Brewood Chess Circle

The Brewood A team continued the Wolverhampton Chess League 2014-2015 division 2 season away to Halesowen B on Tuesday 13th January 2015.  Looking to get a win against the team bottom of the division the team travelled to Halesowen looking to make up for a gutting last gasp defeat to the same club's A team earlier on in the season.  First here is the matchcard: 

Board 1:  Andy Ambrose (147) ½ - ½ Derek Laight (163)

Board 2:  Robert Grimes (140) 0-1 Mark Keady (154)

Board 3:  Don S Curry (136) ½ - ½ Roger Grainger (131)

Board 4:  Jon A Asbury (127) ½ - ½ John Fenby 128

Board 5:  John Davis (Ungraded) 0-1 Mike Jarocki 118

Board 6:  Logan Gregory (Ungraded) 1-0 Stephen Micklewright (112)

Total:  Halesowen B 2½ - 3½ Brewood A

Match Report from Roger Grainger

We beat Halesowen B 3½ - 2½.  Mark Keady won on board 2, as did Mike Jarocki on board 5.  Stephen Micklewright lost on board 6 and Derek Laight, John Fenby and I all drew. 

On board 1 Derek Laight faced a dragon and had a fairly even game.  He took the last draw on the night to secure a win for the team. 

The talking point of the night was my grandmaster draw on board 3 after 11 moves.  I was white against Don Curry where the opening was a "book" Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation which both of us knew quite well as per the Bobby Fischer v Svetozar Gligorić match from the 17th chess olympiad in Havana in Cuba in 1966 (see game 56 in Bobby Fischer's book:  "My 60 Memorable Games.") 

Don Curry offered me the draw after the queen exchanges and I took it.  Blame the long journey there and the forecast of snow later, as I hoped to leave early - which did not happen - but I also knew from numerous similar games that I had played over the last 30 years with the opening, that it was a long, hard end-game for both sides! 

On board 4 John Fenby sacrificed a bishop early on for an attack which did not happen as he had hoped for and his opponent was about to queen a pawn for a second queen when they agreed a draw due to a lack of time for the Halesowen player. 

Overall it was a very good result for the team but it was a bit of a scary drive home in snow, as there was a heavy snowfall in the Birmingham area leading up towards Walsall at around 10:00pm although it thinned out a bit at Cannock.  Nevertheless the team got back safely having won the match. 

Thanks to Roger for the match report.  The next match is also away against Mercia A on Tuesday 27th January 2015.  It is looking very good now for the team to stay up.