The West of England Chess Union held their annual Council Meeting at Ilminster on Saturday under the chairmanship of John Wheeler. Jim Fewkes of Yeovil retired after 21 years as Treasurer to be replaced by Oliver Wensley of Exmouth, while all other officers were re-elected en bloc. The Harold Meek Cup was presented to Ben Edgell for Somerset’s 1st place in Division 1 and Brian Hewson received the Wayling Cup for Devon’s win in Division 2. It was the 4th consecutive time both teams had won these trophies. Cornwall were the surprise package, coming 3rd in Division 1, with the promise of more to come next season.
The winners in last weekend’s Cotswold Congress were as follows:
Open: 1st S. Berry (218 – Wimbledon) 6/6 points. 2nd= T. Slade (173 – Marhamchurch) & R. Bryant (170 – Oswestry). Grading prize (U-171) P. Asenov (170 – Witney) & C. McLaren (156 – Wotton Hall).
Major Section – (U-155): 1st P. Foley (136 – Upminster). 2nd= D. Macarthur (147 – Keynsham); D. Rogers (146 – Exmouth); M. Forknall (135 – Cheltenham) & S. Whitehead (135 – Cirencester). P. Morton – 147 – Hammersmith) & I. Lamb (137 – Bolton). Grading prize (U-145) A. Gentry (142 – Witney) & R. Ashworth (139 – Wotton Hall).
Minor Section – (U-125): 1st= K. Langmaid (124 – Yate); S. Williams (122 – Cwmbran) & J. Lightowler (117 – Gloucester). Grading Prize (U-115) G. Mill-Wilson (112 – Yate) & S. Rees (107 – Hereford).
At the recent Frome congress, Stephen Appleby won a Grading Prize with the help of this quick win in Rd. 4.
White: S. Appleby Black: F. Palm
Queen’s Pawn Game [D04]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c5 4.e3 g6 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qxd4 Qa5+ 8.Nc3 If 8.Bd2 Black could reclaim his pawn with 8…Qxd5. 8…Bg7 9.e4 0–0 10.Bd2 Black is hampered from completing development of his kingside pieces and starts moving other material instead. 10…e6 11.Bc4 Ng4 12.e5 exd5 13.Nxd5 Qd8 14.Bg5 Nxe5 Now would have been a good time to consider unravelling his Q-side pieces with 14…Nc6. 15.Qxe5! White courageously takes the piece. 15…Qa5+ 16.Bd2 Qa4 17.Qf4 remaining a piece up. 17…Re8+ 18.Kf1 1–0 Black resigns not only because he’s a piece down, but has the problem of his trapped rook and the threatened knight fork on c7. e.g. 18…Na6 19.Bxa6 Qxa6+ 20.Kg1 and White’s threatened fork cannot be denied.
From a game played earlier this year, how does Black finish clinically?
Black to play and win by force.