Worcester & District Chess League
2012-3 Season Division 1 match details
| Worcester Bishops - Malvern | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Peter Kitson Pavel Besedin Jim Keene Ed Osbourn |
½ - ½ ½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geoffrey Herbert |
| Result | 1 - 3 | Played 27 Sep | |
| Match report from Ray Collett. League champions Malvern went head-to-head with Worcester Bishops, runners-up, in the first match of the season. Both clubs produced strong teams for this crucial encounter. In the top board encounter Turner and Kitson again tested the Steinitz Defence of the Ruy Lopez. There was a complicated queenless middlegameand an early truce. On board 2, Besedin pressed hard against Clarke's Scandinavian Defence, but Clarke defended carefully. The position was balanced as players struggled to reach the first time control and they agreed a draw in an equal rook and pawn ending. At this point there were complex middle games on boards 3 and 4 and players were short of time. Herbert had infiltrated a knight deep into enemy territory and Osbourn's king was precariously placed in the game on board 4. The flurry of moves to complete the game on board 4 saw mistakes on both sides and Herbert was the victor with seconds to spare. The Keene-Knee game reached a an ending with all the heavy artillary on the board with players having only seconds to think. Knee's advanced forces trapped Keene's king to conclude the game and the match to confirm Malvern's status as champions. | |||
| Kidderminster Knights - Kidderminster Pawns | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
John Wrench Jim Friar Joseph Friar James P Friar |
1 - 0 ½ - ½ ½ - ½ 1 - 0 |
Mark Riley David Close Tim Yates Clive Billinge |
| Result | 3 - 1 | Played 2 Oct | |
| Match reported by Jim Friar. | |||
| Malvern - Kidderminster Pawns | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke Geoff Herbert Leigh Canham |
1 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 0 |
Mark Riley Dave Close Clive Billinge Mike Kitchen |
| Result | 2 - 2 | Played 19 Oct | |
| Match reported by Brian Turner. | |||
| Redditch - Headless Cross | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Dan Lambourne Dave Spowart Andrew Wiggins Ian Clack |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ ½ - ½ |
Glen Cox Ashley Davis Dave Richardson Terry Radford |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 23 Oct | |
| Match reported by Michele Clack. | |||
| Kidderminster Pawns - Worcester Bishops | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Mark Riley Dave Close Tim Yates Clive Billinge |
0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ |
Peter Kitson Nick Harris Andrew Farthing Ray Collett |
| Result | 1 - 3 | Played 7 Nov | |
| Match reported by Ray Collett. Kidderminster were the underdogs and the score line did not cause surprise. Board 4 finished first when Collett's rather optimistic offer of a draw in a double rook and pawn ending was accepted. The remaining three boards all looked to be going in Worcester's favour. Kitson gradually increased pressure until his opponent cracked. On board 3, Farthing exploited weak squares to create a bind, but the breakthrough proved tough to find, but found it was. Harris also pressed hard and gained a pawn. Exchanges led to a rook and pawn versus rook ending, but Close's king could reach the pawn's promotion square and the game was agreed drawn just before the final time control. [Result card corrected on 10 Nov to be consistent with the commentary. Sorry- webmaster] | |||
| Worcester Bishops - Kidderminster Knights | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Peter Kitson Steve Mellor Nick Harris Jim Keene |
½ - ½ 1 - 0 ½ - ½ ½ - ½ |
Craig Evans Jim Friar Maurice Bissell Joseph Friar |
| Result | 2½ - 1½ | Played 8 Nov | |
| Match report from Ray Collett. Board 3 players ceased hostilities in a blocked position after exchange of queens and minor pieces. Board 1 played a Four Knights Opening that led to a wild Scotch Game where both kings were under attack in the centre of the board. Kitson found a defence against a very dangerous white attack and sacrificed a rook to force perpetual check. On board 4 and befitting the team's name, Joseph Friar adopted Alekhine's Defence. The players agreed a draw in the late midddle game when it was clear that white could not use the advantage in space without weakening his central pawns. On board 2 after a Ruy Lopez, Mellor forced the win of a pawn and exchanges led to a bisop and pawn ending where the Worcester player was a pawn up with a better bishop. Mellor's win required many moves, but was achieved efficiently by restricting his opponent's moves to gain further material. | |||
| Kiddermister Pawns - Headless Cross | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Mark Riley Dave Close Tim Yates Clive Billinge |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 1 - 0 0 - 1 |
Glen Cox Ashley Davis Terry Radford Mark Hore |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 14 Nov | |
| Match reported by Mark Hore. | |||
| Kidderminster Knights - Malvern | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Johnh Wrench Craig Evans Jim Friar Maurice Bissell |
0 - 1 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geoffrey Herbert |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 21 Nov | |
| Match reported by Jim Friar. First to finish was board 4 where Bissell inadvertently dropped a piece just after the opening. Unfortunately Geoffrey was too greedy and grabbed a central pawn. This cleared the way for an attack that targeted both king and queen. Evenutally Maurice put a mating net around the king which he chased to a7. Wrench playhed a fairly standard Ruy Lopez position which Turner looked to be holding his own. Only a few moments later they had finished! Turner found a a queen sacrifice and Wrench failed to find the refutation. On board 2 Evans lost on time in a very complex middle game. Friar defended against Knee's pawn majority on the queen side. Making use opposite bishops and with 5 minutes to go a draw was agreed. | |||
| Worcester Bishops - Redditch I | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Peter Kitson Steve Mellor Nick Harris Jim Keene |
½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0 ½ - ½ |
Dan Lambourne Dave Spowart Andrew Wiggins Jason Cole |
| Result | 3 - 1 | Played 22 Nov | |
| Match reported by Ray Collett | |||
| Malvern - Redditch 1 | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geoffrey Herbert |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 |
Dan Lambourne Tom Robinson Andrew Wiggins Peter Seeley |
| Result | 2 - 2 | Played 30 Nov | |
| Match reported by Brian Turner and Tom Robinson. | |||
| Kidderminster Pawns - Redditch 1 | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Mark Riley David Close Tin Yates Clive Billinge |
0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
Dan Lambourne Tom Robinson David Spowart Jason Cole |
| Result | 0 - 4 | Played 5 Dec | |
| Match reported by Tom Robinson. | |||
| Kidderminster Knights - Headless Cross | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
John Wrench Jim Friar snr Maurice Bissell James Friar |
½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0 |
Ashley Davis Glenn Cox Terry Radford Mark Hore |
| Result | 3½ - ½ | Played 5 Dec | |
| Match reported by Jim Friar. On board 1, a draw was agreed when the position was repeated with Davis refusing to let Wrench's queen settle. Next to finish was board 4. Hore tried a pawn storm on the Friar junior's king side, but neglected development and paid the price. On board 3, Radford lost a bishop in a complex middle game. Despite pressure, Bissell made the extra piece count. Finally, board 2 ended up in a rook and pawn ending and Friar senior's outside passed pawn won the game. | |||
| Malvern - Headless Cross | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geffrey Herbert |
1 - 0 1 - 0 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 |
Ashley Davis Glenn Cox Terry Radford Mark Hore |
| Result | 3½ - ½ | Played 14 Dec | |
| Match reported by Brian Turner. | |||
| Headless Cross - Worcester Bishops | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Ashley Davis Terry Radford Mark Hore Ronald Thompson |
0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
Peter Kitson Nick Harris Andrew Farthing Ray Collett |
| Result | 0 - 4 | Played 17 Dec | |
| Match report by Ray Collett. The Worcester team went home with an early Christmas present after this match. First to gain an advantage was Collett when he won his opponent's queen for a rook. Board 2 finished first after only an hour's play. Farthing on board 3 squeezed Hore's position hard and won the exchange before brfeaking through. In an open position resulting from a Sicilian Defence, Kitson caught Davis' king in the centre. Then just as Kitson was about to gain a piece, Davis' flag fell. | |||
| Kidderminster Pawns - Kidderminster Knights | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Mark Riley David Close Tim Yates Clive Billinge |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
John Wrench Jim Friar Maurice Bissell Joseph Friar |
| Result | ½ - 3½ | Played 2 Jan | |
| Match reported by Jim Friar | |||
| Kidderminster Pawns - Malvern | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Mark Riley David Close Tim Yates Clive Billinge |
0 - 1 1 - 0 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geoffrey Herbert |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 9 Jan | |
| Match reported by Brian Turner | |||
| Kidderminster Knights - Worcester Bishops | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
John Wrench Jim Friar snr Maurice Bissell Joseph Friar |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
Peter Kitson Steve Mellor Nick Harris Andrew Farthing |
| Result | ½ - 3½ | Played 9 Jan | |
| Match reported by Andrew Farthing and Jim Friar. | |||
| Malvern - Worcester Bishops | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geoffrey Herbert |
0 - 1 ½ - ½ ½ - ½ ½ - ½ |
Steve Mellor Peter Kitson Nick Harris David L Roberts |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 15 Feb | |
| Match reported by Ray Collett. A crucial match for the joint Division 1 leaders. Both teams fielded strong teams and Worcester captain, Ray Collett, was left out of the team with David L Roberts taking Board 4. After an hour's play all games looked fairly even. Kitson had emerged from the black side of a Ruy Lopez Steinitz Defence deferred in a very comfortable position against Clarke. On board 3, Harris was applying pressure to Knee's queenside pawns. On board 4, Herbert had forced Roberts to concede ugly, isolated central pawns. After a further half hour's play, Board 2 had entered a complex queenless middle game where the Malvern player had great pressure on the open d-file. The first to finish was board 4. Here Roberts was still labouring with an imprisoned bishop, but had constructed an impenetrable fortress and the bishop and pawn ending was agreed drawn. On board 3, Knee skillfully defended a lifeless position so that Harris agreed a draw having made no progress after the first time control. Kitson gained some activity by sacrificing a pawn and exchanging off a poor bishop for a more active piece and the draw was agreed in a complex position with both players having a few minutes to complete their game. With the match score still level, Mellor was working hard to demonstrate the superiority of his knight over Turner's bishop. After patient handing, Mellor threatened to gain pawns, so Turner sacrificed the exchange to gain connected central past pawns. During the last few minutes, both players raced pawns up the board with Turner promoting first. Mellor's rook had to go, but he had two connected passed pawns supported by the king against Turner's bishop. Both players now had less than a minute and were playing instantaneously. The game finished in Mellor's and Worcester Bishops' favour when Turner's flag fell. Worcester Bishops' non-playing captain, Ray Collett, said: "Tonight was definitely more stressful than playing!" | |||
| Headless Cross - Kidderminster Knights | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Ashley Davis Glen Cox David Richardson Terry Radford |
½ - ½ ½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
John Wrench James Friar jnr Joseph Friar Mark Riley |
| Result | 1 - 3 | Played 19 Feb | |
| Match reported by John Wrench and Mark Hore. | |||
| Redditch 1 - Malvern | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Dan Lambourne Tom Robinson Andrew Wiggins Jason Cole |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 ½ - ½ |
Brian Turner John Knee Geoffrey Herbert Tony Shaw |
| Result | 1 - 3 | Played 26 Feb | |
| Match reported by Brian Turner & Tom Robinson | |||
| Headless Cross - Malvern | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Ashley Davis Mark Hore Terry Radford Ron Thompson |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 |
John Knee Geoffrey Herbert Matthew Jordan Tony Shaw |
| Result | 1 - 3 | Played 11 Mar | |
| Match reported by Mark Hore & Brian Turner | |||
| Worcester Bishops - Headless Cross | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Peter Kitson Nick Harris David L Roberts Jim Keene |
½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0 |
David Richardson Mark Hore Terry Radford Ronald Thompson |
| Result | 3½ - ½ | Played 21 Mar | |
| Match reported by Ray Collett. On paper, Worcester were much the stronger side and after an hour's play Worcester players were tramping all over boards 2, 3 and 4. David L Roberts, playing a breakneck speed finished first. Shortly after, the board 1 players agreed a draw, a welcome fillip for Headless Cross. The match was put in the bag for Worcester by Nick Hariss' win. Ronald Thompson, material down, fought a doughty defence, but eventually surrendered to Jim Keene. | |||
| Malvern - Kidderminster Knights | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Brian Turner Ian Clarke John Knee Geoffrey Herbert |
½ - ½ ½ - ½ 0 -1 1 - 0 |
Jim Friar Snr James Friar Joseph Friar Mark Riley |
| Result | 2 - 2 | Played 22 Mar | |
| Match reported by Brian Turner | |||
| Redditch - Kidderminster Pawns | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Dave Spowart Andrew Wiggins Peter Seeley Ian Clack |
1 - 0 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 |
Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge Terry Pountney |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 26 Mar | |
| Match reported by Peter Seeley. | |||
| Kidderminster Knights - Redditch | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Jim Friar snr Maurice Bissell James Friar Joseph Friar |
0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0 |
Tom Robinson David Spowart Andrew Wiggins Steve Crockett |
| Result | 3 - 1 | Played 2 Apr | |
| Match reported by Jim Friar and Tom Robinson. | |||
| Redditch - Kidderminster Knights | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Dan Lambourne Dave Spowart Andrew Wiggins Steve Crockett |
0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 0 0 - 1 |
Jim Friar snr Maurice Bissell James Friar Joseph Friar |
| Result | 1 - 3 | Played 10 Apr | |
| Match reported by Jim Friar and Tom Robinson | |||
| Worcester Bishops - Kidderminster Pawns | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Peter Kitson David L Roberts Jim Keene Andrew Farthing |
½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 |
Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge Mike Kitchen |
| Result | 2 - 2 | Played 11 Apr | |
| Match reported by Ray Collett. Worcester Bishops had hoped to win this match to claim the championship. During the match, it looked as if the Pawns would triumph and the Bishops were perhaps fortunate to get a draw to put them level with Division 1 leaders, Malvern. Board 3 finished first with Clive Billinge forcing a draw with Jim Keene. A Sicilian Defence led to a middle game where Billinge sacrificed a piece for two pawns completely exposing black's king. Soon after on Board 2, Tim Yates won against Roberts. Near the first time control, an in-form Andrew Farthing won pieces and soon wrapped his game up. Peter Kitson, Worcester's man on board 1 found himself in time trouble and just made it to the control believing himself in the poorer position. In the ensuing rook-and-pawn ending a draw was agreed to draw the match and leave Worcester Bishops tantalisingly close to a championship title. | |||
| Headless Cross - Kidderminster Pawns | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Glen Cox Ashley Davis Terry Radford Ronald Thompson |
1 - 0 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
Mark Riley David Close Tim Yates Terry Pountney |
| Result | 1½ - 2½ | Played 15 Apr | |
| Match reported by Tim Yates. | |||
| Redditch - Worcester Bishops | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Dan Lambourne Tom Robinson Dave Spowart Andrew Wiggins |
1 - 0 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 1 - 0 |
Pavel Besedin Nick Harris David L Roberts Andrew Farthing |
| Result | 2½ - 1½ | Played 16 Apr | |
| Match reported by Tom Robinson and Ray Collett. The evening began with short silent tribute for Redditch Chess stalwart John Holmberg who died the previous week. With Bishops board 1 and 2 absent, the team drew on Pavel Besedin. Redditch turned out their strongest team this season and were outgraded on every board yet they scooped the points. The boards finished in order with the lower ones earlier. Andrew Wiggins picked up a cheap piece and soon won. Ravid Roberts restored equilibrium for Worcester playing a positional game that won a weak pawn and then forced entry. In a French Defence, Nick Harris and Tom Robinson played an exciting and short game that ended in perpetual check. Harris sacrificed first a pawn and followed up with a piece and exchange sacrifices to keep Robinson's king in the centre exposed to crossfire. Dan Lambourne was on the defensive in an early queenless middlegame and Besedin appeared to have a slight advantage after two hours play. A tactical oversight allowed Lambourne to exchange pieces and left Besedin with weak queenside pawns. It proved impossible to defend them and after the time control Lambourne showed his knight was better that Besedin's bishop in a rook-and-minor-piece ending. The game finished in a flurry of moves before the final time control when Lambourne picked up a piece with a knight fork. | |||
| Headless Cross - Redditch | Division 1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Board | Home team | Score | Away team |
| 1 2 3 4 |
Ashley Davis Glen Cox Mark Hore Terry Radford |
0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 |
Dan Lambourne Tom Robinson Andrew Wiggins Peter Seeley |
| Result | ½ - 3½ | Played 22 Apr | |
| Match reported by Tom Robinson. | |||