Metropolitan I 4 Ealing II 3
: Created:23 Jan 2010 , by Alastair JohnstoneWith one board to complete, Ealing II trail 4-3 after Thursday's match in Middlesex League Div.2.
| Middlesex League, Div.2 | Thursday 21st January 2010 | |||||
Colour | Bd | Metropolitan I | Gd. | Result | Ealing II | Gd. |
W | 1 | Dickson, George | 183 | 0-1 | Wells, Tony D | 182 |
B | 2 | Calvert, D Ian | 172 | 0.5-0.5 | Greenshields, Chris | 175 |
W | 3 | Vachtfeidl, Petr | 174 | 1-0 | Grozdanic, Nevenko | 150 |
B | 4 | McGuinness, Andrew | 163 | 0.5-0.5 | Healeas, Simon | 151 |
W | 5 | Mason, Ian | 154 | 0.5-0.5 | Winterbotham, Mark | 147 |
B | 6 | Kitchen, John F | 151 | 0.5-0.5 | Gibbons, C Dale | 148 |
W | 7 | Stewart, Noel M | 145 | 1-0 | Default | |
B | 8 | Cooke, Charlie | 142 | p | Johnstone, Alastair G | 133 |
4-3 | ||||||
Chris Greenshields writes:
On Thursday Ealing 2 made the early trip to Metropolitan to play their 1st team in the Middlesex league. I have always felt we are capable of taking points from this fixture, the past 2 years have seen us default one or more boards for this fixture and narrowly lose 4.5-3.5. What would happen this year?
The first game to be completed was on board 7 when John uncharacteristically failed to turn up. Here we go again. My game ended in a draw after my opponent failed to capitalise on his advantage. Dale then succumbed to his opponent's fourth offer of a draw - he said by then he felt his opponent had the advantage.
The match was then tensely held in the balance for some time, with the next two games to finish, for Simon and Mark, ending in draws. That left us 3-2 down with 3 to play and the tension was increasing, especially as Alastair held the advantage on board 8.
On board 3 Nevenko found himself a pawn down in a horrendously complicated N+3P v B+2P ending against an opponent who seems to score well against us. In a complex period of play his opponent offered up the knight for Nevenko's pawns which Nevenko refused and lost. Looking at the position at the board, the alternative appeared lost too, but the ending would be very interesting to study.
With both players short of time, Tony got the better of his game and suddenly won. Now 4-3 down, all eyes turned to Alastair's game. The position changed just before the time control, when Alastair lost a minor piece for a pawn, but in the final position before his opponent sealed a move, Alastair has Q,R+ 5P, his opponent Q,R,N + 3P. Alastair's pieces are far more active and his opponent's king is exposed. At first sight the outcome of the game will critically hinge on his opponent's sealed move. Alastair will probably pick up another pawn to restore te material balance. An interesing adjournment on which the outcome of the match hangs.