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28th June 2008 Devon's run in the national U-175 Championship came to an end at Salisbury when they lost 7 - 9 to a strong Essex team. In spite of being outgraded by an average of 6 points per board, Devon still led 5 - 3 over the top nine boards, but failed to win a single game below that. If any one of their six losses had been a win, Devon would have won on board count, so it was a creditable performance. Devon's winners were Ken Derrick, Tim Seymour, Mark Ozanne and Mark Abbott, while draws were obtained by Alan Brusey, Ewan Walton, Charlie Howard, John Gorodi and Steve Murray. The following game on Board 3 contains an impressive counter to the usually tricky English Opening.
See link above for game The same weekend saw the Yeovil Congress, where GM Matthew Turner, chess teacher at Millfield School, had little difficulty in retaining his last year's 1st place, though he did have to share it this time. The prizewinners were as follows:-
Open Section: 1st = Matthew
Turner & Chris Beaumont 4½/5 pts. 3rd Chris Purry 3½. Grading
Prizes: U-160 1st = Andrew Footner & Rhys Cumming 3. U-145
Sharan Soni 3. In last week's position, it was not difficult to spot that either knight could check on f6, and when it is taken, the other knight retakes with an inescapable check. The knight is undoubtedly the composer's favourite piece and this week's 2-mover features two of each colour. White to move.
21st June 2008 The Exeter & District League's annual end-of term party is their Coast v Country match, which pitches players from the Exmouth, Sidmouth and Seaton clubs against those from Exeter, Tiverton and the Met Office. This year's encounter took place last week at the Manor Hotel, Exmouth, and in a close match the Country team ran out winners by 13 - 11. The full details were as follows (Coast players first): 1. K. Hurst 1 - 0 D. Regis. 2.K. Derrick 1 - 0 M. Ozanne. 3. J. Stephens ½-½ S. Pope. 4. M. Abbott 1 - 0 I. Annetts. 5. B. Gosling ½-½ J. Morrison. 6. S. Martin ½-½ S. Owen. S. Murray ½-½ R. Hitchock. 8. D. Rogers 1 - 0 J. Morgan. 9. R. Jones 0 - 1 R. Wilby. 10. D. Adams 0 - 1 I. Ramdewar. 11. M. Belt 1 - 0 C. Deakin. 12. C. Walker 0 - 1 D. Frean. 13. P. Hills 1 - 0 L. Ten-Holter. 14. T. Badlan ½-½ G. Ward. 15. H. Welch 1 - 0 J. Knowles. 16. F. Hodge 0 - 1 R. Scholes. 17. G. Sparke 0 - 1 D. Thompson. 18. L. Porter ½-½ B. Burls. 19. P. Leask 0 - 1 J. Maloney. 20. G. Hopkinson 0 - 1 J. Waley. 21. R. Cubbon 0 - 1 G. Jenkins. 22. J. Rayson 0 - 1 A. Brinkley. 23. T. Murray 0 - 1 B. Thomas. 24. Y. Ehtesham 1 - 0 A. Barclay. Here was the game from Board 2, which features a bright and ultimately successful early attack directly against the Black King, a common theme in the Sicilian. Black usually counters on the opposite wing, but in this game never got the chance.
See link above for game This week's position looks like the early middle-game of a typical game. Black has just played ....Ne7 to challenge the forward knight, overlooking White's knockout reply. What did he miss?
14th June 2008 Schools as venues for weekend congresses are not always that popular with players, conjuring up images of bike sheds, sweaty gyms and piles of dog-eared textbooks in crowded classrooms. However, the venue of the recent Cotswold Congress, St. Edward's School, Cheltenham, gives a very different impression, with acres of well-kept lawns and mature trees creating a relaxing contrast to the heat of battle in the main hall. Ninety-one players took part, and the winners were as follows:- Open Section: 1st Chris Beaumont (Bristol) 5/6 pts. 2nd= Steve Berry (Wimbledon) & Chris Briscoe (Surbiton) both 4½. Premier (U-155): 1st Brendan O'Gorman (DHSS) 5 pts. 2nd Dominic Bennett (Bristol) 4½. Pts. Major (U-125): 1st= Carl Gartside (High Peak) & R. Walker (Belper) both 5 pts. 3rd D. MacArthur (Keynsham) 4½. Minor (U-100) 1st= Graham Mill-Wilson (Yate) & Geoff Lee (N. Staffs) both 5 pts. This game from the Open Section is very similar both in opening and outcome to the Thynne - Rudd game given last month. White: Andrew Mayhew (153). Jerry Humphreys (170).
See link above for game Last week's problem by Avner was solved by Bf2! This week's 2-mover is the starter problem for the next cycle of the British Solving Championship. If you wish to have a go, send White's 1st move (the key move) to Paul Valois, 14, Newton Park Drive, Leeds, LS7 4HH. Entries, postmarked no later than 31st July, should be accompanied by a cheque for £3 payable to the British Chess Problem Society. All entrants will receive the full solution, and those who get it right will receive another 8 more difficult problems that constitute the postal round. Don't forget to mention you saw it the WMN.
7th June 2008 Devon's captain, Brian Hewson led his team to victory from the front in their recent match against Greater Manchester with this win.
See link above for game John Stephens of Exmouth has continued his rapid improvement in the 2nd half of the season, and his game in the same match typifies his approach to the openings and attacking play. The next event in the region is the 7th Yeovil Congress next weekend. For any pre-tournament queries, contact Jack Rudd on 0797-388-7123 or e-mail jackkelshallrudd@aol.com Last week's problem by David Howard was solved by 1.Nd4! This week's 2-mover by Avner has been described as of a "light construction, simple as well as clever".
31st May 2008 Devon soundly defeated Greater Manchester 11 - 5, in the Quarter-Final of the U-175 Championship, played at Worcester. Devon's individual wins came from Graham Bolt (Bd. 1), Brian Hewson (Bd. 2), Ken Derrick (Bd. 3), Mark Ozanne, (Bd. 6), John Stephens (Bd. 10), Mark Abbott (Bd. 11), Mike Stinton-Brownbridge (Bd. 14), Charlie Howard (Bd. 15) & Robert Thompson (Bd. 16). Draws were gained by Dave Regis, Alan Brusey, Simon Waters & Ewan Walton. Devon will now meet Essex in the Semi-Final on 14th June at Stratford-sub-Castle, near Salisbury. Many westcountry players will be saddened to learn of the sudden death last week of John Parker, 79, at his home in Newton Abbot. He had lived for many years in Lynton, N. Devon, before moving south in 1996, and had been a regular and popular figure on the chess circuit for several decades. He and his family were a driving force behind westcountry chess, particularly in North Devon. His son Tim, who became Mayor of Lynmouth, was a good club player, and his wife, Joan was very active in chess administration, becoming a Life Vice President of WECU. His best known game was played in the Devon v Cornwall match in November 1980, when he faced an unknown 8 year old boy playing his first game outside his native county. The game appeared in Adams' 1991 best-selling book, "Development of a Grandmaster", from which these notes are based.
See link above for game Last week's problem by J. Paul Taylor was solved by 1. Ng2! Here we have a complex array of pieces by Somerset composer, David Howard. White to play and mate in 2 moves.
24th May 2008 Devon's heftiest trophy, both in size and value, is the Winter-Wood Shield. This was donated in 1909 by Eliza (née Sole), widow of Thomas Winter-Wood of Brixton, near Plymouth. Her written offer was read out to an Association meeting by the Secretary, George Cutler, and was greeted with "loud and long-continued applause". It was decided that it should be competed for by the champions of affiliated clubs on a knockout basis. This year there were 8 entries, a healthy response, and the tournament went as follows: Round 1: Jack Rudd (Barnstaple) 1 - 0 Mike Stinton-Brownbridge (Plymouth). Brian Gosling (Sidmouth) 1 - 0 Bill Ingham (Teignmouth). Trefor Thynne (Newton Abbot) 1 - 0 Stephen Thorpe-Tracey (Tiverton). Charlie Howard (Totnes) 0 - 1 John Stephens (Exmouth). Semi-Final: Rudd 1 - 0 Gosling. Thynne 1 - 0 Stephens. Final: Rudd 1 - 0 Thynne. This game decided the final.
See link above for game In last week's position, Chigorin (Black) overlooked the following sacrificial combination in which all White's moves are forced. 1…Rh1+ 2.Nxh1 Bh2+ 3.Kxh2 4.Rh8+ Kg1 5.Rh1 mate. Here is a 2-mover by J. Paul Taylor who ended his days in Exeter in 1923.
17th May 2008 The Frome Congress enjoyed glorious weather throughout last weekend and a goodly entry. The winners were as follows: Open Section: 1st Keith Arkell (Bath) 4½/5 pts. 2nd Mark Lyell (W. London) 4. 3rd= Chris Ross (Perkins) Meri Grigoryan-Lyell (W. London) & Kay Hansen (Austria). Grading prize: (U-170) 1st= Gareth Morris (Bristol) & Alex Galliano (E. Grinstead) both 2½. The British Championship Qualifying Place went to Meri Grigoryan-Lyell. Major (U-155): 1st Pavel Ondrejka (Rugby) 4½. 2nd= Dominic Bennett (Bristol) & Paul Jackson (Coulsden both 4. Grading prize (U-130) D. Macarthur (Keynsham). Intermediate (U-125): 1st Mauro Farina (Bath) 5. 2nd Greg Sweetland (Frome) 4½. 3rd= P. Bending (Cheltenham), N. Hendricks (Harambee), G. Naldrett (Insurance) & Meg Owens (Downend) all 4. Grading prize: N. Mills (Yeovil). Minor (U-100): 1st= G. Gammon (Downend) & G. Williams (Trowbridge). After an absence of several years from the westcountry congress circuit, Grandmaster Keith Arkell's recent move to Bath has enabled him to become active again locally. He was clear favourite to win the Open, but after conceding half a point in Round 4, he had to play with care in the endgame of his final game to be sure of clear 1st place.
See link above for game In last week's position, the game ended with 1.Nf6!! (as given) gxf6 2.gxf6 Rdd8 3.Rg7 and Black resigned for if Rg8 then Rxh7+ Kxh7 (forced) Qh5 is mate. Here is a position from a game between two natives of St. Petersburg, Schiffers v Chigorin. In the game itself, Black was concerned about the threat of Qa8+ and played 1.b6 and the game finished in a draw. Yet he had overlooked a forced sacrificial win at his disposal. Can you work it out?
10th May 2008 All four divisions in the Torbay League have been decided. Teignmouth won Division 1 on tie break from Newton Abbot. St. Marychurch were clear winners of Division 2 ahead of Plymouth, who in turn won Division 3. Newton Abbot won the Rapidplay League. The Cornish Leagues have still to be completed. Michael Adams had his share of wins and losses (3 of each) in FIDE's new Grand Prix tournament in Baku, on the Azerbaijani coast of the Caspian Sea. He eventually finished up in 6th place out of 14 with a 50% score of 6½/13 points, a creditable performance given the great strength of the opposition. He won approximately £10,000 in prize money and 85 Grand Prix points in this first FIDE event of its kind. Here is his fine win from Round 9 against the strong Russian, Peter Svidler.
See link above for game The Frome Congress takes place this weekend at the Selwood School, and finishes tomorrow evening. Favourite to win is GM Keith Arkell, who is returning to the local congress circuit this season after a gap of several years. The next big event is the 41st Cotswold Congress at St. Edward's School, Cheltenham of the Whit Bank Holiday, - 24th - 26th May. Enquiries from Ron Powis on 01453-762518. The solution to last week's problem was 1.Qa5! and if 1…Pa1=Q then 2.Na4 discovers mate and prevents the BQ from doing anything about it. This week's position is from the 1892 match between Lasker and the American Jackson Whipps Showalter, who played here 1.Nf6!! and Lasker (Black) played only two more moves before resigning. Can you work out White's powerful attack?
3rd May 2008 "Use it or lose it" is a familiar saying that refers equally to our mental as well as physical powers, and the longevity of many active chessplayers would seem to support the theory. It's also the raison d'etre behind The University of the Third Age, or U3A as it is called for short, which was founded 25 years ago to encourage the setting up of self-help, self -managed learning cooperatives for older people no longer in full time work. Most towns in Devon and Cornwall have groups covering a range of disciplines, though not all of them involve chess. Plymouth does have a chess group which meets regularly, not to play competitively, but to look at some of the finer points of the game in a discursive, relaxed way. It is run by Richard Manly of Hartley, who will be pleased to answer queries on 01752-771057. Find out if there is a U3A chess group in your area, and if not, consider starting one yourself. Meanwhile, Michael Adams is keeping very busy. After winning the Ruy Lopez tournament in Spain, he is currently involved in the 1st FIDE Grand Prix. This involves 21 of the world's top players who have agreed to play in four of the six tournaments over the next 2 years, one in each of the continents. The first event is being held in Baku, and ends on Tuesday. Here is Adams' win from Round 4.
See link above for game The 19th Frome Congress, which incorporates all the Somerset Championships, starts on Friday evening. Details regarding late entries may be obtained from Gerry Jepps on 01749-344191. The solution to last week's problem was 1.Bh8! The Black King may move to either d6 or e6, but in either case 2.Qd7 is mate. Today's 2-mover was composed by Cyril Kipping in 1912.
26th April 2008 The popular Teignmouth Rapidplay Congress was held successfully last Saturday. The winners were:- Open: 1st= Ben Edgell (Sedgemoor) & Graham Bolt (Exeter) 5/6 pts. Edgell took the Walker Cup on tie break. Grading prizes - U-145: 1st Charlie Howard (Totnes) 4½. U-135: 1st= Martyn Adams (Sidmouth) & Arthur Hibbitt (Bristol) both 3½.. Major Section (U-120): 1st Joergen Nielsen (Exeter) 5½. 2nd= Martin Worrall (Taunton); Geoffrey Rosser (St. Marychurch) & Rob Barnes (Plymouth). Grading prizes: U-90: 1st= John George (Wimborne) & Ishan Ramdewar (Exeter). U-71: Brian Aldwin (Exeter) 3½. U-16 yrs: 1st= Daniel Miller (Liskeard) U-14 yrs: 1st Charlie Rochford (Newton Abbot). Team Prize: Exeter (S. Pope, G. Bolt & C. Keen). Junior Event: (U-12) 1st= Jeff Leung (Torquay Boys' G. S.), Adam Batten (Broadclyst P.S.) & Nathaniel Cleland (All Hallows) all 5/6: 2nd Ben Newman (Broadclyst P.S.) 4½ pts. 3rd= Jamie Linsley-Parish (Kingsbridge), Alex Griffiths (St Peter’s) & Joseph Gabriel (Broadclyst P. S). all 4 pts. U-11: 1st Jack Searle (Broadclyst) 3½. U-9: 1st= Dylan Billings (Warberry), Edward Bragg (ISCA Juniors) & Laurence Demeger (Newton Abbot). Best Girl: Lilian Barnes (Lipson Vale, Plymouth). Former prodigy Cornishman Michael Adams won the recent Ruy Lopez tournament at Marida in Spain at a canter. Here is his 3rd round game against a new star, a 13 year old Chinese girl.
See link above for game In last week's position Bobby Fischer won quickly after 1.Qxh7! Kxh7 (forced) 2.hxg6+ Kxg6 (also forced) 3.Be4 mate. Here is a 2-mover.
19th April 2008 The death was announced last weekend of John Dunleavy, who had spent most of his 20 years retirement in Kingsbridge. After first completing an Open University degree he became increasingly involved in chess administration, first in Devon, then in the West of England Union and finally on the Management Board of the BCF. He helped steer the national federation through its extremely difficult metamorphosis into an English Federation, being Chairman of its Governance Committee. He set himself the highest standards in his work and strove to get the same from colleagues. Although often at the center of events he never sought the spotlight and kept in the background whenever possible. His loss will be keenly felt at all levels of English chess administration. There are two weekend congresses coming up next month. First is the 19th Frome Congress held at Selwood Middle School, 9th - 11th May. Details are available from the Entry Secretary, Gerry Jepps, on 01749-344191. This is followed a fortnight later by the 41st Cotswold Congress at St. Edward's School, Cirencester Road, Cheltenham from 24th - 26th May. Further details available from Ron Powis on 01453-762518. The Bristol player, Chris Beaumont has won the Frome event twice in the last 3 years. Here is one of his wins from last year.
See link above for game The solution to the Easter problem was 1.Ne2! and Black cannot avoid all the mating threats. This week's position comes from the Interzonal tournament played at Sousse on the Mediterranean coast of Tunisia in 1967. The late Bobby Fischer was widely expected to feature in the top few and would go on to challenge for the World Championship. He started well enough, though after a number of typical wrangles with the organisers, he later walked out of the tournament. In this game from Round 3 he was White against the Mongolian master, Lhamsuren Miagmarsuren. What did Fischer play to cause Black to resign immediately, and why?
12th April 2008 By this stage in the year, many competitions are nearing their end, with numerous trophies being decided in the next few weeks. In the Cornish Leagues, the Godolphin Club, based at Redruth, seems to have matters sewn up in both divisions. They lead Div. 1 with 12 points from 8 matches played, followed by Truro A with 9 points from 7 matches. Division 2 is closer, but Godolphin B still lead with 16 points from 10 matches, followed by Camborne B with 15 point from 11 matches. Here is one of Devon's few wins from their loss against Gloucestershire.
See link above for game Devon's 1st Division, the Bremridge Cup, went right down to the last match, with Newton Abbot needing to beat Teignmouth by 6-0 to overtake Exeter on game points. They did win but the narrow margin of 3½ - 2½ meant that Exeter took the title on tie break. Exmouth have won the Mamhead Cup (Div. 2) and the Newman Cup (Rapidplay), while Teignmouth won the Schofield (Div 3). The Moyle Cup (Div. 4) is still open, though Exeter are well-placed to win. The Peter Rooke Knockout Final is between Teignmouth and Exeter and will be played next Saturday. In the active Torbay League, Teignmouth have one hand on the Division 1 title with one match still to play. St. Marychurch have retained the Division 2 championship, while Division 3 is still wide open. The RapidPlay Championship has been won by Newton Abbot. In contrast, the North Devon League is a much simpler affair. The entire set of league results consist of Barnstaple 2-2 Bideford and Bideford 4-0 Barnstaple, giving Bideford the league title with 3 match points. Last week's problem was solved by 1.Ba1! threatening Rf6, and Black is unable to cover all eventualities. This week's 2-mover was composed by the topically-named East Anglian, Norris Easter (1886 - 1952).
5th April 2008 The inter-county season ended in a triple tie for 1st place between Devon, Gloucestershire and Hampshire, each having lost one match. The first level of tie break usually depends on the total number of game points won by each team, but in this respect, Gloucestershire had an advantage in having two 16 - 0 default wins to their credit. At the West of England Executive Meeting on Saturday it was decided that this was a little unfair, and only the game points between the three counties involved should be counted, and this gave the title to Devon ahead of Hants and Glos. In the 2nd team competition for the Wayling Cup, Devon came 1st with 5 points, followed by Dorset (4) and Hampshire (3). Somerset withdrew during the season. Cornwall won just one match during the season; this was against Somerset but it was a dramatic affair. With one game to finish the score stood at 7½ each, and the unfinished game involved the current WECU President Gerry Jepps against former President Ian George. George had a slight advantage, but he had to nurse it through 70 moves to get the full point that gave Cornwall the match. The game on Bd. 8 was also a lively Cornish win; notes based on those kindly supplied by the winner.
See link above for game The solution to last week's problem by Wenman was 1.Qa6+! KxQ (forced) and 2.Nc7 is mate, with both knights covering all flight squares. This week's 2-mover was composed jointly by Barry Barnes and the late Godfrey Quack of Budleigh Salterton.
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