Welcome again to our fortnightly round-up of club news. Starting off this week with...
The Surrey League
... which for Streatham & Brixton Chess Club finished on Monday March 17th with a disappointing 6-2 defeat at the hands of a very strong (Grand Master Neil McDonald on board 1, average grade in the 190s) Redhill side. Still, our season tally of 6/9 is not at all bad and currently leaves us second in the table, although with other teams still with games in hand, perhaps fourth looks a more probably finishing spot.
Perhaps modesty ought to forbid, but Team Captain Angus has declared the present writer his "Player of the Year" in the Surrey Competitions (the League plus Cup) thanks to my overall score of 9/10. That flatters my play rather more than a close examination of my moves would (remember this?) but nonetheless, here to play through is probably my best game from the season in the Surrey League:
A strategically consistent game, albeit with only one strategic idea in it.
The news from ...
The London League
... is not so good, at least as far as the second team is concerned. Mushrooms 2 picked up a point from one of their adjourned games against us, which brings them to 5½ points from that match and overall victory. This meant the match on the 26th to Woodbridge (our nearest relegation rivals) was crucial to our survival or otherwise in Division 2, and it current stands 4-4. But looking at the League Table, I believe their superior game points means that even if we win the two games remaining from that fixture, the only chance we have of finishing ahead of them is if they default an improbable number of boards in their one remaining fixture! Nonetheless, we play chess not just to win but to learn as well, and a tough season in a tough division has provided us with plenty of good games, even if we weren't on the winning side of just enough of them.
The first team, meanwhile, has played one match since our last report, against Cavendish 2. The match stands 4-3 to us, but with 5 unfinished. Currently sat seventh in the table, a win from this match and from our final match against Mushrooms 1 would probably secure us a finish in the top half this year.
Finally, two brief adverts, the first for ...
The Trost Trophy
... a fun ten second buzzer tournament, which is being held at Crystal Palace Chess Club tonight from 7.45pm. First prize is £30, entry £2, and the format aside from the unusual time system will be a six round swiss. The Crystal Palace website is here.
The second for...
The Surrey Individual Tournament
... which will start in the week commencing 28th April 2008 (the deadline for entries is Monday 14th April 2008) and which consists of three or four evening games per month with up to nine games in total. Provided there is a sufficient demand, players will have a choice of venue as follows: Wimbledon (Monday), Ashtead (Tuesday), South Norwood (Thursday) and Surbiton (Wednesday.) Entry is £15 and further details are available from Paul Archer.
4 comments:
I hope the second team aren't too disappointed - it was always going to be really hard this season after being promoted twice in a row.
Well done to the first team for nice well-out-of-trouble position. Following their fortunes, for me, is a bit like following sport in the old days where you had to wait for the next day's papers to get the scores....
I wonder if Angus still considers you player of the year after you published your 'giving-the-alekhine-a-spank' game????
FIVE unfinished? Which team is the one to steer clear of playing next year?
Richard
Justin: Well, as second team captain it is a bit disappointing, yes! At least we can still (however unlikely) avoid the drop, unlike Derby.
Antony
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