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27.3.13 - Witney 2 vs. Bicester 1
1 Kennedy,
Jonathan (161) ½-½ Marlow, Mike (171)
2 Gentry, Alan
(159) 0-1
Morton, Iain (154)
3 Searle,
Howard AJ (153) ½-½ Beckett, Richard (143)
4 Edwards,
Derek F (139) ½-½ Beckett, Daniel
(130)
5 Weston,
Richard (142) 1-0 Burcham,
Anthony (119)
6 Moss,
Patrick (147) 1-0
_default (-)
3½-2½
- played on 25 Mar.
Another narrow win for the
2nd Team keeps us in the hunt for promotion(?!).
Howard and Derek played games in which small
advantages waxed and waned for both sides, both
ending in creditable draws. Patrick had the
night off and disappeared upstairs to speak a
bit of French and play against a new member of
the club, a nine year-old garcon. Alan had a 2
pawn advantage in a 4 Rook ending but lost in a
time scramble. The therapy bills are becoming
expensive.
Jon produced a very
entertaining game, playing Black in a Ruy Lopez
in which Jon’s attack against the King was
balanced by his opponents Queening threats. In
the end it was a good draw. So Richard’s game
would be the decider and he won a very double
edged position as his opponent’s flag fell
first.
- Alan G.
05.3.13 -
MCS/B1 vs. Witney 2
1 D'Souza-Eva,
Jon (191) 1-0 Gentry, Alan (159)
2 Cole, Graham
(137) ½-½ Searle,
Howard AJ (153)
3 default (-)
0-1 Edwards, Derek F (139)
4 Sayers,
David (124) 0-1 Moss,
Patrick (147) [game]
5 Cole, James
(130) 0-1
Weston, Richard (142)
6 Bush, Ian
(120)
1-0 Kilbride-Newman, Bob (118)
2½-3½
- played on 04 Mar.
A fine result against the
Division 2 leaders which showed the strength of
the middle boards of the team. Bob and Alan
contrived to lose first, Bob allowing the
advance of both his opponents’ knights deep into
his half of the board after not playing a simple
pawn move preventing the encroachment; while
Alan played a move he had already rejected in
his mind and lost a piece. But we had the
defaulted game, looking on the bright side, so
it was 2-1 to them.
Richard came to the rescue
and after a blistering Kingside assault, he
delivered mate, 2-2. Howard worked hard for his
draw leaving everything on the final game. With
everyone crowded round and in absolute silence,
the tension was palpable. David was the exchange
and 2 pawns down, but his active pieces were
threatening to break through against Patrick’s
King. Patrick’s pieces were hemmed in by his own
pawns, but after some solid defence combined
with developing his latent advantage, and giving
back the exchange for another pawn, Patrick came
to a winning 3 pawns advantage and his opponent
resigned. So we had won by the narrowest margin.
Well done everybody. Next match is at Home on
Monday 25th March against Bicester 1.
- Alan G.
28.2.13 -
Witney 2 vs. Wantage 1
1 Bourne,
Johnathan (169) 1-0 Bush,
Martin L (149)
2 Gentry, Alan
(159)
1-0 Brown, Gordon D (148)
3 Searle,
Howard AJ (153) ½-½ Richards,
Simon A (141)
4 Edwards,
Derek F (139) ½-½
Morris, Stephen A (144)
5 Moss,
Patrick (147)
½-½ Spalding, George H (136)
6 Weston,
Richard (142) 0-1
Ashford, Martin E (131)
3½-2½
- played on 25 Feb.
Another close victory, but
like Bradford City, we made it to the final!
Wantage came without Andrew Walden on board 1,
which gave us an immediate lift. The atmosphere
was tense and Derek was first to finish, earning
a good draw after some chances for both in the
middle stages. Johnathan gave us a win soon
after, playing a French defence in which he
slowly got on top, forcing a mistake from his
opponent who was stretched on both sides of the
board. Next, Alan won a tactical game in which
he sacrificed the exchange for a winning attack.
Patrick had a slight advantage in his game
against George who was happy to accept the draw
offer, meaning we had reached 3 points and a
match win, having won on boards 1 and 2. Howard
then turned around a lost looking rook and pawn
ending and came away with a draw. Finally,
Richard messed up and lost, but we were through
and everything was wrapped up by a quarter to
ten.
Next match is away at MCS/B
on Monday 4th March, after that we have a home
game v Bicester1 on the 25th March, (rearranged
after bad weather).
- Alan G.
28.2.13 -
Witney 2 vs. City 2
1 Bourne,
Johnathan (169) 1-0 Biswas, Karl
(149)
2 Gentry, Alan
(159) 1-0
Yates, John O (141)
3 Searle,
Howard AJ (153) 0-1 Godfrey, David
(133)
4 Edwards,
Derek F (139) 1-0 Brindley,
Malcolm (137)
5 Moss,
Patrick (147) ½-½
Brooke, Ian R (131)
6 Turner,
Roger N (126) ½-½ Smith,
Lucy K (126)
4-2
- played on 18 Feb.
A very good win for the 2nd Team after a
tense battle, which resolved itself only at the
end of the night, with the last 3 games all
being won for us. Howard blundered early and he
took a while to calm after his game, which he
was expected to win. Then Lucy and Roger,
equally matched, agreed a draw. Patrick too,
found his opponent Ian, difficult to beat and
they drew also. So we were 2-1 down and 3 to
play. Derek played some nice tactical moves to
win the exchange and eventually the game.
Johnathan had a lasting edge in his first game
for the 2nd team on Board 1 and his advanced
passed pawn won the day after some clever
exchanges. A good win against the ever-improving
Karland many thanks to Johnathan for filling
that board 1 slot. Alan had to struggle hard to
find any advantage but finally found a Bishop
sacrifice which won the exchange and, with his
opponent in time trouble, he managed to win .
Next week is the semi-final at home to
Wantage 1. Reminder to Johnathan B, Alan,
Howard, Derek, Patrick, and Richard.
- Alan G.
05.2.13 -
CWorkers 1 vs. Witney 2
1 Jenkinson,
Neil J (150) ½-½ Gentry, Alan
(159)
2 Malek, John
(130)
½-½ Searle, Howard AJ (153)
3 Grice, Chris
( )
0-1 Weston, Richard (142)
4 Colebrook,
Martin (121) 0-1 Edwards,
Derek F (139)
5 Willis,
Graham (118) ½-½
Kilbride-Newman, Bob (118)
6 Buckland,
David AS (86) 1-0 Smith, Paul
(-)
2½-3½
- played on 04 Feb.
Witney 2 escaped with the
narrowest margin of victory against bottom team
Cowley Workers and move into 3rd place. In the
uncomfortable games room of the club, and the
noise of the bar above, Richard decided blitz
chess was the way forward and took the win in
short time before I had even looked around. He
continues a good run of form.
Alan and Howard agreed fairly
early draws so it was down to boards 4 to 6 to
bring home the win. Derek duly delivered and
produced a fine checkmate with Queens off the
board, his rooks trapped his opponent's King in
mid board and he finally mated him with a pawn
move. Bob played nicely to draw, and with his
opponent about to Queen a pawn, Bob also used
his pair of Rooks, this time to create perpetual
check. Paul went down in a pawn ending with
Knight v Rook against his experienced opponent.
- Alan G.
14.1.13 -
Witney 2 vs. Cumnor 1
1 Kennedy,
Jonathan (162) 0-1 Varney, Andrew (146)
2 Gentry, Alan
(161) 0-1
Sayers, Mark (142)
3 Searle,
Howard AJ (151) 0-1 Stevens, Gareth (136)
4 Edwards,
Derek F (141) ½-½ Alvarez, Francisco
( )
5 Moss,
Patrick (143) 1-0
Glenn, Liam (128)
6 Weston,
Richard (131) 1-0 Cluley,
Graham ( )
2½-3½
- played on 07 Jan.
Definitely as unexpected a
result as it was bad. Witney 2 continue their
inconsistent season. Howard left in disgust
after his early loss to Gareth, but we recovered
with a reversal of fortunes as Patrick won.
Richard’s game was unpredictable but he
regrouped after one attack came to nothing and
crushed his opponent in the end. Derek had a
draw. So it was left to boards 1 and 2. Jon had
regained a lost pawn in the opening exchanges
and trying for the win he blundered a piece. It
was level pegging as my game came to a sad end
and I lost on time with a Rook and 3 passed
pawns advantage, though my opponent probably
knew he could play out and await my doom. We
have a chance to get straight back into winning
ways against Cumnor 1 in the FWS.
- Alan G.
13.12.12 - Wantage 1 vs. Witney 2
1 Walden,
Andrew (204) 1-0
Kennedy, Jonathan (162)
2 Brown,
Gordon D (145) 0-1
Gentry, Alan (161)
3 Richards,
Simon A (141) 0-1 Searle, Howard AJ
(151)
4 Morris,
Stephen A (140) ½-½ Edwards, Derek F
(141)
5 Spalding,
George H (139) 0-1 Weston, Richard (131)
6 Piggott,
Roly (137) 1-0
Kilbride-Newman, Bob (117)
2½-3½
- played on 04 Dec.
A great result against
Wantage 1 in our last match before Christmas,
though it was a narrow nail-biting victory.
Howard won very quickly in 15 moves with a
crushing Kingside attack which his opponent
could not defend. Alan, for whom Christmas came
early, blundered a pawn (not for the first time
this season) on move 6 and got his King caught
in the middle! Getting ready for a long fight
for the draw, his opponent tried to force
matters with a Bishop sacrifice and allowed a
zwischenzug which got him right back in the
game. Alan found another good move and won Queen
for Rook. A nice swindle.
Richard had a clear advantage
with Q and 2R on the g file against George’s
King, eventually swapping off to an ending with
the double exchange up which he won quickly. At
3-0, we were looking for half a point and Derek
duly supplied it in his very even and
hard-fought contest. Bob, too, had a good game,
being a pawn down in R, N and pawns v R, B and
pawns ending, admitting afterwards that he
played too aggressively and wasted some moves,
losing another pawn, to lose eventually. Jon,
meanwhile was fighting in a similar position
with equal pawns and R and N v R and B. Though
he went down finally in time pressure, it was a
valiant effort against such a strong player as
Andrew Walden. Next match is Home to Cumnor on
January 7. See you at the club.
- Alan G.
30.10.12 - City 2 vs. Witney 2
1 Dixon, Leif
(162) 0-1
Hackett, Dave G (189)
2 King, Simon
E (149) 1-0
Gentry, Alan (161)
3 Yates, John
O (140) ½-½
Searle, Howard AJ (151)
4 Brindley,
Malcolm (137) ½-½ Moss, Patrick (143)
5 Brooke, Ian
R (137) 1-0
Weston, Richard (131)
6 Godfrey,
David (135) 1-0 Kennedy,
Alan (125)
4-2
- played on 29 Oct.
Our first defeat of the
season, with one solitary win and two draws, it
was a bad night. Patrick earned a hard-fought
draw but Richard lost a very double-edged affair
with opposite side pawn thrusts and tactics
abounding.
Alan took far too much time
in the opening and blundered badly in the ending
to go down to the solid Simon. Howard could not
quite win his ending with an extra pawn so it
was left to Dave to demonstrate his prowess in
endgame technique as he won a bishop ending.
Hope we can bounce back on November 19th v
MCS/B.
- Alan G.
09.10.12 - Witney 2 vs. CWorkers 1
1 Hackett,
Dave G (189) 0-1
Jenkinson, Neil J (144)
2 Gentry, Alan
(161) 1-0
Malek, John (135)
3 Searle,
Howard AJ (151) 1-0 Colebrook,
Martin (121)
4 Edwards,
Derek F (141) 1-0 Cartwright,
Paul (119)
5 Weston,
Richard (131) 1-0
Matilal, Tamal (114)
6 Truran,
Joseph (120) 1-0
Buckland, David AS (89)
5-1
- played on 08 Oct.
Well done troops! This
continues the good start we all wanted. The
score of 5-1 sounds easy but every board was a
hard struggle. Once again, Richard delivered the
first point and, with the black pieces in an
unusual opening, he finished early. Derek, in an
English, played positionally and slowly crushed
his opponent, whereas Howard in a Modern defence
played an exciting game of opposite side
castling and had to weather a threatening pawn
storm before coming into a Rook and Pawns ending
in which his active Rook secured the point.
Next was a triumph of youth
over experience as Joseph, playing in his first
ever match for the 2nd team, showed skill and
natural ability in winning his opposite coloured
Bishops ending as he carefully shepherded home a
pawn and gave us a 4-0 lead. This left Dave and
Alan to finish. Alan wriggled out of an attack
against his King and after a swap of major
pieces, his opponent’s K and R were tied down so
his own K ruled the board, much to his relief!
Dave never looked in any
trouble and had much of the pressure throughout,
but in pressing too hard for the win, he allowed
counterplay and lost against his lower rated
opponent.
We have until October 29th
before the next match(away at City 2). Keep
practising.
- Alan G.
1 Sayers, Mark
(142) 0-1 Truran,
Michael (189)
2 Stevens,
Gareth (136) ½-½ Gentry, Alan (161)
3 Carr, Robin
(129) 0-1
Searle, Howard AJ (151)
4 Glenn, Liam
(128) ½-½
Edwards, Derek F (141)
5 Jones,
Michael (127) 0-1 Moss, Patrick
(143)
6 Bennett,
Steven (114) 0-1 Weston, Richard (131)
1-5
- played 04 Oct.
Well done everyone, the start
we hoped for and a good game point difference
could be significant later in the season.
Richard finished first, easily winning even
after castling on move 8! Then Patrick converted
his extra piece to a good win.
Alan struggled against Gareth
after blowing a pawn but active rooks in the
pawns and 2R endgame salvaged the draw.
Howard played a slow-burning
attack against his opponent’s King which forced
time problems and eventual resignation as Howard
was about to mop up several pawns. Derek had the
better with the black pieces but with Qs and
opposite coloured Bs he had to accept the draw.
So it was left to Mike to show his class. In
time trouble for both players, Mike exploited
the many weaknesses in his opponent’s position
with the deftness of Barbirolli conducting the
Halle orchestra to produce a thrilling win. See
you Monday at Home v Cowley Workers.
- Alan G.
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