Shrewsbury Chess Club enjoyed/endured an impressive array of results with its three teams recording a win, draw and loss between them in the final round of fixtures. Shrewsbury A ensured they top the tree at Christmas, whereas the B Team’s position more closely resembles a present (yes, I mean near the bottom. Just go with my weak extended metaphor) – probably hand-knitted socks – after a disappointing result away to Ludlow combined with surprising results elsewhere that leave them precariously perched above the drop zone, despite a deceptively high placement in 4th. The C Team, meanwhile, recorded yet another draw to keep their promotion hopes plodding along.
For the A Team’s match away to Telford A, Jamie had the rest of the team on tenterhooks, as he found himself in his usual time trouble. Afterwards, Jamie said he felt that he was on top throughout the game, but “For some strange reason (known only to my messed up head) I spent 25 mins on my fourth move! I suppose I had to put myself under serious time pressure for some fun!”
Time was the only danger (as always) but Jamie made it with a couple of minutes to spare. His two passed pawns on the queenside decided the game, as one was always going to break through to queen.
On board 2, Francis squared up against the ever-formidable John Footner. Meeting John’s 1.d4 with the dangerous and relatively little known “Vulture”, White over-pressed in the centre and opened up his king’s position. As can often happen, the Vulture swooped, John, feeling the pressure, left a bishop en prise and resigned a couple of moves later.
On board 3, David had the advantage early on against Richard Thompson but a careless exchange on move 17 took a lot of the pressure off and David used a lot of time trying to keep on top. Eventually, with just two minutes left, he managed to find a win but, given the match score and the time trouble David claims he would have accepted a draw had he been offered one a few moves earlier.
Against Richard Gillespie on board 4, Peter got caught out in an offbeat variation of the French (1.e4 e6 2.b3). When Richard eventually contested the centre with d4 and c4 the game quickly became complicated and Peter failed to find the right solution; Richard missed the chance to win a clear pawn with the better position.
After this Peter was able to dissolve the central tension and chase his queen around the board a bit, but could find nothing better than further simplification which saw the queens come off and the game peter out. Richard offered a draw after his 17th move and as Peter was (habitually) half an hour down on the clock with no clear route to an advantage he took it.
Daniel’s game on board 4 was against Brian Malone. It was a French defence which Brian played quite quietly which first allowed Daniel to press on the Queenside. After the options ran out on that side of the board, Daniel switched to the Kingside where he threw forward the h pawn. Brian decided to sacrifice a piece for this and the g pawn but, with his Queen on the wrong side of the board, he had no defence when Daniel offered the piece back by taking with a bishop on h7 with check, following in with his Queen, leading to a mating net in the corner.
However, for the B Team frustration ensued. Following on from a harrowing (I’m running out of adjectives to go with losses after 18 months doing this) defeat against Wellington B -which ensured skipper Matt Best has to keep an eye over his shoulder as well as enviously peeking up the table – they were without Norman O’Connor and Mark Smith for the test of a strong Ludlow outfit. After gambitting pawns on the top three boards, Ian Davies joined in the fun by overlooking his vulnerable h-pawn in a drawn ending against Robert Woodley. Shortly after, Matt’s poor form continued after going slightly wrong in the opening when he could have seized the initiative and then he lost a second pawn and his position collapsed.
However, the journey had already been worth it. Andrew Lewis declined a draw offer (hence the second part of the title) in a level position. However, as the position was level Andrew could only resist the temptation for so long, as he and Paul Munday mutually agreed to conclude their evening on level pegging. It does ensure his excellent unbeaten league run has been extended further, with eyes on John Parrott’s memorable 15-game stint for the A Team a few years back.
The game was then rounded off with Ivor Salter being afforded a draw in a tricky position against John Whittaker after Daniel Lockett and Joe Watson agreed a draw on board two. However, a win for Ian after draws for Andrew and Eric ensured the C Team came away from a tricky encounter with Condover and Church Stretton B with a point.
Shrewsbury A 4½-½ Telford A
- J. Hopkins 1-0 N. Nazif
- F. Best 1-0 J. Footner
- D. Everington 1-0 R. Thompson
- P. Kitchen ½-½ R. Gillespie
- D. Lockett 1-0 B. Malone
Shrewsbury B 1½-3½ Ludlow
- M. Best 0-1 R. Croot
- D. Lockett ½-½ J. Watson
- I. Salter ½-½ J. Whittaker
- I. Davies 0-1 R. Woodley
- A. Lewis ½-½ P. Munday
Shrewsbury C 2-2 Condover and Church Stretton B
- I. Davies 1-0 C. Micallef
- A. Lewis ½-½ F. Rooney
- E. Inglis ½-½ T. Williamson
- A. Purser 0-1 C. Pimm-Jones