Trefor receives the Micklethwaite Shield

Congratulations to the Broadstairs A team who won the Team Buzzer tournament for the third year in a row. Sadly, as has become routine in recent league events, only three teams competed and two of those were from Broadstairs so we should be grateful to Margate for at least making it a competition.  Had they been at full strength it would have been closer than it was but the absence of one or two of their stronger players together with (or perhaps because of) the fact that buzzer events – you have to move every ten seconds on the buzzer – are not everyone’s cup of tea meant that the real competition was for second place.  Here Paul Johnson justified his selection on Board 1 for the B team by drawing with Trefor Owens – the only individual game that the A team did not win – and twice beating Peter McGill, the Margate number one.

It is to Broadstairs’ great credit that not only could the club count on eight players to take part but that two others offered to stand by if needed as reserves. Indeed one of those, Paul Carfrae, stepped in at the last minute. This is the club’s fourth trophy this season after the Team Quickplay, the Mick Croft Cup and the Hargreaves Shield. With second place in the Millar Cup and the possibility of second in the Walker Shield which concludes on Monday, it has been an excellent season. Many thanks to all those who took part and to Margate for their hospitality.

A team: Trefor Owens, Shany Rezvany, David Faldon, Ian Hames

B team: Paul Johnson, Bob Page, Paul Carfrae, Michael Doyle

Team Played Won Drawn Lost Game Pts Match Pts
Broadstairs A 4 4 0 0 15½ 8
Broadstairs B 4 2 0 2 4
Margate 4 0 0 4 2 0

Full details of individual results can be found on the ECF LMS site.

                                         Broadstairs  5        Bridge   2

1 David Faldon (174) ½-½  Richard Eales (193)
2 Trefor Owens (167) 1-0  Patrick Burns (166)
3 Shany Rezvany (163) ½-½  Jeff Green (144)
4 Bob Page (141) 0-1  Graeme Boxall (93)
5 Paul Carfrae (140) 1-0  Ray Rennells (80)
6 Chris Stampe (124) 1-0  Darren Coker (40)
7 Paul Johnson (116) 1-0  Conor Gorman (27)

David Faldon writes:

This match was way too exciting. At about 30 minutes in our board 3, Shany, suddenly found himself struggling to breathe. Luckily we had a doctor on site and after a quick check of Shany’s symptoms, Dr Jenkinson persuaded the ambulance service that we had a real emergency. The ambulance arrived almost immediately and Shany was taken to the QEQM Hospital in Margate. The latest news is that Shany is still unwell, but in stable condition. After that, the match was rather secondary. Shany’s opponent, Jeff Green, sportingly accepted the draw offer that Shany made on his way out of the room. An hour or so later we were 3½-½ up as our boards 5, 6 and 7 used their extra experience to crash through with three rather one-sided wins. On board 1, I had a good position but an opportunity arose where I could force a draw by repetition. After checking the outstanding games I decided to take the draw, leaving us 4-1 up with two to finish. Next, Trefor on board 2 confounded my doubts by convincingly finishing off a well-played positional game: 5-1. The final result (board 4) was a bit disappointing but Bridge’s captain, Graeme Boxall, played excellently and deserved his upset victory. Many thanks to Bridge for bringing a full team despite trying circumstances and for their support (and use of a phone!) during the emergency. This is our last Millar Cup match of the season and the result leaves us joint top on eight points level with Folkestone, though Folkestone do still have two games to play. Of course Folkestone could lose their remaining games to Bridge and to Margate, but I’m not holding my breath for that – sorry, Shany!

Ed: the latest news on Shany is that he was discharged on Tuesday afternoon. He thanked everyone for their support and apologised ‘for disturbing and interrupting the match’!

Here at Game of the Week HQ we are naturally partial to games where the underdog puts one over on a more exalted opponent. While this game may not quite qualify as a David v Goliath encounter, beating an opponent 26 points stronger is nonetheless a commendable achievement.  There is a theory – almost a truism – that chess players often do better against stronger opponents, whether the result of unintentional complacency, concentration (or lack of) and Michael seems to have become a convert: this fine performance was sandwiched between two games in the Walker Shield where he was less  successful against lower rated players.

White:   John Couzens (117)     Black:  Michael Doyle (91)

Goodall Cup  

                                                 Broadstairs   1½      Ramsgate  2½                     

1 Andy Flood (110) 1-0 Malcolm Snashall (110)
2 Bob Cronin (103) 0-1 Josh Vaughan (94)
3 Reg Pidduck (101) ½-½ Bob Wallace (88)
4 Michael Doyle (91) 0-1 Don Richards (74)

Capt Mike Doyle writes:

If you are skiing on a slippery slope you will invariably fall and go downhill. That’s what happened to Broadstairs last night when we lost to Ramsgate. The only hope of  winning the Thanet Shield if we beat Ramsgate was gone when we lost by 2½-1½. To spare a complete disaster, Andy on Board 1 notched up our only win. With white holding the initiative, we lost on Boards 2 and 4 playing black, namely Bob C and your captain Mike with Reg achieving a draw with the white pieces. It only proves the point that a 50-50 chance of winning with either with white or black favours white! Our first loss was Bob C. He was eventually worn down by white and resigned before he was mated. It was an even game with Reg and Andy a few pawns ahead, but our captain was on do-or-die battle on board four playing black (you guessed it). He had the white king in check by a rook in the middle of the board and lo and behold in a right tussle he lost in the end game. It was Reg who gained a draw with repetitive checks in the middle of the game. With his passed pawn gaining a queen, Andy was the only one to win. Hard luck, lads! Next season, we’re hoping to win the Walker Shield – praying with a bit of luck!

 

                                          Broadstairs   ½      Margate  3½                     

1 Andy Flood (110) 0-1 Clive Le Baigue (11)
2 Bob Cronin (103) 0-1 Leon Garfield (102)
3 Reg Pidduck (101) ½-½ John Clarke (98)
4 Michael Doyle (91) 0-1 Ray McAloney (86)

Capt Mike Doyle writes:

‘It was a drubbing,’  the verdict of Reg Pidduck, president of Broadstairs Chess Club, after yesterday’s loss to Margate. It was a chess disaster! Three of the Broadstairs players lost and only Reg managed a draw. Our captain, Mike Doyle, was the first go down having played a Sicilian Defence against White’s onslaught.  Half way into the game I fought back but my queen was en pris and I took my eyes off as the knight pounced to take it off. It was the second match that I have lost my queen!  The next player go down was none other than Bob C who lost a bishop early on and resigned the game as it fell apart. On board three was Reg, the only points scorer with a draw, who managed to get his knight pinned against the side of the board and a draw was agreed. Last to go was inimitable Andy, who played a solid methodical game, until a piece down and was forced to resign at the end. Our hopes of winning the Walker Shield are up in smoke unless a miracle happens. As Andy said after the match: ‘We can now relax and enjoy the rest of the season’ not in stress going for the shield. Urrggh!