Keverel Chess

Posts Tagged ‘Torbay Congress’

Total entries this year were 153, an increase of 1 on last year.

This event has one of the longest prizelists, due to the inclusion of Torbay League titles. Ray Chubb has kindly supplied the names of the main winners.

All scores out of 5.

Open Section: 1^st = Neil Carr (Writtle) & John Stephens (Exmouth), both on 4 pts.

Major Section (U-170): 1^st Richard Desmedt (Wombwell) on 4½ .

Intermediate Section (U-U-140): 1^st David Jenkins (Camborne) 4½ .

Minor Section (U-120 ): 1^st Geoff Jenkins (Exeter) on 4½ .

The British Championship Qualifying Place and Bursary of £100 went to John Stephens of the Exmouth Club.

Torbay League Individual Championships:

Open (Basil Wallis Cup): Steve Homer (Newton Abbot) on 2½ .

Major (Challenge Cup): Bill Ingham (Teignmouth) on 4.

Intermediate: John Dean (Plymouth) on 2½.

Minor (Candidates Cup): Mike Cuggy (Brixham) on 4.

Best Score by a Devon Player in the Graded Sections:

(Ralph Newman Cup): Geoff Jenkins (Pinhoe).

Best Score by a Junior.

John Whitfield Cup awarded to the best junior score across all 4 sections. The winner was Reece Whittington in the Minor Section scoring 2 at the age of 13 years, Grade 105.

Team Event. A four-player team event was held for the first time, with the players making up the team having to come from the same club. There were 5 teams. Plymouth; Teignmouth; South Hams; Exeter and Wessex.

Wessex won the £40 team prize. The team consisted of Mike Yeo Open), Allan Pleasants (Open), Keith Gregory (Open) and Joe Coburn (Open). Scoring 10½ from a possible 20. In 2^nd place were the Exeter team on 9. Dave Regis (Open), Charles Keen (Major), Jeremy Amos (Intermediate) and Terrance Earnshaw (Minor).

The key game for John Stephens came in Rd. 4 when he had Black against Mike Yeo (202). He played the Sicilian, but diverted from usual book lines on move 7 and played sharp moves accurately. He trapped a piece on move 19 forcing White to resign 3 moves later.

This put John in the clear lead and enabled him to calculate that a draw with White in the final round would not only guarantee at least a share of 1st prize but also probably give him the British Championship place based on Sum-of-Opponents’ Scores.

He was drawn against the vastly experienced Norman Stephenson, but as he had been playing all the previous week in the Seniors’ Congress at Exmouth, making this his 10th game in 7 days, he was not disinclined to accept John’s suggestion of a draw after just 6 moves.

Mike Yeo (l) analyses his game with John Stephens, while John's girlfriend, Sarah Hodge, looks on.

Stephens & Stephenson get Rd. 5 under way. Another handshake followed minutes later.

Wheeler vs Brusey (l) & Dunne vs Shaw against a brilliant Torquay backcloth

General view of playing area.

The Torbay Congress finished on Sunday in beautiful Spring-like conditions at the Riviera Centre, Torquay. The winners were as follows:-

Open Section: 1^st= K. Arkell (Paignton); D. Mackle (Newton Abbot) & R. Webster (W. Bridgford) all 4 pts. Grading Prizes (180-174) A. Archer-Lock (Maidenhead) & D. Littlejohns (Taunton) both 3. U-174: J. Stephens (Exmouth) 3½.

Major Section (U-170): 1^st= R. Desmedt & P. Jackson. 3^rd R. Burton (Weymouth) 3½. GPs (156-153) R. Greatorex.

Intermediate Section (U-150): 1^st= N. Dicker (Glastonbury) & M. Wilson both 4½. 3^rd A. Papier (Bristol) 4. GPs (139-134): T. Crouch; P. Dimond (Bath) & D. Gilbert. (133-126): D. Jenkins (Camborne); T. Slade (Marhamchurch) & S. Ross.

Minor Section (U-120): 1^st A. Tatam (Plymouth) 4½. 2^nd= J. Barber-Lafon (N. Abbot); H. Welch (Seaton) & S. Grey all 4. GPs (U-110): I. Bowman (Liskeard) 3½. (U-96): B. Aldwin & G. J. Jenkins (both Exeter 3 pts).

Photographs can be seen on keverelchess.com and games accessed on chessdevon.co.uk.

This was the game between the joint leaders in the final round, in which both players probe for openings, but the defences were always equal to the attack. It was one of the last games to finish and drew a large crown of spectators, all trying to make out who might have the advantage in the endgame.

White: Dominic Mackle (197). Black: Keith Arkell (226).

Queen’s Indian Defence - [E15].

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 Bogoljubow’s favoured move in this defence. 5.Qc2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 0–0 8.Bg2 d5 9.Ne5 c6 10.0–0 Nfd7 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.e4 Bb7 13.Rfe1 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Qc7 15.Rad1 Rad8 16.b4 c5 17.bxc5 bxc5 18.d5 e5 19.Rb1 Bc8 20.Qc3 Rde8 21.Rb5 a6 22.Rb2 f5 23.Ng5 Nf6 24.Rbe2 h6 25.Nf3 e4 26.Nd2 h5 27.f3 exf3 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Rxe8+ Nxe8 30.Nxf3 f4 31.Ne5 fxg3 32.hxg3 Qe7 33.Ng6 Qg5 34.Nh4 Nd6 35.Kh2 Bg4 36.Qa5 Nxc4 37.Qxc5 Ne3 38.Qd4 Bd7 39.Qf4 Qxf4 40.gxf4 Kf7 41.Kg3 Kf6 42.Bf3 g5 43.fxg5+ Kxg5 44.Be2 a5 45.Nf3+ Kh6 46.Ne5 Be8 47.Nc4 Nxc4 48.Bxc4 Kg5 49.d6 h4+ 50.Kh2 Bd7 51.Bf1 Kf6 52.Bh3 Bb5 53.Bg4 Bf1 54.Kg1 Bc4 55.a3 Kf7 ½–½

No winning advantage accrued to either side so a draw was agreed, allowing Webster to catch them up.

Last week’s position was solved by 1.Qf5! which allows the pawn to move, while the King waits helplessly for 2.Qg4 mate.

This position is from a game played in this year’s Women’s Grand Prix. White to play and win quickly.

White to play and win quickly.

The balloon goes up as Arkell & Mackle get down to their Rd. 5 game.

In Rd. 3 it transpired that during the game between John Stephens and Jon Wells, Wells made a move and went off. Stephens made a quick reply and also went off for a stroll round. Wells got back to find that the Controller had assumed the game was over, had reset the clocks and was starting to set up the pieces in the starting position.

In Rd. 4, Exmouth’s Champion, John Stephens, and President, Mark Abbott, were drawn to play father and son combination, Chris (pere) & Adrian Archer-Lock. Father lost and son won.

Stephens (W) analysing with Archer-Lock Snr.

Arkell demonstrates his Rd. 4 win to opponent Paul Helbig, with Littlejohn, Stephens & Mackle looking on.

Final round gets under way.

The draw for Rd. 5 of the Open was as follows, with Arkell and Mackle being the obvious pairing for Bd. 1 as they were joint leaders. However, much as Arkell may have been the bookies’ favourite at the start, here he had the Black pieces and Mackle played the opening with vigour, and the GM had to call on all his defensive qualities and endgame technique to stay in the game. No question here of a quick draw to guarantee a share of 1st prize; the game went on to be one of the last to finish in the whole room, and drew a growing crowd of interested spectators, intrigued at the finely-balanced endgame position.

	Open Rd. 5
Bd.	White	Grd					Black	Grd
1	Mackle, D.	197	(3½)	½	½	(3½)	Arkell, K	226
2	Waddington, M.	187	(3)	0	1	(3)	Webster, R.	192
3	Archer-Lock, A	179	(3)	0	1	(2½)	Carr, N.	190
4	Helbig, P.	185	(2½)	0	1	(2½)	Menadue, J.	192
5	Dunn, A	167	(2½)	0	1	(2½)	Stephens, J.	173
6	Rosen, D.	186	(2)	½	½	(2)	Abbott, M.	170
7	Brusey, A. W.	174	(2)	½	½	(2)	Gregory, K.	184
8	Wheeler, J. F.	173	(2)	½	½	(2)	Bolt, G.	181
9	Bartlett, S.	162	(2)	½	½	(2)	Dilleigh, S.	180
10	Littlejohns, D.	174	(2)	1	0	(2)	Rahimli, N	170
11	Archer-Lock, C.	181	(1½)	½	½	(2)	Regis, D.	175
12	Thompson, R.	178	(1½)	1	0	(1½)	Aston, P.	152
13	Homer, S.	179	(1)	1	0	(1)	Wells, J. C.	179
14	Coburn, J.	156	(1)	½	½	(½)	Hamilton, E.	147
15	Nyman, J		(½)	1			bye

Arkell & Mackle almost swallowed up by spectators.

As games came to an end, the identity of prizewinners at all levels became apparent. This is an unofficial and somewhat incomplete list of all winners, subject to ratification.

The Torbay Individual Championships are held within the overall congress. Those eligible are players who play, or have ever played matches in the Torbay League. Thus, Ivor Annetts, although a member of an Exeter League Club, was for many years a member of Teignmouth, which qualifies him for one of these titles (see below).

The late John Whitfield was a disabled player who played whenever and wherever he could in Devon. His widow donated this relatively new cup for the best performance by a junior, won this year by 10 yr old Theo Slade of Marhamchurch in N. Cornwall. Theo is coached at distance by Dr. Dave Regis who runs the Exeter Juniors C.C. Occasionally, as at this event, they are able to interact face to face.

Theo Slade receives the Whitfield Cup from League President, Trefor Thynne.

Dave Regis analyses Theo Slade's Rd. 5 game.

Ivor Annetts (l) was the best Devon performer in the Major Section, receiving his trophy from Ray Chubb.

Hazel Welch (l) & Jacquie Barber-Lafon were delighted with their 2nd= prize in the Minor.

The Torbay Congress came to a successful conclusion on Sunday evening with a number of happy local winners, as follows (all scores out of 5):

Open Section: 1^st K. C. Arkell (Paignton) 4½. 2^nd= C. Beaumont (Bristol); J. Menadue (Truro); A. Pleasants (Weymouth) & J. Wheeler (Cosham): all 4. Grading prizes (U-184): D. Bennett (Bristol) & D. Sully (Penarth) both 4. (U-175): 1^st= R. Webster (Notts); D. Twine (Plymouth) & R. Thompson (Newton Abbot): all 3½.

Major Section (U-170):

1^st J. Waterfield (Bristol) 4½. 2^nd J. Nyman (Surrey) 4. 3^rd= W. Ingham (Teignmouth) & M. Harris (Newcastle-U-Lyme) 3½. Grading prizes (U-160): I. Annetts (Tiverton); C. Woolcock (Barry) & J. Ayres (Scarborough). 3. U-154: J. Leung (Newton Abbot) 3.

Intermediate Section (U-150):

1^st= P. Willcock (Wimborne) & C. Keen (Exeter) 4½. 3^rd E. Sandercock (Bucks) 4. Grading prizes (U-139): C. Strong. (U-130): 1^st= M. Probert & P. Foster 3½.

Minor Section (U-120):

1^st= P. Saunders (Bristol) 4½.

3^rd= M. Cuggy (Brixham) & K. Spooner (Wimborne) 4.

Grading prizes (U-109): 1^st= N. Mackie & J. Wallman 4. (U-94): 1^st= J. Fraser (TBGS); M. Haines (Chard) & T. Hay (Teignmouth).

This is the game that clinched clear 1^st prize for local resident Keith Arkell.

White: K. Arkell (231). Black: P. Helbig (191).

Grunfeld Defence [D76]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nc3 Nb6 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.e3 0–0 9.0–0 Re8 10.b3 e5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bxe5 13.Bb2 Qxd1 14.Rfxd1 c6 15.Rd2 Be6 16.Ne4 inviting the exchange of bishops 16…Bxb2 17.Rxb2 Red8 Both grabbing the open file and avoiding the threatened fork. 18.Nc5 Rab8 19.a4 a5 20.b4 Nc4 21.Nxe6 Inviting an exchange of rooks and breaking up Black’s kingside pawns. 21…fxe6 22.Rc2 Nd2 The knight ventures forward looking for action, but comes to a sticky end. 23.Rd1 Nb3 24.Rb1 Rd2 25.Rc3 and the knight has nowhere to go. 25…Rc8 26.f4 axb4 27.Rcxb3 c5 28.Bxb7 c4 29.Rxb4 A quicker end would have resulted from 29.Bxc8 cxb3 (29…c3 threatens to recover a queen, but White can cope - just. e.g. 30.Bxe6+ Kf8 31.Rxb4 c2 32.Rf1 Rd1 33.Rc4) 30.Bxe6+ Kf8 31.Rxb3 29…c3 30.Be4 c2 31.Bxc2 Rdxc2 32.R1b2 Rc1+ 33.Kf2 Ra1 34.Re4 Kf7 35.Rb7+ Kf6 36.Rxh7 1–0.

In last week’s problem, the White Queen can take either of the pawns on c4 or c5 before mating on the f-file. This week’s 2-mover is by John Brown (1827-63) of Bridport.

White to play & mate in 2.

The Torbay Congress came to an end this evening after a smooth passage throughout the weekend. A greater strain was put on the backroom running, as Congress Secretary, Ray Chubb, was laid out on his settee at home, gingerly getting acquainted with his new hip bone.

In common with other similar events, the overall entry was a little down on recent years, but the strength of the Open Section was beefed up considerably in the minutes before Kick Off on Friday evening, when first GrandMaster Keith Arkell walked in the hall unnanounced, followed a little later by IM Chris Beaumont, who, having no opponent available to play him, got a full point bye.

By the start of the final round, Arkell led the field by a half point from a number of strong contenders. He was drawn against the current West of England Champion, Paul Helbig, and concentrated on keeping things uncomplicated as he simplified down to an endgame with 2 rooks and a minor piece each that he turned into a relatively quick win, so guaranteeing him clear 1st.

Details of the prizelist were as follows (all scores out of 5 pts.):-

Open Section:

1st Keith Arkell (231) Paignton 4.5 pts. £200

2nd= Chris Beaumont (208) Bristol; Jeremy Menadue (185) Truro; Allan Pleasants (185) Weymouth & John Wheeler (185) Cosham: all 3.5 pts. £35 each.

Grading prizes: (184 - 175 inc.)

Dominic Bennett (182) Bristol & Dave Sully - Penarth both 4 pts. £40 each.

U-175: 1st= R. J. Webster (167) W. Bridgford; D. Twine (170) Plymouth & R. Thompson (173) Newton Abbot: all 3.5 pts and £10 each.

Major Section (U-170):

1st J. Waterfield (167) Bristol 4.5 pts. £110

2nd J. Nyman (159) Surrey 4 pts. £70

3rd= W. Ingham (164) Teignmouth & M. Harris (167) Newcastle-Under-Lyme 3.5 pts. £20 each.

Grading prizes (U-160):

I. S. Annetts (155) Tiverton; C. Woolcock (155) Barry & J. Ayres (159) Scarborough. 3 pts. £10 each.

U-154: J. Leung (145) Newton Abbot 3 pts. £30

Intermediate Section (U-150):

1st= P. Willcock (149) Wimborne & C. E. Keen (131) Exeter 4.5 pts. £90 each

3rd E. B. Sandercock (146) Bucks 4 pts. £40

Grading prizes (139 - 130):

C. Strong Clevedon £30

U-130: 1st= M. Probert (123) White Knights & P. Foster (121) Medway 3.5 pts. £15 each.

Minor Section (U-120):

1st= P. Saunders (110) Bristol 4.5 pts. £90 each.

3rd= M. Cuggy (115) Brixham & K. C. Spooner (118) Wimborne 4 pts. £20 each.

Grading prizes (109 - 94):

1st= N. Mackie (100) Bournemouth & J. Wallman (108) Dorset. 4 pts. £30 each.

(U-94): 1st= J. Fraser (u/g) TBGS; M. Haines (88 ) Chard & T. J. Hay (93 ) Teignmouth £10 each.

Of all the several areas within the Riviera complex, the Rosetor Room would appear to be by far the most suitable for this particular event. It is large enough to accommodate all sections with enough space between rows to allow people to wander and look at other games. It is thickly carpeted throughout, eliminating the distractions of creaking floorboards, chair-scraping and loud footsteps, while the general acoustics tend to muffle even whispered conversations. At each end of the room there is a recessed area, one suitable for the bookstall and the other used for analysis and light refreshment, yet these possible sources of noise make no difference to the general hush throughout the room. But it is only recently that this room has been made available to the congress - let’s hope it continues.

And now for some scenes from the battlefront:

Players share some banter before the final round starts.

General view of the room.

Arkell (r) starts against Paul Helbig.

Battle in Black Leather - Jeremy Menadue starts the action against Chris Beaumont.

Tyson Mordue awaits David Sulley's move.

The top games in the Intermediate Section.