WECU Championship 2012 - Day 4 - Rd. 7
April 8th, 2012 | 
Author: Rd. 7:
The draw is as follows: The three joint leaders had all played each other, so there was no question of short draws in order to guarantee some prizemoney - all 3 had to play for a win. Also, after over 35 years each on the chess circuit, De Coverley and Arkell had never played each other other - this was a first.
This contributed to what was probably the most interesting finale for some years. Firstly, Berry conceded a draw, while the McMichael-Dilleigh game looked very congested with a lot of material still on the board and not much space available to exploit them, so another draw was recorded. This left De Coverley and Arkell in a R+P endgame, the sort that the latter would enjoy, but he had only minutes left to find a plan. But find it he did, giving up 2 pawns in order to bring his king up to help his rook usher the d-pawn home. So Keith Arkell, currently resident in Paignton, became the latest West of England Champion.
The last game to finish in the hall was Richardson - Shaw, where the latter was a pawn down, but their bishops were on opposite coloured squares which tends to minimise this disadvantage, and a draw was agreed.
| Bd. | Open (Rd. 7) | |||||
| White | Black | |||||
| 1 | (3½) | R. de Coverley | 0 | 1 | K. Arkell | (4½) |
| 2 | (4½) | R. McMichael | ½ | ½ | S. Dilleigh | (3½) |
| 3 | (3½) | S. Greely | ½ | ½ | S. Berry | (4½) |
| 4 | (3) | A. Richardson | ½ | ½ | M. Shaw | (3) |
| 5 | (3) | A. W. Brusey | 0 | 1 | P. Krzyzanowski | (3) |
| 6 | (2½) | P. Helbig | ½ | ½ | D. Littlejohns | (2½) |
| 7 | (2½) | S. Bartlett | 1 | 0 | G. Bolt | (2) |
| 8 | (2) | B. Hewson | ½ | ½ | R. Thompson | (1½) |
| 9 | (2) | G. Taylor | 1 | bye | ||
Rd. 7 Open games here → http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/games/current/wecu127/base.htm
De Coverley vs Arkell - a chess 1st!
Greely vs Berry in Rd. 7.
Joint leader, McMichael starts against Steve Dilleigh.
Top 2 games in the Major.
Top 3 games in the Minor start their last game.
| Bd | Major (Rd. 7) | |||||
| White | Black | |||||
| 1 | (4½) | J. Nyman | 1 | 0 | R. Bryant | (5) |
| 2 | (4) | O. E. Wensley | ½ | ½ | W. Ingham | (4½) |
| 3 | (4) | R. Gamble | 1 | 0 | A. Billings | (4) |
| 4 | (4) | M. Wilson | 1 | 0 | A. Hibbitt | (4) |
| 5 | (3½) | M. V. Abbott | ½ | ½ | B. G. Gosling | (3½) |
| 6 | (3½) | M. Roberts | 0 | 1 | G. Body | (3½) |
| 7 | (3) | M. Harris | 1 | 0 | D. Lawrence | (3) |
| 8 | (3) | J. Morgan | ½ | ½ | S. K. Dean | (3) |
| 9 | (2½) | M. Worrall | 0 | 1 | A. Price | (2½) |
| 10 | (2½) | I. S. Annetts | 1 | 0 | A. Richards | (2½) |
| 11 | (2½) | C. Sellwood | ½ | ½ | S. Stone | (2½) |
| 12 | (2) | T. Chapman | 1 | 0 | C. Reeves | (2) |
| 13 | (2) | G. Parfett | 1 | 0 | K. P. Atkins | (2) |
| 14 | (1½) | R. Morgan | 0 | 1 | E. Sandercock | (1) |
| 15 | ||||||
| 16 |
There were several good performances in the Minor. Sole leader, John Morrison, only needed a draw to ensure at least joint 1st, but he lost the exchange, assumed he would lose and resigned. His opponent said he had a saving move and sportingly offered to play on. Even more sportingly, John stuck by his resignation. So he finished 3rd= with, among others, 9 yr old Max French of Millfield.
| Bd | Minor (Rd. 7) | |||||
| White | Black | |||||
| 1 | (5) | J. Morrison | 0 | 1 | T. Woodward | (4½) |
| 2 | (4½) | I. Blencowe | ½ | ½ | A. Wiggins | (4½) |
| 3 | (4½) | P. Errington | 1 | 0 | G. Andrews | (4) |
| 4 | (4) | M. French | 1 | 0 | T. Crouch | (3½) |
| 5 | (3½) | D. Woodruff | 1 | 0 | D. Rogers | (3½) |
| 6 | (3½) | C. Gardiner | ½ | ½ | A. Wang | (3½) |
| 7 | (3) | R. Waters | 0 | 1 | K. Alexander | (3) |
| 8 | (3) | H. Welch | 0 | 1 | N. Tidy | (3) |
| 9 | (3) | N. Mills | 1 | 0 | M. Huba | (3) |
| 10 | (3) | D. Burt | ½ | ½ | M. Cox | (3) |
| 11 | (2½) | J. Carr | ½ | ½ | S. Billett | (2½) |
| 12 | (2½) | A. Fraser | ½ | ½ | J. O’Grady | (2½) |
| 13 | (2) | R. Cox | 1 | 0 | T. Dengler | (2½) |
| 14 | (2) | R. Ryan | ½ | ½ | H. Herschmann | (2) |
| 15 | (1) | G. Patching | 0 | 1 | R. Whittington | (2) |
| 16 | (1) | M. Kaye | 1 | bye | ||
Prize List:
| Section | Name | Grd | Club | Pts | £ | |
| Open | 1st | K. C. Arkell | 225 | 4NCL | 5½ | 340 |
| 2nd= | S. Berry | 216 | Wimbledon | 5 | 137 | |
| R. McMichael | 194 | King’s Head | 5 | 137 | ||
| GP U-186 | 1st= | S. Dilleigh | 183 | Horfield | 4 | 15 |
| P. Krzyzanowski | 185 | Yeovil | 4 | 15 | ||
| U-180 | S. Greely | 170 | Downend | 4 | 30 | |
| Major | 1st | J. Nyman | 156 | King’s Head | 5½ | 220 |
| 2nd= | R. Bryant | 171 | Telepost | 5 | 50 | |
| R. Gamble | 161 | Derby | 5 | 50 | ||
| W. Ingham | 155 | Teignmouth | 5 | 50 | ||
| M. Wilson | 149 | Teignmouth | 5 | 50 | ||
| GP U-158 | 1st | A. Hibbitt | 156 | Grendel | 4 | |
| U-148 | 1st | G. Body | 147 | Exeter | 4½ | |
| Minor | 1st= | T. Woodward | 137 | Trowbridge | 5½ | 147 |
| P. Errington | 129 | Bournemouth | 5½ | 147 | ||
| 3rd= | J. Morrison | 136 | Tiverton | 5 | 17 | |
| A. Wiggins | 134 | Redditch | 5 | 17 | ||
| I. Blencowe | 125 | Gloucester | 5 | 17 | ||
| M. French | 119 | Millfield | 5 | 17 | ||
| GP U-127 | 1st= | I. Blencowe | 125 | Gloucester | 5 | 10 |
| M. French | 119 | Millfield | 5 | 10 | ||
| U-108 | A. Wang | 106 | Cardiff | 4 | 20 |
New WECU Champion receives trophy from Andrew Footner
Krzyzanowski (l) & Dilleigh receive grading prizes.
J. Nyman, winner of the Major Section, with the Wilkinson Cup.
Alyssa Wang of Cardiff got a £20 Grading Prize in the Minor.
9 yr old Max French came 3rd= in the Minor.
T. Woodward, joint winner of the Minor SEction.
Dr. Robert Ryan (l) plays Heinz Herschmann in Rd. 7 - combined ages = 176 yrs.
Ronnie Burton of Weymouth, a regular player both here and in the Autumn Seniors Congress, had to withdraw shortly before the event, but offered his entry fee to be awarded to the oldest player not to feature in the prize list. The two chief candidates were Robert Ryan and Heinz Herschmann. The German-born musician is 88 later this week, but Ryan reached that landmark a short while ago, so he gets the unexpected reward for longevity. By sheer coincidence they were paired in the final round.
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