Shock of the New

Haverfordwest have recently strengthened their A team with the addition of some good new players, as Aberystwyth B found to their cost at the Emlyn Cafe, Tanygroes on Monday 3rd December. On top board, I was up against their experienced captain, Colin Denham, and managed to hold off his kingside attack, despite being very short of time, and get my central pawns moving in the ending. When White resigned, faced with inevitable mate, both players had less than a minute on the clock. James Cook tried the English Opening against one of the newcomers, Martin C. Jones, and reached a queen-and-pawn ending which should have been drawn. However he took the wrong decision allowing the exchange of queens, and lost a king-and-pawn ending instead.Tony Geraghty played the opening passively against the other new player, John Miller, and allowed a kingside pawn storm that gave White an extra piece and eventually the game. Finally, on board 4, Ian Finlay was bamboozled by the tricky (though actually unsound) combinations of one of the established players, Jan Sendall. 3-1 to Haverfordwest A.

Colin Denham - Matthew Francis 0-1

James Cook - Martin C. Jones 0-1

John Miller - Tony Geraghty 1-0

Ian Finlay - Jan Sendall 0-1