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   Frost Wilmot 2004-05

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Frost & Wilmot

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Frost Wilmot Team Blitz
Held 29th October 2004 at 11 Belgrave Road
Controller: Ian Hunnable

Teams of four boards
8 mins per clock per game.

In a further effort to boost number in this competition, invitations were extended to Athenaeum as a new Combined League team, in addition to the other Combined League (ie Banks and Legal teams). Athenaeum Chess Club had been invited to enter the Combined League on the basis of their approach, which was that they were seeking competitive chess for their members who did not get regular London League games. However, there was apparently a lapse of communication within the Athenaeum organisation and the nicety of this distinction did not reach Paul McKeown who was charged with picking the teams. The upshot was that they turned up with two teams compsed exclusively of their London League 1st team (Division 1)! These included the not inconsiderable presence of IM Bob Wade. The Athenaeum teams were named 'Danes' and 'Swedes'.

No matter. This was competition of a higher standard than anticipated, but at least we had an event with four teams. We had been expecting five teams but unfortunately Ombudsmen had to withdraw at short notice. Without the Athenaeum teams, the event would have been between ABI/Zurich and RBS/Americans.

There was a fair amount of confusion to start with, due to non-arriving or late-arriving players. Fortunately, RBS/Americans turned up with six and Geoff Naldrett was available due to Ombudsmen's withdrawal. Eventually, Geoff Naldrett was seconded to ABI/Zurich who were a man short and Martin Lake was loaned to Athenaeum 'Swedes' who had not ascertained until the last minute that their declared board 4 was not coming.

The teams

RBS 'A':    D. Moskovic. I.N. Heppell, J. Shaw, D.N. Tidmarsh
ABI/Zurich:    A.G.C. Paish, M.C. Page, G. Callan, G.W. Naldrett (G)
Danes:    C. Pederson, R.G. Wade, C. Wismayer, P. McKeown
Swedes:    T. Johansson, G. Kostianis, J. Dalmau, M. Lake (G)

(G) = Guest Player

The delay in getting under way meant that the time per clock per game was shortened to 8 minutes.

In the first round, the Danes not unsurprisingly dealt ABI/Zurich a whitewash, but the Swedes were held 2-2 by RBS/Americans. Danes and Swedes met in the next round resulting in a 2½-1½ win for the Danes, while RBS/Americans beat ABI/Zurich 3-1; if the Insurance men did not already know, it was now clear that it would be a long night for them.

RBS/Americans, led by the capture from Cambridge of David Moskovic (213), it seemed, had enough fire-power to give the Scandinavains a match, but Round 3 gave them a rude awakening when they went down to the Danes by 4-0. ABI/Zurich could only muster a solitary point against the Swedes, so that, at half time, the scores were: Danes 10½, Swedes 6½, RBS/Americans 5, ABI/Zurich 2.

Round 4 was identical to round 1 in every respect except the reversal of colours.

The final two rounds were switched to avoid anyone having the same colour three games in succession, so there would be a last-round shoot-out between the Athenaeum teams for first spot. The Danes were now the hot favourites; all the Swedes could do in Round 5 was endeavour to have something to fight for. They did their best, scoring 3-1 against ABI/Zurich and were pleasantly surprised find that the Danes were no longer the "Great Danes", having been humbled 3-1 by RBS/Americans.

So with one round to go, the scores were: Danes 15½, Swedes 11½, RBS/Americans 10, ABI Zurich 3.

So the Swedes did indeed have something to fight for! All they had to do now was to beat their peers 4-0 and tie their scores. In that event, their match points would be identical too.

The improbably was still on when Kostianis beat Wade and Johansson had a strong plus against Pederson. But a win by Clive Wismayer dealt the fatal blow so that Johansson missing a mate on the move before losing now meant little. Danes won 3-1 and finished four points clear.

Board hi-scores were achieved by:

Board 1    D. Moskovic 5
Board 2    G. Kostianis 6 (100%)
Board 3    C. Wismayer 5
Board 4    P. McKeown 6 (100%)

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Match Details

The team on the left of each pairing had white on the odd numbered boards.