MX1: Ealing 1 v Hackney 1
: Created:15 May 2012 , byEaling determined to return to the top division
Hackney arrived with a team sheet promising three players graded over two hundred so Ealing knew it was going to be a tough night. I'd been thrust into the position of captain at short notice and discovered that we only had seven players.
Step forward our first hero: Carlo Paglialunga who came in at 7.30pm and played really well. Indeed Carlo believed that he held the advantage when the draw was agreed. One board up, young Hastion Wu battled bravely but had to give best to experienced Earnest Jones. Mike Tasker and I were about the same grade a couple of years ago but sadly we have gone in opposite directions since then. However on Thursday I got the better of his King's Indian Defence and might have continued, instead of offering to share the spoils.
Hero number two was Raj Jhooti on board six. His foe played his moves at an express rate and when Raj's king had to flee to the centre of the board with heavy pieces still on the scene, it looked all over for Raj. Amazingly Raj escaped and went on to record a truly incredible victory to level the scores at two each.
Hero three was Nevenko Grozdanic who has made a habit of upsetting highly ranked opponents. Observers have seen how as the evening proceeds his performance waxes and his resourcefulness overwhelms the opposition. With this win Ealing moved ahead on the score sheet.
It is fair to say that Francis Chin outplayed Sainbayar Tserendorj in the positional part of their game but Bayar who is infused with the true Mongolian spirit never gives up. A pawn down he created a wonderful counter-attack but very short of time he messed up a classic finish.
John Quinn built up an attack that eventually netted him a piece against Richard Bates. Hero four for Ealing was within view but Richard complicated the issue and John short of time missed the best route to victory.
Dante:
"Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark
For the straightforward pathway had been lost"
Translation - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tony Wells played splendidly to reach an ending of queen and three pawns against Robert Eames' queen and four pawns. These are horrible endings to play but often the side with the lesser number of pawns sets up a position where the opposing king cannot escape check. Eames marched his king over to the queenside and just possibly a computer might have found the draw but where are Fritz, Rybka and Houdini when you need them?
Ealing congratulate Hackney on their victory because our venue has not been a happy hunting ground for them in recent years. Either Hackney or Kings Head will finish second in the Middlesex League this season but hopefully as we descend to the second division we can fulfill Arnold Schwarzenegger's dictum "I'll be back".