"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer

Sunday 16 December 2012

Fat years, lean years: Lincolnshire vs Leicestershire 9:7

"Thanks to everyone who played in yesterday's match. It was a superb effort by all of the players to inflict a defeat on a Leicestershire team who always have close matches with. This time however the match was won well before the last game had finished and the winning margin of 9-7 was well deserved. The Leicestershire captain told me after the game that he thought that the result flattered them a little and that we could have won by an even wider margin. So well done to everyone for making it three wins from our first three matches. ..."

This is a fragment of an e-mail circulated by team captain Nigel Birtwistle after the match with Leicestershire.
GM Mark Hebden
This team has been a Nemesis of the Lincolnshire Team for several years when we  kept on losing one tough match after another.
And this time Leicester team came to Lincoln with the team beefed up even by GM Mark Hebden!
Match was again very tough and Lincolnshire finally gained two points margin and beat its traditional rival 9:7!


Midland Counties Chess Union COUNTY MATCH RESULT FORM

Section:  Minor Counties

Home Team: Lincolnshire
Away Team: Leicestershire
Venue: North Hykeham
Date: 15th December 2012
Team having white on odd boards:  Lincolnshire
Result reported by:  Nigel Birtwistle
Board
ECF Code
Grade
Home team players’ names
Score
Score
Away Team players’ names
Grade
ECF Code
1
129719D
E197
Andrew Dyce
0
1
Mark Hebden
244
112455K
2
103734B
196
Paul Cumbers
1
0
Alan Byron
193
107857E
3
280840H
193
Claudio Mangione
1
0
Martin Burrows
191
125697L
4
119629H
189
Nick Stead
½
½
Graham Sharpe
196
118781J
5
263507A
186
Steven Prior
½
½
John Denton
190
109613J
6
247736J
185
Samuel Milson
0
1
Andy Morley
173
115787F
7
222105G
183
David Coates
1
0
Ray Burgess
173
107674H
8
216825L
179
Harry Russell
½
½
Brian Galligan
181
287350D
9
106801F
178
Nigel Birtwistle
1
0
Chino Nwachukwu
172
275461H
10
116655E
171
Keith Palmer
½
½
Sean Sheahan
157
118836H
11
772821E
167
Ivan David
½
½
Karl Potter
160
265676A
12
244268B
167
Kevin McCarthy
½
½
Steve Wylie
161
104886H
13
270555C
163
Alastair Summers
½
½
Jim Miller
152
116818G
14
277721G
155
Stuart Macdonald
1
0
Greg Adcock
152
130161F
15
111157H
152
Denis Georgiou
0
1
Mike Cowley
147
108975E
16
113979E
147
Graham Ladds
½
½
Philip Harlow
147
112212C




9
7





The margin could have been even bigger, alas, several Lincolnshire players failed to turn an advantage into the final victory.
Let's have look what happened on the boards.

1. Andrew Dyce vs GM Mark Hebden


Andy (left) and GM Hebden (right)
Andy playing White on the top board had very difficult position. GM Mark Hebden is  recognised specialist in the Open Games. In Exchange variation of Ruy Lopez both players followed theory till move 14 and then Andy came up with certain novelty. Having opened the position, Mark Hebden quickly exploited the advantage of his Bishop pair. His pieces were nicely centralised and well coordinated.... There is not much to say.




2. Alan Byron vs Paul Cumbers


Paul Cumbers
French Defence, Advance Variation was played and Paul displayed modern treatment with ...Nh6 without early ...Bd7. He kept his King in the centre and launched a king-side attack which was very difficult to parry.
Alan Byron was not very happy with the passive defence so he tried to seek some counter-play on the queen-side, however, with the centre blocked Black pieces were bearing down the king-side and finally Paul came up with lovely exchange sac.




3. Claudio Mangione vs Martin Burrows


Claudio, Martin, Nick Stead and Steve Prior
English opening was played and Claudio got the edge once his opponent castled queen-side. Battle was very creative from both sides but the Black had a big problem: Black King's safety.


 

4. Graham Sharpe vs Nick Stead

Against his higher rated opponent Nick had played an excellent chess. In French Defence, and again Advance variation was played, he overplayed his opponent, gained an ominously looking passed pawns and finally he turned this positional advantage into decisive material advantage. Unfortunately this means that he entered into the ending King, Bishop and Knight vs King and the problem was how to deliver the mate. The theory of this ending in details you can find here.
Alas, Nick did not find the right way of checkmating and finally the draw was agreed. However, he was very close and at certain point he achieved the basic - theoretically well known - wining position.
Now have a look at this game in two parts. First part finishes at the point where Nick obtained massive advantage. And like first movement of a symphony we can call this part an "Ecstasy".




And now, movement two, a "Desperation"




The good thing was that the match had been already decided so this nerve-raking finale was just a fun and an excitement for the kibitzers. 

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