Worcester & District Chess League 2009-10

Last updated 20 May 2010

2009-10 Season

Headless Cross - Redditch			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Asley Davis David Richardson Mark Hore Paul Roberts	½ - ½ ½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0	Giles Stanton Jason Cole Richard Turner N Stokes
	Result	3 - 1	Played 28 Sep

Headless Cross - Hagley			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Glenn Cox (150) Ashley Davis David Richardson (120) Ron Thompson	½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0 ½ - ½	Frank O'Gorman (124) Greg Voskanian (116) Graham Wyle (121) Bill Sitch (72)
	Result	3 - 1	Played 12 Oct

Redditch - Kidderminster Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Rob Bricknell Jason Cole Michele Clack Penny Wood	½ - ½ ½ - ½ ½ - ½ 1 - 0	Mark Riley John Gittus Clive Billinge Michael Kitchen
	Result	2½-1½	Played 13 Oct

Worcester Pawns - Headless Cross			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Ray Collett Andrew Farthing John Clark Roger Yates	½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 1	Ashley Davis David Richardson Mark Hore Kevin Day
	Result	2½ - 1½	Played 15 Oct
Match report by Ray Collett. Strengthened with a Wesh Junior International player on board 1, Headless Cross hoped to repeat last seasons win against City. Early signs were not good for the visitors when their board 2 dropped the exchange. In compensation, Headless Cross players had slight positional advantages on boards 1 and 4. After two hours play, only board one was finished. Ashley offered a draw at the time control when central exchanges left only mninor pieces and pawns in play. Meanwhile Andrew Farthing was increasing pressure on David's king, but Roger yates had dropped a pawn against Kevin on Board 4. The Cross went ahead when Kevin forced off the pieces and won more pawns. On board three there was drama when Mark Hore speculatively sacrificed a rook to open up John Clark's king. John was right to accept the sacrifice, but it was very easy for him to go wrong with his opponent's bishop and queen threatening to penetrate his tattered king side defences. Fortunately for City, Mark allowed John to force the exchange of queens when the extra rook was decisive. The home victory was finally sealed when Andrew Farthing, pursued his attack with ruthless efficiency to convert.

Worcester Pawns - Droitwich			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Ray Collett Andrew Farthing Phil Smith Roger Yates	0 - 1 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 1 - 0	John Loynes Arnold Kirkland Rob Fuller Tom Parkes
	Result	1½ - 2½	Played 29 Oct
Match report by Ray Collett. This local Derby produced a close match with all four games in the balance after two hours play. On top board Worcester had the advantage of the exchange and position, but on board two Droitwich were ascendant. Andrew Farthing was first to concede and this result was followed by a draw on board 3. Roger played a captain's game for Worcester, winning a minor piece ending, but on board 1, Worcester blundered the move before the time control so that John Loynes' Knight forked his opponent's rooks. This was followed by an even crazier move rather than settling for an ending a 'mere' pawn up. This left John 15 minutes to wrap up a knight and bishop versus rook ending, which he did with one minute to spare.

Droitwich - Headless Cross			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Arnold Kirkland Rob Fuller W (Bill) Watson Tom Parkes	0 - 1 ½ - ½ ½ -½ ½ -½	Glenn Cox Ron Thompson Mark Hore Paul Roberts
	Result	1½ - 2½	Played 16 Nov

Worcester Pawns - Kidderminster Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Ray Collett John Clark Phil Smith Roger Yates	1 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 0	Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge Mike Kitchen
	Result	2 - 2	Played 19 Nov
Match report by Ray Collett. On board 1 Ray Collett defended the black side of a Ruy Lopez. In a complex middle game, Ray allowed his opponent the chance to sacrifice a piece for a winning king side attack. Fortunately for Worcester, the sac was not played. A few moves later, white failed to win a gifted piece but did force an ending with a supported advanced passed pawn to take the win. On board 2, Tim Yates accepted a sacrifice of a knight for 2 pawns and resisted an attack to achieve a won ending. Clive Billinge and Worcester's new player Phil Smith had a complex Ruy Lopez, but in the end Clive got the win. Roger Yates played his usual English Opening and achieved a slight plus at the time control. Thereafter black's game fell apart for Worcester.

Kidderminster Pawns - Hagley			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	David Close Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge	½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0	Peter Keate Graham Wyle J Taylor Bill Sitch
	Result	3½ - ½	2 December

Hagley - Headless Cross			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	James P Friar (116) Joseph D Friar (100) Bill Sitch (72) Peter Owen (ug)	½ - ½ ½ - ½ 0 - 1 1 - 0	Glenn Cox (150) Ashley Davis (138) Mark Hore (106) Ronald Thomson (110)
	Result	2 - 2	11 December
Match report from Jim Friar - Twelve-year-old James Friar was Hagley's captain for the night. It was the intention to field a complete junior side for the return match against Headless Cross, but unfortunately board 3 couldn't make the match and Bill Sitch was substituted at the last moment. Boards 1, 2 and 4 had an average age of just over 12. On board 1 James played the Petroff Defence. From the opening he had a spatial advantage but couldn't convert it as Glenn wouldn't allow the queen and bishop to be swapped off, as he would have an inferior ending. On board 2 Ashley expertly defended against a Morra gambit going into the ending a pawn up. With a knight and 6 pawns v knight and 5 pawns Joseph skilfully blockaded the passed pawn in the centre. Had Ashley swapped the knights off, Joe would have the opposition and force Ashley back, winning the pawn and turning the tables. Ashley was too good to allow this and a draw was agreed. Bill's game was fairly equal until the around the twentieth move, where an oversight saw Mark get a double attack going against Bill's King, which proved fatal. The final board saw an excellent battle in an opposite Bishop ending. Although Peter was a couple of pawns up, Roland's King was active and well positioned compared to Peter's. Fortunately Peter managed to create a passed pawn either side of the board and this proved decisive. Roland's overworked Bishop couldn't contend with both pawns as Peter pushed them onto victory.

Hagley - Droitwich			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	James P Friar (J) Kyle Reed (J) Joseph D Friar (J) Peter Owen (J)	0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 1	Arnold Kirkland (W) Bill Watson Tom Parkes Barry Tisdell
	Result	2 - 2	Played 21 January
Match report by Jim Friar (Snr). Hagley, with an average age of twelve and three quarters played Droitwich had an average age of 72. It was a typical David vs Methuselah match! After an hour of play, Kyle Reed pinned Bill Watson's queen against his king forcing Bill's resignation. On board 3, Joseph Friar won the exchange and then finished the game by a clever trap forking his opponent's king and queen. On borard 4, the game was quite equal until the young Hagley player missed a back-rank mate. So it was all to play for on top board. Arnold Kirkland had opened with what looked like a King's Indian Attack quietly extending into the centre with pawns. In a complicated position, James Friar won a piece for two pawns. These pawns were connected in the centre, and Arnold intended to push them. After two and a half hours play, James had won one of these pawns, but there were massive complications. The Droitwich player had a pawn at e6 backed by queen and rook. In the dying minutes James gave up his piece for the pawn amd swapped queens to leave rook and three pawns each. Arnold, an experienced county player, offered the exchange of rooks, which James accepted leaving Arnold's King was more active. Arnold created a passed pawn on the Q-side. As both pawns raced to queen with Arnold's winning by a short head to leave him with a queen vs pawn ending to win in a few seconds. Arnold blocked the pawn on g6 and forced James's resignation. What a match!

Kidderminster Pawns - Redditch			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	David Close Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge	1 - 0 1 - 0 ½ - ½ 0 - 1	Kryzs Krowicki Giles Stanton (capt) Richard Turner Peter Seeley
	Result	2½ - 1½	Played 27 January
Match report by Giles Stanton. In the match, Kryzs Krowicki had a superior position, declined the offer of a draw and then took a wrong pawn. Further loss of material lost the game. On board 2 in a Sicilian Sveshnikov as black Giles Stanton tried to take advantage of white's premature capture on f6, but made a hash of it loosing quickly. On board 3 the position became blocked with no apparent way for either side to make progress. On board 4, Clive Billinge swapped rooks when the exchange down giving Peter Seeley free entry on the f-file to infiltrate, win further material, and win the game.

Headless Cross - Worcester Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Glenn Cox Ashley Davis Paul Roberts Ronald Thompson	0 - 1 1 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 0	Philip Smith Ed Osbourn Roger Yates Default
	Result	2 - 2	Played 8 Feb
Match report by Roger Yates and Glenn Cox. Being outgraded and a man down, the Pawns did well to draw this match. Paul Roberts a new player for Headless Cross had an even game against Roger Yates until the Worcestre player won a pawn in the ending. Roger's experience then netted the full point. Ed Osbourn playing his first match for Worcester was pitted against talented junior Ashley Davis. With unbalanced pawns in the ending, Ashley was able to get the win. The final game to finish was Board 1, which was lost on time. Glen Cox was subjected to a violent king's-side attack by Phil Smith, causing the Headless Cross player to lose time. Phil may have been able to win the game sooner, but his advantage in time was enough to secure the point even after he blundered a piece near the end when his rooks got pinned. Glenn said: "Phil can fairly claim to have won the game, rather than being given it by my time trouble".

Droitwich - Hagley			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Arnold Kirkland WW (Bill) Watson Tony Parkes Barry Tisdall	0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0	Francis O'Gorman Bill Sitch Faro Rafaat Colin Reed
	Result	3 - 1	Played: unknown
Match reported by Hagley.

Redditch - Droitwich			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Giles Stanton Derek Abrahams Kevin Day (player ineligible) Peter Seeley	1 - 0 0 - 1 (½ - ½) ½ - ½	Arnold Kirkland Rob Fuller WW (Bill) Watson Bert Foord
	Explanation below Result	1½ - 2½	Played 16 Feb
Match report by Rob Bricknell and Giles Stanton. Arnold Kirland took the game to Giles Santon with an early f4-f5 advance in a Sicilian. Giles expected a piece sac to open up the king, which would have been difficult to defend. Arnold fought shy of this continuation. The tide turned for Giles when he offered to exchange queens, which was also declined, but then an attack appeared from nowhere, resulting in a fortuitous win. On board 2 in another Sicilian Defence, Rob Bricknell won the exchange and a pawn with a knight fork and finished with an overwhelming attack. On board 3 after an English Opening the players agreed a draw in an even position, but Kevin Day was ineligible to play for Redditch because he has already represented Headless Cross this season. The last game to finish was on board 4. It was tightly contested with Bert Foord ending two pawns up. With opposite coloured bishops and Peter Seeley's centralised king, however, Bert was unable to make progress and a draw was agreed. The Controller has ruled that the result of the draw on board 3 will be used for grading, but Redditch lose the match 1½ - 2½.

Hagley - Kidderminster Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Kyle Reed Julian Taylor Michael Reitenbach Colin Reed	0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 (0 - 1)	Dave Close Mark Riley Clive Billinge Terry Pountney (ineligible)
	Result	1 - 3	Played: 19 Feb
Match reported by Hagley. On board four, Kidderminster played a barred player who has already played 4 times in Division 1, hence the amended result.

Headless Cross - Kidderminster Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Glenn Cox Ashley Davis Ronald Thompson John Holmberg	½ - ½ 1 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 0	David Close Tim Yates Clive Billinge Mike Kitchen
	Result	2½ - 1½	Played 1 Mar
Match report by Glenn Cox. The young and the not-so-young secured Headless Cross's victory. First to finish was board 3, where Clive Billinge checkmated Ronald thompson. On board 2 15-year-old Ashley converted a material advantage into a winning king and pawn ending. Shortly after, 90-year-old John Holmberg won another victory in a tight game against Mike Kitchen on board 4. On board 1, Dave Close played the Grand Prix Attack against Glenn Cox's Sicilian. Dave secrificed two pawns, but the attacke repulsed so that at the time control Glenn had knight and six pawns against knight and four pawns. Being short of time, Glenn offered a draw to win the match for Headless Cross.

Redditch - Headless Cross			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Tom Robinson (168) Rob Mitchell (140) Rob Bricknell (125) Pete Seeley	1 - 0 ½ - ½ ½ -½ 1 - 0	Glenn Cox (150) Ashley Davis (138) Dave Richardson (128) Mark Hore (106)
	Result	3 - 1	Played 2 Mar
Match report by Genn Cox. Redditch regulars were playing a Birmingham League match so stronger players were drafted in. Tom won a pawn in the early middle game and converted comfortably.

Droitwich - Redditch			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Arnold Kirkland Rob Fuller WW (Bill) Watson Barry Tisdell	1 - 0 ½ - ½ ½ -½ ½ -½	Giles Stanton Jason Cole Derek Abrahams Pete Seeley
	Result	2½ - 1½	Played 15 Mar
Match report by Giles Stanton. Arnold Kirkland used a Philidor Defence and gained a pawn against Giles Stanton. White thought he could swap off all major and hold the game with a more active king. However, attempting to re-gain the pawn the black king infiltrated and Arnold won. Jason Cole once again employed his favourite Caro Kann to earn his draw.

Hagley - Worcester Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Peter Keate (146) James P Friar (116) Graham Wyle (121) Bill Sitch (72)	0 - 1 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 0 - 1	Ed Osbourn (u/g) Philip Smith (u/g) Roger Yates (100) Pat Greenow (92)
	Result	1½ - 2½	Played 21 Apr
Match reported by Roger Yates

Kidderminster Pawns - Droitwich			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	David Close Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge	½ - ½ ½ - ½ 0 - 1 1 - 0	Arnold Kirkland WW (Bill) Watson Bert Foord Barry Tisdell
	Result	2 - 2	Played 21 Apr
Match result from Arnold Kirkland

Droitwich - Worcester Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Arnold Kirkland Rob Fuller WW (Bill) Watson Tony Parkes	0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0	Ed Osbourn John Clarke Phil Smith Roger Yates
	Result	2 - 2	Played 22 Mar
Match reported by Worcester

Kidderminster Pawns - Headless Cross			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Dave Close Mrak Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge	1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0	Glenn Cox Ashley Davis David Richardson Mark Hore
	Result	4 - 0	Played 17 Mar
Match report by Headless Cross. On top board Glenn Cox (Headless Cross) had a small advantage around move 20, but missed the best line. Dave Close simplified into an ending and Glenn missed the draw.

Droitwich - Kidderminster Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Arnold Kirkland Rob Fuller WW (Bill) Watson Tom Parkes	0 - 1 ½ - ½ ½ -½ 1 - 0	David Close Mark Riley Tim Yates Clive Billinge
	Result	2 - 2	Played 8 Mar
Match report by Controller.

Worcester Pawns - Redditch			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Ed Osbourn Roger Yates Phil Smith Pat Greenow	½ - ½ 0 - 1 0 - 1 ½ - ½	Rob Michell Jason Cole Rob Bricknell Pete Seeley
	Result	1 - 3	Played 25 Mar
Match report by Controller.

Worcester Pawns - Hagley			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Ed Osbourn Phil Smith Roger Yates Pat Greenow	½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1	Andrew Moore James P Friar Kyle Reed Joseph D Friar
	Result	1 - 3	Played 8 Apr
Match report by Ray Collett. The young Friar brothers powered Hagley to a convincing win. On board 1 a Budapest Gambit initially gave black a slight advantage, but as pieces came off the game drifted to equality. James Friar soon had an advantage in space and his opponent was on the ropes after losing the exchange in a very cramped position. The Worcester captain, Roger Yates gave up a bishop for three pawns after missing a chance to win his opponent's queen. In the ending, Roger's careful shepherding of his passed pawns earned him the draw. Joseph Friar, defending a Ruy Lopez, and soon broke free from the 'Spanish torture' and won a piece then cruised to victory. (Amended 10 April)

Hagley - Redditch			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Francis O'Gorman W (Bill) Sitch F Raafat MA (Tony) West	0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1	Jason Cole D Spowart Rob Bricknell Giles Stanton
	Result	0 - 4	Played 9 Apr
Match report by Derek Digger

Redditch - Hagley			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	D Spowart Penny Wood Derek Abrahams Peter Seeley	0 - 1 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0	Francis O'Gorman Graham Wyle Greg Voskanian W (Bill) Sitch
	Result	2½ - 1½	Played 20 Apr
Match report by Derek Digger

Kidderminster Pawns - Worcester Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	David Close Mark Riley Clive Billinge Mike Kitchen	½ - ½ ½ -½ 0 - 1 1 - 0	Ed Osbourn Phil Smith Roger Yates Pat Greenow
	Result	2 - 2	Played 28 Apr
Match result from Ray Collett.

Redditch - Worcester Pawns			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Rob Bricknall Dave Stuart Richard Turner Pete Seeley	½ - ½ 1 - 0 ½ - ½ 1 - 0	Ed Osbourn Phil Smith Roger Yates Pat Greenow
	Result	3 - 1	Played 4 May
Match result from Roger Yates.

Headless Cross - Droitwich			Division 2
Board	Home team	Result	Away team
1 2 3 4	Glenn Cox Ashley Davis David Richardson Paul Roberts	1 - 0 1 - 0 ½ - ½ 1 - 0	Arnold Kirkland WW (Bill) Watson Bert Foord Jack Chen
	Result	3½ - ½	Played 10 May
Match report from Glenn Cox. On board 4 the advantage fluctuated wildly, but eventually Paul Roberts (Headless Cross) found himself with three united passed pawns against Jack Chen’s rook. In this case the pawns were too far advanced for the rook to cope. On top board Arnold Kirkland (Droitwich) played the Grand Prix Attack against Glenn’s Sicilian Defence. After a tense middle game, Glenn emerged with a favourable knight versus bishop endgame. The knight won a pawn and the bishop was unable to prevent the advance of the extra pawn.