This week’s game features a typical swashbuckling performance from Paul Carfrae, a win that set the Broadstairs team on the way to a crucial victory in the Hargreaves Shield against a Woodnesborough side that had won all its previous matches. Hold on to your seats!
White: Paul Carfrae (131) Black: Robin Bellion (e138)
Hargreaves Shield: Broadstairs v Woodnesboough
Broadstairs 3 Woodnesborough 1
| 1. | Paul Carfrae (131) | 1-0 | Robin Bellion (e138) |
| 2. | John Couzens (118) | ½-½ | Kit Blundell (127) |
| 3. | Bob Cronin (112) | ½-½ | John Thorley (e113) |
| 4. | Andy Flood (111) | 1-0 | David Erwee (108) |
Andy Flood writes:
The Hargreaves team found themselves for the first time playing in the unlikely setting of the Phoenix Club, the new temporary venue of Woodnesborough chess club. Both teams were at full strength and unusually Boroadstairs were out-graded on three of the four boards.
It seemed that we had only just started and settled down to play this crucial match against a Woodnesborough team that had won all their matches when news of a Paul Carfrae win on Board 1 spread across the room – an absolute must for game of the week for the website. Without giving too much away, the game was very attacking, very decisive and very short as Paul destroyed his higher-graded opponent. Meanwhile, on Board 4 I was establishing a good solid position going initially one pawn up and then two pawns up before Broadstairs went 2–0 up as my opponent blundered under the pressure and swiftly resigned.
The other two games looked like certain Broadstairs losses. Bob Cronin was well and truly under the cosh with his king on the back rank and his pieces pinned by two rooks, a bishop and a queen. Bob had never really recovered from the opening. Similarly the ‘Gullbuster’ was being ‘busted’ on Board 2 and was in danger of being mated, again losing the initiative very early on in his game.
But back to Board 3, a flurry of exchanges of all the pinned pieces resulted in Bob having material advantage and then astutely and sportingly offering his opponent a draw to secure the points and a Broadstairs win. We all then huddled around the remaining match to see a lesson to us all. John managed to survive the threatened mate and from being material down he mounted his own counter-play and threats to get into a position of being just one pawn down and being able to offer and have accepted a draw.
So the team went home happy with a 3–1 win, all players unbeaten and the team remaining unbeaten at the top of the league with just two more matches to go.
Broadstairs 0 Folkestone 7
| 1 | David Faldon (175) | 0-1 | Andy Hammond (189) |
| 2 | Paul Carfrae (131) | 0-1 | Leon Wooldrige (188) |
| 3 | Bob Cronin (112) | 0-1 | Martin Cutmore (164) |
| 4 | Andy Flood (111) | 0-1 | Matthew Cussens (138) |
| 5 | Michael Doyle (89) | 0-1 | Mahua Verma (89) |
| 6 | default | 0-1 | |
| 7 | default | 0-1 |
David Faldon writes:
Five players travelled to Folkestone on a freezing Friday in February in search of a miracle … and it didn’t happen. Still, we tried. With better clock handling and/or a bit of luck we could have made three draws but the overall result was never in doubt once one of the five (no names!) lost two pieces for two pawns inside the first ten moves. On the positive side our hosts provided free tea and coffee. Congratulations to Folkestone on a well-deserved victory.
Broadstairs 4 Bridge 0
| 1. | Bob Cronin (112) | 1-0 | Shahid Sahi (115) |
| 2. | Andy Flood (111) | 1-0 | Ray Rennells (86) |
| 3. | Reg Pidduck (106) | 1-0 | Graeme Boxall (85) |
| 4. | Michael Doyle (89) | 1-0 | Ian Redmond (78) |
Reg Pidduck writes:
Even before this match got underway, Broadstairs were already Walker Shield Champions for the second year running as previous results meant we could not be caught.
BOARD 1: STILL IN FORM BOB. First to finish, Bob won an exchange early on, but in giving it back gained a two-pawn advantage. This then became three which won him the endgame. 1-0 to us.
BOARD 3: MY FAVOURITE DUTCH. My fave opening was strong but Graeme foiled all my attempts to get control. Only in the end with queens, knights and pawns was I able to get a one pawn advantage, which was enough. 2-0 to us
BOARD 2: CREDIT TO RAY. Ray Rennells was 25 points lower in grade to our Andy but put up a sterling fight to the finish. In the end a bishop to the good , Andy won. 3-0 to us
BOARD 4: EVEN CONTEST. This match between Michael and Ian was the closest of the night. Once again it was down to the pawns to fight to the last. Ian resigned when Michael broke through. A flattering 4-0 win against worthy opponents.
For 2016 we have won the Walker Shield with played 4 won 4 (shame Margate had to pull out).
Broadstairs 2 Ramsgate 2
| 1. | Paul Carfrae (131) | 1-0 | Steve Guy (138) |
| 2. | John Couzens (118) | 0-1 | Malcolm Snashall (122) |
| 3. | Andy Flood (111) | 1-0 | Brian Williamson (96) |
| 4. | Michael Doyle (89) | 0-1 | Josh Vaughan (77) |
Andy Flood writes:
It was always going to be a tight match between the 2015 Hargreaves Shield champions, Ramsgate, and the runners-up, Broadstairs. First to finish was the captain and part-time reporter with a solid game. I was a knight up early on as a result of a simple queen take with Black unable to recapture owing to a discovered check. John on board 2 soon found himself in the bar for an early drink having gone a piece down early in the game. He battled through to an endgame against a typically solid Malcolm Snashall, who swapped off to convert an advancing pawn, forcing John to resign before the inevitable.
As the night was drawing to an end, Mike Doyle on board 4 was battling against our Josh who was struggling under time pressure. As the clock’s flag raised, we waited for it to fall. Somehow, Josh withstood the pressure to get what was an unpredicted but well-deserved point for Ramsgate with seconds to spare as he advanced a pawn to convert to a queen leading to Mike’s resignation.
So the result would be determined by the top board and what at one stage appeared to be an inevitable win for Paul as he went a queen up early in the game. Somehow, though, Steve got back into the game and captured a rook as Paul sought to mate, thus setting up the game for an exciting finale. It took some exceptional play from Paul to shrug off the lost piece as his queen battled against knight, rook and bishop to advance three queenside pawns to guarantee another queen and win on the top board.
A good night for chess and the white pieces with Broadstairs maintaining their unbeaten record with a 2 – 2 draw.