A big week lies ahead for Shrewsbury B after a battling display was not enough to spare Mark Smith’s side from defeat to reigning Shropshire Online League champions Oswestry A.
Despite being heavily outgraded on all boards, the B’s gave it everything and pushed their opponents all the way before slipping to a 3-1 defeat, writes Peter Kitchen.
Top boards Mark Smith and Stephen Priestley impressively held Charles Lowick Higgie and Mehmet Altinsoy to draws. But Oswestry’s great depth told on the bottom two boards as both Ivor Salter and Richard Vernon were beaten.
The B team remains embroiled in a battle with Telepost A at the bottom of the online league division one table – both sides have two points – ahead of two big matches in the space of a week. They play Oswestry A again on February 28, before a relegation four-pointer with Telepost A on March 6.
Smith named an unchanged side for his side’s latest encounter, and will have been buoyed by seeing that Oswestry’s side did not feature international master Paul Littlewood, who has featured on occasions in the past.
But the B’s still found themselves up against it. Richard Vernon lost a key pawn coming out of the opening against Adrian Bailey and then lost a piece on move 21, from which there was no way back.
But Smith and Stephen Priestley admirably held their own against strong opposition. Smith, playing on the black side of a Ruy Lopez against Charles Lowick Higgie, took an early opportunity to sharpen the game, ceding two minor pieces for a rook but gaining a dangerous-looking attack against a fractured kingside.
The computer engines may not have been impressed by Smith’s plan, but it was a difficult position for Higgie to face. Smith won a pawn as the queens were exchanged to restore material equality on the points count, and Higgie offered a draw on move 35 that was accepted.
Priestley continued his fine run of form by holding Mehmet Altinsoy to a draw on board two. Playing his favourite Bird’s Opening, Priestley attempted to gain space on the kingside while Altinsoy sought play in the centre. Ultimately, both players were able to rebuff the other’s attempts to make progress, and a draw was agreed on move 30.
On board three, Ivor Salter fund himself up against one of the county’s top players in Brian Whyte and quickly found himself under pressure with the black pieces. But despite losing a central pawn early in the middlegame, he remained well in the game in the queen and double rook ending that ensued as Whyte was running perilously short of time.
But despite his own struggles, Whyte remained patient and continued to slowly build his advantage, eventually capitalising from an error on move 35 by Salter to break through by winning a further pawn and exchanging off both pairs of rooks in the process. Salter resigned on move 49.
Full results:
Shrewsbury B 1-3 Oswestry A (Shrewsbury colours in brackets)
1. Mark Smith (b) 0.5-0.5 Charles Lowick Higgie
2. Stephen Priestley (w) 0.5-0.5 Mehmet Altinsoy
3. Ivor Salter (b) 0-1 Brian Whyte
4. Richard Vernon (w) 0-1 Adrian Bailey