Close match against strong Barking team

North Circular Chess League   Division A
Monday 7^th January
Report by Jef Page

At 7pm I had a full team but at 7.15 I found I had lost a player so again we started a match a player down. But even with this default Barking, with a strong team out, only just scraped by us 2½ – 3½

I and Figgins played into a dismal Alekhine’s opening where Queen’s are swapped off early with no advantage to either of us. But for here on the games got tasty. 

Colin Ramage went rampaging into Klimach’s Sicilian defence with a Morra Gambit Accepted but Jason blocked off the loose c-file and with Colin losing his way trying to find a winning K-side attack, Jason picked off enprise pieces. Syd played well to hold off John White who even with two outside passed pawns couldn’t force them home in a R&P endgame. Jeff Goldberg managed to isolate Neville’s c-pawn and whilst Neville held on, Jeff ground out an endgame win.

The match result hinged on Tom’s game when he wriggled out of awkward position to win a knight for a couple of pawns. But trying to force his own passed pawn home he lost it and then was reduced to having his knight halt the progress of Jaskwiskyj’s own passed pawn and whilst a draw was a good result for Tom it couldn’t save the match.