On Thursday Bedford C hosted Milton Keynes C for the first time since the home fixture last year when there were problems with one of the clocks. Unfortunately it again appeared that on more than one clock setting 21 didn’t provide for the additional 10 minutes after 35 moves. Additionally, asked to move my car in the car park, I couldn’t find my keys for some time and disturbed every one before I found them in the equipment cabinet.
Whether because of these problems or just old age I was not able to keep up with what was happening on other boards, let alone my own, so I can give little detail here and can’t guarantee complete accuracy!
I played John McKeon on board 4 and, as I expected, he played the Centre Counter defence, which I found difficult to make any headway against. As pieces were steadily exchanged, my feeble attempt to mount a King side attack came to nothing, and we agreed a draw. My chess engine agreed!
Callum whose rating has risen through the season to match that of his opponent George Ward appeared to have given up a piece for 2 pawns and a King Side attack. When I last saw it his Queen was staring at George’s King which had been stripped of any pawn shield. Another excellent win followed.
I think Robert on Board 2 won a piece for a pawn against the always difficult opponent Dave Wells quite early and, as he has in every match this season, duly cashed in for a win.
That left Alex and Richard to finish and neither game looked all that promising. Alex, playing his first match for the club, had lost a pawn early on to Michael Page, and as both players ran short of time with little material left Alex’s King was stuck in the corner while his opponent had two passed pawns and threatened to Queen a pawn on the other side. It would have been very easy for Alex to go wrong but he managed to stop the pawns and turn the tables to clinch a win. The clock had not added the 10 minutes for the second period when Michael reached the first time control but fortunately Alex was able to make the adjustments – I’m not sure that everyone would have able to do so!
Richard and Colin Solloway had got down to 6 pawns and a white squared Bishop each but with Colin’s King steadily advancing into Richard’s position and Richard reduced to shuffling his King around on his back rank it looked as though there could only be one winner. However Richard had realised that Colin’s King having strayed so far from his own back rank would be helpless to defend it. He offered an exchange of Bishops which, unwisely, Colin promptly accepted leaving Richard to give up a pawn (or two – I’m not sure) in order to Queen another in the opposite corner – far away from Colin’s King.
Colin was, despite the early problems, and the unhappy ending, gracious in defeat. Afterwards he questioned why it is necessary to have a second time period after 35 moves and has in mind to propose a rule change for next year at the next League Meeting – all move in 80 minutes plus 10 second increments. We’ll need to decide if we agree or not.
So:-
Callum Shields 1 – 0 George Ward
Robert Walker 1 – 0 Dave Wells
Richard McMorran 1 – 0 Colin Solloway
Peter Gill 0.5 -0.5 John McKeon
Alex Potts 1 – 0 Michael Page
4.5 – 0.5
Peter Gill, 17th February 2023