Broadstairs  ½         Bridge A   6½ 

1	David Faldon (179)	½-½	Richard Eales  (198)
2	John Couzens (125)	0-1	Shany Rezvany (170)
3	Andy Flood (117)	0-1	James Essinger (163)
4	Reg Pidduck (107)	0-1	Arnaud Wisman (159)
5	Bob Cronin (103)	0-1	Patrick Burns (146)
6	Michael Doyle (90)	0-1	Chris Stampe (127)
7	Fredy Reber (e50)	0-1	Bill Tracey (124)

David Faldon writes:
Bridge B team arrived with a team almost as strong as their A side, outgrading us by an average of 45 points per player. I can’t remember such a huge difference in grading in any match I have ever been involved in. Of course we were huge underdogs, but as John said before the match, “Miracles do happen!” Unfortunately there was no miracle this week and Bridge made their expected huge score. Still, everybody put up a good show, especially Reg (last to finish) and Fredy (in his first game for the club). If we play as well in our last two matches of the season (Margate home and away) then we can hope for a couple of positive results. Many thanks to everyone that played and congratulations to Bridge on their win.

Broadstairs  1         Woodnesborough  3 

(Board positions based on July grades)

1	John Couzens (125)	0-1	Dennis Stokes-Carter                                 (118)
2	Andy Flood (117)	1-0	David Erwee (108)
3	Reg Pidduck (107)	0-1	Mark Towlson (101)
4	Bob Cronin (103)	0-1	Bryan Rodwell  (90)

Andy Flood writes:

A confident, unbeaten, top of the league Broadstairs team out-graded their opponents on all four boards. Requiring two wins from their remaining two matches to secure the championship, there could surely only be one result! First to finish was John on Board 1, and Woodnesborough were leading 1 – 0. The remaining matches were relatively even, Reg slightly ahead with a predicted win on Board 3 and likely draws on the other two boards. As the evening drew on, Bob Cronin’s position deteriorated to what looked like a loss but with clever pawn play at one stage it looked like he might scramble a draw. However, his opponent overcame the resistance and Broadstairs were 2 – 0 down.

Reg, with his two-pawn advantage, would surely secure the first point of the evening. However, an awful bishop proved to be of less value than a pawn and Broadstairs were 3–0 down and the match was lost. Thinking from the earlier positions that a win was needed on Board 2, Black had abandoned the strategy of locking up the pieces to one of opening up the game. With White attacking on the king side and Black on the queen side, Black broke through and a pawn became a certain queen. White resigned, the game was won but the match was lost 3 – 1.

With one match to go to secure the Championship, Broadstairs need to beat Woodnesborough and hope close friends Margate do the neighbourly thing and secure a win against rivals Bridge. Congratulations to Woodnesborough for winning the match and coming a close second in the competition for the most difficult-to-find venue in the league for which Bridge are worthy champions with ‘The Pavilion’.

 

 

Broadstairs  3½         Bridge  ½ 

1	Reg Pidduck (107)	½ -½	Graeme Boxall (83)
2	Bob Cronin (103)	1-0	Ray Rennells (81)
3	Michael Doyle (90)	1-0	Ian Redmond (70) def
4	Michael Jenkinson  (83)	1-0	Stuart Honey (68)

Reg Pidduck writes:

BOARD 3:  A WALKOVER.  Michael waited for the allotted half-hour but Ian could not make the match. 1-0 up

BOARD 2: ANOTHER WIN FOR BOB.  Our Broadstairs Bob soon looked in control with a piece up early, but Ray was having none of it and kept Bob at bay for a game fight. Finally Bob sacked his Queen to then gain a pin on Ray’s queen and Ray resigned with Bob in control with Rook and pawns against pawns. 2-0 up

BOARD 3:   CLOSE GAME. Graeme came at my Dutch Defence with a lot of aggression and soon had me backed up and going nowhere. I then got the chance to swap off his most dangerous piece (a black squared Bishop) which allowed me freedom to breathe a sigh of relief and offer a draw, which was accepted. 2½-½ up

BOARD 4: WELL DONE,  MICHAEL J.  Last to finish, Michael pushed to the very end to complete our first win in the Walker this season .

3½-½ win.   We now have Played 6  Won 1   Drawn 4  Lost 1  (Margate with 5 wins from 7 games now look untouchable to win the Walker this year.)

Broadstairs  ½         Bridge A   6½ 

1	David Faldon (179)	0-1	Richard Eales  (198)
2	Nick McBride (171)	0-1	Vishnu Singh (192)
3	Bob Page (141)	0-1	Michael Green (170)
4	Reg Pidduck (107)	0-1	David Shire (158)
5	Bob Cronin (103)	0-1	Robert Collopy (156)
6	Michael Doyle (90)	0-1	Emily Green (146)
7	Joshua Vaughan (86)	½-½	Bill Tracey  (124)

David Faldon writes:

A steamroller performance from Bridge A takes them to seven wins out of seven this season. None of our players played badly, the opposition were (mostly) just too good. The one exception was on board seven where Josh scraped a draw by perpetual check with just seconds (or was it one second?) on his clock at the end. Well played Josh! Many thanks to everyone for turning out on a cold February evening, and especially to Bob Page and Bob Cronin for driving.

Broadstairs  2         Margate   2 

(Board positions based on July grades)

1	John Couzens (121)	0-1	Colin Gregory  (107)
2	Andy Flood (114)	½-½	Clive Le Baigue  (117)
3	Reg Pidduck (109)	½-½	Leon Garfield (105)
4	Bob Cronin (106)	1-0	John Clarke  (97)

Andy Flood writes:

Another close and even match between the local rivals saw Broadstairs achieve an unlikely draw from a late evening losing position. As John sought to secure a quick win with white for Broadstairs on Board 1, he was the first to finish in a surprise loss to Colin Gregory. Not the best of starts for Broadstairs who were in time difficulty on Board 2 and a piece down on Board 4 going into the endgame. Somehow Broadstairs Bob with his never-say-die attitude won from a lost position to even the match at 1 – 1 and to wrestle the Houdini mantle from the absent Paul Carfrae. On Board 2 against a resolute Clive Le Baigue playing a very solid game, I was in real time trouble and only achieved the requisite 36 moves with three seconds to spare. Closing up shop, the inevitable draw was agreed at the second offer: 1.5 v 1.5. So all depended on the last game with Reg a pawn down (rook and four pawns) to Leon (rook and five pawns). Reg cleverly swapped off the rooks and aggressively pushed forward his pawns to secure half a point for Broadstairs and to maintain our unbeaten record.