Ramsey clinches Division 2 title

In the final game of Division 2, the young guns Lucian Cox and Ramsey Dairi fought it out for silverware and promotion. A typically no fear approach by both players lead to a fairly wild game. Lucian played the Morra but it was Ramsey that attacked from the get-go. Pieces dropped off on both sides of the board but when the dust settled, Ramsey was a bishop and a knight to the good! Lucian continued valiantly for a while but Ramsey won clinically to land the title.

  [Event "Bedford Division 2"] [Date "2024.06.20"] [White "Lucian Cox"] [Black "Ramsey Dairi"] [Result "0-1"]   e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. O-O Nf6 8. Qe2 Ng4 9. Nb5 Qb8 10. h3 h5 11. g3 (11. Qd2 {with ideas of Qf4 or Nbd4 looks better but hard to play}) 11… a6 12. hxg4 $2 axb5 13. Bxb5 (13. Bd3 {leaves White still worse but maybe less clear}) 13… hxg4 14. Nh2 (14. Nh4 {looks a better try when Black probably needs to sac the exchange to keep the initiative}) 14… Nd4 15. Qd3 Qe5 $1 {and Blacks advantage is clear} 16. Nxg4 Qh5 {Black now threatens mate and two pieces $1} 17. Nh6 Nxb5 18. g4 Qe5 19. Be3 Nd6 Bd4 Qxe4 21. Qxe4 Nxe4 22. f3 Bc5 23. Bxc5 Nxc5 24. Nxf7 Kxf7 {White plays on for another 20 moves but the game is up} 25. Rac1 Nd3 Rc2 Rxa2 27. f4 Rxb2 28. Rxb2 Nxb2 29. f5 exf5 30. Rxf5+ Ke6 31. Rb5 Nc4 32. Kf2 d5 33. Kf3 Ke5 34. g5 Rh3+ 35. Kg2 Kf4 36. Rc5 Rg3+ 37. Kh1 Be6 38. Rc7 Rxg5 Rxb7 d4 40. Re7 d3 41. Rxe6 d2 42. Re8 d1=Q+ 43. Kh2 Qg1+ 44. Kh3 Qg3# 0-1

Postscript from Paul:-

Before this final game in Division Two the leading scores were:
Steve Pike 6.5/8
Ramsey Dairi 6/7
Lucian Cox 5.5/7
.
So with just two guaranteed promotion places available Lucian had to win to deny Ramsey promotion and come second himself, as Steve would have a superior SB tiebreak score. A draw would also have seen Steve win the Knight Trophy with Ramsey second on tiebreak.

After Ramsey’s win he takes the trophy:
Ramsey Dairi 7/8
Steve Pike 6.5/8
Lucian Cox 5.5/8

An exciting end to the season.

Well done also to George Griffiths for winning Division Three and the Bishop Trophy with 7.5/8. The other promotion place goes to Abigail Mangarayi with 6.5/8. What a success for someone who, along with Daniella Dairi, are our first female competing members in at least fifty-five years, perhaps even the first one ever.