EXTRAORDINARY LOSS OF QUEENS IN MANX CHESS

TROMPOWSKI  

Head Office: Manxonia House Bay View Road Port St Mary Isle of Man IM9 5AE Tel: +44 1624 834903 Fax: +44 1624 834921		TPD (Patrick) Taylor LLB ATII     Managing Director

    

      

LEADER BOARD UNCHANGED IN MANX CHESS

Round 7 March 21st 2001

The seventh round of the Patrick Taylor Manx chess championship saw Neville Gill maintain his two point lead with an easy win over Brian Frost.  Playing black Neville had huge compensation for an isolated queen's pawn and won the game following Brian's premature and suicidal capture of it.

Frank Maher, joint second with Alan Ormsby, added another point to his score when he refused to take the bait of two pawns offered by John Griffin in his trademark Sokolsky opening.  Instead he swapped one of the pawns and forced the win of the other to build up a strong centre.  This enabled Frank to win two further pawns and cope more than adequately with John's counter demonstration on the king side.

  Alan Ormsby also secured the full point against Alan Robertson's Pirc defence but not without sailing more than close to the wind.  Black could have exchanged his long diagonal king's bishop for a knight on c3, breaking up white's pawn structure around his king which castled long.  This would have initiated an overwhelming attack on white's king.  However, the chanced was missed and with Alan Ormsby in dire time trouble it was Alan Robertson who miscalculated and paid the price.

  A draw was a fitting result in the queen's gambit declined with Myriam Bounya playing white against John Costello.  Initially John had a strong centre with Myriam somewhat cramped.  After accurate rearguard action on her part Myriam offered a draw, which John accepted, when she was a pawn up but with two knights opposing two bishops.

  The scoring bye went to Jonathan Waugh which leaves the leader board unchanged and the scores at N Gill 7; F Maher, A Ormsby 5; J Waugh 4½; M Bounya 3½.

 FLAWED BRILLIANCY IN MANX CHESS

Round 6 March 14th 2001

This week's big chess news is that the Island now has its own chess website which will include these reports as well as all other local club and national news as it arises.  The address is www.isleofmanchess.20m.com/index.htm and should be up and running by today.

This development has been brought about by the enthusiasm of Richard Sargent who joined the Southern club last September.  On his first night in the club Richard won the doubles open championship partnering Francis Thoday and has been one of Southern's most active members since. Currently he is leading the chairman's trophy with two rounds to go.

The Patrick Taylor cup took another step closer to Neville Gill's grasp this week when he defeated Myriam Bounya in the sixth round. Myriam deviated from the book in her Grunfeld defence on move six in order to fianchetto her second bishop.  Neville consequently developed a strong pawn centre which proved overwhelming.

The game of the evening was Jonathan Waugh versus John Costello's centre counter. With John threatening mate in three moves it looked all over but Jonathan dreamed up a beautiful sacrifice which enabled him to secure a draw by repetition of moves.  Subsequent analysis showed that the sacrifice was even better that he thought as, in fact, he had a forced win.  Full analysis is on the web. http://isleofmanchess.20m.com/week.htm   A remarkable game.

Mike Ware launched a Torre attack against Alan Ormsby and arrived at an ideal position after about twenty moves.  Then he seemed to get bogged down in trivia and let his advantage slip away.  Finally he blundered in the ending but was already on the losing side of the board at that stage.

Brian Frost's all out attack against Frank Maher's English opening was premature and resulted in Brian losing a bishop for three pawns on the queen side.  He then had to give back the pawns one by one to leave himself with a lost game.

In a French defence, advance variation, Alan Robertson quickly lost his initiative as white against John Griffin who settled both his rooks on the seventh rank with the inevitable result.  There was some consolation for Alan in that Brian Frost conceded his round five postponed game without playing.

Leading scores after six rounds are:- N Gill 6; F Maher, A Ormsby 4; J Waugh 3½; M Bounya 3.

GILL TAKES COMMANDING LEAD IN PATRICK TAYLOR CUP

Round 5 February 28th 2001

The joint holder of the Manx chess championship, Neville Gill, took a commanding lead in the fifth round of the Patrick Taylor cup competition with a win, playing black, over John Costello.

John tried out a continuation of the queen's gambit declined where he followed a line recommended by Kasparov, giving up a bishop for two pawns and a speculative attack.  An exciting battle ensued during which Neville admitted afterwards that he felt he was losing.  However, on move 15, he started a manoeuvre that gave back his queen and a pawn in exchange for rook and knight.  This left Neville with all his pieces active and they quickly overwhelmed John's defences.

Frank Maher's Budapest gambit proved successful against Myriam Bounya who initially had a queen side minority attack going but allowed the pawns to get locked which put an end to that enterprise.  Practically all her pieces were focused on the queen's wing while Frank's were immediately able to swivel their attention to the king side where he brought off a mate after the sacrifice of a bishop.

The evening's final game resulted in another win for black when Mike Ware put paid to John Griffin's Sokolsky opening.  John sacrificed a pawn on his fifth move and a bishop eleven moves later.  Neither looked sound at the time and Mike demonstrated their inadequacy with sound play.

Following the report of last week's round the committee of the IOM Chess Association has suspended the result of the game M Ware v B Frost pending an investigation.  Even slow moving games like chess can give rise to controversy!

The scoring bye was collected by Alan Ormsby and leaves the leader board showing N Gill 5; M Bounya, F Maher, A Ormsby and J Waugh 3 each.

TROMPOWSKI

Round 4 February 21st 2001

NEVILLE Gill maintained his lead in the Patrick Taylor Manx chess championship with a fine win over the previously unbeaten Frank Maher in the fourth round.

Two players, Myriam Bounya and Jonathan Waugh, are following closely one point in arrears.  

Frank's English opening transposed into a queen's gambit declined, Tarrasch variation, and even though Neville was saddled with an isolated queen's pawn Frank was unable to take advantage of it.  Neville gained control of the c file and this restricted white's game, eventually leading to a won ending for Neville.

Alan Ormsby forsook his beloved Caro-Kann when playing Jonathan Waugh, perhaps hoping to spring a surprise.  Choosing instead the Najdorf Sicilian defence, Alan grabbed the infamous poisoned pawn.  Jonathan's superior development paid off when he later launched a successful pawn storm against Alan's King.

Playing white against Myriam Bounya, Alan Robertson got a good position from his queen's pawn game.  However, he seemed unable to form any coherent plan and Myriam gradually gained the ascendancy, finally exchanging material to leave her with an attack against Alan's virtually unprotected king.

As in the second round against Neville Gill, Mike Ware opened with the Giuoco Piano, his opponent this time being Brian Frost, who played the potentially explosive two knights' defence.  After Mike's fifth move, B x f7, all hell broke loose with both sides hurling fire, brimstone and lightning bolts at each other.  When the sulphurous smoke cleared Mike's king was lying forlornly in the dust.

Leading scores after four rounds N. Gill 4; M. Bounya & J Waugh 3 ; B Frost, F Maher & A Ormsby 2

TROMPOWSKI

Round 3 February 7th 2001

THE third round of the Patrick Taylor Manx chess championship saw Neville Gill showing his mastery of the chess board.

Playing white, Neville succeeded in blocking the centre with d5 against Alan Robertson’s king’s Indian defence and then managed to get in e5 as well. This wedge meant that Alan’s pieces in effect formed two separate groups with no communication between them.  One does not have to be a Napoleon to forecast the result of such a division of forces. And so it was.

Myriam Bounya did not fare so well playing against Mike Ware’s Nimzo-Indian. The opening left her with doubled pawns for which she had no real compensation.  Myriam’s efforts to trap Mike’s queen succeeded but at the expense of two rooks and a bishop, which is an unfavourable exchange rate in any language. Mike capitalised on his material advantage to bring home the full point.

Undeterred by his loss in the first round with the Sokolsky opening, 1 b4, John Griffin persisted with it against Jonathan Waugh. By move eight John had lost an important centre pawn, after which the result was never in doubt.

Frank Maher had won back his Budapest gambited pawn from John Costello by the 11th move with an equal game.  Following a battle for control of the centre John won a pawn but was unable to convert it into anything more tangible and the game ran out a draw in 60 moves and four hours play.  Each of Frank’s three games to date have been the last to finish, all running to four hours and 60 moves or more. In spite of being the most senior contestant, his stamina shows no sign of slacking.

Alan Robertson resigned his second round adjourned game against Frank without resuming play as his sealed move was not good and bad besides.

The scoring bye in round three went to Brian Frost.

Leading scores after three rounds N. Gill 3; M. Bounya, F. Maher, A. Ormsby & J. Waugh 2; J. Costello & M. Ware 1½.

TROMPOWSKI

Head Office: Manxonia House Bay View Road Port St Mary Isle of Man IM9 5AE Tel: +44 1624 834903 Fax: +44 1624 834921		TPD (Patrick) Taylor LLB ATII       Managing Director

NEW TROPHY FOR MANX CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP   

Round 2 January 31st 2001

THANKS went to Patrick Taylor, Managing Director of Monarch Assurance Company, the main sponsor of the international chess tournament held in Port Erin this autumn, after he gave the Isle of Man Chess Association a new silver cup as the trophy for the Manx championship.

The original cup is being retired after 50 years’ service as it was showing its years.  The new trophy will be known as the Patrick Taylor Cup and competition will be keen to be the first name engraved on it.

Three contestants are out in front after the first two rounds of the championship, with full points. They are the joint champion Neville Gill, Myriam Bounya and Alan Ormsby.  The first two named secured half their points by virtue of byes so maybe Alan Ormsby is really leading!  For personal reasons Francis Thoday has had to scratch from the competition which initially had 11 entrants.  As it is an all play all, there will now be two byes each round, one counting for points and the other not.

John Costello came a cropper when he played the centre counter (1 e4, d5) against Alan Ormsby in the second round. Alan varied from book on the third move and built up a strong centre. John gave up a knight for two pawns to get some life into his game but to no avail, losing out in the endgame.  Newcomer Brian Frost was unable to make any impression on Jonathan Waugh, who accepted an unsound piece sacrifice and never looked back.

The Giuoco Piano (quiet game) lived up to its name for the first 16 moves when played by Mike Ware in his game with Neville Gill.  Mike then initiated a tactical sequence but lost a piece when he made his moves out of the correct order and that was that.

Frank Maher’s Sicilian defence against Alan Robertson gained him a pawn and then another, which allowed Alan to launch a strong attack against his king. After 70 moves the game is adjourned with Frank three pawns up for the exchange with the queens still on the board. Both players fancy their chances.

Myriam Bounya and John Griffen had the byes.  Leading scores after two rounds M. Bounya, N. Gill, A. Ormsby 2; J. Costello, J. Waugh 1.

TROMPOWSKI

FIRST BLOOD TO THE FRENCH IN MANX CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1 January 24th 2001

The first round of the Manx chess championship swung into action at Douglas club rooms 106 Bucks Road, under the new time rates of 40 moves in 75 minutes plus 15 minutes to finish, with an increment of 30 seconds per move throughout the game.

First blood was drawn by French lady Myriam Bounya, new to the island, who beat the well seasoned Douglas player Jonathan Waugh in 19 moves.  Jonathan played the risky Benko gambit and after a dozen moves had nothing to show for his gambited pawn.  However, on move 18 he miscalculated and Myriam started a swap of pieces which must lead to her winning a knight.  Jonathan "politely resigned at once" as Myriam so charmingly put it.

No such politesse was evinced by Mike Ware when he lost his queen, two pawns and a bishop for two rooks in his game against Frank Maher.  The position allowed him space to mount an attack against Frank's king.  The latter then sacrificed back his queen for rook and another few pawns and later was five pawns up for the exchange.  Frank's difficulty was that he was down to six seconds on his clock around this time and frittered away his pawns to get back some 30 second increments.  After over four hours play and 71 moves a draw was agreed when Mike had a rook versus bishop and pawn.

John Costello triumphed over Alan Robertson's king's Indian defence with a long term siege of black's king after the queen side became blocked.  The sustained pressure led to an error by Alan which should have cost him the exchange but in trying to avoid this he lost his queen and the game.

Another newcomer to the Manx championship was John Griffin who opened with the provocative b4 against Alan Ormsby.  At the risk of leaving his king uncastled John mounted a very strong attack with queen, rook, knight and two bishops against Alan's king.  To get out of his difficulties Alan sacrificed a pawn, which allowed him to force exchanges and reduce the pressure.  Later John lost the exchange for no good reason and this settled the game in Alan's favour.

Brian Frost, a third new face in Island chess, was unable to show his form as his pairing with Francis Thoday had to be postponed.  Neville Gill, joint holder of the championship, had the bye in this all play all tournament with eleven contestants.  Play continues each Wednesday evening at Bucks Road.

TROMPOWSKI