First Match of the Year

An Aberystwyth A team missing a couple of strong players was nevertheless too good for Gwyddbwyll.com on Wednesday 11th January. Gwyddwyll's young top board Iwan Griffiths put up a good defence in the French against Rudy van Kemenade, who was playing a line he first played nearly fifty years ago, but finally missed a tactic. The game between Owen Llywelyn and Julie van Kemenade was double-edged and both players were soon short of time. In the difficult ending, Julie lost a piece, missed an opportunity to regain it, but was still fighting when her opponent offered a draw in view of the time situation. The clock was also a factor on Board 3, where James Cook dominated the centre and had a decisive material advantage by the time Tegwyn Jones's flag fell. Georgina Gray got her queen trapped against Emyr Llywelyn, but it didn't make any difference because her development was so much better by that stage that she had a choice of winning lines. Aber won 3½-½, but Gwyddbwyll fought hard and made the first match of the year an exciting one.

Rudy van Kemenade - Iwan Griffiths 1-0

Owen Llywelyn - Julie van Kemenade ½-½

James Cook - Tegwyn Jones 1-0

Emyr Llywelyn - Georgina Gray 0-1