B&DCL Div 3: Wimborne 3 Poole 1

T’was a dark night with the fog rolling in. Shapes appeared in the distance, 4 confident strapping young gentlemen ready to kick some bottom and dominate on the chess board. Then the Poole team arrived.

Simon P was playing on third board and despite what looked a level position, soon two of Simon’s pawns were lost surrounding the King with things looking like they would collapse. The first point went to the good Mr Buckfield and Simon drifted back into the fog after a external smoke.

A glance over at Eric’s board showed hints that it was an Eric type game with the black pieces. A Knight camped out on g4 sitting waving at the King, trying to bate an exchange for an open file, meanwhile they castled on opposite sides and the pawns surrounding the black King wasn’t exactly a back three, it was more of a high press. Some good attacking options but eventually both Eric and Paul Brackner played accurately enough to bring the game to a draw. 1.5 – 0.5 to Wimborne so far.

Next was Mike R, and it brought back memories of my 3 consecutive draws with Mike with lots of mutual destruction and trading off until their were nowt but Pawns and Knights. An equal number of each. The King side Mike had 4 to 3, however on the Queen side where Wimborne’s John Bowley had 3 pawns to 2 Mike didn’t have his pawns connected leading to a slight edge and eventual win for Wimborne. 2.5 – 0.5 to Wimborne.

With the match settled there was only the matter of top board and your narrator to settle. With the fog peering in through the windows, it seemed to also have hitched a lift into the building in my head. With a very foggy head the game got started with the Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, something I haven’t played declined with a black pawn on d4 and d5, however with the help of an injection of sugar courtesy of the lovely facilities at the new venue, clarity almost occurred. It was a tight game with a lot of battles over an isolated black pawn of Wimborne’s Alan Tyler on d5 and was eventually agreed as a draw.

Final score 3 – 1 to Wimborne, but a lovely evening with good company in a nice venue. Good luck to all and I hope Wimborne can stay in a new venue which seems to suit them.

Tarik
October 20, 2017