Dorset League Div 2 – Wimborne (Baden-Powell) vs Poole

So following the excitement of our key opposition, Purbeck, being held to a draw on Monday night (see separate report ‘Purbeck WeyLaid’) off we schlepped to the damp Scout Hut which is Wimborne HQ.

With the smell of fresh moan grass and woggles in our nostrils we waited for, well, anyone to arrive. Sure enough the Wimborne Team and our Simon Patterson turned up.at 7.28pm. As we sat down, I glanced down the room and determined looks on the faces of Hiru, Sandu and Simon promised nothing less than a resounding victory.

My game with the amiable, but strong, Mark Littleton started with my normal e4 and back came c6!? Mark, I said, if you play c6 now, what will you play when you are older? Ha, he said, too old already to convert to Sicilians… My sarcasm lasted only until I realised I didn’t have a plan for the Caro Kann. Develop your bits and see how you go I thought.

After an hour, I wandered down the boards with that knowing, superior, captain’s look, which everyone knows it’s a bluff, and I was concerned. Sandu playing Black against Peter Willcox looked passive and under pressure. Hiru, White, against a new guy, Mike Jackson (E-150), had already reached a queenless middle game which looked messy. Simon, against Phil Holden had rolled out another of those ‘blocked pawns’ games which allows both players to move pieces about until they reach time trouble. Hmm, well my game was going ok with some space gaining pawn pushes to g4 f5 e5 d4… Nice.

So I was thinking I had better prepare some excuses for losing… What could I tell Chip and Eric? The fact that the electric heaters were on full blast in our faces…? Simon complained he was hot and they turned them off and Simon had to put his coat on two minutes later. Still, better icicles that will thaw from your eyebrows than third degree burns.

Then, a grinning Simon woke me from my thoughts with a tap on the shoulder. Is he going to ask for permission to accept a draw, I wonder? No. ‘One-nil to us’ he said and grinned some more. ‘Nice’ I said. In actual fact, Simon opened the position up, won a piece and then forked King and Queen to wrap things up. I look away for one minute and look what happens. Well played Simon.

Then Hiru turns up and proclaims that he has agreed a draw on Board3. It seems that the messy position was winning for his opponent but Hiru’s last ditch draw offer was accepted my his opponent as he didn’t see the winning plan (Note to self: when playing Hiru, a draw offer suggests a won position for you!). Again, well played Hiru against a new, but tough opponent.

This is going very well. What’s happening with Sandu. OMG (as these kids say), his pieces are swarming around Peter W’s King… they think its all over… It was! Classic stuff, Mike pushed too hard too early with Gary and Harry (g/h pawns for those who don’t know GingerGM-speak) and Sandu hit back in the centre with a pawn sac to open up Mike’s exposed King to seal the deal. Just what a Russian school boy will tell you… Punish an early wing attack with a break in the centre!

The match is over with an hour of the session to go. Later someone said that perhaps we finished early because the clocks went forward this weekend?!? I didn’t understand that either. I look down at my board with a solid plus for me, can’t immediately see a winning plan, and decide that 3-1 will be good enough and we can all get home early. MarkL seems very content with a draw.

Result: Poole 3 – Wimborne B 1

So a last glance around the Scout Hut before awarding ‘Hobbies’ badges for everyone! And Ginger Beer!

Hoorah!!

David

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March 29, 2017