Sunday 22 November 2015

New Blood

Last year's club championship was not well attended, so this year we have decided to hold it on club nights, as and when the players are ready to play. The first night of this new event coincided with an influx of new players to the club, courtesy of the newly reinvigorated university club, to which several of our regular players already belong. My own game against Adam Robinson lasted longest, and was a fierce struggle, ending in a win for Adam.

Matthew Francis - Adam Robinson 0-1

Sam Holman - Tony Geraghty 0-1

Damian Clarke - Joel Greenwood 0-1

Alex Cooney - Francis Headley 1-0

Joel Greenwood - Jamie Friel 0-1

Meanwhile, on Tuesday 17 November, the A team took on Gwyddbwyll.com at the St David's Club. Our opponents were outgraded on all boards but put in a strong performance. Rudy's Ruy Lopez against Iwan Griffiths resulted in an incongruous black rook sitting on a1. It was not clear for a while who this favoured, but eventually Rudy was able to unmask a battery against it for a winning advantage. Adam was soon in trouble against Owen Griffiths, who offered an enterprising piece sacrifice against his Sicilian and went on to win an exchange. Owen's next combination went wrong, however, and he offered a draw though analysis shows he still had good chances. I missed a winning chance early on against Tegwyn Jones with my Vienna Game, and then let my intiative peter out and agreed another draw. Ian Finlay on Board 4 dominated the centre with his Sicilian against Emyr Llywelyn, and when White allowed his kingside to be weakened too, the win was sealed. A 3-1 win to Aber.

Rudy van Kemenade - Iwan Griffiths 1-0

Owen Llywelyn - Adam Robinson ½-½

Matthew Francis - Tegwyn Jones ½-½

Emyr Llywelyn - Ian Finlay 0-1

Thursday 5 November 2015

Onward and Upward

After their thrashing by Cardigan in the first match of the season, Aberystwyth B were looking to get their first points when they faced Gwyddbwyll.com at the St David's Club on Tuesday 20 October. Adam Watkin-Jones,returning to competitive chess after a long absence, faced Iwan Griffiths on top board, and had a gentle reintroduction, trapping a bishop to win the game when scarcely out of the opening. Tony Geraghty achieved nothing with his pawn sac in a London System against Owen Llywelyn, and found himself defending a very cramped position, but it was difficult for Black to break through, and a draw was agreed. Mike Weston had a heartbreaking game against against David Moore on Board 3. Poised for what looked like a devastating attack with his major pieces on the kingside, he had hardly any time left to calculate it, and was fatally down on material when his flag fell. Jamie Friel's calculations, on the other hand, were spot on, as he saw his way through some sharp tactics to a win against the higher-rated Tegwyn Jones. Aberystwyth B secured their first win of the season, 2½-1½.

Iwan Griffiths - Adam Watkin-Jones 0-1

Tony Geraghty - Owen Llywelyn ½-½

David Moore - Mike Weston 1-0

Jamie Friel - Tegwyn Jones 1-0

Aber A have started the season well with a win against Carmarthen, and were in confident mood against Haverfordwest A at the Emlyn Cafe, Tanygroes, on Wednesday 4 November. However, Rudy van Kemenade, just back from the European Club Cup in Macedonia,surprisingly went wrong in his King's Indian Attack Sicilian against Martin Jones, and was in some trouble when his opponent overlooked a threat of mate in two. I took advantage of Scott Hammett's misplaced bishop to set up a series of threats in an English opening, winning material early, though it took a long time to clinch the win. Tony Geraghty also won a piece early by virtue of Gwyn Evan's trapped queen and sealed the victory soon after. Mike Weston dominated against Robbie Coles, grabbing first a pawn, then a piece in a much more comfortable game than his last one. A whitewash to Aber, 4-0.

Rudy van Kemenade - Martin Jones 1-0

Scott Hammett - Matthew Francis 0-1

Tony Geraghty - Gwyn Evans 1-0

Robbie Coles - Mike Weston 0-1