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East Cheshire Ship Shape at Wilmslow

Posted on: November 9th, 2010 by Phil Ramsey

East Cheshire marched into the semi-finals of the Charnley Cup with a 5-1 victory at Wilmslow. We were able to field almost our strongest line-up and Wilmslow were unable to keep up with the pace. Here is how things worked out:

1. C Guffogg (126) 1-0 John Reed
London System vs Chigorin? Didn’t see much of this one as it ended early when John blundered in a solid position.
2. R Warhurst (122) 0-1 Graham Ball
If Robin had done his homework he would have known not to play the French Defence against a world expert in that opening! Graham won a piece in the early middle game and the game was soon over.
3. M Palmer (114) 0-1 Phil Ramsey
Playing the London system against my King’s Indian Defence my opponent decided to sacrifice a piece early on for some fun against my king rather than be ground down! Unfortunately for him he then accidentally sacrificed another piece and I managed to finish the game with a nice piece storm against his king.
4. A Flynn (109) 0-1 Dave Newell
Dave’s trusty Bird’s opening came good with a Kingside pawn storm that swept away all before it.
5. C Jackson (108) 0-1 David Taylor
On the Black side of a symmetrical English David built up an active position and then unleashed a fearsome combination to win a pawn and the exchange. Game of the night I think.
6. M Garvin (84) 0-1 Tudor Rickards
Playing the Queen’s Gambit Tudor soon won a pawn and then easily ground out the win in the endgame.
On to the semi-finals where we will probably meet Holmes Chapel! That match may be a teeny bit harder…
Posted in A Team

East Cheshire C vs Macclesfield B, Wednesday 27 November 2010

Posted on: October 28th, 2010 by Ian Vaughan
A win for the C Team – 3 1/2 to 1 1/2.
The scores were:-
Board………ECC……………………….Macc B
1………….Alan Stokes……0……1..Richard Murphy
2…………Paul Bamford…..1……0..Alan Sime
3…………Mike Cunnane..1/2..1/2..Brian Woodhall
4…………Ian Vaughan……1……0.. Angie Howe
5…………Roy Burrows…..1……0..Peter Rawlins
Roy surprised both his opponent and himself by achieving a smothered mate. Ian’s game involved a pawn battle in the centre which led to a decisive advantage. Both Roy and Ian finished early enough to play several friendly games against their opponents.
Mike as black played a QGA which went well, but after the middle game his opponent had plenty of counterplay and Mike’s offer of a draw was accepted.
Paul’s game begun with 1e4 e6. Paul played a King’s Indian and it seems won a two pawn advantage early in the game.
Alan was on the black side of a Ruy Lopez which started 3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.d4 exd 9.cxd Bb6. Alan says he should have played 8. …. Bb6 to stop his opponent recapturing with the c pawn on d4. He says he got into trouble after not noticing his opponent had left a knight en prise. Again, Alan arguably made best use of the time on the clock, gathering many spectators for the last half-hour.
We will look forward to the return match.
Posted in C Team

ECA Marches On

Posted on: October 14th, 2010 by Phil Ramsey

Another match, another victory for ECA!

I was expecting a tough match against Altrincham but it turns out that their captain only remembered about the match the night before and so had to cobble a team together at the last minute.
Their weakness showed as we stomped over them 6.0!
Here is how we stacked up:
1. John R (169) 1 – 0 D. Merryfield (142)
2. Phil R (155) 1 – 0 D. Hughes (130)
3. Dave N (154) 1 – 0 K Linke (124)
4. Keven H (142) 1 – 0 C McNulty (121)
5. Tudor (137) 1 – 0 C McCoy (93)
6. Paul B (132) 1 – 0 S Ward (86)
John as Black had to grind down a stodgy Colle System but eventually managed to loosen up his opponent’s King and win a pawn.
I was on the White side of a solid Ruy Lopez and won first a pawn and then a piece as my opponent misplayed his position.
Dave’s opponent will not win any awards for subtlety as he attempted a version of Scholar’s mate against the Sicilian. Fortunately Dave saw the threat and refuted his opponent’s ridiculous opening!
Keven’s success with 1. e4 continued as he quickly won material with his closed system against the Sicilian Defence. I’m glad that the London system has been abandoned for now!
Tudor’s game started (if I am not mistaken) 1.e4 d5 2. Qe2 ?!! I’m not sure what his opponent had been smoking but Tudor had no problem getting a full point out of this one.
Paul played the ultra-aggresive Danish Gambit and seemed to be more material up every time I looked at his game. Nice work but not every game in Division II will be as easy.
Well played and next up is Urmston in the cup at home on Wed 27th Oct.
Posted in A Team

The C Team vs Urmston, 5th October 2010

Posted on: October 11th, 2010 by Ian Vaughan

The C Team won 3-2. Moreover, everyone enjoyed the match. The scores were:
Urmston (Home) East Cheshire C (Away)
J Royle 0 1 Alan Stokes
T Plunkett 0 1 Geoff Clarke
J Bradley 1 0 Bill Tait
C Maudsley 1/2 1/2 Andy Walker
G Randall 1/2 1/2 Roy Burrows
Total 2 3

Roy (acting Captain) set up an unanswerable threat and accepted the draw offered by his much higher-graded opponent.
Andy also drew his game against strong opposition. He was on the back foot for the first 15 moves, but then managed to bring in a knight that both reinforced his defence and threatened the opponent’s queen. This turned the game around and it went to the wire, but with insufficient material for a mate in the time remaining.
With the match at 2-2, the result hinged on Alan’s game, a slow cerebral battle which Alan won on time, before the time control was reached.

Posted in C Team

October East Cheshire Rapidplay

Posted on: October 7th, 2010 by Phil Ramsey

On Wednesday 6th October East Cheshire held their first early season club rapidplay.

Fourteen members turned out and after 6 rounds Phil Ramsey was the winner with 6/6. Paul Bamford won the 135 and under grading prize with 3.5.
John only lost his game to me after accidentally dropping his Queen where I could take it! Otherwise things might have been very different.
Here are all the scores:
1st – P Ramsey – 6
2nd – J Reed – 4.5
3rd – T Rickards – 4
4th = – D Newell – 3.5
P Bamford
6th = – D Broadbent – 3
M Cunnane
K Holton
A Stokes
D Taylor
11th – I Vaughan – 2
12th – G Clarke – 1.5
13th = - R Burrows – 1
B Tait
Posted in A Team

East Cheshire A vs Macclesfield A

Posted on: September 30th, 2010 by Phil Ramsey

Our first match of the season was against potential title contenders Macclesfield.

Thankfully we were able to field a strong team and beat them 4.5 – 1.5!
Here are the details:
1. John Reed 0 – 1 A Soames
John had a great position on the Black side of an Albin Counter Gambit and had Soames on the ropes but then blundered. Bad luck.
2. Phil Ramsey 1- 0 P Cattermole
I was in my normal time trouble but started to get a nice position at about move 30. Cattermole started to think a lot and lost on time just as he made his 36th move! A harsh way for him to lose but I decided to claim the win for the sake of the team (and my grade!) The final position was better for me anyway.
3. Dave Newell 0.5 – 0.5 G Laurence
A solid draw from Dave on the Black side of a Dutch Leningrad. Great to see Dave back in the team again.
4. Keven Holton 1 – 0 V Kumar
A victorious return to 1.e4 for Keven. In an open Sicilian his opponent blundered a pawn early on and Keven pressed home his advantage mercilessly.
5. Dave Broadbent 1 – 0 D Lobo
On the Black side of an advance French Dave won a pawn early on but then had to offer a draw as his opponent had some threats. However his opponent needed a win for the sake of the team and played on – bad idea!
6. Alan Stokes 1 – 0 M Jouannet
Find a name for this opening: 1. d4 c5 2. Nf3 f5! The Benoni – Dutch? Whatever the name, Alan did a good job of exposing its flaws!
Well done guys! Next up Altrincham at home in two weeks.
Posted in A Team

Keith Arkell Visits East Cheshire

Posted on: May 15th, 2010 by Phil Ramsey
East Cheshire member Sean Hewitt recently organised a simultaneous display by Grandmaster Keith Arkell at our normal club venue. For the measly sum of £10 we could pit our wits against chess professional and Grandmaster Keith.
In the end 14 contenders turned up including myself. Keith dispatched 12 of us, with 1 draw and 1 defeat.
Keith played in his normal solid style and raced around the boards, often leaving us needing one of our “passes” just to finish thinking. Less than 3 hours and a few endgame lessons later it was all over.
Keith was in good humour tonight and the night was fun and instructive.
Below are a couple of photos and a position from my game.
Keith, with White to play, won a pawn. Can you see how?
Phil



Posted in A Team

East Cheshire member plays Nigel Short

Posted on: April 21st, 2010 by Phil Ramsey
Nigel Short recently gave a simultaneous exhibition in Manchester as part of a visit to the North West. Our own David Broadbent was there and by all accounts made Nigel work pretty hard, finally falling in a good Knight vs. bad Bishop endgame.
Here it is with David’s comments:
Nigel Short vs David Broadbent
Ashton Under Lyme
20th March 2010
1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. cd ed
5. Bg5 Be7
6. e3 c6
7. Bd3 Nbd7
8. Ne2 0-0
Short is preparing centre / kingside attack.
9. Qc2 Re8
10. 0-0 g6

All standard book until my 10. … g6. The book move is Nf8 but I decided it was good tactics to block Short’s Bishop and Queen and move out of book (I had a plan!)

11. Rae1 Nh5
12. Bxe7 Rxe7
13. Qd2 f5
Attempting to block a centre attack. Short now switches to the Queenside.
14. b4 Nhf6
15. f3 Qe8
16. Nc1 Kg7
17. Nb3 Rb8
Determined not to move my Queenside pawns.
18. a4 Nf8
19. a5 Bd7
20 Bc2 Qf7?

Ne6 is possibly best.

21. Nc5 Qe8
Two moves wasted. I expected Short to play e4.
22. Nd3 Ne6
23. Ne5 Nd8
24. Na4 Nf7
25. f4 Ne4
26. Bxe4 dxe4
27. Nc5 Nxe5
28. fxe5 Be6
29. g4 Rf7
Short switches to the Kingside.
30. gf gf
Short obviously has an advantage but ais running out of attacking pieces. I can still defend easily.
31. Kh1 Kh8
32. Rf4 Rd8
33. Rg1 Qe7
34. Qg2 Bc8
Looking to cover a6 / b7 in the ending.
35. Qg5 Re8
36. h4 Rg7
37. Qxe7 Rxg1+
38. Kxg1 Rxe7
39. Kh2 Kg7
40 Rf2 h6?!
h5 is maybe better? Or b6 to free the bishop?
41. Rg2+ Kh7
42. h5 Re8
43. Rg6 Rg8
44. Rxg8 Kxg8
45. Kg3 Kf7
46. Kf4 Ke7
47. Na4 Be6
48. Nc3 a6?
What else? (How about Bc4 to stop the Knight manoever? -Ed.)
49. Ne2 Kf7
50. Ng3 1-0
Instructive endgame. Short probably knew how he could win 15 moves ago. Still, 50 moves was not bad.
Posted in A Team

Attacking with the Modern Defense

Posted on: March 3rd, 2010 by Phil Ramsey
Keven has been in fine form recently and is about the only East Cheshire player who does not have a negative score this season! Here is one of his recent wins in Division II. Notes by Keven.
P Coleville .v. K.R.Holton
B1 ECB .v. Macclesfield B
24th February
Opening – Modern Defence
e4 g6
d4 Bg7
Nf3 d6
Bg5 Nc6 (Bg5 shades of John Reed !! c5 is the alternative line to Nc6)
Bb5 a6
Be2 Bg4 (Fritz favours his Be2 but it looks passive)
c3 Nf6
Nbd2 e5
d5 Nce7 ( Souped up KID according to Nigel Davies)

h3 Bd7
0-0 h6
Be3 g5
Nh2 Ng6
Ng4 Nf4 ( Many Davies Modern’s go like this )
Nxf6 Qxf6 (Fritz concurs but I quite liked Bxf6 so the Q can take back on d7 after Bg4 and the g-file is less cluttered)
Bg4 h5!
Bxd7+ Kxd7
f3 Rag8
c4 Bh6 ( Fritz prefers Nc4 for White here)
Qa4+ Kc8
c5 g4!!
Bxf4 Qxf4 (Fritz prefers e/f4 for Black here)
c6 gxh3
cxb7+ Kxb7
Qb4+ Kc8
Rf2 Rxg2+
Rxg2 hxg2
Nc4 Qxf3
Nxd6+ c/d6 ( Calm under fire as the B thwarts Rc1+ with chances)
Qc4+ Kd8 ( Important to avoid immediate checks from the Queen)
Qc6 Be3+ ( White has one minute left I have five)
Kh2 Qf4+
Kh3 Qg4+
Resigns as he cannot prevent Kh2 g1=Q+ and Rxg1 Qxg1+ and then R g8+++
0-1
Posted in A Team

Taming a GM

Posted on: February 16th, 2010 by Phil Ramsey

Playing in the Stockport Chess League we don’t meet many Grandmasters but new member Sean Hewitt did once hold seasoned GM Mark Hebden to a draw. Sean describes how he did it:


[Date "2008.11.24"]
[White "Hebden, Mark [246]“]
[Black "Hewitt, Sean [161]“]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. d4 Nf6
2. Nf3 g6
3. Nc3 d5
4. Bf4 Bg7
5. Qd2 Ne4
6. Nxe4 dxe4
7. Ne5 Nd7
8.O-O-O O-O
9. Nxd7 Qxd7
10. Bh6 Rd8
11. Bxg7 Kxg7
12. e3

Knowing that I was playing Mark I had done some prep and seen that he had had this position before and I was quite compfortable playing into it as I have no real weaknesses. However, I had decided that being meek for the whole game would get me nowhere.


12. … Qa4
13. Kb1 Be6
14. b3 Qa3
15. c4 c6
16. Be2 b5
17. Qb2 Qxb2+
18. Kxb2 bxc4

Although there are still 4 rooks on the board, I decided it was time to activate my king as I figured it couldn’t get into trouble.

19. Bxc4 Kf6
20. Bxe6 Kxe6
21. Rc1 Rac8
22. Rc5 Rd5
23. Rhc1 Rxc5
24. Rxc5 Kd6
25. Kc3 f5
26. Ra5 Rc7
27. Kc4 Rb7
28. h4 e6

I figured this to be pretty level now. I’d be happy if I didn’t have to move!

29. b4 h6
30. a4 g5

Classical he attacks on one wing, I attack on the other. If I can make my kingside majority count…

31. hxg5 hxg5
32. f3 exf3
33. gxf3 Rg7
34. e4

This puzzled me as it gives me a passed pawn. But then I saw his plan. If I push the passed pawn after we swap he plays e5+ followed by Rxa7+ and the rook on g7 bites the dust.

34. … fxe4
35. fxe4 e5

But this clever pawn sacrifice stops all the GMs tricks! After the game, Mark told me that he had missed this move – GMs are human too. (35… g4 36. e5+ and the rook is lost after Rxa7+)

36. Rxe5 g4
37. Rh5 g3
38. Rh6+ Kd7
39. Rh1 g2
40. Rg1 Kd6
41. Kd3 Rg3+
42. Ke2 a6
43. a5 Ke6
44. Kf2 Rd3
45. Rxg2 Rxd4
46. Rg6+ Kd7
47. Ke3 Rxb4
48. Kf4 Rb5
49.e5 Rxa5


And now I have the draw. This position is drawn even if I don’t have any pawns. I just have to make sure they don’t get in the way, and that I don’t do anything stupid. If you don’t know how to draw this ending a pawn down, learn it. It will make you many draws!

Many moves later…

81. e6


Moving the pawn admits defeat, and accepts that white cannot win. The white king now has no shield from checks from the black rook.

81. … Rb1
82. Rg8+ Ke7
83. Rg7+ Ke8
84. Rg5 Rf1+
85. Ke5 Re1+
86. Kf6 Rf1+
87. Rf5 Re1
88. Rf4 Re2
89. Rf1 Re3
90. Rd1 Re2
91. Kf5 Rf2+
92. Ke5 Re2+
93. Kd6 Re3
94. Rd5 Re1 1/2-1/2

Posted in A Team

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