Having been forced to wait for a long time since our penultimate round against Leighton Buzzard, the C team finally faced our day of reckoning in Milton Keynes (whose idiosyncratic use of the alphabet is well-known). Between unexpected roadworks and a recent change in the club’s location, even getting to the venue was a challenge, but somehow everyone made it – and we set about the match knowing a draw would keep us in the division, with also the intriguing possibility of a winner-takes-all play-off match depending on the scoreline.
I can’t quite remember the order, but I think Peter’s game finished first. Earlier this season against Andrew Bowler he’d been bamboozled by a quirky opening and lost rather quickly, and Andrew dug deep into his repertoire again – but this time the results were rather more questionable, and he ended up with a weak pawn structure and compromised king safety. Peter had a rather free hand in the ensuing position, and launched a kingside attack; but it was anaemic stuff and Andrew wriggled out to equalise. A draw was offered and then agreed.
My own game against Graham Smith was keenly fought. He had the better out of the opening against my Caro-Kann defence, and got a strong initiative which – my engine reveals – ought to have won him an exchange (we both missed the forcing sequence). However, after I was able to get castled he had nothing to show for it except an open file for his rook, and with some clever knight manoeuvring I was able to nullify that too. After the queens came off, he offered a draw, which I turned down, feeling his bishop was very passive; but then after he managed to get it into the game a few moves later I settled for a forced repetition.
Callum’s game against Dominic Bartram was a remarkable one that I was sad not to be able to give more attention to. Callum played in his trademark swashbuckling style, throwing material away to get at Dominic’s king, and I hear that his position was objectively winning. But engine evaluations don’t mean anything if you can’t find engine-level moves, and the winning king-hunt combination was indeed engine-level stuff. In the event, Callum then sacrificed his queen, overlooked a defensive resource Dominic had in response, and then obviously the game was over after that. Afterwards Callum was his usual stoic self; if anything, it was Dominic that came away frustrated that a game of great beauty had been ruined.
Ed – Alex’s description is superficially correct but the “objectively winning” was actually a mate in 9 including a queen sac halfway through(!) and the “defensive resource” was the taking of a blundered queen! – if Callum had seen the former, I would have cancelled the game of the year competition, the latter was a tragedy reminding us all that bishops can move backwards! Callum has generously given me permission to publish the amazing game below.
I don’t know much about Steve’s game on top board, but his was also a credible draw against Eoin Tweeddale. I’m sure my capable editor will fill in those gaps for me! Ed – playing a Morra, I had a typically pleasant opening until, just when it looked as though Eoin had unravelled his pieces, he blundered a piece, also “forgetting” that bishops can move backwards! Unfortunately for me, after a queen and bishop exchange, the ensuing endgame (R,B+2P v R+5P) all on the same side was not enough to force a win.
So then it all came down to the C team’s very last game of the season, between Ramsey and Adrian Elwin, with the outcome being very simple – win and stay up, lose and go down, draw and have the headache of a play-off. The game itself seemed to simplify pretty quickly, with all the material coming off and going into a probably even but objectively difficult rook-and-pawn ending. I don’t know whether Ramsey knew the match score and hence the implications of his own result, but in any case it appeared neither player was interested in agreeing a draw. Eventually Adrian won a pawn, but Ramsey had enough counterplay with his last remaining pawn that a draw looked still possible (indeed, according to Adrian afterwards, it was still drawn with best play). However, in time trouble, Ramsey faltered from the drawing path, and Adrian used all his years of experience to clinch the game, and in so doing save himself the hassle as league manager of having to hastily arrange a play-off.
So the C team’s season ended in the most dramatic manner possible. It is a tough pill to swallow to come so close to dragging ourselves to safety; but I couldn’t be prouder of my teammates. Thank you to everyone who turned out and played some impressive chess over the course of the season.
Alex Potts, 27th April 2024
Final result:
Eoin Tweeddale ½ – ½ Steve Pike
Dominic Bartram 1 – 0 Callum Shields
Adrian Elwin 1 – 0 Ramsey Dairi
Graham Smith ½ – ½ Alex Potts
Andrew Bowler ½ – ½ Peter Gill
Milton Keynes B 3½ – 1½ Bedford C