There is an old proverb:
“Two into one won’t go…”
But TWO of Bexhill’s Teams WILL go into Division 1
BEXHILL II – 3.5 – HASTINGS II – 0.5
On Friday 2 May, Bexhill 2nd team hosted Hastings 2nd team and we needed a draw to gain promotion from Division 2 and join our 1st team next year
Careful team selection by captains Bill and Michael throughout the year and a pool of very strong players meant we could field an excellent team.
It was great to have John Kimber on the team after a break and on Board 4, his game did not disappoint. With White, John played a classical e4, Bishop’s opening, and his cautious opponent adopted a Philidor structure…e5, d6 and pinning the f3 N with …Bg4. John allowed the loss of a pawn on d4 after re-capturing with the Q on f3 avoiding doubled pawns. That took courage and insight into the positional compensation – 2 bishops, an open centre, more space, and prospects of maintaining quicker development. Black’s king remained uncastled while he challenged the White N on d5 with ..c6.
We spectators were getting nervous for John as the N was chopped off and the reply Ba4 fixing the Black Q on d7, pinned to the King, was blocked by …b7-b5. The extra tempi allowed White to deploy the second bishop and rooks and gain further central control with f2-f4. Black’s N’s were kept restrained on the K-side and his second rook was locked in at h8. Crucially, the King became held at e8, as Q xe5+ forked the King and Rb8, levelling the material and quickly forcing a decisive loss of heavy pieces on the back rank, when Black resigned. WELL DONE, John!
Next to finish was Janis Petersons. He showed intention to play a double-edged position with a Benoni structure in reply to White’s d-pawn opening. Developing his dark squared bishop on e7, rather than fianchetto, proved a successful choice as, all along, it anchored the d6 pawn, and later restrained White’s protected passed pawn on d5 after Black’s N was exchanged on e5. Janis formed a strong central and K-side pawn phalanx –e5, f5, g6, h5, and White never managed to exploit his protected d-pawn, and Janis in turn was able to create his own protected passed pawn om e4! Janis tried to get a ..b5 pawn break, but White restrained it and with no open files for either side to exploit, a draw seemed a sensible decision. Great game, Janis.
On Board 2, Michael Hubbard was playing a strong opponent. With White, Michael established a strong centre with pawns, e4, d4, c3. Black adopted an Old Indian structure …e5, d6, c6, b5 now ( I think) somewhat fashionable as the ‘Black Lion’ defence. The central tension was in the air for a long while, and both sides held off castling either side as both sides manoeuvred on both wings! As a spectator, I couldn’t tell who was gaining the upper hand. After Black’s ..h6, g5 and …Bg6, putting pressure on the K-side, Michael decided to use the f5 outpost for his N. When the Bg6 exchanged on f5, Michael’s Q was eventually able to invade on the weakened white squares (after a quick shift to g4 and h5). Black had a strong N on d5 which was still a threat, but it was Black’s King which became chased across the back ranks to the Q-side , with no secure castled position. White’s king had eventually safely tucked away with 0-0 and Michael set about Q-side progress eventually securing a passed pawn on b4, working with a strong Bc5.
Black’s Nd5 was now hanging without a pawn on c6. Black’s attempted thrust of ..e5-e4 attacking the White N on f3, allowed the N to transfer to the Q side, and the push backfired when white’s Q picked up the pawn after a check forking it. Exchanges of major pieces left White with 4 vs 3 pawns on the K-side (but it was an exposed doubled white pawn on f5) and a single white passed pawn on b5. It wasn’t a completely straightforward ending. White offered the exchange of his bishop for Black’s strong N, which was taken. Black’s King was then encroaching to snaffle loose k-side pawns! And Black’s R was active behind white’s passed pawn, which had reached b7 with white’s R on b8. It then seemed to me that it only then became clear to Black that his King could not escape a fatal check which would allow White’s b- pawn to promote, which Michael engineered by K-side pawn moves. If the king captured any of the pawns, White’s R would check. Yet if the offered pawn was refused it would itself promote! It was decisive and a delightful demonstration of great technique.
Last to finish was Luke Chapman’s game on Board 1. Dare I say it, it was hair-raising! With Black, Luke answered White’s King’s Indian Attack with a Queen’s pawn structure, ..e6, d5,c5. Once White gained space with e4-e5, the game looked like a form of French Defence, but with White’s Bg7 biting on granite at d5. When Luke closed the structure on the q-side with c5-c4, leaving each side with long, locked pawn chains, the situation had potential for both sides, but Black’s problem was going to be his King (castled k-side with no piece cover). The open b-file and target on white’s pawn on c3 favoured Black, with all Black’s pieces massing there – but White’s King was in no danger. White broke cover first with a a positional sacrifice B x (pawn)h6. Luke was forced to take it and painfully evacuate his King to the q-side as white advanced two Ns to h6 and g5. With a Q squeezing through the gap at h7, White was able to wipe out Black’s K-side pawns. Luke managed to place a barrier of heavy pieces, and everything else at hand, to stop the e5 pawn reaching the finish line.
From where I was standing, I was expecting a tsunami of the rest of White’s k-side pawns. One thing in Luke’s favour was the clock, down at one point to 12 seconds on White’s. With everything hanging by a thread, Luke counter-attacked! …Nxc3. The N reached e4 and interfered with the e-file. Something went badly wrong for White in the flurry of piece exchanges and an ending with Black’s Q against K, R and 2 connected passed pawns on the g and f- files. Before the end of the session Luke managed to pick off loose pawns elsewhere and had a Black pawn on a7 in reserve. The game was conceded to Luke after the evening’s efforts ended.
A result for determined defence.
It was a great outcome for the team, and club. We will have 2 Teams in the First Division. There is still one fixture from rivals, Brighton and East Grinstead, but our position as division champions is secure.
MEANWHILE…..
BEXHILL IV – 2.5 – EASTBOURNE IV – 1.5
Our 4th team were playing Eastbourne’s 4th away, A great result and the Merchants exclusively made it happen!
Great too, to see all wearing the ‘Merchantise’!
Here is Sharon’s match report :
Seb finished first. He played an aggressive Jobava London line and after 18 moves, one move from checkmate his opponent resigned. Not bad considering he has barely played in 2 years!
I finished second. Bad out the opening. Fought on but was always a losing battle.
Steve won on board one. His opponent was attacking on the queen side while Steve attacked on the kingside and Steve got there first!
Sam was last to finish. Looked like a losing battle after many trades and Sam came out a pawn down. But after some excellent play in a rook and pawn end game, a draw was agreed.
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