Sheffield Woodseats Chess Club

Srini is definitely NOT a hero. 

An impossible, last gasp win on board 1 turned a seemingly lost match into a second victory in a week for Woodseats C at Darnall.  If the Woodseats III Cup win at Rotherham last month (see website for report: http://www.woodseatschess.org.uk/ ) was the most unlikley victory I've ever been part of, this was not far behind.  On paper we outgraded our opponents and should have expected to win, but our opposition played with a skill and tenacity that belied their lowly league position.

Several of us started badly.  Gleb had not seen a chess board for 6 months and played like it had been 6 years.  He was a pawn down on the White side of an Italian set up before I even looked.  Dave's position wasn't much better.  He had spent several moves to get a knight to C1, his king was still in the centre and his queen was a defending pawns.  His opponent was well ahead in development.  George was even worse, behind in development and material.  Since it was the bottom 3 boards that I had expected to secure us match winning points I felt rather pessimistic.

At least the top boards things had more serenity.  Chern had a familiar Catalan set up and epitomised calmness, as he often does.  Srini had been given the opportunity to unleash his Alekine but appeared to have reigned it in rather with cautious pawn moves.  I trotted out a familiar Najdorf.

Gleb was soon lost.  He could have played on a bit but was clearly having one of those nights where one just doesn't see things.  If it had been a boxing match the ref would have stopped it because the White corner was able to defend himself.  When George's opponent offered him a draw I thought George was going to take him out for a meal he was so quick and happy to accept.  Unfortunately Srini's position had collapsed in a series of steps, first positionally, then a pawn and then trapping his own queen.  If someone gathered the material he was down they could have rebuilt Rome with it.  Of course, Srini, being Srini played on against an opponent graded in the 160's a queen and a pawn for a rook down, but effectively we were losing 2.5 - 0.5.

Even when Chern smoothly ballooned the advantage he had from bishop over knight in an endgame by bringing his king forward to shred his opponents pawns, so notching our first victory, it meant I had to win.  Another controlled game from our board two who has certainly slowed down his play this campaign and results are of course following.  Dave had showed similar poise turning defense into attack by gradual improvement and capitalised on his opponents error to effectively level the scores.  (Srini was still playing on but was quite lost.)  It would be all down to me.  A moment to step forward, to do as I have been urging others to do, to lead by example.  Cometh the hour, cometh the man and all that.

But I played like an idiot and lost. Striving for play I underestimated the potential of my opponents position and very accurately he exploited the gaps in my defense to gain a clear advantage.  I continued to make inferior choices while he made good ones and fully deserved his win. 

The 'crowd' however had stopped looking at my game and were following Srini's execution instead.  George started mouthing that Srini may draw, and then Gleb reported he was winning.  I dried my tears and looked for myself.  It was true.  Part fight, part luck, part clock, typical Srini - a miraculaous turnaround.  I had to add up the score sheet 4 times but we had won.  I felt for Darnall.  For 2 hours the better side but they remain pointless this season and we keep our 100% record.  At least until next weeks trip to Barnsley when genuine heroes will be required.