Faced with huge grading differentials on all boards, Ealing B predictably came a cropper in this match in the Hillingdon KO competition. However, the final score belies a fighting performance from the Ealing side.
West London elected to field only one IM and one WGM for this one. According to the ECF rating database they have now fielded 9 GMs, 3 WGMs and 3 IMs in the past several years, including current British champion, Shreyas Royal all appearing courtesy of the munificence of one of their members.
Subas was pitted against one of the club’s ‘traditional’ players, John Burke who adopted an unusual opening in the hope of getting Subas out of book. Here’s Subas’ comments:
“My opponent played the opening move b4. I hardly expected this move in a classical match, though I had met it on rare occasions in 10 minutes and rapid games online. I played e5 and thereafter ended up burning up a lot of time thinking about my subsequent response to the moves white was literally blitzing out. Engine analysis indicates until move 16 white had only a slim advantage, manageable by black. But, in subsequent moves my failure to castle my king to safety was my undoing as I concentrated on breaking the deadlock on what appeared to be a closed position. The game went downhill from thereon, my king badly exposed with impending huge material losses. My opponent played well to capitalise on my weak position with relentless attacks and I resigned soon after on the shortest and quickest game I played this league season (26 moves).”
Tony was drawn against the WGM and gives an honest assessment of his game: “I was White in a Sicilian and pleased to emerge from the opening having doubled Black’s pawns on the c-file, giving me a thematic point of attack. However I relaxed a moment and my 700-point higher graded opponent found a way to undouble which gave her a tiny edge. The gap never increased though until move 22 when I calculated swiftly a few moves deep and thought that she had blundered and I could win queen for rook. Of course, the female grandmaster hadn’t. A few moves deeper she had a forced devastating combo of knight and bishop against f2 with murderous discovered checks against the g1 king. Game over. The correct move 22 was easy to see after the event once not blinded by my perennial over optimism and would have given me the initiative – and perhaps another 10/20 moves stay of execution before class told.”
Meanwhile I was drawn against the West London skip, Russell Campbell. It is the fourth time we have met across the boards and, surprisingly, al three previous encounters had ended as draws. This game was to be no different though I was fortunate to emerge with a draw. Facing the Trompowsky for the first time in a decade, my memory of the lines was a bit foggy to say the least but I managed to emerge from the opening with a reasonably solid position. I then clumsily dropped a pawn on the queenside which gave White a lasting initiative. However, with some energetic play I managed to achieve some counterplay. Here’s the denouement.
Shortly afterwards, Clive also drew. A highly commendable result against a player with a 300-point advantage. As Clive explains: “A Sicilian defence transposed to an Advance French, The opening and play was accurate and contested with white having an advantage. On move 20 I missed h6 with clear advantage and on move 24 h6 was winning. After some inaccuracies, the game was equal and after a late blunder, the final position, in which a draw was agreed was winning for black but overall, a draw was probably a fair result.as I gave him a very hard game.” This draw guaranteed West London the match point.
The last game to finish was on board one, where Simon was taking on the 2393-rated IM Graeme Buckley and giving him a real game. As Simon reports: “My opponent, as White, played a sharp, modern line of the Petroff in which he castled queenside with the aim of directly attacking the black king. With 14.h4, he offered a bishop for a pawn which I declined; on move 15 (Bxh6) he again offered the bishop. Once more, I declined the capture. Following his Bxg7 on move 20, I finally accepted the sacrificed prelate. As the dust settled, the late middlegame revealed that I had a piece for two pawns with a clear advantage. In time trouble, unfortunately I was unable to make anything of this, eventually losing the piece and with it, the game. Most disappointing against a strong opponent. “
Watching from the side-lines it was a real shame to see Simon, playing on increments, slide to defeat. I can’t be 100% sure but with less than 15 seconds on his clock I think Simon may have missed a stunning shot to win.
It seems that the rook pin from e1 prevents progress but the devastating Rd8-d1+ turns the tables. Either you see it or you don’t.
So, Graeme escaped Simon’s clutches and the final score fails to convey Ealing B’s resistance on the night.