ML2: Hammersmith I 5 Ealing II 3
: Created:14 Nov 2007 , by Alastair JohnstoneMonday 12th November 2007. Ealing 2 have narrowly lost their latest match, away to Hammersmith.
| Bd | BCF Code | Ealing | Gd. | BCF Code | Hammersmith | Gd. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 242513A | Tserendorj, S | 169 | - | 129432F | Pedersen, Carsten | 180 |
| 2 | 254199D | Hamilton, Stephen | 158 | - | 256644J | Ahmad, A | 164 |
| 3 | 114005L | Lamb, H Michael | 146 | = | 243911G | Rigby, Colin | 160 |
| 4 | 268300D | Shalabayev, Syrym | 142 | - | 242508H | Sara, Valerio | 159 |
| 5 | Healeas, Simon | 135 | + | 172558A | Hannot, J-C | 152 | |
| 6 | 111178E | Gibbons, C Dale | 129 | = | 127090E | Woolley, John H | 132 |
| 7 | 112274F | Harvey, John T | 107 | + | 114665J | Lukey, FJ | 129 |
| 8 | 103693C | Johnstone, Alastair G | 108 | - | 173127A | Price, Michael C | 128 |
Two divisions separated these teams last year, but with Hammersmith being relegated from Div.1 and Ealing coming up from Div.3, we now both find ourselves in Div.2 and, at the end of the day, the superior strength of the home team on the higher boards made the difference.
With my own game finishing all too rapidly on Bd.8, I was able to follow the progress of the other games.
Mike Lamb agreed an early end to hostilities with his opponent, but both Bayar and Syrym soon came under heavy pressure.
The performance of Hammersmith's top board was particularly impressive. Bayar's king got caught in the middle, was soon deprived of a pawn shield and then subjected to a withering assault. After ceding some material, Syrym's position gradually slipped out of control and despite efforts to complicate, soon became untenable.
Stephen, in his first outing of the season, understandably sought to play in a solid fashion. However, his opponent seemed bent on aggression and ultimately prevailed, although I didn't see the final manouevres.
Meanwhile, there were a bit brighter on the lower boards (your truly excepted). Dale exchanged down to a seemingly won endgame and seemed to have everything in hand to bring home the full point, but John Woolley defended stubbornly to earn a draw.
John Harvey continued his excellent start to the season with another win with the black pieces. Although there sometimes appears to be some Speelmanic randomness to the positioning of John's pieces, they have a habot of bursting into very effective life at present. Long may it continue!
The final game to finish was Simon's, in a quickplay finish. Cue controversy! With the position more or less level, his opponent lifted a rook, moved it and then released it on its new square. Then, realising he was leaving a piece en pris, he picked it up and placed it on another square. On being challenged, he claimed that this was permissable in a quicklplay finish as he hadn't yet pressed his clock. Fortunately, on this occasion sound counsels prevailed and after consultation with his colleagues, he accepted that no such dispensation existed and promptly, but graciously, resigned.
So, 5-3 to Hammersmith, which is probably a fair reflection of the evening's contest.