Tuesday 26 March 2019

Maccclesfield B 5.5 - 0.5 ECA

It was a big match last night against Macc B which was pretty much a relegation "decider".  Unfortunately it didn't go our way and it now looks as though we are heading back to Division 2.

However our next match is at home to Holmes Chapel who tend not to play their strongest team out on their travels - therefore the season is not over yet!  We still have every chance of staying up!

Tudor's view on last night's activities:




"On the positive side, Chauffeur Jim provided excellent limo service. No added fee for front seat bum warmer (recommended for all arthritis sufferers.
On the negative side, the gentlemen of Macclesfield put out a team strong enough to get back into the first division if it were to be relegated. Which, after this performance they won't be.
Steve uncharacteristically departed early. His mimed gesture suggested he had lost, or was going home to slit his throat.
The Brilliant Brindle shone again, providing 100% of our points. later he said modestly it was a dull stodgy game. He should be so lucky.
Keven concurred about his own stodgy game. Maybe preoccupied with stock market fluctuations or the fate of his garden sticklebacks, he fell into a comatose state and drifted to defeat.
Chauffeur Jim, as far as I could see, defended with the Celtic fortitude of the Welsh rugby team.
Glancing to my left, I saw he had been handicapped with pieces far too small for the size of board which made calculations tricky. Even so, he nearly grabbed a win in a multiple blunderfest with a minute or so on each clock.
On board five, I felt unusually outplayed by my opponent. This season I have more often found ways of outplaying myself. In another trial of Larson's subtle 1 b3, I found a promising but dubious line looking like a Fromm gambit. A sacrifice take back control of the black squares seemed promising, but the 32 white squares did for me.
Then, in the last game to finish, Nick's bold plan of sacrificing a bishop for two pawns gradually turned into an ending in which Nick could have kept us waiting even longer, if he hadn't finally left a piece where it could be taken.
This was shortly after the lights fused and then came back on to dazzling effect. (Only a modest level of hyperbole in the telling)
So there we are. Opinions are split as to whether we should have a clean exit from the first division, or beg for an extension...
My opinion is split on whether I should persist with 1 b3, or try something less European, such as the English opening, or the Scotch game."


BdMacclesfield BHomeAwayEast Cheshire A
1Gartside, Carl10Tranter, Steve
2Soames, Anthony R½½Brindle, Geoffrey
3Davison, Colin FS10Holton, Keven R
4Laurence, Geoff10McKie, Jim M
5Cattermole, Philip J10Rickards, Tudor
6Trier, Joachim10Flaherty, Nicholas C



Wednesday 13 March 2019

Chorlton A 4.5 - 1.5 ECA

Tudor's report below on last night's activities:

This being an honest account of our expedition to the South West frontier post of Chorlton.

A gallant effort against high-flying Chorlton in division 1. The results on the top three boards deserve highest accolades. 

Mostly outranked, and missing Captain Paul’s inspirational presence, we competed well, to the regular faint sounds of goals being scored across the city at the Etihad stadium. 

John wrestled in vain with IM level opponent Hope Mkhumba on board one.

Steve grabbed an impressive draw against Piotr Niedbal

Geoff cunningly got into trouble requiring a neat swindle causing visible dismay from 
Austin Elliot who chuntered on with two rooks against Geoff’s knight and queen hardware, before subsiding like a member of the ERG at the defeat of their plans to take back control.

Jim muttered about being gradually strangled in his game, which added to his discomfort though an unsound gambit on the ski slopes a few days earlier.

I had an interesting game against Mr Doney, although somewhat disconcerted by his Trappist vow of silence, only briefly interrupted mid-game as he consumed an apple. I probably resigned a bit early, faced with a long endgame a pawn down, with no counter play. 

Steve on board six hung on grimly as Dennis Owen chewed up his position.

So
Mkhumba (194) 1 Reed 0
Niedbal (180)1/2 Tranter 1/2
Elliot (174) 0 Brindle 1
Lee (178) 1 McKie 0
Doney (162) 1 Rickards 0
Owen (160) 1 Tatlock 0