On 1 May we travelled to the MindSports Centre in Hammersmith for a first division match against Kings Head 1. We were outrated on all boards, so were in no doubt that this would be a difficult encounter.
My own game was the first to finish: a rather tame 17-move draw followed the two knights variation of the Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3) in which I had the black pieces.
On the neighbouring board, Jonathan’s was the next game to end. He writes: “My opponent played quietly against my Bird’s Opening (1.f4), allowing me to build a substantial space advantage with better-placed pieces. The question was how to put this to good effect. The computer suggests I missed chances to expand further, based on some rather obscure shuffling. But I couldn’t see a way to progress, and by the time we agreed a draw the position was level and static.”
John’s game finished shortly afterwards. He observes: “I equalised with Black in a Taimanov Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6). My opponent adopted an unusual variation and I had a chance for the advantage but chose a safe move instead. In the final position I could see how to improve his position but wasn’t sure how to improve mine, so offered a draw which was accepted.”
On board 3, Alan played a most impressive game. In his own words: “I was playing Rick McMichael for the fourth time in less than a year. After a draw and two losses I managed to win this one. As Black, he played the English Defence (1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6) and we followed one of our previous games until I deviated on move 8. This time I avoided doubled pawns after he exchanged his dark-squared bishop for a knight. I emerged from the opening with a positional advantage which increased with his reluctance to defend the en prise f5-pawn with g6. Suddenly I had a winning kingside attack with the advancing pawn majority, driving back his pieces, and attacking the pawns protecting his king. With all my pieces mobilised, it proved impossible for him to organise a defence or create counterplay. I won his queen and mate was inevitable when he resigned.”
Playing against an IM, Andrew comments: “A c3 Sicilian led to a hedgehog-like queenside structure with a slight space advantage for White. I got in Na4 forcing …b6-b5 but then spent too long deciding between different ways of winning the pawn on b5 when he would have got a lot of play. I should have swapped on b5 and played Nc5 with advantage but didn’t consider that option. Instead I played Nb6 and c4-c5 with a protected passed pawn. He got sufficient counterplay against g2 via …Nd5 and …Nf4 and in time trouble I didn’t manage to defend.”
So, the result all hinged on the outcome of Martin’s game on board two. A tense struggle led eventually to an opposite-coloured bishops endgame in which his opponent had two extra pawns. They proved sufficient to win and for Kings Head to triumph in the match.
This narrow and disappointing loss means we are one step closer to second division chess next season. Our only chance is that Albany has a poor finish to their 24/25 campaign, thereby giving us a reprieve from relegation.
| Kings Head 1 | Rating | Result | Ealing 1 | Rating |
| IM John Pigott | 2370 | 1-0 | FM Andrew Harley | 2166 |
| CM David Okike | 2235 | 1-0 | Martin Smith | 2163 |
| FM Rick McMichael | 2226 | 0-1 | Alan Perkins | 2151 |
| Mark Davey | 2086 | 0.5-0.5 | John Quinn | 2069 |
| Steven Coles | 2067 | 0.5-0.5 | Jonathan White | 2024 |
| Conor O’Shaughnessy | 1994 | 0.5-0.5 | Simon Healeas | 1809 |
| 3.5–2.5 |