Disappointing Start to 2025/2026 Season

Ilford currently run 4 league teams:

A team in Essex Chess League Division 2, A team in London Chess League Division 4 and Teams in each of the North Circular chess League Divisions A and B

This Post will catch up on the Essex Chess League. 1 win, 1 draw, 2 defeats so far.

ESSEX CHESS LEAGUE DIVISION 2nd October 2025 80 minutes plus 10 seconds a move. Toss won by Thurrock, white on odd boards.

THURROCK I 3-3 ILFORD

1874 VINCUS RALYS 0-1 RAHUL GHOSE 1973 b

1709 MATHEW WILSON 0-1 NEVILLE TWITCHELL 1809 w

1652 BRANDAN GIBBONS ½ VINCENZO NICOSIA 1666

1522 S SANDHU 1-0 JEF PAGE 1652

1489 M SHARMA 1-0 NOEL AFUANG e.1600

1314 DANIEL CHAMBERS ½ GIORGIO NICOSIA

(All game comments based on Jef Page’s notes). Not an auspicious start to the season largely down to me as just a mere R up out of the opening, I played too slowly at the end, and even with the wining post in sight lost on time. Noah made his debut for Ilford and got little out of the opening and soon lost a Bishop. But Neville, who arrived a bit late, quickly evened the score up with a win and this was soon followed up by Rahul whose Sicilian opening was too sharp for Ralys. Vincenzo was doing OK but then made an error which gave Gibbons the advantage of an extra N in the ending but Vincenzo played aggressively with his lone King winning both of Brandan’s remaining pawns to save a 1/2 . Vincenzo’s son Giorgio played well for as Chambers tried to cause trouble down the Q-side Giorgio played calmly to hold his game together. A few top board players were missing but we should have done better.

ESSEX CHESS LEAGUE Division 2 20th October 2025 80 minutes plus 10 seconds a move. Ilford won the toss & had White on odd boards

ILFORD 4½ – 1½ BARKING II

1.1796 NEVILLE TWTICHELL 1-0 PETER JASZKIWSKJI 2019

2. 1793 TONY KENT 0-1 COLIN RAMAGE 1897

3.1665 VINCENZO NICOSIA 1-0 JAMES ROBINSON 1838

4. 1639 JEF PAGE ½ JOHN FIGGINS 1700

5. e1600 NOAH AFUANG 1-0 V CHTYM 1436

6. 1517 KEN JARDINE 1-0 default

A strange match which almost started badly for us on one of the worst nights possible for chess and thinking as noise distractions & loud explosions caused by fireworks went off right outside as Divali was being celebrated. Ken took 2 buses to get to the match, but had to just watch as he had no opponent to play.

We started late but Barking had to default a board so we were 1 up but it seemed fruitless as by 8pm I only had 4 players playing chess. Then at 8pm Tony made it (M25 issues) but by 8.15 Neville still hadn’t arrived so I agreed his game could be a default and I went to make a coffee for myself and captain John Figgins. One minute after I’d agreed to give up Neville’s game he arrived but John generously agreed to let him play. As I sat down I glanced at my match score sheet- which at first I didn’t understand- to see that Vincenzo had already won! So from being almost 2 defaults down we were now 2-0 up. Figgins got control of the centre but as I managed to swap off Q’s I offered a draw and to my surprise he agreed. This was eventually followed up by Noah beating Vladimir after almost losing control of the game and finally pinning Vlad’s Q against his King. The top 2 boards were much tougher games. Tony held off Colin’s Sicilian Morra Gambit Accepted and played nicely into the middle game . But in the endgame when Colin finally freed his N it proved a winner against Tony’s over-stretched B and pawns. Neville, after arriving 45 minutes late, used his remaining time well and had a sharp game against Peter’s French Defence. After a strong opening Nev won a R for a B which he held into a winning ending. So after our draw at Thurrock, we now had a match win under our belts.

ESSEX CHESS LEAGUE DIVISION 2 11th November 2025 Toss won by Wanstead- White on odd boards. 80 minutes plus 10 seconds a move.

WANSTEAD 3 3½ – 2½ ILFORD 1

1. 1838 PHIL STANILAND 0-1 RAHUL GHOSE 1984
2. 1833 IAN HUNNABLE 0-1 VENKATESH SUBRAMANIAN 1861
3. HIRAK MODI 1-0 NEVILLE TWITCHELL 1823
4. M LATAILLE ½ TONY KENT 1778
5. 1715 RYAN COLCLOUGH 1-0 RAYYAN ASIF 1713
6. 1628 RICHARD SAUNDERS 1-0 NOAH AFUANG e.1600

A very disappointing result for us and it was a strange match with a few weird things going on. First of all 2 clocks were only set at 20 minutes! plus 10 seconds a move. Neither player noticed it until Ian Hunnable’s flag fell after only about 40 minute’s play. The clock had to be reset quickly, and then another player lost to a checkmate that had only recently been printed in the newspapers as a puzzle and example to learn from. We quickly went 2-0 down and we could not get ahead in the match. Noah started well from a Scotch Gambit but when his Q went offside and pawn hunting he got caught in a classical Q-sac’ mating trap. Neville sent all his major pieces over the Q-side where they got bunched up but Modi soon won control of the K-side and centre. Rayyan couldn’t make any headway against Colclough. Having to reset their clocks didn’t disturb Venkatesh who won a nice game gaining

control of the e-file with his R’s, N’s and Queen. Tony Kent seemed to be getting the better of his game against Lataille who came up with some sharp moves to exchange Queens and level the endgame. That left Rahul who gambled on leaving his K in the centre and attacking down the Q-side’s a and b files, opening them up with a pawn push. It paid dividends as he opened Staniland’s defences to checkmate Phil.

ESSEX CHESS LEAGUE Division 2 27th November 2025

Toss won by Ilford, White on odd boards. Time control: 80 minutes plus 10 seconds a move. Essex League current grades.

BARKING 2 4½ – 1½ ILFORD

1. 1875 JAMES ROBINSON 0-1 RAHUL GHOSE 1990

2. 1811 MARTIN BAKER 1-0 VINCENZO NICOSIA 1675

3. 1710 JOHN FIGGINS ½ JEF PAGE 1619

4. 1411 V CHYTM 1-0 GIORGIO NICOSIA 1437j

5. M WICKHAM 1-0 default

6. M CRESSWELL 1-0 default

A disappointing night for Ilford with only 4 players available to play at Barking’s St Margaret’s church. And I even won the toss for a change. Giorgio started well against Chytm but got into trouble when he dropped q-side pawns. I played into Figgins’ Alekhine Defence and Queens got swapped off and a quick grandmaster draw was soon agreed. Vincenzo had trouble breaking out of defence but just as he was about to develop OK he misjudged a combination that cost him a Knight. The best and sharpest game of the night was Rahul’s. Out of a quiet Gioco Piano opening he forced his pawns up the board. Just as James appeared to have held that attack off and started his own, Rahul got control of the White squares around Robinson’s King and sweetly smother-mated him with a Q&P.

ESSEX CHESS LEAGUE DIVISION 2 15th December 2025

Toss won by Witham, White on odd Boards. Time Control: 80 minutes plus 10 seconds a move. Essex League current grades.

ILFORD 2- 4 WITHAM

1. 1995 RAHUL GHOSE ½ STEPHEN MITCHELL 2038
2. 1879 VENKATESH SUBRAMANIAN 0-1 S TEPHEN COUGHLAN 2025
3. 1816 NEVILLE TWITCHELL ½ PAUL KENNING 1797
4. 1781 ANTHONY KENT ½ JAMES STEELE 1772
5. 1651 VINCENZO NICOSIA 0-1 SIMON WHITE 1749
6. 1632 JEF PAGE ½ LYN STIFEL 1637

Up against a strong Witham team who’ve now won all 4 of their matches and lead division 4 unbeaten, it was a tough night for us and we couldn’t win a single game. Venkatesh had his K-side defence broken into with doubled f-pawns and Vincenzo wasn’t able to make any headway. Unable to develop his pieces properly he went a N down and Simon’s passed d-pawn was soon an unstoppable thorn. Being 2-nil down we just couldn’t get any advantage anywhere. Neville’s Alekhine opening held Kenning and Rahul had to think hard to hold off Mitchell though material was level. Anthony Kent’s Grand Prix attack went well but his pieces were hemmed in by the solid pawn structures. Though Jef had a positional advantage against Lyn’s French Defence, black managed to force the exchange of Q’s as Jef advanced on the Q-side, again keeping N’s and pawns nicely even. Not an unexpected match result but still a disappointing to end the year this way. We’re finding it hard going!

Action on Board 1 v Witham

Boards 5 and 6

Board 4. In the diagram, after 21…..  BxN(f6) white played 22. exB? which the computer rightly says is slightly worse for white.  22. gxB is liked by the computer as both white rooks and the queen join the fun. The match was drawn.