After the decisive, but less than convincing, victory over Albany last week, our rapidplay team returned to their true form last night with a very comfortable 7½-½ victory over Metropolitan Chess Club, and as a result still top the City of London Rapidplay League.
| Hendon | Hendon | Metropolitan | Metropolitan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raoof, Adam N | 172 | ½ - ½ | Vachtfeidl, Petr | 167s | ||
| 2 | Ellis, Daniel | 148 | 1 - 0 | Amusa, Adegbenga | - | ||
| 3 | Bennett, Michael K | - | 1 - 0 | Roy, Soumen | 110 | ||
| 4 | Limonov, Petr | - | 1 - 0 | Bishop, Geoffrey L | 115 | ||
| 3½ - ½ | |||||||
| Hendon | Hendon | Metropolitan | Metropolitan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raoof, Adam N | 172 | 1 - 0 | Vachtfeidl, Petr | 167s | ||
| 2 | Ellis, Daniel | 148 | 1 - 0 | Amusa, Adegbenga | - | ||
| 3 | Bennett, Michael K | - | 1 - 0 | Roy, Soumen | 110 | ||
| 4 | Limonov, Petr | - | 1 - 0 | Bishop, Geoffrey L | 115 | ||
| 4 - 0 | |||||||
Match Report by Daniel Ellis
The Sharks returned to winning ways last night in their fourth match of the rapidplay tournament held this summer near the Barbican every Wednesday evening. Against, Metropolitan, the team of Raoof, Ellis, Bennett and Limonov won the match by 7½-½ – without losing a single game!
A selection of games is given here. Of interest is the sharp tactical position reached in Raoof’s first game on top board.
Black has just played 19…RxBe7 attacking white’s queen and creating complications instead of the simplifying manoeuvre 19…Qxg2+ forcing a wholesale exchange of pieces and possibly gaining a pawn.
Later in the same game, is there a decisive discovered check available after 23. Rxf7? or does white have to accept defensive responsibilities due to his vulnerable rook on a1? In the game, the fireworks fizzled out to an agreed draw in the ensuing opposite coloured bishops ending but perhaps you can find something better here?
Bennett – our resident DHT – was quickly able to reach a better endgame in both games, thanks to excellent opening preparation. In the first game, he won an exchange early on – and his technique was well up to the task despite repeated offers of a draw from his opponent. In the second, he eventually managed to convert a bishop versus knight ending two pawns up.
On board 2, Ellis has eventually decided to give up his dubious opening 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 as he doesn’t know how to proceed correctly after 2…h6. He has resolved to try a new move in his next game with White which Bobby Fischer in his 60 memorable games as ‘best by test’ – it is of course 1.e4!
Perhaps most pleasing was a very solid display by Limonov on board 4, who won both his games and showed excellent time management, managing to stay ahead on the clock. His opponent failed to claim a clear draw in the first game, when he had less than two minutes left. This gave Petr a deserved win after outplaying his opponent for much of the game. In the second game Petr found an excellent combination to win material, and then smoothly converted his decisive advantage.
The Sharks – currently leading the league – march on (or should that be swim on?!) to their next match on Wednesday.
Extra Comments by Adam Raoof
What can I say about my two games. I humbly apologise for being the only team member to drop points, but the truth is that I could easily have lost 0-2! Game one was a Grand Prix Attack, in which my less than ambitious 7.a3 was threatened by a queenside push. A cheeky pawn sacrifice with 12. Ne5! got me back in the game and made my opponent think hard to find the right path through the complications. Finally, 23. Rxf7!? rather than 23. Bxf7+ kept it messy, but blacks reply forced the remarkable save 24. Bc4, and the pieces came off leaving a drawn ending. Mike Bennett suggested a very interesting line: 23. Rad1, with the idea of playing Bb3 trapping the black rook, and whilst there is no clear win after say 23..Rf2 24 Rxf2 Bxf2 25. Bb3, white can torture black awhile – and may even win the f-pawn with Rf7 or d7 at some point! Hmm…
Game two was an interesting variation of the French; a quick Qg4 is usually followed by Qd1! and I really should have taken the pawn on c2 straight off. Leaving it just meant that my kingside came under pressure, and I almost got the queen trapped. However my opponent exchanged more and more material until he found it impossible to prove an advantage the exchange up, then went astray in time trouble. That’s blitz!