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.