Chess is a Team Game, Right?

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?

Knights, Bishops And The Curse of Twenty Seconds

 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!

Liverpool Calling...

 

“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

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/liverpool-host-event-havent-capital-30904668

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.

It's going to be a fun week!

Speed Kings

 

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!