2 ½ - 2 ½
|
Grangemouth
A
| |
I Robertson
(2149)
|
½ -
½
|
D Will
(1913)
|
I Sneddon
(1740)
|
½ - ½
|
J Smith
(1739)
|
G Webb
(1321)
|
½ - ½
|
I Mason
(1733)
|
G Grant
(1280)
|
0 –
1
|
W Gray
(1496)
|
D Rodger
(1239)
|
1 –
0
|
H Hanlon (1442)
|
Grangemouth had a hefty grading
advantage on the bottom 3 boards and initially games developed in accord with
grade.
Board 4 was first finished when Bill’s steady pressure forced Glynis to an early collapse.
Next finished was board 2 when Iain could not find a way to convert his earlier well won extra pawn and accepted a perpetual.
Next to end was the strange board 3 game. Neither player seemed to want open play. George lined up his 8 pawns on black squares and Ian set his 8 pawns on white squares. The blocked position gave George the luxury to capture back a piece with his King on d2 at about move 10 and then walk his King back and forth along his own second rank while awaiting developments. So much for the fallacy of Kings leading their armies into battle being a thing of the past! Credit is due to both players for plugging away for around 50 moves. An excellent result for George against a player 400 points higher rated.
Next finished was board 5. Derek had kept his position solid but Hugh manoeuvred well to win a pawn and with more aggression with his rooks could have made it extremely difficult for Derek. As it was Hugh got a bit negative and then a horror move cost him a whole rook which Derek converted with confidence.
Final game to end was the see-saw battle on board 1. Dougie’s early aggression should have cost him the game. Ian had the option of capturing a sacrificed piece with King or Queen. Taking with the King would not have won the piece outright but would have ended the game in Ian’s favour within a few moves. Instead Ian chose to capture with the Queen after seeing a nice way to keep the piece but there was a flaw neither player had spotted which led to Dougie regaining the piece with advantage. That advantage netted Dougie 2 pawns but active play gave Ian enough to set up a repetition. The computer says initially that the final position was equal but after thinking a bit longer it suggests that even 2 pawns down in an ending Ian was a bit better. However with only a few minutes left on the clock to play on would have been very risky and a draw was a fair reflection of both players’ efforts.
Board 4 was first finished when Bill’s steady pressure forced Glynis to an early collapse.
Next finished was board 2 when Iain could not find a way to convert his earlier well won extra pawn and accepted a perpetual.
Next to end was the strange board 3 game. Neither player seemed to want open play. George lined up his 8 pawns on black squares and Ian set his 8 pawns on white squares. The blocked position gave George the luxury to capture back a piece with his King on d2 at about move 10 and then walk his King back and forth along his own second rank while awaiting developments. So much for the fallacy of Kings leading their armies into battle being a thing of the past! Credit is due to both players for plugging away for around 50 moves. An excellent result for George against a player 400 points higher rated.
Next finished was board 5. Derek had kept his position solid but Hugh manoeuvred well to win a pawn and with more aggression with his rooks could have made it extremely difficult for Derek. As it was Hugh got a bit negative and then a horror move cost him a whole rook which Derek converted with confidence.
Final game to end was the see-saw battle on board 1. Dougie’s early aggression should have cost him the game. Ian had the option of capturing a sacrificed piece with King or Queen. Taking with the King would not have won the piece outright but would have ended the game in Ian’s favour within a few moves. Instead Ian chose to capture with the Queen after seeing a nice way to keep the piece but there was a flaw neither player had spotted which led to Dougie regaining the piece with advantage. That advantage netted Dougie 2 pawns but active play gave Ian enough to set up a repetition. The computer says initially that the final position was equal but after thinking a bit longer it suggests that even 2 pawns down in an ending Ian was a bit better. However with only a few minutes left on the clock to play on would have been very risky and a draw was a fair reflection of both players’ efforts.
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