Author: Borehamwood Chess Club

Chess Player

St Jude, St Albans and Opposite Coloured Bishops

The day before the match, the much anticipated St Jude’s storm was due to pass through leafy Hertfordshire. Fortunately, by the close of the day, the strong winds had left our sceptered isle for European pastures. No major damage had occurred in Borehamwood,  though other people and places were less fortunate.

On paper, Borehamwood had a grading advantage over the St Albans Team, and this was a further opportunity to display our promotion credentials.

Matthew Simmons won comfortably on top board against the English opening.  Unfortunately, defeats on boards 4 and 5 meant we playing catch up. A draw in the English on Board 3, left only the opposite coloured Bishops ending on board 2, White was 2 pawns up, but needed to open two fronts of attack to win this type of ending. As the time pressure mounted, this was at last achieved, and the match was drawn.

2 away matches in coming up November before the holiday break.

Herts League – Division 4    Tuesday 29-October-2013

Borehamwood                                     St Albans 4
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew        193   1-0       Douse, Terry                      133
Board  2 : Kent, Anthony R              148   1-0       Narbeth, Simon                128
Board  3 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm    146   1/2   Hebblethwaite, Dominic   124
Board  4 : Marcos, Dan                      143   0-1   Magee, Edward                     120
Board  5 : Glouzman, Leon              120   0-1   McMahon, Austin                 121

Match Score :                                          2.5 – 2.5

 

Where black is the color, where none is the number (with apologies to Dylan)

First match of the season , played on our home patch.  Having a strong new board was a big plus. We won the toss, and each of boards 1, 3 and 5 scored victories with white. Matthew on 1 played a measured Sicilian Grand Prix Attack which overran his opponent’s Kingside. Board 3 saw black defend a Kings Indian, which was seen through to the time scramble. On board 5, Leon’s Ruy Lopez was an exchange up early on and black never recovered. On Board 2, the  über infamous Colorado Gambit petered out to a draw.   Next match at Home on October 29th. A solid start to the campaign, with no lost games.

Herts League – Division 4                      Tuesday 15-October-2013 

          Borehamwood 1                                          Stevenage 3
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew     193   1-0      Trethewey, Frank   133
Board  2 : Kent, Anthony R           148   1/2     Bogucki, Michal        129
Board  3 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm 146   1-0      James, Arthur           126
Board  4 : O’Sullivan, Terry J         126   1/2      Lean, Chris                129
Board  5 : Glouzman, Leon            120   1-0      Belton, David J         121
 Match Score :                                              4 – 1

Near, but half a cigar

Penultimate match of the season – a trip up the A1 to Stevenage.

Adam, our occasional guest board 1,  had good control from a Colle/Stonewall and used his 2 pawn advantage to win a same coloured bishops ending. Malcolm’s opponent missed a discovered check + attack on his queen in the opening. Painful. Terry drew a pawn ending. Anthony had an excellent Chinese Dragon, but went astray….. Leon lost. We woz definitely a bit robbed.

 

Herts League – Division 4    Monday 22-April-2013
  Stevenage 3                                                            Borehamwood 1
Board  1 : Fitzgerald, Patrick             141       0-1   Raoof, Adam N                     191
Board  2 : Epps, Ben                              133      1-0   Kent, Anthony R                   148
Board  3 : Belton, David J                   132      0-1   Gesthuysen, Malcolm         149
Board  4 : Bogucki,Michal                  125      1/2   O’Sullivan, Terry J               131
Board  5 : James, Arthur                     127      1-0   Glouzman, Leon                    126
Match Score :                                                   2.5 – 2.5

Three horseshoes, and no fourth horseman

Almost a year ago, on a balmy Herfordshire evening, we headed up the A1 to the delightful Three Horseshoes in Willian, near Letchworth.  A bit of déjà vu, apart from the driving rain, as we invaded the country pub. “2 pints of your weakest bitter and a diet coke, please”. We were armed for battle.

Last year we scored 3 wins. Could we repeat this feat, though outgraded (a bit) on each board? Leon rolled back the years like a timelord as he scored a win with an excellent Ruy Lopez king-side attack. Dan countered his opponent’s Grand Prix attack for a storming win. Board one saw the Modern Variation of the Alekhine. White grabbed a pawn and swapped down to a winning blitz knight and pawn ending. We had our 3 wins, again. Malcolm entered the (Sicilian) Dragon via the Benoni for a creditable half. Terry’s Benk0 Gambit Half Accepted  drew (sharp eyed readers will notice there was one last year – more weird déjà vu).

The exit to the A1 was closed, but a detour via Hitchen could not dampen our spirits. A 4-1 win and relegation blues banished. Roll on the next match.
Herts CA : Herts League – Division 4   Monday 18 March 2013
Board  1 : Barnes, Jon P               156      0-1   Kent, Anthony R             148
Board  2 : Harris, Mark                  150     1/2   Gesthuysen, Malcolm  149
Board  3 : Gardner, Phillip K       159     1/2   O’Sullivan, Terry J         131
Board  4 : Mutton, Ian                   148     0-1    Marcos, Dan                   130
Board  5 : Coates, Tom                   138     0-1    Glouzman, Leon           126
Match Score :                                               1 – 4

Thawing out the grey cells

Match Played 12 February 2013

Borehamwood                        Welwyn Hatfield Chess Forum 2nds

Board 1 :       Kent, Anthony R          148       1/2       Fisher, Jim 158  (W)
Board 2 :       Gesthuysen, Malcolm 149     1/2       White, David 143
Board 3 :       O’Sullivan, Terry J    131         0-1        Bruckner, Roman 143
Board 4 :       Marcos, Dan              130           1-0       Wali, Mir M 141
Board 5 :      Glouzman, Leon        126           0-1       Read, Matthew 142
Match Score :                                                         2 – 3
The last match preceded the days of snow. This one was post thaw. Well done Dan for being sole winner. On Board 1, with a few left minutes each, black had sacrificed the exchange for the attack. Black to play, Nf4 looks tasty, but unfortunately f5 played and advantage dissipated. Need to thaw out those grey cells a bit more.

One loss, One Win – Creeping Towards Mid-Table

OK, we lost to Hoddesdon 4.5 – 0.5 on 17th January (Leon drew, the rest is definitely history)…. So onto the latest match v St Albans 4.

The last match was played hours before the week of snow began. Everything had thawed out by the time we visited the Cathedral City of St Albans (including mental faculties). Dan won in 19 moves, which was a great start and Leon drew. On Board 2, Black’s Caro-Kann did not fare well against the Panov-Botvinnik Attack, but Terry queened a pawn on Board 3 to win the ending. In a tense, nervy Alekhine Modern, White missed a straightforward winning exchange sequence, and greatly took the offered draw as both players ducked out the time scramble in a level position. A 3-2 win giving 6 points out of 14 after 7 of the 12 matches in the 2012/2013 season. Relegation fears are hopefully receding.

                    St Albans 4        v               Borehamwood (White on Odds)
Board  1 : Paul Lawrence                   141   1/2   Anthony Kent                    148
Board  2 : James Palmer                    148   1-0   Malcolm Gesthuysen      149
Board  3 : Paul Laskier                       140   0-1   Terry O’Sullivan               131
Board  4 : Terry Douse                       137   0-1   Dan Marcos                        130
Board  5 : David Hatfield                   140   1/2   Leon Glouzman                126
Match Score :                                                2 – 3

New Year Hangover

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 4 Tuesday 08-January-2013

Borehamwood 1 v  Stevenage 3
Board 1 : Kent, Anthony R 159            1-0               Bogucki,Michal 135 (W)
Board 2 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm 156  0-1              Fitzgerald, Patrick 134
Board 3 : O’Sullivan, Terry J 138        0-1              Belton, David J 130
Board 4 : Glouzman, Leon 138             0-1              Williams, Graham 118
Board 5 : Marcos, Dan 130                    0-1               Duggin, Mark 105
Match Score :                                             1 – 4

On Paper, Borehamwood looked a little stronger. Not to be. On a cold winters night, only the black dragon bishop breathing fire on Board 1 bought any reward. Onwards and upwards. 4 points out of 10 after 5 matches. All to play for.

It does not get any better

 

Tuesday 20-November-2012
Welwyn Hatfield Chess Forum 2 v Borehamwood 1
Board 1 : Fisher, Jim 155                 0-1 Raoof, Adam N 184
Board 2 : White, David 146             1-0 Kent, Anthony R 159
Board 3 : Wali, Mir M 145               1-0 Glouzman, Leon 138
Board 4 : Bruckner, Roman 142  1-0 O’Sullivan,  Terry J 138
Board 5 : Read, Matthew 140       1-0 Marcos, Dan  130
Match Score :                                      4 – 1

Now for the walk of shame from last Tuesday……
Adam was an h pawn up from the French and aided perhaps by lady luck took the full point in a B + pawns v N + pawns ending. Anthony played some abject moves in the opening and lost badly. In the battle of the veterans, Leon lost to Wali who played a blinder in a Bishops + p endgame. Terry lost the exchange late on under pressure. Dan also lost the exchange. And it was raining.

….And a Defeat to Follow

 

BOREHAMWOOD                                   HODDESDON 1
Board Home team                  Grade Score     Away team         Grade Score
1          Anthony Kent               162           0        Tarisai Savanhu 171      1
2          Malcolm Gesthuysen 158          0        Barry Lane           147      1
3          Leon Glouzman            138           0        Alan Gore              141     1
4          Syd Kalinsky                  138          0       Mark Beadle         13 1     1
5          Dan Marcos                     130          1        Richard Joyce     119     0
TOTAL – Home                            1             TOTAL – Away 4

A bit of a shocker last Tuesday. Malcolm missed a fork, and Anthony blundered in a
decent Scicilan Dragon position. Leon lost too, and Terry did not have the best of nights either.
Dan exploited his opponent’s poor opening to win a piece and proceed to overrun him.
Not much between teams on paper……