Shrewsbury A and B shared the points in their opening Shropshire Online Chess League match of the season – and the B’s could count themselves unfortunate not to win.
Despite Nat Paul defeating B team captain Mark Smith on top board, A team skipper Francis Best was upset by Stephen Priestley on board two.
When Ivor Salter made it into an endgame a solid pawn up against Peter Kitchen on board three, the B’s – promoted as champions of online division two last season – looked on for a stunning upset.
But despite his chronic shortage of time, Kitchen used his two bishops to create problems and ask questions. The position was eventually drawn after a 70-move struggle.
It was still a fine start to life in the top flight for the B team – and for the A’s the overriding emotion was one of relief.
The match had been reduced to three boards a side due to player availability problems.
On top board, Smith gained the upper hand in the middlegame after a pawn sacrifice by Paul. But he then sacrificed a piece for two further pawns and the position became double-edged. With Smith short of time, he fell into a mating net and had to give up a rook, which was quickly followed by resignation on move 49.
Best found himself facing the Scandinavian Defence that he often employs himself on board two. He seemed to be on top after Priestley’s double-edged pawn sacrifice to generate open lines on the queenside. But Priestley obtained play on the Queenside, with Best pursuing attacking opportunities against Priestley’s king. Best played a couple of moves in sub-optimal order, allowing his opponent to attack both queen and rook. Best resigned on move 25, thinking the position hopeless, although the computer analysis showed that the attack would have been worth continuing, with black having to tread a very narrow path to safety and only emerging with a very slight edge. Afterwards, Best put this double-falter down to “brain fuzziness” after a recent bout of covid, although we have all been there in the light of computer analysis.
On board three, Kitchen had eked out an edge with the black pieces in the early middlegame against Salter, possessing the bishop pair over his opponent’s bishop and knight. But an ill-advised exchange of pawns only opened lines for Salter’s rooks, and once the rooks were exchanged Salter was able to win a pawn – leaving him with two passed queenside pawns.
Kitchen also had little over a minute’s thinking time to Salter’s 15. But he kept asking questions of his opponent, and eventually liquidated into a same coloured bishop ending with one pawn each. Kitchen even won the remaining white pawn – but Salter was instantly able to claim the opposition and force the draw.
B team captain Smith described the match as “a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting evening of chess”, while his counterpart Best praised the B team who “played well above their grades”.
The games can be seen by searching for the players’ handles on chess-playing website Lichess.
Both teams will face local rivals Telepost A next in the online league – the A’s on Tuesday (November 15) and the B’s on November 29.
Full scores:
Shrewsbury A 1.5-1.5 Shrewsbury B (B team white on odds, Lichess handles in brackets)
1.Nathanael Paul (natpaul) 1-0 Mark Smith (marksmith77)
2.Francis Best (ephpeebee) 0-1 Stephen Priestley (Casimir71)
3.Peter Kitchen (JournoPete83) 0.5-0.5 Ivor Salter (Mr_Ivor)