Poor Essex League Result

Essex Chess League  Division 2  26 April 2022
Jef Page

                        BRENTWOOD II  3½ – 2½ ILFORD

            1893 MALCOLM KINGSLEY  0-1  NEVILLE TWITCHELL 1923

     1733 ANDREW WILLOUGHBY ½   RAHUL  GHOSE  e1850

                         1713 ROB DAVIES 1-0  ANURAG CHAUHAN 1773

                   1390 DAVID  D’CRUZ  0-1  JEF PAGE 1630

                                         C ELLLIS  1-0  default

                                       R FISHER  1-0  default

Time control: 1hr 20 minutes & 10 seconds a move.
Brentwood won the toss: White on odd boards

A poor result for Ilford. I knew I’d struggle to get a full team to Brentwood and then to cap it off Tom caught Covid and had to isolate at home. I won easily. D’cruz blundered badly in a Kings Gambit Declined and with his King stuck in the centre I won a piece & soon resigned when his Queen was lost as well. But the remaining games went the distance. Rob Davies forced his Q-side pawns up the board completely shutting Anurag’s Bishop out of the game and also gained a 2^nd Queen as  Anurag’s attempt at a perpetual check or mate proved unsuccessful.

Rahul was doing nicely and won a pawn but Willoughby managed to get counter-play with his Rook to win not only the pawn back and go a pawn ahead but in a difficult endgame they accepted a draw. On board 1 Neville found it hard going in his Alekhine Opening to gain an advantage in a minor piece ending. But he played well to win a R for a B, and then to clinch the win pinned Kingsley’s Knight as well to secure the full point.

Thanks to players who agreed to play.