BCF National Club Finals 2002/3

 Last Edited: Wednesday July 2, 2003 11:53 AM

John Philpott reports: Five of the six finals of the 2002/3 National Club championships were held at Wanstead Library on Sunday 29 June 2003 (the Minor Plate final between Chislehurst and Alwoodley was played at Syston).  The matches were played in a good spirit, giving arbiters Roy Heppinstall and Jeff Goldberg a relatively easy afternoon.  After the conclusion of play the trophies were presented by the former Sports Minister Tony Banks, MP, who is a strong supporter of chess.

Download Six National Club Games in PGN
 

Open

With five players graded over 200 in their side, Cavendish were favourites on paper against an Ilford side missing David Coleman.  However, as Jon Manley had observed in advance, anything can happen in a six-board match, and Ilford pushed their opponents all the way. After Cavendish took the lead by winning board 1, Ilford levelled up when the board 2 draw was followed by a win with the Black pieces for Jon himself against Essex team-mate Gary Kenworthy.  The three remaining games carried on deep into the quickplay finish, and with all other games completed except the top board of the Major, a large crowd gathered round, straining to catch a view of the positions.  Eventually Cavendish broke through on board 3, and the remaining games were agreed drawn to give Cavendish their first ever National Club Championship.

Mark Ferguson - David Sands

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 d3 Bg7 6 h3 Nf6 7 e5 Nd5 8 0-0 0-0 9 Re1 Nc7 10 a4 a5 11 Nbd2 Ne6 12 Nc4 b6 13 Be3 Ba6 14 b3 Qc7 15 Qd2 Rfe8 16 Bh6 f5 17 h4 Bxc4 18 bxc4 Rf8 19 g3 Rf7 20 Bf4 h5 21 Rab1 Rff8 22 Qe3 Ra6 23 Kg2 Rd8 24 Ng5 Qd7 25 Nxe6 Qxe6 26 Rb3 Bf8 27 Qf3 Qc8 28 e6 Bg7 29 Rbb1 Bd4 30 Be5 Bxe5 31 Rxe5 Qc7 32 Rbe1 Rf8 33 Qf4 Kg7 34 Qd2 Qd6 35 Qg5 Raa8 36 Qf4 Rf6 37 Qf3 Rff8 38 Qe3 Rad8 39 Rb1 Rb8 40 Re1 Rbd8 41 f3 Rf6 42 f4 Rff8 43 Rb1 Rb8 44 Rb3 Rfd8 45 Qc1 Kh7 46 Qb2 Qc7 47 Kh3 Kg8 48 Re1 Rb7 49 Re5 Rbb8 50 Qc1 Qd6 51 Qe3 Kh7 52 Rb1 Kg8 53 Rd1 Qc7 54 c3 Qd6 55 d4 cxd4 56 Rxd4 Qc7 57 Rd7 Qc8 58 Rxe7 c5 59 Rd5 Qc6 60 Qe5 1-0

Gary Kenworthy - Jon Manley

1 c4 g6 2 g3 Bg7 3 Bg2 d6 4 Nc3 e5 5 d3 Nc6 6 e3 h5 7 Nf3 Nh6 8 Rb1 a5 9 a3 Nf5 10 h4 0-0 11 0-0 Nce7 12 e4 Nh6 13 b4 axb4 14 axb4 c6 15 Qb3 f6 16 d4 Be6 17 d5 cxd5 18 cxd5 Bd7 19 b5 Nf7 20 b6 Ra6 21 Nd2 f5 22 Nc4 fxe4 23 Nxe4 Nf5 24 Bb2 Ba4 25 Qb4 Qd7 26 Ba1 Bc2 27 Rbc1 Bd3 28 Rfd1 Bxe4 29 Bxe4 Bh6 30 Rb1 Ra4 31 Qb3 Rc8 32 Bd3 e4 33 Bf1 e3 34 Nxe3 Nxe3 35 fxe3 Re4 36 Bd4 Rce8 37 Bg2 Bxe3+ 38 Bxe3 Rxe3 39 Rd3 Re2 40 Rf3 Ne5 41 Rf4 Rc8 42 Bf1 Rec2 43 Qb4 R8c4 44 Qxc4 Nxc4 45 Rxc4 Rxc4 46 Bxc4 Qg4 47 Bf1 Qxg3+ 48 Bg2 Qxh4 0-1

Open Plate

Although Mushrooms might have been expected to take the Plate for the third time given their greater strength in depth, the clean sweep was something of a freak result (David Sedgwick's win came despite losing a piece for two pawns in the opening).

LJ Fincham - Ronald Johannes

1 Nf3 d6 2 g3 e5 3 d3 f5 4 e4 Nf6 5 Bg2 g6 6 exf5 gxf5 7 Nh4 Bg7 8 Bg5 0-0 9 Nc3 Nc6 10 Nd5 Be6 11 Qd2 Kh8 12 0-0 Qd7 13 Bxf6 Bxf6 14 Qh6 Bxh4 15 Qxh4 Qf7 16 Nc3 Nd4 17 Rac1 f4 18 g4 Bxg4 19 f3 Bh5 20 Kh1 Rg8 21 Qh3 Rg7 22 Rf2 Rag8 23 Rcf1 Qf5 24 Qxf5 Nxf5 25 Nd5 Nh4 26 Bh3 Bxf3+ 27 Rxf3 0-1

Major

The youngsters from Basingstoke who have done extremely well throughout this season’s competition scored a convincing victory, winning the first three games to finish to wrap up the match in short order, although matters could have been different had Wanstead not missed a clear win on board 2.

Larry Marden - Matthew Harborne

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 Nc6 6 Nge2 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 b6 8 Ng3 0-0 9 0-0 d6 10 Bb2 Ba6 11 e4 Na5 12 Qe2 Rc8 13 e5 dxe5 14 dxe5 Nd7 15 f4 Bb7 16 Rad1 Qc7 17 Qh5 g6 18 Qh6 f5 19 exf6 Nxf6 20 Qh3 Rce8 21 Bc1 Ba6 22 Rfe1 Qf7 23 Ne4 Nxe4 24 Rxe4 Rd8 25 Rde1 Bc8 26 Qg3 Qf6 27 Be2 Bb7 28 Re5 Rd6 29 Bg4 Bc8 30 f5 Nc6 31 Rxe6 Rxe6 32 fxe6 Re8 33 Bf3 Ne7 34 Bd5 Nf5 35 Bg5 Qg7 36 Qf3 [36 e7+ Kh8 37 Qe5 Qxe5 38 Rxe5 Kg7 39 Bc6+-] 36 h6 37 Bf4 Kh7 38 Be5 Qe7 39 g4 Ng7 40 Qf7 a6 41 Bxg7 Qxf7 42 exf7 Rxe1+ 43 Kf2 Kxg7 44 Kxe1 Bxg4 45 h4 g5 46 hxg5 hxg5 47 Bb7 a5 48 Kf2 Kxf7 49 Ke3 Kf6 50 Bg2 Ke5 51 a3 Be6 52 Bf1 g4 53 Bd3 Bf5 54 Bf1 Bd7 55 Bg2 Kf5 56 Bb7 Be6 57 Ba6 Kg5 58 Kf2 Kf4 0-1

Major Plate

Board 1 took just 7 minutes and 11 moves to reach a draw by perpetual check, but The Holt then took the lead through Ian Kelly’s victory on board 3.  The match was effectively decided when Paul Watson won a sharp battle of the captains on board 4, assuring the Holt of at least a win on bottom board elimination.  Draws in the remaining two games meant that no tie-break was needed, and the Holt regained the title that they had won at the same venue in 2001.

Ian Kelly - Steve James

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 0-0 5 0-0 d6 6 Nc3 Nc6 7 d3 e5 8 Rb1 a5 9 a3 h6 10 b4 axb4 11 axb4 Be6 12 b5 Ne7 13 Qb3 Qd7 14 Nd2 Rab8 15 Ba3 Bh3 16 b6 c6 17 Nde4 Bxg2 18 Nxf6+ Bxf6 19 Kxg2 Bg7 20 e4 Kh7 21 c5 dxc5 22 Bxc5 Kg8 23 Na4 Rfd8 24 Nb2 Nc8 25 Rfd1 Nd6 26 Bxd6 Qxd6 27 Nc4 Qe6 28 Qc2 Bf8 29 Ne3 Ra8 30 Ra1 h5 31 Ra7 Qd7 32 Nc4 Qd4 33 Rxb7 Bc5 34 Rc7 Bxb6 35 Rxc6 Ba7 36 Ne3 Rdb8 37 Rb1 Rxb1 38 Qxb1 Rb8 39 Qa2 Rb2 40 Rxg6+ Kf8 41 Qa3+ Ke8 42 Rg8+ Kd7 43 Nd1 Rd2 44 Qb3 Ke7 45 Qb7+ Ke6 46 Qc6+ Qd6 47 Re8+ 1-0

Minor

All five games were won by the player with the White pieces, rendering Newark’s winning the toss of crucial significance.  Cosham won the first two games to finish but were then pegged back.  The match was decided on board 1, where after a scramble leading up to the first time control, Kevin Shutt brought home the point in a rook and pawn ending.

Kevin Shutt - D Gibson

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 e3 d5 4 b3 Bg7 5 Bb2 0-0 6 Be2 Ne4 7 0-0 Nd7 8 c4 c6 9 cxd5 cxd5 10 Nc3 Nxc3 11 Bxc3 b6 12 Rc1 Bb7 13 Qd3 Rc8 14 Bb4 Re8 15 Ba3 Nb8 16 Rxc8 Bxc8 17 Ne5 Ba6 18 Qd2 Bxe2 19 Qxe2 Bxe5 20 dxe5 e6 21 Rc1 Qd7 22 Qc2 Na6 23 Bd6 f5 24 a4 Kf7 25 Kf1 Rd8 26 Ke2 Kg8 27 Kd2 Kf7 28 Qd3 Qb7 29 Qc2 Rd7 30 Qc8 Qxc8 31 Rxc8 Nc5 32 Bxc5 bxc5 33 Rxc5 d4 34 exd4 Rxd4+ 35 Kc3 Rd7 36 b4 f4 37 b5 g5 38 a5 Rb7 39 Kc4 Kg6 40 Rc6 Kf5 41 b6 axb6 42 axb6 Kxe5 43 Kc5 Rd7 44 Rc7 Rd5+ 45 Kc6 Rd6+ 46 Kb7 Rd2 47 Kc8 Rxf2 48 b7 Rb2 49 Rxh7 Rc2+ 50 Rc7 Rb2 51 b8Q Rxb8+ 52 Kxb8 g4 53 Rf7 Ke4 54 Kc7 e5 55 Kd6 Kd4 56 Rf5 1-0