On the previous incarnation of the Dorset Chess website between 2012 and 2013 there was a feature called Alan’s Column in which Alan Dommett annotated games, some local, some national. This bulletin brings you some of the most interesting action from that.

Here are seven games, four of them featuring local players, all crisp wins with Alan’s entertaining style of commentary. The majority of the games come from local tournaments, refreshingly including the lower sections. Alan wrote:

There is a mistaken belief amongst some players of a certain standard that the best competitive chess is always played in the top divisions of leagues or at the highest level at a Congress, but, whilst this may be true in terms of overall quality of games and the quantity of them, there will always be a few gems to be found in the lower sections, if you are prepared to look.

Very true, as these games show.

Dave Burt vs Norman Mackie, Bournemouth Grand Congress, 2012

We start with a game where a couple of extra knight moves in the opening cost Norman Mackie dearly, his king soon being caught in the centre.  Dave Burt takes full advantage.

Alex Goulding vs Joseph Dalton, Delancey UK Schools, 2012

The winner of this game was just eight years old at the time and played really impressive chess for his age.   No surprise that nine years on he is now an FM and graded 226 in the old system and 2395 in the new!

Martin Clancy vs Leonard Laker, Dorset Open, 2012

Aggressive constriction by Martin Clancy leads to a fine win against the unlucky Leonard Laker.

Brendan O’Gorman vs Jørgen Holmstrom Nielsen, Bournemouth Grand Congress, 2013

In this instructive miniature Jørgen Nielsen comes unstuck whilst trying to swap everything off.

Jake Holton vs Peter Carrick, Bournemouth Grand Congress, 2013

White uses space and an open file to push Black into passivity.

Christine Constable vs Ray Hunt, Bournemouth Grand Congress, 2013

We finish with a nice game in which a superior position is converted with a telling tactical stroke.