Paul’s report was as punctual as ever – sadly, the webmaster managed to crash the site for most of the day, hence it’s late posting.
15th December 2016
MILTON KEYNES A 2-3 BEDFORD A
181 Adrian Elwin 0.5 Steve Ledger 192
176 Graham Smith 0-1 Michael Botteley 186
162e Eric Meichel 0.5 Paul Habershon 178
167 Rob Whiteside 1-0 Nick Collacott 170
136 Alan Heath 0-1 Richard Bodily 168
After last week’s victory over Leighton Buzzard it was good to repeat success against another close rival, but this match was closer than it should have been. Mike Botteley was the first to finish. His offbeat opening led to the following fine game.
On Board 3 I faced a Scandinavian line I knew nothing about: 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 d4 e5!? I haven’t yet checked the theory but I played 4 dxe5 Qxd1+ 5 Kxd1 Nc6 6 f4. In the long run I wasn’t able to hold on to the extra pawn, but both sides held an advantage at various stages until a level ending of knight and three pawns each.
I was happy with this draw because the other three games looked good for us. However, Nick Collacott, who had reduced White’s position to a cramped and awkward mess with the king exposed, went wrong in time trouble and Rob Whiteside clinched a sudden win.
Next, on Board 5, Richard Bodily, with a queen and knight posted aggressively, was all over his opponent’s undeveloped position but could not find a clincher. Fortunately for us, Alan Heath, after playing well defensively for a long time, dropped a whole piece and the subsequent ending of rook, knight and pawns v rook and pawns was never in doubt.
The score was thus 2.5-1.5 in our favour and the spectators gathered round Board 1 where Steve Ledger had a material advantage and what looked like a straightforward win. Somehow Adrian Elwin, in a position some might have resigned, got into a rook and pawn ending where he effectively activated his rook and king to make life difficult for Steve who was two pawns up. Thanks to increments, though he was down to less than a minute, Steve was never in serious danger of losing, but this was an ending he would normally have won easily. Anyway, a draw was enough to take home both points.
With our next match not until February 16th we can enjoy a happy Christmas and New Year as top of the league by one point.