Division 4 Table

So we managed to clinch the championship with a convincing win over Cowley 4.

 

Cowley 4 vs. Witney 4

 

1 Hameed, Asif (-)       ½-½  Gilders Ian (113)

2 Taylor, Simon J ( )    0-1  Kilbride-Newman, Bob (118)

3 Dalziel, Martin ( )    0-1  Flory Mark (109)

4 Forbes, Tobias ( )     0-1  Blackwell, David ( )

5 Abrams, Martin (-)     0-1  Coburn, Matt (101)

6 Mitchell, James F (91) 1-0  Partridge, Tim R (79)

  (ave grade 91)        1½-4½ (ave grade 104)

 

Match played on 31 Mar.

 

The team captain got us off to a great start by forgetting that Cowley 4 start at 7.15, so three Witney players turned up with 10 minutes already gone on their clocks. Soon afterwards Tim brought his game to a swift and unpleasant conclusion – least said soonest mended. David was next to finish, having coolly withstood a ferocious kingside attack he countered ruthlessly against his opponent’s queenside castled king, forcing resignation: 1-1. After that it was plain(ish) sailing. Bob finished a very controlled display with a flourish – rook sacrifice to force mate.

 

After a look at the other boards I was pleased to offer a draw and have it accepted, with bishop and knight against rook and pawn, having benefited from my opponent squandering his earlier advantage. Mark soon wrapped up his two pawn advantage, leaving Matt to callously taunt his opponent by delaying the conversion of his exchange plus pawn lead – until the clock brought the Cowley player’s misery to an end.

 

With one game to go, MCS could catch us on points but as we’ve done the double over them, we would still top the division. All geared up for the challenge of Witney 3 next season!

 

- Ian

 

 

MCS/B2 vs. Witney 4

 

A very good win which leaves us with the rather scary prospect of promotion if we don’t slip up in our last two games.

 

Bob was first to finish, in a game he’d probably rather forget. Something went badly wrong but I didn’t see what. Meanwhile the rest of the boards looked rather better, and what was pleasing through the evening was seeing people press home their advantages efficiently. Marianne made short work of her higher graded opponent. David got 3 or 4 pawns for a piece, enough to force his way through to victory. Mark kept it solid, offering his opponent a draw which he was grateful to accept given lack of time. Matt always looked on top and so it proved. As usual, I wanted to make the most of my alloted time, finally pressing home the pawn advantage I’d had since about move 8, to queen first and win with at least a minute to spare.

 

So, just Wantage 2 and Cowley 4 to go ... sounds do-able ...

 

1 Sayers, David (119)       0-1  Gilders Ian (113)

2 Keane, Alex (117)         1-0  Kilbride-Newman, Bob (118)

3 Krzysztofik, Marcin (116) 0-1  Hauer, Marianne (112)

4 Horsley, Keith (111)      ½-½  Flory Mark (109)

5 Phillips, David (103)     0-1  Coburn, Matt (101)

6 Bossons, Fraser (110)     0-1  Blackwell, David ( )

ECF (ave grade 113)        1½-4½ (ave grade 111)

 

Match played on 05 Mar.

 

- Ian

 

 

Witney 4 vs, St Clare's

 

A disappointing night against St Clares, who belied their gradings with a strong performance. Well done to Jon for a calm conversion of a winning advantage which was not straightforward, finishing with 3 pawns against a knight.

 

1 Gilders Ian (113)          ½-½  Kudlovich, Mikita (89)

2 Kilbride-Newman, Bob (118) ½-½  Kiseliov, Nichita ( )

3 Blackwell, David ( )       0-1  Celaj, Dean (73)

4 Smith, Paul ( )            0-1  Evans, Niall (89)

5 Murray, Jon (78)           1-0  Bernotas, Lukas (-)

6 Read, William ( )          0-1  Monzin, Demid (-)

(ave grade 103)              2-4  (ave grade 84)

 

Match played on 17 Feb

 

- Ian

 

 

Witney 5 vs. Witney 4

 

Witney 4 reinforce our position at the top of Div 4 with a win against Witney 5. Pride of place goes to Tim for punishing me swiftly and mercilessly after I left my Queen prone to a skewer against an un-protectable Bishop.

 

A good fight put up by other Witney 5 players too, particularly Paul and Jon who both looked to have reached draw-able positions, but it wasn’t to be. Bill also made Mark work hard to gain a pawn advantage which then soon told.

p.s. grades shown below are a bit hit and miss as some seem to have brought through the new ones and some haven’t.

 

1 Smith, Paul ( ) ECF        0-1  Sheremetyeva, Elizaveta (123) ECF

2 Murray, Jon (78) ECF       0-1  Kilbride-Newman, Bob (118) ECF

3 Partridge, Tim R (79) ECF  1-0  Gilders Ian (113) ECF

4 Read, William ( ) ECF      0-1  Flory Mark (109) ECF

5 Soanes, Joshua ( ) ECF     0-1  Blackwell, David ( )

6 Beneat, Freddie ( ) ECF    0-1  Coburn, Matt (101)

                             1-5

Match played on 03 Feb.

 

- Ian

 

 

Wantage 2 vs Witney 4

 

A good solid win for Witney 4 to take us top (for now anyway) of Division 4.

 

As usual I made the most of my time available (!) finally getting mate with at least a minute to spare, meaning I had little time to look at the other games. My opponent's English opening neglected defence of the King's side and allowed terminal pressure down the f-file.

 

Bob calmly soaked up a lot of pressure, finally locking things up for his opponenta's queen-side attack and bursting through on the opposite wing.

 

Paul unfortunately lost his fianchettoed bishop on the king-side and succumbed to a lot of pressure on the opened diagonals.

 

David went right to the wire, steadily advancing his single pawn majority to a won position before his opponent made an illegal move and gave up with even less time on his clock than David.

 

Keith and Jona's games I didn't see unfortunately as they both won efficiently well before I did.

 

So, a good warm up for next week's big match against Witney 5!

 

1 Booker, Julian (110)  0-1  Kilbride-Newman, Bob (112)

2 Leake, John (98)      0-1  Gilders Ian (113)

3 Cordon, Ray (103)     1-0  Smith, Paul ( )

4 Rey, Alvaro (86)      0-1  Blackwell, David ( )

5 Punter, Derek B (66)  0-1  Broome, Keith ( )

6 Hockaday, Derek (45)  0-1  Murray, Jon (85)

                        1-5

Match played 28 Jan.

 

- Ian

 

 

CWorkers 2 vs. Witney 4

 

A tight match to start 2014. Really we should have done better, but Cowley Workers didn’t make it easy for us. A good solid win for Mark after winning the exchange and a very good draw agreed in a complex position by Elizaveta against a much higher ranked opponent.

 

1 Riley, Adrian K (136)   ½-½  Sheremetyeva, Elizaveta (114)

2 Buckland, David AS (84) ½-½  Gilders Ian (113)

3 Jackson, William J (91) 0-1  Flory Mark (114)

4 Courouble, John ( )     1-0  Blackwell, David ( )

5 Miller, David H (89)    ½-½  Smith, Paul ( )

6 Collins, Lee ( )        ½-½  Coburn, Matt (101)

                          3-3

Match played on 06 Jan.

 

- Ian

 

 

Cumnor 2 vs. Witney 4

 

It wasn’t to be for Witney 4 against a very strong Cumnor 2 side, out-grading us on every board bar none.

 

David got us off to a good start, finishing first with a win. I was embroiled in a close game myself so didn’t have much time to look at the others, but all seemed close. Elizaveta had found herself on the back foot but played on imaginatively and sensibly, but eventually beaten. Mark reached the endgame fairly quickly, a pawn up but facing a battery of strong advanced central pawns and eventually succumbed. Matt managed to convert after getting a piece up. I didn’t see much of Jon’s game, but unfortunately it went the wrong way. I was last to finish (as usual) and although in a better position, lost my nerve a bit as the clock ticked on, missed a probably winning combination and fell to one the other way.

So Cumnor go top, with ourselves in second place.

 

1 Varney, Zoe (136)    1-0  Flory Mark (114)

2 Sayers, Mark (134)   1-0  Gilders Ian (113)

3 Carr, Robin (126)    1-0  Sheremetyeva, Elizaveta (114) 

4 Cluley, Graham (113) 0-1  Coburn, Matt (101)

5 Ives, Marc ( )       0-1  Blackwell, David ( )

6 Steel, Robert (87)   1-0  Murray, Jon (85) 

                       4-2

Match played on 07 Nov.

 

- Ian