Bedfordshire v Derbyshire

Bedfordshire v Norfolk

Tournament : Minor Counties Final, 7/7/07

Venue : Moat Community Centre, Leicester

Board	Bedfordshire	Grade	8½-7½	Grade	Norfolk
1	Andrew Ledger	218	0-1	200	M.Harris (W)
2	Gary Kenworthy	208	½-½	186	P.Talsma
3	Peter Constantinou	193	1-0	---	Z.Sali
4	Charles Tippleston	188	1-0	190	D.LeMoir
5	Steve Ledger	187	0-1	182	K.McEwan
6	Michael Macdonald-Ross	183	½-½	181	S.Orton
7	Graham Smith	171	1-0	187	R.Calindas
8	Richard Freeman	169	½-½	173	J.Wells
9	Paul Habershon	169	½-½	177	C.Fry
10	Patrick Goldsworthy	167	1-0	174	T.Turner
11	Alan Brown	165	0-1	168	H.Duncanson
12	Paul Kendall	164	½-½	165	R.Hughes
13	Adrian Elwin	163	1-0	162	T.Robinson
14	Branko Pribanich	162	0-1	159	C.Dekker
15	Brian Valentine	153	½-½	150	S.Moore
16	Michael Joseph	143	½-½	146	J.Bell

Report from the Bedfordshire Captain

A match against Norfolk is a bit like taking on Federer on grass. They don’t lose very often, and you definitely don’t want to look at the head to head statistics. However, a final is a one off match with added pressures and excitement, and with a 180 average grading limit in place I did feel we were in with a chance.

Following a number of announcements and presentations play finally got underway about 15 minutes after the scheduled start (but not late enough to help Surrey who defaulted two boards in the Open). First to finish was Richard once his opponent had successfully neutralised his Trompowsky, removing the queens in the process. Paul was unable to make any headway against a Qd6 Scandinavian and a draw from Mac soon followed. Next to finish was Gary with another draw, in a N V B ending. A solid enough start then with four draws, but all with White which was a slight cause for concern.

Alan has been one of our best performers in the earlier rounds but he succumbed to a strong kingside attack, losing an exchange in the process. However, events soon turned in our favour with a series of impressive wins. Graham’s was particularly pleasing for the watching Beds players. After gaining a space advantage he played the position quietly, waiting for the right moment to go active. Once he did the finish was devastating and involved a black pawn sitting menacingly on h2. Patrick switched his attentions from one side of the board to the other and found a nice combination to finish his game. Adrian, for once, came up against an opponent playing more slowly than him, and the game had barely got past move 20 when his opponent resigned with his uncastled King caught in the crossfire. Peter continued our good run of results. Facing an opponent who was prepared to sacrifice, Peter was offered a poisoned pawn (on b2) an exchange, and then a piece (all accepted), leaving him a rook “up” but still defending. His 18…Ne3, blocking the e-file and taking the sting out of the attack, was a clever move which he must have seen much earlier. So then 6-3 to us, the biggest margin of the match.

Michael Joseph was next to finish in a game where he had the advantage due to a backward pawn of his opponents. However the advantage changed hands and in the end Michael was pleased to draw. Branko soon had to resign his game after it drifted into a lost R&P ending. Brian’s game was extremely hard fought and went all the way to K v K. It was not a good day for the Ledger brothers. Andrew lost in a game where both players ran very short of time just before the time control. The Norfolk board 1 must be commended for finding some very strong moves during that period, forcing resignation soon afterwards. Steve resigned his game in an ending involving four bishops, but critically for him, a pawn down.

The position at this stage was 7-7 with, crucially, an inferior board count. Since Paul Habershon could not win his game everything rested with Charles on Board 4. Anything less than a win would give Norfolk their third consecutive title. Charles had been an exchange up for many moves, but his opponent (as black) had a huge knight sitting on e5 and a pawn on d3 severely restricting Charles’ attacking ambitions. However Charles patiently manoeuvred his heavy pieces creating some threats. The tension was maintained as the Norfolk captain opened up the h8-a1 diagonal for his queen, before he blundered allowing Charles to win the trophy for us. I have to say that David LeMoir was extremely sporting afterwards, and making reference to his excellent book (“How To Be lucky In Chess”) said it is usually he who benefits from any available luck in such positions. By now the board count (had Paul lost) was back in our favour, but he drew to give us a winning score of 8.5-7.5.

Finally I would like to acknowledge the contribution of all that played for the team this season. Our victory was a consequence of everybody’s efforts over the whole season.

Thanks and well done!

Kevin Williamson

Bedfordshire Wins

Sali,Z - Constantinou,P [B06] Minor Counties Final Leicester, 07.07.2007 [Notes by Peter]
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d6 5.Be3 Qb6 6.Qd2 [6.Rb1! White should not gambit this pawn.] 6...Qxb2 7.Rb1 Qa3 8.Bc4 Nd7?! [8...Qa5! is stronger, getting the queen out of trouble and maintaining flexibility. Black intends to spend further time with ...h6! to cut out any Ng5 ideas and it is not clear how white can make progress.] 9.0-0 Ngf6 10.e5 Ng4 [10...dxe5 11.dxe5 Ng4 12.Bxf7+! Kxf7 13.e6+ Kxe6 14.Ng5+ Kf6 15.Rb3 Qa5 16.Nce4+ The black monarch gets dragged out and mated.] 11.Rb3 [11.Ng5! is more dangerous and further suggests the strength of an early Qa5 and h6. 11...0-0 (11...e6 leaves black with an awful position after 12.Rb3 Qa5 13.Nce4 Qxd2 14.Nxd6+ Ke7 15.Bxd2) 12.Nxf7! Rxf7 13.e6 is catastrophic 1-0; 11.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 12.e6+ Ke8 13.exd7+ Kxd7 also seems to give white reasonable compensation.] 11...Qa5 12.exd6 Nb6 13.Rxb6??µ this does not really work at all. [13.Bd3 was better.] 13...axb6 14.Ng5 e6 15.Bf4 Qb4 16.Qe2!? a desperate chance that doesn't work out. [16.Qd3 b5-+; 16.Bb3 Qxd4-+; 16.Nd5 Qxd2 17.Nc7+ Kf8 18.Bxd2 Ra4µ are all grim, so Qe2 is worth trying.] 16...Qxc3 17.Nxe6 There is no way back now. [17.Qxg4 Qxc4] 17...fxe6 18.Bxe6 Ne3 really should be game over, but I fail to mop up efficiently and the game drags on and on. [18...Bxe6 19.Qxe6+ Kf8 (19...Kd8?? 20.Qe7+ Kc8 21.Qc7#) 20.Qe7+ Kg8 21.Qe6+ Kf8 22.Qe7+ is a draw by perpetual check.] 19.d7+ [19.Bxe3 Bxe6 20.Bh6 Qc4 21.Qxc4 Bxc4 22.Bxg7 Rg8 23.Re1+ Kd7; 19.Qxe3 Qxe3 20.Bxe3 Bxe6] 19...Bxd7 20.Bxd7+ Kxd7 21.fxe3 h5 22.Qf3 Qxc2 23.d5 Rae8 [23...cxd5 24.Qxd5+ Ke8 25.Qe6+ Kd8 26.Bg5+ Kc7 27.Rf7+ Kb8 28.Qd6+ Ka7 29.Qa3+ Qa4 30.Qxa4+ Kb8 31.Bf4+ Be5 32.Bxe5+ Kc8 33.Qxa8#; 23...Rxa2] 24.Rd1 Kc8 25.dxc6 Be5 [25...Qxc6 26.Qf1; 25...bxc6 26.Rd6 Kb7 27.Rd7+ both look rather awkward so black gives back a couple of pawns to get rid of the irritating f4 bishop.] 26.cxb7+ Kb8 27.h3 Bxf4 28.exf4 Qc7 29.Kh1 Rd8 30.Rb1 Rd6 31.a4 Qxb7 32.Qe3 Rhd8 33.Kh2 Rd2 34.Qg1 R8d6 35.a5 b5 36.Qf1 b4 37.Rb3 Ra2 38.f5 gxf5 39.Rg3 Rxa5 40.Qf4 Rad5 41.Rg8+ Ka7 42.Qe3+ Rb6 43.Qb3 Qc7+ 44.Kh1 Rc5 45.Qa2+ Ra6 46.Ra8+ Kxa8 47.Qxa6+ Kb8 and the extra rook finally saw black through. 0-1

Tippleston,C - LeMoir,D [E60] Minor Counties Final Leicester, 07.07.2007
1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.c4 d6 6.d4 e5 7.dxe5 Nfd7 8.Nc3 dxe5 9.Be2 e4 10.Nd2 Re8 11.Qc2 Nc5 12.0-0-0 Nd3+= 13.Bxd3 exd3 14.Qb1 Nc6 15.Nce4 a5 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Qb2+ f6 18.a3 Bg4 19.f3 Bf5 20.g4 Bxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.fxe4 Ne5 23.g5 Ra6 24.gxf6+ Qxf6 25.Rhf1 Qd6 26.Kb1 c5 27.Ka2 Kg8 28.a4 Ra8 29.Rd2 Re8 30.Rdf2 Re6 31.h3 b6 32.Rf4 Qe7 33.Qf2 Kg7 34.h4 h5 35.Kb1 Rd6 36.Qb2 Kh6 37.Rd1 Re6 38.Qg2 Rd6 39.Qb2 Re6 40.Qc3 Rd6 41.Rd2 Rd8 42.Rdf2 Rd6 43.Kc1 Re6 44.Kd2 Kg7 45.Qa1 Kh6 46.Rg2 Kh7 47.Rg5 Qg7 48.Qc3 Qe7 49.Rg1 Kh6 50.Qa1 Kg7 51.Kd1 Kh6 52.Qb2 Kg7 53.Rf5 Kh7= 54.Rf4 Kg7 55.Qg2 Kh7 56.Qg5 Qg7 57.Qd8 Nd7 58.e5 Rxe5 59.Rgf1 Re7 60.Qxe7 1-0

Calindas,R - Smith,G [D00] Minor Counties Final Leicester, 07.07.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.a3 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.0-0 c5 8.b3 a6 9.a4 Qc7 10.Bb2 b6 11.Rc1 Bb7 12.Nb1 c4 13.Be2 b5 14.c3 Bc6 15.axb5 axb5 16.b4 Ra2 17.Rc2 Rfa8 18.Nbd2 Bd6 19.g3 Ne4 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Ng5 h6 22.Nh3 Nf6 23.Qd2 Nd5 24.Rb1 f5 25.Bd1 g5 26.Bc1 R2a6 27.Kf1 Kh7 28.Qe2 Be8 29.Ng1 Bg6 30.Bd2 f4 31.Ke1 Rf8 32.exf4 gxf4 33.Nh3 e3 34.fxe3 fxg3 35.e4 gxh2 36.Qg2 Bg3+ 0-1

Goldsworthy,P - Turner,T [A04] Minor Counties Final Leicester, 07.07.2007
1.Nf3 b5 2.e3 a6 3.b3 Nf6 4.Bb2 Bb7 5.d4 g6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nbd2 d6 9.c4 b4 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.c5 dxc5 12.dxc5 c6 13.a3 bxa3 14.Rxa3 Nd5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Rfa1 Kg8 17.Ra5 Nc7 18.R5a4 Nb5 19.Ne4 Qc7 20.h4 Ne5 21.Ng3 Nxf3+ 22.Bxf3 Rad8 23.h5 Qe5 24.Rc1 Rd7 25.Re4 Qg7 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.Rg4 Rfd8 28.Qc4 Nc7 29.Nf5 Qf8 30.Rxg6+ Kh7 1-0

Robinson,T - Elwin,A [B12] Minor Counties Final Leicester, 07.07.2007
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.g4 Bd7 5.Bd3 e6 6.Be3 Qb6 7.b3 c5 8.c3 Nc6 9.Ne2 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.g5 Ng4 12.Nf4 Nxe3 13.fxe3 0-0-0 14.Nd2 Bd6 15.Ne2 e5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Qc2 c4 18.bxc4 Qxe3 19.Bf5 dxc4 20.Bxd7+ Rxd7 21.Rf1 Re8 22.Kd1 Bc5 0-1

Report from the Norfolk Captain

Who’d be a (playing) captain? I thought Kevin Williamson was very sensible to drop himself for the final. I had no such option, being a high board player and already missing at least three players from my best top ten boards.
I was already worn out from my organisational duties when I sat down at the board. I was on the defensive for most of the game and saw virtually nothing of the match. From the little that I had seen (including losses near my board) I was assuming that we had already lost the match. Only afterwards did I learn that Mike Harris had beaten IM Andrew Ledger with a sacrificial mating attack. It was evident that most of the games had finished when I sensed a crowd gathering at my board.

We were both short of time and Charles played 56.Qg5. An exchange of queens would be just what White wanted so I played 56...Qg7! and White dived in with 57.Qd8. I quickly saw that 57...Nc6! threatens both the queen and mate by 58...Qa1+ 59 Kd2 Qb2+ 60 Kxd3 Ne5. Clearly the reply 58.Qxd3 was forced, so I analysed the win of the rook by 58...Qa1+ 59.Ke2 Qxg1. That got everyone excited but I had also seen that White regains material with 60.Qd7+ (forking king and rook) 60...Re7 61.Qxc6. I guessed that I could then draw with 61...Qg2+, and that turns out to be true.
As my time ran shorter I saw 57...Nf7 (threatening the same mate) but failed to realise that 58 Qxd3 loses to 58...Rd6, winning the queen as the rook is defended by the knight. It turns out that White is forced to return the exchange by 58 Rxf7, and after 58...Qxf7 59 Qxd3 Qf3+ 60 Kd2 Qxe4, Black has a slight advantage due to the weakness of the white e- and h-pawns. However, in the hurried search for a clear win I then spotted that Black could cut off the white queen from the d-pawn with 57...Nd7.
White replied 58.e5, which I had assumed was forced but Fritz says that White keeps a small advantage with 58 Ke1. After the move played Black has three ways to capture the pawn, but clearly taking with the queen loses the knight with check (and 59 Rf7+ is even better). I didn’t like 58...Nxe5 as I have to move the knight to continue my assault on the white king and that might lose the d-pawn and increase the chances of a draw. Later I found that 58...Nxe5 can be met with 59 Qf8!, when Black is struggling again.
I played 58...Rxe5 and Charles quickly responded with 59.Rgf1. Surely this loses, I thought. I just have to retreat my rook to e7 (preventing the penetration to f7 by the rook) and my queen can triumphantly dive in to a1. I played 59...Re7?. Had I noticed White’s reply (which I undoubtedly would if I had been White!) then I would have been forced to play 59...Rf5! 60.Rxf5 gxf5, when 61 Rxf5?? loses the rook to 61...Qg4+, and White must allow the draw by something like 61 Ke1 Qg3+ 62 Kd1! Qg7, repeating the position. As far as I could see, Black is now winning.
Charles played 60.Qxe7!, which for a second I took as desperation to avoid immediate mate. With the gasp from the onlookers dawned the awful truth. After 60...Qxe7 61 Rf7+, White emerges a whole rook ahead. Stunned, I resigned...
Only when I heard the Bedfordshire players congratulating each other did I realise the significance of the game. Had I drawn, we would have won on board count. That draw could have come if I had played 57...Nc6 (as I very nearly did) or 59 Rf5.
I can’t complain. Charles had taken the brave step of courting complications, and it was me who cracked.
It was a close match, worthy of the occasion, and it was a very strong Bedfordshire side that emerged victorious. I congratulate them, and celebrate the fact that two East Anglian teams made mincemeat of all opposition. No other county could have lived with Bedfordshire or Norfolk that day.

David Le Moir

Pictures from the Counties Finals


The winning Beds team.	Kevin Williamson,Beds Captain, with trophy.

The Norfolk team.

Bedfordshire v Norfolk, Boards 1 to 8.	Bedfordshire v Norfolk, Boards 9 to 16.