Reivers v South Shields B

This match was played at South Shields on Thursday March 26th, with the following line-up:

1. Ben Wood (121) v Derek Blair (135)

2. Stan Johnson (111) v Alex Ashworth (124)

3. Mike Savin (110) v Steve Larkin (107)

4. Gary Hunter (u) v Malcolm Reid (c101)

5. Ansaga Gunasakera (u) v Dave Foster jr (84)

Dave ‘s was the first game to finish, when on move 11 he was forced to swap his queen for a rook – game over. 1-0

Next up was Derek, who went the exchange up (rook for bishop) and was in a strong position when his opponent resigned on move 29. 1-1

Steve’s game was materially even throughout, but positionally he was on the back foot. It came down to King and 6 pawns on either side and Steve managed to close things down for a draw. 1.5-1.5

Alex had a very even game with Stan. It came down to rook and 3 pawns each, then rook and two pawns, then Alex dropped a pawn, but the game had in effect been a draw for some considerable time. 2-2

Which left the match hinging on the out come of Malcolm’s game. He was a pawn up and doing all the attacking, then gained another pawn. In a fascinating endgame, he had 2 rooks, a bishop and 3 pawns to Gary’s 2 rooks and 3 pawns, but Gary’s rooks were the more active and eventually he forced a draw by perpetual check. 2.5-2.5

This result meant that the Reivers finished in fourth spot in the division, just one game point (not a match point) behind South Shields B, with Gosforth IV and Forest Hall Rockets taking the two promotion places. Given our dismal start to the season, this was not at all a bad performance overall.

My thanks to all eleven players who turned out during the season. These are the stats:

Steve Played 7 Won 1 Drew 4 Lost 2

Derek       ”    6    ”    3    ”     1    ”    2

Bruce       ”    5    ”    2    ”      2   ”    1

Dave        ”    5    ”    1   ”      0    ”    4

Phil           ”   4    ”    1    ”     2    ”     1

Peter B     ”   3    ”    3    ”      0   ”     0

Damian    ”    2   ”     2    ”      0   ”    0

Malcolm     ”  2   ”     1    ”     1    ”    0

Alex           ”   2    ”    1    ”     1    ”   0

Peter C      ”    1    ”   0    ”     0   ”    1

Jeremy      ”     1    ”   0    ”     0   ”    1

Alnwick v Reivers

This fixture took place at Morpeth on Wednesday March 4th with the following line-up:
1. G. Ellames (147) v Jeremy Handley (144)
2. R. Firth (123) v Derek Blair (135)
3. J. Pharoah (116) v Phil Taylor (115)
4. V. Cowley (u) v Steve Larkin (107)
5. C. Cox (37) v Peter Booker (77)
A quick finish on top board where Jeremy was so focussed on his own plans that he failed to spot a pawn check leading inevitably to the loss of his queen. He resigned on move 14. 1-0
On board 5 Peter, who was comfortably ahead, was likewise so engrossed in his own strategy that he allowed his opponent back into the game. Fortunately he was able to retrieve the situation and his opponent resigned when faced by a barrage of passed pawns. 1-1
Steve’s game should have been a straightforward win against a weak opponent, but it came down to a rook and pawns ending with Steve holding just a one pawn advantage. It took him forever to queen a pawn and force mate. 1-2
Phil likewise went into a rook and pawns ending one pawn up, but while his king was in the corner of the board, James’s was in the centre supporting a passed pawn. The pawn queened, obliging Phil to sacrifice his rook, and he resigned shortly afterwards when it was clear that he could not stop a second pawn from queening. 2-2
With the match result hinging on this game, Derek found himself in a complex position which was materially even but where he was very much on the defensive, as well as being down on time, so when the offer of a draw came he was happy to accept it. 2.5-2.5
So with one match point, the Reivers remain in 4th place in division 3, half a point behind Alnwick but with a game in hand (this was Alnwick’s last match of the season, while the Reivers have still to play South Shields B), so a third place finish is a distinct possibility.

Reivers v Jesmond Wasps

This match was played at Corbridge on Tuesday Feb 24th, with the following line-up:
1. Derek Blair (135) v Rohan Rawat (91)
2. Phil Taylor (115) v Weiming Xu (90)
3. Bruce Reed (106) v Jamie McIntosh (65)
4. Dave Foster jr (84) v Simon McIntosh (u)
5. Damian Rudge (65) v Default
Unfortunately, Jesmond arrived without their top board, so all their players moved up one board, leaving Damian without a game but with a point. 1-0
Derek had a comfortable win, Rohan dropping a piece early on and allowing Derek to control the game. 2-0
Phil had his work cut out and his offer of a draw when there were only equal pawns and kings on the board was eventually accepted. 2.5- 0.5
Dave had a disaster and was caught, I believe, by a back-rank mate. 2.5-1.5
Bruce had to work quite hard for what eventually proved a clear-cut win. 3.5-1.5
So the Reivers picked up two more points and moved into the top half of the table. Where will this meteoric rise take them?

Reivers v Newcastle University

This match was played on Tuesday February 3rd 2015 with the following line-up:

1. Jeremy Handley v Alistair Ridley

2. Bruce Reed v Michael Knight

3. Steve Larkin v Pavel Shakavets

4. Peter Booker v Dimiter Shinkov

5. Damian Rudge v Gautam Mokan

No grades were available for any of the university players, though apparently Michael Knight was graded 150 a couple of years ago.

First to finish was board 3 where, in a lacklustre performance, Steve was swept away by Pavel, who used just 10 minutes of his allotted time to inflict a decisive defeat on Steve, aided and abetted by the fact that Steve presented him with a mate in one! 0-1

Much later, on board 2, Bruce had to settle for a draw in a complex situation after having earlier won a queen  for a rook and a knight. 0.5-1.5

Much later still,Peter and Damian, who had both achieved overwhelming superiority in the end game, eventually translated their advantage into victories after many an anxious moment on the way! 2.5-1.5

Which left Jeremy, a last-minute replacement for Alex, conducting a strong endgame against his hitherto unbeaten opponent. Alistair resigned when it became clear that Jeremy’s passed pawns were unstoppable. 3.5-1.5,

So despite the example set by their captain, the Reivers emerged with a clear win which moved them four places up the league table . Bravo! .

Reivers v Gosforth IV

This match was held at Corbridge on Tuesday January 20th 2015, with the following line-up:

1. Peter Crichton (140) v Bob Heyman (140)

2. Alex Ashworth (124) v Martin Beardsley (125)

3. Phil Taylor (115) v Joe Chan (121)

4. Bruce Reed (106) v Gary Clarke (108)

5. Steve Larkin (107) v Tony Neville (u)

The Reivers went into an early lead, both Phil and Alex winning early on. Much later Steve got away with a lucky draw and one match point was in the bag. Bruce and Peter both succumbed at the end of the evening to superior play and so Gosforth salvaged a point. Even so, that is the first point they have conceded this season, so the reivers can feel satisfied with the result.

Reivers v Forest Hall Rockets

This match was played at Forest Hall on Friday Dec 12th, with the following line-up:
1. John Wall sr (124) v Derek Blair (135)
2. Mark Broughton (67RP) v Bruce Reed (106)
3. John Wall jr (96) v Steve Larkin (107)
4. Steve Black (u) v Dave Foster jr (84)
5. Dylan Shone (34) v Damian Rudge (65)
On the face of it, the Reivers looked to be on a winning wicket here, but the reality proved otherwise.
Damian got us off to a good start with a brisk victory over young Dylan, who was, in Daman’s words, “all attack and no defence”. 0-1
Dave’s opponent played really quickly and perhaps this unsettled him for, after going a pawn up from the opening, he blundered first a knight and then a rook. He played on to the bitter end, but there was no way he could make up the material deficit. 1-1
Bruce’s game was a Queen’s Gambit. Mark consistently opted to exchange pieces, then made a bishop sacrifice with a mating threat. Bruce survived but was now 2 pawns down in a rook and 4 versus rook and 6 ending. However, he won back the 2 pawn deficit and, in a position where repetition was the order of the day, Mark offered the draw which Bruce accepted. 1.5-1.5
Derek played a Torre opening but lost a pawn on move 14, then another on deciding to be more aggressive. He had some chances on preventing John from castling, but John’s centralised king and rooks gave him a superior position once the queens came off. 2.5-1.5
So the outcome of the match hinged on Steve’s game. A closely contested Sicilian saw Johnny emerge with a pawn advantage, but Steve had 3 pieces pressurising Johnny’s f-pawn and this meant that Johnny’s major pieces were tied to e defensive role. The position became increasingly static, but there was no weakness in Johnny’s defence and a draw was agreed. 3-2
So the Rockets confirm their surprise position at the top of the division, while the Reivers sink ever further into the murky depths at the bottom end!

Reivers v Forest Hall Invicta

This match took place at Forest Hall on November 7th, with the following line-up:

1. Tatjana Kisseljov (122) v Derek Blair (135)

2. Keith Brooks (109) v Steve Larkin (107)

3. Dingyu Chen (125 rapid) v Bruce Reed (106)

4. Robert Hudson (55 rapid) v Malcolm Reid (c101)

5. Dylan Shone (34) v Dave Foster jr (84)

Dave was out of the blocks very fast, disposing of his young opponent in just 9 moves. 0-1

The other games were all more competitive. Malcolm’s opponent had good attacking opportunities, but overreached himself, allowing Malcolm to trap his queen. 0-2

Bruce also faced an initial onslaught, but the tide turned as he pushed his pawns, won the exchange and was on the brink of mating his opponent when the latter resigned. 0-3

Derek’s game was finely balanced till the endgame, when he was able to win a knight and then force a passed pawn through, at which point Tatjana resigned. 0-4

Steve’s game went to the wire. It had been even throughout, but allowing Keith’s queen onto the 7th rank, backed up by a rook, proved a fatal error and one by one pawns dropped on both sides of the board. When one of Keith’s pawns queened it was all over. 1-4

So a comfortable win, marred only by the captain’s performance.

Reivers v Tynemouth D

The Reivers’ first match of the season was played at home on Tuesday October 7th, against Tynemouth D. The line-up was

1. Derek Blair (135)  v Richard Oxnard (138)

2. Phil Taylor (115)  v  Dennis White (125)

3. Steve Larkin (107) v Dennis Beagarie (121)

4. Dave Foster jr (84) v Bob Batten (113)

5. Peter Booker (77)  v Peter Combellack (86)

First to finish was Dave, who writes of his game: “I played the Polish orang-utan, which Bob was unfamiliar with. My game went OK until I left a weak pawn on the c file , which cost me the game. He heavily attacked my queenside with his queen and bishop and it was over in an instant – I resigned” (on move 15). 0-1

Next came Phil, who writes: “My usual QP opening led to a very locked up position with rooks and opposite coloured bishops and pawns providing an almost impenetrable barrier on both sides. The lack of knights didn’t help the position and, although there was the best part of 45 minutes on each of our clocks, I offered the draw and Dennis accepted. I think we were both happy to get the draw in our first game of the new season. My king was less protected than I liked and I had 3 sets of doubled pawns, so I’m not sure I could have pulled off a victory.” 0.5-1.5

On board 5 Peter B. had what looked like a close tussle, from which he eventually emerged victorious – nice to see him beating a higher graded player – and we were back on level terms. 1.5-1.5

Steve went rook for knight down after an oversight on move 16 and thereafter was on the back foot. However a bishop and a particularly active knight kept him in the game and Dennis offered the draw when he had just three and a half minutes on his clock to Steve’s nine and a half. Steve accepted the offer – there was no way he was going to win over the board – though events on board 1 gave him pause for thought afterwards. 2-2

For the second time in 8 days Derek lost on time to Richard, though on this occasion Derek had overwhelming superiority on the board when his time ran out. Given that Richard had no possibility of winning over the board and that he himself had less than 2 minutes left, one might have thought that an offer of a draw was in order, but no such offer was made and so Tynemouth won the match 3-2. Hmm!

This result raises an issue which the Reivers may like to address before they play any further league games, namely where a win on the clock is achievable, should we play on for that regardless of the position on the board?

Reivers v Tynemouth Warriors

This match took place in Corbridge on Tuesday March 4th, with the following line-up:
1. Dave Foster sr (120) v Richard Oxnard (135)
2. Steve Larkin (125) v Phil Jackson (124)
3. Phil Taylor (125) v Dave Pearson (118)
4. Bruce Reed (118) v Peter Combellack (91)
5. Peter Booker (80) v default
The Tynemouth side arrived nearly 20 minutes late, due to travel problems, and lacking their board 4 player, so we started the match one point up and Peter Booker vented his spleen at having no opponent to play by thrashing Derek Blair twice!
On top board Dave continued his fantastic season with a fine win over a strong opponent. He writes: “I played black against Richard, and played the Old Benoni Defence against his d4. 1. d4-c5, a sort of Queens Gambit.
2. dxc5… accepted, so I followed with Nc6 preventing easy protection to his “won” pawn. White dutifully taking the pawn allows Black to develop both Queen and Bishop queen side, this happened quickly (!) and although Richard did counter-attack down the centre I was allowed to push a queen side Rook pawn to dissolve his position. My surprise refusal of an offered Bishop, instead taking a crucial centre pawn, elevated his already compromised position into a car crash. As any attempt to reinstate his attack led to either mate or material loss he resigned after a fair bit of thought.” 2-0
On board 3 Phil faced another man very much in form and was swept aside. He writes: “With a significant workload on recently I have not been at my best over the past few months but my game with David Pearson of Tynemouth took me even further down the performance ratings. With his e4 start and my O’Kelly variation of the Sicilian I felt comfortable but for some reason I thought I’d introduce a bit of a novelty, fianchettoing my King side bishop before playing d6. This was a big mistake and white promptly placed his queen on d6 which basically set the tone for the rest of the game. Instead of accepting my punishment and bringing my bishop back to f8 to chase the queen away I linked knights with Ne7. Extricating myself from this tight squeeze took me more moves than I wanted and this allowed my opponent to bring a speedy King-side attack into play. I was running out of options and pieces as I had to lose first a couple of pawns and then a Knight just to stay in the game. It was all to no avail as my restricted pieces could not mobilize fast enough on the King side and the inevitable came at move 26. I’m looking forward to the end of this season.” 2-1
Bruce ensured the overall victory with a win on board 4. He writes: “By move 15 of the game against Peter Combellack of Tynemouth Warriors I had pawns on a3, b4, c4, d3, e4, g3 and h3, and Peter had pawns on a6, b5,c6,d6, and e5 with all remaining pawns on their starting squares, and both kings castled kingside. All minor pieces were active, and mutually supportive of each other on our own halves of the board, with my bishops on b2 and g2, and all of Peter’s pieces centralised on the first second or third ranks. After a flurry of small exchanges in mutual attempts to find a breakthrough / gain the upperhand in the following 10 moves the game was still evenly balanced. A misjudgement (‘blunder’ !) on my part as I began to attack on the king’s side lead to the loss of a rook and pawn for a bishop, but gave me the chance of an open f file controlled by my rook, and to redeploy a bishop and queen in attacking positions. Within the space of a couple of moves, as he sought to protect pawns and pieces under attack, and limit the potential for queen/bishop/rook combinations winning pawns and pieces, he misjudged his options. In successive moves I won a rook, threatened to win a knight and / or his other rook, and as he sought to limit the damage I took a pawn with a bishop, forked king and rook, and when he realised I also had a forced mate on the next move he resigned. For most of the game it was an evenly balanced and tight contest for space and position, which briefly swung his way after the bishop/rook exchange, and then as it opened up, presented me with strong attacking chances that proved decisive when he made unwise choices on two successive moves under pressure.”3-1
Steve was last to finish. In an otherwise even game, he blundered a bishop for nothing on move 32 and resigned a hopeless position on move 41. 3-2.
So the Reivers finished their season as they started, with two wins which moved them firmly into the top half of the table. Overall performances during the season were as follows:
Alex Ashworth Played 3 Won 1 Drew 0 Lost 2 Ave board 1.0 33%
Dave Foster sr ” 7 ” 5 ” 2 ” 0 ” ” 2.1 86%
Steve Larkin ” 7 ” 3 ” 1 ” 3 ” ” 2.2 50%
Phil Taylor ” 6 ” 0 ” 2 ” 4 ” ” 2.2 17%
Bruce Reed ” 5 ” 1 ” 1 ” 3 ” ” 3.8 30%
Dave Foster jr ” 5 ” 1 ” 1 ” 3 ” ” 4.0 30%
Damian Rudge ” 4 ” 3 ” 0 ” 1 ” ” 5.0 75%
Peter Booker ” 2 ” 1 ” 0 ” 1 ” ” 5.0 50%
Many thanks to all who played and special congratulations to Dave sr and Damian, both of whom make the division 3 leaderboard.

Forest Hall C v Tynedale Reivers

This match was played at Forest Hall on Friday February 21st, with the following line-up:
1. Tania Kisseljov (u) v Alex Ashworth (127)
2. Johnny Wall (47; 85RP) v Dave Foster sr (120)
3. Mark Shone (u) v Steve Larkin (125)
4. Dylan Shone (49RP) v Dave Foster jr (91)
5. Sofia Kisseljov (36 RP) v Damian Rudge (68)
Dave jr and Damian were first to finish, both having very comfortable wins over very young opponents. Mark Shone, father of Dylan, made Steve work hard for a win which came only on move 38, after Steve had weathered a torrid kingside attack. Dave sr went a piece up in the O’Kelly variation of the Sicilian but, sensing that his opponent was more than capable of retrieving the situation and being anxious to preserve his unbeaten record in the league this season, he accepted the draw when it was offered. All these games were over in less than 90 minutes, which left Alex sweating it out on board one in a game which must have come close to setting a record for the fewest moves recorded in a three-hour game. In a very dense middle-game position, both players were thinking long and hard, and eventually Alex lost on time a game he felt he should have won.
So the Reivers notched up their first win since beating Forest Hall B back in October 2013. But Forest Hall are to be congratulated on their sterling work in attracting no fewer than twelve junior members (plus a mum and a dad) and in ensuring that they get experience of league matches. If every club did as much, chess in the north-east would be thriving!