DCL1 Dorchester 1.5 – Poole 2.5

A very hard-fought match.

B3 Mike (w) vs Mark Potter was drawn, with Mark’s Old Indian structure proving a hard but to crack despite a more cramped position.

B2 Nick (b) vs David Hardie was a Nescaffe-Frappe Attack, a sharp sacrificial line by white. Tay’s Benko book says, “Although practical results favour black, the position is very tough to defend at club level … play is ultra-theoretical and it’s best to stick to lines which are more positionally motivated.” Nick didn’t listen to that advice, and after moving his knight on move 1, it was 13 more moves before he could develop a second minor piece, although he had moved his rook to a5 and his king to e7 in the meantime. It was also tough for David and he couldn’t manage to break through. A win for Poole.

B1 John (w) vs Andy Footner was an interesting Vienna Game. John ambitiously snatched the a7 pawn with his knight, correctly calculating that he’d be able to retreat it and save the piece. There was still a lot of chess left to play to convert, but John won further material and won in the ending.

B4 Martin O’Neill vs Simon Gill-Martin was a particularly tense and hard fought game, lasting until about 10:30. There were chances for both sides, but by the ending Simon had two bishops against a rook which was impossible to defend. A win for Dorchester.

A good match with plenty of exciting chess.

Nick Lee
November 10, 2023