Thursday 7 April 2016

Alphabetical Disorder

With the season drawing to a close, Aberystwyth B have turned the alphabet on its head by overtaking the A team in the Dyfed League. Following the latter's disastrous match against Haverfordwest B, it didn't look unlikely that the B team would do better against the same opponents, whom they outgraded on all boards. And so it proved when the teams met at the Emlyn Cafe, Tanygroes, on Wednesday 6th April. The new Welsh Ladies' Champion Julie van Kemenade was under some pressure against Martin Jones on top board, with her king still in the centre, when he miscalculated his attack and lost material, and her passed pawn clinched the win. I had the advantage from an early stage against Scott Hammett's unorthodox defence to 1.e4, but found it difficult to get over the line, even missing a mate in two. However, my attack was good enough for a material gain that carried me through the endgame. Tony Geraghty, the only Aber player who had featured in the A team's defeat, got a French-player's dream position out of the opening, but, despite being a piece and several pawns up, he took rather longer to finish the game off than he would have liked. On Board 4, Sam Holman has been on good form recently and had no problems against Sandra Whitby, who showed her inexperience by moving her queen several times in the opening. A 4-0 whitewash for Aberystwyth B made a point to the A team not long before the second Aber derby match.

Martin Jones - Julie van Kemenade 0-1

Matthew Francis - Scott Hammett 1-0

Gwyn Evans - Tony Geraghty 0-1

Sam Holman - Sandra Whitby 1-0

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