Promotion to Herts Division 3 – How we did it!

No posting for a couple of months. Too busy playing chess and various other things life throws at you.

7th April 2015.  A 2.5-2.5 draw. Leon draw against the Pirc. Anthony played a very ring-rusty Dutch Stonewall and was fortunate to draw. Dan had an extra pawn, but his opponents active knight led to a repetition of moves. Matthew won a rook & pawn ending from the Sicilian as black. Terry had a reasonable Queens Gambit declined, got into bad time trouble and could not deal with his opponents passed pawn. This meant we cannot catch Royston unless they lose a match. Fortunately, Royston did lose a match. Game on.

Borehamwood 1                                   Hoddesdon 1
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew  (B)         195   1-0   Beadle, Mark  146              Board  2 : Marcos, Dan                          154   1/2   Gore, Alan D  133

Board  3 : Kent, Anthony R                    150   1/2   Young, Dane P                     124
Board  4 : Glouzman, Leon                    117   1/2   Joyce, Richard P                  115
Board  5 : O’Sullivan, Terry J                 117   0-1   Patmore, Alan                    113
Match Score :                                         2.5 – 2.5

Next up, we played Barnet away at our place. They play at the Barnet Conservative club, so the proximity of the election left them roomless. As it turned out, they were 2 men short on the day.  On board 3, Anthony got into a pickle in the Dutch Stonewall, eventually swapping down and offering a draw when maybe there was a small edge. Dan overran his opponent in the time scramble. Matthew’s game evolved into a Maroczy bind with black playing h5! After complications, it swapped down to a king and pawn ending where Black’s tempo and King opposition did the trick.

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 4        Monday 27-April-2015

          Barnet Elizabethans 2                           Borehamwood 1
Board  1 : Bowie, Brian S (Wh)            150   0-1   Simmons, Matthew          195

Board  2 : Jones, Michael N             136   0-1   Marcos, Dan                         154