For most of us, it had been 18 months since our last competitive over the board game. Plenty of players new and old were gathered and there was a buzz about the place, with everyone no doubt eager to get back into battle on the board. But would we still remember how to play, and how do the clocks work again, and will it improve our game if we follow Beth Harmon's technique and stared at imaginary chess pieces on the ceiling, or took green and white tranquilisers?
Ian Pickup vs James Hennefeld
Ian obviously decided to grab the bull by the horns and shock James with an audacious early Bishop sacrifice on f7 on move seven. When I first saw the position a couple of moves later and saw James' king position, I briefly wondered if there had been some confusion and they had played a Fischer random start. The shock tactic worked and James used up a lot of time considering the next few moves and the game ended on move thirteen with James offering a draw and Ian, doubtful of his attack, agreed.
Dave Williams vs Dave Tipper
Talking of audacious sacrifices! Dave T played the Schliemann Defence in the Ruy Lopez. Having gathered a few mighty pieces on the kingside, Dave T took advantage of a possible slight lack of defensive pieces on the kingside and the second bishop sacrifice of the match landed taking a pawn on h3. Black couldn't accept the sacrifice without opening up the king to some very nasty attacks, and Dave T continued to add to the pressure and soon more overbearing play was looming, and Dave W decided to resign.
Grant Daly vs Richard Livermore
In a Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Richard played the more assertive game coming out of the opening pushing his pawns building up a kingside attack that had me a little worried. Things then got a little blocked up and thankfully for me an inaccuracy with a knight move let me get a pawn while also exchanging off minor pieces to simplify the position. That just made it difficult for Richard to get back in and I was relieved when Richard resigned, after another pawn fell.
Jack Tye vs Peter Chaplin
Jack and Peter's game was the only one to last long enough to make it into real end game territory. Peter later explained his approach of choosing an opening that led to an early exchange of queens (move 5 in this game) so that he then attempts to grind out a win in familiar end game scenario's. He didn't have it all his way and the balance of power swayed slightly one way and the other. Unfortunately, Jack was getting very low on time and for several moves appeared to only have seconds on the clock, and that seemed to make the difference in the end.
Final score. 3.5 - 0.5 win for the C-team. Well done to the C-team, and commiserations to the D-team. I'm sure we were all glad to get back in the saddle, and some of the games could have easily ended with the opposite result.