English Chess Federation

4th European Union Youth Chess Championship U14, U12 & U10

Mureck, Austria, 8-17 August

Day Six

8:57 a.m. Most of the Team Mates are in the coaching room. They have been up for an average of 0.05 hours. Everyone is a little more nervous than usual, reflecting the significance for British tennis of this evening’s Tennis International. But as there is nothing that can be done – it’s all down to Polly’s RA, no pressure, take your time, its only the future of British tennis at stake – everyone soon forgets about it and thoughts return to the coincidental chess tournament. Oh, and apparently some flights are getting through now and Ryanair are allowing 1 piece of hand luggage per person – albeit smaller dimensions than usual. How does that work?

The Danish team (“team” being the technically correct term albeit probably creates an exaggerated impression – see also Day 3) are starting to get sociable. Not sure if it is just a ruse to learn our Team Mates’ tactics, but I think they are just really nice people. It takes all sorts! A three-a-side football match on the local astro-pitch is proposed. Unsure of the pitch and the likely standard, it fell to yours truly to play the Englishman abroad (speak English but speak loudly) and spy on the Danish training session. Playing a Wooster-ish buffoon with two left feet (a stroke of genius though I say it myself) I was able to join their game for 3 minutes, just long enough to suss their formation: I discover that they play all three players at once. Hard though it was, I was able to hide my own natural talents and I think I got away with it. So they now expect to stroll it… but they haven’t seen our secret weapon, we’ve got a lamp-post from Mureck town centre that we’ve planted in front of their goal overnight… The match is on for the next time there are no England vs Denmark pairings, I will waste no time bringing the news of it to you.

It is Day 6, and everyone has settled into a routine, so a number of RAs and Sibilants decide to disrupt it by taking the train to Graz - it really does take all sorts! For the remainder, and fortunately I can count myself amongst these, the routine gradually reasserts itself. Breakfast between 08:00 and 09:00, followed by beer on the verandah while the Team Mates get their individual, 1-on-1, one hour of coaching with #9, #18 or #27. The coaching creates a sort of 4 hour lull, a no man’s land in the day, when everyone feels that they ought to be doing something but there is not quite enough time to do anything exciting enough to get them off the verandah. Maybe some desultory tennis is played. A quick hand of gin rummy, then Mr Chips heads off on his bike for no apparent reason and comes back with unlikely tales of adventures with Shelley’s Italian cousin, Gucci. But its ok, everyone (including the Team Mates) is very sensitive, and nods or smiles politely.

Lunch is announced anytime between 12:00 and 12:30. I am sure that the more observant of you will calculate that this overlaps with the final coaching sessions which end at 13:00. So in the spirit of team unity and togetherness all those that have already finished their coaching when lunch is announced do indeed head straight in to eat. Sometimes there is even a little bit left by the time the last coaching sessions are over and the last 3 Team Mates plus their RAs and Coaches can make it into the dining room.

Post lunch, there is a gap until the first shuttle service to the venue commences at 14:20. Team Mates tend to split this time between relaxing and final revision – it is a last opportunity to return to their Coach for additional information or to check things out. Then all attention turns to the imminent games, with Rounds now starting promptly at 15:00…

Round 6 (the chess bit):

In what will transpire to be the best day overall for the Team Mates so far, it is just about the worst start possible and the worst day possible for the U12s. Although Patrick is out very quickly with a win, the news that follows is not so good: Ed, Daniel, Saravanan and Victor all loose. Heads go down at base camp each time Mrs Chips’ mobile phone sounds the arrival of another txt message update from the venue. So at 17:45, nearly three hours after the round starts, the England score is just one out of five…

For those who are at the venue, however, the picture looks quite different. At the venue you are able to see the games (you are allowed to wander the playing hall albeit not between the rows of tables) or at least you are able to ask someone who can not only see the game but who also understands chess (typically, but not always, the Coaches). For these spectatoes, they are aware that many of the remaining England players are in strong positions and therefore the tide should be turning in our favour. Although we do remain a long way from the sea. So the spectres know and sure enough, the results do start to turn. Callum wins, Harry wins, as does Sharan! Joseph deftly turns the table (the right way this time) on his opponent and claims victory having gone into the end game weaker than his opponent. Polly agrees a draw, but then Samuel and Williams both win! So England ends on 7½ out of a possible 12! The best overall score so far.

The Team Mates’ results for Round 6:

The Team Mates’ results to date:

The Game of the Round:

Soni,Sharan (ENG) - Rhys Griffiths,Ryan (IRL)
EU Youth Champs (U14) (Round 6), 14.08.2006

1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 e5 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nd2 f6 5.a3 Be6 6.b4 Qd7 7.Bb2 Nge7 8.e4 perhaps the setup with e3, Ne2, h3, d4 and c4 is preferable in this position. 8...d4 9.Ne2 [9.f4 exf4 10.gxf4 0-0-0 11.Ndf3 is better for white - there is little or no danger to the king, and the d4-pawn is weak. Black has no real prospect of play.] 9...g5 10.Nc1 [10.h3 is a better move, I suspect.] 10...Bg4 11.f3?! unnecessarily giving the thrust ...g4 at some stage extra power. 11...Bh3 12.Qe2 Ng6 13.Ncb3 a6 14.Nc4 Be6 15.Ncd2 Bh3 effectively a draw offer. Slightly strange, as black is perhaps a little better here. 16.Qf1 Bxg2 17.Qxg2 h5! 18.Nc4 0-0-0 [18...h4 is the logical move - trying to open up the kingside. ...g4 will follow at some stage, when black has the better chances.] 19.Qd2? a move that weakens the already shaky kingside. Up to this point, the white position was perfectly tenable. 19...b6 [19...Qh3 20.0-0-0 h4 looks like the way to take advantage of white's abandonment of the k-side.] 20.0-0-0 Bh6?! 21.Kb1 Nce7?! 22.Qe2 h4 And black offered a draw. By now, however, the tide was starting to turn. 23.c3! white's only plan here, but a good one. The centre being opened shows up black's piece placement - the last few moves have not formed part of any coherent plan and have just taken pieces away from the action. 23...dxc3 24.Bxc3 Qc6 25.Bb2 Qa4 26.Qc2 Nc6? [26...Kb8 is the right move, after which white is only slightly better, as black can play against the white k-side.] 27.d4 exd4 28.Bxd4 Nxd4 [28...Nge5 29.Bxe5 Rxd1+ 30.Rxd1 fxe5 31.Nb2 is also winning.] 29.Nxb6+ Kb8 30.Nxa4 Nxc2 31.Kxc2 Ne5 32.Nac5 Nc4? not putting up a fight. 33.Rxd8+ Rxd8 34.Nxa6+ Ka7 35.Nxc7 Nxa3+ 36.Kb2 Nc4+ 37.Kc3 Rc8 38.Kxc4 Rxc7+ 39.Nc5 Bf8 40.Ra1+ Kb8 41.Kd5 And black resigned. It's an easy win from here with 2 extra pawns. A nice game from Sharon, who after making a few inaccuracies in the opening recovered to outplay his opponent, timing his moves well. 1-0

After the excitement of the afternoon, most of the Team Mates arrive back at the GuestHof between 18:00 and 19:00. Dinner is announced at 20:00 but wait – let us not forget the Tennis International that kicked off at 18:00! What news? What news? Well, the truth is that the match is still going strong at 20:00, so we all go and eat anyway. And then finally Mark arrives… victorious! Glory for the LTA at last!

The evening comes to its natural conclusions as the pairings go up. We have another Eng vs Eng pairing, this time Samuel is paired against Saravanan. It could have been worse given the number of possible Eng vs Eng pairings (on the same points total), so I guess we should be relieved but it is no fun for these two youngsters. Daniel manages to get his fifth seeded opponent despite losing the last two rounds, and Sharan has a tough draw against the rated Portugese player. Research on opponents commences, then gradually everyone drifts off to bed for some good old shut-eye…

Pairings for Round 7:

And finally, for my yoof watchers…

Message from Prtrchess@hal.con on Tue, 20 June 2006 04:09:37 EDT

To: XXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Re: Hello from FIDE World Schools

Good morning

I've also been thinking about themes for the Austrian coverage. From a shellfish point of view I wanted Shelly to be a theme as it would have been good PR for the firm. Yes I know, you spotted typo shellfish instead of selfish - ah but, no but it was deliberate, just another of Shelly's schemes. He planned to go into healthy eating supplies. Unfortunately the launch did not go well. Recognising France as the 'gourmet capital of Europe', we launched in Paris. We had all the E S Cargo lorries lined up and ready to go then realised some French wag had added a 't' to the company logo. When all the press and invited guests came in and saw escargot on the lorries they went ballistic and set about eating most of Shelly's workforce!! Shelly and several key workers in the company managed to escape by crawling onto the lorry hubcaps and disguised themselves as wheel nuts. Even then there were unexpected consequences of this escape bid. What irony, what pathos – it is unbelievable! Shelly has cousin who was born with an unusual shell and looked a bit like someone in a space suite. Snails can be quite humorous so he was christened 'Gagarin'. Anyhow, to cut a long story short, when the lorries were driven off at speed because of the centrifugal effect Gagarin could not hold on, he flew off at just the exact trajectory to be launched into space. You just would not believe it, sometimes fact IS stranger than fiction. The survivors are planning a rescue mission.

Best wishes
Gill & Peter

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