A pleasant weekend in Bury, St Johns represented by Cap'n in the Major and myself in the minor (which I was joint first in 2019, so theoretically defending champion!). Cap'n enjoyed a weekend of feeling rough the poor soul and did very well therefore to secure 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses in a strong field, I shall allow him to expand should he wish. A report on my five games below with today's 2 games pgns attached with annotation (the game versus Steven Ashworth is frigging heartbreaking) Game one Brian Kirby rated 1210. He played the Colle system. A short but entertaining game, I played a queenside pawn attack and shut the entire side down locking his light bishop out of the game. I missed a tactic that allowed him to rescue the life of his bishop and win the exchange with a pawn push attacking my queen discovering the attack on my rook. However whilst he did that i set up a brutal double knight assault on g4 and e4 looking at the Royal fork on f2, he had to defend with the queen but a rook xray led to mate - he could have survived it but in very shaky shape but he succumbed to my bishop on h2 supported by the queen, his king stuck on h1 and my last knight swinging in to f2 to deliver mate having sacked everything else to get it 1 from 1 Game two Colin White rated 1578, top seed I played the London and he played a very precise defence with the b7 fianchetto line. He also pushed a6 early and I failed to play the mandatory a4 which ultimately destroyed me, he got b5 and later c5 and c4 to put my light bishop out of the game. My centre tactics backfired and he won a pawn and then a second after I sacrificed to open his king but he had a centre mass I simply couldn't get round to attack and was constantly on the alert for his monster bishop so forced to resort to skirmish raids of little effect. He very efficiently strangled me out of the game and 3 pawns down I tried self stalemate that he brushed aside. 1 from 2 Game three Rezin Catabay rated 1353 A young pup! Tiny lad probably 7 or 8 and therefore I was very wary, you know these kids! I played d4 and he played the Englund Gambit, e5. Fortunately I've had it many times online but this was the first ever otb game I've played against it. I always give the pawn back and tried a line where I force the queens off early doors. Very hairy positions ensued but I managed to get some threats on the e file and in dealing with them he gave me time to double my rooks. He then made an error, attacking a rook with his dark bishop with his other bishop en prise. He'd forgotten I take with check so just a clean piece won. I was fairly brutal after that and won the exchange, his bishop and forced his last rook off. With his king trapped on the back rank by my rook, supported by my knight he started mad pawn pushes in desperation but I did a sexy Shortesque king walk through the carnage to secure the mate, just because I've always wanted to do a king stroll through the battlefield. That will teach him to cheekily copy my nodding during the game with a grin on his face 2 from 3 Game four Rob Davies rated 1278 He played the Queens Gambit d4 c4 which I swerved with the Pirc/Kings Indian style set up. Another short game where he panicked over a tactic that I think didn't work, although I was planning to bring more troops to the party, game attached I won after trapping his rook and securing an overwhelming advantage, although I missed a couple of earlier chances to kill the game off 3 from 4 Game five Steven Ashworth rated 1513 Steven was leading on 3.5, I'm on 3 with 3 others so a win and I share first place. I was due to pair upwards so I knew we would be playing, and we spent the interval making up absurd openings we would be playing as a wind up. Steven absolutely stuffed me at the last pre pandemic EACU congress so I wanted revenge! I played the London and he usually he says plays the Englund (again!) But having seen me beat the lad with it he went for the Dutch. I had him completely on the rack after an error led to me picking up the exchange and opening up his king a little but as you will see I blew it, I let my queen get into trouble and failed to see the threats he still had. I had to settle for a draw (although we could both have still won, 2 rooks versus queen with pawns ready to roll, my king exposed, his fairly safe but only if he doesn't push) but themselves the breaks. 3.5 from 5 3 players got 4 (Steven, Colin who I also played and another guy) so I tied fourth with 2 others a place shy of the wonga! Games 4 and 5 attached and annotated below Regards Dave
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