Club Venue: Ducklington Village Hall, OX29 7UX

Witney 3, 2010/11

08 April 2011

Finally catching up after a hectic week and the final match report of the season. Witney 3 finished the season off in style against the bottom team Cowley 4. Luke finished very quickly such that I didn’t get to see much other than he was ahead on the brief looks I had.

Guy, always in a better position, waited patiently for his opponent to run out of moves before completing the win. This was the first time that Father and Son both won on the same night for the same team. A feat that was last achieved for Witney 2 in Feb 09 by Alan and Ben Kennedy in a 6-0 thrashing of City 4!

Patrick, having turned out with a heavy cold, was happy to accept a draw a pawn up but heavily down on the clock. My opponent had spent most of the game even until making an error losing a pawn. I quickly swapped everything off leaving a straight forward pawn ending which I managed to convert without any mistakes :-)

Jon was on the ropes as I left the room to have a stretch only to find his opponent soon walking out having lost. A critical point came when his opponent advanced her king too far up the board, and after a clever discovered check by Jon, the King was forced to head further towards the other end of the board, allowing two mate possibilities, delivered by either the Queen or by the rook's pawn. Jon chose the former, more classic option. – Thanks for the notes Patrick!

Ian was left to finish off Cowley 4 in a tight game where his opponents clock got the better of him and he made a vital mistake under time pressure and the rout was complete.

An excellent season for Witney 3 and everyone has played their part.

Here’s to next season and Division 3 ...

- Roger

23 March 2011

Last week Witney 3 continued their winning ways with a tight win over Wantage 3. The evening started with Andy losing quickly but hopefully learning at the same time. I then followed after my opponent had first given me an exchange and then a piece and then resigned. Mark also finished soon after with a hard fought Draw and before I knew it Joseph had succumbed to tiredness.

1½-2½ with two to play. Isabel was up against one of two players in Division 4 with a 100% record over at least 4 matches and they were playing steadily against each other.

Isabel soon worked an advantage and took her chance with an efficient 3 move mate, I would have taken longer as I like taking pieces…, a great result and tied the match.

It was all down to Patrick, who is the other player in the league with a 100% record, and he was bogged down in a sluggish match. As the game headed for a draw Patrick’s opponent ran out of time leaving his position ‘a pawn up, but unclear how it might be converted'.

That’s the last home game of the season with the final match next week away at Cowley.

Click to see Patrick's game from this match.

- Roger

07 March 2011

An excellent night for Witney 3 as we rolled out a number of Juniors and they all played well.  With Cowley 4 bringing four juniors and a weakened top boards tonight was all about experience.

Isabel got the team off to flyer with a win on bottom board in her first match for Witney, Well Done Isabel. Luke soon followed and we were 2 up with barely an hour gone. Unfortunately I didn’t see the games but from the positions I saw they swung from side to side.

My opponent was particularly stubborn and played the end game accurately to force a draw, the only blip on the night. Bob then completed a mating sequence after being in control for most of the match. Joseph played a good steady match and slowly removing his opponents pieces the inevitable came about mating his opponent with several pieces up.

Mark was the last to finish with an ending that had opportunities for his opponent if he wasn’t careful. Successfully avoiding the traps Marks opponent ran out of time and thus finishing off a resounding victory.

It’s now down to a mathematical absurdity for us to lose the title but chess is a funny old game………

- Roger

02 March 2011

Witney 3 took another step closer to the title with a hard fought victory over City 5.

In one of our toughest matches yet we squeezed a win at the death…….

Early on my opponent offered me a draw when I was positionally worse, a quick finish for me…

A little while later…..Jon missed a couple of wins sandwiching his opponents opportunity and ended in drawn position.

Richard also escaped from a tight looking position using his exchange advantage and gaining piece advantage as the end game drew in, eventually forcing his opponent to resign. Ian followed soon after having lost positionally and on time with his opponent still having near 30 minutes left on his clock…2-2 with 2 to play!!!!

Both the final games finished in the last ten minutes, both looking tight but with Jonathan looking the most comfortable.

Patrick was down on the clock by over ten minutes and was into Blitz mode, his opponent went for pawns allowing a mating attack on the back rank much to his dismay and dis-appointment. Click to see Patrick's annotated game.

Jonathan wasn’t put off by the speed chess to his right and secured a knight for rook exchange just a Patrick was mating. He then waited for his opponent to make the next mistake, which he duly did with 5 minutes total time left, and promptly resigned. 4-2.

- Roger

08 February 2011

All good things come to an end and so it was to prove for Witney 3’s league record. Marianne put up a good fight against her opponent only to be ground down and passed pawns queened leading to the inevitable. Joseph, despite thinking he was losing, stuck at it and forced a draw.

Well done Joseph. Ian and Bob had opposite fortunes with Bob winning, two games I didn’t get to see.

My opponent ended in time trouble and after I declined the draw, hoping to out manoeuvre him using my extra time, I soon ended in a lost position. Fortunately the time pressure told and mistakes were made, latterly mine, and a text book draw was finalised.

Richard, playing his usual style, had also run into trouble with the clock which beat him at the death. A 2-4 loss but the team MCS had brought was stronger than the team we beat earlier in the season but we’re still on for the title.

- Roger

03 February 2011

Tonight Witney 3 put the sword firmly through our challengers for the top spot although they put up a good fight.

Mark finished fairly early with a swift mate only for Matt to lose his first game for Witney 3 soon after. While my opponent was busy handing bishops out and exchanging rooks for knights, Richard finished off Gareth and we were soon 3-1 up.

The last two boards went to the wire with Cumnor putting up a good rear-guard action.

Patrick managed to get his King in and around his opponents king winning the knight and the game with only a couple of minutes left on the clock. Ian, with his best efforts to give his opponent opportunities, eventually saw the clock fall in his favour. 5-1.

Overall a comprehensive victory and depending upon other results, leaving us a mere 4 points from taking the title.

- Roger

01 February 2011

Last week Witney 3 continued their charge towards the league title with a narrow victory over St Clare's.

It started off very quickly with our two Juniors both losing quickly but gaining good experience along the way.

Sandwiched between them I had a crushing victory mating my opponent in 13 moves! 1-2 and not even an hour had passed.

Matt then followed with a win leaving Patrick and Jon to get the final 1½ points needed for the win.

Patrick was finding his opponent stronger than his grade suggests until a blunder towards the endgame gave him a winning edge.

Jon was having a night to forget. He started strongly, getting an advantageous position and then allowed his opponent to equalise.

Both players then went into the endgame with very little time and Jon soon had a worse position and looking at defeat found a rook sacrifice which enabled Jon to repetitively check his opponent. After a dozen or so checks, Jon managed 3 position repeat, although his opponent required some assistance in understanding the rule, a slightly noisy affair to the dismay of the still playing Witney 1.. :-)

Cumnor 2 away next, a victory there and the season will be almost done€¦€¦

- Roger

16 December 2010

Witney 3 produced another fine performance away to one of our challengers for the top. Bob finished early after several mistakes from both players, the fortune had eventually favoured Bob. Matt finished soon after, having promoted a pawn in the middle game his opponent promptly resigned. Patrick finished with a little under an hour to go, his game is below for those who haven't seen it, making it 3-0. My opponent played slowly all night, eventually leaving himself less than 5 minutes after 23 moves!!! This lead to positional errors allowing me to force his queen and a pawn off for nothing! 4-0.

Richard and Jon both went to the last few minutes of their games, Richards opponent walking into a mate due to time pressure.

Jon unfortunately made a few positional errors allowing his opponent to get his pawns through and queened.

A good night for Witney 3 leaving us 4 points clear at the top of the table and the only team in Oxfordshire with a 100% record.

Thanks to everyone who has played so far, we are in a very strong position to push on in 2011 and to bring more Juniors into the league.

I wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year and looking forward to a fruitful 2011 over the board for all of Witney.

- Roger

© SC

© 2020 Witney Chess Club