It was another tough night for Wessex Some Stars on Tuesday, with just two match wins, one draw and five match  losses.

Not being super-GMs we all make mistakes to varying degrees but looking through the games it seems that we had far more than our usual quota of howlers in these matches.  There were opening disasters, middlegame mishaps and endgame whoopsies galore.  Let’s hope we have got them all out of the way for the next round!

Results

The A team were up against the mighty Guildford Young Guns and lost on all boards.  Roland had beaten Mark Hebden a few weeks earlier and perhaps came closest to putting something on the scoreboard in this match but slipped up in a drawn king and pawn ending.  Oh so nearly another great result for him.  The A team remain safely mid-table.

The B team were also up against a strong side and also lost 0-4.  Two of the games were over very quickly, and whilst my own went on a long time it was effectively settled very early on following poor opening play.  Allan put up the toughest fight and stood well for much of his game following typically attacking play from IM Richard Bates who sacced a pawn for the initiative.  However, in the end time and pressure told and Richard finished the game with a pretty combination.  The B team need to win their last two matches to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.

The C team turned in another good performance, winning comfortably.  They remain just one match point behind Hertford 1 and Oxford 2, who lead the group.  As Hertford and Oxford have to face each other next round, it will be a great chance for the C team to catch up.

The D team faced a strong Guildford Castles team and lost 1-3. Congratulations to Adam for winning against his much more highly rated opponent, having survived a few wobbles on the way.

In Division 5 the E team lost a match which could have gone either way.  They are now on 50% and 25th in the big Swiss pool.

The F team drew a match which on paper at least they were favourites to win.  They are on 6/10 match points and placed 23rd.

The G team were outrated on all boards and lost despite gaining a win by default. Like the F team, they are on 6 match points and are placed 20th courtesy of a slightly better game points score.

And last but not least, the H team won handsomely.  They are on 4 match points and placed 35th. Florence’s win, in  which she nicely converted a pawn advantage in a double rook ending, is given below with light notes.

Game

Peter Anderson, 21/10/21