There's a very good and fair report on the match on Chesterfield's website, so I don't know how much I can add, apart from emphasising that it was very close-run thing and everybody played well. I lost the toss but Andrew still got White. Dave Latham decided that, as he was going to lose anyway... a noble sacrifice but it meant more whites lower down. Well, he did lose. I'd not seen Andrew play the English before. Botvinnik's system seems to be fashionable again. Allan won White's Queen-I know no more- and Paul had a mighty passed pawn and a great deal of pressure through out the game. It was nearly mate but his opponent resigned just in time!I've seen Martin Howard play twice recently and he's very good at the English Opening as well! He seems to know where the pieces go. Mark resisted nobly but towards the end it must have been like playing against a boa constrictor! Stuart himself said that he played a 'tired' game but, from where I was sitting, which was 'next door', after having lost a pawn in the opening, he seemed to put up a very resourceful defence. Unfortunately his opponent found a way of converting his advantage into a winning endgame. My game started as a 'Veresov' and then turned into 'French'. I'd expected another English Opening but it ended up with Andy Mort playing e4. Very unusual! There was a minor moment of panic when I played c5 and, having forgotten to castle first, realised that White could play Nd6+ and make my King move. After having calmed down, and seen that it wasn't all that bad, it was very amusing to watch Andy's face as he decided what he was going to do. In the end he didn't give check and a draw ensued when we both started to get short of time.
Bill was taking on Steve Bracey who's a dangerous player to have on board 8! I'm told that he's graded 170+ in the Derbyshire league. Chesterfield certainly batted all the way down the order. Anyway Bill dId very well. He can't be used to defending himself when he plays the Dutch but he had to surrender in the end after a tricky ending (see the game). So in the end it all turned on one game-Srini v. Steve Housley. Dave Latham calls it coffee house chess in his report. Well there certainly were pieces flying all over the place. White (Srini) attacking on the kingside with a Saemisch Attack against the King's Indian and Black steaming down the other flank. Srini did have the upper hand at first but it was very wild and Black had a lot of play for the piece that White eventually won. Very difficult to play under the present time limit. Although he lost, I don't think that our man has anything to blame himself for at all. Do look at the game. The notes are Srini's. It was a very close match, played in a very good spirit.
