Our record now reads played 6: Won 3 , lost 3. Mid-table is a good place to be in our debut season in Division 2

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2                                 
                                           Tuesday 14-January-2020                                           

            Welwyn Hatfield 1                               Borehamwood 1
Board  1 : Robinson, Adam                170   0-1   Simmons, Matthew                   202
Board  2 : Brennan, D Ross                 177   1/2   Raoof, Adam N                      185
Board  3 : White, David                        154   0-1   Marcos, Dan                        172
Board  4 : Faulkner, David J               155   1/2   Rubeck, Jonathan                   171
Board  5 : Gordonsmith, Roger H       153   1/2   Kent, Anthony R                    158
  Match Score :                                    1.5 – 3.5

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2                                     
                                           Tuesday 21-January-2020                                           

            Borehamwood                                St Albans 2
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew               202   1-0   Willmott, Neil D           169
Board  2 : Marcos, Dan                          172   1-0   Gemmell, John             167
Board  3 : Rubeck, Jonathan                  171   1/2   Lawrence, Paul            165
Board  4 : Kent, Anthony R                     158   1/2   Freeman, Jon A            166
Board  5 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm           139   0-1   Sommerbauer, Ben     150
 Match Score :                                     3 – 2

Herts League – Division 2         Tuesday 19-November-2019                                           

           Borehamwood                                    Hemel Hempstead 2
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew            202   1-0   Clarke, Peter C                  183
Board  2 : Marcos, Dan                         172   1-0   Williamson, Kevin J        168
Board  3 : Kent, Anthony R                  158   0-1   Valentine, Brian J             167
Board  4 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm       139   0-1   Matthews, Adrian MS      158
Board  5 : O’Sullivan, Terry J               112   1-d   default                             
  Match Score :                                     3 – 2

At Last. We finally won a Division 2 league match with thanks to Matthew, and Dan on the top 2 boards and a default on board 5. Dan got his trademark attacking win. Matthew trapped his opponent piece. Anthony essayed a hedgehog which started well but was too spiky without proper support. Malcolm’s faced a Benko and got overpowered by his opponents rooks.

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 2                                 
 Tuesday 05-November-2019                                           

            Borehamwood 1                             Stevenage 1
Board  1 : Simmons, Matthew    202   0-1   Amato, Giampiero           177
Board  2 : Raoof, Adam N             185   1/2   Scarwell, Seb                      172
Board  3 : Rubeck, Jonathan      171   0-1   Robinson, Dominic            157
Board  4 : Marcos, Dan                  172   1-0   Rawlings, Stephen L         149
Board  5 : Kent, Anthony R           158   0-1   Price, Michael K               136
 Match Score :                                   1.5 – 3.5

On paper, Borehamwood were stronger on every board. But paper does not win matches. Only Dan (pictured below) managed a win. 2 defeats out of 2 so far is a disappointing to our maiden season in Division 2. Things can only get better.

Herts & District League – South (Grades under 160 ECF / 1900 ELO)                                          
                                           Tuesday 15-October-2019                                           

           Borehamwood                                     Welwyn Hatfield
Board  1 : Kent, Anthony R  (B)             158   1-0   Fisher, Jim R              140
Board  2 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm          139   1/2   Smith, Andrew PE           126
Board  3 : Sear, Kevin                          117   1-0   Read, Matthew                 135
Board  4 : O’Sullivan, Terry J                 112   1/2   Wali, Mir M                        120
Board  5 : Devan, Matthew                      109   0-1   Sims, Tony J                   110
Match Score :                                      3 – 2

Borehamwood Chess club are again fielding 2 teams this season: First team plays in Division 2 of the Hertfordshire league for the first time; Second team plays in the Herts and District League. Last night’s match got off to a good start with Kevin Sear winning against his opponents Polish Opening. Malcolm Gesthuysen handled a Ruy Lopez Schliemann Defense well and got a comfortable draw. Anthony Kent walked into an opening trap and lost the exchange early on. Fighting back to a Bishop and 2 pawns for a Rook, black’s bishop pair were strong. White spurned a draw offer, overstretched, and payed the price. On board 4, Terry draw with Wali on a very locked position that neither side could progress. Board 5 was hard fought, but in the end black could not recover from being 2 pawns down.

We managed to beat Bishops Stortford 3.5 – 1.5 at home last week. This week, we drove up the M11 for the return match, and managed to win again by the same margin. Also means we have won Division 3 of the Herts League!

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 3                                
Thursday 04-April-2019               Away Team white on Odd Boards                            

          Bishops Stortford 2                             Borehamwood
Board  1 : White, Kevin D                   176   0-1   Marcos, Dan                      171
Board  2 : Acton, Tim                          142   0-1   Kent, Anthony R             153
Board  3 : Osiyemi, Lara                     139   1-0   Gesthuysen, Malcolm   142
Board  4 : Heffer, Judith                      140   1/2   Sear, Kevin                       119
Board  5 : Cowlin, Andrew                  120   0-1   O’Sullivan, Terry J         105
Match Score :                                    1.5 – 3.5

Dan Defeated Kevin White on Board 1 with a strong attack in the Londom System. An excellent result.  Anthony won a reversed scicilan in an open tactical game, his opponent running out of time in lost position. Kevin obtained a solid draw in even position. Terry mated his opponent. Malcolm unfortunately played the moved he should have played next (O-O) first, and prompltly lost a piece. Nobody can catch us now in the league – we are champions with 2 matches to go.

Herts CA : Herts League – Division 3
Tuesday 26-March-2019

       Borehamwood 1         Bishops Stortford 2

Board 1 : Raoof, Adam N 179 1-0 Acton, Tim 142
Board 2 : Rubeck, Jonathan 167 1-0 Osiyemi, Lara 139
Board 3 : Marcos, Dan 171 0-1 Heffer, Judith 140
Board 4 : Kent, Anthony R 153 1-0 Heffer, Mark 120
Board 5 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm 142 1/2 Cowlin, Andrew 120
Match Score : 3.5 – 1.5

First – apologies to our legion of fans for not posting for a while. Too busy playing chess. This win gives us 7 wins, a draw and a defeat from 9 matches so far this season. We outgraded Bishops Stortford on all boards, but it wasn’t all plain sailing. Anthony’s opponent played a dubious line of the Pirc Defence which was duly exploited. Dan castled queenside to attack opponents king-side , but lost to a strong attack on f7 which gave his opponent the exchange and control of the 7th rank, leading to a forced mate. His first defeat of this season. Adam won convicingly with the French, and Jonathan also expoited material advantage. Malcolm’s game went to the wire on time until a draw was agreed in a rook and pawn ending. The return away match is next week

Having beaten Royston a few weeks ago at home, this trek up the A1 was always going to be tougher without our top 2 graded squad players. The weather was benign, and we arrived in good time. On paper, the teams looked very even.

Herts League – Division 3
Monday 17-December-2018

Royston 2 v Borehamwood

Board 1 : Walton, Paul 161 0-1 Marcos, Dan 158
Board 2 : Strehl, Arek 147 1/2 Kent, Anthony 151
Board 3 : Jackson, Simon C 142 0-1 Gesthuysen, Malcolm 139
Board 4 : Hurricks, Dave 138 1/2 Sear, Kevin 111
Board 5 : Judkins, Brian D 138 1-0 O’Sullivan, Terry J 107
Match Score : 2 – 3

First, Anthony drew after a an exchange of pieces in the Sicilian. Then Malcolm’s opponent played the Slav, and surprisingly castled queen-side. He then lost a piece when his queen could no longer cover it after a tactic.
Dan had a nice win  – see below. After he played 18 Bxg6, black replied Nxd, then 19. cxN BxRh8 follwed by the excellent 20. Be8!, with white threatening mate from N on g5 and the queen. Material was won, and white soon finished the job. Terry’s pieces where too busy defending and his position was breached. Kevin’s opponent was very short of time, living on the 10 second increments.  A draw was agreed in a queen and rooks ending which was the a fair result. So we squeezed a 2-3 victory.

Dan, above, contemplating his next move

Kevin and Terry in deep thought

Have a great Christmas and New year. Back for more in 2019!

Last year we were caught in some nasty roadworks, so this year google maps was duly consulted. We were stronger on paper, and so it proved over the board   

Herts League – Division 3                                     
 Monday 12-November-2018    Away team white on odd boards                                        

                  Watford 3                                                 Borehamwood
Board  1 : Pigott, Darrell N                   155   0-1   Raoof, Adam N                    173
Board  2 : Papathanasopoulos, N     153   1-0   Rubeck, Jonathan               168
Board  3 : Littlefair, Paul                     143   0-1   Marcos, Dan                          158
Board  4 : Shaw, David K                    134   0-1   Kent, Anthony R                   151
Board  5 : Charles, Simon                  129   0-1   Gesthuysen, Malcolm        139
 Match Score :                                     1 – 4

Adam won playing the Nimzowitch Larsen. Anthony’s opponet played an aggressive line against the Dutch which was eventually repelled.  Malcolm won comfortably.  Jonathan had extra pawns in a Queen and rook ending, but his king was out in the open and his position became lost. Dan’s game was adjourned with a clearly winning pawn endgame, and his opponent resigned a few days later.

    Boards 1, 2 and yonder

Three league matches in October, and three wins. No complaints.

Herts League – Division 3                  Tuesday 30-October-2018                  

Boards 1 to 4: 70 minutes + 10 seconds a move. Board 5: 35 moves in 75 minutes the 7 every 15 minutes. Borehamwood black on odd boards.
   Borehamwood                             Hertford 2
Board  1 : Raoof, Adam N                173   1/2   Wooster, Nick                144
Board  2 : Marcos, Dan                    158   1-0   Buswell, A Mark            146
Board  3 : Kent, Anthony R             151   1-0   Du Boulay, Andrew      141
Board  4 : Gesthuysen, Malcolm   139   1-0   Morris, Simon P             135
Board  5 : O’Sullivan, Terry J         107   0-1   Rudd, David R                133
Match Score :                                        3.5 – 1.5 

Not as straightforward as the score might suggest, but not quite a pre-halloween fright night either. Nick Wooster got a very creditable draw against Adam. Malcolm built up a strong attack on Simon Morris’s black king, forcing him to give up his queen for a knight and rook. Dan’s game was very open but he held his nerve. Terry got his knight pinned to his king, creating too much weakness. Anthony got a decent Sicilian defence as black, but then went a bit astray reaching the first diagram below after 22…gxf. White should have played something like 23. Qh4 with advantage, but instead played 23. f4,  allowing 23….e4 in reply, blunting the white bishops. White then allowed the Black queen to get to d4 (Andrew Du Boulay was getting short of time) and the a pawn was heading all the way to be queened (2nd diagram after 37…a2).

              Position 1 after 22 …..gxf                                            Position 2 after 37…a2

2 more Herts League matches We have a match against Watford in November, then the return against Royston in December.

Our first home Herts League match of the season, and a comfortable win against Royston 2, who traveled 35 miles from the far corner of Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire border. 2 wins out of 2 so far in the Herts League.

Away team white on odds.

Borehamwood                          Royston 

1 Raoof, Adam N 173             1-0 Walton, Paul 161
2 Rubeck, Jonathan 168        1-0 Strehl, Arek 147
3 Marcos, Dan 158                 1-0 Judkins, Brian D 138
4 Kent, Anthony R 151           1/2 Pride, Stephen C 138
5 Gesthuysen, Malcolm 139 1/2 Andrews, Arthur 91
Result :                                     4-1

Jonathan Rubeck played his first match for the club, and won against a feisty Petroff Defence. On Board 1, Adam’s game was a complicated French Winawer, where white took the Poisoned Pawn and paid the price. Dan’s closed Sicilian got complicated, but his King Side attack eventually prevailed.  Draws for Anthony and Malcolm completed the picture.

Board 1 below: White’s King is somewhat exposed

Board 3: White’s King getting slowly squeezed.