Previous seasons
2007/2008 season
Malvern v Kidderminster Knights
With defending champions Worcester St Johns out of the running, Malvern’s home match against Kidderminster Knights at the Manor park club became a title decider for the Worcester and District league. Malvern were disadvantaged by the absence of their top player, but the team rose to the occasion with everyone giving 110%.
Geoffrey Herbert finally broke his duck against Frank Picket with the black pieces on board 3, winning for the first time after about 7 years of trying. The game was an irregular queen’s pawn opening. After some exchanges of minor pieces, Herbert obtained pressure against the backward white King’s pawn with his major pieces. He brought further pressure to bear on the white centre with his queen’s bishop pawn which enabled him to win a pawn and invade the 7th rank with both his rooks. He won several more pawns and Pickett was unable to resist the back rank mate threats.
Peter Yeadon renewed his rivalry with Gerald Link on board 4. He gained a space advantage in an exchange queen’s gambit but was fortunate to secure a draw when Link overlooked a win in a King and Pawn ending. Perry Walker put Malvern over the finishing line. He won some pawns and Maurice Bissell was unable to halt the advance of his two central connected passed pawns. Ian Clarke obtained a strong position against John Wrench on board 1 but was unable to land a knockout blow against Wrench’s excellent defence. With time trouble looming, a draw was agreed as the match was already decided.
Malvern now have 5 wins out of 5 with one match to play and cannot be caught. They have regained the league trophy after a two year gap and can now go for the double as they are in the semi-final of the cup.
The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards against Kidderminster Rooks:
1) I. Clarke 0.5-0.5 J. Wrench; (2) P. Walker 1-0 M. Bissell; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 F. Pickett; (4) P. Yeadon 0.5-0.5 G. Link
Malvern v Kidderminster Rooks + Greenlands
Having survived a scare against Headless cross in the first round of the cup, Malvern hoped to put points on the board in league matches against Kidderminster Rooks and Greenlands in order to give themselves a good position going into a week with two matches against defending champions St Johns and one against regular title challengers Kidderminster Knights.
Recently promoted Kidderminster rooks have been a thorn in Malvern’s side in recent years, knocking them out the cup in two encounters out of three and coming close in the third. Malvern hoped for better success in the league, particularly with home advantage at Manor park. The Kidderminster captain, Terry Pountney, has defeated many Malvern players over the years. Peter Yeadon was the latest to attempt to stem this tide on board 4. Yeadon played an unusually solid English Opening and gained tempi when Pountney's rook made an early advance and return. This led in turn to pressure on the long white diagonals (never comfortable for Black) and eventually to weaknesses in the Black position. In marked contrast to some of his recent games, Yeadon this time was able to bring the game to a successful conclusion well within the allotted timespan and break Pountney’s run of success.
Kidderminster avoided a whitewash when John Chester got the better of a draw against Brian Turner on board 1, but Ian Clarke and Perry Walker scored comfortable wins on boards 2 and 3 to give Malvern a 3.5-0.5 win.
Malvern’s next match was away at the Greenlands club in Birmingham. Peter Yeadon opened the scoring with another win on board 4. He unleashed the modern benoni against his opponent’s queen’s pawn opening. He was able to advance his queen’s side pawns and quickly gained material when his opponent chose the wrong option for prevention of further queen’s side invasion.
A world champion once said that in order to beat him, one had to win 3 times: in the opening, the middlegame and the endgame. Brian Turner didn’t bother to wait for the endgame after losing material in the middlegame when his attack against Kevin Hurney’s pirc defence was unsuccessful. Ian Clarke put Malvern back in the lead on board 2. He obtained a passive position with black from the opening and sacrificed a pawn in order to gain activity. He won his pawn back and his pressure eventually led to the win of a piece and the game.
By this stage the game on board 3 had reached a rook and pawn endgame in which Geoffrey Herbert was two pawns up against Ian Truscott. Herbert allowed Truscott to win one of the pawns back in order to move his King to support the other pawn. Truscott could not prevent the promotion of this pawn and resigned on move 75. Malvern now have 4 wins out of 4 but face a number of tough matches.
The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards against Kidderminster Rooks:
1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 J. Chester; (2) I. Clarke 1-0 K. Durnell; (3) P. Walker 1-0 C. Billinge; (4) P. Yeadon 1-0 T. Pountney
Malvern had white on the odd boards against Greenlands:
1) B. Turner 0-1 K. Hurney; (2) I. Clarke 1-0 R. Peters; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 I. Truscott; (4) P. Yeadon 1-0 S. Johnson.
Malvern v Headless cross
Malvern were drawn against their conquerors of the 2007 final, Headless cross, in the first round of the 2008 Worcester and District cup. They had a home draw at the Manor park club and went into the match with the intention of eliminating the cup holders.
Headless cross play in the 2nd division of the league, which meant that Malvern needed to win by a score of 3-1 or better. In these circumstances, recovering from an opposition brilliancy on one board can be difficult. John Knee was faced with Mark Hore’s queen’s fianchetto defence on board 2. He obtained a spatial advantage in the centre and pressed hard to convert this to victory. Unfortunately, he fell victim to a counterattack on the king’s side, with Mark eventually reaching a won rook and pawn ending.
The game on board 4 appeared to be drifting towards a draw after an eventful opening and Malvern’s dreams of regaining the cup were hanging by a thread. They hung on grimly with wins with the black pieces on boards 1 and 3. Geoffrey Herbert played the Sicilian defence on board 3 and faced the Rossolimo variation. Minor piece exchanges left him with two bishops for two knights, but a blocked pawn structure meant that he was initially unable to take advantage of this. However, well timed advances of his king’s bishop and king’s knight pawns allowed him to open up the centre and the king’s side and launch a decisive attack by unleashing the long range power of his bishops. Brian Turner obtained a cramped position from the opening on board 1 but broke out with a central pawn advance. Dave Richardson went in for complications when about to lose a pawn, but lost a piece instead and was checkmated shortly afterwards.
Peter Yeadon realised that a win was required on board 4 and applied all his intellectual force towards increasing his miniscule advantage of a slightly better bishop. Finishing his pint in a reckless bid for inspiration, he attempted to induce an error until both players were down to their last 5 minutes. Eventually his opponent mistimed an exchange of the bishops, delivering a won King and pawn endgame to Peter. The final finish in a time scramble was inelegant but effective.
Malvern managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and will now face either Greenlands or Kidderminster Pawns in the semi-final.
The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards:
1) B. Turner 1-0 D. Richardson; (2) J. Knee 0-1 M. Hore; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 G. Wilkie; (4) P. Yeadon 1-0 A. Davis
Malvern v Kidderminster Knights
Malvern finished 2007 by losing to Headless Cross in the Worcester and District cup final. They hoped to have more success in their first Worcester and District league match of 2008 against regular rivals Kidderminster Knights.
The match got off to a good start for Malvern when Brian Turner won a piece on board 1 against John Wrench. This was balanced by Geoffrey Herbert’s loss on board 4. Geoffrey played the Dutch defence and exchanged into a Queen, bishop and pawn endgame with favourable static features. Unfortunately for him, the dynamic features favoured his opponent, Gerald Link, who was able to win a pawn, obtain a dangerous passed pawn and convert the resulting advantage to a win.
Jim Friar played a quiet line against Ian Clarke’s modern defence on board 2 and generated some central pressure. Ian countered with an advance on the Queen’s side which unbalanced the position. Neither side could make progress and a draw was agreed after all the major pieces had been exchanged. Perry Walker initially intended a king’s side attack against Frank Pickett’s old Indian defence on board 3. However, he changed his plans in favour of a positional expansion and a slow land grap. Frank missed the chance to ease the pressure by swapping off some pieces at an opportune moment and was slowly suffocated. This looked to have won the match for Malvern. However…
Back on board 1, a lapse of concentration by Brian and resourceful play from John led to an unclear position at the first time control. In the scramble of the quickplay finish, Brain was perhaps a little fortunate to be able to recover the situation by pushing an advanced pawn through to queen and win the game.
The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards:
1) B. Turner 1-0 J. Wrench; (2) I. Clarke 0.5-0.5 J. Friar; (3) P. Walker 1-0 F. Pickett; (4) G. Herbert 0-1 G. Link
Malvern v Greenlands
Malvern followed up their good start to the season in the county league by winning their opening Worcester and District league match at home to Greenlands at the Manor Park club. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had the black pieces on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 S. K. Hurney; (2) I. Clarke 1-0 R. Peters; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 I. Ellis; (4) P. Yeadon 0.5-0.5 I. Truscott.
The first swing in Malvern’s direction occurred on board 3. Geoffrey Herbert decided to take action on the Queen’s side when white played a closed Sicilian. He developed his queen to the 4th rank and advanced his b pawn. He was able to trap a white knight and gradually increased his advantage for the rest of the game. This game was actually the last to finish, but the result was never in doubt after the opening.
The first game to finish was on board 1. Brian Turner came under severe pressure in the Petroff Defence. Fortunately, his opponent allowed him to relieve the pressure by simplification and an exchange of queens. Brian still had a cramped position, but his sound pawn structure had sufficient defensive qualities to allow him to secure a draw.
Peter Yeadon used a significant fraction of his time pondering the subtleties of the exchange slav opening. He was unable to find a way to exploit the advantage of the first move in this symmetrical opening and a draw was soon agreed.
Ian Clarke played a queen’s pawn opening on board 2. Roy Peters created a long term positional weakness by moving a pawn to defend an advanced minor. This allowed Ian to establish an outpost on the King’s file for a knight. He used this knight to support an unstoppable attack against black’s castled king. The game on board 3 finished shortly afterwards to complete a 3-1 win for Malvern.
2006/2007 season
Cup quarter and semi finals 2006/2007
Malvern v Worcester City – Cup quarter final
Following their defeat to St Johns in the battle for the Worcester and District league title, Malvern’s team threw their energies into the cup campaign. First up were former winners Worcester City. Their 2nd division status meant that Malvern had to win by two clear points.
Geoffrey Herbert scored an impressive win on board 3 with the black pieces when he launched a king’s side attack and chased the white king right across to the queen’s rook file before delivering checkmate. Brian Turner obtained a peaceful draw on board 1. Faced with unambitious play against his Petroff defence, he was unable to create any chances without taking undue risks. Malvern now needed at least a win and a draw from the remaining two games and the situation did not look promising, as an oversight by Peter Yeadon on board 4 had led to the loss of a rook for a knight. However, Peter made use of his greater experience to mount a dogged defence against a young opponent. He managed to regain some material and induced a fatal hesitation just before the time control, thereby winning on time. Inaccuracies by Ian Clarke in the opening led to his King being short of shelter. He achieved compensation however and was able to create chances by advancing his strong central pawns. Andrew Farthing was unable to withstand the pressure, eventually losing a rook to give the game and match to Malvern.
Their semi-final opponents were regular cup rivals Kidderminster Knights. Malvern have had the upper hand in recent years, but for a long time it looked as though it would be Kidderminster’s turn to win. Ian Clarke drew on board 2 against the dangerous Jim Friar and Geoffrey Herbert added one more to his collection of defeats against Frank Pickett. Peter Yeadon played a king’s Indian defence with black against Gerald Link on board 4. White’s black squared bishop became trapped on king’s rook 6, but in turn kept the black king confined. White’s Episcopal inactivity proved fatal. His passed queens pawn was forced into a pyrrhic demise by queening on a well defended square and the penitent bishop was freed too late to prevent Peter’s final queen’s side pawn advance.
The score was level with one game still in progress, but Malvern had an inferior tie break position meaning that Brian Turner had to win on board 1. Brian established a space advantage against John Wrench, but John defended well and created weaknesses in Brian’s pawn structure. Brian stood worse at the start of the quickplay finish, but as instinct and adrenalin replaced calculation, he was able to create counter chances and make use of an extra few seconds on the clock to eventually win with two passed pawns against a rook. Malvern must now wait to find out which of Greenlands, Redditch or Headless cross they will face in the final.
The individual results were as follows, Malvern players first.
Worcester (Malvern had black on the odd boards): (1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 R. Collett; (2)I. Clarke 1-0 A. Farthing; (3)G. Herbert 1-0 R. Yates; (4)P. Yeadon 1-0 C. Vernon.
Kidderminster (Malvern had white on the odd boards): (1) B. Turner 1-0 J. Wrench; (2) I. Clarke 0.5-0.5 J. Friar; (3) G. Herbert 0-1 F. Pickett; (4) P. Yeadon 1-0 G. Link.
Malvern v St Johns
Playing their final Worcester and District league match of the season against defending champions Worcester St Johns on Friday 13th was not lucky for Malvern, although rumours that the St Johns players were seen dancing widdershins around the Manor Park building before the match are unfounded. At 7.30 Malvern were in pole position for the title, needing only to draw the match. By 10.30 however their dreams were in tatters. The individual results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0-1 S. James; (2) P. Walker 0.5-0.5 N. Harris; (3) I. Clarke 0-1 G. Dyett; (4) G. Herbert 0.5-0.5 S. Foster.
The first game to finish was on board 3. Ian Clarke played passively against Greg Dyett’s Birds opening and was soon faced with the problem of fending off an attack on his castled king. He managed to prevent the total collapse of his position, but Greg won the exchange and kept up the pressure. Ian’s position remained critical and he eventually lost on time as he made his final move before the time control.
Geoffrey Herbert opened the scoring for Malvern shortly afterwards. He played the Torre attack against Steve Foster and emerged a pawn to the good after some central exchanges. He missed the best continuation and Steve was able to win the pawn back with a neat swindle to secure a draw.
St Johns’s top player, Steve James, had had a poor season until he came up against Malvern. He gave Brian Turner a second thrashing in as many weeks to win the match and the title for his team.
The most exciting events of the evening occurred on board 2. Perry Walker was rocked back on his heels as early as move 10, when a dramatic Nick Harris blow cost him a pawn. His position deteriorated further and was completely lost when the time control was reached. Carrying on more in hope than expectation, with only a rook and a pawn against overwhelming odds, he was rewarded when Nick allowed him to queen the pawn. Nick probably still had sufficient material, but insufficient time to win. With neither side deserving to win after their blunders, a draw seemed entirely fair.
This result means that Malvern have retained the runner’s up spot in the league. Their season is not yet over, as a good cup run is still a possibility.
Malvern v Kidderminster Pawns
Malvern demonstrated that they are a force in the Worcester and District league when travelling as well as at their home venue of Manor Park by whitewashing Kidderminster pawns in their first away match of the season. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards:
1) B. Turner 1-0 M. Riley; (2) P. Walker 1-0 D. Close; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 M. Kitchen; (4) P. Yeadon 1-0 C. Billinge.
Brian Turner had the black pieces for the third consecutive game after his captain lost the toss again. Unruffled by this he smoothly developed an advantage out of a quiet symmetrical opening and built up a King’s side attack with the aid of a temporary piece sacrifice. Mark Riley was able to defend against the immediate threats, but his pawn structure and King’s position were weak. Brian was able to win further material to win the game and avenge his defeat from the previous year.
On board 2, Perry Walker unleashed the great opening of the 19th century romantic age of chess, the King’s Gambit. Perry castled short and his opponent, Dave Close, castled long. In true 19th century style, Perry offered the queen’s knight pawn to open a file then tried to sacrifice his queen’s bishop to remove the pawns defending the black king. The king fled to the other side of the board with Perry’s queen and knight in hot pursuit. Perry couldn’t find a checkmate but was able to force the exchange of most of the pieces leaving himself with several extra pawns and a won endgame.
Geoffrey Herbert played the classical Dutch defence on board 3 against Mike Kitchen’s queen’s pawn opening. Both players struggled to find a constructive plan in the early middle game until Geoffrey managed to trap a white bishop by advancing his king’s knight pawn. Mike then tried to attack on the king’s side but Geoffrey was able to resist the pressure and eventually won another piece and the game.
Clive Billinge played a passive system against Peter Yeadon’s English opening on board 4. Peter applied pressure on the queen’s side and netted a pawn. This galvanized Clive into unleashing a bold attacking in the centre, delivering counterplay down both bishop’s files. Peter was able to simplify the position, but lacked a clear route to victory until Clive lost a bishop on the last move before the victory, thereby allowing Peter to complete the clean sweep.
This result puts Malvern in a strong position going into the last match of the season against defending champions St Johns.
Malvern v Kidderminster Knights
Malvern’s second match in the 2006/2007 Worcester and District league was at home against former champions Kidderminster Knights. Kidderminster are a dangerous team, although Malvern have had the upper hand against them in recent years.
It was difficult to determine which way the match was heading until the closing stages, as all four games required almost the entirety of the allotted time, with the advantage changing hands in at least 3 of them. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards:
1) B. Turner 1-0 J. Friar; (2) P. Walker 1-0 F. Pickett; (3) I. Clarke 1-0 M. Bissell; (4) P. Yeadon 0.5-0.5 J. Gittus.
Brian Turner refuted Jim Friar’s gambit opening on board 1 and emerged with good development and better pawn structure. He won the exchange, but unfortunately for his nerves he missed opportunities for a quick win and had to spend the rest of the evening avoiding tricky knight forks before eventually winning the ending.
Various Malvern players have tried and failed to overcome Frank Pickett over the last few years. Perry Walker became the first to breach his defences by maintaining a complicated position until both sides became horrendously short of time. As the final seconds ticked away, Frank took a pawn with his queen, not noticing that Perry’s queen was guarding the pawn.
Ian Clarke played a King’s Indian defence on board 3, but soon became very cramped as Maurice Bissell gained space all over the board, eventually breaking through on the Queen’s side and winning a pawn. In desperation Ian offered another pawn and managed to activate his queen to set up a rather fortuitous mating attack and secure another point for Malvern.
Peter Yeadon’s plans for a quiet positional game with the white pieces on board 4 were thrown off course by simultaneous attacks on both flanks after his opponent advanced his King’s knight pawn two squares on move 1. Peter emerged from the complications two pawns to the good but with a major time deficit. The position went from won to lost when Peter allowed the black queen and rook to invade his position. However, Peter held his nerve and when black missed a winning capture a frenetic climax ensued as pieces disappeared, both sides queened a pawn and agreed a draw.
The final score was emphatic, although it did not reflect the strong resistance put up by Kidderminster. The result puts Malvern at the top of the table.
Malvern v Greenlands
Malvern began their campaign to recapture the Worcester and District league title that they won in 2004 and 2005 with a home match against Greenlands, a team new to the first division. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards:
1) B. Turner 0-1 K. Hurney; (2) P. Walker 1-0 D. Stockhall; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 R. Peters; (4) P. Yeadon 1-0 I. Truscott.
World champion Vladimir Kramnik allowed a computer to checkmate him in an advantageous position recently. This match also featured rapid changes of fortune on several boards… On board 1, Brian Turner equalised with the black pieces and looked to exploit white’s weak pawns and bad bishop. Kevin Hurney hung on grimly until Brian, deep in strategic thought, allowed a rook to be trapped in mid board and had to resign. This was not a promising start for Malvern.
Geoffrey Herbert was on the back foot after the opening. He managed to untangle his queen’s side pieces and was starting to exert pressure against the white position when the white player hastened his demise by leaving a knight en pris. Perry Walker scored a convincing win on board 2. A wise grandmaster once said that he didn’t necessarily need to look many moves ahead in his games- he just needed to see one move further than his opponent. Perry followed this advice to transform a chaotic Alekhine defence into a winning endgame.
The most spectacular reversal of fortune occurred on board 4. Peter Yeadon built up strong pressure down the queen’s bishop file in an exchange slav opening. However, resourceful play in the centre by black won a pawn and undermined Peter’s entire game plan. Peter exchanged a Bishop for three pawns to complicate the position, but was staring defeat in the face at the time control. Ian Truscott then had a ‘Kramnik moment’. He overlooked a mate in one and then blundered away a rook. Peter almost forced a draw in relief, but then realised that it was simply a matter of technique to win the queen and pawn ending. This he duly proceeded to do to secure the match for Malvern.
This win continues Malvern’s recent excellent form at their venue of the Manor park club.
2004/2005 season
Malvern v St Johns, Worcester and District League, Division 1
Malvern’s good run of form at their new venue at the Manor Park club continued into the new season as they scored a convincing win against Worcester St. Johns in their first match in defence of their Worcester and District League title. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 S. James; (2) I. Clarke 1-0 G. Dyett; (3) G. Herbert 0.5-0.5 N. Harris; (4) P. Walker 1-0 S. Foster.
The games finished in board order. Steve James surprised Brian Turner with the Alekhine’s defence on board 1 and gained the initiative. Brian struck back in the centre of the board to gain the advantage. He was unable to find a decisive line however and a drawn endgame was eventually reached.
Ian Clarke gave Malvern the lead on board 2. Greg Dyett played Bird’s opening and advanced aggressively on the king’s side. Ian withstood the pressure and managed to redevelop a knight to a strong position. This was the springboard for a counter attack on the queen’s side, which led to the win of the exchange. He followed this up by invading with his rooks on the 7th rank, which forced Greg’s resignation.
Nick Harris won the opening duel in the exchange variation of the French defence and generated dangerous threats against Geoffrey Herbert’s king. He was unable to convert his advantage however and Geoffrey managed to generate some counterplay. A draw was eventually agreed in an unclear position when both players became short of time and were unable to unravel the complications.
Perry Walker played the Dutch defence on board 4. His strategy was to generate pressure against white’s castled king position on the queen’s side with his queen and a bishop on the long diagonal. He won two pawns and was able to hold on to them during the fierce tactical exchanges that followed. He won the endgame to complete Malvern’s victory.
Kidderminster Knights v Malvern, Worcester and District League, Division 1
After a good win against Worcester St Johns in their first match in defence of their Worcester and District league title, Malvern suffered a setback with a defeat at home to Droitwich. This meant that a good result was particularly important when they travelled to play the previous champions, Kidderminster Knights, in order to regain momentum. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 1-0 J. Wrench; (2) I. Clarke 1-0 M. Bissell; (3) G. Herbert 0.5-0.5 F. Pickett; (4) M. Ginger 0.5-0.5.
Boards 3 and 4 featured fairly quick draws, leaving the decisive battles to both side’s top players. Paul Thomas played a Vienna game on board 4 and generated significant pressure on the king’s side. Maurice Ginger forced some exchanges to diffuse the pressure and secure half a point. Geoffrey Herbert misplayed the opening against Frank Pickett’s modern defence but was eventually able to untangle his pieces and achieve a level position in which a draw was agreed.
Brian Turner had struggled in recent games against John Wrench. This time on board 1 however, he gained a space advantage and the initiative against John’s French defence. Brian used this as the launch pad for a ferocious attack against the black king. John hung on grimly for some time, but eventually lost a piece and the game when trying to break free from Brian’s stranglehold.
The result of the match now depended on board 2. Things looked bad for Malvern for some time. Maurice Bissell attacked on the queen’s side in a king’s Indian defence and won a pawn. Ian Clarke managed to stabilise the situation and hang on to reach the time control. Maurice tried to force a win due to the match situation, but his position became uncoordinated when Ian switched his pieces to the king’s side and generated some initiative. Ian’s attack eventually proved decisive as he won material and the game in a time scramble. This gave Malvern a 3-1 win.
Droitwich v Malvern, Worcester and District League, knockout cup round 1.
Malvern’s first match in their quest to become the first team to retain the knockout cup was a repeat of last year’s final against Droitwich. In the intervening period, Droitwich defeated Malvern in the league for the third consecutive year, so Malvern were out for revenge. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 P. Kitson; (2) I. Clarke 0-1 D. Adshead; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 A. Kirkland; (4) M. Ginger 1-0 W. Watson.
Malvern made a good start on board 4. Maurice Ginger played his favourite Blackmar-Diemer gambit. He caught Bill Watson in an unfamiliar variation and secured the advantage by move 5. He pressed home his attack in excellent style to score a crushing victory.
Brian Turner maintained Malvern’s advantage on board 1 against former county top board, Peter Kitson. Brian defended well against the king’s gambit and generated some chances. Peter prevented him from achieving the optimum set up for his pieces and a draw was eventually agreed.
On board 2, Dave Adshead played dynamically with black against Ian Clarke’s queen’s pawn opening and quickly gained the initiative. Ian held on until the time control despite losing a pawn. The extra pawn proved decisive in the knight and pawn ending, allowing Dave to level the scores.
The game on board 3 went the full distance. Geoffrey Herbert played the Sicilian Dragon against Arnold Kirkland’s king’s pawn opening. A tactical exchange led to a material imbalance, with Geoffrey having bishop and knight against Arnold’s rook and pawn. The two pieces were more effective and Geoffrey was able to win a pawn and generate threats against the white king. Shortly after the time control however, Arnold took advantage of a chance to rebalance the material. By now, this was the only unfinished game. Things were not looking good for Malvern, as although the scores were level, the tie break favoured Droitwich, so Geoffrey had to play for a win. He managed to mix things up by winning a knight for several pawns. This left his king very exposed, leading to the danger of a draw by perpetual check. Arnold was unable to force the draw immediately and he exposed his own king with a pawn advance. This allowed Geoffrey to set up a mating net with his queen and knight in the time scramble to win the game and the match for Malvern.
Kidderminster Pawns v Malvern, Worcester and District League division 1
Malvern convincingly won their away match against Kidderminster Pawns to reach the half way point of the season with 3 points out of 4 and secure the top spot at Christmas. The result was obtained in textbook style by winning the games with white and obtaining draws with black. The results are as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 1-0 M. Riley; (2) I. Clarke 0.5-0.5 D. Close; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 M. Kitchen; (4) M. Ginger 0.5-0.5 C. Billinge.
The first game to finish was on board 3. Geoffrey Herbert played the Tarrasch variation against Mike Kitchen’s French defence. The initial stages of the game featured a tense period of manoeuvring as both sides battled for control of the central white queen 4 square. The tension was eventually released in Geoffrey’s favour and he was able to exploit an open queen’s bishop file to get his major pieces into the heart of the black position. Mike was unable to withstand the pressure and lost first a pawn and then the exchange to give Geoffrey the game and Malvern the lead.
Brian Turner doubled Malvern’s lead shortly afterwards. His last few games against Mark Riley had featured the Sicilian defence. This time he decided to push his queen’s pawn for variety and he played the unorthodox Veresov attack. He gained a positional advantage and built on this to generate a strong attack on the black king. The attack eventually proved decisive.
Board 3 featured a Scotch game. Both sides advanced central pawns, which led to a number of exchanges. Neither player was able to gain a significant advantage and a drawn knight and pawn endgame was eventually reached. The resulting half point moved Malvern over the winning post.
The game between Maurice Ginger and Clive Billinge on board 4 started out as a quiet four knights game. Maurice wasted tempi reorganising his position and allowed his good centre to be outflanked and broken up by Clive’s wing advances. Maurice was able to regain the initiative when Clive became short of time, and a draw was agreed.
Droitwich v Malvern – Worcester and District league division 1
After losing their last three Worcester and District league games against Droitwich, Malvern finally stopped the rot with a draw. The match could have gone either way and a draw was probably a fair result. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 P. Kitson; (2) I. Clarke 0-1 D. Adshead; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 A. Kirkland; (4) D. Spencer 0.5-0.5 W. Watson.
Malvern got off to a good start on board 3. Geoffrey Herbert played the Vienna game, an opening that was popular in the romantic age of chess in the 19th century. Arnold Kirkland defended passively, allowing Geoffrey to open the King’s Bishop file and generate a strong attack. He was able to break up the defences around the black King, win a pawn and obtain complete dominance of the black squares. This forced Arnold’s resignation, as checkmate was unstoppable.
Board 1 featured an unusual variation of the Ruy Lopez. Peter Kitson won the opening battle and gained an excellent position with strong centre pawns. Brian Turner hung on grimly, showing great strength of character. Once a problem with the lighting of the board had been resolved, Brian found the best defensive line, which reduced the game to a drawn ending and preserved Malvern’s lead.
Dennis Spencer played the Slav defence against Bill Watson’s Queen’s gambit on board 4. Dennis won a pawn after some exchanges and established a passed Queen’s rook pawn. However, this was countered by Bill’s passed central pawn and more active pieces. With the time control looming, both players decided that a draw was the safest option.
Ian Clarke played a King’s Indian defence on board 2. He lost a pawn early on and was soon in trouble. He fought back after the Queens had been exchanged and eventually won Rook for Knight, but had to use up a lot of his time. Dave Adshead had to play for a win due to the match situation. He exploited Ian’s time trouble to turn the game by advancing and Queening a pawn, thereby levelling the scores.
Malvern v Kidderminster Rooks, Worcester and district league, knockout cup round 2
Malvern chess club’s bid to repeat their Worcester and District league and cup double of 2004 ended when they crashed out of the cup in round 2 to Kidderminster Rooks. The need to beat their division 2 opponents by two clear points due to the handicap system in operation proved too much for them. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 1-0 J. Varilone; (2) I. Clarke 0-1 P. Thomas; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 W. Pugh; (4) D. Spencer 0-1 T. Pountney.
American grandmaster Pal Benko wore dark glasses during one game of the 1959 candidates tournament in order to avoid future world champion Mikhail Tal’s hypnotic gaze. Malvern players might do well to consider a similar strategy when playing Terry Pountney in future. Malvern have obtained 5 theoretically winning positions in their last 5 games against him and gone on to lose 4 of them. Dennis Spencer became the latest victim. He had to defend for a while after winning a pawn in the opening, but was able to win another pawn to secure a large advantage. However, Terry launched a speculative but unsound sacrificial attack on the black King. Dennis’s defence went astray and he was eventually checkmated.
This levelled the scores, as Geoffrey Herbert had earlier defeated Bill Pugh on board 3. Geoffrey obtained a small advantage out of the opening, won material by attacking in the centre and on the King’s side, and then liquidated into a winning endgame.
On board 1, Brian Turner faced the dangerous John Varilone, a former runner up in the Worcester and District individual competition. Brian played very passively against the Sicilian defence and John soon had a strong attack. He misjudged some exchanges and allowed Brian to neutralise the attack and emerge with two rooks against a queen. Brian was able to keep his own king safe and set up a mating net to win the game after diverting the black queen to the opposite side of the board.
Ian Clarke had the black pieces on board 2. He opened the centre and developed some pressure against the white king. An oversight allowed Paul to exchange queens and diffuse the pressure. The match situation meant that Malvern needed Ian to win, but he lost a piece while trying to extract some advantage from a level position. Paul soon won the endgame to put Kidderminster into the semi-final.
Malvern v Kidderminster Pawns, Worcester and district league, division 1
Malvern chess club’s form had dipped in recent matches, with a draw against Droitwich in division 1 of the Worcester and District league and a disappointing exit from the cup at the hands of Kidderminster Rooks. They got back into their stride with a four-nil home win against Kidderminster Pawns in the league at their Manor Park venue. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 1-0 D. Close; (2) G. Herbert 1-0 M. Kitchen; (3) S. Fuchs 1-0 C. Billinge; (4) M. Ginger 1-0 D. Digger.
David Close played the King’s gambit on board 1. He opened the centre too early and allowed Brian Turner to develop strong pressure. Brian won a central pawn and then a piece to open the score for Malvern.
Derek Digger played the modern defence against Maurice Ginger’s King’s pawn opening on board 4. He had almost neutralised white’s opening advantage when he overlooked a skewer on his queen and rook, allowing Maurice to win the rook. Maurice had the chance to finish the game with a brilliancy. He missed the forced mate in eight, but the win was never in doubt.
Geoffrey Herbert was next to win on board 2 to secure the match for Malvern. He played the Torre attack with white, obtaining a space advantage and some chances on the King’s side. Mike Kitchen defended well, but Geoffrey was able to switch his attack to the Queen’s side and win two pawns. This proved sufficient to win the endgame.
Stefan Fuchs played the Sicilian defence on board 3 against Clive Billinge. Stefan won two pawns early in the game at the cost of falling behind in development. Clive was unable to exploit his extra tempi, leaving Stefan with a comfortable material advantage. Stefan won another pawn and finally won a piece with a cunning trap to complete the whitewash.
St Johns v Malvern, Worcester and District league division 1
Malvern chess club moved another step closer to retaining their title when they scored a narrow win away to Worcester St Johns in division 1 of the Worcester and District league. They play their only challengers, Kidderminster Knights, in the final game of the season on April 1st. A win will give Malvern the title, but a draw or even a loss may be sufficient depending upon how much Kidderminster can reduce Malvern’s lead in their remaining games. The results of the match against St. Johns are as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0-1 S. James; (2) I. Clarke 0.5-0.5 N. Harris; (3) G. Herbert 1-0 J. Loynes; (4) D. Spencer 1-0 Default
The mere presence of Dennis Spencer was enough to give Malvern the lead, as St Johns were unable to field a full team. Geoffrey Herbert played the Sicilian accelerated Dragon opening with black on board 3. He obtained pressure in the centre, but had to contend with an attack on the King’s side from John Loynes. John sacrificed a pawn to intensify the attack, but Geoffrey’s central control enabled him to accept the pawn and move his King forwards to evade the clutches of the white pieces. An oversight by John shortly after this cost him his queen and doubled Malvern’s lead.
Ian Clarke put Malvern past the winning post. He played a queen’s pawn opening on board 2. He built up a space advantage, but Nick Harris built up a solid defensive position with black. A draw was agreed in the early middle game when neither player was able to find a good way to make progress.
St Johns achieved a consolation win on board 1. Steve James built up a strong position against Brian Turner’s Czech Benoni system, but allowed Brian strong tactical counterplay against his king. Careful defence by Steve held the attack at bay, and the weaknesses in Brian’s position led to a loss in the endgame.
Malvern v Kidderminster Knights, Worcester and District league division 1
Since moving their venue to the Manor Park club in November 2003, Malvern chess club have achieved their best run of success in the Worcester and District league for many years. They achieved the league and cup double in 2004 and went into the last game of the 2005 season against Kidderminster Knights in the knowledge that a win would guarantee the retention of their league title. The results of the games were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had black on the odd boards.
1) B. Turner 1-0 M. Bissell; (2) I. Clarke 0.5-0.5 J. Friar; (3) G. Herbert 0.5-0.5 F. Pickett; (4) P. Walker 0.5-0.5 G. Link
Geoffrey Herbert misplaced a knight in a tense middle game on board 3, which gave Frank Pickett a menacing position. Fortunately for Malvern, Frank missed the chance to land the killer blow and Geoffrey was able to escape with a draw.
On board 4, Perry Walker’s Morra Gambin foundered on the rock of Gerald Link’s defence. Gerald declined the gambit and neutralised Perry’s attempts to attack by exchanging pieces. Immediately after the time control Perry had the chance to chaotic situation where each king got in among the opposing pawns like a fox in a chicken run. However, seeing that the situations of his team mates looked favourable, he decided that discretion was the better part of valour and offered a draw.
Ian Clarke played a Queens pawn opening against the dangerous Jim Friar on board 2. After a number of exchanges, Ian gained control of the queens bishops file and obtained strong pressure on a backward black pawn, restricting Jim to passive defence. Ian’s advantage was insufficient for a decisive breakthrough and a draw was agreed.
This left everything in the hands of Malvern’s star player, Brian Turner. Maurice Bissell and Brian played a well-known line in the Queens Gambit which gave Maurice a space advantage at the cost of some weaknesses. Brian developed a positional initiative by simplifying the position, but Maurice sacrificed a rook for a bishop in order to gain attacking chances. Brian’s defence was impenetrable however and he counterattacked brilliantly, eventually checkmating Maurice with Queen and Rook to win the game, the match and the championship.
2003/2004 season
Malvern do the double
After a narrow win of Division 1 of the Worcester and District league and the narrowest win in the history of the cup in their semi-final match, only Droitwich stood between Malvern chess club and the first ever league and cup double. Fortune was with Malvern, as they were drawn at home at their new home of Manor Park for the cup final and then won the toss to get white on the odd boards. The results were as follows, Malvern players first:
1) B. Turner 0.5-0.5 P. Kitson; (2) G. Herbert 0.5-0.5 D. Adshead; (3) I. Clarke 1-0 A. Kirkland; (4) P. Walker 1-0 W. Watson.
Droitwich’s strength is at the top end of their team and it was therefore essential to avoid defeat on the high boards so that Malvern could benefit from their strength in depth. Brian Turner played his fourth game of the season against former Worcestershire board 1, Peter Kitson. Peter gained an early advantage with pressure against the white King, but Brian diffused the attack by exchanging queens. White retained some pressure on the Queen’s side and Brian was able to achieve a draw from a position of strength. The game on board 2 followed a similar pattern. Geoffrey Herbert was put under considerable pressure by Dave Adshead in the Alapin variation of the Sicilian defence, but he managed to exchange pieces and secure a comfortable draw in the endgame.
Perry Walker faced Bill Watson on board 4. In the heat of cup final tension, Bill forgot the golden rule for White in the Dutch defence: always put your King’s bishop on the long diagonal. He suffered the consequences of this when Perry gained control of the diagonal and followed up by putting a Knight on an advanced central square from where it eyed up the White King. He used his extra time and space to gain control of the other long diagonal, which lead to the rapid collapse of Bill’s position as he lost a piece and the game. It was the diagonals wot won it!
This meant that Malvern only needed a draw on board 3. However, Ian Clarke was after more. He opened up the King’s side by advancing his King’s Rook pawn and generated strong threats. Arnold Kirkland defended grimly for some time, but Ian opened another front with a diversionary sacrifice on the Queen’s side. The attack became unstoppable and he won to give Malvern the double. More details of the campaign can be found at www.communigate.co.uk/worcs/malvernchess.
Malvern through to final after closest ever cup tie
Malvern have had the good fortune to be drawn at home in the cup since moving to their new venue at Manor Park. They progressed fairly comfortably to the semi-final, where they faced tough opposition in Kidderminster Knights, last years league champions. The results were as follows, Malvern players first. Malvern had white on odd boards.
1) B. Turner 0-1 J. Wrench; (2) G. Herbert 1-0 J. Friar; (3) I. Clarke 1-0 D. Close; (4) M. Ginger 0-1 G. Link.
On board 2, Geoffrey Herbert improved on his play in a previous game against Jim Friar’s Morra Gambit and emerged a pawn up without conceding compensation. Jim launched an attack but Geoffrey was able to refute it, winning a knight and then launching a counter attack to secure the full point.
On board 1, Brian Turner obtained a very strong position against John Wrench’s solid French defence and on board 4, Maurice Ginger got the better of a Benko Gambit, obtaining a passed rook’s pawn and a threatening position. However, convincing wins aren’t in the spirit of cup competitions and both Malvern players blundered to give Kidderminster the lead.
Everything now depended upon Ian Clarke. He gained space on the queen’s side in the opening and tried to undermine the black pawn chain by advancing his pawns. Dave Close defended well, but lost the exchange under pressure. He had a difficult defensive task in the resulting endgame and eventually overstepped the time limit, giving Ian a win and levelling the scores.
The symmetry of the scores (wins on boards 2 and 3 and losses on 1 and 4) meant that the tie break was also drawn. After perusal of the rules, the score on the bottom board was eliminated, allowing Malvern to progress to their 4th final in 5 years.
Malvern chess club celebrated their move to Manor Park by winning division 1 of the Worcester and District League for the first time this millennium. They started slowly with a narrow loss to Droitwich, which meant that their match against Worcester St Johns was crucial. Three of the four games were drawn. Ian Clarke was black on board 2 and faced the unusual Bird’s opening. He restricted the white position by blocking the central pawns, but Greg Dyett was still able to launch a King’s side attack. Things looked dangerous until he overpressed, exposing his King and allowing Ian to unleash a decisive counter attack to win the game and keep Malvern’s title hopes alive. Deadlock was achieved in the match against defending champions, Kidderminster Knights, with no player securing the full point, although Jim Friar came very close to winning on board 2 for Kidderminster before being thwarted by a shortage of time. Malvern were the first team to finish their matches, posting a respectable 7 points out of 10. This was by no means out of reach however, and help was needed. The backmarkers (both beaten by Malvern) duly obliged. Kidderminster Rooks scored their only points of the season by beating Droitwich, and Kidderminster pawns put the Knights out of the running by securing a draw. Malvern’s rivals took points off each other, but the race continued to the last game of the season, with Droitwich needing to win or draw against Kidderminster Knights. They were heavily defeated however, giving Malvern the title by 1 point.
|
