28/1/05 - Chess club top at half way

The result was obtained in textbook style by winning the games with white and obtaining draw with black.

The results were as follows, Malvern players first with white on the odd boards. 1) B Turner 1-0 M Riley; 2) I Clarke - D Close; 3) G Herbert 1-0 M Kitchen; 4) M Ginger - C Billinge.

The first game to finish was on board three. Geoffrey Herbert played the Tarrash 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 four square. The tension was eventually released in Geoffery's favour and he was able to exploit an open queen's bishop file to get his 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 Geoffery 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 for variety to push his queen's pawn 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 that eventually proved decisive.

Board Two featured a Scotch Game. Both sides advanced centre 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 resultant half point moved Malvern over the winning post.

The game between Maurice Ginger and Clive Billinge on board four started out as a quiet Four Knights game. Maurice wasted a tempo reorganising his position and allowed his good centre to be outflanked and broken up by Clive's advance. However Maurice was able to regain the initiative when Clive ran short of time and a draw was agreed.