Match Report by Chairman
Friday 17th October saw the first matches of the 2025/26 Sussex League matches.
Our 1st team played our 2nd team in a Division 1 match thereby creating a little bit of history for the club as we have never had two teams in the top division before.
We also had our 3rd team playing our 4th team in division 3.
After 3 hours of high quality and hard fought matches the final results were
1st team 3 2nd team 1
3rd team 3.5 4th team .5
The individual results were
1st v 2nd
Luke 1 v Andrew 0
Howard 1 V James 0
Michael Hubbard 1 V Michael Hayward 0
Oli 0 V Alan 1
3rd v 4th
Janis 1 V Oliver 0
Steve Blewitt 1/2 Bill Luxton 1/2
Joe 1 V Ed 0
Lawry 1 V Harry 0
Thanks to everyone who took part in what was a much closer affair than the score lines suggest.
Bill
Games commentary by editor
Our first team played our second team in Division 1.
Below, 2nd team L – 1st team R view from Board 4 as Steve looks on L
Board 1 – Luke Chapman(W) -1- 0- Andrew Fleming, (B) a tough battle, going long distance.. An endgame emerged early where Luke had 2 bishops and Q-side pawn majority, picking up a weak pawn on c6 but in doing so giving up one of the bishops leaving drawish bishops of opposite colours..Andrew conducted a long blockade on the white squares, but Luke eventually created 2 connected passed pawns and pushed them to win, as time trouble finally hampered accurate defence.
Board 2 – Howard Tebbs (B) 1- James Lumsden (W) , a Jobava system by James with early pawn advances by White on the K-side.. The early exchange of the White bishop on f4 set up doubled pawns f3/f4 but with the upside of a half-open file for White.. Black exploited the pawn structure, targeting a weak pawn on g3 with …Nh5. There was a neat tactical point, based on James’ castling Q-side. If the g3 pawn was defended by a piece, Black would play …Nxg3! anyway, as a recapture would result in a double attack..Qxf4+. James had to give up the f4 pawn. A double rooks endgame saw Howard press his advantage, eventually controlling the e-file himself and picking off the weakened, advanced K-side pawns.
Board 3 – Michael Hubbard (W) – 1- 0- Michael Hayward (B), An open game with initial symmetry of pawn structures, but White’s bishops and rooks had the better placement for greater pressure. When Black’s N picked off the advanced, isolated d-pawn ( but exposed the castled king position) , White ( though down to 39 seconds on the clock) set up a battery of Q and B with a winning double attack, threatening both mate and the loose N..
Board 4 – Oli Balp (B) -0 – 1- Alan Ticehurst, (W) was a complex game, difficult to assess with a locked centre and no captures. Alan manoevred to create pressure on the c-file, eventually opening it, and targeting a weak pawn on c6. Oli had to defend it laterally with rooks placed laterally from a6 and b6.. When Oli tried to exchange off the pawn with c5, and supporting it by Rb6-c6, he overlooked the decisive pawn fork b5!, side-stepping the c5 pawn and winning a rook.
Our third team played our fourth team in division 3.
Below, Janis L v Oliver R
Board 1 – Janis Peturson (B)- 1 – 0- Oliver Kuzmanoski (W), a double-edged open Sicilian ..e5 variation, where Oliver had a strong N on f5 ( which Janis exchanged off with …Bxf5 ) and Janis having a strong N on e5. Both sides with isolated pawns on central files. Janis exploded the tension with ..d5 which sacrificed a pawn for play on the dark squares and exploiting Oliver’s exposed K position.. Janis went on to win the exchange and later picked off several pawns to force a win.
Board 2 – Steve Blewitt (B)- 1/2 – 1/2 -Bill Luxton ( W). Bill gained early pressure with ..Nd3 , forking a Re1 and pawn on b2. ( It looks like Bill Tracey caught that moment in the above photo, as I see over Steve’s shoulder a N on d3!). Steve, defending a pawn down., had a further weakness on c3, which Bill pressed determinedly.. Steve did not crack, so Bill switched to the d-file and penetrated the 8th rank. Steve’s K had to run, and was now vulnerable on h3. Bill could not find a mating net for the K and Steve managed to generate counterplay with c5 and cxb6, in the ending regaining a pawn which was an outside passer! But Bill placed his rook behind the passer which Steve could not promote – a game of resilient defence against strong pressure.
Below Janis L i at the back , Oliver, Bill (3rd from L , and Ed 4th from L in the foreground
Board 3 – Jo Carthew (B) -1 – 0 – Ed Booth (W), had an early gain of 2 pawns by Jo with a pair of bishops. Ed fought hard with active play from his 2 knights and centralised rooks. But once the most dangerous N was exchanged off, Jo’s remaining bishop dominated and the pawn disparity was decisive.
Below, Jo L Janis 2nd L Bill, Steve
Board 4 – Lawry Rhodes (W) -1 – 0 Harry Morter (B) Harry played quickly and missed a threat of a pawn fork and was forced to exchange a piece for 2 pawns. He fought hard, pushing the passed d-pawn but Lawry’s rooks interposed to get behind the passer and decisively prevented promotion. It was unfortunate for Harry who was very tired after an exhausting series of games, on behalf of Bexhill Academy, the night before and travelling back from Brighton College where he performed well against more experienced players.