Borehamwood Chess club

Despite again missing our top 2 players, we had a rather good evening:

Herts League – Division 2                                  
Monday 23-October-2023                                           

           St Albans 4                                     Borehamwood
Board  1 : Hotala, Grzegorz                    1812   0-1   Rubeck, Jonath               1973
Board  2 : Cross, Ian K                        1795   0-1   Kent, Anthony                 1806
Board  3 : Ball, Matthew P                     1758   0-1   Sear, Kevin                        1631
Board  4 : Shah, Nimish                        1750   1-0   Garfield, Harvey                1492
Board  5 : Baguley, John                       1729   0-1   O’Sullivan, Terry               1445
Match Score :                                      1 – 4

Our only player not to win was Harvey, who had a won position but got into time trouble . In the following position, the computer gives a mate in 7 if black plays 23…..Na3c check!

Good win for Jonathan in Board 1, Terry won after has opponent lost a piece, Kevin blundered in the opening but his opponent though for a long time and did not grab the sound piece advantage! Kevin won on time

Anthony’s game was a closed Stonewall with no pawns captured for the first 38 moves! Black has good pressure and white is running out good moves.

Our 2023 / 2024 Herts league campaign opened with an away fixture at Stevenage. Our top 2 boards dropped out on the day, but fortunately 2 replacement were available at short notice. We would be out graded on every board. 70 minutes plus 10 seconds per move, as per league rules.

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2                                   
                                            Monday 16-October-2023                                           

            Stevenage 1                                     Borehamwood
Board  1 : Amato, Giampiero  (b)              2068   0-1   Rubeck, Jonathan    1973
Board  2 : Robinson, Dominic                   1883   1/2   Kent, Anthony R             1806
Board  3 : Reilly, Gerard                      1793   1-0   Sear, Kevin                        1631
Board  4 : Anigbo, Afamefuna                   1788   0-1   Williams, Stephen          1670
Board  5 : Rawlings, Stephen L                 1778   1-0   Garfield, Harvey               1492
 Match Score :                                    2.5 – 2.5

On Board 3, Kevin lost a rook which put us one down. Board 2 was a somewhat irregular Staunton Gambit. The match ended in a draw by repetition as black’s rook moved from g8 to g7 (and back again) and white’s Bishop from h7 to d3 (and back again). In fact, computer suggests that after 22.. Bd3, black should play 23…..h6. . Then 24. g3 is met by …Bf4!.with initiative

On Board 4, Steve won his opponents queen for a rook, bishop and pawn. After winning the bishop, he comfortably won the match. Harvey had a decent position with at least a draw on board 5, but the position went astray in time trouble. On Board 1, Black had 3 extra pawns in a Rook, opposite coloured Bishops and pawn ending. Jonathan manged to pull back to only one pawn down, but black with very little time and relying on the 10 second per move increment kept pressing for a win. Unfortunately, black boxed himself in a bit and missed that whites bishop move from c7 to f4 was actually checkmate.

Therefore the match was drawn!!

The long distance away match – 38 miles there and the same back – gave us our third win of the season

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2   
 Thursday 02-March-2023                                            

           Bishops Stortford 2                             Borehamwood
Board  1 : Osiyemi, Lara                       1813   0-1   Simmons, Matthew             2171
Board  2 : Cowlin, Andrew                  1742   1/2   Rubeck, Jonathan               1880
Board  3 : Kerby, Nigel P                      1750   1/2   Kent, Anthony R                    1792
Board  4 : Hirst, Adam                         1649   0-1   Williams, Stephen                1666
Board  5 : Barnard, Thomas                1638   1-0   Sear, Kevin                         1646
  Match Score :                                     2 – 3

A draw on Board 1 and decent positions on most boards meant we were in a good place for most of the evening. Good wins for Matthew and Steve. Now have 3 wins and 5 defeats from 8 Matches.

Action on Board 1

Boards 4 and 5

2022/2023 has not been the easiest of seasons with a small squad and top player avaialability an issue. But we have picked up our second win (to go with 5 defeats….) against top of the table Stevenage and move of the foot of the table.

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2                                 
                                           Tuesday 21-February-2023                                           

           Borehamwood                                     Stevenage 1
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew      2171   1-0   Amato, Giampiero         2055
Board  2 : Raoof, Adam N               2091   1-0   Robinson, Dominic        1872
Board  3 : Rubeck, Jonathan        1880   1-0   Anigbo, Afamefuna      1801
Board  4 : Kent, Anthony R           1792   1/2   Maynard, Kenneth R     1861
Board  5 : Choudhury, Shakeel      1700   1/2   Rawlings, Stephen L     1764
Match Score :                                     4 – 1

No nice photos – just a diagram from an error strewn Vienna Gambit on board 4.

Black to move: Best is 9…..exf. However, Bxh?? was played but white missed f5 winng a piece,,,,

First Match of the season at home. Stronger on paper. What could go wrong?

Herts League – Division 2
Tuesday 18-October-2022 Welwyn White on odd boards

       Borehamwood                                     Welwyn Hatfield

Board 1 : Simmons, Matthew 2171 0-1 White, David 1840
Board 2 : Raoof, Adam N 2091 1/2 Gordonsmith, Roger H 1835
Board 3 : Rubeck, Jonathan 1880 1/2 Roderick, Andrew 1820
Board 4 : Kent, Anthony R 1792 1/2 Aldred, James H 1738
Board 5 : Williams, Stephen 1500 0-1 Fisher, Jim R 1711
Match Score : 1.5 – 3.5

First result was a draw on board 3. Anthony Kent played a gambit line versus the Caro Kann, which was declined, and a symetrical pawn tructure led to a draw. Adam could not break down his opponents French dame efence. Jim Fisher’s king side attack against Steve Williams, which left us needing a win on top board to tie the match. Unfortunately, Matthew was a pawn down and eventually lost the endgame.

We lost 3-2 at their venue 3 weeks previously. On the day, our usual board 2 was not well, so we found a sub, who was then not needed as Stevenage could only field 4 players.

Herts CA : Herts League – phase 2 – Division 2D                               
                                            Tuesday 26-April-2022                                             

           Borehamwood                                     Stevenage 1
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew        2163   1/2   Robinson, Dominic          1885
Board  2 : Kent, Anthony R               1750   1-0   Anigbo, Afamefuna          1775
Board  3 : Williams, Stephen            1500   1/2   Fitzgerald, Patrick          1788
Board  4 : O’Sullivan, Terry J            1510   0-1   Trethewey, Frank              1675
Board  5 : Sear, Kevin                     1653   1-d   default                              –
Match Score :                                      3 – 2

Stevenage were stronger on boards 2 to 4, so the was not going to be easy to win. On Board 2, Black had a good opening with the Scicilian against white’s Grand Prix Attack.

On move 16, black’s Queen on h4 should have exchanged itself with white’s queen. Instead, 18…. Qd8 was which was met by 19. e5! which threatened to cut of black’s bishop with c3. Black had to give up his c pawn, and his postion fell apart after 7 moves.due to king side weakness

Postion after 26. Bxe

On Board 1, black pressed for the inititative but could not break through, so a draw was agreed.

.

Board 3 was also drawn, giving us a win (an oversight on board 4 cost the game).

Level material on board 3.

A few more matches to play till the end of the sesason,

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2D            Monday 11-April-2022                                         
                       Borehamwood White on odds boards                                                

            Stevenage 1                                     Borehamwood
Board  1 : Amato, Giampiero     2110   0-1   Simmons, Matthew  2163
Board  2 : Fewell, Ewan              1900   1/2   Raoof, Adam              2103
Board  3 : Rawlings, Stephen     1795   1/2   Kent, Anthony             1750
Board  4 : Anigbo, Afamefuna    1775   1-0   O’Sullivan, Terry         1510
Board  5 : Fitzgerald, Patrick      1788   1-0   Williams, Stephen       1500
 Match Score :                                   3 – 2

Another tight match, but still winless this season in Herts Division 2. We were evenly matched over the top 3 boards, but their strength on the bottom 2 boards proved the difference.

Anthony finished first on board 3, accepting a draw against the French Defence, Terry’s Queens Gambit declined went awry, and he found himself unable to castle ,and under attack. White won comfortably in the end. Adam played a lively line of the French defence on board 2, and a draw was agreed after many pieces got exchanged.

On Board 5, Steve had some pressure with his 2 rooks and queens lined up, despite being a pawn down. Unfortunately, black managed to swap all the pieces of and comfortably won the pawn endgame. Board 1 saw a 4 knights opening where black had double pawns on the c file and a Bishop for Knight. White played a long term game to swap off the other pieces and use his mobile knight to create queenside threats and win the endgame.

We play Stevenage again at home in a couple of weeks.

Extremely belated Happy new year. January fixtures comprised to away matches to Hemel – or more accurately Apsley. .Apsley was a 19th-century mill village, but these days it is the part between the interminable roundabouts of Hemel and the A41.

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2B       Monday 10-January-2022                           
                                                                                   

           Hemel Hempstead 2                               Borehamwood
Board  1 : Law, Stephen                        2058   1/2   Simmons, Matthew         2163
Board  2 : Valentine, Brian J                1908   0-1   Choudhury, Shakeel        1803
Board  3 : Matthews, Adrian MS         1878   1/2   Kent, Anthony R              1750
Board  4 : Dunford, Anthony D            1810   1/2   Sear, Kevin                        1653
Board  5 : Simpson, Derek                      1713   1-0   O’Sullivan, Terry             1510
  Match Score :                                   2.5 – 2.5

On paper, we did well to draw this match, though we were never in trouble.

H&D : Herts & District League – South        Monday 24-January-2022                                           

           Hemel Hempstead                                 Borehamwood
Board  1 : Dunford, Anthony D         1810   0-1   Choudhury, Shakeel             1803
Board  2 : Rollinson, David                1608   0-1   Kent, Anthony R                    1750
Board  3 : Hall, Ian JL                        1495   0-1   Sear, Kevin                        1653
Board  4 : Hicks, Simon                      1473   1/2   O’Sullivan, Terry J                1510
Board  5 : Shergill, Ranjit                    1038   0-1   Devan, Matthew                     1495
  Match Score :                                   0.5 – 4.5

Our 2nd match against Hemel resulted in a plasing win. Kevin won against the French, and Terry draw playing the French Winawer. Matthrew’s Spanish opening won comfortably, and to complete the European tour, Anthony’s Dutch Leningrad broke through with a strong kingside attack. Shakeel mated his oponnet in the time scrample.