to expose my king. However, I had virtually my whole army defending it, and the attack was repulsed relatively easily, with me quickly taking over the initiative and the game was over (when my opponent had around 5 seconds on his clock) just as I was about to deliver mate.
Paul seemed to have established a drawn rook and knight ending against Tom Brown on Board 4, but unfortunately a loose pawn fell off. The rooks were then exchanged and it came down to knight and 3 v knight and 2, but with all pawns on the kingside. It looked a dead draw to me, as Black had no passed pawns and I assumed at some point that all but one of the pawns would be swapped off and Paul's knight would sacrifice itself for the last remaining Black foot soldier. However, he went on a strange king advance up the queenside which left his forces split, and an unfortunate knight check forced the minor pieces off to leave an easily winning king and pawn ending for Tom.
So it all came down to Mike's game on Board 3. |It was very exciting in the middle game, with both players on the attack against slightly weak kings, but by the time I came to focus on the game it was rook, bishop and 2 against Mike's rook, knight and one. But it soon became a two pawn advantage, and White unfortunately knew not to swap the minor pieces off as Rook + f and h pawns v rook is a theoretical draw, despite two extra pawns for the attacking side. (And for those who don't believe me, take a look at the 2023 British Championship game between Jude and Jacob Connor Boswell which reached this very conclusion.) But then Mike lost his knight to a pin anyway, and despite a serious time issue and some slight dangers of delivering stalemate, White was able to make the extra material count decisively.
So, back to my original question. I used to pontificate from my moral high horse that if your own result was more important than the team's result, you were probably playing for the wrong team. But now that I have been through a period when I thought I might never play, let alone win, another game of chess, I don't feel as though I am standing on such firm ground. I felt distinctly chipper (great word!) after winning last night, and the fact that the league title disappeared out the door with our match loss didn't upset me as much as it should. If at all. Sorry about that, but sometimes you've just got to own up to your own selfishness.
I'm in the mood for some good music, and as I've recently seen the excellent new Bob Dylan bio-pic A Complete Unknown, how about one of those early masterpieces from the only rocker ever to win a Nobel prize?
It was a disappointing night for the D team on Monday, at home against Rugby A, so we will keep this report brief.
We were delighted to welcome Paul back from his travels. I did not see much of his game against the very strong Paul Colburn on Board 1, but sadly it did not go our way. On Boards 2 and 4, Rhys and Bernard played out the opposite side of near mirror image positions. Bernard had two knights and an extra pawn vs two bishops. In his game, Rhys had the bishops against the knights, but was down a pawn.
Unfortunately Rhys got edged out against Mark Gilbert to make it 0-2. Meanwhile, Bernard's opponent James Peel deserves a lot of credit for an impressive game, as he generated enough counterplay to hold the draw.
My game against Dave Riley was not one to write home about. I outplayed him and we entered a heavy piece endgame which looked crushing for me. Unfortunately, I have been getting into time trouble a lot lately and went wrong. Right at the death, with 20 seconds on my clock, I took a perpetual - missing a move that would have been overwhelming. I only have myself to blame, although it would not have changed the match result. So 1-3 on the night.
Completely unrelated to Monday's debacle, but perhaps highlighting what a mystery chess is, last night I drew an excellent game for Shirley against CM Keith Duncan (2066). The best I have played in a long time. I'm yet to Fritz it to see how much of a chicken I was in taking the draw, but we were down to two minutes each and I couldn't see a clean kill. Given my clock prowess the previous night, discretion felt like the better part of valour!
Kenilworth has some very important games coming up, and I resolve to play more like I did on Tuesday than on Monday. If only it were that simple!
“I love Liverpool, the city. It’s actually great, I had a great time. God, it’s changed. The whole river front has changed and there’s loads of nice tapas restaurants. We found this amazing Chinese restaurant, too, which was right by where I was living, which was great.”
Samuel L Jackson
Well that's a recommendation and a half from a famous movie star. This summer, Liverpool is also going to have a bit of chess on offer, as the British Championships are in town. Check out the link for full details.
https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/
Essentially proceedings will run from the 31st July to the 10th August, and there are stacks of tournaments at various speeds and durations. In addition to a host of opportunities to play in simuls and the like. I'm going to be competing in the over-50s (even though for the record I'm not quite 50 yet!), a morning weekday event, and a couple of Blitz tournaments, so will be there for most of it.
In recent years we've had lots of Kenilworth players at the British. I well remember some very good times and nice team meals in Torquay. Do think about playing if you can, and let me know if you are going to be about. I'd be delighted to fix up a club social for those of us who are on the road!
These are links to a BBC and Liverpool Echo article which also give a few more details: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy08p1e50q8o
Just to also state, I will be wearing a Manchester United badge on the inside of my lapel at all times, where it can't be seen. Thus making a point while avoiding the risk of getting beaten up, or more likely being laughed at.
Such is the strength and depth at Kenilworth these days, that it is practically a FIDE law that no international event should go ahead, without a minimum of four Kenilworth players in the field. Fortunately for the organisers, myself, Bruce, Steph and Patrick were all available for today's Birmingham International Blitz.
The start of the day was a little random. I spent a while stood outside a locked gate with a gaggle of other players, as we weighed up what to do. Fortunately, someone vaguely practical amongst us suggested that we should try and go round the back. We did, and found ourselves in the venue! Things were still a bit unorthodox, as the organiser was probably the last person to arrive, but we soon got down to the fastest eleven round blitz (3 and 2) event I have ever participated in. Bar one 5 minute break, we literally played back to back. Having started at 10.30, we were done before 1.00.
As a collective, we did really well! Bruce came 2nd with 9/11. I was 4th with 7/11. Patrick 5th with 6.5 and Steph was 8th with 5.5. (Before any bright spark asks the question, there were 19 players in the field.) We also had a bit of blue on blue along the way. Bruce won a good game against me and also beat Patrick. Steph and Patrick drew. I think we definitely would have given the spectators their money's worth, had there been any.
The tournament was won by IM Mahadevan Siva with 11/11. He actually played all four of the Kenilworth contingent. Mahadevan told me afterwards that each of the games against Kenilworth players had pushed him to the outer-limits of his chess knowledge. OK he did not really say this, but we can but dream that this is what he was thinking!
So a fun (half) day out, and a good showing by the Kenilworth crew. If we carry on like this, FIDE will probably insist on even more of us being present at events like these!
