March 2010
First and second division tables
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Third, fourth and fifth divisions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First to the cups though. In the Open snow finally didn't fall on an agreed date for the first round Stafford - Cheddleton clash, but as this date was that intended for the semi-finals the resulting Newcastle v Cheddleton semi will now be played on 17th March (we hope). Holmes Chapel had a simple passage to the final when Fenton, unable to raise a team, withdrew. Despite Holmes Chapel leading the top division I suspect that Cheddleton will have too much strength for Newcastle and too much depth for Holmes Chapel and so my prediction is for Cheddleton to retain this cup.
The Major Cup also had a hiccup due to lack of internal communication at Newcastle. Consequently they conceded their semi-final to Cheddleton, who now visit Meir, 3 - 2 victors over Fenton, in this competition's final. Meir I fear will start as underdogs.
Newcastle will entertain Holmes Chapel in the Intermediate Cup final, having disposed of Fenton and Alsager respectively in their semi-finals. This final looks too close to call. Newcastle have also reached the Perry Trophy final, this time at the expense of Holmes Chapel. They will face the winners of a Cheddleton - Fenton match, the only semi-final originally scheduled for March. No pressure guys, but this competition is beginning to look like Newcastle's best chance for a trophy this year.
In division one another Holmes Chapel win edged them closer to at least a share in the title.
Three wins for Macclesfield took them back to the top of division two, three defeats for Alsager have probably permanently damaged their hopes. It is beginning to look though like a classic 'points on the board' (Macclesfield) v 'games in hand' (Cheddleton B) contest.
Alsager B recorded their firat win of the season, some consolation for their A team's lack of progress and could yet join the race for the bronze medal position.
Fenton's C team cemented their position at the top of division four with a win over Newcastle D whilst their D team showed some fallibility losing to Cheddleton G. Fenton must still be regarded as favourites for both titles however. Meanwhile in a match that might have decided the fate of the wooden spoon Newcastle beat Hassell.
I believe I have a plus record against Andy, but he always sets problems, apparently preferring to create attacking opportunities rather than worrying too much about material equality. We join todays game with RR pondering his seventh move in an ordinary looking position which was reached by a move order quite possibly missing from the books.
RR v Andy Stott after 7 ... d6 |
RR v Andy Stott after 17 ... f6 |
18 Be3 e5, 19 0-0 Be6, 20 Rfe1 0-0-0, 21 Qa3 Na5
Once again RR decides to reply to the immediate threat (against his c-pawn) rather than looking for stronger threats of his own. Rb5 may appear to abandon the pawn, but
22 Rb5 Nxc4, 23 Qa6+ Kb8
(23 ... Qb7, 24 Rxc5+ and if now bxc5,
25 Qxe6+ and Qxc4)
24 Rxc5 bxc5, 25 Qxe6 and blacks king is alarmingly exposed.
22 Qc3 Rd6, 23 Rbd1 Rc6 (keeping the big bits on for later use)
24 Nd2 f5, 25 Bg5 Bf7, 26 Nb3 Nb7, 27 a4 a5, 28 Rd2
RR v Andy Stott after 28 Rd2 |
having first satisfied himself that black cannot launch an enormous attack on the white king. However black would regret playing f4 in response to Be3, so white would have time to save his bishop by making this retreat.
eg 29 Be3 f4, 30 Bg4+ Kb8 (... Be6, 31 Bxe6 Rxe6, 32 Bxe4 and no recapture possible because the pawn pinned against a loose rook)
31 Rd7 leading to an obvious advantage to white.
29 ... g5, 30 Bxg5 (Bd3 a better way of giving up bishop for pawn)
30 ... Rxg5, 31 Qh3 poor, f4 saner Be6
32 Bf1 Qf7 bringing the queen to join the kingside fun and ganging up on c4, but a simple e4 to save the central pawn is better. White is now back in control.
33 Qh8+ Qg8
RR v Andy Stott after 33 ... Qg8 |
Remove the queens and calm things down.
34 Qxg8 Bxg8, 35 Rxe5 Rcg6, 36 f4 Rh5, 37 Re8+ Kc7
38 Re7+ Kc8, 39 Rdd7 Nd6, 40 Nd2 Rh4, 41 Rg7
(Nf3 would have been huge, threatening to join the rooks in a mating attack)
41 ... Rxf4 (sub-optimal), 42 Rxg6 1-0
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John Yee v RR after 8 Be3 |
8 ... Nxe3, 9 Qxe3 Qxe3+, 10 fxe3 and we're into endgame mode almost before we started.
9 ... Qa6 considered in order to slow white's attempts to castle, but as I'm behind in development anyway this causes no real hardship.
10 ... e6, 11 Nbd2 Nd7, 12 Ke2 Be7, 13 Rhf1 b5, 14 b4 f5
I had rather greedily been trying to stop John grabbing space with moves such as c4 and/or e4 as I am already worried that my bishop will prove to be the least valuable piece on the board. However I can hardly expect to solve all my problems quickly, and John lost no time in demonstrating why I should either have omitted b5 or followed up with Nb6:
John Yee v RR after 15 a4 |
15 ... bxa4, 16 Rxa4 Nb6, 17 Ra6 Nd5, 18 Kd3 Bxb4, 19 c4
Too much to have hoped for
19 bxc4 Nxc4+ and 20 ... Nxa6
but at least John has declined Rxe6+ with threats of central dominance. Possibly concerened about my a-pawn escaping to victory.
19 ... Nf6, 20 Rfa1 (Ng5 surely stronger) Bxd2
21 Nxd2 Kd7, 22 Rxa7 Rxa7, 23 Rxa7 Rb8
John Yee v RR after 23 ... Rb8 |
24 Ra2 g5, 25 h3 h5, 26 Nf3 Rb3+
27 Ke2 Ne4, 28 Ne5+ Kc8, 29 Rc2
With active against passive rook RR should now be looking to force the pace with c5, but he became fixated on other ideas:
29 ... Nf6, 30 Ra2 Ne4, 31 Rc2 g4, 33 hxg4 hxg4 (can I create a passed pawn with fxg4, or will I simply be creating another weakness via another pawn island?)
A lot of time has been spent to little effect trying to find effective plans. This is not the case throughout the match, with Barry and Diarmid on 3 and 4 falling to Simon Edwards and Bill Armstrong respectively. However Geoff is pressing on 6 against Phil Birks, having the better bishop in a B+N+4 each endgame, and on the top two boards Alex and Alan appear on a superficial examination to have the better of Dave Buxton and Craig Whitfield.
33 Ng6 Nc3+, 34 Kd2 Ne4+ (lacking the courage for Nb1+, which probably leads to gaining the g-pawn in exchange for my e-pawn)
35 Ke2 Rb6, 36 Nf4 Kd7, 37 Nd3 Rb1, 38 Rc1 Rb3, 39 Ne5+ Kc8
40 Rc2 Rb1, 41 Nd3 Kd7, 42 Rc1 Rb3, 43 Rc2 Ke7, 44 Nf4 Kf6
My final try for glory is to bring the king over to the kingside, but with time running out it is no surprise that the game soon ends with repetition:
45 Nd3 Kg5, 46 Nf4 Ng3+, 47 Kf2 Nh1+, 48 Ke2 Ng3+, 49 Kf2 ½-½
Geoff has already conceded that he cannot find a win, and Alex has won. So that's 4 - 3 to Cheddleton with Alan needing to win on two to give us a board count victory. Unfortunately Craig has been able to activate his pieces to make light of a material deficit and duly forces a resignation. Oh well, there's always next year.
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RR v Ian Bates after 8 ... Nc6 |
RR v Ian Bates after 12 ... Rxf7 |
Back to the game as played.
13 Bxh6 cxd4, 14 Bxg7 Kxg7, 15 0-0 e5, 16 Qd3 Rf6
17 Rad1 Be6, 18 f4 (removing bishops first is preferable)
18 ... Bxc4, 19 Qxc4 Qe7, 20 cxd4 exd4, 21 e5 Rff8
22 Rd3 Rh8, 23 Rg3 Rad8, 24 Qd3 Rh6, 25 Rb1 Rd7
26 Qe4 Qe6, 27 Rg5 d3, 28 Rd1 d2, 29 Qe3 Qd5
30 e6 Qd4, 31 Kf2 Qxe3+, 32 Kxf3 Re7, 33 f5 Kf6
RR v Ian Bates after 33 ... Kf6 |
Iain Climie v RR after 9 Qa4 |
10 Nf3 a6, 11 Bxd7+ Nxd7 probably objectively inferior to Qxd7 as removing the queens improves my chances of a lengthy interest in the game, but it also removes my major weapon for fighting back with.
12 Ne5 b5, 13 Qd1 Rc8 Slow. RR should be looking to castle ASAP, so g6 is called for.
14 0-0 g6, 15 Qf3 Unsubtle, and not best as an alert defender can exchange knights, play Bg7 and so castle to play on a pawn down. An immediate d6 threatens to open the e-file onto blacks uncastled king with subsequent death a real possibility. RR is not alert. Despite this clearly being a tactical position his calculator circuits are still in energy saving mode.
15 ... Nf6 despite expecting Ne4 next:
16 Ne4 Bg7, 17 d6 0-0, 18 dxe7 Qxe7, 19 Bg5 and black will be lucky to escape with just a dropped piece.
Fortunately Iain was not in full punishing mode, and the game continued
16 b4 Nc4, 17 Nc6 Qd7, 18 Re1 (diagram right)
Iain Climie v RR after 18 Re1 |
Iain Climie v RR final position after 20 ... Nd3 |