This Mid-Sussex League fixture, not unexpectedly, did not go in our first team’s favour on Monday 28 April, losing to the winners of Division 1, who finished their season with this victory for their 1st team.
We were massively out-rated on Boards 3 and 4, and Lawry’s game on Board 3 against Matthew Payne ended quickly. He overlooked a subtlety in the English opening which his opponent was familiar with and Lawry fell foul of the tactics which ensued, which allowed Black’s knights to infiltrate decisively.
Howard with White on Board 1 next achieved a very good draw against Russell Granat, a very strong player. A Queen’s pawn opening, where relatively early exchanges resulted in a better pawn structure for White, possibly influenced the outcome. It is always difficult to know whether it’s best to press a slight advantage but then risk overstretching. A good decision Howard.
James , with Black on Board 2 faced another of the county’s strongest players, Dave Graham ( who you will remember won the last open Rapid-play tournament at our club event). James played what seemed to be a version of the Philidor, with a locked pawn structure ( White’s pawns on white squares e4,d5. and Black’s pawns black squares on d6, e5) . James successfully focused the play on the King’s side where, after ..f5 and White choosing to exchange his e4 pawn on f5, Black had morphed the game into a classic King’s Indian formation encroaching on the King’s side. It looked like James might have the initiative and chances to exploit the half-open g-file, while White had failed to exploit any targets on the Q-side. A draw was agreed before a critical position ( and potentially double-edged one) was reached.
Finally, Michael was the last to finish with Black on board 4, playing another Worthing expert, Chris Jones. Michael’s signature fianchetto style opening conceded more space to the opponent but set up a tough blockade and he patiently waited for an opportunity to counter-attack. White manoevred cautiously and at one stage frustrated Black’s attempts to exchange the dark squared bishops, probing for weaknesses and eventually forcing a backward pawn on e6 on the half-open file. Black’s King was looking lonely as White’s Queen invaded on the dark squares at f6. Black’s Queen, by contrast, was sidelined on the a-file. In this complicated middle-game, running short on time, Michael made a pawn break and created a sortie for his knight which had hitherto been passive sitting on b6. Its threats enabled the Knight to lodge on e4, masking the e6 weakness. It was an imaginative defence by Michael, but eventually the pressure on e6 was too much with White’s decisive Rd6.
The team congratulated Worthing on the match, and the well-deserved overall Division 1 victory.
The loss did not affect our 1st team’s position. It had already gained enough points to avoid relegation.
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