English Chess Federation

Challenge Match, Saturday 10th September 2005

Hull & District Chess Association v York & District Chess Association

2.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.

Holme Chruch Lane Community Centre, Beverley

By D. G. Mills

The latest challenge match between the respective Hull and District and York and District Chess Associations was staged at the Holme Church Lane Community Centre, Beverley on Saturday 10th September 2005. Although it is normally an annual fixture, several players at the 2005 Hull and District Chess Association A.G.M. were critical of the timing and general organisation of the previous match held in York just four months earlier. They complained that it was at the wrong time of the year, stronger players were discouraged and pre-match publicity was insufficient. As the Hull and District Chess Association Match Captain I found such comments rather churlish but took them on board, arranging a return match at a spacious venue with adequate parking. It was advertised on the Association’s website and local press and I visited several clubs or contacted their secretaries to solicit participation. Hull and District players were asked for a £2.00 board fee in respect of refreshments and the Association itself funded the room hire. Despite this the usual suspects who support the event were in attendance whilst the critics were conspicuous by their absence!

Neville Pearce and I assembled sixteen board teams to contest the Hardcastle-Stalmans Trophy. Just two players graded over 150 featured when lists were exchanged – an all too familiar, yet still disappointing, situation. Hull and District enjoyed a significant overall grading advantage in excess of 100 points yet were handicapped when the board eleven representative failed to arrive and your scribe, as usual, lost the coin toss for choice of colours. For the first time in several years I was able to participate, responsibility for refreshments being undertaken by my girlfriend, Karen.

Over the first 2½ hours of play Hull and District succeeded in equalising the scores as eight games were completed and even built a lead of two points with four boards outstanding. Yet several reverses kept the result in the balance. On board two Anthony Maraveyas, who arrived home the previous evening and was suffering jet lag, lost on time, believing he had a further hour before the time control. Board five saw a four bishops plus pawns ending deteriorate into a lost king and pawn ending. On board fifteen Steve Donoghue was experiencing difficulty closing out a won bishop and pawn against pawns ending. Nevertheless two up in these circumstances should have been enough to reverse the 8½ - 3½ defeat sustained in May.

Unfortunately the ability of teams that I captain to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory came to the fore. Losses on two of the lower boards – one from a winning endgame – allowed the scores to be tied at 7½ each. In the course of the allegro finish, with both players very short of time, Neville Pearce pressed home his endgame advantage to give York the narrowest of victories.

My thanks to Ted Oxley of Beverley Chess Club for arranging the room hire and loan of equipment, St. Andrews Chess Club for providing additional equipment and Karen Overrill for preparing an excellent buffet with copious amounts of tea and coffee. This fixture will now continue in an autumn slot, leaving the opportunity for another challenge match in May. Many years ago Hull Chess Club plus guests played Scunthorpe and District Chess Association in a series of annual matches. I now propose to approach Hull and District officials at the next Executive Committee meeting with a view to instigating a new contest, assuming that our Lincolnshire neighbours are prepared to pick up the gauntlet.

Board 1. White : M. Carpenter. Black : R. D. Westra. Nimzo Indian Defence.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. e3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bf5 10. Ne2 0-0 11. g4 Bg6 12. Nf4 Nc6 13. h4 h6 14. Nxg6 fxg6 15. Bd3 Qd6 16. Rh3 Qe6 17. Bb2 Qxe3+ 18. Qe2 Qf4 19. Qd2 Rae8+ 20. Kd1 Nxg4 21. fxg4 Qxg4+ 22. Kc2 Qxh3 23. Rg1 Qe3 24. Qxe3 Rxe3 25. Kd2 Rh3 26. Bxg6 Rxh4 0 – 1.

Board 2. White : A. Maraveyas. Black : R. Hardy. Queen’s Gambit.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 c4 c6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Nb6 7. 0-0 g6 8. Nbd2 Bg7 9. Nxc4 Bf5 10. Qc3 Ne4 11. Qb4 Bxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. b3 Qc5 14. Qxc5 Nxc5 15. Na5 0-0-0 16. Ba3 Ncd7 17. Rac1 Nb8 18. Bxe7 Rd2 19. e4 Be6 20. a4 Re8 21. Bg5 Rd3 22. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 N6d7 24. Rc1 f6 25. Be3 Nb6 26. Kf1 N8d7 27. f4 Kb8 0 – 1 (Time).

Board 3. White : J. Carpenter. Black : J. Thackray. Spanish Opening.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. Re1 Be7 11. c3 Nd3 12. Re3 Nxc1 13. Rxc1 0-0 14. Nd4 Na5 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Bc2 Qe8 17. Rh3 g6 18. Qg4 Bd8 19. Rh6 Kg7 20. Qh3 Rh8 21. Nf3 c5 22. b4 Nc6 23. Bxg6 hxg6 24. Rxh8 Qxh8 25. Qxe6 Qh6 26. Rd1 Ne7 27. Qf6+ Kg8 28. Ng5 Qg7 29. Qe6+ Kf8 30. Qd6 Ke8 31. Ne6 Qf7 32. Nxc5 Ra7 33. Ne4 Nf5 34. Qc6+ Kf8 35. Rxd5 Be7 36. g4 Nh4 37. Nf6 Bxf6 38. exf6 Qe8 39. Qc5+ Kg8 40. Rd1 Rd7 41. Rf1 Nf3+ 42. Kg2 Qa8 43. Kg3 Nd2 44. Re1 Qf3+ 45. Kh4 Qxf6+ 46. Kg3 Qf3+ 47. Kh4 Rh7+ 48. Kg5 Ne4+ 49. Rxe4 Qxe4 50. Qc8+ Kf7 51. Qxa6 0 – 1.

Board 4. White : A. D. Bettley. Black : J. Griffith. Sicilian Defence.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 d5 5. Bb5 dxe4 6. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 a6 8. Nxe7+ Kxe7 9. Bc4 Bg4+ 10. Ke1 Rc8 11. Bb3 Be6 12. Nc3 f5 13. Bg5+ Kf7 14. Ke2 h6 15. Be3 Bc5 16. Rhd1 Bxe3 17. Kxe3 Nf6 18. Bxe6+ Kxe6 19. f3 Rhd8 20. fxe4 fxe4 21. h3 Ke5 22. a3 Rd7 23. Rxd7 Nxd7 24. Rd1 Nb6 25. Ke2 Nc4 26. Rd5+ Ke6 27. Rd4 Nxb2 28. Rxe4+ Kf6 29. Re3 Nc4 30. Nd5+ Kg6 31. Rg3+ Kh4 32. Rg4 1 – 0.

Board 5. White : E. Winn. Black : A. Grice. Sicilian Defence.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. f3 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 0-0 10. Qd2 Be6 11. Be2 a6 12. 0-0 Rc8 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. cxd5 Bd7 15. Rac1 Rxc1 16. Rxc1 Qb8 17. Bg5 f6 18. Bh4 Rc8 19. Bc4 Kf8 20. Bd3 Rxc1+ 21. Qxc1 Qc8 22. Qxc8+ Bxc8 23. Be1 f5 24. Bc3 Bxc3 25. bxc3 Kf7 26. exf5 Bxf5 27. Bxf5 gxf5 28. f4 e6 29. dxe6+ Kxe6 30. Kf2 Kd5 31. Ke3 Kc4 32. g4 fxg4 33. f5 h5 34. f6 1 – 0.
Board 6. White : D. G. Mills. Black : O. Robson. Colle v Benoni.
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 e3 g6 4. Bd3 Bg7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. Nbd2 d6 7. c3 Nbd7 8. Re1 b6 9. Qe2 Bb7 10. b3 e5 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. e4 Qc7 13. Bb2 Rad8 14. Rad1 Rfe8 15. Qf1 Nf8 16. Bc2 Ne6 17. g3 Rd7 18. Qe2 ½ - ½.

Board 7. White : R. Allis. Black : M. Bettley. Hungarian Defence.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. d3 Be7 5. 0-0 Nf6 6. c3 0-0 7. Re1 Bg4 8. Nbd2 a6 9. Nf1 Na5 10. Ne3 Bh5 11. a3 Nxc4 12. Nxc4 h6 13. Ne3 c6 14. h3 Nh7 15. Nf5 Bg5 16. Bxg5 Nxg5 17. N5h4 Nxf3 18. Nxf3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Qg5 20. Qe3 Qxe3 21. Rxe3 f5 22. exf5 Rxf5 23. f3 Raf8 ½ - ½.

Board 8. White : P. Brown. Black : N. R. Pearce. Sicilian Defence.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be2 Be7 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Nb3 b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Qe1 Qc7 13. Qf2 Rac8 14. Rad1 Qb8 15. Bd3 Ne5 16. Nc1 Nc4 17. Bxc4 Rxc4 18. Rd4 Rfc8 19. N1e2 Qa8 20. Rxc4 Rxc4 21. Rd1 d5 22. exd5 Nxd5 23. Nxd5 Bxd5 24. c3 Qc8 25. Rd4 h6 26. Rxc4 Bxc4 27. g3 Qd7 28. Kg2 e5 29. Ng1= Qd3 30.h4 Qg6 31. Kh2 Qd3 32. Kg2 Bd6 33. Nh3 Qg6 34. Kh2 f5 35. Bc5 Bc7 36. Be3 Kh7 37. Qc2 e4 38. f4 Bd3 39. Qf2 Qe6 40. Kg2 a5 41. Qd2 Bb6 42. Nf2 Bxe3 43. Qxe3 Bc4 44. Kh2 Qd6 45. Kg2 Qd5 46. Kg1 Qd6 47. Kg2 b4 48. cxb4 axb4 49. a4 b3 50. Qc3 Qc6 51. Qe3 Qxa4 52. g4 Qb5 53. gxf5 Qxf5 54. Kh2 Bd3 55. Kg1 Qd5 56. Kh2 Qc4 57. h5 Qc2 58. Kg3 Qe2 59. Qxe2 Bxe2 60. Nxe4 Bxh5 61. Nc5 Bd1 62. Kf2 Kg6 63. Ke3 Kf5 64. Na4 h5 65. Nc3 Bc2 66. Ne2 h4 67. Nd4+ Kg4 68. Ne6 h3 69. Kf2 g6 70. Kg1 Kg3 71. Ng5 Bf5 72. Kh1 Kxf4 0 – 1.

Board 9. White N. Andrews. Black : D. H. Westra. English Opening.
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. e3 e6 6. Nge2 Nfe7 7. d4 cxd4 8. exd4 d5 9. c5 Nf5 10. Be3 Qf6 11. 0-0 Nfxd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Re1 0-0 14. Rc1 Bd7 15. Bf4 Nb5 16. Nxb5 Bxb5 17. Be5 Qf5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Qd4+ Qf6 20. Re5 Kg8 21. Rce1 Qg7 22. a4 Bd7 23. Qb4 ½ - ½.

Board 10. White : S. Taylor. Black : J. Hewitt. Petrov’s Defence.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe4 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5 Qxe2+ 8. Bxe2 Be7 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. Nc3 Be6 11. Rfe1 0-0 12. Nb5 Rac8 13. Nfd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bd7 15. Bf3 Rfe8 16. Bxb7 Rb8 17. Bc6 Rbd8 18. Bxd7 Rxd7 19. Nc6 Nd5 20. Bxe7 Nxe7 21. Nxe7+ Rdxe7 22. Kf1 Kf8 23. Rxe7 Rxe7 24. Re1 c6 25. Rxe7 Kxe7 26. Ke2 Ke6 27. Ke3 Kd5 28. c4+ Kc5 29. a3 a5 30. b3 d5 31. b4+ axb4 32. axb4+ Kxb4 33. cxd5 Kc5 34. dxc6 Kxc6 35. Ke4 f6 36. d4 g6 37. g4 Kd6 38. f4 h6 39. d5 Kd7 40. h4 Ke7 41. h5 g5 42. fxg5 fxg5 43. Kf5 Kd6 44. Kg6 Kxd5 45. Kxh6 Ke6 46. Kxg5 Kf7 47. Kh6 Kg8 48. Kg6 Kh8 49. g5 Kg8 50. Kh6 Kh8 51. g6 Kg8 52. g7 1 – 0.

Board 11. White : S. Sriharan. 1 – 0 by default.

Board 12. White : D. Gibson. Black : J. Wynne. English Opening.
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. d3 0-0 7. 0-0 d6 8. Be3 Rb8 9. Qc1 Rfe8 10. Bh6 Bh8 11. Rb1 Bd7 12. Bd2 Qc8 13. e3 Bh3 14. d4 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 cxd4 16. exd4 Nd7 17. Ne2 e5 18. d5 e4 19. Ne1 Nce5 20. b3 Nc5 21. Bc3 Ncd3 22. Nxd3 Nxd3 23. Qe3 Bxc3 24. Nxc3 a6 25. Nxe4 Qf5 26. Nxd6 Rxe3 27. Nxf5 Re2 28. Nd6 Rxa2 29. Kf3 Kf8 30. Ke3 Nb4 31. Kf3 Ke7 32. Ne4 Kf8 33. Rfe1 b5 34. Nf6 Kg7 35. Ne8+ Kf8 36. Nd6 Nd3 37. Re2 Rxe2 38. Kxe2 Nb4 39. Re1 Rd8 40. Ne4 Re8 41. Kd2 Rc8 42. Nd6 Rd8 43. Nb7 Rd7 44. Na5 bxc4 45. bxc4 Nxd5 46. Kc2 Ne7 ½ - ½.

Board 13. White : R.Mitchinson. Black : S. J. Thrower. Spanish Opening.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 d6 6. Re1 Bd7 7. c3 Be7 8. d4 exd4 9. cxd4 0-0 10. Nc3 b5 11. Bc2 Bg4 12. Be3 Re8 13. a3 Qd7 14. Bb3 Na5 15. Ba2 Qc8 16. Qe2 c5 17. dxc5 dxc5 18. Bb1 Nc6 19. Bf4 Nd4 20. Qd3 Nxf3+ 21. gxf3 Bh5 22. e5 Bg6 23. Ne4 Nxe4 24. fxe4 Qg4+ 25. Bg3 c4 26. Qc3 Bc5 27. Bc2 Red8 28. Kh1 Bd4 29. Qb4 Qe6 30. f4 Bh5 31. Bd1 Bxd1 32. Raxd1 Qg4 33. Kg2 h5 34. h3 Qg6 35. h4 Qb6 36. Rf1 Qc6 37. Kf3 Qg6 38. Rde1 Bb6 39. Kg2 Rd3 40. Rf3 Rad8 41. Rxd3 Rxd3 0 – 1.
Board 14. White : M. Tyrrell. Black : M. J. Beavers. London System.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 g6 4. Be5 Nbd7 5. Bxf6 Nxf6 6. e3 Bg7 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Bd3 b6 9. c3 Bb7 10. 0-0 e6 11. Qe2 a5 12. Rfc1 Qe7 13. c4 c5 14. Rc2 dxc4 15. Bxc4 cxd4 16. Nxd4 Rfc8 17. Rac1 Nd7 18. Nb5 Nc5 19. Bd3 Rd8 20. Bc4 Qg5 21. f3 Rd7 22. a3 a4 23. b4 axb3 24. Nxb3 Bf8 25. Nxc5 Bxc5 26. Rc3 Qd8 27. Bd3 Bc6 28. Nd4 Bb7 29. Nc2 Qe7 30. Bb5 Rd6 31. a4 Rad8 32. Rd3 Rxd3 33. Bxd3 Rd6 34. Rd1 Qd8 35. Ne1 Ba6 36. Kf2 Bb4 37. Bxa6 Rxd1 38. Nd3 Rd2 0 – 1.

Board 15. White : W. Fulton. Black : S. Donoghue. Dutch Defence.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd2 f5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Be2 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Ng5 Nb8 10. f4 h6 11. Nh3 Nbd7 12. b3 Qe8 13. Rf3 Kh8 14. Rg3 Ne4 15. Nxe4 fxe4 16. Bh5 Qd8 17. Qg4 Bf6 18. Rf1 Qe7 19. Nf2 Rg8 20. Qh3 Nf8 21. Bg4 Bh4 22. Nd1 Bxg3 23. hxg3 Bd7 24. Qh5 Be8 25. Qh3 Bf7 26. f5 Kh7 27. Rf4 Re8 28. Nf2 g5 29. fxg6 Bxg6 30. c5 e5 31. dxe5 Qxe5 32. Be1 Ne6 33. Bxe6 Qxe6 34. g4 Rgf8 35. Qg3 Rxf4 36. Qxf4 Qe5 37. Qxe5 Rxe5 38. Bc3 Rg5 39. Bf6 b6 40. cxb6 axb6 41. Bxg5 hxg5 a4 Be8 Kf1 Bd7 44. Ke1 Kg6 45. Kd2 Kf6 46. Kc3 Ke5 47. Kb2 = c5 48. Ka3 d4 49. exd4 cxd4 50. Nh3 d3 51. Kb2 Bxg4 52. Nxg5 Kd4 53. Kc1 Ke3 54. Nxe4 Kxe4 55. Kd2 Be6 56. b4 Bc4 57. b5 Bd5 58. g4 Kd4 59. g5 Be4 60. a5 bxa5 61. b6 a4 62. g6 a3 63. g7 Bd5 64. b7 Bxb7 65. g8/Q Bd5 66. Qg4+ Be4 67. Qd7+ Bd5 68. Qa4+ Bc4 69. Qxa3 Bd5 70. Qc3+ Ke4 71. Qxd3+ Ke5 72. Qe3+ Be4 73. Kc3 1 – 0.

Board 16. White : M. Overrill. Black : R. Hall. King Pawn.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Be2 Bc5 4. 0-0 d6 5. d3 h6 6. Nc3 a6 7. Rb1 Nd4 8. Be3 Nxf3+ 9. Bxf3 g5 10. Bxc5 dxc5 11. b4 cxb4 12. Rxb4 Nf6 13. d4 Qd6 14. a3 g4 Be2 h5 16. dxe5 Qxe5 17. Qd4 Qg5 18. e5 c5 19. Qxc5 Nd7 20. Qe3 Qxe3 21. fxe3 Nc5 22. Nd5 Kf8 23. Nb6 a5 24. Rb5 Na4 25. Nxa8 Nc3 26. Rc5 Nxe2+ 27. Kf2 g3+ 28. hxg3 Bg4 29. Re1 Kg7 30. Rxa5 Nc3 31. Rc5 Ne4+ 32. Kg1 ½ - ½.
24. Bc3 Bxc3 25. bxc3 Kf7 26. exf5 Bxf5 27. Bxf5 gxf5 28. f4 e6 29. dxe6+ Kxe6 30. Kf2 Kd5 31. Ke3 Kc4 32. g4 fxg4 33. f5 h5 34. f6 1 – 0.