Essex League: Disappointing loss to Barking

Division 2 Time: 90 minutes each
Date: Thursday 29 November 2018
Venue: St Margaret’s Church Centre, Barking

Board Barking II 5-3 Ilford
1 172 Ramage, Colin R ½ Twitchell, Neville H 174
2 153 Barr, Steven G 0-1 Barton, Tom A 166
3 149 Wickham, Michael 1-0 Kent, Anthony R 151
4 145 Clow, Kenneth W 1-d Kalinsky, Syd M 141
5 134 Ansari, Gholamreza ½ Page, Jeffrey 139
6 134 Figgins, John A 0-1 Ainkaran, Lavanan 127
7 112 Chtym, Vladimir 1-0 Tutu, Marshall 094
8 Blagianu, Mihaita 1-0 Pakovlevas, Aleksandras

(edited from Jef’s notes). This was a match which, despite the default, we should not have lost.
Pakovlevas had his King driven out into the centre of the board and the game didn’t last long too long. Marshall found it tough to develop his pieces against Chtym, and after having arriving late lost on time. My defensive Caro-Kann did just enough to worry Ansari who took the draw even though, if he’d gambled, he might have won a useful pawn. Lavanan was winning well when Figgins blundered and lost a N to save his Queen. Then, when both raced to queen a pawn, Ainkaran got his up the board first to victory. Tom played nicely to open up the queenside a and b files against Barr’s queenside-castled K, and as the pressure grew and Barr defended adroitly, Barton finally won a key pawn enabling him to advance and queen his own pawn. On top board Ramage did well to go a pawn up but as the pieces were swapped off Neville forced the ending down to Bishops of opposite colours and draw was quickly agreed. The result hinged on Anthony Kent’s game. After a game where the advantage keep changing, he had the advantage until Wickham got his Q&R down to the back rank. Suddenly, Tony’s King was forced out into the open and in the mad time scramble, got mated. Very disappointing after our good performance and win at Loughton.

Thanks to everyone who played